Whenever a band or artist’s website is prefaced with a disclaimer that “we don’t like the internet” or “we hate Myspace” it reeks a little bit of self-importance and pretention. If having an online identity where fans can access your music easily and efficiently is such an ethical comprimise for you then don’t have one. I don’t want to hear how a band’s Myspace is run by a third party because the “artist” doesn’t want to harm his integrity by filling out the fields on his own.

With that said, UK experimental act Microphone Stand is one of these bands. Their Myspace page reads “This page was setup and is run on behalf of microphone STAND, as they do not like myspace…”. Gee, thanks for that heads up. I would have thought they loved Myspace had the issue not been clarified. As for the music itself it is a claustrophobic, paranoid mish mash of gently strummed accoustic guitars, distorted cymbals, and sporadic heavy blasts of electronic beats; pretty much what you’d expect from an experimental solo artist with a laptop, some editing software, and a personal mantra that includes not selling out to Myspace (or at least not directly selling out to Myspace).

[mp3] Microphone Stand – Orchestra Gob

Hit the Ground Running is the debut single for UK group Superkings. Made up of two songs, the title track and the upbeat jazzy ‘Wolves and Ravens’, Hit the Ground Running is an interesting demonstration of the pop band’s radio ready talent. This polished sound is more evident on the title track, which opens with a steady piano melody and builds into a mid-paced ballad with great guitar accompaniment towards the latter half. The lyrics focus on the narrator’s fascination with a particular enigma of a woman (“Just before the sweat dries, she likes to put the lights back on. The mystery of her fragrance lies far beneath a tarry nightgown”). The other track ‘Wolves and Ravens’ isn’t nearly as entertaining or romantic, but it does well enough to happily round out this ‘less-is-more’ two song debut.

[stream] Superkings – Hit the Ground Running on Myspace

After weeks of indie blog hinting the general public can finally see for themselves whether The National’s fourth studio album Boxer is the record to beat in 2007. If magazine & newspaper critics have any say in the matter Boxer is, at the least, a very surprising step up from 2005′s already adored Alligator. Here is what Stylus magazine has to say about Matt Berninger and company, which I believe sums up the record & most reviews beautifully:

“Boxer is a National album through and through but blessed with a restraint and self-assuredness of a band on top of its game, resulting in a startling masterpiece on par with Turn on the Bright Lights, Bows & Arrows, or any other austere tribute to urban alienation you care to name.”

The only negative review I could find was from the UK surprisingly (which is where the National seemed to receive most of their attention prior to Alligator) and even then the publication, The Gaurdian, gives the record 3 out of 5 stars; although not until after criticizing the band’s last two records as “claustrophobic, minor-key U2-on-a-budget” and “deadened, muffled music”.

Harsh, no?

But perhaps the most interesting piece of feedback I’ve read for Boxer comes from the Earth’s largest social networking site, Myspace. For a week the record was available for full streaming on the band’s page and they were featured as a spotlight artist. Here is a screenshot of their write up on Myspace’s homepage.

Best band in America? Not sure the site’s 16 year old screamo-loving base will agree, but I sure love hearing those words.

Now the next step beyond what the critics think is to see how the public responds to the record. As Goodhodgkins so perfectly states, “If there’s one thing about Boxer that everyone and their grandma is going to use to discredit it, it’s the fact that there’s no ‘Abel’ or ‘Mr. November’”. These are the exact thoughts I had as I sat down and listened to the record for the first time.

As great as it would be to have a clear, aggressive single, Boxer benefits from its uniformity. Other than the darkly energized ‘Mistaken for Strangers’, most of the songs on record are content to give up their personal will and do their part in making Boxer a great complete listen. No instrument or vocal track attempts to stand out above the rest or steal the spotlight away from the collective whole. In my opinion, this is what gives Boxer the advantage over Alligator. It’s smarter and shows more restraint/maturity.

Hopefully fans will recognize this (it shouldn’t be very hard) and the chants of “It’s no Alligator!” and “Where is Mr. November?” will last only long enough before “Hey, I think I’m starting to love this cd!” kicks in.

BONUS:

Here is the band performing ‘Mistaken for Strangers’ and ‘Apartment Story’ live during MTV’s 24 Hour Human Giant Takeover last week (the always intelligent & musically knowledgeable people at MTV mixed the video tags, so Apartment Story is actually Mistaken for Strangers and vice versa).

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By the way, Los Angeles residents can catch Human Giants’ Rob Huebel and Paul Scheer perform long-form improv at their always delightful Myspace Show every Wednesday night at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater on Franklin Blvd. Much recommended!

Stereo owners beware! On Tuesday, May 22nd rebellious rockstars The National plan to take over your car & home music players with their brooding, goth-Americana stylings. Even computer headphone listeners are at risk of extreme joy & preference for the band’s signature late night songs.

Local police and social service agents are standing by at all Sam Goody and Wherehouse music stores in Vermont and New Mexico after reports that the New York band’s fourth studio album, Boxer, is “so damn good you’ll hand over your baby to the music store clerk for $12.99 store credit”.

To help the public transition from life before Boxer and life after, authorities have asked Invisible Limb to post a revised b-side from the record along with it’s original counterpart.

The tracks in question are Blank Slate, a b-side from the single Mistaken For Strangers (released this Tuesday), and Keep It Upstairs, which is taken from 2005′s Abel single.

This cd (Boxer) is brilliant! No joke!

[mp3] The National – Blank Slate
[mp3] The National – Keep It Upstairs