CMJ Music Marathon 2009: Clare & The Reasons @ Mercury Lounge

Clare & The Reasons; Josh Mease; Warpaint
@ Mercury Lounge
New York, NY - October 20, 2009

A very Indie-pop 2009 CMJ Music Marathon for Sonic Parthenon kicked off with the always very Indie-pop Clare & The Reasons though technically it kicked off with Warpaint and really, Clare and co. aren't really Indie-pop anymore by conventional definitions. The new Reasons record, Arrow, is something of a departure from the catchy and whimsical first LP, The Movie. It's a little more dense, relying more on instrumentation and Clare's vocals than the melodies and chimes of the prior record. In an interesting live-wise development, the band has been cut seemingly in half with the whole string section of charmers gone, and a laptop has been brought in for some minor backing track. The effervescent red scheme is gone too replaced with various casual displays of - surprise, surprise - singular arrows on each band member, and some fake woods-type display. But the spirit and mission of Clare & The Reasons are unchanged, and the band makes it work as it explores new ways and sounds.

Josh Mease is still the folkie-looking but Jazz-inspired artist he was back in January and the songs still have zip in all the right places. He'd be quite at home in Newport.

Warpaint are a California group that sort of tear it up at points but then take it low. Their drawn-out cover of the old classic "My Guy" was cute for the first couple minutes but wore thin for the remaining few minutes.

Clare & The Reasons @ Abrons Arts Center

Clare & The Reasons; Josh Mease
@ Abrons Arts Center
New York, NY - January 31, 2008

"Welcome to our recital. We've been practicing all semester", said Clare Muldaur Machon before her merry misfits played a thoroughly vexing set in the basement auditorium of the Abrons Arts Center, located in the nether regions of eastern Grand Street. The awkward confines of the performance space - a lil' auditorium with a tiny concrete floor - lent a charm to the proceedings. There was talk of performing songs from the upcoming second record but Clare relayed to us that her new songs were being threatened with murder by her old songs, in her dreams that is, so to play it safe they stuck to their usual set. Some sad news: "Can You Car Do That? (I Don't Think So)" will not find a home on the upcoming album. Alas, it will remain a live novelty, much like the car in the song.

Imporant footnote: I have a major crush on the cellist. Is that a cello she's playing? Whatever it is - the upright thing - her. Yeah. Major crush.

Josh Mease is a perfectly pleasant singer-songwriter who mixes Jazz, country, and blues all in the vein of M.Ward's laid-back campfire-on-the-beach style. And while he will probably be surprised to learn this, he should know that his natural, off-the-cuff in-between song banter is pretty darn funny. His debut album comes out in April.

More Love for Clare & The Reasons...on WNYC

Earlier in the week, Brian Lehrer had Neil deGrasse Tyson on for a discussion of Pluto, our dubious celestial neighbor. The segment ended with Clare's song "Pluto". Brian had Clare on yesterday to discuss the song, however briefly.

DeVotchKa; Clare & The Reasons @ Webster Hall

DeVotchKa; Clare & The Reasons
@ Webster Hall
New York, NY - January 24, 2009

DeVotchKa returned to New York with their continued excellence at dense hybrids of Russo-Mexican rock n'roll and all points in between. A curious moment: I noticed a scantily clad woman rehearsing what appeared to be ballet in a window over stage left. I assumed it was a dancer for the later club portion of the night at Webster. Alas, it was a performer for DeVotchKa, a mix of burlesque and Cirque Du Soliel. Nebbish nellie that I am, I was nervous and found it difficult to look for fear she'd fall from her climbing and acrobatics up two long sheets in the middle of the stage. The highlight was Nick on the theremin while she quivered the curtains. Just another madcap adventure in the life of DeVotchKa.

Clare Muldaur and the Reasons fought through some terrible feedback problems and a pretty dull, self-involved crowd to showcase why they are New York City's premium jewel in its pop crown. If they were tripped up by anything it was the lack of Reasons - I am pretty sure there were more than 5 people at the gig at Joe's Pub last June. Nevertheless, it is pretty much confirmed that Clare & The Reasons are the best red-color dress code band since the White Stripes.

Sonic Parthenon's The Year In Music 2008: Part 2

Carbon/Silicon
The pie-eyed idealistic lyrics may have been dopey even in our cynical-smashing Obama age, but "The News" and "Why Do Men Fight?" summoned the heart and spirit of Mick Jones' and Tony James' old bands, and served as anthems in this volatile election year.

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Did the title track of Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! sound corny at first? Yes. Did it grow on you? Of course it did. Did the album turn out to be a smashing success, maybe the best of Cave's illustrious career? Seems like it. Did last year's turn as Grinderman have an effect on the Bad Seeds? One would guess so. Is not "More News From Nowhere" one of the best long songs ever made? Damn right it is. And you knew the live show was going to be good, no questions needed to be asked.

Chairlift
"Bruises" is certainly what this Colorado-based, naturally-Brooklyn-situated Ipod band is known for, but beneath the quick hype and sold out shows is a solid, little sweet natured pop band. Listen to "Planet Health" if you don't believe me, yah.

