S/D: David Kilgour / The Clean

does David still live in NZ? is he alright? has he been accounted for in the earthquake?

yikes, hope he's ok.
this just landed in my inbox! good news:
David Kilgour and the Heavy Eights will release their new album Left By Soft on CD and digital download April 26th!

Left by Soft was recorded in the Catlins, about two hours south of Dunedin, New Zealand, in an old lodge surrounded by native bush, birds, and the sea. David spent about a week down there with the Heavy Eights. Thomas Bell engineered and produced but also played bass AND cooked the band awesome meals every night. After chilling out most mornings, the band would start recording mid afternoon into the night. Apart from a couple of overblown tracks, they kept overdubs to a minimum and when mixing left most takes as is—no cleaning up via Pro Tools editing, etc.

“To me, it sounds like the band on a good night, warts and all,” says Kilgour. “It’s probably the first real “band” LP I’ve made since Frozen Orange or the David Kilgour and the Heavy 8’s LP from the mid ’90s.”

David Kilgour is a guitar god for guitar atheists. He’s worthy of worship, but his style neither demands nor expects it, all of which only serves to increase his otherworldly cool. Left by Soft, his first album in four years with the Heavy Eights, comes on the heels of the Clean’s excellent 2009 outing, Mister Pop. You could say it’s all part of a late-career renaissance, but that implies there’s been some sort of valley in his 30 years of making music. This time, there are more of the elegantly chiming chords and beautifully drifting solos, all presented with Kilgour’s sparkling pop sensibilities.

The Heavy Eights are Taane Tokona on drums, Tony de Raad on guitar and keyboards, and Thomas Bell on bass and keyboards. David plays guitar, keyboards, and harmonica. Mike McCloud from Shifting Sands guests on “I’ll Climb Back Up That Hill.”

greeneyedowl has uploaded some great stuff to youtube. i remember sitting behind david and hamish in the theater watching 'to die for' trying to see when they laughed, if they laughed, hamish always looks so serious.

David Kilgour is a guitar god for guitar atheists.

yes.

and yes--those Clean videos on youtube are fantastic.

new song is great -- looking forward to the album.

I think David lives in Dunedin which is about 5 hours from Christchurch so he should be unaffected by this.

Had missed the revive last month. Can't wait for this!

just one listen in to the new one, but it sounds amazing. more soloing than the last few, i think, which i approve of. love everything this guy touches, but this one might be a cut above the usual.

Point That Thing Somewhere Else, just the other day

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dQRJkKv7E0

I love "Nail In My Foot'

Is it wrong, or is it right to be a beatnik???

sweet clip! long live the clean!

just one listen in to the new one, but it sounds amazing

Tyler, old bean, you got an advance copy? Jealous!!

You know, "Autumn Sun" really sounds like Kilgour and company doing a hell of a tribute song to the Church, in their own way. It's more like a parallel approach but it's kinda weird how I can't hear it any other way!

that sounds fantastic. when's the new one out? is it with the heavy eight again?

Out next week officially, and yes with the Crazy Eights. Am reviewing it for the AMG and it's almost like he's found his own personal Crazy Horse at this point.

hadn't thought of the church comparison, but it makes sense now that you mention it. i posted my rave over here: http://ow.ly/4BhjG

oh my god that sounds awesome. can't wait to read ned's too and pick this up proper

this is really great. on first listen anyway

Really looking forward to this

"purple balloon" is very very pretty

yeah, it's perfect. it's the sort of song that *sounds* easy and effortless, but i don't think anyone except kilgour could do it.

album of the year, etc.

it's the sort of song that *sounds* easy and effortless, but i don't think anyone except kilgour could do it.

Completely agree, after just one listen. I can't say I'm blown away by this, let's see how it stacks up after repeated listens, but it's at least yet another solid release from a man who seemingly can't do wrong. Really, is there a single dud in his catalog, even his side projects? No. Impressive after 30 years!

the last two clean albums have been pretty dud.

They've had some misses but by no means are they duds - "Mister Pop" was half great and half meh, that's not a dud in my book.

I love David Kilgour but also agree that he seems to have reached some sort of comfort zone with his work. He is great at creating texture and atmosphere but often is not so good at constructing a song. Give me Robert Scott's compositions any day. Kilgours lyrics are typically vague and almost unnecessary. I know he is a kind of sacred cow and all but I do think he is coasting. Good luck to him though, why shouldn't he be relaxing?

nice onion review

http://www.avclub.com/articles/david-kilgour-and-the-heavy-eights-left-by-soft,55411/

haven't heard the new one, but this thread inspired me to break out unknown country. fun album.

"Mister Pop" was half great and half meh, that's not a dud in my book.
yeah i agree -- from what i understand, clean albums these days are pretty loose affairs, like they kind of go into recording without even knowing the songs all that well (or at all)? So there's room for both brilliance and missteps. It's probably the right approach, though. The main thing with the Clean is just their sound.
still loving the new kilgour -- definitely my go-to "turn it up loud in the house" record for this spring.

yeah there's something about the guitar tone that's really thick and satisfying. good record!

i think all of the clean albums have been like that, show up and press record. they just seemed to be better at before. it might be that robert scott is finally out of songs and this is affecting the overall quality of the clean. i could be attributing too much to him, but the last couple of Bats records have been pretty dull too, trend, but then I like that recent song he did with Adalita Srsen although I'd rather he had done it with Jane Sinnott.

man, the Clean In-A-Live EP is sooooo good. is there a recording of the full show floating around out there? help a dude out!

I had no idea there was a new David Kilgour record out!! Was just listening to Here Come The Cars just the other day and reminiscing about high school.

Now you can hear the new one and reminisce about your kid's high school years.

Hey don't jinx me, I've made it this far without having a kid!

New album is killer. Seems to have a fuller band mix than a lot of the 90s Clean stuff I've heard...? Are most of David's solo stuff like that?

2 David Kilgour threads:

Here's the other one

david kilgour's best, poppiest songs

Yeah, the new album is great, a little more meaty than recent efforts. I wish it some more long songs and extended guitar bits, but it's still fantastic.

This is neat - Hamish Kilgour on the origins of "Anything Could Happen":

http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/blogs/blog-on-the-tracks/6280128/The-poppies-want-to-grow-a-little-taller

ha, that's great! and long!

a memory for detail, that guy
awesome!

That's fantastic! Early kiwipop history has always seemed like a black hole to me, it's great to get a glimpse into whatever the hell was going on back then.

<3

ok maybe i should take a vacation in june

05.30.2012 Los Angeles, CA The Echo
06.02.2012 Austin, TX Chaos in Tejas - Club De Ville
06.04.2012 Allston, MA Brighton Music Hall w/ Times New Viking
06.05.2012 New York, NY Le Poisson Rouge w/ Times New Viking
06.06.2012 Philadelphia, PA Johnny Brenda's w/ Times New Viking
06.07.2012 Washington, DC Rock & Roll Hotel w/ Times New Viking
06.08.2012 Chapel Hill, NC Local 506 w/ Times New Viking

The Clean on tour, rather than just Kilgour btw

urgh i do not live in or near any of those cities!

wait whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!
first roedelius skips chicago, and now the clean?! texas is not the midwest!

i'm upset.

also genuinely amused that both GBV and the clean chose TNV for their opening band

specifically for their reunion tours, i mean