| The Relevant Ballads |
[Sep. 22nd, 2008|06:00 pm] |
Dear friends,
Does anyone happen to have an mp3s of "The Relevant Ballads" and "The Night Moves"? I know those are weird tracks to ask for, but I've lost them, and This Night is now annoyingly incomplete without hearing "What about our schnapps?!" |
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| (no subject) |
[Apr. 23rd, 2008|01:02 am] |
Also, the first new Youtube video of Dan in a very long while of a recent chicago show:
"Leopard of Honor" |
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| (no subject) |
[Apr. 22nd, 2008|01:09 pm] |
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Does anyone think they could get a picture of the pedals Dan is using? I think there's only one or two, and I think I might know which ones that they are, but I'm not sure. |
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| Destroyer / Wye Oak Split 7" |
[Apr. 20th, 2008|09:25 am] |
Did anyone get one of these free 7" singles at record store day yesterday? Anyone who might be able to rip the songs and upload them?
Thanks! |
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| (no subject) |
[Apr. 19th, 2008|09:12 am] |
AHHHH! Destroyer fulfills the hopes I had for art to be daring, ecstatic and grand.
Thanks for making great art Dan. Really. |
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| Destroyer Demo Cassette |
[Apr. 16th, 2008|01:16 pm] |
Recently added to the Destroyer Wiki by Quartermass, a demo cassette from 1995
It features songs from We'll Build Them a Golden Bridge and 3 songs not on any other release: "Dogs Know More Than This," "Sad Kennedy/Blue Destroyer" and "Karen is in Rome" |
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| my review of trouble in dreams |
[Mar. 23rd, 2008|06:18 pm] |
here's a review i wrote of the album, published tuesday of last week on tiny mix tapes:
http://www.tinymixtapes.com/Destroyer,5839
Destroyer’s Dan Bejar works best when he’s taking giant leaps forward. All of the evidence points toward the conclusion that the man just can’t sit still. And in his case, that’s a great thing, because it has allowed him to follow his every musical whim and produce some extraordinary documents in this last decade. Trouble in Dreams is the Vancouver-born songwriter’s eighth release and it defies all expectations by, well, not being all that different from 2006’s widely acclaimed Destroyer’s Rubies.
This fact should have been less surprising; after all, Bejar announced he’d be keeping around the Rubies band for the foreseeable future. Yet the assumption remained that this newest batch of songs would be a vast departure from previous efforts. It feels wrong to be disappointed in a Destroyer record for not being totally different from the last, but it’s hard to shake that feeling while listening in. It’s not that these songs are simply spinning their wheels. In fact, Trouble in Dreams seems to be testing the absolute limits of Rubies’ full-band sound. The group is discovering how far they can warp and distort rock ‘n’ roll’s variables before the brittle cord connecting it to reality snaps. Even if one can’t see that as anything but wheel-spinning, it’s pleasing to discover that the dust those wheels are kicking up is some quality stuff.
The songs here aren’t always immediate, but there’s sure to be a sucker punch or two waiting in closed fists with each listen. There are obvious moments like the sublime, synth-heavy conclusion of “Dark Leaves Form A Thread” or the swirling guitar riff and wacky delivery of the lines “Beware the company you reside in!” from “My Favorite Year.” But there are also the more subtle and comprehensive instances, like the wistful organ drone of “Foam Hands,” or the big band stomp and parlor keys of the spectacularly drawn “Rivers,” or the jumpy, erratic paranoia of “The State.” Even “Shooting Rockets (from the Desk of Night’s Ape)” hearkens back to the much-loved MIDI orchestra of 2004’s Your Blues.
Bejar’s lyrics, as oblique and ornate as they are, have been as much a signature of the Destroyer sound as his guitar work and wordless melodies. It’s fitting then that Destroyer-themed magnetic poetry sets came packaged with promotional copies of the album, including such Bejar-ready words as “treacherous,” “Strathcona,” and “fucking.” The tongue-in-cheek existence of such an item might suggest that anyone could make this stuff up. Throw down some literary allusions, polish them up with a few vague metaphors, and you too can write your own Destroyer song. But that would be a lazy assumption. Bejar’s lyrics are incredibly self-conscious. He makes note of this, singing in “Blue Flower/Blue Flame,” “I’ll tell you/ What I mean by that/ Maybe not in seconds flat/ Maybe never.”
It’s clear that Bejar realizes what his vagaries and repetition of ideas and words, even whole verses, across his releases might sound like to some. But in actuality, he’s building them together with a sense of interconnectivity that’s pretty unparalleled in recent music-making. His new words are further elaborating on past words, helping to create a grander image of the world in which these songs exist. The lyrics of Trouble in Dreams help maintain this tradition by adding even more vivid, storied, and emotional brush strokes.
Destroyer is not for everyone. Never has been. It’s no wonder that his side-projects, such as Swan Lake and The New Pornographers, garner more buzz than Destroyer ever could. It’s dense, but still remarkably accessible stuff. As easy on the ears as it can sometimes be, that doesn’t make Destroyer’s music any less intimidating. They’re the type of band that inspires a rabid fanbase in some and wild indifference in others. So, is Trouble in Dreams the type of record that could inspire that sort of devotion from cursory listeners? Maybe.
