If any band could have been rightfully expected to deliver on the promise of a debut as stellar as Apologies to the Queen Mary, Wolf Parade are that band. As a whole slew of groups of their era turned in less than great sophomore records (Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Tapes 'n Tapes, even Arcade Fire), At Mount Zoomer proves Wolf Parade to be much more than the one-trick pony of their peers. And it's no surprise -- both of the band's primary songwriters have established themselves as two of the most exciting and consistent songwriters in indie rock, coming off of great records in their own right: Spencer Krug's Random Spirit Lover with Sunset Rubdown (not to mention the Swan Lake record), and Dan Boeckner's Plague Park with his Handsome Furs project. But even after three years away from the Parade, they come to Mount Zoomer with a fresh reel of tape, and are back with a more mature and confident approach. Where Apologies showcased a young, energetic band still searching for its sound (with the production help of Modest Mouse's Isaac Brock), Mount Zoomer features that same band harnessing all the things that made its debut so appealing, but with a conscious effort to avoid rewriting the same record. The overall feel is less exuberant, and they are much more patient with the songwriting this time around, with drummer Arlen Thompson handling production duties (Mount Zoomer is the name of his studio). The arrangements seem to be better thought out as well; the guitars function more as melodies or leads than the driving rhythms of the songs, with the keyboards generally higher (or at least equal) in the mix, and the result is much more efficient. And while this album may not contain as many immediately gratifying hits (you won't find any "Shine a Light" or "I'll Believe in Anything" here), it does succeed as an album more cohesively. Leadoff single "Call It a Ritual" rides a stuttering piano figure, and recalls indie rock mainstays Spoon -- in fact, so does "Fine Young Cannibals," and clean keys factor much more prominently in Mount Zoomer than the treated synths of Queen Mary. The synths do still buzz occasionally -- albeit less frantically -- but the textures are more varied, like on "Language City" or the swirls in the snare-happy waltz-like opener, "Soldier's Grin." The pacing of the album is also impeccable, not only in the sequencing, but in the individual tracks as well. Centerpiece "California Dreamer" breathes and swells with almost prog dynamics until it builds to its stomping, singalong chorus of "I thought I might have heard you on the radio, but the radio waves are like snow," and 11-minute album closer "Kissing the Beehive" (the original title of the record) all but gives out completely before bringing it all back for a quick encore. All in all, At Mount Zoomer is a remarkable achievement, and another soon-to-be classic from Wolf Parade.
Okay, so Wolf Parade isn't a band I would consider among my favorites, but whenever I've got the ol' iPod shuffling along and a song from their 2005 debut Apologies To The Queen Mary comes on, it always seems to catch my attention and make me think, "I should listen to more Wolf Parade," and then I never seem to get around to it. So it is only fitting and totally unsurprising that I've only rec...
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To be frank, I get baffled by the hyperbole concerning this band. Since their 2005 debut "Apologies To The Queen Mary", the four piece have been heralded as the saviours of Indie Rock. Frequently mentioned with the same obsessive fervour as another band from Montreal we are all familiar with, the weight of expectation for this, their sophomore long player, is palpably explosive. Their record la...
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rating 9.0summary Dark, Challenging, Appealing and Repulsive, Wolf Parade stand upon the mountain of their own side projects and declare themselves the Kings of Indy Rock.*this 2 person review is by Ethan E. and Sage T.*EE: Incase you don't read titles, we're reviewing hotly anticipated album At Mount Zoomer by Wolf Parade. Did I really have to say that?ST: You know what they say, Mog is in ...
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Coldplay - Viva la VidaKaty Perry - One of the BoysJudas Priest - NostradamusThe Offspring - Rise and Fall, Rage and GraceWolf Parade - At Mount ZoomerKathy Griffin - For Your ConsiderationTeddy Thompson - A Piece of What You NeedSilver Jews - Lookout Mountain, Lookout SeaTilly and the Wall - OStars Like Fleas - Ken Burns EffectLiquid Liquid - Liquid LiquidEef Barzelay - Lose BigAdem - TakesMy ...
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The new Wolf Parade album, 'At Mount Zoomer' has been slowly creeping its way into heavy rotation. After an initial listen, I didn't think I liked it...but with each additional spin, I am seeing the error of my ways.Just passing along one of the more accessible tracks from the album...a nice way to start the weekend off I think.
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Here's a track, "Language City," off the new Wolf Parade album, At Mount Zoomer.
