A Review of "Night of the Furies"

With permission from the Rosebuds and Merge, we are posting an exclusive MP3 of Silja Line. It is the version from the record, but The Rosebuds and Merge have only given A Better Offer permission to post this MP3. It will only be up through weekend, so grab it now and listen. I am certain that it will convince you to buy the record.

MP3--Silja Line: On Settling for Normal (A BETTER OFFER EXCLUSIVE) (LINK REMOVED)

Night of the Furies by The Rosebuds

Well I’m sure it is apparent that I am completely enamored by the Rosebuds' excellent new record. I still however felt compelled to write a review of the record. So here goes... The Rosebuds left us in 2005 with Birds Make Good Neighbors—a indie rock gem. I was looking forward to Night of the Furies, but for whatever reason, I was not expecting what I got. When I first heard the record, a shy 9 days ago, I was a little surprised at the change in sound. This record is very danceable and very dark at the same time. This Rosebuds have found a way to write really beautiful songs that have very heavy subject matter. In our interview, they wrote, “we think, if you have a message you want people to care about, all the better if the song it lives in is good. There is a lot of beauty in things that are true—even if that truth is disturbing.”

The beauty of this record is that it is easily accessible for any music listener. Anyone can pick up the cd and have an enjoyable listen. It’s dancy, catchy, and the melodies are beautiful. But the more astute music listener can find meanings throughout. One can follow the story of the Furies throughout and find times when they crop up on the record. With this record, The Rosebuds have solidified their place as one of the most creative storytelling musicians today. The record opens with two instantly catchy songs, “My Punishment for Fighting,” and “Cemetery Lawns.” Lyrics such as “I’ve got blood in the palms of my hands/It’s only blood they’ll understand,” show that the catchiness is laden with the beginnings of the story of the Furies (see post below). The third track,“I Better Run,” brings Kelly’s vocals to a new level. She sings “she’s probably dead, but dead in a secret place/From drugs, dirty murder, or some such thing.” While these first few songs certainly set a tone for the record, The Rosebuds do not become complacent with this. They change things up musically with “Get Up Get Out” but keep the political fuel coming. In my mind the record really grabs you at track six. By that time you understand the way the records going. “Hold on to This Coat,” is a extra catchy little song and even it’s lyrics hint at the change that is coming. “Soon enough, the leaves will grow and your heart deep inside will start to show.” Now it’s on “Silja Line: on settling for normal” where this record really makes it’s statement. The track is absolutely beautiful. And I think it provides the most logical progression from where “Birds Make Good Neighbors” left off and where this record begins. Ivan sings about the “plain folks who don’t mind/the sound of screaming children”…and then continues with, “no way to change what’s been said and done/I’ve set my own course and I’ll try to carry on.” He is clearly ready for the inevitable—whatever that may be. Now The record ends as brilliantly as it began. Track 8 is “The Lights Went Dim,” and Kelly takes the lead vocals on this one. This is the first time I realized that the story of the Furies may not turn out like I expected. Kelly sings, “I'm certain that it’s true, though I hate to think my lover/Never made it through.” And finally the story of the Furies culminates on the last track on the record. “The Night of Three Furies” is another dark yet catchy track that tells the end of the story. And I’ll keep my theories to myself about what happens, and you go listen and make your own.

If you don’t own this record yet, I strongly suggest you purchase it here. OR ENTER OUR CONTEST WHERE YOU COULD WIN AN AUTOGRAPHED COPY!

A Rosebuds Contest

A Better Offer would like to announce our first contest! The fine folks at Merge and Toolshed Media have given A Better Offer 3 signed Rosebuds posters and 1 signed copy of their fantastic new album "Night of the Furies," to give away to our readers. All you have to do to win one of these prizes is send an email to thetwomirrors@yahoo.com by Friday. Please put "Rosebuds giveaway" in the subject line. We will randomly select 4 winners and post them on Saturday morning. Easy you say? That's right, Easy Like Sunday Morning.

Good Luck.

