Wolf Parade just picked the world up and dropped it on my head. An advance copy of their latest Sub Pop release, Expo 86, just landed at our station, and our pet seahorse is still recovering from the impact. We don’t really have a seahorse, I just needed an excuse to embed this video:
Firstly how cool is it that male-bodied seahorses give birth? What if I could give birth to a sea horse? What if I could be reborn as a seahorse? Incidentally, the opening track of Expo 86 grapples with the mysteries of reincarnation. Krug cries, “You’re gonna be okay come morning, / find your legs and find your horns. / Everybody’s gotta be reborn, / but you will never be born as a scorpion.” So according to Wolf Parade:
scorpion reincarnation – no
seahorse reincarnation – undeclared (I’m taking it as a maybe.)
Yes, this album is fantastic, and you should totally pick it up, or at least tune into our summer indie rock shows soon for a listen. (I’d be remiss to not let you in on a lil’ secret: Pitchfork has two tracks available for free download.) Spencer Krug and Dan Boeckner team up again on the songwriting for this album. If Krug and Boeckner’s collaboration on Wolf Parade’s sophomore release Apologies to Queen Mary was nothing short of magical, then Expo 86 is an act of merciless sorcery. The symbiotic blend of Broekner’s infectious melodies, his guitar driven dance rhythms and Krug’s unearthly synths and vocals will exhaust, inspire and delight. The sixth track, “Ghost Pressure” is a must summer for dance parties; think The Boss meets Culture Club in a dungeon dance hall. THIS TOUR IS GONNA BE AWESOME! And hey, Wolf Parade will play with The Moools at the Catalyst in Santa Cruz on July 29th!
About the author
Music Director - Our music director takes more dance classes than academic classes, collects noisemakers, sups on soup in the wintertime, and still finds time to read Susan Stryker's "Transgender History" to KZSC's pet seahorse.