Phosphorescent with J. Tillman
and Raccoon Raccoon
An evening at The Cedar with indie folk act Phosphorescent, fronted by Matthew Houck, touring in the wake of new album Here's To Taking It Easy, and an opening set by Fleet Foxes drummer and singer-songwriter J. Tillman.
Just 20 seconds into the new Phosphorescent album, you hear something so immediate, so purposeful, so damn infectious, it's clear that something special is underway. The first album of original material since 2007's Pride captures the band moving into a truly extraordinary place. Here's to Taking It Easy is the culmination of the past three years: a grand statement, the album we dreamed Phosphorescent would make.
Pride was a deeply personal, haunting record that Phosphorescent's Matthew Houck recorded on his own, playing all of the instruments himself. 2009's To Willie (their tribute to Willie Nelson) featured Houck joined by his bandmates, rambling through the Nelson catalog with fifths of whiskey and undeniable swagger. So if Pride was built for 5AM and To Willie sounded just right as last call approached, where does Here's To Taking It Easy fit? This is the Phosphorescent record made for any time, any season.
Featuring the current live incarnation of Phosphorescent (Scott Stapleton, piano; Jeff Bailey, bass; Chris Marine, drums; Jesse Anderson Ainslie, guitar; Ricky Ray Jackson, pedal steel), Here's to Taking It Easy is the new Cosmic American Music. Recorded in the band's hometown of Brooklyn with outside mixing assistance from Stuart Sikes (White Stripes, Cat Power, Loretta Lynn, the Walkmen), this album breathes with life like nothing Phosphorescent has ever done before. "We'll Be Here Soon" and "Hej, Me I'm Light" hint at the narcotic haze of Pride, while anthems like "The Mermaid Parade" and "It's Hard to Be Humble (When You're From Alabama)" sound perfect pumped out of the car stereo with the windows rolled down. "Heaven, Sittin' Down" recalls the country rock of To Willie, while the stark album closer, "Los Angeles" sounds as if it was lifted from the grooves of Neil Young's On the Beach. Jam after jam, Here's to Taking It Easy brings everything together for Phosphorescent; a classic that could be from another era, but sounds perfect right here, right now.
Fleet Foxes drummer, and well-established solo singer-songwriter in his own right, J. Tillman will also provide a perfectly pitched set, and locals Raccoon Raccoon will open the evening with a brief set.
Tickets are on sale now from the Cedar Ticketline (612-338-2674 ext 2), from hard-working Cedar volunteers in the front lobby during shows, from Cedar outlets (Electric Fetus, Irish on Grand, Homestead Pickin' Parlor, and Depth of Field), and online at Ticketweb.
Phosphorescent, fronted by Matthew Houck, is an indie folk/alt country band that is often compared to Iron and Wine, Will Oldham, and Neil Young. Phosphorescent currently resides in Brooklyn, New York (formerly of Athens, Georgia) and is signed to independent...
Quite apart from his high profile performances as drummer for Fleet Foxes, since 2004, J. Tillman has quietly been releasing records, some of limited quantity, some mostly available in Europe, but for the most part, unheard. The borderline-alienating...
Minneapolis duo Raccoon Raccoon are Amelia Smith (cello, voice, percussion, sounds) and Hannah Fraser (guitar, voice, sounds, noise).
Major Funders
This activity is made possible in part by a grant provided by the Minnesota State Arts Board, through an appropriation by the Minnesota State Legislature from the Minnesota arts and cultural heritage fund with money from the vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4, 2008