Celebration
Based on one single performance at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in July, and nothing more, Celebration made their mark on 2008. Truly mesmerizing and intoxicating, Katrina Ford and company should be coming back very strong very soon.

Clare & The Reasons
The Movie came out in 2007 but no matter, Clare Muldaur is one of New York's signature songstresses, an ambassador of shameless, authentic love and love of sweet, elegant pop music, and the live set at Joe's Pub in June proved it.

Elvis Costello
"Stella Hurt" was the near-gem off of Momofuku, a record inspired by Costello's duet with Jenny Lewis on the fun and fancy free "Carpetbagger" from her Acid Tongue LP. And then Elvis went ahead and became the new great American talk-show host. Another good year for our man Elvis.

DeVotchKa
With A Mad and Faithful Telling, DeVotchKa returned to the scene but it was their sparkling live show at Terminal 5 that sealed the deal. With a strangely easy mix of showmanship and stealth, Nick and the gang will continue their run in support of the record well into 2009 and we're all better off for that.

The Dirtbombs
The Dirtbombs never really take time off, and they've had their slight share of attention in the past, but in 2008 there was a very strong sense that the band finally arrived. Thanks to We Have You Surrounded, there was a definite uptick in the number of people at shows, with a whiff of significant new fandom in the air. And deservedly so - some of Mick's best ever work now comes from We Have You Surrounded, an album that was too long in coming.
First going on their own triumphant tour before hitching rides with Spiritualized and TV on the Radio and finding time to do not one but two tours of duty in Europe as well as a run Down Under, the Dirtbombs never let up. They even found time to play extra shows in New York (FYI in case you didn't figure it out - despite whatever you may officially be told, New York is the home base for all intents and purposes). The Philly and Bowery shows during the April tour were two of the best nights in a history of amazing nights. Troy Gregory left the band marking the one sad spot in a year of full of highs. It hurt but as with all things Dirtbombs, things keep moving.

Drug Rug
Drug Rug kept popping up in unexpected places in various incarnations but the one thing that was consistent was their incorrigibility. Good for them.

Clare & The Reasons @ Joe's Pub

Clare & The Reasons
@ Joe's Pub
New York, NY - June 27, 2008

Deep, textured, extra lush pop music usually doesn't go hand-in-hand with words like "raw" and phrases like "stripped down" yet that is exactly what is going on in the world of Clare Muldaur and her band. This is one of those rare treats when one can hear pop music at its purest form, devoid of technological production in any way (well, except for some electricity used for the guitars, amps, and speakers but that's about it) and really come to appreciate it. This red bedecked ragtag group of mushy misfits conjure up elemental feelings and make you swim in them. Between Clare's giddy little voice (which on occasion approaches Billie Holiday, and no foolin'!) and the band's spit-shine polish, it really becomes one of those cliche cases where one can forget their troubles for a bit. Whether it is cute little musings like "Pluto", slightly more serious works like "Under The Water" and "Alphabet City", or goofball comedy numbers like "Can Your Car Do That? (I Don't Think So)", one understands why the band's record is called The Movie, since it feels like the soundtrack to some ironic, New York romantic comedy gone awry. Hilariously awry.

Oh, by the way, Clare & The Reasons may have saved a certain candidate for President. After a week of some dicey, somewhat shocking calls that alienated the candidate from his supporter here at SP, the band's rendition of "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" with all the lyrics shelved in place of simply singing the name "Obama", conjured up all those gooey "it's the personality, not the issues" swooning that got this old schlub excited about the campaign in the first place. Oh so we differ on the death penalty, so what? What's a little major policy conflict when you got New York's best and brightest singing your name to the tune of the most famous movie song of all time? There's even a Kansas connection for pete's sake. Alright, all is forgiven...for now.

Fair Game Canceled. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

In one of the biggest media crimes of the decade, Public Radio International has axed Fair Game (I figured something was up when the show was in repeats for way too long on either side of Memorial Day). Read here and here for the details - though interestingly, the cancellation is yet to be acknowledged on the show web site. The podcast is still being updated with old shows and segments.

As it is noted in places on the links, the comedy on the show was mixed at best. All of Faith's cohorts were pretty annoying (the program could feel like a bad imitation of The Daily Show for radio). But Faith herself is/was a fantastic host. Smart, well-informed, asking very pointed, and very substantive questions, especially by public radio standards, she tooks things to a new level. It also helped that she is absolutely cute as a button in every way possible.

As with most good public radio shows, Fair Game provided informative news segments on issues and trends, and it was also a great source for interviews on independent cinema. But most important of all, it was one of the best sources for new Indie music. The bookings were sensational. Even the artists that I personally did not care for, I respected their presence on the show. Except when they ignored my request for the Dirtbombs and kept the CD I sent. But that was under their old music coordinator so who knows.

The entire Fair Game music catalog

Highlights:
Camera Obscura
Heavy Trash
Holly Golightly
Via Audio and Orba Squara
Au Revoir Simone
The National
The Magnetic Fields
Mountain Goats
Norah Jones
Goldfrapp
Clare & The Reasons
Ira Glass (he's not music but he's Ira Glass so there)

:(

Clare & The Reasons on Fair Game

Fair Game has been in repeats this week and tonight's show is from last September and it's with Clare Muldaur.