Julian Plenti - "Games for Days"

(Originally posted on Methanol Cereal)

We received the lead single for Julian Plenti's "Is...Skyscraper" today. Julian Plenti is the alias of Interpol front man, post-punk revivalist, and all-around moper Paul Banks. In 2002, they were hipster darlings; Turn on the Bright Lights received universally positive reviews (especially from Pitchfork), their videos were in rotation on MTV2 (yes, at one point it wasn't all just "Rob and Big" and "Viva La Bam" reruns, for a couple years they played videos regularly), and their songs were all over TV shows like Friends and The OC. I was an early supporter, and was one of the few people I knew who wasn't completely disappointed in their 2004 lukewarm follow up Antics. My main complaint was that the reverb and echo drenched atmosphere of the debut was refined somewhat, and put in the background. The angular, almost British late 1970s/early 1980s guitar-sound dominates the album and, of course, the band's backbone, Carlos Dengler's bass playing is still very much in the forefront. This isn't to say the ominous but familiar tone of TotBL was completely lost, it just didn't seem as important. Again, I stress that I wasn't completely disappointed. At the end of today, like with any record, it's the songs that count. The band got bigger, and moved onto to greener pastures, leaving indie stalwart Matador for Capitol records. Their first release on Capitol, 2007's Our Love to Admire didn't feature their usual mopery and was a little, well, brighter. It sold well, really well actually, but didn't achieve the same level of praise as their first two records, but was still relatively well received (I wasn't a big fan of that record. They just sounded too complacent).

So, since 2007, drummer Sam Fogarino started a side project (Magnet Morning) with the dude from Swervedriver, bassist Carlos Dengler continues to DJ on the side as well as provide remixes for other band's stuff, and guitarist Dan Kessler is apparently just kind of laying low. That leaves Banks. Earlier this year, his solo album (to be released under the name Julian Plenti, an alias he apparently used to perform under pre-Interpol) was announced. Very few details were given, aside from a cover and a track listing.

Well not anymore.

"Games for Days" didn't do a whole lot for me. It doesn't sound too distant from Interpol's work to warrant a release under a different name. The radio edit clocks in at 3:49, so to be fair, I might be missing a bitching guitar solo or some profound lyrics from an excised bridge. The song isn't bad just kind of boring. It features that sort of post-punk guitar sound Interpol's been at for years, although grainier and lacking in reverb. The occasional punchy, muted, almost chugging from the guitars isn't really my thing either. Seems out of place. The fluid, throbbing bass provided by Dengler on the Interpol albums is also absent. It may be the stereo I'm using, but that was the first thing I noticed. The lack of a thumping bassline. The basslines were usually my favorite part of Interpol songs. The song has almost a dance pop drum beat with the drums themselves sounding a little less than organic. Major emphasis on the bass drum too. It feels too much like a retread of Interpol's material, without the sunglasses, black suits, and cigarette smoke that made their first album such a highlight. This is only one song though, and from the information I've been able to find on the album (which is limited, I could only find a couple early reviews) the album is split between this sort of rock stuff and a more thoughtful, solo acoustic performance. Time will tell.

Julian Plenti - "Games for Days" 2.5/5

Julain Plenti is...Skyscraper will be available August 4th from Matador Records

Playlist for July 27th 2009

Hey guys! So, I guess this is our last show of July. Here's hoping you enjoy it.

(song-artist-album-label)

You and I - Wilco - Wilco (the album) - Nonesuch

Funny Little Frog - God Help the Girl - God Help the Girl - Matador

Wild Rice - Summer Cats - Songs for Tuesdays - Slumberland

Treat Me Like Your Mother - The Dead Weather - Horehounds - Thirdman

Rose City - Viva Voce - Rose City - Barsuk

Eyes Like Ours - Tiny Vipers - Life on Earth - Sub Pop

Ephemeral Summer - Talbot Tagora - Lessons in the Woods or a City

Beach Comber - Real Estate - Summertime Showcase 2009 - Underwater Peoples

Cryin' Smoke - Ganglians - Monster Head Room - Woodsist

The Ruminant Band - Fruit Bats - The Ruminant Band

I Hate Saturdays - Sugarplum Fairies - Chinese Leftovers - Starfish

Settled Bounds - Trevor Giuliani - Subcontrario (in stereo) - Dovecote

Eet - Regina Spektor - Far - Sire

Can't Keep Time - Foreign Born - Person to Person - Secretly Canadian

Two Weeks - Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest - Warp

Wind Phoenix (Proper Name) - Cymbals Eat Guitars - Why There Are Mountains - Self Released

All Your Downtime is Up - Birds of Avalon - Uncanny Valley - Volcom

Standing at the Station - Ty Segall - Lemons - Goner

Ossified Homes - The Lovely Feathers - Fantasy of the Lot - Sparks

New Ice Age and Primary Colours - The Horrors - Primary Colours - XL

Amarillion - Datarock - Red - Nettwerk

Power Bleed - Starlight Mints - Change Remains - Barsuk

Wet Hair - Japandroids - Post-Nothing - Polyvinyl

Psychosomatic - Magik Markers - Balf Quarry - Drag City

New Bones - So Many Dynamos - The Loud Wars - Vagrant

Fonz - Eugene McGuinness - Eugene McGuinness - Domino

July 20 2009

Hey everyone, updating semi-live today, so stay tuned. Unfortunately, DJ Next Door is not here this week, fear not though, she just wanted this week off because it's her birthday. So happy birthday and feel free to send love her way. Not to me though. My birthday isn't for another two months.

Aaaanyway....

