This Nashville ambient duo's 4th album is easily their most realized, and most structured, release to date. With Tim Powles (of Australian psychedelic rock act The Church) at the mixing helm, Andrew Thompson and Marc Byrd summon great swells of lovely organic ambient sound, with droning, shoegaze-soaked guitars and deftly-mixed strings. They weave spacious melodies into their instrumental songs, and the results wouldn't sound out of place on an Eno or Sigur Ros recording. The album's single, "Breathturn", utilizes reverb-soaked distant vocals ala Slowdive, and is certainly a sweet treat for the ears. Other cuts, like "In The Nothing Of A Night", wrap dark edges into the blissed-out atmospheres. But it's never a heavy-handed or ponderous approach. Hammock's music, like their name, stretches out in a most relaxing fashion. It's a breath of fresh air in a sea of pretension and attitude. "Chasing After Shadows..." is a journey worth repeating, functioning either as effective background listening, or as an enveloping headphone experience. Monumental, multi-layered sounds for anytime of day or night. (Hammock Music)
Though he is often seen as a guitarist and sideman in Aussie psychedelic rock legends The Church, Marty Willson-Piper has emerged as a world-class songwriter in his own right. Aside from his 30 years with The Church, he's released 5 solo albums, 4 live albums, toured and recorded with too many artists to list, and worked on a pair of collaborative albums with Dare Mason, under the name Noctorum. These wonderful Noctorum albums received limited distribution, and are quite difficult to find. To remedy this, 2006's "Offer The Light", is being re-released via Second Motion Records (USA) in June 2010. It'll be housed in a tasteful deluxe softpack CD with booklet. And to help promote it, Second Motion are offering a 2-song free download as a taster. Remarkable, melodic, and well worthy of your attention.
In other related news, expect a comprehensive set of Church and Steve Kilbey reissues (including an 8CD box set of Kilbey's past works) from Second Motion in the coming months.
Wow. It's a long drive from Evansville to Cleveland (nearly 8 hours), but my trusty friend and major Church/Steve Kilbey fan TE and I made the journey on a blisteringly hot summer day, and it mostly all worked out wonderfully. With him being a veteran of past Church tours, I had never before experienced this venerable Australian act of grizzled psychedelic rockers, and I picked an amazing time to enter the fold. The Church's latest CD, 'Untitled #23', may be one of their best works, and this tour found them in top form.
The drive itself was nondescript. Miles and hours of bland Midwestern scenery and concrete retaining walls. We passed through Louisville, then Cincinnati, then Columbus (fittingly, the title of an old Church track), and finally Cleveland. Some light sandwiches and granola bars (and fruit) served fine as quick lunches along the way, and we motored on to Cleveland like true road dogs. The club itself is a small little place, easy to miss, in a kind of forsaken downtown area (across the street from a blood sausage shop - nauseating!), and actually pretty near Lake Erie, which was a lovely deep blue. We found parking in the small lot, and fairly promptly entered the ballroom area, camera in tow, and ready to approach the well-stocked and (really quite impressive) merchandise booth - complete with tons of CDs (both Church and solo releases), art prints, the new Kilbey biography, t-shirts, and more. I found a treasured Refo:mation CD, which is excessively rare, but passed on the limited and similarly rare 'Tin Mine' compilation. TE nabbed a Kilbey art print (suitable for, and sure to be subject to) framing. I was unhappy to not find a copy of 'Back With Two Beasts', but that freed up some dollars for a tasty and tangy barbecue tofu sandwich and a Newcastle Brown Ale, both priced modestly for a bar/club, so kudos to the Beachland for fair prices. We stood around the well-ventilated and air-conditioned club (again, rare, so thank you Beachland) while listening to the soothing sounds of Sigur Ros (a full album, seemed like), then some Verve, Arcade Fire, and Silversun Pickups -- really good to hear enjoyable sounds from the PA while waiting for the bands to take the stage!
