PJ Harvey & John Parish no compromise - FILTER Magazine

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— Pat McGuire, Editor-in-Chief 

PJ Harvey 

& John Parish 

no compromise 

Letters, inquiries, randomness: guide@filter-mag.com 

Advertising and such: advertising@filtermmm.com 

AUSTIN 

# 

N.A.S.A 

Elvis Perkins in Dearland 

Bonnie “Prince” Billy

Paul McCartney 

MorrisseyFranz Ferdinand 

Leonard CohenConor Oberst 

and Mystic 

the Valley Band 

Beirutthe Black KeysGirl Talk 

Silversun Pickupsthe Ting Tingsthe Crystal MethodGhostland ObservatoryCrystal Castles 

the Airborne Toxic EventWe Are ScientistsN.A.S.A.Patton & RahzelM. Wardthe Presets 

the Hold SteadyA Place to Bury StrangersFelix da HousecatBuraka Som SistemaRyan Bingham 

BajofondoPeanut Butter WolfNoah & the WhaleWhite Liesthe BugAlberta CrossLos Campesinos! 

Craze & KleverMolotovSwitchGui BorattoSteve Aokithe AggrolitesGenghis Tron 

People Under the Stairsthe CourteenersCage the ElephantDear and the Headlights 

SATURDAY APRIL 18 

FRIDAY APRIL 17 

The Killers 

Amy WinehouseThievery Corporation 

TV on the RadioBand of HorsesFleet FoxesMSTRKRFT 

Michael Franti & SpearheadAtmosphereMastodonTRAV$DJ-AMHenry RollinsCrookers 

Jenny LewisTurbonegroHercules and Love AffairSuperchunkGlasvegasDr. DogDrive-By Truckers 

Booker T & the DBT’sAmanda Palmerthe Bloody BeetrootsSurkinPara One (Live)Calexico 

LiarsJunior BoysZane LoweElectric TouchBlitzen TrapperGlass CandyJames Morrison 

Bob Mould BandDrop the LimeThenewno2Gang Gang DanceBilly TalentIda Maria 

Ariel Pink’s Haunted GraffitiZizek ClubCloud CultTinariwen 

The Cure 

My Bloody ValentineYeah Yeah Yeahs 

Throbbing GristleLupe FiascoPaul WellerPeter Bjorn and JohnX 

Antony & the JohnsonsRoni Size ReprazentPublic EnemyGroove ArmadaChristopher Lawrence 

Paolo NutiniLykke Lithe KillsOkkervil RiverM.A.N.D.Y.ClipseSebastien TellierFucked Up 

Perry Farrellthe HorrorsLate of the PierK’naanBrian Jonestown MassacreSupermayerNo Age 

Vivian GirlsShepard FaireyThemselvesFriendly Firesthe Gaslight Anthemthe Knux 

Mexican Institute of Soundthe Night MarchersMarshall Barnes 

DJ Set 

SUNDAY APRIL 19 

FOR ALL FESTIVAL INFO VISIT COACHELLA.COM

We get a lot of mail here at the Filter offices—some good, some bad, some… 

well, completely unclassifiable. Send us something strange and you might see 

it here. We at Filter rely heavily on 

coffee and energy drinks to get the job 

done. (What You actually thought we 

were nine-to-fivers with carpools and 

one-hour lunches Think again.) However, 

sometimes we get so hectic—and 

overworked—that we need something 

to take the edge off. So, it’s a good thing 

that we received a six-pack of drank 

(drankbeverage.com), the soda that promises to “slow your roll.” Now, after a 

long week of deadlines, we can sit back, relax, and pop open a can of the only 

extreme relaxation beverage. These babies would go well with ambient music, 

a fluffy pillow, or…um, vodka. 

 

You can download the Filter Good Music Guide at 

goodmusicwillprevail.com. While there, be sure to 

check out our back issues, the latest of which features 

Andrew Bird, The Flaming Lips, Wes Anderson, and 

Jeff Goldblum. And if you’re headed down to Austin 

for South by Southwest, be sure to keep your eyes and 

ears peeled for us. We sure do get around. 

 

Visit FILTERmagazine.com for music news, MP3s, 

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Out Now: Filter Issue 34— 

“Morrissey Rising” 

With his political banter and outspoken demeanor, 

it’s difficult to deny the unending presence of 

Morrissey. A true musical legend and accomplished 

solo artist in his own right, Moz has made 

a career of doing the unexpected and surprising 

all the critics. And that’s exactly why Filter sat 

down with Morrissey on the occasion of his ninth 

studio album, Years of Refusal, in order to discuss 

his career, the long-term effects of endless speculation, and the prospects of 

quitting the biz…for good. Also: Tears for Fears recount the heady days of 

yesteryear, Broken Social Scene’s Kevin Drew goes one-on-one with bizarro 

funny-man Zach Galifianakis, and Antony and the Johnsons finally begin to see 

the light. Plus, ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, N.A.S.A., Great 

Northern, stop-motion mastermind Henry Selick, Vetiver, Asobi Seksu, Bell 

X1, Sunshine Cleaning, Sugar, Trans Musicales de Rennes, and an EndNote 

from Robert Popper’s literary alter ego Robin Cooper. 

 

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Publishers 

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Editor-in-Chief 

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Managing Editor 

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Scribes 

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Kyle MacKinnel, 

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Marketing 

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Thank You 

McGuire family, Bagavagabonds, Janet 

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Momma Sartirana, the Ragsdales, SC/ 

PR Sartiranas, the Masons, Pete-O, 

Rey, the Paikos family, Chelsea & the 

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crew, Shappsy, Phamster, Pipe, Dana 

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Weissman, Mom & Dad 

Advertising Inquiries 

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Filter Good Music Guide is published by Filter 

Magazine LLC, 5908 Barton Ave., Los Angeles 

CA 90038. Vol. 1, No. 26, March-April 2009. 

Filter Good Music Guide is not responsible for 

anything, including the return or loss of submissions, 

or for any damage or other injury to unsolicited 

manuscripts or artwork. Any submission 

of a manuscript or artwork should include a selfaddressed 

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© 2009 by Filter Magazine LLC. 

