Moshi Moshi // Fleet Foxes // White Williams // F. Lunaire

Don't Do It attended the Moshi Moshi Records gig last night at Hoxton Square Bar to witness the increasingly hyped (and acclaimed) Fleet Foxes play live, following their DJ set and signing at Rough Trade East just a few days ago. Here's how it went down:


The first act of the evening was London based F. Lunaire who opened his set with a keyboard and vocal led track that showcased his highly emotive voice, switching back and forth between caressing croons and Waits-esque growls, and his sensuous piano playing. His gritty urban tales are infused with a melancholy romance that, when it works, is haunting and effective. Though he (and his backing band) only played a short set, it was impressive and we're in no doubt that he has great potential as a serious pop act. The Mondestrunken EP is currently out on Stiff Records. You can also catch Lunaire playing keyboards for Kid Harpoon's band The Powers That Be.

F. Lunaire - La Lune (Live) (courtesy of Eyes For Indie)
F. Lunaire on Myspace


The next band on the bill were White Williams from Cleveland, USA. Lead singer Joseph Williams apologised for any "technical problems"; apparently some of their gear had gone missing during their travels and indeed this did effect their performance. The band got off to a rather shambolic start, Williams clearly exhausted and frustrated, but after a few songs they hit their stride, at which point they wielded their chaotic sound with intent. Mixing influences as varied as surf, stadium rock, electronica, calypso and pure pop they certainly made an interesting impression. Forced to cut their set short due to time restrictions, despite cheers from the crowd for more, they finished with a rather soulful rendition of 'Going Down', sounding like the experimental evil twin of Vampire Weekend. Their well-received debut album Smoke, mostly recorded by Williams on his laptop, is available now courtesy of Tigerbeat6 and we highly recommend it.

White Williams - Going Down (courtesy of Cubik Musik)
White Williams on Myspace

As soon as Fleet Foxes launch into their opening song after setting up it is clear by the audience's reaction who most people have come to see tonight. The band themselves are surprised by the extent of the rapturous reception, nervously smiling at one another and thanking the audience. For us it may not be so surprising; their self-titled debut album, set for release on June 3rd, has already been extensively hyped in the UK, receiving the album-of-the-month award in numerous publications, including Mojo. When we spoke to the band before their set they admitted to being rather oblivious to the media, frightened by the potentially destructive force of the hype machine. For the moment at least, they can enjoy the praise; their brand of harmonic American folk is certainly pleasing to the ears and is destined for wide appeal, falling somewhere between Iron & Wine and Yeasayer. Lead singer Robin Pecknold has an incredible voice; even singing a cappella with no accompaniment he remains pitch-perfect and expressive. The Seattle based five-piece showcase much of their new material, which the audience are already familiar with; "that's the internet for you" laughs Pecknold at one point, seated centre-stage on a rickety wooden chair, with nothing but affection, and rightfully it is nothing but affection that the audience returns to them tonight. Their self-titled LP is available through Bella Union and Sub Pop, and their equally brilliant EP, Sun Giant, is also out now.

Fleet Foxes - White Winter Hymnal
Fleet Foxes on Myspace

Moshi Moshi Music

LIVE REVIEW: Sunset Rubdown at the Luminaire 22/05/08

Don't Do It were lucky enough to attend thursday's Sunset Rubdown show at the Luminaire, the first London performance for the Canadian five-piece. The band's sophomore album Random Spirit Lover, released last year on Jagjaguwar, was extremely well recieved by critics and fans, appearing in many end of year lists of best albums. Spencer Krug, the brains behind the operation, has been highly prolific of late; continuing to record as part of Frog Eyes (Tears of the Valedictorian another one of 2007's best), Wolf Parade (sophmore album prepped for imminent release) and the Frog Eyes/Destroyer/Krug collaboration that is Swan Lake, whose sophomore album is currently in the mixing stage. With Sunset Rubdown Krug is best able to show off his talent for merging beautiful melodies with a ghostly atmosphere and intelligent, emotive lyrics. Perched precariously on the edge of his stool, leaning forward, fingers dancing across the keyboard, he sings as if posessed by the spirits of the ghosts that inhabit his songs. Michael Doerksen's frantic guitar work compliments Krug with arresting precision. Wicked/Winged Things is even more chilling than on record, Trumpet Trumpet Toot! Toot! swathes the 200-odd capacity venue in a thick mist of noise and fan-favourite Stadiums And Shrines II, from the band's debut Shut Up I Am Dreaming, is met with rapturous cheers and applause. Shut Up I Am Dreaming Of Places Where Lovers Have Wings morphs into The Taming Of The Hands That Came Back To Life half way through. Pleas for For The Pier erupt throughout the night, the band repeatedly apologising for not being able to play it as they "don't know how" but they promise to learn it for the future. Three brand new songs are showcased; all of which are brilliant, perhaps even more anthemic than anything on the latest album. Highlights of the night include a highly energetic performance of The Mending Of The Gown and a rousing updated version of the haunting Little Lord, saved for the encore, after which the band disappear humbly backstage. As the cheers finally die down the chatter confirms what everyone was already thinking; "that was amazing".

