Listening Party with Future of the Left

I’ve been really into this band Future of the Left since reviewing their record, Curses, for Austinist (you can read that here.)

There are elements of familiarity, deeply rooted devotions to the old days of loud, angular punk rock, but the delivery is so goddamn arty, so sharp, it’s unlike anything else. No one is making music like this anymore, and by saying “anymore” we intimate a timeline, when really, this record is far ahead of almost anything else being written as we type. Groaning guitars reminiscent of Rick Froberg’s seminal work with Drive Like Jehu, vocals and attitude undeniably Wire-influenced, and sarcastic social commentary that never ever dips into meaningless irony (”Suddenly It’s a Folk Song”) combine to produce a completely refreshing take on classic British (hell, why pigeon-hole?) punk rock and post rock structure and ethos. Find it immediately and listen to “Small Bones Small Bodies” as loud as you can stand it.

I’ve been listening basically non-stop for a week and the record just keeps getting better to me. I’m happy to report that the band participated in a Listening Party with Paper Thin Walls recently, going through all the songs and giving some commentary and notes on the tunes as they listen. I’m a huge fan of this type of thing … I would love to do something similar here at KUT, too. Anyway, have a listen and read what Andy Falkous & Co. have to say right here.

More bands should do what Poster Children did with their last album No More Songs About Sleep and Fire way back in 2004. It came with an optional commentary track like you find on dvds that was audible when you played the disc on your computer.

That is totally cool. It would be even cooler if you could sit down with someone like Froberg or Oldham or Malkmus and get bits and pieces of song history and studio notes etc. — even though memories might be rusty.

Obsessed with Curses since last week? Me too. I think I’m on my 25th or so listen and it’s not getting old, it just keeps getting better and better. I wish Future of the Left came back from SXSW this year, but alas…`glad I caught them thrice last year.

And your mention of Froberg made me miss Hot Snakes (ah, and just about every other band I know him to have been a part of) *sigh*

Aaand I wonder whether you’re privy to fellow San Diegoans (ok, Froberg’s lived in New York for a while, but he’s still a San Diego scene stalwart in my mind) The North Atlantic and their debut album Wires In The Walls. I saw those guys open for I-forget-who at Emo’s a couple of winters ago and theirs is an album that may appeal to a Future of The Left appreciator. Don’t expect another mclusky, but look forward to some righteous noise. Methinks the entire album is available for full-length streaming on last.fm (which is how I stumbled across you, respectively your bloggy whomp.)

Cheers.