An interview with The Rosebuds

Here at A Better Offer, we strive to give you the most complete coverage of the best music availiable. As you know we are midway through our coverage of the Rosebuds--we've got a whole other week to go. And now Kelly and Ivan have been so kind as to answer a few questions that we sent them about their music and their new record, "Night of the Furies." Enjoy!

ABO: Tell our readers a little bit about how The Rosebuds came to be.

A: Ivan was writing songs and playing the guitar and I was in an all-female performance group and just doing some stage acting stuff and he booked us a show at a local venue and then told me that we had a show later that night. I’d never been in a band but I wasn’t afraid of being on stage so I agreed. So he showed me some songs he’d written and we worked out a five-song setlist for later that night. We drove down there and hung up some Christmas lights, plugged in our Sears drum machine, and gave some girl in the audience a tambourine and just started playing. Everybody liked it and said that we should play again the next week so we said yes. The next week we played and when we finished this guy came up to me and said, “Man, you guys are fucking great! How long have you been playing!?” And I said, “It’s our second show.” So we got asked to play again and at the third show, we had our own audience. Some people even brought their own merch. One guy made T-shirts for us to sell and somebody made some stickers. The sound man taped the show and we started selling that to people who wanted to buy the record. So that’s how it started. We just kept playing and eventually Merge heard about us and when we sent them a demo in the mail, they invited us to put it out.

ABO: We’ve posted information about the creation of “Night of the Furies,” from the Merge website, but can you talk specifically about how this record was made and how that was different from how your previous records were made.

A: It’s different in that we produced it ourselves and so that gave us all the freedom in the world to do anything we wanted. That was everything. That’s what made “Furies” what it is—just having personal and creative freedom to do anything.


ABO: What about the change in sound... Was that a direct result of the inspiration for this record? If so is it a direction you see your band continuing to go?

A: We were playing a song live that was a garage-style, rave-up, rock n roll song and when we tried to get a version on tape, we weren’t happy with the way it was sounding. But we didn’t want to just kill the song so we went home and Ivan worked up a smoother version of the song, slower tempo and the same chords, and was singing the same lyrics until he accidentally went into this other thing, vocally, and then he listened back and decided to scrap most everything except that other little vocal thing. And the vocal thing was, “learn to forget” which became the first step into the song “Night of the Furies.” But it was still a smooth song—same vibe as the new demo of the old rave-up. So he added a bass to that, which is the first time we’ve ever had a bass that carried it’s own melody and just adding that bass is how the new sound was born.

ABO: What role do the three Roman goddesses (especially Tisiphone) play in this record? And how much did she affect the man who was charged with singing these stories? Are there specific points that they come out in the record? Or are they just consistently part of the songs?

A: There are so many things we were thinking about and writing about—heavy ideas and subject matter—that the Furies became a way for us to address these ideas lyrically. I’d like people to look back at us in 50 years and appreciate the music, but also the stories we tell and the style in which we tell them. The use of the Furies as a metaphor for political topics, life experiences, philosophical positions—all that stuff—protects us from sounding too prosaic. In other words, employing the Furies figuratively gave us a similar kind of freedom that the self-production step gave us. Concretely, however, the Furies are their own amazing story and we wanted to explore them for a while. If there’s ever been a time in the history of man-kind that we’ve needed the Furies, it’s now.

ABO: What about the live show…What can your fans expect to see on this tour? How many musicians will be part of your touring band, and how will the set list play out…and if this has changed at all from previous tours.

A: We are a five-piece band now. We played some shows with Yo La Tengo, then we went to Russia for a festival, and then we went to SxSW with this line-up and the response is like old times again—people see us now and like it in that way that makes them want to help us somehow. For example, we played at SxSW and so many writers saw us and then started writing about our shows and keeping up with us. And we realize how much that helps us but what the kick-ass part of it all is, it’s all DIY—they want to help and don’t expect anything for it. Unlike traditional/major print magazines and traditional media that rely on advertising and “one hand washes the other” dealings, these blogs and online magazines don’t give a shit about that—they just say what they want and what they really believe. Well, you know what I mean. So, even though we can’t buy all that traditional advertising (like bands on major labels can) and get the benefits of that exposure, we mean something real to real fucking people and it helps us more than all that other stuff anyway.