Sunset Rubdown - The Mending Of The Gown

REVIEW: Islands - Arm's Way + Interview

Arm’s Way is everything a sophomore album should be. Islands return with a record that is bolder, more confident, and more ambitious than one might have expected. Debut album Return To The Sea was quirky, fun and showcased some serious talent, but stunning tracks such as Swans, Volcanoes and Rough Gem made the more low-key moments seem less accomplished and interesting. Despite clocking in at a rather intimidating 70 minutes, Arm’s Way is stellar throughout. Opening track The Arm immediately sets the tone for what is to come, a crescendo of violins builds only to be attacked by lead singer Nick Thornburg’s menacing growl, launching a wave of Eastern-European sounding riffs, twisting together against a backdrop of pounding drums; a heavier sounding Islands. As the vocals come in we are reunited with the old familiar Islands sound, Nick singing with more confidence than ever before over muted guitars and lush strings. The two personalities battle against each other with equal flair until they are vaporized amongst a flurry of violin runs, with the leftover pieces falling and unravelling like confetti, signalling to the listener that this is the beginning of something new. The first half of the album delivers a slew of shorter gems, the Unicorns-era ‘Abominable Snow’ finally given the definitive treatment, while the second half of the album opens up to a more epic style, ‘To A Bond’ and ‘Vertigo’ containing some of the most beautiful and affecting moments the band have accomplished thus far. The production is clean, and provides enough space for the various instruments and noises to breathe, while maintaining an atmosphere of unity. The Chow Brothers compliment Thornburg’s vocals with some nice strings and synth work, while the rhythm section, including Patrice Agbokou’s legendary bass skills (he played for Prince at age 12), keeps everything together with energetic aplomb. Thornburg’s lyrics are often ambiguous and even surreal, keeping a strong balance between absurd fun and genuine emotion, and even when his voice begins to break, reaching beyond its grasp, he keeps going as if he believes these songs are the greatest thing ever. Give this album some time and you might just believe the same.

Don't Do It caught up with Islands drummer Aaron Harris for a brief chat:

DDI You joined Islands in 2006, how did you originally meet Nick and get involved?

AH Nick and I met eachother through mutual friends, before "Return to the Sea" had been released...everyone seems to know everyone in Montreal...its like one giant fucking ski lodge.

DDI You grew up in Pittsburgh, what was it that attracted you to McGill University in Montreal?

AH I thought that I wanted to go to McGill for a great music education; it turned out Montreal is an excellent city for, among other things, drinking. Whoops, there goes my education!

DDI You recorded some backing vocals for the new album, do you do any of your own songwriting?

AH I used to be in a band where I was the lead singer and co-songwriter but I always sounded like I was auditioning for a role on Broadway. I was more than happy to sing backup on Arm's Way.

DDI What's your favourite thing about being in Islands?

AH What's my favorite thing about being in Islands? Being in a band is awesome. Everyone knows that.

DDI What have you been listening to most, recently?

AH I really love the Dodo's new album, which is what I've been listening to recently....I'd love to tour and/or collaborate with them.

