Ducktails live on WFMU on Inflated Records

The guys over at Inflated Records were kind enough to send this Ducktails live full length over the other day. I had heard Matt did a live appearance over there, probably even a couple of them by now, but didn't know it was pressed on sweet 12" yellow vinyl.

On the A-Side, it's great to hear Matt introduce, "Backyard" and the band and then get right to the warbling, slow burn. A shaker comes in and that main melody is joined by another slightly reverbed electric. Somehow, this interpretation of a backyard feels universal, I'm always picturing this fall sundown scene, just finished mowing the grass, and it's finally quiet. Taking all this time to manicure this weird suburban version of nature. It's taming is comforting and at the same time Ducktails evokes a sunny '70s Sunday feel, like a faded hipstamatic print where I know it's been filtered and manipulated to seem old, but still you get some kind of jaded emotional response to the off colors and faded edges.

The thing about Ducktails, and seeing Matt recreate this material live, is not the amount of pedals and blinking lights on the floor in front of him, but that at the end of the day, he's a great guitarist capable of switching around all kinds of styles and moods. You could imagine "Beach Point Pleasant", off his first single by the way, coming out of finding that great disintegration loop-like sample one night an playing for hours. The odd rollercoaster, circular rhythm that Matt plays a wah wah type shimmery phaser melody over this hypnotizing structure. The great thing I keep forgetting about this recording is that it's live and he's really improvising these pieces in new ways. His guitar playing is always loose and lends itself to this kind of great reinterpretation every performance. It's easy to get lost here, and completely forget about where this track has been, the gradual shifting of sounds always end up far from where it began.
Finally, "The Mall" and here Matt introduces the band and the station for this vocal track. Counting off and immediately launching into his delivery which is as loose as his guitar playing, fitting this easy vibe describing the moon and the ocean. Vocally it's like a fading memory, the details coming in waves, but you can't really make sense of them in any kind of narrative. A barely understood dream and it's surprisingly brief for a band that seems to be most at home wandering off the trail and forging a new path. At the end of this side Matt introduces the B-side Real Estate track, "Let's Rock the Beach" and hearing a myspace address on vinyl never gets old.

The B-Side continues with Matt remarking, "I'm going to have to tune my guitar" while the beat is called up. The guitar is back to it's fading in and out, hard to grasp slow wah. I love this contradiction in the song title and the laid back, canned bossanova rhythm and the mellow organ underneath. It's not the massive waves, reverb surf rock of the west coast, it's the consistent rolling, slow crashes of a calm northeast seaside. This is a dockers, boat shoe vision of rocking the beach...white shorts and grass on the dunes.
This track nicely devolves into organ drones and wood percussion free jazz. A heavy video game electronic sound gradually rises and fades and I equate Ducktails with Cory Archangel for some reason, maybe it has that sensibility I love in Corys artwork, the engagement with pop culture in weird subversive ways. Awknowledging those ridiculous inescapable influences and spinning gold out of this pop junkyard. Ducktails is working with the same basic tools.
Sounds like there's a track break and they round out this record with a lengthy track, "Surf's up" off his self titled record from Not Not Fun. The synth sounds are dominant on this one, creating their own kind of revolving loop. Another synth sound drones away, bent and sliding into a middle eastern strange scale effect which gradually grows and becomes more and more the headline of the piece, a pile of effects jettisoning it way out to space. The whole time keeping that improvised jam feel to the otherworldly sound, it's a space jam this time, another planet beach, and early electronic pioneers would be proud to hear Ducktails take on this just out of reach future. The electronics keep multiplying and harshly swirling into the track, a blend of keyboard and possibly guitar? It's nice to not even know or care, it's a ride I keep willingly wanting to take over and over.

You can go check out this set, here from Free Albums Galore and then order the vinyl from Inflated Records.

Not Not Fun Bored Fortress singles Club Year 4!

Just got an email from NNF about new singles from Pocahaunted and Robedoor, probably Pocahaunted's last ever on the label....that would be exciting enough, and I was going to mention them today but just underneath was this announcement about Bored Fortress Year 4? Change of plans....I just was talking with Mike from Soundscreendesign about their 400 page 7" book, Touchable Sound...and guess what was in there...on practically a whole page? The Bored Fortress club year 2 singles...the ones silkscreened in different colors, with corresponding leaf glitter glued all over them...this is a chance to own a piece of history!!
It's like the franklin mint, only with awesome shit!
Why wasn't that in an email?