Opening act Adam Franklin (he formerly of 90's-era shoegaze rockers Swervedriver) and his new band, Bolts Of Melody was solid, presenting some good, honest indie rock. Some fine songwriting, though, seemed lost a bit on the music, which I'd rather hear some more noise and fervor on. Franklin kind of got a wee bit edgy on the wonderful closing track, but the energy just wasn't there otherwise.
When the Church finally took the stage, they entered with atmospheric blue lights, and the beginning riffs to the song 'Tantalized' emerged from the chaos and the roar of the crowd. This song, among the band's heaviest (and already 23 years old), set the stage for an energetic and rousing evening of classic 'hits' and new material. There seemed to be a genuinely rollicking good time going among the band itself, not to mention for the devoted crowd. The band raced through tracks from most of their history, with some highlights being 'Almost With You', 'Operetta', Space Savior', and an encore of 'Under The Milky Way' and 'Reptile'. The band returned for a second encore, which included 'Hotel Womb', and they lost very little of their raw energy and passion. During the show, it was evident how important drummer/producer Tim Powles has been to the group. He is a powerhouse drummer, transforming even the older Church tunes into monster rock beasts. Guitarist Peter Koppes was a stoic figure, only allowing a few trickles of smiles to get through his businesslike demeanor, while keeping the moody guitars going effortlessly. A shaggy-bearded and long-haired Marty Willson-Piper hammed it up all show, posing and laughing like he was having the time of his life. And Steve Kilbey was a picture of energy and vitality, looking very healthy and fit, and lurking around the stage like a possessed man. He (as well as the rest of the group) are obviously in a good place these days, as their chemistry was stunning. The double-guitar interplay was perfect, the mixing crystal clear, Kilbey's voice in fine form, and it was simply a brilliant show, packed with energy, noise, smiles, and good times.
Our only regret was not staying around after the show to meet the guys for photo ops or autographs. Ah well. Regardless, the memories of this intimate and intense Church show will linger for a long time. It's a good time to be a fan of these guys. Great records, great concerts....
So one of my favorite bands these days is touring North America soon. I plan to be at the Cleveland date if all goes as planned...
The Church also have a new CD due out in May, titled 'Untitled #23', and a pair of import-only Aussie singles/EPs as well, 'Coffee Hounds' and 'Pangaea'. Check your usual import sources for these, or try these links:
And check out the pair of classic (and obscure) videos for two of my favorite Church tracks below...
THE CHURCH 'SO LOVE MAY FIND US' TOUR 2009 USA
JUN 10 WED BELLY UP TAVERN * SOLANA BEACH, CA JUN 11 THU THE ROXY THEATRE * WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA JUN 12 FRI SLIM’S * SAN FRANCISCO, CA JUN 14 SUN ALADDIN THEATER * PORTLAND, OR JUN 15 MON THE TRIPLE DOOR * SEATTLE, WA JUN 18 THU GOTHIC THEATRE * ENGLEWOOD, CO JUN 19 FRI HARRAH'S * NORTH KANSAS CITY, MO JUN 20 SAT HOUSE OF BLUES CHICAGO * CHICAGO, IL JUN 21 SUN VARSITY THEATER * MINNEAPOLIS, MN JUN 23 TUE SHANK HALL * MILWAUKEE, WI JUN 24 WED THE INTERSECTION * GRAND RAPIDS, MI JUN 25 THU THE MAGIC BAG * FERNDALE, MI JUN 26 FRI BEACHLAND BALLROOM * CLEVELAND, OH JUN 27 SAT REX THEATRE * PITTSBURGH, PA JUN 28 SUN THE STATE THEATRE * FALLS CHURCH, VA JUN 30 TUE RAM’S HEAD ONSTAGE * ANNAPOLIS, MD JUL 1 WED THE TROCADERO * PHILADELPHIA, PA JUL 2 THU SHOWCASE LIVE * FOXBOROUGH, MA JUL 3 FRI TUPELO MUSIC HALL * LONDONDERRY, NH JUL 7 - TRALF MUSIC HALL *BUFFALO, NY JUL 8 WED IRVING PLAZA * NEW YORK, NY JUL 9 THU THE RIDGEFIELD PLAYHOUSE * RIDGEFIELD, CT JUL 10 FRI SWYER THEATRE * ALBANY, NY
* Adam Franklin(of Swervedriver) & Bolts of Melody will be our guest support on US dates. JUL 11 - CISCO OTTAWA BLUESFEST