(song - artist - release - label)

Mixed Signals Through Miles of Pilgrimage - Talbot Tagora - Lessons in the Woods or a City - Hardly Art
Don't Lie - Abe Vigoda - Reviver - Post Present Medium

The Void - Ganglians - Monster Head Room - Woodsist
Autumn Beds - Modest Mouse - Autumn Beds single - Epic
So Insane - Discovery - LP - XL
Eavesdropping on the Competition - Cass McCombs - Catacombs - Domino
Time Gets Away and Has its Way With You - Soft Black - The Earth is Black...and Other Apocalyptic Lullabies for Children - Plays with Dolls

An Anniversary Away - Reverie Sound Revue - Reverie Sound Revue - Boompa
Burial - Miike Snow - Miike Snow - Downtown
Christopher Wren - Summer Cats - Songs for Tuesdays - Slumberland
Those Old Black and White Movies Were Right - Eugene McGuinness - Eugene McGuinness - Domino
Eyes Like Ours - Tiny Vipers - Life on Earth - Sub Pop

Work All Day - Portugal. The Man - The Satanic Satanist - Equal Vision
Share - Cymbals Eat Guitars - Why There Are Mountains - self released
Green Starred Sleeve - UUVVWWZ - UUVVWWZ - Saddle Creek
Easy - Deer Tick - Born on Flag Day - Partisan
February - Pterodactyl - Worldwild - Brah

Wilco (The Song) - Wilco - Wilco (The Album) - Nonesuch
Silver Moons - Sunset Rubdown - Dragonslayer - Jagjaguwar
Red Light Love - Those Darlins - Those Darlins - Oh Wow Dang
Quiet Little Voices - We Were Promised Jetpacks - These Four Walls - Fatcat
I Should Be Born - Jets Overhead - No Nations - Vapor

Frank, AB - Rural Alberta Advantage - Hometowns - Saddle Creek
The Sweetest Thing - Camera Obscura - My Maudlin Career - 4AD

Monday the 13th: Jason Goes to Hell

Hrm. I don't know if I like the look of the title. Having my name first is kind of...I don't know, a little weird. Anyway, here's this week's stuff...

Playlist for July 13, 2009.

Updating Live!

1. Die a Little - Viva Voce - Rose City - Barsuk
2. Perfection As a Hipster - God Help the Girl - God Help the Girl - Matador
3. Paper Lace - Sunset Rubdown - Dragonslayer - Jagjaguwar

4. Zero - Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz! - Interscope
5. Wild Rice - Summer Cats - Songs for Tuesdays - Slumberland
6. Two Doves - Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca - Domino
7. Angela - Jarvis Cocker - "Further Complications" - Rough Trade
8. Quiet Little Voices - We Were Promised Jetpacks - These Four Walls - Fatcat

9. Fifteen to Twenty - Phenomenal Handclap Band - Phenomenal Handclap Band - Friendly Fire
10. Amarillion - Datarock - Red - Nettwerk
11.Orange Shirt - Discovery - LP - XL

12. Natural - Starlight Mints - Change Remains - Barsuk
13. Girls Just Want to Have Fun - Starfucker - Jupiter - Badman
14. Pale Horse - Moby - Wait For Me - Mute

15. Approach the Throne - Clues - Clues - Constellation
16. Explain Yourselves - Joan of Arc - Flowers - Polyvinyl
17. Static Mind - Girl in a Coma - Trio BC - Blackheart
18. The Whale Song - Modest Mouse - Autumn Beds single
19. Long Walks - The Lovely Feathers - Fantasy of the Lot - Sparks

20. Not So Lucky and the Invisible Kid - The Pine Hill Haints - To Wi or to Lose - K Records
21. Voodoo - Ganglians - Monster Head Room - Woodsist
22. Beneath Your Tree - Bowerbirds - Upper Air - Dead Oceans
23. Little White Lies - Deer Tick - Born on Flag Day - Partisan
24. Fetal Horses - John Vanderslice - Romanian Names - Dead Oceans
25. Winter Games - Foreign Born - Person to Person - Secretly Canadian
26. Two Weeks - Grizzly Bears - Veckatimest - Warp

Probably flying solo next week. Tune in anyway. I dare you.

-B

New Datarock video!

Playlist for 7/6/09

Moped Girls - Vivian Girls - 7"
Suburban Beverage - Real Estate - 7"
Wilco (the song) - Wilco - Wilco (the album) - Nonesuch
French Navy - Camera Obscura - My Maudlin Career - 4AD

Houses - Great Northern - Remind Me Where the Light Is - Eenie Meenie
Can't Keep Time - Foreign Born - Person to Person - Secretly Canadian
Jap Dad - UUVVWWZ - UUVVWWZ - Saddle Creek
Ghost Life - Bowerbirds - Upper Air - Dead Oceans

Power Bleed - Starlight Mints - Change Remains
Old Clouds - Pterodactyl - Worldwide - brah
Ms. June - Snowglobe - No Need to Light a Night Light on a Night Like Tonight - Makeshift
Glaciers - So Many Dynamos - The Loud Wars - Vagrant

Bren's Pick:
Fonz & Atlas by Eugene McGuinness - Self-titled - Domino

DJ Nextdoor's Pick:
Give It Up & The Pretender by Datarock - Red - Nettwerk

God Help the Girl - God Help the Girl - God Help the Girl - Mattador
It #1 - Ty Segall - Lemons - Goner
While We Wait For the Others - Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest - Warp
1901 - Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
Jealous of Roses - Bibio - Ambivalence Avenue - Warp
Tricky Tricky - Royksopp - Junior - Astralwerks

The Dead Roads - The Rural Alberta Advantage - Hometowns - Saddle Creek
Carina Constellation - John Vanderslice - Romanian Names - Dead Oceans
When I Died - The Thermals - Now We Can See - Kill Rock Stars
Ossified Homes - The Lovely Feathers - Fantasy of the Lot - Sparks Music