Looks like a great lineup this upcoming year...and another release from Robedoor? No Age? Ducktails? Not Not Fun has been curating the most interesting music and packaging forever....and this subscription will be no exception.
I'm rambling, but really I better get over there before it's gone.
I'm going to have to try to see what else is lying around the house I can put on ebay.
Get it.

But wait until I do.

Bored Fortress
Year Four
7" Club

NNF200-NNF205—6x7"

After a two-year hiatus NNF's split singles club is back in operation, with an all new roster of bands and visual artisans. All subscribers will receive two split 7 inches every other month – beginning August 15th and running until December – as well as club-exclusive gifts. Please select U.S. or INTERNATIONAL depending on your location (note: int'l orderers can pay using the paypal button, no need to email first unless you are ordering other items as well).

This year's bands include:
-Wet Hair
-Sex Worker
-Gnod
-Ducktails
-Infinite Body
-Taterbug
-Psychic Reality
-No Age
-High Wolf
-Robedoor
-Peaking Lights
-Rangers

This year's artists include:
-Carlos Gonzalez
-Zully Adler
-Robert Beatty
-Cody DeFranco
-Julien Langendorff
-Spencer Longo

4-way split Vol. 2 on Kraak Records

Kraak is back at it again on the one year anniversary of their philly elite split with another awesome 4-way with Geordie (sp?) getting you into the mood.
It's amazing to see this government sponsored music festival organization also getting into the 7" game. Seriously, the US needs some government funding for the arts again where people don't examine too closely all the fucked up things they are funding. Maybe there could be an intermediate organization that would get funded and then they would distro the money off the books.
I'm sure there are people in Belgium who think 'Why am I paying a 65% tax to fund a 4 -way split with Ducktails?' Then that crotchety old guy who just had a free heart transplant a few months ago and just woke up from his afternoon nap in the middle of his 10 weeks paid vacation says to himself...'Oh well, those fringes of society need some kind of outlet or they'd be over here throwing dead animals into my pool.'
And he's right, not only would that keep a lot of weirdos in line but everyone on some kind of unemployment insurance could go work for these agencies... then again if Captured Tracks and Woodsist and NNF can exist without that hassle then good for them. I just think how many more could be out there.
Does America just count on the creative numbers game? With so many possibilities happening within both coasts, if it's funded or not we're going to have 10 kraaks hopefully, so there's no reason to fund this stuff. It's going to happen without anyone's help.

Well Kraak has a pretty good model over there, throwing huge festivals with great bands who just happened to end up on that 4 way Philly split...which then spawned their latest 4 way split that includes Ducktails, that's what caught my immediate attention and then I had to check out his side-mate Peaking Lights, based on the myspace stuff it's lots of layered subtle samples. Those hazy loops just wandering all over the place all the way over to a harsh electronic rhumba beat. It's sort of a soundtrack to a 70's horror movie, or long lost electronica speaker testing discs. The dawn of computer music compilations. Alien Radio is pretty self explanatory, lots of glitchy, slow tempo ultra manipulated electronics...sort of Tron on ludes. Kohn, (on Kraak's myspace) keeps with the whole slightly foreign sounding electronics. These aren't state of the art components or recording techniques...they all are a little unearthed and weathered. Appreciating those sounds...and they deserve another chance...at the time they were too new, it was all a novelty...now that no one gives a shit they can be taken seriously by these composers.

P. S.
I was thinking the other day, did Matt of Ducktails decide on that name because it would be a pretty good indication of the bands success? If they ever receive a cease and desist letter then they've gotten big enough. I mean the project is named after a Disney cartoon! He's asking for it! You google Ducktails, and this project comes up!
I'm waiting until he's forced to change his name and the Ducktails ebay stock goes through the roof.

Get it direct from Kraak, or the usual ungovernment funded distros near you.

Kohn/Peaking Lights/Alien Radio/Ducktails - Lune Atroce / Soleil Amer (4 way split 7" on Kraak)

One year after the ‘Meet the Philly elite’ 7” we finally release a fresh 4-way split. This time Köhn and Alien Radio are trancing deep into the history of synthesizer classics while Peaking Lights and Ducktails have a take on their own pop music.

Ducktails - Julian Lynch split on underwater peoples

This just in from underwater peoples...new split singles between Ducktails and Julian Lynch who fits alongside the tropical musings of Ducktails. Atmospheric lounge themed orchestration with oboe, or something woodwind...he's making an appearance at Market hotel on August 1st, so I'm going to go see this in person hopefully.
Definitely ordered from Underwater Peoples.