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 

FILTER IS PRINTED IN THE USA 

FILTERmagazine.com 

COVER PHOTO BY MARIA MOCHNACZ 

SXSW on BlackBerry ® 

Join us at the official BlackBerry 

Showcase at SXSW Thursday March 19 

and Friday March 20 at the Cedar Street 

Courtyard as BlackBerry presents a 

stellar line-up of artists. 

Get more details about the showcase 

and discover music applications for 

your BlackBerry smartphone at: 

myspace.com/blackberry 

Research In Motion, the RIM logo, BlackBerry, the BlackBerry logo and SureType are registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office 

and may be pending or registered in other countries - these and other marks of Research In Motion Limited are used under license.

Turn Tapes ’N’ Tapes 

to MP3s ’N’ MP3s 

It’s time to take a trip down to pop’s basement and dig into that box of dusty demo tapes 

you recorded with your high school metal band in the ’80s. The Alesis TapeLink USB 

has arrived, making it easy 

to transfer tunes trapped by 

the obsolete cassette format 

to CD digital quality, forever 

to be archived as WAV or 

MP3 files on your hard drive. 

TapeLink USB’s dual-cassette 

deck connects directly to your 

computer, has no need for 

drivers (for most computers, 

anyway), and comes with all 

the software you need to keep 

your magnetic tape dreams alive and rockin’ for eternity. For the street price of $199, you 

get the deck along with all the cords and software to help you transfer, edit and clean up 

those old tracks, ushering them into the 21 st century with ease. MICHELLE LANZ 

Laser Guided 

Rock Star 

When wanting to break down a song from their favorite 

bands, guitarists know they can either go through the pain 

of figuring it out by trial and error, or conversely, forfeiting 

their pride by pulling the tablature from the web. But 

thanks to the new Maestro laser and mp3 guitar guide, 

there is another solution. The designer of this soon-to-beon-shelves 

contraption figured out a way to make songlearning 

easy. All you do is upload songs to Maestro, attach 

it to any guitar, and then it casts laser lights on the guitar 

fret board to guide you where to play. With this little gem, 

there should be no reason why you can’t nail your audition 

for that ’80s cover band. JOSE VARGAS 

Discover the legend of the Zodiac race at onitsukatiger.com 

4 FILTER GOOD MUSIC GUIDE

High-tech Hearing 

Now that even grandmas are carrying their music collections in their pockets, it makes sense that 

more high-end earphones are hitting the market. The latest pair earning buzz from audiophiles is the 

SE530 Sound Isolating Earphones from Shure. 

What sets these babies apart from the competition 

Well, the $499 price tag alone is enough 

to stop traffic, but with the cost of purchase 

comes a heightened sound quality thanks to the 

earphones’ ability to block out over 90 percent of 

ambient nose. And for an extra 50 bucks, you can 

buy a pair with the Push to Hear control that, 

when used, activates a voice microphone so you 

can switch between listening to your music to 

talking with your buddies—all without removing 

the buds from your ears. Sounds cool enough, 

but for the price, it’d be nice if the earphones 

also came with one month’s rent. But don’t 

worry, Granny—if we hit the jackpot, we’ll still 

buy you a pair. TAMARA VALLEJOS 

“B” Stands for Better 

Trim: 5.312x8.312 

Bleed: 5.562x8.562 

Live: 4.812x7.812 

Get the full experience of your music files with the new Internet application that not only 

scours the web for new tracks you might enjoy, but also rummages the files you already 

own yet are ignoring. Based on your iTunes library, i like b-sides (ilikebsides.com) creates a 

unique music fingerprint cataloguing your preferences—including most frequently played 

songs—to generate a 16-track playlist of un-owned songs while also 

alerting you of tracks that you are neglecting in your library. Then, 

it’s all up to you to purchase more files…or rekindle the love with 

those lost in your digital shelves. LYNN LIEU 

Closing Date: 2.18.9 

QC: SM 

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6 FILTER GOOD MUSIC GUIDE 

GOOD MUSIC GUIDE FILTER 7

Elvis Perkins 

in Dearland’s 

Guide to the Hudson River Valley 

BY KYLE MacKINNEL 

ELVIS PERKINS IS CONSTANTLY IN MOTION. For years leading up to his haunting, beautiful debut, Ash 

Wednesday, Perkins wandered the continent, exploring new lands and sowing his musical oats by writing songs, 

playing in several bands, recording and moving on to new creative outlets. He moved to Santa Fe, to L.A, to New 

York, to Jamaica. He moved to Rhode Island and back again. 2007 brought the release of that fateful Wednesday, 

and in the face of unspeakable tragedy, Elvis was suddenly moving on and moving everyone who listened. 

Recently, Perkins moved to the Hudson River Valley in Upstate New York and settled into a brand new band, 

adding a voice and a name to Elvis Perkins in Dearland. The group’s new eponymous debut is the sound of a man—a 

man who is no longer alone—breaking chains, arriving home again and saying goodbye…moving through time and 

moving forward to somewhere new. And rest assured, the music moves, too. Filter asked Elvis and his band to walk us 

through some of their favorite aspects of the Valley, or as they might call it, their beloved Dearland. 

The Hudson River Valley’s… 

MOST THRIVING MUSIC SCENE 

The Smog and The Ancram Tavern 

BEST PLACE TO SIP COFFEE WITH THE 

LOCALS 

The Tivoli Bakery 

MOST MEDITATIVE RIVERBEND 

Poets’ Walk in Dutchess County 

CHOICE PLACE TO WRITE SONGS OR 

POETRY 

Fireside at Gristmill Lane 

LEISURELY ACTIVITY 

We like to wrestle river snakes, ride ponies, and climb 

apple trees. 

FINEST LOCAL WATERING HOLE 

The Old Stone Church in Upper Saddle River 

COOLEST ART/HISTORY/ODDITY MUSEUM 

The Shaker Museum in Old Chatham 

REGIONAL DELICACY (OR DELICIOUS 

REGULAR FOOD) 

It’s got to be Kinsey home-grown lamb, Margot’s pies 

and Mercato in Red Hook. 

