New Elvis Perkins EP

I had lunch with Stu LeBlanc the other day, and of course we got to talking about music and which albums have really stood out this year. And for both of us, Elvis Perkins In Dearland is unquestionably right at the top. I'm sure it's been my most consistently played new album of this year (yes, beating even Wilco and Dylan) since I saw the band and picked up the CD back in March.

Stu called it a songwriting clinic, and I have to agree. As I wrote before, it's a "dynamic album, with far-flung instrumentation and a jaunty sound overall."

And now the song that has struck both Stu and me the most, "Doomsday," is the centerpiece of a new EP. Here's what Elvis Perkins has to say about it:

"We call this thing The Doomsday EP for obvious reasons, and its middle name to which it also answers is The EP of the Id. Being drawn to the many faces of the American strain it seems we have more or less subconsciously produced a collection speaking to/and or from several of them at once. It's a document of impulses sleeping egos and their superiors let pass to tape.

I myself didn't know what these songs sounded like in the hands of EPID until they were processed and played back. You have a song that arrived like the rest of us by boat, a selection from the Sacred Harp, a rock 'n roll heralding the eternal advent of rock 'n roll, an ode to the soul of the undead and, finally (and firstly), two takes on a single song called Doomsday, one which comes from our March release and the other which leans in the direction of its original conception as something of a gospel number .

And here they all are, risen from their cribs and graves, under one moonlight while their folks and undertakers look the other way." - Elvis Perkins

That's one hell of an introduction, and this slowed down version of "Doomsday" is amazing. It reminds me of the relaxes, stripped-down version of "Mississippi" from Bob Dylan's latest Bootleg Series album. It's become so completely different that it's a new song. And I don't think I could pick between the two versions.

DOWNLOAD:
Elvis Perkins in Dearland - Slow Doomsday

Elvis Perkins in Dearland: Show Giveaway

Elvis Perkins in Dearland is headlining a fantastic triple bill March 16 at Club Congress (next Monday), and I have a couple pairs of passes to give away, courtesy of the folks at XL Recordings.

On Tuesday, March 3, Elvis Perkins In Dearland premiered their new self-titled album on Amie Street; the album only costs $8 and will help raise money for the Clearwater Foundation, Pete Seeger's charity that's focused on education, advocacy and celebration for the Hudson River Valley. Amie Street and Xl Recordings will each be donating $1 for every album downloaded (so $2 from every sale will go to the foundation). Go here to download and make a difference.

The album is less stark than Perkins debut, Ash Wednesday, which dealt with the emotional months after losing his mother in the Sept. 11 attacks.

Elvis Perkins In Dearland is a much more dynamic album, with far-flung instrumentation and a jaunty sound overall. It's rootsy and captivating, with "I Hear Your Voice In Dresden" using a thumping drum beat and walking bass line to build a celebratory pop chorus that recalls the Kinks. The album opener, "Shampoo," is a minor key tune that rides along an organ groove, with harmonic bursts and Perkins singing in a half-shout.

"Doomsday" opens with a stoic horn that turns upbeat as the drums and acoustic guitar kick in. It's a clever and tongue-in-cheek look at unrequited love. My brother pointed me to one line in particular: "And though you voted for that awful man, I would never refuse your hand, on Doomsday." He played that right after I put on Mose Allison's "Ever Since The World Ended," with its opening line finishing "I don't go out as much."

Also on the bill Monday are Delta Spirit, a soulful and sunny indie rock from San Diego, and Alela Diane, a Northern California singer-songwriter who draws comparisons to Joanna Newsome, but is more on the traditional folk end of the spectrum.

To win a pair of free passes to the show, simply leave a comment with your email address. Two winners will be selected at random on Friday, March 13.

DOWNLOAD:
Elvis Perkins in Dearland - Shampoo
Delta Spirit - Trash Can
Alela Diana - White As Diamonds