Coming Soon

--Track List--
A1: Ducktails - Parasailing
B1: Julian Lynch - Topi
B2: Julian Lynch - Garden 2

Including DVD with music videos created and directed by Richard Law.
Pre-Order - $7

**Northside Fest** Ducktails at Cameo Gallery 6-11-09

I saw the first Northside fest show tonight after picking up the 7inches press pass and headed across the street to catch Ducktails at a space I've never even heard of . In the back of what used to be Anytime, down a hallway is a black box called Cameo Gallery...

I think it's pretty amazing that Williamsburg alone can throw a sxsw-type show celebrating itself. Not that it doesn't happen in some form weekly at any number of alternative spaces but it says something to put it all together under one banner....to give these bands and venues recognition. Let's take a minute to realize there's something pretty amazing happening here. A crazy concentration.....a music vortex that makes specifically this part of Brooklyn really exciting...it's thanks to the bands and these venues that are a part of this thing.

I don't know about CBGB's or the village...those scenes that get romanticized, that you hear stories about the good old days of music, how it couldn't be duplicated....the documentaries...I think you have to realize right now there is something here in Williamsburg...it's not going to be around for ever. I'm just starting to appreciate that. Don't take it for granted!

There's a long history by now of bands/projects existing of people crouched on the floor playing with two hundred effects pedals. I think what makes Ducktails different is the manipulation that's going on in a more human way than say....standing at a laptop, or a sequencer or something. He's using some pretty primitive devices by any standard....the basic delay pedals , most replaceable keyboard... the cheapest mixer...it's inspiring and then crushing because you realize there is no way you could do that.

Lawrence Lessig says we're moving into an age of the remix...not just tied to music anymore, he's talking about remixing across mediums. It's all over youtube...people engaging culture by reediting video, responding to each others videos...we aren't passively consuming entertainment anymore. It just all tied in while watching Matt Mondanile have this sort of interaction...this spontaneous conversation with himself. He has a clear idea of where he's going to end up but the performance side of this is listening to how exactly he's going to get there. It's essentially button pushing and dial turning but that he's remixing himself. Taking his own material and manipulating it. All of this in his own specific world music slant. He plays a piano melody from a cheap keyboard into loops...it's clear the notes themselves don't matter, he's stumbling across the keys, but they are working into layers...if it isn't right it fades away, or that piece gets captured and looped further.
It's a process that's been changed by Ducktails, having been completely ruined by terrible DJ's or just audience scaring noise bands. To completely change the context he reached over by the end of the set and grabbed a guitar to solo on top of the looped tropical haze... the layers of indecipherable rhythm or reference.

Between Ducktails and Real Estate Matt is playing nearly every night in or outside of Northside Fest...but Ducktails is different because you aren't seeing the replication of a song your watching an imperfect permutation of a conversation...a really good one.

The only problem with this is that it might devalue the recorded full length for sale at the end of the stage. It's about an ever changing conversation, so the one that gets documented isn't that important in the end...it's different every time.

Go listen. (24Mb)

Real Estate -Fake Blues- on Woodsist

Real Estate has a new single from Woodsist, just out maybe today...I was just there looking at the Kurt Vile full length a few days ago and this wasn't listed yet. So I paypaled for both this afternoon, along with a new Thee Oh Sees they have as well.
Looks like a full length from Real Estate is scheduled from them later this year.
I'm really into this sleepy rock sound, not as tropical, dense sample heavy as Ducktails, Matt Mondanile being a member of both of course. This is a more live sound, heavy on reverb, two-step drums. Nothing like I expected actually. It's a produced and really clean full band sound...hypnotic and repeating, a little like Bedhead....or Fuck.
I love the Suburban Beverage track on their other single, which is still available. It goes on forever in this groove. They are creating a really catchy, almost jazz induced feel in every song. This live show from Breakthru radio is a great example, recorded at Piano's is full of great stuff. It's so familiar, every sound, but they manage to keep it really engaging.

I don't know why but it's reminding me of my first show ever... The Ocean Blue and The Mighty Lemon drops at oswego college. It's dreamy...and solid. I could stand there forever. Looking forward to catching them this Thursday at Public Asembly.

Fake Blues, the A-Side starts out with their signature reverb picking, a coupe of great little melodies layered and the drums come in with an all tom beat. They do this thing where the bass notes are hit at the same time as the cymbal crashes...it's all muted, but that little part is so perfect. The vocals are mixed down...angelic. It's really settling the scene for summer...I could see this as slow-mo music. The camera sweeps underwater as someone jumps in. Laughing. There's water everywhere.