BEST MOUNTAIN ROAD IN THE CATSKILLS 

The trails at Minnewaska and the road to Kaaterskill 

Falls 

APPALACHIANISM 

“But of course!!” 

BEST-KEPT-SECRET VENUE 

The Chicken Shack 

LAST AREA THEY SHOULD TURN INTO A 

MINI-MALL 

The Hudson River Valley 

BEST PLACE FROM WHICH TO WATCH THE 

APOCALYPSE 

A bear cave in the Tivoli Bays 

MOST ENJOYABLE NATIVE CREATURE 

The dear, baby! 

FAVORITE MEMORIES 

Springtime in the orchards, summer storms, swimming, 

the burrito stand, and lots of time by the grill. 

Tweet tweet. F 

For further Hudson Valley insight from Elvis Perkins in 

Dearland, go to FILTERmagazine.com 

8 FILTER GOOD MUSIC GUIDE GOOD MUSIC GUIDE FILTER 9

BY PAT McGUIRE 

Will Oldham is riding shotgun and there are red and blue lights in the rearview. I’ve just picked the musician up 

from his downtown hotel in my unregistered Nissan and we’re headed for a Mexican restaurant merely blocks 

away, but an L.A.P.D. officer has spotted my expired tags and asks, in her emphatic way, for a moment of our time. 

Oldham shifts in the passenger seat and asks, “Do you think I should put on my seatbelt” then continues his 

story about a recent trip to Milan. The soft, innocent question is the only thing he says to acknowledge the officer 

during our 10 minutes of temporary captivity. After a brief but stern lecture, we’re let go with a warning. 

CAPTURING THE 

FLAGS 

Fleeting Moments with Bonnie “Prince” Billy 

PHOTO BY RICHIE WIREMAN 

Soon, Oldham and I are walking down Olvera Street, the 

Mexican plaza that marks the original center of Los Angeles. 

Today, Oldham’s thicket of a beard is pulled into 

two little pigtails sprouting down from the corners of his 

lips, and he wears a knit beanie and ski sunglasses, black 

motorcycle boots, dark jeans, a vest, sweater and blue tie. 

We wind through the vendor stalls of hand-woven rugs 

and strong-smelling leather and sit down to lunch at what 

claims to be the city’s oldest restaurant. Oldham is widely 

known to abhor interviews but is playing along today to 

promote Beware, the newest record by his Supermansuited 

alter ego, Bonnie “Prince” Billy. However, despite 

his candor regarding other aspects of his well-guarded 

life, I can’t say I’m surprised when not once does he mention 

the album throughout our entire conversation. 

Instead, we talk mostly about people, and the importance 

of preservation. There are those Oldham has 

met on the road who remain in his life, including some 

here in Los Angeles and a married couple in Oregon, 

and he looks forward to seeing them when he plays their 

towns. But rather than deep friendships, Oldham seeks 

the comfort of familiarity from these folks, a sense of 

home in a foreign land. “Most people know where to 

draw the line,” he says, but acknowledges the razor’s 

edge that comes with letting his rabid fans get too close. 

“Occasionally some people will ask me to go get a beer 

or something after the show, and that kind of makes 

me…uncomfortable.” Perhaps this is part of the reason 

why Oldham has made such a game of swapping identities 

and avoiding the spotlight. Whether this policy is 

born of hopeful prevention or from disdainful experience 

is unclear, but Oldham appears very used to the 

impermanence of certain things in his life and has taken 

to collecting memories “just in case.” Even though this 

current trip is only for two weeks, while packing on the 

day of his departure he took a series of photos of his 

home. As for explanation, he simply says, “It might not 

be there when I get back. I wanted to be sure to keep 

part of it forever.” 

To this point, I ask Oldham—a most prolific songwriter—if 

he is in possession of all of his own music; 

there are over 100 singles, albums, compilations, live recordings 

and various dabbles that bear one of his several 

names. He admits flatly that he doesn’t know, insinuating 

that it’s veritably impossible to keep tabs on something 

as cavernous as his oeuvre. Finally, he confesses 

to a closet at home in Louisville full of “one to 10 copies 

of pretty much everything” he’s released. He admits 

to being a dedicated collector of other people’s music, 

but keeping tabs on his inventory isn’t part of his practice. 

“I love Patty Loveless,” he says, “and The Everly 

Brothers, and Merle [Haggard], and I have most of their 

records…but I don’t know if I have everything. I don’t 

even know if I have the first five or six Leonard Cohen 

records anymore. But I always have them in me. I know 

them so well that I don’t need to have the physical copies.” 

He goes through phases of listening exclusively to 

older vinyl while in his house but is forced to listen on 

his iPod while on the road—half the year, by his estimation. 

Concurrently, he finds that music, too, creates a 

sense of home for him in unsuspecting corners of the 

world. “I find it in strange little glimpses on the subway 

or in a restaurant,” Oldham says. “Sometimes in a 

strange place I’ll get a feeling of home that overwhelms 

me and I don’t know why.” He dislikes the claustrophobia 

of cities but loves the country. He doesn’t care about 

music news and doesn’t read many magazines. Instead, 

he discovers music through friends and encounters it on 

his own as he travels the world. “I leave home light,” he 

says, “and return heavy.” 

Oldham asks me how I first learned about music and 

lights up at the notion that I grew up in a household with 

a grand total of three musty vinyl albums. He claims that 

one of his goals in life is to be one of those records for 

someone; that to have made an album that finds such a 

novice collector is how he would like to gauge his success. 

Touring small places like Santa Cruz or Italy, as 

he has done for over 15 years, somehow makes it more 

likely for that mark to be reached. 

At the end of our meal, a strolling mariachi stops 

at our table and asks in broken English if we’d like a 

song. Oldham thinks hard for a minute and asks, “Do 

you know any really sad ones” Confused, the guitarist 

replies that he knows “La Bamba,” and Oldham looks at 

me and giggles, shaking his head. The mariachi slinks 

away, and we exit right behind him. 

