Dead Flowers: Ten Tracks from 2008 and The Year in Review

Download: http://sendmedeadflowers.com/music/dftentracks2008.zip


1. Ida Maria: "Oh My God"
If I were to create something as wretchedly passe as a best album list, Ida Maria's Fortress Round My Heart would probably sit atop of it. Here's what I said in my review:

Instead, think about the good things here: the way "Queen of the World" sounds like "Vertigo" by The Libertines, or "Stella" rips off an old Motown track, or how "Oh My God" is an absolute classic brimming with barely concealed sexual energy. Ida Maria's got charisma, man, and if you can't handle that, then take your Vampire Weekend and Yeasayer records and fuck off.

Myspace
Wiki
Ida Maria on Dead Flowers

2. Supergrass: "Diamond Hoo Ha Man"
In all honesty, I haven't had much time for Supergrass albums since 2000's uneven self-titled effort. In 2008, however, I did have time for this infectious riff-based rocker and its hilarious accompanying video.

Myspace
Wiki
Supergrass on Dead Flowers

3. Mystery Jets--Half in Love with Elizabeth
21 was one of the albums I played to death earlier in the year but sort of forgot about as time went on. Returning to it now, I think it holds up. Here's what I said in my original review:

To be sure, on "Twenty One", the Mystery Jets have developed both as songwriters and musicians. The question is whether they're quite done evolving. Lead-off single "Young Love" has all the makings of a classic, an odd jangly little tune that's so simple even a child could sing it: 'One night of love, nothing more nothing less; one night of love left my bed in a mess. Is that you on the bus? Is that you on the train? You wrote your number on my hand and it came off in the rain.' Yes, guest singer Laura Marling's reformed Eliza Doolittle crooning seems a bit overdone, but that's a small complaint. Elsewhere, 80s homage "Two Doors Down" has a chorus that's pure Whitney Houston (pre-Bobby Brown) and a closing sax solo that Huey Lewis would trade his best beige blazer for.

"Flakes", given away as free download at the end of 2007, is "Earth Angel" on acid. It's a genuinely affecting ode to lost love and misspent youth. "Behind the Bunhouse" makes fine use of techniques perfected by The Smiths like arpeggiated guitar and that incessant shuffling beat. There's a distinct indie-disco vibe to "Half In Love with Elizabeth", the album's highlight

Myspace
Wiki
Mystery Jets on Dead Flowers

4. Mike Bones--What I Have Left
I don't know much about Mike Bones, and to be honest, I'm not entirely sure I want to know more. Some artists are best presented in single servings, and I get the feeling that if I heard tracks besides "What I Have Left" I might be disappointed. Over the course of the song, the hopeful, rollicking music builds to a powerful crescendo, overtaking Bones' guilt-wracked lyrics and weary vocals. Powerful stuff.

Myspace
Mike Bones on Dead Flowers

5. The Veils--The House She Lived In (Live)Ok, I'll admit to a bit of cheating here. This is a 2007 live version of a song that will most likely be released in 2009. Split the difference and you get 2008, right? I had to include this if only because this was my most played track of the year. And because I interviewed Finn:

DF: Nux Vomica had some of the poppiest music you've ever produced ("Advice"), while at the same time containing some of the darkest ("Jesus for the Jugular"). How do you reconcile those two moods?

F: We put them on the same album, that's about as much reconciling as was necessary. Too many records just sounds like 10 slightly different versions of the same song to me, I'm a strong believer in The Album. You have such opportunity to bring together all the greatest elements of film and art and literature and it seems a shame to waste that - a great album can be Kubrick, Hemingway, Carravagio, The Wire and The Stones all at once and that is such an extraordinary thing.

In October I saw the Veils perform at Chicago's Lakeshore Theater. It was a fun show, and I've never seen Finn so loose with the crowd, but really it felt like more of a formal rehearsal of new material than a proper concert. Their third album should finally establish them as a top-tier group, so keep an eye out for them.