ABO: The first single, Get Up Get Out, is dancy and dark all at the same time (which is certainly a theme that runs through the new record). Can you talk a little bit about this track and how you go about choosing a single on such a conceptual album?

A: We were surprised to find a handful of early reviewers not acknowledging the darkness and heaviness of this song. And the others too. Writers who don’t understand metaphor. Or writers who don’t pay attention to lyrics. Baffling. But there is that darkness, like you say, amid the danceable music. Our last record dabbled in that as well. But for “Get Up Get Out,” we mean for it to be political and heavy but we don’t want to just write protest songs that have no hooks. Who gives a shit about that? We think, if you have a message you want people to care about, all the better if the song it lives in is good. There is a lot of beauty in things that are true—even if that truth is disturbing.

Rosebuds perform Get Up Get Out for Yahoo music!

The Rosebuds recorded a magnificent version of Get Up Get Out while at SXSW. If you have not heard yet, their trip to Austin was well received by all. Check out the reviews here. Yahoo music recorded this version of Get Up Get Out and has is it for your viewing pleasure at the link below. Let me just say this. Kelly plays a nice big grand piano for the keyboard part and it is simply stunning. You have got to watch this clip. And when you're done, I'm sure you'll be convinced that Night of the Furies is well worth your $13. Buy it here.

Check out the video here (video courtesy of yahoo!)

Rosebuds Tour Dates!

The Rosebuds have announced their tour! Check out the dates below.

5/18/07 - Grey Eagle - Asheville, NC

5/19/07 - Cat's Cradle - Carrboro, NC

5/22/07 - Rock & Roll Hotel - Washington, DC

5/23/07 - Johnny Brenda's - Philadelphia, PA

5/24/07 - Bowery Ballroom - New York, NY

5/25/07 - Iron Horse Music Hall - Northampton, MA

5/26/07 - Great Scott - Allston, MA

5/28/07 - Horseshoe Tavern - Toronto, ON

5/29/07 - Blind Pig - Ann Arbor, MI

5/30/07 - Grog Shop - Cleveland Heights, OH

5/31/07 - Little Brothers - Columbus, OH

6/01/07 - Subterranean - Chicago, IL

6/02/07 - The Stone's Throw - Eau Claire, WI

6/03/07 - Seventh Street Entry - Minneapolis, MN

6/04/07 - Jackpot Sallon - Lawrence, KS

6/05/07 - Larimer Lounge - Denver, CO

6/08/07 - Neumos - Seattle, WA

6/09/07 - Media Club - Vancouver, BC

6/10/07 - Doug Fir Lounge - Portland, OR

6/12/07 - Great American Music Hall - San Francisco, CA

6/13/07 - Cellar Door - Visalia, CA

6/15/07 - Glass House - Pomona, CA

6/16/07 - Spaceland - Los Angeles, CA

6/17/07 - Plush - Tucson, AZ

6/19/07 - The Cavern - Dallas, TX

6/20/07 - The Parish - Austin, TX

6/21/07 - Spanish Moon - Baton Rouge, LA

6/22/07 - Bottletree Café - Birmingham, AL

6/23/07 - The Earl (outside) - Atlanta, GA

While I have never had the pleasure of seeing the Rosebuds live, I have heard their KEXP performances (stay tuned for links) and heard from Richard about their wonderful live show. If they are coming near you--do everything you can to get out there and see the Rosebuds live.

And here's an MP3 of Get Up Get Out, their first single from their new record, "Night of the Furies"

The Rosebuds on Shifted Sound and our partnership

The Rosebuds were featured on Shifted Sound episode 55. Shelby played two songs, “Cemetery Lawns” & “My Punishment for Fighting”. Both tracks are from the new record "Night of the Furies." If you are still unsure about purchasing the new record, listen to episode 55 of Shifted Sound to hear two of the highlights from the record. They are actually the first two songs on the record and they provide an outstanding preface to the story behind the album. I got my copy in the mail Tuesday (thank you Kelly and Merge) and I'll post my full review towards the end of the week. I'll try to restrain from posting any other personal comments about the record until then.