As much as Trouble in Dreams shares an aesthetic closeness to Rubies, its more accurate soul mate is the oft-maligned and just as oft-celebrated rock opus, This Night. That album took one look at rock music and said, "No, wait, here’s how you do it.” It’s a bloated epic, as full of realized ideas as half-baked ones and is what Bejar insists real rock music sounds like. Trouble in Dreams is just like that. A bit more polished, a little more cohesive, and a bunch more bizarre, but all still an attempt at reinventing rock ‘n’ roll from the inside out. But at this juncture in his career, for better or worse, Bejar is also reinventing his past selves. And in a bet against Destroyer, argue the better. |
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| (no subject) |
[Mar. 20th, 2008|12:09 pm] |
anyone feel like playing the drinking game with "trouble in dreams"? be careful with "shooting rockets"!
( Destroyer Drinking Game )
also, i'd like to hear people's opinion of the record after a couple of listens. it's been growing on me a lot (even "the state"). "libby's first sunrise", "leopard of honor" and "my favorite year" are my favorites. |
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| Trouble In Dreams |
[Mar. 6th, 2008|10:50 am] |
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Not exactly another "Rubies" (which is what I was hoping...so I'm disappointed.) I'm sure there are other Destroyer fans who must like this, right? Any consensus on this release yet? |
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| I apologize for being the drooling newbie... |
[Feb. 11th, 2008|02:10 am] |
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and for covering things that are probably yesterdays news but the tracks I've heard have me salivating for more albums.
I know the rest of this board understands.
On another note, I recently bought "Rubies" and European Oils is just...perfect. WOW. |
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| (no subject) |
[Feb. 1st, 2008|11:56 am] |
you guys seen the tour dates yet?
03-14 Austin, TX - The Parish (SXSW)
04-16 Minneapolis, MN - 400 Bar *
04-17 Chicago, IL - Logan Square Auditorium *
04-18 Detroit, MI - Pike Room *
04-19 Toronto, Ontario - Lee's Palace *
04-20 Montreal, Quebec - Club Lambi *
04-22 Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg *^
04-23 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom *^
04-24 Philadelphia, PA - North Star Bar ^
04-25 Washington, DC - The Black Cat ^
04-26 Asheville, NC - Grey Eagle ^
04-27 Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle ^
04-28 Atlanta, GA - The Earl ^
04-29 Nashville, TN - The Mercy Lounge ^
04-30 St. Louis, MO - Blueberry Hill Duck Room ^
05-01 Kansas City, MO - Record Bar ^
05-02 Omaha, NE - Waiting Room ^
05-03 Denver, CO - The Walnut Room ^
05-13 Edmonton, Alberta - Starlight $
05-14 Calgary, Alberta - #1 Royal Canadian Legion Hall $
05-16 Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge $
05-18 Phoenix, AZ - Rhythm Room $
05-19 Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour $
05-20 San Diego, CA - Casbah $
05-21 San Francisco, CA - Independent $
05-23 Portland, OR - Aladdin Theater $
05-31 Vancouver, British Columbia - The Commodore $
http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/48368-destroyer-announces-north-american-tour |
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| Jumping in seven years late... |
[Feb. 1st, 2008|06:25 am] |
But it's really never too late...
I remember shopping at a record store in Seattle in 2005, and the music playing over the PA was so good. It caught my ear right away. I asked the proprietor of the store who it was and she replied "Destroyer." Of course I the Bowie similarities in nuance jumped out at me right away, but I had to get something by them. I purchased Streethawk that very day and stored it away, having never listened to it closely until a couple of months ago. I cannot explain why I let it collect dust for so long, but I did.
Anyway, the production is PERFECT. The songwriting is PERFECT. I'm awe-struck.
I've heard a couple of loose mp3s from Your Blues, This Night, Rubies, and I jumped at the bits to download "Foam Hands" but I need more. I want my next purchase to be a real knock out, just as Streethawk has been for me.
Suggestions?
Much thanks. |
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| (no subject) |
[Jan. 18th, 2008|07:32 am] |
| [ | Current Location |
| | Home | ] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| |  busy | ] |
I've been trying to work out the lyrics for Trouble in Dreams. Any other ideas/help is welcome. These are the lyrics I've been working on, minus "Foam Hands", "Rivers", and "Shooting Rockets". Thanks in advance for any help:
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| NEW ALBUM! |
[Dec. 4th, 2007|07:10 pm] |
"Trouble In Dreams" is out 3/18 on Merge. Destroyer goes on the road spring and summer of '08. Those dates soon, for now, the tracklist:
01 "Blue Flower/Blue Flame"
02 "Dark Leaves From A Thread"
03 "The State"
04 "Foam Hands"
05 "My Favorite Year"
06 "Shooting Rockets (From The Desk Of Night's Ape)"
07 "Introducing Angles"
08 "Rivers"
09 "Leopard Of Honor"
10 "Plaza Trinidad"
11 "Libby's First Sunrise"
and an mp3 of "foam hands" @ stereogum |
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| Please don't change, dear, I've got the mange, dear. |
[Nov. 7th, 2007|04:46 am] |
| [ | Current Music |
| | Hello, Blue Roses - Shadow Falls | ] |
Linking is easier than actual typing:
http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/46937-hello-blue-roses-ft-dan-bejar-reveal-lp-details
http://www.catbirdseat.org/catbirdseat/archives/000806.shtml
www.helloblueroses.com (not much on there now, only a couple of images)
www.sydneyvermont.com
and specifically http://www.sydneyvermont.com/music/music3.html, which features the same Bonaparte mp3s as above, and another one, 'Petite'.
If anybody wants the two Hello, Blue Roses tracks that were posted on the MySpace page long, long ago but are no longer there, I can upload them.
Also, does anybody know where's a good place to go looking for Spoon bootlegs, so we might get a better version of the It's Gonna Take An Airplane cover? |
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