Myspace
Wiki
The Veils on Dead Flowers

6. Glasvegas--Please Come Back Home
As an early advocate for Glasvegas, I have to say that I was a bit disappointed by their self-titled debut. Whereas their early recordings had a sort of rough beauty to them, possessing the sort of sound you get when big ambitions collide with modest means, I felt the record was over-produced. My review of the LP, which never saw the light of day, even compared the album version of "It's My Own Cheating Heart That Makes Me Cry" to a power ballad by Poison. The whole thing felt short on tunes and long on major-label sonic affectations.

Over time though, my disillusionment slowly eroded, and I found myself reevaluating the album on its merits. Their recently released Christmas album, from which "Please Come Back Home" is taken, scored a few points in my book as well.

Myspace
Wiki
Glasvegas on Dead Flowers

7. Sune Rose Wagner--Hvad Der Sker
Better known as one half of The Raveonettes, Sune Rose Wagner quietly released his Danish-language solo album Sune Rose Wagner in December. It seems like he's perfectly content to let it fly under the radar, which is shame, because it's really, really good. Coming off like a less kitschy Raveonettes, it wears its influences (50's music, Sonic Youth, The Smiths) on its sleeve. In a year when The Raveonettes released a series of largely forgettable EPs, those looking for a Wagner fix would be wise to seek this out.

Myspace
Wiki
The Raveonettes on Dead Flowers

8. The Radio Dept.--Freddie and the Trojan Horse
At the risk of this turning into one long mea culpa, Radio Dept. were another band that disappointed me with a record, their sophomore effort Pet Grief, but then slowly worked their way back into my good graces. This comeback single certainly didn't hurt. Returning to some of the guitar work that made debut Lesser Matters such a success, but with their fondness for drum machines and The Pet Shop Boys firmly intact, the Radio Dept. gang raised hopes for their third album.

Myspace
Wiki
The Radio Dept. on Dead Flowers

9. The Notwist--Good Lies
Although it's true that The Notwist's The Devil, You + Me never captivated me like Neon Golden did, it's still true that this it was a fine record. Here's what I said in my review:

Listeners have waited six years for "The Devil, You + Me", and although it's not entirely clear what took them so long, there are plenty of fine moments on this record. Maybe expectations were simply too high, but what they've basically given us is "Neon Golden 2". Opener "Good Lies" is fantastic, with a circular melody repeating and reinforcing the key lyric: "Let's just imitate the real until we find a better one". Being German, Acker's unusual delivery gives lyrics that might sound cliche coming from a native speaker a decidedly uncanny quality . "Good Lies" also reveals the band's new secret weapon: the acoustic guitar. Whether it's the descending chords in that track, the Teutonic Bossa Nova of "Gloomy Planets", or the space-age blues of "Gone Gone Gone", this post-modern band using the most traditional of instruments results in added warmth and texture.

Myspace
Wiki
The Notwist on Dead Flowers

10. Sigur Ros--Med Sud I Eyrum
Sigur Ros are a perennial favorite for me, and this year was no exception. Here's a bit from my review of Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust:

Sigur Ros' music was always a distillation of more complicated acts: Radiohead, Godspeed You Black Emperor, The Cocteau Twins, et al. "Hljómalind" and much of Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust are a distillation of that distillation. Straight-forward arrangements, pretty melodies, luscious string tones. Nothing jarring. Perfectly pleasant...

Opener and preview track "Gobbledigook" is a bit of a red herring--it's leaden acoustics and dull melody don't really do justice to the rest of the album. Tracks 2 and 4 ("Inni Mer Syngur Vitleysingur" and "Vid Spilum Endalaust") are like the best moments of Takk edited down to four and 3 and a half minutes respectively. Elsewhere on the record, Sigur Ros tread familiar ground. A widescreen epic like "Festival" would not feel out of place on previous records.

So try as I might to disown them for cozying up to the Starbucks/Banana Republic set, I have to admit that I still love Sigur Ros' music. Rumors of a drastic change in sound have been greatly exaggerated; what we're presented with is the essence of the band's music and the continuation of an already impressive winning streak.