At Oldham’s request, I pull into the back alley behind 

his hotel to drop him off. “Get this thing legal!” he says, 

flashing a cat grin and slapping the car’s hood. I study him 

as he walks away, collecting a snapshot in my mind. You 

have to do that with a guy like Will Oldham. You just don’t 

know when you’ll ever see him again. F 


TO INFINITY 

AND BEYOND 

N.A.S.A. and Fatlip’s 

Bizarre Ride Outerspace 

BY COLIN STUTZ | ILLUSTRATION BY JASON CROSBY 

It’s out of this world, to say the least, that a litany of notable musical names, such as David Byrne, Chuck D, Seu 

Jorge, KRS-One, RZA, John Frusciante, Fatlip, Karen O, George Clinton, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Tom Waits, Kanye 

West, M.I.A. and Ghostface Killah (and believe me, I could go on) would all participate on the same album of 

purely unique hip-hop. With such a varied arrangement of artists—both young and old, but all talented and highly 

respected in their own genres—it’s a wonder that it only took Sam Spiegel, aka Squeak E. Clean, and his Brazilian 

partner DJ Zegon seven years to wrangle, record and release 17 songs with this most eclectic group of musicians. 

But in the end, they triumphed, globetrotting to track some of the most extravagant collaborations ever imaginable. 

The duo calls itself North America South America (N.A.S.A.), and with its skilled production, famous friends and 

outrageous vision, the musical pair has ushered in a dream debut, The Spirit of Apollo. 

Filter had the chance to bring Spiegel and Fatlip [The Pharcyde] together at a Hollywood restaurant one Friday 

morning to discuss artistry and the collaborative process. Fatlip ate a breakfast sandwich and asked the questions, 

while Spiegel ate a B.L.T. and answered them. What, no Tang 

Fatlip: In general, what was it like working with legends 

like Blast Master [KRS-One] and Chuck D 

Sam Spiegel: Man, I view the record as Producer 

College. Basically, I was like, “This is dope! I’m going 

to make this great record and I’m also learning how 

to work with anybody.” At first when I started making 

music, I had all these musicians—like you do growing 

up—on a pedestal. Even when I met you, I was like, 

“Fatlip! Oh shit!” And so it was really dope learning 

how to work with anybody, no matter how much I 

love their music or am inspired by them, because I 

realized that everyone is just like me—all these people 

are enthusiastic about making music and want to make 

some dope shit. 

Fatlip: Dr. Dre said that the main thing of being a 

producer is knowing that you don’t know everything. 

It’s like, yeah, you know what you know, but then there’s 

other shit that you can learn. So if you think that you 

know everything, you’re immediately limiting yourself 

to what you know. You’re not learning anything towards 

the maximum. 

Spiegel: I think that’s true about being an artist in 

general, right Like, always being open to learning, 

you just have to keep growing and growing. Whereas if 

you’re like, “I know exactly that this is how you do it,” 

you don’t grow. Your growth stops right there. I grew a 

lot of confidence with each session, you know. Towards 

the beginning of the project, I was still really new to 

making music and working with artists, and each time I 

worked with somebody that was some kind of a hero, I 

would gain confidence and just be like, “O.K., this is just 

like working with anybody else.” It was just like making 

music at home or in high school, same shit. I think that 

helped a lot. 

Fatlip: For me, I always like to hear about these successful 

artists and how they came from humble beginnings, 

because most of the best artists are the most 

humble people. [Laughs] There, I said it. You heard 

it here first. 

Spiegel: But then there’s somebody like Kanye West 

who’s not the most humble person in the world, but 

is still a great and inspiring person to work with, 

and as a producer, you have to learn how to be like, 

“O.K., I’m gonna let this person do his thing and if 

he’s got a vision, I’m gonna let him do it.” You’ve got 

to know where to step in and be a guide, and where 

to step off and let it ride. Everybody has a different 

process and every time you’re in the studio with a 

new person, you’ve got to figure out that process 

real soon or shit goes south. You have to figure out 

exactly how they work, be intuitive, know when they 

need help, when they need support, and when they 

need just to be left alone. F 


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-

N O 

COMPROMISE 

Polly Jean Harvey and John Parish are musical 

soul mates. Harvey’s introduction to professional 

music came when she joined Parish’s band Automatic 

Dlamini in the late ’80s. During that time, 

she honed her guitar playing, songwriting and 

singing before forging out on her own to find 

international success with albums Dry and Rid 

of Me. The two records introduced a new type 

of power trio; propelled by a complex and thundering 

rhythm section, Harvey played guitar and 

sang as though she was on a torture rack, alternating 

whispered hisses with deranged moans 

distinguished by extreme dynamic changes— 

and an almost savant-like knack for hooks. 

For her third album, To Bring You My Love, 

Harvey brought Parish in as producer, and ever 

since then Parish has been a regular member of 

her touring and recording bands. The two are in 

regular contact, always bouncing ideas off each 

other: Albums like To Bring You My Love; Is 

This Desire; Stories from the City, Stories from 

the Sea; Uh Huh Her and White Chalk exhibit an 

expanded sonic palette. Harvey’s vocals, while 

still resonating with drama, are draped over 

throbbing bass lines, spindly guitars, ethereal piano 

and warbled organ parts, in time becoming 

more straightforward lyrically and melodically 

and always increasing depth to the viscera. 

In 1996, Parish and Harvey collaborated on 

the album Dance Hall at Louse Point for which 

he composed the music and she the lyrics and 

vocals. Now 12 years later for its sequel, A 

Woman, A Man Walked By, neither had any interest 

in making the same album all over again. 

The first track, “Black Hearted Love,” is closest 

to what Dancehall represented––artfully 

skewed guitar-rock ––but following the opener, 

the album skips flawlessly from blues to soul to 

torch songs to avant-noise, each track offering 

a glimpse into unique worlds…like a collection 

of paintings or photographs coming from two 

distinct yet similarly innovative artists. 

BY KEVIN FRIEDMAN + PHOTO BY MARIA MOCHNACZ 


For Dance Hall at Louse Point, I’ve heard the 

music you’d written for a production of Hamlet 

was the spark for the collaboration. 