From fusetron:
*Artist: REAL ESTATE
Title: Fake Blues
Format: 7"
Label: Woodsist
Country: USA
Price: $5.00

or of course Woodsist.

Real estate on underwater peoples records

If you've heard Ducktails, Matt Mondanile's solo project then you'll want to jump on this.
That Ducktails single has really grown on me, I can't exactly explain to someone why I like it, it won't blow you away the first time you hear it, but it works it's way in there and I keep putting it on. It's something I'll keep close to the record player and play while I'm figuring out what to play.
Real Estate is Matthew Mondanile III, Martin Courtney IV, Etienne Pierre Duguay & Bleeker.
One track from this single, Suburban Beverage is on their myspace. From this brief listen I think in the way that Ducktails uses a lot of etherial samples and loops, this is the same tropical vibe, but played live, drums, guitar etc. In a nicely room sounding jam, but isn't meandering. It never becomes tedius, which is usually my complaint...I know where it's going.

This is a pretty epic track building up with a kind of slow vibe I'm hoping fake blues is the b-side that track is killer, the tom drum rhythm with echoed high treble guitar melodies, It has a great room sound, like will oldham in Viva last blues, full of space between drum hits, the vocals match the shimmer of the electric guitar, it's very intellectual beach boys, what I always wanted from them lyrically, some smarts.
There's a haze covering everything, a little whatever-gaze...but combined with country slide ....

I sound like I'm describing something alt-country, but I'm just not getting that feeling here, it's more like Rex or Bedhead. Not the extreme of slowcore, but melancholic and deliberate.
I'm loving everything I'm hearing...every one of these tracks keeps me interested.

They are playing the Cakeshop this weekend, and I'm going to see this live...

From Underwater People's records:
Hey Everybody,
So, assuming all goes to plan, the official release date for the Real Estate 7" is February 1, 2009. The 7" costs $7.00 plus shipping, is pressed on wholesome white vinyl, and will include a free CD insert with all the songs. Pre-orders can be made by emailing us at underwaterpeoples@gmail.com, please put the subject of the email as PRE-ORDER and we will get back to you ASAP to confirm.

Ducktails on breaking world records

Ducktails is a one man instrumental island-psych by Matt Mondanile, and was the name of a cartoon my friends younger brother would torture us singing the theme song.
I just got this Ducktails 7" in the mail a little while ago and have been putting it on here and there the past week. This long 33 player is definitely home recorded. I can just hear that cassette quality...it's a little muted, all the high end stripped away. It sounds like it's bounced down to two tracks and then recorded over and over...that's the best sound. It's a little like Basinski's Disintegration Loops. You can hear it in the process of degrading, it kind of gives it a timeless, other world quality. Just like Ariel Pink...it's so unique sounding...there is almost no easy way to fake this, there's no filters that would let you just get away without actually going through the work.
Stronger parts have to be reinforced, mutated...or just completely re-recorded to get it to come together in a way that subtracts as much as it add's. It's a weird fight to make it through.

Everything I've been reading about this attaches a 'tropical' feel to this, and I don't think it's just because I've been reading that...it really does. I've been trying to figure it out...like a low-fi hawaiian movie set. Or a fake luau set on a roof in Brooklyn....or Massachusetts, which is where this was recorded actually and really doesn't make sense, the snow, the new england rocks, the college's...especially the track, Point Pleasant Beach...maybe it's the title that's sending everyone in this direction? Whatever it is, it fits.

Do we have to even talk about low-fi anymore? Let's just call this anti-studio. There's a reason other than financial not to rehearse compositions forever and just beat them to death for the hundredth time in a huge multi-track studio. Sometimes in the middle of the night something takes over and you play that one loop over and over until you're hypnotized and guitar melodies just happen that surprise even you, playing them back. It's imperfection at it's finest, it's sloppy, off key and all, like the best documentaries...from the 50's...about something you really know nothing about. Like that documentary 'Nanook of the North' about Eskimo's from the 30's. It's a document of an idea, wrong or right...it becomes something new.

Matt has been on the noise circuit, for the past 2 years playing Death by Audio, Cakeshop...all the good alternative spaces.... like the End of end party at the Flux Factory in LIC this very evening.....

Here's a way better review from Visitations Music.

There are only 300 and are still available from Breaking World Records.