Live: Art Brut @ Music Hall Of Williamsburg 6.23.11

The latest Art Brut definitely numbers amongst the best releases in the last couple months, ranking up there with the newest The Fucking Cops EP for heaviest rotation at JS-NYC HQ of late. Brilliant! Tragic! marks their second dalliance with Pixies frontman Black Francis, coming chock full of angular, very British, rock music. This show was opened by Mini-Boone, who Drew always gives props to, but I opted out and swanned my little self in a couple minutes before the obligatory Van Halen came over the PA and Eddie Argos & Co. took the stage.

The Art Brut buzz stateside has faded post-cooling of the relationship with improbable indie barometer Pitchfork, but they still ok in NYC. The room was far from jam-packed, but still respectably filled with a bunch of nerds that seemed to be quite taken with our heroes. I am pretty much over the breaking of the third wall, except as it regards around retaliatory actions, but Eddie spent a fair amount of time in the crowd, in between storytelling and singing the odd song or two. The rest of the team seemed to be in high spirits, as well, so we can assume that they are making the best of their fading stardom and lack of remuneration as they approach a decade's time as an active band. Art Brut are always pretty tight, and the songs get better and better. One would hope this will mean more success, but it's a fickle world. Buy Brilliant! Tragic! via this handy link and keep tabs of all other things Argos and Art Brut here.

R

Art Brut - Brilliant! Tragic!

Molly and I saw a lot of Art Brut when we followed The Hold Steady around on their NME sponsored tour a couple three years ago. There's a pretty strong argument to be made for the two being two sides of the same coin. Both bands are archetypes of the rock of their respective homelands helmed by great singers who don't exactly sing so much as vocalize. Art Brut got a lot of notice with their last great record recorded by Black Francis. Singer Eddie Argos was in fine form there, but their second time with Francis behind the boards has yielded their best record yet.

Brilliant! Tragic! is very much the former, although the second element figures prominently in the songs here. Evidently Art Brut got more time in the studio this time around and wrote together much more regularly than they normally do. It's reaped dividends and they should do a lot more of it. This won't be out til mid-May, but it is well worth snapping up once it does. They've dropped the first track to the interwebs in the form of Lost Weekend, so check around a get a taste of what you're in for once Brilliant! Tragic! drops. There's another non-album track called Unprofessional Wrestling available if you pony up some e-mail or Facebook info. I do that and snatch up the record here from your friends at Downtown Records.

R

Live: Art Brut at Mercury Lounge 6.7.9

Ah, Art Brut. How I do love thee and how I miss throwing up outside your tourbus in bucolic Southern enviorns like I did last on a couple of occasions last year. In the absence of too much Newcastle, and with the advent of their stellar new record Art Brut vs. Satan and a five night stand at Mercury, it seemed prudent to take in a show and bask in the hangover nostalgia.

Save for interpersonal disappointments and some camera problems, it was a good night at Merc. Art Brut pretty much killed it. Again, the new record is pretty great and you should pick it up immediate-like. Any record that skewers hipster rock with lines like 'cool your warm jets, Brian Eno' is the type of snarky-laden British rock I want to hear. They are doing more multi-night residencies in metropolitan areas all around this great world of ours and will undoubtedly be back in NYC soon. Keep track of all their subversive goings-on here. Buy Art Brut vs. Satan here.

R

Art Brut vs. Satan

On the eve of their five night stand at NYC's finest venue The Mercury Lounge, it seems apropos to enlighten you all about the wonder that is their new record. Called Art Brut vs. Satan, this little chestnut should do yeoman duty in casting the devil out of all discriminating people's lives. If that's their intention, of course. I ended up having drinks with Eddie and the rest of the kids after a couple of the dates on NME tour with The Hold Steady and it is very likely that Art Brut is of a mind to take the horned guys slot.

If there's a hell below, we're all gonna go and Art Brut might well be the house band. Lucky for us, as I might just be able to listen to Art Brut vs. Satan for all eternity. Much has been made of Frank Black producing the record. The record sounds good, but don't think you're going to get Pixies Mach II or anything. That's not an Art Brut diss, moreso a commentary on the cash-in that is the Pixies reunion. Judging by the rampant sales of the Grand Duchy record, I'd say that the reunion hasn't fostered a huge amount of love for the new material. Why not think forward for once and pick up a record that isn't a retread. There isn't a bad song here, and everything is clear and crisp. If you didn't like Eddie Argos' Craig Finn meets Ian Dury vocals before, you probably are not going to be swayed now, but there are a gang of other reasons to like Art Brut vs. Satan. Even the unexpected closing cover of The Cure didn't kill it for me, and that's saying something.

Like I said, Art Brut will be playing Mercury all week, so if you have ears (and plugs to put in them) you would do well to go on down and check them out. Pick up a copy of Art Brut vs. Satan here and keep track of their ungodly ways via this handy link.

R

Art Brut vs. Satan out today on Downtown Records

Hey Boys and Girls:

The new Art Brut record Art Brut vs. Satan is out today on Downtown Records.
Pick it up here and look for a review on
the JS-NYC soon.

R

Art Brut NYC Residency!!

Hey Kids:

Block out some time from June 1st through the 5th, cause the mighty Art Brut are coming to town and playing Mercury. They gots themselves a new record called Art Brut -vs- Satan coming out on 5/12 on Downtown Records. Produced by Black Francis even!

This bodes well for a good night, although perhaps not the same kind of next morning. See you all there!

R