The Morning Benders
BIOGRAPHY
Hailing from Berkeley, California, The Morning Benders band released their debut LP Talking Through Tin Cans on +1 records (the U.S. home of Editors, Jamie T and Basement Jaxx) to quite muted response. The album followed too closely the quaint, sepia-tinted gravel path bulldozed by its self aware meta-title for it to be anything but, well, quaint – “a collection of boilerplate indie rock that borrowed more than a bit from The Shins' jangle pop”, said Pitchfork. And, lovely as they are, nobody has ever leveled the accusatory finger of innovation at James Mercer et al. Well, not till he did the whole Broken Bells thing, and even that isn’t precisely groundbreaking…
On which note, The Morning Benders (shall we just take a minute here to chuckle. Yes, please get it out now, lest it interrupt us later) have had a hectic touring schedule in support of said Cloches Casser, as well as Grizzly Bear, +1 label mates The Kooks and Death Cab For Cutie.
If that indiest of U.S. indie pedigree is making you feel a little nauseous, then you’ll be pleased to know that their sophomore, Rough Trade released album Big Echo takes a number of assured steps away from the jangle, leaving the converse behind and making bare, wet footprints on the cavernous, experimental rock of Grizzly Bear. Though Big Echo could quite happily lay claim to one of the most self aware meta-titles since S Club Juniors released their eponymous Strokes-inspired grimy electro-pop album This is Sh*t [needs citation], the sum of the album’s greater whole is far better than its derived parts.
Big Echo is certainly a bold, accurate and summarative aesthetic statement of intent. The Beach Boys’ surf melodies were certainly an influential factor, and the vocal similarities to Brian Wilson’s penchant for raising a tone on the last syllable of a line is more than prevalent, but The Morning Benders have more in common with current bands like the brilliant Born Ruffians and Local Natives in their early Lennon-Mcartney A Hard Day’s Night era harmonies and distinctive, summer-flu catchy melodies.
This is all augmented by a self professed love of the Phil Spector Wall-Of-Sound™ - throwing layer upon layer of multi and single tracked audio atop swells of reverbed sonics. “He would just pile fifty people into the studio and just blow it out,” explains head Bender (chuckle) Christopher Chu, a kind of musical syllogism that comes full circle in their multi-instrumental performance of ‘Excuses’ for videographers Yours Truly (see VIDEOS below) – a studio concept he felt “it would be really cool to do…with our friends” as a live experiment.
This reference turns out to be little more than a malapropism, the reinvigoration of a somewhat dated and anachronistic studio technique. There are certainly lots of instruments involved, and the recording positively swells with the numerous personalities involved (funnily enough Chris Taylor of the ‘Bear shares a co-production credit with Benders singer/guitarist Christopher Chu), but there’s none of the brutality or force of Spector’s recordings - for all this chat about it being lo-fi, the album is blissfully bell-like in its clarity and distinction.
Before this ends up as an album review, we’ll cut things short. The Morning Benders are playing an in-store at London’s Rough Trade East on Wednesday (the 30th June), so get yo’self there if you can. Otherwise their last UK show of this current tour will be at our own Club Rockfeedback at the Camden Barfly this Thursday, which is unfortunately sold out. Phew - let’s hope we can fit in.
TOUR DATES
30 Jun 2010 - Rough Trade East In-Store London, UNITED KINGDOM
1 Jul 2010 - Barfly CLUB ROCKFEEDBACK London, x
2 Jul 2010 - Rock Werchter Werchter, x, BELGIUM
4 Jul 2010 - Magnet Berlin, x, GERMANY
5 Jul 2010 - Molow Hamburg,
6 Jul 2010 - Paradiso Amsterdam, x
8 Jul 2010 - Nouveau Casino Paris, x, FRANCE
10 Jul 2010 - Vigo Transforma Festival Vigo, x
14 Jul 2010 - Hana Bi Marina di Ravenna, x, ITALY
16 Jul 2010 - Neapolis Festival Naples, x
18 Jul 2010 - Super Bok Super Rock Festival Portugal, x, PORTUGAL
21 Jul 2010 - Festival de-Affaire Nijmegen, x, NETHERLANDS
22 Jul 2010 - San Sebastian Jazz Festival San Sebastian, x, SPAIN
26 Jul 2010 - Dar Constitution Hall Washington DC, Washington, US
27 Jul 2010 - Central Park Summerstage (SOLD OUT w/ Black Keys) New York, New York, US
28 Jul 2010 - Central Park Summerstage (SOLD OUT w/ Black Keys) New York, New York
30 Jul 2010 - Great Plaza at Penn’s Landing Philadelphia, Pennsylvan, US
31 Jul 2010 - Bank of America Pavilion Boston, Massachuse, US
1 Aug 2010 - Osheaga Festival (TIME TBA) Montreal, Quebec , CA
3 Aug 2010 - Kool Haus Toronto, Ontario, CA
4 Aug 2010 - Kool Haus Toronto, Ontario, CA
7 Aug 2010 - Lollapalooza Chicago, Illinois
7 Aug 2010 - The Metro Chicago, IL
8 Aug 2010 - VAL AIR BALLROOM DES MOINES, Iowa , US
9 Aug 2010 - Anchor Inn Omaha, Nebraska , US
11 Aug 2010 - Iroquois Amphitheater Louisville, Kentucky, US
12 Aug 2010 - Ryman Auditorium Nashville, Tennessee , US
13 Aug 2010 - The LC Amphitheater Columbus, Ohio, US
14 Aug 2010 - The Fillmore Detroit Detroit, Michigan, US
10 Oct 2010 - Austin City Limits Austin, TX
14 Oct 2010 - Henry Fonda Theatre Los Angeles, CA Find Tickets
16 Oct 2010 - The Fillmore San Francisco, CA Find Tickets
18 Nov 2010 - Webster Hall New York, NY Find Tickets
LINKS
http://www.themorningbenders.com
http://www.myspace.com/themorningbenders
http://www.last.fm/music/The+Morning+Benders
Hear the album on Rough Trade
VIDEOS
Yours Truly Presents: The Morning Benders "Excuses" from Yours Truly on Vimeo.
The Morning Benders @ Mercury Lounge ("Promises") from Patrick Duffy on Vimeo.
the morning benders - excuses from littlestorms california on Vimeo.
words and thoughts by Samuel Smith