Myspace
Wiki
Sigur Ros on Dead Flowers

Honorable Mention:

Vessels: "Walking Through Walls"
Vessels' "Yuki" made my Best of 2007 list for good reason: their immaculate sense of texture and atmosphere was pretty much the only game in town. The same goes for "Walking Through Walls", taken from the band's debut album White Fields and Open Devices. In a transition year for mainstream rock, this sounded like nothing else.

"A Hundred Times in Every Direction" Promo:


Myspace
Wiki
Vessels on Dead Flowers

Other Highlights from Dead Flowers This Year:
Dead Flowers is First with a Previously Unreleased Velvet Underground Show
Veils Interview
Ivy Interview
Babyshambles Interview
10-Song Introductions: Pulp

And a bit of history...
Best of 2006
Best of 2007


Thanks for visiting Dead Flowers in 2008. See you next year!

Jake Drake's Best of 2008

I asked Dead Flowers' resident authority on the American indie scene, Jake Drake, to come up with his Best of 2008 list. Here's what he dug this year:

Darker My Love, 2

"Two Ways Out" Promo:

The Black Keys, Attack & Release

Little Joy, Little Joy

"Keep Me in Mind"

Delta Spirit, Ode To Sunshine

"Trashcan"
Dead Flowers Interview

Album EPK:

Ryan Adams, Cardinalogy

"Fix It" Live on Letterman:

My Morning Jacket, Evil Urges

Jake's Best of 2007

Boy in Static: Leave You Blind

Listen/Download:
"Leave You Blind"
Myspace
On Amazon MP3

Dead Flowers Interviews Adam from Babyshambles

Adam Ficek is best known as the drummer with Babyshambles. He has played on both of the band's records, Down in Albion and Shotter's Nation. Adam has a solo project called Roses Kings Castles, whose self-titled debut LP was released in the UK in September. He was gracious enough to answer a few of my questions about drumming, Babyshambles, and that elusive Pete Doherty solo record...

DF: I saw a very early incarnation of Babyshambles (Summer 2003) when they could barely play. The current lineup seems much more focused musically. Could you talk a bit about the musical evolution of the band?

AF: Well in the early days Peter just had help from friends to get the music out, it was when he asked Patrick (Walden) to form a band for him that things really became more focussed, he asked Drew (McConnell) and Gemma (Clarke). Gemma left I joined - blam

DF: How did the band change when Pat left?

AF: It was a different type of band, Pat is much more improvisational where as Mik (Whitnall) is very much 60's based riffage, the band didn't change that much just musically it leant to a different direction.

DF: How was it working with Stephen Street?

AF: Stephen is one of the most underestimated producers of our times. Without Stephen Shotters Nation would have not been made. He isn't just a recorder, he shapes and sculpts the words and melodies that we come up with. He took the rough edges off of our shamblisticness.

DF: With The Libertines, Pete seemed really fond of that hopping, shuffling rhythm that the Smiths used. It still pops up in Babyshambles songs, like "Baddie's Boogie", but it's not as prominent. Is that because of a conscious decision on Pete's part, your own drumming style, or a combination of the two?

AF: I'm not sure really, I know what you mean but it wasn't a conscious decision, perhaps that rhythm had been exhausted in previous songs.

"Baddie's Boogie" Live:

DF: Any headlines you can give us regarding Pete's solo record?

AF: It's released in March.

DF: You were in The White Sport with Andrew Aveling. It's taken on a sort of mythical status among Libertines obsessives. Can you talk about your time with the band and that record?

AF: That record was made by myself, Patrick and Andrew Aveling, whilst Pat was writing with Peter. It was a good time, we supported the Libs and Babyshambles and that's how I got to know Peter initially.

DF: How did your solo project come about? What sort of things can you do with the group that aren't possible in Babyshambles?

AF: I play and write all of it so I have total control. I can use the instrumentation that I wish, whether thats synths, strings or coconut shells

DF: How would you describe Roses Kings Castles to the unitiated?

