Moonface
DOWNLOAD MOONFACE’S ‘FAST PETER’ HERE – Right click and save to hard disk
Biography
Moonface is the ‘last moniker left to exploit” for Canadian songwriter Spencer Krug, who has previously been involved with pretty much every great band to have come out of the country in the last few years. While it’s his past endeavours that have led him to be described as one of the greatest songwriters of the modern age, a title that he undoubtedly deserves, his latest material is likely to further improve his already stellar reputation within music circles.
Krug’s musical career proper began with the band Frog Eyes, having been a member in their formative years in Victoria, British Columbia with Carey Mercer. He was with the band for only one release, 2002’s album The Bloody Hand, before relocating to Montreal to attend Concordia University. While there he formed Wolf Parade with fellow songwriter Dan Boeckner (of Handsome Furs), having accepted a gig at short notice and in desperate need of a band and songs to perform.
Wolf Parade’s debut album, Apologies To The Queen Mary, produced by Modest Mouse’s Isaac Brock, was released in 2005 to universal critical acclaim, with reviewers praising Krug’s song writing in particular. With his profile raised considerably by his work with Wolf Parade, Krug’s eccentric solo project Sunset Rubdown and his album Snake’s Got A Leg attracted more attention. Sunset Rubdown eventually evolved into a full band, releasing four albums to date, each of which has matched the positive critical response of its predecessor (not least the kinda-classic Shut Up I Am Dreaming). Surprisingly, it was revealed that Johnny Depp is a big SR fan, having been turned onto them by director and member of Monty Python Terry Gilliam. The band’s work was reportedly a major influence in Depp’s portrayal of the Mad Hatter in the recent Alice in Wonderland film, some indication of the off-centre nature of the band’s sound.
In 2006 Krug returned to Frog Eyes and Carey Mercer for their albums The Future is Inter-Disciplinary or Not At All and Tears of the Valedictorian. The reunion with Mercer spawned the creation of probably the best super-group in recent history, Swan Lake. Made up of Krug, Mercer and Rockfeedback favourite Dan Bejar of Destroyer and The New Pornographers, the band have released two (predictably) critically acclaimed albums, 2006’s Beast Moans and 2009’s Enemy Mine. Krug continued his day job with Wolf Parade amongst all this, with second and third albums At Mount Zoomer and Expo 86 continuing his tradition of only being associated with top-quality output.
Krug’s first Moonface release, 2010’s Dreamland EP: Marimba and Shit-Drums was exactly what you’d expect it to be, an EP of mostly percussion instruments and lo-fi drums weaved into hypnotic dream-like compositions. The plan was to follow this template and expand it into a full album, but by the time it came to recording Krug had run out of inspiration, and instead turned to an old 80s organ with a Leslie rotary speaker. The resulting 5 track album, aptly titled Organ Music Not Vibraphone Like I’d Hoped is described by Krug as “dense, but in a satisfying way, like eating a small, heavy piece of cheesecake.”
Krug is one of the greatest talents around, and the variety of styles covered by his back catalogue, from the indie post-punk of his work with Wolf Parade, to the hazy drone-pop of his latest work goes to show versatility is something that definitely doesn’t elude him. His recent average of nearly three releases a year doesn’t show any sign of slowing down, with rumours of another Sunset Rubdown release coming soon, but for now we can sit back and enjoy Moonface, the latest in a long line of Spencer Krug masterpieces.
Live Dates
07-13 Toronto, Ontario - Horseshoe Tavern
07-14 London, Ontario - Call The Office
07-15 Detroit, MI - The Lager House
07-16 Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall
07-17 Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop
07-19 Allston, MA - Great Scott
07-20 New York, NY - Mercury Lounge
07-21 Washington, DC - Black Cat
07-22 Raleigh, NC - King's Barcade
07-23 Atlanta, GA - 529
07-26 Austin, TX - Emo's Indoors
07-27 Dallas, TX - Club Dada
07-29 Oxford, MS - Proud Larrys
07-30 Nashville, TN - 12th and Porter
07-31 Bloomington, IN - Russian Recording
08-02 Newport, KY - Southgate House
08-03 Pittsburgh, PA - Club Cafe
08-04 Philadelphia, PA - Kung Fu Necktie
08-05 Northampton, MA - Iron Horse
08-06 Montreal, Quebec - Il Motore
Links
Official Website
Last FM
Moonface @ Jagjaguwar Records
Videos
Moonface - Fast Peter
Wolf Parade - Modern World
Sunset Rubdown - Dragon’s Lair