Wednesday, March 01, 2006

The Ponys



This is my current obsession - the pony's record "celebration castle." I liked it on first listen but it has grown on me. basically I am love with the sound of this, the jangly/fuzzy guitar kicks some stylish ass - part jesus & mary chain, part 60's garage, part echo and the bunnymen, part mod, part psychedelia. there is space, attitude, introversion, and a whole lot of atmospheric weather. the songs sound like the seasons, the quality of light on a particular day, the smell of a fiery fall breeze. evocative and open. i keep imagining walking around wicker park in chicago when i lived there in the early 90's, scattered newspapers swirling in the breeze wearing my thrift shop clothes in the early spring as I ambled along milwaukee avenue coming home from the train. I guess it's indie rock romanticism at its finest, and my nostalgia. whatever. Maybe it's partly because the band is from Chicago and partly because it hearkens back - like this record could have come out alongside the early brian jonestown massacre records. It sounds out of time but not.

In some ways this record is boring. the first song starts out kind of clunky and repetitive so if you're unimpressed on first listen give it some time. It's like the music is less concerned with clever specifics and is more about mood. Sure, there are good hooks and melodies going but it is all in service of the song which is in service to the mood.

Three vocalists. the primary one has a great sound - but each voice sounds right for the song and the way the words are sung has a lot to do with the songs coming out right. the vocals add another emotional dimension. I can't pick a favorite song. But maybe give "we shot the world" a listen.

42 comments:

fairy butler said...

pitchfork media's review, for another take, we agree but cite different bands.

http://pitchforkmedia.com/record-reviews/p/ponys/celebration-castle.shtml

Anonymous said...

maybe you could call them and arrange for Spock to sit in and jam with them. I bet Spock would dig it.

fairy butler said...

krix, if only. vulcan lute courtesy of spock on the liner notes. and just think about it... spock recording with mr steve albino. classic.

fairy butler said...

i believe spock can summon the ponys with his lute song. in fact, he can summon klopenstein horses, they trample and deliver some fine brewskies.

Anonymous said...

Oh good--something new to listen to. I will hear when I get home.

fairy butler said...

i didn't realize this picture kind of sucks. it looked ok on my thomas edison computer at beige. oh well.

Corny said...

Hi Fb,
I have the first Ponys album Laced With Romance, I bought it based on a rave review in the NME in 2004 but have never been totally sure about it. I find his voice kinda tough to love but there are a couple of songs I wouldn't kick out of bed and a couple of songs I think are the shit. also picked up a demo track called "I wanna fuck you", it didn't make it onto an album for some reason and another song called "shutup" that the girl pony sings on and it's beautiful, totally different vibe. I like them enough to hear more based on your recomendation.
They're comming to the bowery ballroom in april with art brut. thats goin gto be genius. Art brut rocks a live show.

fairy butler said...

corny, i am going to see art brut, but on Wednesday, not tuesday. LAME. They hadn't announced the openers when we got tix so we picked the 21+ night. oh well. maybe the ponys will be playing somewhere else in town on their own.

you might give the new record a shot. i can see how the dude's voice could be annoying but for me it's on the good side of the spectometer somehow. soft spot for some things....

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the recommendation dear FB. I am sorry we are on the wrong Art Brut night but thankful we won't be hanging out with the 18-21 year old set...Here I am, awake at 3 am???? WTF.

fairy butler said...

PD, everyone, get tickets for the wednesday show!

mm, this 3 am biz is kooky me thinks. I've been having the opposite prob as of late. the sleeping too late and getting to beige way late.

Anonymous said...

Not that I ever go out, but if I do, BB is my fave venue. I'll check the ponys. I listen to KCRW even though the music they play can be suxy mostly for live in-studio performances by some swell acts. You can watch archived streaming video via real player of 100 diff acts at 40 mins each and it is pretty sweet! Check out The Go Team, Andrew Bird, etc. Includes some interviews. Scroll down to the bottom of the page where it says "[more Morning Becomes Eclectic shows]" to search the archive. Excellent time waster!

http://www.kcrw.com/cgi-bin/db/
kcrw.pl?tmplt_type=program&show
_code=mb

Anonymous said...

oh, click "click here to watch" to fire up the video. Don't settle for audio alone!



:/

sloth said...

I must plug my all-time favorite radio station, WZBC (Boston College radio). It was a crucial pipeline when I was living there, and I still stream it often:

http://www.wzbc.org/

fairy butler said...

i have no sound on my thomas edison beige computer. so all the fun is missing here. i exist in a 2-dimensional world.

fairy butler said...

arthur, it requires multiple listenings. and you know my penchant for this sort of thing.

i know, i love the pavement. so many dislike however that I sometimes feel like it's a guilty pleasure. the solo steve m. work is not so good though. right?

fairy butler said...

i just spent a fruitless half hour looking to see if the ponys were playing anywhere else. and yes they are. they are playing with the rogers sisters at southpaw on the same fucking night i am going to see art brut. f me.

everything else is sold out. options forthcoming: blood on the wall at mercury lounge next thursday. (anyone want to go with me?) spinto band there later inthe month. could be good. the lilys are playing in brooklyn at magnetic field next saturday. but there may be art things i need to attend. i can never get the sched. straight.

why is everything always sold out! ugh. ugh. ugh.

fairy butler said...

i wonder if the syrup room is up and running yet?

oh, yes arthur, maybe a play list of s.m. - put that together will ya? my ipod needs a serious update again. i find myself listening to the most random stuff. like sonic youth murray st. and stuff. why?

Anonymous said...

the syrup room sound delish.

i want to strangle my co-worker today. first...she is wearing Uggs and second...her mom is buying her an apartment in manhattan.

Anonymous said...

okay, i'm really only upset about the Uggs.

fairy butler said...

that sounds very annoying pd. very annoying indeed. i hope hotpants/half-shirt are not involved in this clothing thing.

Anonymous said...

No, but she keeps talking about this musical she saw called "Jersey Boys" which is based on Frankie Vallie and the Four Seasons.

Mountain Man said...

Can you poke her with something? Or tear her Uggs covertly?

Anonymous said...

I will spill coffee on the Uggs and when she bends over to clean it up...chicken fingers will strike.

Mountain Man said...

PD you devil. Yes!!!

Anonymous said...

Uggs, Jersey Boys, and supported by parents. That is a trinity of EVIL PD. I am sorry. For the Uggs alone I will smite.

fairy butler said...

pd, show her how a 'jersey boy' really does it!

Anonymous said...

Oh, ey, ey, oh, I'ma Jesey boy.

Anonymous said...

Ooh! A fellow Wicker Park band! We like to go see them play at the Empty Bottle from time to time. You know what else is fun? Ian, ex-pony's, new band Submarine Races. They are on Myspace. - Sarah, Fake Fictions

fairy butler said...

sarah, i will check out the sub race. many thanks. any other wicker park bands i should look into that I wouldn't know of? i would like to travel back in time to chicago. less worries. it's probably just me - not outside world.

Anonymous said...

Let's see... The New Black (and the Dials - related)... Alex White (and the Hot Machines - related)... Bang Bang...Red Eyed Legends...The M's...I Need Sleep..
That should get you started. :-D -sarah

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