Thursday, April 17, 2014

The Library Is On Fire


         

TheLibrary is on Fire have released the third single "1913" from their new album, Halcyon and Surrounding Areas; also out today. The idea for “1913” was to fill the song with references of some Five's favorite miscreants and decadent artists, to make a pop song out of obscure esoteric French literature and film. It's not wholly historically accurate, as Five notes: Marienbad is referenced and it's from the '60's, Alfred Jarry died well before 1913, etc. Though as Bullet Magazine has puts it, "you could dig deep into the allusions, or just enjoy it for the blast of fuzz pop joy that it is."


The recording process for Halcyon & Surrounding Areas began last winter when Five decided to rent a house in the woods where, armed only with his guitar, a four-track recorder, a notebook, and a bedroll, he escaped the chaos and confines of New York to begin working on the album. A month later, Steve returned to Bushwick with a cassette full of demo tracks which the band ultimately decided to record in their studio loft, dubbed TLIOF HQ. Travis Tonn, bass player and recording engineer, tracked the album along with Steve Five. The two began with an all-analog cassette 4-track concept, but integrated digital recording to mix the album. The loft recording space allowed the band time and the freedom to experiment with many inventive techniques such as flipping the cassette tape around to record backwards guitar, re-amping vocals through guitar amps, and running tracks through guitar effects pedals. The band also utilized an array of instruments including cheap thrift-store keyboards and harmonizers, vibraphones, and percussion. Ambient noise in the album reveals the band hanging out, talking, messing up takes, typing, working, etc.
Purchase Halcyon and Surrounding Areas HERE for $9!

Halcyon and Surrounding Areas - Track list:
1. Labyrinths of February
2. 1913
3. Red Flags
4. Sleeping Out Loud
5. Fly on The Painting
6. Uncanny Mark of The Wounded Healer
7. Let it Die
8. Treasure Lake
9. Hey Snowflake
10. Ice Friends
11. Smoke Signals
12. Mad River
13. Halcyon Daze
14. Girl