AF: Good old fashioned indie pop.

Listen to "Horses" by Roses Kings Castles:

DF: Can you tell me about live performances by Roses Kings Castles? Is it just you with an acoustic or have you recruited a backing band?

AF: It's just me live at the moment, I will get a band but I don't think it's fair on the Babyshambles guys. They are my band, I am loyal to them...

"Entroubled" Live:

DF: I was a Libertines fan before the tabloid furor, and it always bothered me that that was the way they got noticed. They never got the credit they were due for some amazing musical output. Same goes for Babyshambles. I thought the second record was fantastic, but Pete fading as a tabloid sensation sort of colored people's perceptions of the record. I can imagine that there's an even greater sense of frustration within the band....

AF: Not really, it is what it is, the media attention got us noticed on a different scale but yes it does cloud the music sometimes. Everyone has heard of us or Peter but few have heard the music!

DF: How has London influenced you musically ?

AF: It doesn't really, probably the people I meet and the lives of characters in London, there's a lot of fakes in London - which annoys me..It's very fashionable to be in a band so this brings out lots of poor quality, insincere music..

DF: Do you have a preferred instrument other than drums?
AF: Vibraphone, it's melodic yet percussive, I play it on every track of my album..

DF: What other drummers have influenced your playing?

AF: Max Roach, Mitch Mitchell, Alan Wren

DF: How do you approach arranging for your own group as opposed to other projects where you play drums?

AF: It's much more melodic and chordal then playing the drums, I can get much more emotion into a guitar and piano rather than drums, it's great to rock out with shambles but it's also important for me to be able to express myself melodically.

Thanks to Adam for speaking with Dead Flowers. He's currently on tour, so try to make it out to one of his shows.

Tour Dates:
Dec 13 2008 8:00P legends - Luton
Dec 29 2008 9:00P Spaceland - L.A . USA
Jan 5 2009 8:00P Leicester - Charlotte
Jan 6 2009 8:00P Cambridge - Portland Arms
Jan 7 2009 8:00P Nottingham - Bodega
Jan 8 2009 8:00P Liverpool - Academy2
Jan 9 2009 8:00P Manchester - Ruby Lounge.
Jan 10 2009 8:00P Wakefield - Escobar
Jan 11 2009 8:00P Birmingham - Bar academy
Jan 13 2009 8:00P Newcastles - Academy2
Jan 14 2009 8:00P Hull - Adelphi
Jan 15 2009 8:00P Preston - 53Degrees
Jan 16 2009 8:00P Derby - Rockhouse
Jan 18 2009 8:00P Castleford - The loft
Jan 20 2009 8:00P Cardiff - Barfly
Jan 21 2009 8:00P London
Jan 23 2009 8:00P Sunderland -Voodoo room
Jan 26 2009 8:00P Captain’s rest - Glasgow
Jan 27 2009 8:00P York - Fibbers
Jan 28 2009 8:00P Wrexham - Central
Jan 30 2009 8:00P Bern - Switzerland


Listen/Download:
"Beg Steal or Borrow" by Babyshambles
Roses Kings Castles Myspace
Babyshambles Wiki

Florence And The Machine: Dog Days Are Over

Myspace

Quote of the Week: Alex James

"You know pop music is about 'I love you forever let's run away together'," he explained. "I've done that bit, I've run away forever and I'm on the next thing now which is, 'Look, we've run away together, here we are surrounded by nappies - where's the violins?'"

-From The Guardian

Listen/Download:
"On the Way to the Club" by Blur
Wiki
Blur on Amazon MP3

Amadou et Mariam feat. Manu Chao: Senegal Fast Food

Listen/Download:
"Senegal Fast Food"
Myspace
Wiki

Mike Bones: What I Have Left

Listen/Download:
"What I Have Left"
Myspace

Line and Circle: Street Noise

Listen/Download:
"Street Noise"
Myspace

Like Honey: Like a Song

Listen/Download:
"Like a Song"
Myspace