Daytrotter Session with Golden Bloom, Neutral Uke Hotel and The Motion Sick

Courtesy of Daytrotter/Illustration by Johnnie Cluney

As a Neutral Milk Hotel fan myself, I've accepted the fact that Jeff Mangum will not be reuniting the band for a comeback tour. In fact, I would hope he wouldn't, because that would simply be a bit too Bon Jovi for my taste. (Sorry Jon, you seem like a really nice guy, but I expected a few more rock & roll moves on your recent appearance on Ellen). But I digress.

Shawn Fogel of Golden Bloom had this little idea to recreate Neutral Milk Hotel on ukulele just once for a show in Boston. Neutral Milk Hotel fans had another idea however and Neutral Uke Hotel was born.

A few months ago, the band comprised of members of Golden Bloom and The Motion Sick took the show on the road, stopping off in Iowa for a Daytrotter session. Daytrotter's Sean Moeller said of the experience:

"...Shawn Fogel is out there, moving around, turning the staggeringly emotional and moving songs that Mangum wrote lo those many years ago into magnificent homages to the originals. Only, the Golden Bloom frontman treats them with his ukulele - though he strays from giving them a cheeky, wine-tasting party blush of romanticism that fellow uke-wielding crooner Dent May might. They are pretty, close to the vest renditions and yet, they feel less like strict covers and more like tributes with a capital T. This rolling company of buddies in the bands Golden Bloom, the Motion Sick and Fogel's quirky Neutral Uke project share an immediately catchable thread of needing closeness, of looking for those special comers whom they can spend "30 Lives" with or whom they could call on to help see through the gunk to the bright stars, up there somewhere."

Head on over to Daytrotter to hear Neutral Uke Hotel, Golden Bloom and The Motion Sick songs from the session. Click Here to Read More..

Enjoy Your Pumas find Commonality February 1st

Enjoy Your Pumas are ready to break out of the ice of their native Winnipeg and bring their powerful pop to the rest of the world. A big step in this direction is the release of their debut LP, Commonality which will be out February 1, 2011. The album, which is filled with great hooks, layered guitars, a tight, poppy rhythm section and Rosie Blais’ strong diverse vocals, is sure to remind listeners of Metric, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Bloc Party.

Blais and guitarist, Josh Benoit, began Enjoy Your Pumas as a bedroom project and soon expanded the lineup to include a bassist, Marc Gomez and Ian Jeffrey (keyboards/guitar). After a few lineup changes, the band in its current form emerged: with Luke Janzen (drums) now a part of the tight rhythm section and Zach Allard on guitar. The band’s signature dichotomy: lilting and ethereal/aggressive and rhythmic first began to show itself on Ink: The EP which was released in 2009. Now with Commonality, they’ve gotten more cohesive as a band, challenging each other to do better and better.

Weight Of The Circles by Enjoy Your Pumas by greenlightgo


Commonality was recorded primarily at Private Ear Recording Studio in Winnipeg. Death Cab for Cutie, Matt Epp, and The Waking Eyes have all recorded there. Enjoy Your Pumas appreciated the relatively lengthy time they were allowed to spend recording (six days) and put it to good use. “Working on the band for five straight days was like a vacation. A working vacation. It was a pleasant taste of what music as a career would be like,” says Janzen. Josh Benoit felt the album reflected this time well spent, “It sounds like a band that has put time and thought into the execution of their music.”

Enjoy Your Pumas has enjoyed a few other pleasant tastes of the music business this year. They made national headlines when they won the OurStage.com contest to open for Bon Jovi and Kid Rock on the Regina, Saskatchewan stop of their world stadium tour. The lead single from Commonality ,“Weight of the Circles” reached the Top Ten on Winnipeg indie station Kick FM and has received heavy airplay on Winnipeg stations Curve 94.3, Hot 103, as well as CBC Radio.

Commonality
Track Listing
1. Setback
2. Do It Every Day
3. Weight Of The Circles
4. Sister Rose
5. He Was A Fly
6. Like Animals
7. When It’s Over
8. It’s Not A Loss
9. We Aren’t Cowboys
10. No Man’s A Failure
11. Walk It Off
12. Initiative
13. Lucky Number Seven Click Here to Read More..