And now for the partnership...A Better Offer and Shifted Sound have joined forces to bring you the most complete and comprehensive coverage of all the bands covered at A Better Offer. Here's how it works. A Better Offer and Shifted Sound will get together to select music that we will cover, the Shelby will play two of their tracks on an episode of Shifted Sound and we will write about them exclusively for two weeks. So check out Shifted Sound now to hear two tracks from the Rosebuds!

If you have not subscribed to Shifted Sound yet, I strongly encourage you to do so. Shelby puts on one of the finest podcasts around. He always lets you know where you can purchase the music you hear on shifted sound in his show notes and also links the bands website. His philosophy is extrememly similar to ours at A Better Offer. It's basically here is a band or artist we think you should be listening to and here is where you can find out more about them. You can subscribe here.

Featured Artist #2--The Rosebuds: Info about Night of the Furies

The following information about the new record "Night of the Furies," (it comes out today folks!) was orginally posted on the Merge Records website. I am so excited to hear the entire record tomorrow. I have only heard the single Get Up Get Out (which you can download here). Expect a full review and exciting news about a partnership soon!

The Rosebuds--Night of the Furies

The Furies were Roman goddesses named Tisiphone (avenger of murder), Megaera (grudging), and Alecto (constant anger). They were born from night and they punish crimes on Earth that go unpunished.

We conjured them during a tropical depression in the summer of 2006.

We were almost in a fever from the threat of falling trees. The wind was not the worst we’d seen, but it peeled back the skin of old fears. In this condition, the senses are heightened. You surely know what I mean. We began to speak—just out loud--to clear away the fear hanging all around, and this is what we said:

On the night the Furies came down, some people walked outside and pointed up at what they first thought were fireflies. The lights grew nearer and brighter, however, and before any of them could understand what was bearing out, the Furies were upon them. And it became clear to all of them that some would have to run and some would hide, and still others would simply stand there, mouths agape, and watch.

There was a man who was not fearful at all. He was very curious, but not afraid, necessarily. He stood in a group of others like him by the lakeside and waited. Most of those people waited by the lakeside until the morning, when they went back into town to see who was left. The man, however, found himself transported suddenly and inexplicably to a vantage point whereupon he witnessed many great and terrible things throughout the night.

At length he encountered the Furies who spoke to him harshly at first, enlisting him to recount the story of their night so that the survivors would never forget. They chose him because he appeared to be the most beautiful of all the men and women of the world. They chose him because he loved dogs and birds and was a very sensitive, good-natured individual. He could also sing and he sang lovely tunes to himself when he was happy and when he was very nervous, as he was now.

Upon hearing him singing to himself, one of the Furies fell in love with the man. Since the goddess who punishes crimes, especially murder, couldn’t simply kill the man in order to make him her lover, and since he was already chosen to tell the story of the Night of the Furies, she would have to leave without him. This was a torturous thought for her. She spoke to the man gently—it was not difficult considering the ferocity of her voice was naturally quelled by her trepidation and softened by her sadness. Upon hearing her sadness, he became enraptured and vowed that he would recount the stories and, as a way to continue their affair, he would sing the stories aloud so that she and everyone else could hear.

Knowing that she would hear him singing these stories gave her comfort. And, when the man should die, she imagined, his voice would go silent--her proof of his entrance to the underworld, where they could be reunited.

And so they agreed and parted with a feeling of happiness for these songs as well as a deep, deep longing for the day they would end.

We set about recording these and other stories right away and Night of the Furies is the result. It is a dark, sexy, danceable, nuanced, and sublime record. We produced it ourselves, which was the only way it could have been done, naturally, considering the content.

We dreamed the music and the stories and then built it with the expert help of our friends--the musicians and the engineers: Justin Vernon, Matthew McCaughan, Mark Paulson, Brian Paulson, Charles Story, Jonathan Yu, Wes Phillips, Lee Waters, Daniel Hart, and Brad Cooke.

Buy the record here!