Australian psychedelic group The Church have been around for a great long time, creating some memorable and suitably trippy space-out rock sounds, yet seldom lacking in melodic hooks and darker, more introspective overtones. This fairly concise solo retrospective from guitarist Koppes shows off his own chops, sans the band, and damned if this apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Disc A covers his more recent output, and these are clear evidence that Koppes' spectral guitar sound is integral the Church's oeuvre, indeed. Certainly, the mystical poetics of (Church frontman/lyricist) Steve Kilbey are missing here, but Koppes does an admirable job at keeping it consistent and stylish, even ambiguous at times. Atmospherically, the subtly mysterious tones and almost-ambient flow are more than palatable. 'Met Her Today' is a catchy pop tune of the highest order, whereas 'Thank You' could be a Church outtake circa 'Starfish'. Disc B showcases Koppes' earlier solo work, and although some of this sounds awfully dated with primitive drum boxes and simplistic keyboard accents, there are some fine little songs here as well. 'Desert Flower Bride' is a top-shelf standout, with the resounding chorus of 'I don't know what love's about' - this one will stick in your head, to be sure. For Church fans, this one's a must-hear. Otherwise? If mature, artfully-done psychedelic pop is your destination, here's your ticket. (Immersion)
Kilbey, for those who don't know, is the conceptualist, vocalist, and bassist with Australian rock legends The Church, and here he plays a comprehensive solo acoustic set for a small, intimate audience in Auckland, New Zealand in 2007. Being a big fan of The Church for some time (their spectacularly understated and psychedelic 'After Everything Now This' was perhaps my favorite album of 2002), I was quite stoked to see this - especially as Kilbey's solo work is quite hard to find here in the states.
Well, Kilbey's a master showman, and a true 'magician of the spirits'. In the nearly 2-hour set here, he digs in to some prime covers (the Velvets' 'Caroline Says', Dylan's 'Is Your Love In Vain?'), some tracks from his collaborations with Grant McLennan (R.I.P.) as Jack Frost, his solo work, and of course some Church favorites. The fidelity isn't super-HD, and it's not all super-Dolby surround-sound, but the impression of seeing Kilbey perform to a small (and sometimes disrespectful audience) is a seldom-seen treat. Incredibly, even sans a band of any sort, Kilbey is a troubadour of utter class and distinction. His passion and fire is evident during the impressive 'Wolfe', whereas he coasts through sublime standards like 'Under The Milky Way' like a master. A lovely set of tunes from one of music's most underappreciated lyricists, 'Live' is a real winner. (Plus1 Presents/PIcturesque Films)
This Nashville ambient duo's 4th album is easily their most realized, and most structured, release to date. With Tim Powles (of Australian psychedelic rock act The Church) at the mixing helm, Andrew Thompson and Marc Byrd summon great swells of lovely organic ambient sound, with droning, shoegaze-soaked guitars and deftly-mixed strings. They weave spacious melodies into their instrumental songs, and the results wouldn't sound out of place on an Eno or Sigur Ros recording. The album's single, "Breathturn", utilizes reverb-soaked distant vocals ala Slowdive, and is certainly a sweet treat for the ears. Other cuts, like "In The Nothing Of A Night", wrap dark edges into the blissed-out atmospheres. But it's never a heavy-handed or ponderous approach. Hammock's music, like their name, stretches out in a most relaxing fashion. It's a breath of fresh air in a sea of pretension and attitude. "Chasing After Shadows..." is a journey worth repeating, functioning either as effective background listening, or as an enveloping headphone experience. Monumental, multi-layered sounds for anytime of day or night. (Hammock Music)
