artist of the week- 2/9/14- blitzen trapper

[Clams]

I know very little about these guys. I have a couple records and I know a few songs, but not nearly enough to educate anyone. So someone else is going to have to run with this. But given the upcoming tour, we probably ought to have a thread (and maybe even a sampler).

[dime in the gutter]

nice one, clams. thanks for keeping the wheels of 3dd greased.

many here know more than i do about blitzen trapper.


2008

my intro to the band. love this album. unique. lots of great influences/inspirations. sunny, cheerful sounding....queen, 50's pop, 80's synth cheese, folky psychedelia. sounds like album takes place in a weird cartoon world. nasty guitar leads and twisty pedal steel. expert playing and writing. darker subject matter than the light, breezy music indicates. dichotomy. great, great, great record.

a fantastic listen start to finish.

[beantownbubba]

I know very little about these guys. I have a couple records and I know a few songs, but not nearly enough to educate anyone. So someone else is going to have to run with this. But given the upcoming tour, we probably ought to have a thread (and maybe even a sampler).

Excellent, timely idea. Perhaps a little short on the execution What about it, cortez? iowan? bueller?

[cortez the killer]

Another strong band from Portland, Oregon. Dimer did a good job describing their sound. The only thing I'd add is I hear some Led Zeppelin influence in there, too. Furr is definitely their best album. I'm also a fan of Wild Mountain Nation. Destroyer of the Void and American Goldwing have some excellent songs, but I never got into those records as much as I did WMN and Furr.

For those who like Blitzen Trapper's more straightforward, rootsy side, I recommend Denver. It's a side project of frontman Eric Earley and bassist Michael Van Pelt.




I can put together a little sampler later tonight for those interested in that sort of thing.

[Tequila Cowboy]

They've never quite clicked with me but I do like 'em. I've always gotten a bit of a Kinks vibe. Am I off with that?

[3milelake]

Hard band to pin down. I agree with the influences/sounds mentioned above. Furr is without question their gold standard, though to my ears American Goldwing is a very good record....I like a certain amount of consistency from bands I really like, so for me they're a curious band....Furr is all kinds of wonderful, I rarely listen to Destroyer, really like American Goldwing....& VII hasn't yet found a proper rotation....Black River Killer EP is pretty good too....

For those who like Blitzen Trapper's more straightforward, rootsy side, I recommend Denver. It's a side project of frontman Eric Earley and bassist Michael Van Pelt.

I really like Denver & I suppose I fall in the category of those who dig their rootsy side a bit more.

[dime in the gutter]

2010

have not spent nearly as much time with this one....but i think the first 1/2 is close to an equal to furr. second 1/2 drags considerably.

speaking of the 1/2 that i love....it is not quite up to the way high gold standards of furr, but only because it came after furr. it does not sound as original cause they already did it on furr. if that makes sense.

but it is not furr 2.0.

much heavier classic rock vibe. zep (hat tip cortez), queen, elton john, yes, kansas, beach boys, pink floyd, sabbath, beatles, elo and the coke all international all star team.

another fantastic 1/2 record. interestingly enough, no kinks yet, tc.

or is it exactly like furr?

[Kudzu Guillotine]

They've never quite clicked with me but I do like 'em. I've always gotten a bit of a Kinks vibe. Am I off with that?

If Wild Mountain Nation and Furr (which I admittedly haven't revisited in a while) are too all over the place and/or schizophrenic for you, I recommend American Goldwing. Their work on that record reminds me of a lot of things but mostly it reminds me of a band like Buffalo Springfield. Some Kinks might be in their overall work as well but I haven't really picked up on that. Then again, I've never spent a lot of time with their more country leaning work.

[Smitty]

Only song I've ever listened to is "Black River Killer", with the gangsta rap synths, off one of dime's mix CD's. Love it, need to explore further.
That song reminds me of Bone Thugs' "Ghetto Cowboy".

[Iowan]

I bought "Destroyer of the Void" at a record store (having seen it here) a few years ago, and it didn't click right away, and I just kind of forgot about it.

I'm going to 2 shows in this next tour, so I better bone up on these guys. Too many people with similar taste to mine like these guys for there to be nothing here.

[grapico]

Only song I've ever listened to is "Black River Killer", with the gangsta rap synths, off one of dime's mix CD's. Love it, need to explore further.
That song reminds me of Bone Thugs' "Ghetto Cowboy".

