Real Estate
Biography
Real Estate’s roots lie on the eastern New Jersey coast, and it’s hard to imagine a band whose sound is more indebted to their location than them (other than The Boss, maybe). Listening to the band’s self-titled debut album is like stepping out into the New Jersey sunshine with sandals on your feet and a bottle of lager in your hand, or a healthier alternative, if that’s how you choose to live your life.
The band formed in 2008, with four members (two of whom have numbers at the end of their name), namely singer/guitarist Martin Courtney IV, guitarist Martin Mondanile III, bassist Alex Bleeker and Etienne Pierre Duguay on drums. The band’s first demos started gaining attention in early 2009, when they fast became one of the most talked about bands on those indie blogs. Tracks like the (appropriately named) ‘Fake Blues’ and ‘Green River’ showcased Courtney’s knack for understated song writing, and the band’s general don’t-give-a-fuck attitude, giving writers more than enough fuel to generate comparisons with the likes of Galaxie 500 and The Clean.
The band’s name comes from something the members have in common, with Martin Courtney IV owning a real estate licence, and Etienne Duguay renting out apartments for his landlord in exchange for free rent. As Courtney so elegantly puts it, “Real Estate is more than just a band name, it’s how we livin’.”
The band’s debut album was well received critically, receiving the coveted ‘Best New Music’ tag from Pitchfork and being short listed for almost all the end of year lists worth caring about. The album consisted of re-recorded versions of the band’s early singles, as well as newer tracks which sat seamlessly alongside them (two of which have the word ‘beach’ in their title).
In-between albums the band went under a personnel change, with Duguay departing to be replaced on drumming duties by Jackson Pollis, and the arrival of Jonah Mauer to provide keyboards and additional guitar. The band released the single ‘Out Of Tune’ in 2010, and provided an excellent cover of The Strokes’ ‘Barely Legal’ for a Stereogum compilation, showing a more focused sound for the band and the punchier drumming style of Pollis.
This month’s release of second album Days was preceded by the release of ‘single of the year’ contender ‘It’s Real’ which, mainly due to how awesome it is, is currently getting played to death on BBC 6Music. It marks the most radio-friendly moment in the band’s short history, with a catchy chorus of “whooooah”s and a driving drum beat, but still retaining Courtney’s distinctively subtle song writing and lyrics.
The album is a marked step forward from their debut, dealing with more diverse subject matter than before, and not shying away from changes in atmosphere which were mostly absent from Real Estate. It’s clear from listening to the album that the recording took place in a different surrounding than their debut, happening in the depths of a New York winter rather than the New Jersey summertime surrounding of their first effort.
Outside the band the members all have their own activities, with Mondanile making (well worth checking out) solo music under the name Ducktails, as well as being a member of Predator Vision along with former drummer Etienne Duguay. Jackson Pollis is a member of DJ collective MisShapes, and Alex Bleeker has his own band, Alex Bleeker and the Freaks.
From all the attention New Jersey has received over the past few years, the general perception of the area has arguably gone downhill; it’s now synonymous with the kind of mindless anti-culture portrayed by ’that’ MTV show, and credited with all the class of a Saturday night out on the tiles in Reading. On the positive side, bands like Titus Andronicus and, more importantly, Real Estate are restoring some kind of pride to the area, proudly promoting the land where their roots lie, and becoming the pioneers of the alternative Jersey Shore.
Winter 2011 European Tour Dates
Nov 30 Barcelona, Spain - KGB
Dec 01 Valencia, Spain - Wah Wah
Dec 02 Madrid, Spain - El Sol
Dec 03 Lisbon, Portugal - LZB
Dec 05 Clermont Ferrand, France - La Cooperative de Mai
Dec 06 London – Scala
Dec 08 Hamburg, Germany - Indra Club
Dec 09 Copenhagen, Denmark - Vega
Dec 10 Gothenberg, Sweden - Henriksberg
Dec 11 Stockholm, Sweden - Slussen
Dec 12 Oslo, Norway - John Dee
Links
Videos:
REAL ESTATE ON ROCKFEEDBACK TV – LIVE @ SXSW 2010
Suburban Dogs
It’s Real
Barely Legal (Strokes Cover)