"they took a vote and said no." actually, we'll be going with yes. so by now, we all know wolf parade. their 2005 Apologies to the Queen Mary was ultra-anticipated by all your usual suspects. pitchfork's review of their sub pop release was just about the best it can get. they've got the some of the best on their side, with Isaac Brock producing the majority of the album. so they're just about as mainstream as you can get in the indiesphere. that is, without actually being Modest Mouse.

so when you hear about Spencer Krug of Wolf Parade going off and doing his own thing, the intrigue level has to be high. what does a man of sub-pop success do on his own time? are we talking Ben Gibbard, The Postal Service style? or are we talking about Dallas Green of alexisonfire, City and Colour style? [do check city and colour out. good "acoustic/rock/folk" as he wants to say, but i would dare to admit it's really kind of emo acoustic, and yet good. apparently that's possible.]

nope. we're just plain talking about Sunset Rubdown.

and he's great. he recruited a few more indie loves, hopped on board his Frog Eyes label Absolutely Kosher Records, and started recording. he started, of course, not with Shut Up I Am Dreaming, but with Snake's Got A Leg(2005), and judging by the Pitchfork review I just linked you to, there's a good reason why the extremely lo-fi release wasn't widely spread or why I admittedly hadn't heard of it. then the EP, as every budding band will do, and now this.

i advise you to grab a lip-smacking sample from Insound [click there and you will download the mp3 "Stadiums and Shrines II", nothing to it]. you will not be disappointed. though Krug's vocals are immediately reminiscent of Wolf Parade and his indie rocking style, there is nothing Wolf Parade about it - it is very much its own brilliant entity, with a clean and refined sound, a mastery of pop and warbling indie. clearly, i highly recommend it.

you can actually find a copy among the racks in Newbury Comics, under "Misc. S" of course, but go grab it from Amp Camp, because those guys are so freaking cool, and plus i linked you there. now you have no excuse.

go do.

  shan  11:47 AM  |  view comments (1)