the finest kiss

Arthur & Yu | Tractor Tavern | 17 October 2007

Arthur and Yu wrapped up their tour opening for Toronto’s Great Lakes Swimmers this past Wednesday night back home at the charming Tractor Tavern in Ballard.  This seemed the perfect setting for their blissed out folk-tinged pop, and the room was full of fans.  They opened with the whistling song Flashing the Lobby Lights and hit all the highlights of In Camera.  Mid set, they threw in a couple non-album songs, that I found out later were ones that didn’t make the album.  They didn’t sound like b-sides to me so maybe they’ll make the next record. 

Grant mentioned a couple times that they had made fast friends with Great Lakes Swimmers, and had them up to join in on their final song of the night Absurd Heroes Manifestos.  That song turned into an extended jam with GLS providing additional guitar and mellotron.  Since I last saw them back in July, Arthur and Yu have totally gelled with their band.  In Camera was recorded as a duo, but after tonight I’m really excited to hear what lies ahead for them as a full band.

Album Leaf + Under Byen + Arthur & Yu | Neumo’s| 3 July 2007

This post will likely be a bit odd, since I seem to have caught a summer cold and have felt strange of late.  Summer colds…you’re not supposed to catch a cold in the summer, but alas I have and it’s probably worse than it could have been because I went out on Tuesday night to see Arthur & Yu open at Neumo’s for the Album Leaf.  If I was smart I would have left after their set and gone home to bed.  Like their album, their set was short, but excellent.  They have a full band with a second guitarist which seems to fill in a lot of the space that is on the record.  It’s not a bad thing, just different, even rocking out a bit on Afterglow.  Only one song from their set doesn’t appear on their album, not sure if it’s a cover or not.  The set list calls it 3 Horses,  is it a cover of the Joan Baez song?  Not a Baez fan, so I’m not sure.  Whatever it was it sounded just as good anything on In Camera. 

My curiosity was piqued with Under Byen so the music obsessive in me won out over the rational side which wanted to go home to bed. Under Byen were, um, a bit underwhelming.  In my mind, two drummers, and a cello player would seem to be a winning combination, but their set never really took off.  I hope that the band aren’t claustrophobic, because the stage was jammed full of people with the singer Henriette Sennenvalt sounding a bit like a pedestrian Bjork and treading very carefully about the stage.   They do have a cool sound, but they’re definitely not working in the realm of the pop song.  Each song was an experience in restrained experimentation. 

By this time rational me is about ready to take over and call it a night, but not quite.  Album Leaf come onto what looked like a very sparse stage after the crowded Under Byne set up.  Jimmy LaValle has a full band with drummer and violinist, but no bass.  They also have a giant screen behind the stage to put pictures, and stuff on.  The songs are really engaging, especially when they go into the three part harmonies on a few of the songs.  It’s funny, with all their gear (stacks of key boards and electronics) it was the really the voices that really caught my attention.  I like the instrumental stuff well enough, but sing more guys! I couldn’t quite make it to the end, but it had nothing to do with Album Leaf, but I’m glad I stuck it out as long as I did.

I remember just a little while ago I was singing the praises of Hopkirk and Lee and pining for them to jump out of the jaws of oblivion and release a full album.  Well, it looks like that will never happen, but Arthur & Yu may be the next best thing.  Their album, In Camera just hit the streets today as the inaugural release of the Sub Pop spin-off label Hardly Art.  And if I were a betting man, I would put a little money on the fact that they have that Hopkirk and Lee ep in their collection. 

As you may or may not have heard Arthur and Yu are Seattleites Grant Olson and Sonya Wescott (formerly in Rogue Wave), and you may have heard them singing The Distance on the new Dntel record.  Their music has been compared to Harry Nilson and Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazelwood records, and though I do hear that, I also hear some Moose (they even whistle in Flashing the Lobby Lights) and elements of Spiritualized (Lion’s Mouth could be directly related to 2000 bars) and then there are the obvious Velvet Underground, Mazzy Star, Mojave 3, and Brian Jonestown Massacre comparisons. Have I got your attention yet?  You’ll likely be able to name a handful of bands you hear as well. The fact is, these songs blend all of the above into something that is totally their own.  With the slight over modulation on the vocals and killer harmonies will have you reaching for the repeat button.  Even though most of it was recorded in at home, the sound is crisp and multilayered allowing you to discover new things on every listen.  It is such a precious record that I didn’t think anyone could make anymore. Really, it will charm your socks off!
Arthur & Yu will be playing a record release part at the Crocodile Cafe on Thursday as well as a handful of dates in the Northwest of next couple of weeks.

Jun 21   Live on KEXP@11AM   Seattle, WA
Jun 21   Crocodile Cafe           Seattle, WA
Jun 28   El Rey Theatre           Los Angeles, CA
Jun 29   Glass House              Pomona, CA
Jun 30   Slim’s                       San Francisco, CA
Jul 2      Nightlight Lounge       Bellingham, WA
Jul 6      Doug Fir Lounge         Portland, OR

mp3: Arthur & Yu - Come to View (Song for Neil Young)
mp3: Arthur & Yu - There Are Too Many Birds
buy: Arthur & Yu - In Camera