viernes, 6 de marzo de 2009

BLITZEN TRAPPER



Often compared to the early lo-fi eclectic mixtures of Beck, Portland, OR's Blitzen Trapper had already gone through various genres on its first few records. Led by guitarist/vocalist Eric Earley, the band is also comprised of Erik Menteer (guitar, keyboard), Brian Adrian Koch (drums, vocals), Michael Van Pelt (bass), Drew Laughery (keyboard), and Marty Marquis (keyboard, vocals). The band self-released two albums, a self-titled effort in 2003 and Field Rexx in 2005. Wild Mountain Nation came out in mid-2007. ~ Kenyon Hopkin, All Music Guide

THE DODOS



Originally formed in 2006 as Dodobird by multi-instrumentalist Meric Long, unpredictable San Francisco indie rock duo the Dodos acquired their new moniker with the arrival of Logan Kroeber, a fellow West Coast artist whose penchant for experimental drumming and progressive metal melded perfectly with Long's interest in West African Ewe drumming and country blues fingerpicking. The Dodos released their debut album, Beware of the Maniacs, that same year independently, followed by Visiter in 2008. ~ James Christopher Monger, All Music Guide

FLEET FOXES



Seattle's Fleet Foxes are lead by vocalist/guitarist Robin Pecknold, who grew up on records by Bob Dylan, Neil Young, the Zombies, and the Beach Boys. Following the path of baroque pop, Fleet Foxes also include Skyler Skjelset (guitars), Bryn Lumsden (bass), Nicholas Peterson (drums), and Casey Wescott (keyboards). After playing only a handful of shows, the band received label interest and caught the attention of local producer Phil Ek (Built to Spill, the Shins). Ek worked with the band on their Sun Giant EP, which arrived on Sub Pop in spring 2008. The full-length Ragged Wood arrived that summer. ~ Kenyon Hopkin, All Music Guide

DUNGEN




Scandinavian "folkrockpsych" collective Dungen is the brainchild of Gustav Ejstes. Raised in the small village of Lanna in Vastergotland, Sweden, Ejstes was weaned on regional folk music and '60s rock at a young age by his violinist/music teacher father. He discovered the world of hip-hop while in his teens. An obsession with the science of sampling followed, and through his own experiments with the genre he was exposed to a wealth of '60s and '70s Swedish underground music. The organic nature of the recordings stirred something in Ejstes. He wanted to prove that he was capable of playing all of the instruments he had been sampling himself, so he packed up and moved to his mother's farm in the woods of nearby Smaland to hone his craft in a studio in his grandmother's basement. The ambitious Dungen was released on friend Stefan Kery's Subliminal Sounds label in 2001. The record received enough attention from the underground community to attract the Dolores/Virgin label, and soon Dungen were back in the studio for a series of three singles, one of which appeared on the soundtrack for The Jungle Book 2. Dungen's breakthrough international album, Ta Det Lugnt, was released by Subliminal Sounds in 2004 and re-released (with a bonus disc) by American label Kemado in July 2005. The follow-up, Tio Bitar, arrived in 2007. ~ James Christopher Monger, All Music Guide

TELEVISION

Television were one of the most creative bands to emerge from New York's punk scene of the mid-'70s, creating an influential new guitar vocabulary. While guitarists Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyd liked to jam, they didn't follow the accepted rock structures for improvisation -- they removed the blues while retaining the raw energy of garage rock, adding complex, lyrical solo lines that recalled both jazz and rock. With its angular rhythms and fluid leads, Television's music always went in unconventional directions, laying the groundwork for many of the guitar-based post-punk pop groups of the late '70s and '80s.

In the early '70s, Television began as the Neon Boys, a group featuring guitarist/vocalist Tom Verlaine, drummer Billy Ficca, and bassist Richard Hell. At the end of 1973, the group reunited under the name Television, adding rhythm guitarist Richard Lloyd. The following year, the band made its live debut at New York's Townhouse theater and began to build up an underground following. Soon, their fan base was large enough that Verlaine was able to persuade CBGB's to begin featuring live bands on a regular basis; the club would become an important venue for punk and new wave bands. That year, Verlaine played guitar on Patti Smith's first single, "Hey Joe"/"Piss Factory," as well as wrote a book of poetry with the singer.

Television recorded a demo tape for Island Records with Brian Eno in 1975, yet the label decided not to sign the band. Hell left the band after the recording of the demo tape, forming the Heartbreakers with former New York Dolls guitarist Johnny Thunders; the following year, he began a solo career supported by the Voidoids, releasing a debut album, Blank Generation, in 1977. Hell was replaced by ex-Blondie bassist Fred Smith and Television recorded "Little Johnny Jewel," releasing it on their own Ork record label. "Little Johnny Jewel" became an underground hit, attracting the attention of major record labels. In 1976, the band released a British EP on Stiff Records, which expanded their reputation. They signed with Elektra Records and began recording their debut album.

Marquee Moon, the group's first album, was released in early 1977 to great critical acclaim, yet it failed to attract a wide audience in America; in the U.K., it reached number 28 on the charts, launching the Top 40 singles "Prove It" and "Foxhole." Television supported Blondie on the group's 1977 tour, but the shows didn't increase the group's following significantly.

Television released their second album, Adventure, in the spring of 1978. While its American sales were better than those of Marquee Moon, the record didn't make the charts; in Britain, it became a Top Ten hit. Months later, the group suddenly broke up, largely due to tensions between the two guitarists. Smith rejoined Blondie, while Verlaine and Lloyd both pursued solo careers; Lloyd also played on John Doe's first solo album, as well as joined Matthew Sweet's supporting band with the 1991 album Girlfriend.

Nearly 14 years after their breakup, Television re-formed in late 1991, recording a new album for Capitol Records. The reunited band began its comeback with a performance at England's Glastonbury summer festival in 1992, releasing Television a couple months later. The album received good reviews, as did the tour that followed, yet the reunion was short-lived -- the group disbanded again in early 1993. In 2001, Television again reunited for a handful of shows in the U.K., as well as an appearance at the Noise Pop Festival in Chicago. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide