New Music: Mazes - "I Have Laid in the Darkness"

Download: Mazes - "I Have Laid In the Darkness"

In many interviews, Edward Andersonof the 1900s stated that he had a solo record in mind. Except that by the time that he got around to recording the album, the project had turned into a full-scale offshoot. Along with 1900s band member Caroline Donavon and comrade Charles D’Autremont, the solo outfit turned into a trio, while keeping the original name for the project: Mazes. Those looking for something radically different than the Hundo's blend of twee-and-orch-pop may be disappointed, but those eager to hear a group of musicians continue their sweet winning streak can look no further.

"I Have Laid in the Darkness" pretty much keeps the qualities of past 1900s efforts--beautiful harmonization, easy-going vocals, and an incredibly strong sense of melody--and filters it into a prism of post-Nico Velvet Underground. Check it out at the top of the post. Mazes' debut album will be released in March.

Mazes MySpace Page

New The 1900s - "Age of Metals" (Plus: New Digital EP, Medium High, Drops Totally Out-Of-The-Blue)

Download: The 1900s - "Age of Metals"

Normally, when a band works hard at putting out a fantastic record, and tours in order to support said record, one can only assume that the period writing and recording the follow-up will be a quiet, productive period in which no news emerges until the album does (holy run-on sentence, Batman). We'd assume that this was the case for The 1900s, who, last year, put out Cold and Kind. Not only was that album a MFR favorite, but it's probably the only conversation piece that Pitchfork and Perez Hilton will ever have should those titans of media meet in person.

Needless to say, when I saw that the psych-pop septet dropped a brand new digital EP titled Medium High totally out-of-the-blue earlier this week, I did a Sheila Broflovski: "Wha, wha, What?". Medium High contains re-worked songs from Cold and Kind, including a Deerhunter-esque re-working of "Supernatural", and the Daytrotter version of "When I Say Go". New songs include the twee-pop "Collections" and the flower-power-pop of "Making Love in the Summertime". The EP won't be physically released until January, but those of you who want to hear can head over to iTunes, or the dread pirate eMusic. In the meantime, check out the officially released MP3 of the EP, "Age of Metals", at the top of the post. Along with the re-working of "Supernatural", "Age of Metals" points the way forward for a more experimental, though still highly melodic, direction for the group.

Medium High is out Jan. 20th.

The 1900s Announce New 7-Inch, Northwest Dates

The 1900s might be in the midst of recording their follow-up to the stellar Cold & Kind, but for those jonesin' for a little bit of orch-pop goodness (and who isn't?) can rest easily. The band has announced a new 7" on its MySpace blog. The single, which can be bought over at Parasol Records, contains two songs: "Everybody's Got A Collection", which is very Belle and Sebastian-esque, and "Age Of Metals", which the band describes as a "dark psych folk gem".

In other news, The 1900s are going on a brief Northwest tour, the dates of which are here:

8/31 Victoria, BC - Rifflandia Fest @ Lucky Bar w/ Tim Finn
9/1 Vancouver, BC - Stanley Park Singing Exhibition @ Malkin Bowl w/ New
Pornographers, Stevie Jackson, Visqueen
9/2 Seattle, WA @ Sunset
9/3 Portland, OR @ Berbatis

The 1900s MySpace Page

(Jonathan Graef)

Video: The 1900s - "Georgia"

Georgia


via MySpace