Pages tagged “thrill jockey”

Can’t hear the car alarm

The first rule of Chicago’s the Sea and Cake is do no harm. After 14 years (including a three-year hiatus), they’ve achieved a level of consistency only Calexico or Quaker Oats could rival. Like Car Alarm’s monochromatic cover, you have to work to see the variations. “Fuller Moon” uses steel drum to follow the guitar line, and the rolling arpeggiated squiggle of “Weekend” is one of few electronic touches. Each instrumental blends into the song, never drawing attention to its exotic presence. The band is always tasteful, but ultimately its gentility does The Sea and Cake no favors. Singer Sam Prekop’s whispered voice turns even conflicts (“Pages”) and complicated situations (“Down In The City”) into brunch soundtracks. Maybe all of Car Alarm is about conflict, but Prekop glides and sighs over every vowel, making it difficult to hear what he’s saying or to detect a hint of tension beneath the gloss.

Listen to "On a Letter" from The Sea and Cake's Car Alarm:

[Above: Veteran Thrill Jockey act Tortoise]

Secretly Canadian and Touch & Go had their chance to shine on us anniversary style. Now it's time for Thrill Jockey to step up in this mother and do its thing. The venerable Chicago imprint (late of NYC) is turning 15 this year, which means it's celebratory compilation time.

Back when Thrill Jockey started out, 7" singles were the currency for independent labels. Cheap, quick, and easy to use, these miniature records allowed the young label to break artists like Tortoise and Freakwater in a hurry. The label might be all grown up (or at least hitting adolescence) now, but it's hearkening back to its roots by releasing a boxset of nine 7" singles on Dec. 4 with "bonus goodies" on the side.

Those singles will feature Thrill Jockey artists covering labelmates past and present, in a similar setup to this year's SC100 compilation. The main attraction of the set pits ex-Talking Head David Byrne against The Fiery Furnaces' "Ex-Guru." Another highlight, The Sea and Cake's take on Califone's "Spider's House," can be found streaming on Pitchfork. Longtime label member Freakwater also figures prominently in the set, receiving the cover treatment three times over (from Califone, Bobby Conn and Thalia Zedek, respectively) and offering its own take on the Zincs' "Passengers."

In addition, Thrill Jockey will host a slew of its stable bands at a pair of anniversary shows in London, to take place on Nov. 11 and 12. Everyone who attends these shindigs will receive a remix CD encompassing the entire Thrill Jockey catalogue, compiled by expert mixmasters Girl Talk and Trey Told 'Em. Pretty sweet. no?

Head over to Thrill Jockey's main page for all of the anniversary details.

Related links:
Thrill Jockey on MySpace
Paste: Review of The Fiery Furnaces' Widow City
YouTube: Tortoise's "It's All Around You"

Got news tips for Paste? Email news@pastemagazine.com.