John Parish: I’d gotten a job at a college, and the 

head of the performing arts department wanted to do a 

radical production of Hamlet and he asked me to write 

a score for it. It was the first time I’d been able to write 

music outside of a traditional band form. I didn’t have 

to write a three-and-a-half-minute song with words and 

it didn’t have to fit with drums, guitars and bass. It was 

so different from anything I’d done before; I didn’t 

even know how to judge it. So the first person I played 

it to was Polly to get her take on it. She immediately 

was incredibly enthusiastic. A couple months later she 

called me and said, “Look, I’m still listening to this stuff 

all the time; I absolutely love it. Would you write me 

some music like this that I could put words to” 

PJ Harvey: I came away from that and said, “If you 

write me 12 pieces of music, along the lines of what 

you’ve done for Hamlet, I really think we could do 

something special,” and that’s how it started. And 

then, years later, I stumbled across “Black Hearted 

Love,” which was a song that John and I had made 

together and not done anything with. I thought, “This 

is great,” and I rang him up and said, “John, we have 

to write another body of work to go along with ‘Black 

Hearted Love’ and it’s about time we do a follow-up 

to Dance Hall.” 

What new directions did you try to explore on 

A Man, A Woman Walked By 

Harvey: Vocally and lyrically, I wanted to explore different 

ways of writing; likewise, I was urging John to 

be very experimental with the music and to not repeat 

what we’d done before. In order to strengthen the 

music, lyrically and melodically, I spend a bit of time 

seeing what atmosphere the music’s suggesting and that 

will point me in a direction with the nature of the lyric, 

but also the way to sing it and the melody to choose. 

Parish: Neither of us was interested in making the 

same record over again. I think I probably wrote 16 

pieces of music and Polly wrote about a dozen lyrics 

and we ended up with 10 songs that we were happy 

with. There’s no persuasion and really no compromise 

in what we work on. We have a lot of trust and respect 

for what each other does. We only work on things that 

we’re absolutely both completely committed to. 

On the title track there’s a rather aggressive 

lyric, “Now it’s my turn to laugh, I’m going to 

stick it up your fucking ass.” What inspired 

that line 

Harvey: The sheer energy and enjoyment of the music 

is where it starts. I wish you could hear the music on its 

own because it’s utterly insane and it was quite a while 

before I could find the lyric and melody to match that 

piece of music that John gave me. I find it hilarious and 

very entertaining and I love singing it. But likewise, 

as with any of the gentle songs, like “The Soldier” or 

“Cracks in the Canvas,” it should also be about the 

sheer celebration of being alive. 

Parish: Well, I was a bit shocked. I’m always surprised 

when I hear whatever lyrics or vocals she’s done on the 

tracks, because I’m used to hearing them as instrumentals 

and obviously it changes the focus of the piece. That 

piece was particularly dynamic and surprising. I had to 

listen to it a few times to understand what was going 

on, but then I completely fell in love with it. It’s just a 

fantastic performance, thoroughly engaging and works 

on different levels for me—it’s funny, rude, aggressive, 

dynamic. I just think it’s a fantastic vocal. 

Can you talk about influences 

Harvey: I was first introduced to Nick Cave and the 

Bad Seeds by John, actually, when I was about 17, and 

I’d never heard them before and I can remember it 

being a huge turning point in my life because I heard 

this music that was everything I had ever wanted to 

make. I also felt that feeling when I first heard Captain 

Beefheart and I also felt it when I first heard Howling 

Wolf and the Pixies. 

Parish: Well, Captain Beefheart, for sure. I guess 

I’d have to say Led Zeppelin because they were very 

important to me growing up; that was what I listened to 

in my teenage years. I was such a fan of John Bonham’s 

drumming. I think that the feel they had behind their 

music is very important to the feel that I’ve tried to 

put into my own music. And, more recently over the 

last decade or 15 years, it’s been Howe Gelb of Giant 

Sand. 

Has your relationship with each other changed 

over the years 

Parish: It’s more grown than changed. We connected 

from when we first met and trusted each other and 

that’s only grown as we’ve got older and our careers 

have developed. We’re very fortunate to have had each 

other to turn to for advice. We’re close personal friends 

as well and we’ve got this shared history. It’s great to 

have this relationship that develops over time and it’s 

just gotten stronger as we’ve gotten older. 

Harvey: We have the same feel, for want of a better 

word. The way the music works through us and our 

souls or whatever you like to call it, it comes out 

sounding of a certain feeling; it has a certain soul to it. 

We get along as friends because of this similarity in soul, 

which comes through music, too. F 


(Go to FILTERmagazine.com or pick up Filter Magazine’s Winter Issue for full reviews of these albums) 

GRAHAM NASH 

Reflections [box set] 93% 

RHINO 

The “Simple Man” proves he’s way 

more than just a harmony singer or an 

initial. Reflect, and genuflect. 

THE DECEMBERISTS 

The Hazards of Love 82% 

CAPITOL 

With multisyllabic words and archaic 

phraseology, Colin Meloy makes a folkopera 

about love. Aww. 

BLACK LIPS 

200 Million Thousand 90% 

VICE 

A record that is a garage-rock spittoon 

overflowing with cool. Drink and be 

punky. 

PHOSPHORESCENT 

To Willie 89% 

DEAD OCEANS 

This should be played in bars after 

last call, when guys lock arms and the 

bromance flows like ale. 

DAN AUERBACH 

Keep It Hid 87% 

NONESUCH 

The dirty sounds of the Keys are everpresent, 

with enough reverb to feed a 

small horse. 

THE JUAN MACLEAN 

The Future Will Come 80% 

DFA 

Maclean knows his way around a mixer, 

but his vocals are more Mr. Roboto than 

Mr. Cool. 

THE BPA 

I Think We’re Gonna Need a 

Bigger Boat 78% 

SOUTHERN FRIED 

This vanity project is as unjustified as Mr. 

Holland’s Opus. Beautiful, beautiful…bore. 

NEKO CASE 

Middle Cyclone 75% 

ANTI- 

The sound of a piano orchestra getting 

to third base with a tornado isn’t purty… 

it’s hurty. Ouch. 

