The Pitchfork music festival in Paris took place at La Grande Halle nestled on the edge of the Parc de la Villette. Guiding audiences to the festival, the concert hall’s large neon letters bathed the plaza and fountain in front of it in red. Past the gates was a long pavilion with food and drinks outside and two stages inside. The venue was a great location for the festival, complete with vegetarian food options and a photo booth or what the French call a “photomaton.” It was funny to overhear comments from French concert goers about how there were so many Americans and English speakers in attendance, as it was an event sponsored by an American webzine. Ultimately, it probably speaks to the new international reach of the publication.
Monday, December 03, 2012
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
TRACKS: The Tallest Man on Earth :: Weather of a Killing Kind
Adult Swim's singles series just featured a song by The Tallest Man on Earth. Download it for free from adult swim today, here.
Check it out below ::
Friday, April 23, 2010
Thursday, June 25, 2009
The Tallest Man on Earth - Streaming Full Live Set
This is almost the same exact set from the show at the Middle East. It includes several unreleased gems as well as a chillingly down-tempo version of Over the Hills. This set is finished off with a bootleg Dylan cover done tallest man style, which only seems appropriate. The set is courtesy of Hooves on the Turf.
At his show with John Vanderslice, I bought a copy of Shallow Grave. It's the kind of album that you want to have on vinyl. It also came with a 7" EP of four bonus tracks, that could've just as easily fit into the album. They only pressed 1000 copies for the tour and two weeks in, they've already sold out. This was a unique item for two reasons. Each record was hand numbered, adding that little overwhelming personal touch.
I got #237.
After The Tallest Man on Earth records their "Blonde on Blonde" this will be a great thing to have.
Kristian Matsson also drew a picture on the back of my record. It turned out to be an interesting free association experiment. He's got hills, valleys and pine trees on his mind at most times it seems.
There should be 1000 more copies pressed on white vinyl by Mexican Summer, sadly without the EP included. Follow the site and you can get you own copy. While you're enjoying these digital goodies, I've got to remind you that in our current musical climate, if you want a musician to keep playing you've got to buy stuff. Especially if the musician is a shirtless Swed playing amazing stripped down folk songs. Pick up his record, even if you can't get it on vinyl.
www.myspace.com/thetallestmanonearth
Thursday, June 18, 2009
John Vanderslice and The Tallest Man on Earth, June 14, 2009
John Vanderslice In Studio Session at WERS
1. John Vanderslice - Romanian Names
2. John Vanderslice - Forest Knolls
3. John Vanderslice - Sunken Union Boat
John Vanderslice - Fetal Horses (Live at The Empty Bottle in Chicago on 6/6/09)(right click save link as)
The Tallest Man on Earth - King of Spain (Live at Union Music in New York on 6/14/09) (right click save link as)
(courtesy of hooves on the turf)
John Vanderslice took a seat next to me on a sill beneath the large, glossy windows facing the bustle of Tremont Street as his band finished packing up their gear in the studio. His brown hair was disheveled from the headphones and his pale blue eyes gazed intently as if I were an old friend. He had about ten minutes before they were officially late to sound check for their show that night at the Middle East Downstairs. Their tour with The Tallest Man on Earth was in support of the newly released Romanian Names. Vanderslice told me his plans for after the gig, “Tonight we’re driving to Cape Cod and staying at Matthias’ parent’s house.” He said, “We’re sleeping on the beach, having dinner at three in the morning and then driving to D. C. It’s thrilling.” His love for performing makes a hectic touring schedule suit him well. The WERS studio session and the concert gave two unique perspectives to the pithy pop enchantments of John Vanderslice.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Bon Iver Live at the Wilbur Theatre, Boston, MA, December 15th, 2008
Last night, Bon Iver’s wintery falsettos ricocheted off the chandeliers and vaulted ceiling of the Wilbur Theatre. The bluesy southern acoustic act The Tallest Man on Earth opened the show.
When songwriter and vocalist Justin Vernon stepped out of the darkness, guitars, drums and electronic equipment littered the stage. Each musician performed multiple duties throughout the set; Vernon was boxed in by a rack of guitars, a synth, microphone and amp. Mike Noyce played guitar and beat a floor tom, Sean Carey was poised behind a drum set and played acoustic and Matt McCon picked up the bass line as well as drums. They all joined their voices together for the four part harmony that appeared in most songs. The group is exactly what you would picture them to look like from the music’s sound: weathered, winter cap wearing lumberjacks with gnarled hair and beards.
The intro noise and wailing falsettos to the first song “Lump Sum” was longer, building anticipation before the lights came up and those three repeated down stroke chords started.
Vernon pulled out the steel guitar for the unmistakable twang of the romantic crowd favorite, “Skinny Love.” It showed off the band’s ability to be unconventional as they experimented with random notes and played the guitar in ways it wasn’t meant to be played, such as above the fret board or below the bridge.
The band then transitioned into two songs from the newly released “Blood Bank.” The EP is only available now on 45 rpm vinyl, a speed Vernon connoted by saying, “that just means its cooler.” The songs come from the same sessions as the album For Emma, Forever Ago so he could appropriately say, “These are old songs, but I guess they’re new to you.” Vernon played the repetitious heartbreaking keys for “Babys” and Carey stepped from behind the drum kit to play nylon acoustic for the whimpering and trudging along “Beach Baby.”
“Creature Fear” showed the band at more improvisation. As one of the heavier songs, they took the chance to rock out towards the end. For “The Wolves (Act I and II)” Vernon said the song would only sound right with the audience’s participation. They followed the crescendo of the line “what might have been lost.” Then at the end of the song, Vernon requested them to scream as loud as possible, because as he said, “It’s not often that you get to scream bloody murder before Christmas, so you should just go for it.” It didn’t sound like screams however, but yowling moans and bawling yelps that echoed off the theatre like a frosty cavern.
For the encore, the band played the marching snowy tryst story “Blood Bank,” also from the new EP. As the song bloomed into improvisation, Vernon borrowed a trick from the grunge and art/noise scenes by kneeling in front of his amp and playing with the feedback from his electric guitar and effects pedals.
Vernon said that this would be the last time the band would be in Boston for a while. Hopefully that means they’ll be recording again soon. Bon Iver makes their way back to Wisconsin this month before heading to Australia in January.
www.boniver.org
~Lee Stepien
Posted at WERS.org on December 15, 2008
Photography by A. Grant
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