I refer to BT's latest effort, VII, as their hip hop album. And I really like it.

[cortez the killer]

(Click image to listen to sampler on Grooveshark)

[grapico]

I've always liked this cover by Eric

[Barely_Oakely]

I've always liked this cover by Eric

Fucking fantastic.

[3milelake]

Just adding this to the conversation...wicked song from American Goldwing

[cortez the killer]

Just adding this to the conversation...wicked song from American Goldwing

Yup. "Sampler-worthy" but not available on Grooveshark.

[Iowan]

Just adding this to the conversation...wicked song from American Goldwing

Good tune. I think I may be digging American Goldwing the most out of their albums thus far.

[brknarw]

[tinnitus photography]

Napoleon Dynamite is in this band

[cortez the killer]

Blitzen Trapper to Release Live Harvest for RSD

[3milelake]

Stream or download Lonesome Angel from their upcoming release All Across This Land (Oct. 2)

[Kevidently]

I wrote the entire Blitzen Trapper Wikipedia page:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blitzen_Trapper

My goal was to make it the best-researched, most comprehensive band page on Wikipedia. I'm currently in the process of working on the album pages to bring them up to my standards.

[Tequila Cowboy]

I wrote the entire Blitzen Trapper Wikipedia page:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blitzen_Trapper

My goal was to make it the best-researched, most comprehensive band page on Wikipedia. I'm currently in the process of working on the album pages to bring them up to my standards.

Cool, but in the 2013-Present section you list WXRT as a Portland radio station. They're out of Chicago.

Great station btw. Pretty much formed my early musical tastes.

[Kevidently]

AHA! This is the stuff I need! Now fixed - thank you!

[tinnitus photography]

i totally forgot that they were on Sub Pop

[Clams]

I wrote the entire Blitzen Trapper Wikipedia page:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blitzen_Trapper

My goal was to make it the best-researched, most comprehensive band page on Wikipedia. I'm currently in the process of working on the album pages to bring them up to my standards.

Incredible. BT is fortunate to have you as a fan.

[ramonz]

Love BT. Had been digging them on Spotify for a couple of years, but seeing them open for DBT last March in Richmond sold me 100%. The crowd was WAY into them (probably as much as any DBT opener I've seen), and when they stopped, there was a palpable feeling of "one more song!" in the air. Lead singer dude (who can seem a bit grumpy sometimes, but what do I know - I don't even know his name) was clearly ticked and wanted to keep playing. Word must have come from Matador or someone that their time was up....and he was not happy. No joining DBT for an encore or anything like that.

Which makes me think this stuff about them playing/collaborating w/ Patterson while in Portland might sound like a stretch. But damned if it wouldn't be interesting and potentially fruitful.

Grab their "pick your price" live album via download (I think I paid $10) if it's still available.

Anyone heard the Harvest (NY) covers album? Sounds like it could be crazy good.

[Clams]

Met up with Kevidently to see BT last night at Johnny Brenda's in Philly. I'm not nearly the fan that Kevin is but BT was much better than I expected. Real tight with some interesting sounds mixed in - keyboards, spacey guitars, pedal steel etc. Played most of their new record which I think sounded better in the live setting. Plus a bunch from their catalogue and some great covers - Come Together and the Because/You Never Give Me Your Money/Sun King medley from Abbey Road, also TVZ's If I Needed You to open the encore and Thin Lizzy's Jailbreak to close the night. Typical Johnny Brenda hipster crowd with plenty of man-buns, beards and skinny jeans but they were into it. Good show.

[Kevidently]

Hello again, all. You may remember me from such hits as "drinks one shot of bourbon and calls it a day at Homecoming" and "that guy who went psycho batshit during 'Women Without Whiskey' and had to be restrained at Homecoming." That's me!

You may also remember me as the guy who wrote Blitzen Trapper's entire Wikipedia page. Next up, I'm setting my sights on something a little more ambitious ... and I'm doing so with the help of the band. More information coming this Tuesday, but until then, enjoy this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxpA58TCsZU

[Kevidently]

Hello all! We are in the throes of my Kickstarter campaign for my new book on Blitzen Trapper. The band is providing rewards up to and including BACKSTAGE PASSES. I KNOW RIGHT.

This book project is a little offbeat and extremely exciting: a slim book on the Blitzen Trapper album Furr, written on spec in the style of the books in the 33 1/3 album review series, with full involvement and support from the band. How cool is that?

Check it out, and I hope you help back this thing!