 

Out now on CD, LP and Digital Download 

 

 

 

For Album and Tour Updates, please visit 

 

© 2009 Attack/Lost Highway Records 

M. WARD 

Hold Time 86% 

MERGE 

The epitome of “something old, 

something new.” Him - She = A 

generation-hopper’s wet dream. 

THE BOY LEAST LIKELY TO 

The Law of the Playground 74% 

TOO YOUNG TO DIE 

The cheery Brits’ twee party is growing 

old, just like the band members 

themselves need to. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FEATUR 

TURING 

THE SONG 

ONGS “SUG 

SUGARF 

ARFOOT 

OOT” A 

ND 

“I’M MB 

ROKE” 

DISCOVERED E AND PRODUCED BY JIM ENO 

DAN DEACON 

Bromst 85% 

CARPARK 

There are times when Bromst sounds like 

5,000 chipmunks returning their boy-king 

to Valhalla. And that’s a good thing. 

N.A.S.A. 

Spirit of Apollo 83% 

ANTI- 

In space no one can hear you scream, 

but can they hear you dance If so, the 

Martians are in for a booty wake-up call. 

FILTER 

ALBUM 

RATINGS 

MSTRKRFT 

Fist of God 69% 

DIM MAK/DOWNTOWN 

Nostalgic for the good ole days of dance, 

this record makes you feel like the Andy 

Rooney of electronic music. Humbug! 

91-100% 8 a great album 

81-90% 8 above par, below genius 

71-80% 8 respectable, but flawed 

61-70% 8 not in my CD player 

Below 60% 8 please God, tell us why 

www.blackjoelewis.com 

www.myspace.com/blackjoelewis 

www.losthighwayrw 

ecords.com 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


BAT FOR LASHES 

Two Suns 89% 

ASTRALWERKS 

Of all the victims of the great 

postmodern exaltation of mediocrity, 

it is romance itself that lies most bleeding. Her 

Ladyship Natasha Khan, bless her, is having none of 

it. As Bat for Lashes, she could well have gone all 

trendoid on this, her second collection, yet Two Suns 

sees her crawling even further down the mystical 

rabbit hole. This is a beauteous, hallucinatory journey 

through Arcadian daydreams of mortal heartache and 

caprice, set gorgeously to the musical echoes of 

Albion and illuminated by the august majesties of 

days gone by. Hell yeah. KEN SCRUDATO 

PETER BJORN AND JOHN 

Living Thing 74% 

ALMOST GOLD/ 

STAR TIME INTERNATIONAL 

It’s mighty hard to keep pace in the 

long shadow of the “Young Folks.” With its latest 

LP, Living Thing, the trio of Swedes has delivered 

another batch of minimalist pop, simple hooks and 

good-time kicks. But how alive is it really Maybe 

the title Writer’s Block would fit this album better, 

as its barren second-half suggests a struggle for 

inspiration. “I’m Losing My Mind” is a sort of ars 

poetica for writing under pressure:“I’m losing my 

mind/way behind.” However, there are signs of life. 

“It Don’t Move Me” actually does move and “Nothing 

to Worry About” is the cohesive PBJ we know and 

love, but the forced sparsity of Thing ultimately flatlines 

by its finish. KYLE MacKINNEL 

DOVES 

Kingdom of Rust 90% 

ASTRALWERKS 

While the band’s name may evoke 

images of white feathers and olive 

branches, the title of its fourth album gives way to 

darker visions of rotting royal accoutrements and 

majestic towers coated with the signs of a bygone 

era. Thankfully those faded images fit with the music, 

if not with the band. They may be veterans of the 

British music scene by now, but they perform the 

single “Jetstream” with more intensity and fervor than 

practically anything else in their catalogue. And the 

rest of the album succeeds in shaking off any rust the 

band may have collected over the years. While the 

kingdom of rust may fade away, the kingdom of Doves 

is here to stay. JEREMY MOEHLMANN 

GOMEZ 

A New Tide 80% 

ATO 

Winsome and lonesome as usual, 

Gomez’s sixth record does nothing 

to break from the past, save to abstract the bits of 

crisp clarity that shone on 2006’s How We Operate. 

Most interesting, nonetheless, is how the band 

continues to utilize each distinctive vocalist apart 

from the others. Whether by the vocal coarseness of 

Ben Ottewell, Ian Ball’s tonal youth, or Tom Gray’s 

charming mediation between them, engaging sparks 

still ignite as they all wind together (“Win Park 

Slope”). BREANNA MURPHY 

 

The Venture Bros.: 

3rd Season 84% 

WARNER 

The third season of The Venture 

Bros. picks up where season two 

left off: the demolishing of The 

Monarch’s dreaded Cocoon and its subsequent 

rebuilding by his winged dominions. Packed with 

witty banter, super-hero/villain parody and the 

sexy auspices of the deep-voiced but shapely Dr. 

Girlfriend, The Venture Bros.’ third installment is 

more of the same high-action cartooning—made 

for adults, of course. Also making appearance in 

season three: Sgt. Hatred, General Manhowers, 

and obviously, Dr. Venture and his dim-wit 

boys. ERIK NOWLAN 

MOTÖRHEAD [REISSUES] 

Overkill 89% 

Iron Fist 90% 

Bomber 87% 

Ace of Spades 91% 

UNIVERSAL 

I mean, I get that there are people who don’t like 

Motörhead, which is cool, but at least once in your life 

you’re going to find yourself on the run from the cops 

doing a buck-fifty in the wrong lane at 3 a.m. (shades on, 

obviously) and dude, what else are you going to pop into 

the tape deck This is one of the most ass-kickingest fouralbum 

runs in the history of music, featuring the greatest 

lineup in Motörhead’s three decades of ass-kickery. 