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And today's last event...the best song of 2008 so far with a color in the title - yes, you are correct, this IS the music equivalent to table tennis...no relevance at all. Bronze - Fleet Foxes - 'White Winter Hymnal'White Winter Hymnal - Fleet Foxes Silver - Tilly & The Wall - 'Pot Kettle Black'Pot Kettle Black - Tilly And The WallGold - Wolf Parade - 'Grey Estates'
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rating 9.0summary Dark, Challenging, Appealing and Repulsive, Wolf Parade stand upon the mountain of their own side projects and declare themselves the Kings of Indy Rock.*this 2 person review is by Ethan E. and Sage T.*EE: Incase you don't read titles, we're reviewing hotly anticipated album At Mount Zoomer by Wolf Parade. Did I really have to say that?ST: You know what they say, Mog is in ...
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Coldplay - Viva la VidaKaty Perry - One of the BoysJudas Priest - NostradamusThe Offspring - Rise and Fall, Rage and GraceWolf Parade - At Mount ZoomerKathy Griffin - For Your ConsiderationTeddy Thompson - A Piece of What You NeedSilver Jews - Lookout Mountain, Lookout SeaTilly and the Wall - OStars Like Fleas - Ken Burns EffectLiquid Liquid - Liquid LiquidEef Barzelay - Lose BigAdem - TakesMy ...
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Some were hoping that Spencer Krug's return to Wolf Parade would signal a return to simple, shouty off-kilter pop songs, others were praying that the obtuse maturity of side projects Swan Lake and Sunset Rubdown would become staples of Krug's "main" band sound.Well, both parties are in luck, and yet probably neither will be fully satified. Too bad for them. At this point, Krug is his own soun...
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I'm still in the middle of gathering all the half year lists of 2008! A list of the best albums of 2008 so far according to all Moggers. If you haven't voted yet, go to this thread: http://mog.com/SA/blog_post/169238 and post your top 10 albums of 2008 so far. You still have until next Wednesday!My Nr. 3!Band: Wolf ParadeAlbum: At Mount ZoomerBest Track: Fine Young CannibalsBest Line: And sin...
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To be frank, I get baffled by the hyperbole concerning this band. Since their 2005 debut "Apologies To The Queen Mary", the four piece have been heralded as the saviours of Indie Rock. Frequently mentioned with the same obsessive fervour as another band from Montreal we are all familiar with, the weight of expectation for this, their sophomore long player, is palpably explosive. Their record la...
More >
"Call it a Ritual" is something new. Like many one-album bands, we've come to expect (unfortunately) the same "it" album to be repeated on the respective band's sophomore effort. Take, for instance, some of the more recent: Interpol's Antics, Wilderness' Vessel States, Artic Monkeys' Favourite Worst Nightmare (like making the same record twice?) But I believe Wolf Parade will reward us with s...
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So there's a website that has a veritable plethora of '80s videos. You can find just about anything you want. Including Bananarama.http://www.80smusicvids.com/index.phpThere you go. Don't say I never did anything for you.Also, if you're interested in Polish film posters, there's a site that has a bunch of them up. Before you judge, looky. Haha. Those are here.Also, get y...
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Okay, so Wolf Parade isn't a band I would consider among my favorites, but whenever I've got the ol' iPod shuffling along and a song from their 2005 debut Apologies To The Queen Mary comes on, it always seems to catch my attention and make me think, "I should listen to more Wolf Parade," and then I never seem to get around to it. So it is only fitting and totally unsurprising that I've only rec...
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OK, we're back, and there's so much good stuff to get to, I don't even know where to begin. That 500-song playlist I've been panning through ended up being more like 700 songs as I found other things to listen to, and there's still a backlog of CDs I need to get to, but there was some quality in there, let me tell you. As such today's program will contain a host of (over 60!) never-before-hear...
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With no DRM and good bitrates, the Amazonmp3 Store is a great place to check out some new tunes. You can sample the songs and automatically import them to your preferred software.Here's my recommendations for some amazing deals:Wolf Parade At Mount Zoomer $5.99Fleet Foxes Sun Giant EP $4.99Red Sparowes Aphorisms $2.97Queen A Night at the Opera $3.99Hank Williams 20 . . . Greatest Hits ...
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| Title | Lyrics | Buy |
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| 1 Soldier's Grin |
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| 2 Call It a Ritual |
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| 3 Language City |
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| 4 Bang Your Drum |
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| 5 California Dreamer |
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| 6 The Grey Estates |
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| 7 Fine Young Cannibals |
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| 8 An Animal in Your Care |
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| 9 Kissing the Beehive |
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Click to purchase…
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 "At Mount Zoomer")
