"New Magnetic Wonder" also features some pretty high-profile contributions - it's a veritable reunion for Elephant Six, rock's own Fellowship of the Ring, a collective that spawned some of the 90's most successful indie groups, from Of Montreal and The Apples to now-defunct bands Olivia Tremor Control and Neutral Milk Hotel. Olivia Tremor Control's Bill Doss has quietly joined as the band's official keyboardist, while indie rock god Jeff Mangum will contribute, Pitchfork reports, "drums, cow object, backing vocals, handclaps." While the sounds of hands clapping and a mysterious bovine instrument aren't exactly the most significant of musical stylings, Mangum's status as rarely-spotted yeti of the indie scene since the dissolution of Neutral Milk Hotel means that even a slight harmony on a new track should generate an unhealthy amount of buzz.
But is "New Magnetic Wonder" the "best Apples album ever"? On first listen, it sounds like the album might earn the Apples a more mainstream audience, with the almost too-catchy chorus of "Energy" and the simple sad-sack lyrics of "Same Old Drag." The album, which features 14 tracks and 12 short musical interludes, trades the more intimate, breezy bliss of earlier work like "Tone Soul Evolution" for a very clean, polished production. The line between solid retro pop and shallow, throwaway tracks is thin, and The Apples fall on both sides of the line here. While Wood's help will make their record cause a splash, whether Jeff Mangum's slight presence is enough to keep fickle indie fans hooked remains to be seen.
One thing's for sure - all the press and celebrity partnerships aren't turning the veteran rockers into divas. Allen of life on the road, "I think the worst we do is like, smoke too much pot and fall asleep. That's about as bad as it gets."
Apples in Stereo will perform at Black Cat on Tuesday, February 13. Tickets are $13 in advance, $15 day of the show. Casper and the Cookies open, and the concert begins at 8:00 p.m.
But is "New Magnetic Wonder" the "best Apples album ever"? On first listen, it sounds like the album might earn the Apples a more mainstream audience, with the almost too-catchy chorus of "Energy" and the simple sad-sack lyrics of "Same Old Drag." The album, which features 14 tracks and 12 short musical interludes, trades the more intimate, breezy bliss of earlier work like "Tone Soul Evolution" for a very clean, polished production. The line between solid retro pop and shallow, throwaway tracks is thin, and The Apples fall on both sides of the line here. While Wood's help will make their record cause a splash, whether Jeff Mangum's slight presence is enough to keep fickle indie fans hooked remains to be seen.
One thing's for sure - all the press and celebrity partnerships aren't turning the veteran rockers into divas. Allen of life on the road, "I think the worst we do is like, smoke too much pot and fall asleep. That's about as bad as it gets."
Apples in Stereo will perform at Black Cat on Tuesday, February 13. Tickets are $13 in advance, $15 day of the show. Casper and the Cookies open, and the concert begins at 8:00 p.m.