Every track sounds like a knife fight between speed and 

beer. The existence of this band would be worth it just for 

“Ace of Spades,” but they produced another three dozen 

songs just as good, and without them, who knows what 

you’d listen to in jail. MAX READ 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


BILL CALLAHAN 

Sometimes I Wish We Were 88% 

an Eagle 

DRAG CITY 

“Jim Cain,” the opening track on Bill 

Callahan’s second post-Smog release, begins with 

that old familiar baritone groaning, “I started out in 

search of ordinary things.” His stories are simple, his 

instrumentation sparse, his rhythms precise, and his 

voice profound. And yet there’s something unsettling 

about these songs, as if the microphones were placed 

somewhere inside of Callahan’s chest cavity. We wonder 

whether we should stand so close, but none of us dare 

to move. MARTY GARNER 

 

JEFF APTER 

A Pure Drop: 88% 

The Life of Jeff Buckley 

BACKBEAT 

Jeffrey Scott Buckley, dead at 

age 30, accomplished what most 

well-aged songwriters fail to do 

their entire lives—make music that is powerful, 

purposeful and positively unforgettable. A soul 

that was as tormented as it was beautiful, 

Buckley had a passion for experimentation and 

curiosity, and sadly, his penchant for testing the 

waters finally caught up with him in the end. Jeff 

Apter’s new biography sheds light on the famed 

singer’s last days, while reminding us of how 

blessed we were to hear Buckley’s music while 

he was alive. ERIK NOWLAN 

PETE DOHERTY 

Grace/Wastelands 86% 

ASTRALWERKS 

Pete Doherty—drunkard, druggy, and 

deacon—wears the oversized shoes 

that we made for him. And he does it well. We longed 

for a fragile, dangerous iconoclast and Doherty has 

been much obliged to fulfill our wishes, from tabloids 

to television. But on his solo debut, Doherty opted to 

invite the train wreck into the listener’s living room, 

keeping every bit stripped down with acoustic guitars 

and casually eerie instrumentals. Late nights, cigarette 

smoke, and beautiful self-destruction—it’s just as we’d 

want it. COLIN STUTZ 

MR. LIF 

I Heard It Today 83% 

BLOODBOT TACTICAL ENTERPRISES 

While the brilliance of I Phantom drew 

on the tension of his straightforwardness, 

I Heard It Today positions Lif’s conversational 

musings as transitional points to broader discussions 

of racism, the economy and the housing crisis. 

Complete with sampled news blips and some 

indulgent scribbling, which do at times feel a bit 

heavy-handed, Mr. Lif tips his hat a tad too much. 

Still, the lyrical content appeals to a Def Jux Lif: one 

upholding that the only escape from total dystopian 

control is self-awareness. AJ PACITTI 

SERGE GAINSBOURG 

Histoire de Melody Nelson 94% 

[reissue] 

LIGHT IN THE ATTIC 

Though he’s likely better known as 

the hound-dog face of caricatured pervy Franco pop 

(what other recording artist would possibly want 

themselves photographed holding a silver dildo), the 

prolific Serge Gainsbourg had a far more sensitive 

touch than his blunt persona evinced. Available now 

on its first-ever official U.S. release after years of 

absurd import prices, Histoire de Melody Nelson 

is a splendid suite of melodious dry bass worthy 

of Young Marble Giants, curtains of sweet guitar 

and tight kit work. But it may be the weightless 

arrangements for strings and horns that rank this 

among Gainsbourg’s finest works. Hey Beck…was 

this what you were going for in Sea Change Oui, we 

thought so. BERNARDO RONDEAU 

 

Ricky Gervais: 87% 

Out of England 

HBO 

From the man who unleashed The 

Office upon the world—which 

spawned the American knockoff 

of the same name starring Steve 

Carell—and the less popular but perhaps even 

funnier HBO series Extras, comes over an hour 

of stand-up comedy from the original comedy 

boss himself. Although you might be distracted 

by subtle differences between Gervais’ stand-up 

style compared to his acting performances, in the 

end, you’ll be right at home with his self-defacing 

banter and oh-so-awkward anecdotes. Are you 

having a laugh ERIK NOWLAN 

CURSIVE 

Mama, I’m Swollen 75% 

SADDLE CREEK 

Mama, I’m Swollen suggests a 

handwritten letter to home gone 

wrong—horribly, horribly wrong. Equal parts noise-rock 

with a respect for tried-and-true melodies, these tales of 

misery have enough gumption to truly lay it on the line. 

Love “It’s a game of fetch we’ll never win.” Sex “We’re 

at our worst when it’s from our lips/We’re at our best 

when it’s from the hips.” In less than an hour, Cursive’s 

transgressive gibber-jabber advocates enough for you 

to throw in the towel, and by the end, you’re anxious 

enough to wave your white flag. MATT ELDER 

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LOS ANGE 

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OBITS 

I Blame You 90% 

SUB POP 

With every passing decade, it’s more 

difficult to pin down this leaky, methanebloated 

balloon known as rock and roll. Luckily, 

Obits have in their debut a pretty good idea. Hard 

smashed, straight punk garage beats, side-smirked howls 

recounting tales of rough-luck love, and guitars recalling 

anything from The Kinks to The Cramps to Sonic Youth. 

Helmed mainly by Rick Froberg (Drive Like Jehu, Hot 

Snakes), the sound is familiar, but hey—it’s rock and roll, 

and it damn well should be. SAM ROUDMAN 

MASTODON 

Crack the Skye 87% 

REPRISE 

Crack the Skye’s superhuman narrative 

mimics an astral travel into space. Unlike 

its Icarus-like protagonist, Mastodon defies the sun. The 

Atlanta quartet’s journey from the dirty bogs of Southern 

metal to the summits of prog is without flaw. Melodic 

wormholes into King Crimson classicism (“Divinations”), 

a killer Frank Zappa lick (“The Czar”), and gargantuan 

psychedelic ballads (“The Baron”) annul any minor 

instances of overwrought lyricism. Mastodon’s fourth is 

an out-of-body experience. KYLE LEMMON 

 

STERLING ANDREWS 

Gooseberries 82% 

EENIE MEENIE 

In 2008, Los Angeles-based 

photographer Sterling 

Andrews gathered several 

well-known and up-andcoming 

California musicians in order to photograph 

them in highly-stylized, strangely Burton-esque 

environments. The result: a series of portraits 

that vary from whimsical tableaus of play-fighting 

rocksters to graceful poses by pretty songstresses. 

