Originally posted by Glass Arm Shattering:
This must be the year of the Wolf
Bands with Bite as Bad as their Bark BY OMER SHAH
Wolves are a liminal animal or something. Anthropologist Alec Brownlow writes, ??The wolf continues to occupy a contested and emotionally laden symbolic space within the American imagination.? Brownlow wasn??t necessarily concerning his discussion of the role of the wolf to independent music, but when you examine who??s hot shit in the independent music scene, or the internet, or whatever you want to call it, wolves are everywhere. It seems gaining indie cred was a hard thing to do in the past ?? you had to start your own record label or have sex with Courtney Love ?? but now all you have to do is throw a ??wolf? into your band name, and boom: ??Hello Pitchfork.com.? Given, I??m only half-serious and I don??t actually believe that these bands think they are going to be hot shit because they have a wolf in their band name. It??s just overwhelming and I??m sick of it. However, they are worth a run down.
Wolf Parade: The group perhaps needs no introduction, they??re big-shots basically. The Montreal natives are receiving quite a deal of hype, similar to Arcade Fire in 2004. However, their album is pretty solid, so maybe they deserve it. Milking the success of their debut, Apologies to the Queen Mary, the group is hitting the road once again: two nights at New York??s Webster Hall in April.
Wolf Eyes: Perhaps the most abstract and experimental of the lot, also perhaps the first to the ??wolf? title. They are notorious for their intense live performances, and they held a pretty solid opening slot for Sonic Youth. However, the group seems to be largely disposable. Maybe I??m just not avant-garde enough for these boys from Michigan, but their Sub Pop release is pretty hard to listen to.
We Are Wolves: More Canada! Maybe the theme is if you are from Canada you are either with Arts & Crafts or you??re a wolf band. We Are Wolves provide a pretty danceable ??post-punk,? abstract, but not offensive sound. I caught the group open for The Gossip last fall??the lead singer looks like Hal Sparks, I??m not sure if that means anything to anyone but me. The group is playing Brooklyn??s North Six in early February and closing off April at SUNY Purchase.
Wolf and Cub: Wolf and Cub hail from Australia. After hearing a couple tracks off their EP, I??m not impressed. However, like every other band that gets compared to Bloc Party, I get this eerie feeling that they are going to be a big deal. The group will be tackling a record contract from 4AD and have recently been getting quite a number of remixes from a number of European heavyweight DJs, producers, whatever.
Wolfmother: Wolfmother are another act from down under. Attempting a sound that is more classic rock oriented. However classic rock, it??s a sincere effort and not a henious nostolgia gimmick band. The group are fresh from winning Austrailia??s J Award, for ??Best Album.? However, you won??t be able to get their new album at Target or Wal-Mart; it??s been removed because their album artwork has a nude woman (shock!).The point is, if you??re interested in Led Zepplin and Cream and all that stuff, check out Wolfmother. They have a considerable number of performances at this years SXSW in Austin, Texas. Also a two night stint in New York in February for something a little more local.
AIDS Wolf: This band probably isn??t even coming close to being Montreal??s next big thing, but that??s okay. To compare them another band of the wolf-namesake, they are Wolf Eyes meets Gravy Train !!!! or The Sick Lipstick. They provide a fun mix, not necessarily the kind of thing I??m ready for 24/7, but if that mix sounds good to you, I recommend you check out their myspace page, unless you??re an individual of stronger social conviction. Also, I??m not sure if AIDS really belongs in a band name, but it also may be my favorite.
I could go on, there??s Patrick Wolf, Peter and the Wolf, or Seawolf. I??m not really sure if there is a point or if it??s safe to say that wolves are some sort of indie rock spirit animal. I wish there was more conspiracy in independent music, but there??s not, it??s just sometimes really disorienting.
http://observer.bard.edu/articles/ae/179