REVIEW: Scarlett Johansson - Anywhere I Lay My Head

After listening to this album I felt a strong urge to post about it, especially after reading some remarkably unfair reviews that completely miss the point and simply attack Johansson for producing what some view as a 'vanity project'. I'm sure you're all familiar with the situation; A-list starlet Johansson has assembled a stellar ensemble of talent (Dave Sitek of TV on the Radio, Nick Zinner of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, David Bowie and more) to cover a selection of Tom Waits songs, mostly from the latter half of his career, and provide one original track, written by Johansson and Sitek. The result is a gorgeous slice of shoegaze that will no doubt leave a lot of people scratching their heads, or merely shrugging their shoulders indifferently. While Johansson definately gives a new spin to these songs, this is hardly aimed at Tom Waits fans. It seems less like a decision to pay homage to one of her favourite songwriters, and more like a result of not having enough confidence to write her own material. Johansson has been heavily criticised for her subdued, subtle vocal performance; is she holding back? Or is it intentional? If this issue is likely to infuriate you, then you will not enjoy this album. There are moments that come across as uncomfortable, when she sings "I will drink you under the table" there is a strong sense of 'phonyness'; it does indeed sound forced. Yet there is something intriguing about listening to the young Hollywood actress take on this role, attempting to inhabit Wait's world of seedy characters and lonely old towns; she clearly does not belong there, you can tell by the way she sings, even if you didn't know who she was. It is a fantasy, another role for her to play, but one that remains beyond her reach. Creating the backdrop for this fantasy is skilled producer Dave Sitek, who lends the album its lush soundscapes. Sitek layers ambient elements over subtle drums and droning guitars to create a sprawling sea of noise that flows around Johansson's often deadpan vocal, submerging the listener, though he maintains a sense of space that keeps us from drowning; the vast, open America is not forgotten. With the only original track on the album, Song for Jo, Johansson provides the one completely honest moment here, as she sings "do you rememember how we'd fallen asleep on the bathroom floor... cold as the sound of your daddy's house... you are alive today". The melody and lyrics provide a strong feminine counterpoint to the Waits tracks (even if it is unclear as to whether she sings from a male or female point of view), and the result is possibly one of the most enjoyable songs on the album. With this in mind I would like to make a plea to Ms. Johansson and Mr. Sitek to make an entire album of original tracks as soon as possible.

Scarlett Johansson - Song for Jo

REVIEW: Wolf Parade - At Mount Zoomer

Wolf Parade's 2005 debut album Apologies to the Queen Mary was an interesting mix of quirky synth pop and intelligent indie that was difficult not to enjoy. Songs like Shine A Light and I'll Believe In Anything were infectious, energetic and so full of enthusiasm that you couldn't help but appreciate the sheer fun of it. At Mount Zoomer is immediately a more serious and darker affair. There are nine songs; four Boecnker-led tracks, four Krug-led tracks and one, the epic album closer 'Kissing the Beehive', where the pair duet to great effect. The most surprising thing about the album upon first listen is the fact that Krug's material is nowhere near as good as his contributions to Apologies, delivering what mostly sound like Random Spirit Lover B-Sides. This isn't to say that his material is poor, but rather it falls extremely short of the high standards that he has reached so consistently in the past. Boeckner, on the other hand, is on top form, providing the album's most instantly enjoyable tracks, including album highlight 'Language City'. Perhaps it is unfair to seperate the two in this way, but there is an even more distinct difference between the pair's approach this time around, and it is difficult to ignore. While Boeckner remains quite firmly rooted in the indie pop side, Krug continues to sound even more strange and uncomfortable. While 'An Animal In Your Care' could have had a sinister but intimate quality to it, Krug buries his voice under a mountain of reverb, which makes him sound distant and disinterested. Overall the production seems to detract from the band's sound, lacking the warmth and sharpness of Apologies. The band admitted to experimenting with improvisation during the writing and recording process, but much of the seemingly improvised instrumental breaks lack either any interesting immersive sounds to draw the listener in, or a lead instrumentalist to rise above the noise and carry a melody. Disappointments aside, the album certainly has its merits; 'Soldier's Grin' bounces along with fair aplomb, and the previously mentioned 'Language City' builds to a rousing climax. The ten-minute album closer, 'Kissing The Beehive', is perhaps the most ambitious thing they have ever done, and works brilliantly. Overall, At Mount Zoomer is an enjoyable listen, but is not nearly as fun as the album that made us all fall in love with this band in the first place.

Wolf Parade - Call It A Ritual