Although some portraits are more successful than 

others, it largely depends on whether or not you 

are familiar with the bands—so Los Angelenos, 

count yourselves lucky. Included in the collection 

are Silversun Pickups, Great Northern, Earlimart 

and Rogue Wave. ERIK NOWLAN 

RÖYKSOPP 

Junior 87% 

ASTRALWERKS 

If there’s anything this Norwegian duo 

will be remembered for, it will be as the 

kings not of convenience, but rather of the international 

licensing agreement. From Geico to Apple, their ability 

to create kitschy snowscapes has made them one of the 

more salient sounds in advertising. In 2004, however, they 

flipped their monochromatic aesthetic for a bit of darkness 

and shocked us all with their depth. Junior is a bit of both 

worlds—an odd mélange of narcissistic Vangelis-meets- 

Badalamenti (“Röyksopp Forever”) and drugged-out 

dance beats (“Tricky Tricky”). Add collaborations from 

Swedes Robyn, Lykke Li, Karin Dreijer-Andersson 

and countryman Anneli Drecker (“Sparks”) and it’s got 

something for every set of ears. KENDAH EL-ALI 

MONO 

Hymn to the Immortal Wind 86% 

TEMPORARY RESIDENCE 

Mono doesn’t give you the payoffs when 

you want them. Instead, it pulls them 

out in expert spells of instrumental agony. This isn’t the 

big-bump hooks of Explosions in the Sky or the heavenly 

grandeur of Sigur Rós; it’s a classic tragedy that pulls at 

the corners of the eyes. And when the sun shifts and 

light enters the room—as on “Silent Flight, Sleeping 

Dawn”—it can be blinding. MARTY GARNER 

BLACK JOE LEWIS & THE HONEYBEARS 

Tell ’Em What Your Name Is! 89% 

LOST HIGHWAY 

The first time in earshot, it would be 

easy to mistake Black Joe Lewis for 

straight James Brown rehash. Tell ’Em What Your 

Name Is! may well be the most soulful funk record 

in a while, but its influences range wider than the 

Godfather alone. Garage rock-informed freak-outs 

(“Boogie”), hilarious Thorogood-esque soul sketches 

(“Get Yo Shit”), and satirical plantation hymns (“Master 

Sold My Baby”) are piled high in The Honeybears’ 

corner. Lewis is legit. Ow! KYLE MacKINNEL 

 

Street Fighter IV 90% 

PS3, XBOX 360 

CAPCOM 

25 fighters return to do battle— 

including mainstays like Ryu and 

Chun Li, and completely new ones like Abel and 

Crimson Viper. Oh, and the game is in faux-3D, so 

you still get the classic feel of Street Fighter as well 

as new game mechanics that lend themselves well to 

deeper depth perception. The graphics are cartoony 

at times, but they still fit the series well. It’s official, 

the king is back! ZACH ROSENBERG 

RIVERBOAT GAMBLERS 

Underneath the Owl 75% 

VOLCOM 

After signing to Volcom four years ago, 

it looks as though Texas’ Riverboat 

Gamblers are in a period of stasis. Their sound is more 

produced and flat than raw and gritty, and it’s been that 

way ever since their 2007 release, To the Confusion of 

Our Enemies. As a result, the quintet’s fifth album is 

nothing new—a collection of 11 songs that you’d swear 

you’ve heard before. KATRINA NATTRESS 

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Marble Saga Kororinpa 85% 

WII 

HUDSON 

If you haven’t played the first 

Kororinpa, it was one of the best 

uses of the motion controls on 

the Wii. Marble Saga Kororinpa ups the ante 

by letting you use the wiimote or wii balance 

board as you lead marbles through the storymode’s 

colorful labyrinthine levels, as well as 

custom levels made by you and your friends over 

WiiConnect24. The first game felt stripped down, 

but this sequel has more of everything—and that’s 

a good thing. ZACH ROSENBERG 

HARLEM SHAKES 

Technicolor Health 84% 

GIGANTIC MUSIC 

Harlem Shakes’ debut features songwriting 

that reaches out beyond the digital format. 

Throughout the vocals strike a mix between an alto Van 

Morrison and the surge of Philadelphia’s The Booze. The 

band parades like Tokyo Police Club covering Captain 

Beefheart, with a female-led chorus that is The Foundations. 

And the album also has diversity: “Strictly Game” has 

Weakerthans moments and “Natural Man” has harmonies 

like America. I’m totally smitten. JONATHAN FALCONE 

MARISSA NADLER 

Little Hells 83% 

KEMADO 

Marissa Nadler’s music possesses two 

distinct elements: her finger picking 

guitar style and her full voice, which is often bathed in 

reverb. Her vocals soar over the rest of the music, filling 

any holes in the sound. Little Hells, Nadler’s fourth 

album, showcases these qualities that make her stand 

out from other songstresses. Listen closely, because this 

is not just another folk album. KATRINA NATTRESS 

THE THERMALS 

Now We Can See 81% 

KILL ROCK STARS 

Now We Can See’s pop overtones are shards 

of light at the end of an eight-year political 

tunnel. Mini-epics about love (“When I Was Afraid”), death 

(“Now We Can See”) and devolution (“You Dissolve”) typify 

The Thermal’s cautious optimism. The Portland trio unfurls 

the victory flag over the didacticism with a momentous 

sensitivity. Some new hi-fi trappings mislay some of the 

rancor of past releases, but these tracks still rise above poppunk’s 

storied miscues. KYLE LEMMON 

. THE PARLOR MOB . 

--------------------- Named an iTunes --------------------- 

BEST NEW ARTIST OF 2008! 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

TM 

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28 FILTER GOOD MUSIC GUIDE 

ON TOUR NOW! 

www.roadrunnerrecords.com/theparlormob 

Produced and Mixed By: Jacquire King 

Management: Bill McGathy / InDegoot Management 

2009 Roadrunner Records, Inc 

AND YOU WERE A COW 

Featuring 

“Hard Times,” 

“Everything You’re Breathing For” 

& “Can’t Keep No Good Boy Down” 

IN STORES NOW 

. See other Roadrunner bands at the . 

ROADRUNNER RECORDS SXSW SHOWCASE 

Saturday, March 21st 9 PM / Spiro’s (611 Red River Street)

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PJ Harvey & John Parish no compromise - FILTER Magazine

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