Barry Hyde, the vocalist and guitarist for The Futureheads, is a touchstone of English charm. It’s been two years since the release of their last record News & Tributes, and with the release of their latest effort, This is Not the World, Hyde’s enthusiasm boils over as he speaks.
The Futureheads recorded This Is Not the World last summer on a mountaintop in Spain, and while describing the setting, Hyde says to me, “I don’t know if you know this, mate, but we recorded our album in the only area in all of Europe that has a desert.” He pauses for a second and then laughs, “Of course, they’re not like the deserts you have in your country, but it’s all we have here in Europe!” Hyde’s spirit is as youthful and energetic as his music, and The Futureheads’ journey from their native Sunderland to the mountaintops of Spain all started with a lesson in letting it all hang out from super-producer Youth, who along with the band crafted This Is Not the World out of his home studio.
“We learned so much from Youth,” says Hyde. “He taught us that we didn’t have to spend too long on a song . . . we could just write and record a song one day, and the next day, start up on another.” Of the twelve songs on the album, nine were written previously to arriving in Spain, which allowed the band to knock out the recording of the album in just three weeks. The frenzied pace is evident all over This is Not the World.
Unlike the acoustic elements that made up News & Tributes, This Is Not the World is a 38-minute blitz to the finish line - a manic attack signaling the start of an indie rock rampage. Tracks like “Broke Up the Time” and “Think Tonight” are perfect morsels of post-punk jive, and all the tracks on This Is Not the World were crafted with The Futureheads’ signature vocal harmonies. “We try to use the very tones of our voices to make our harmonies unique,” says Hyde. “For instance, Ross (Millard, bassist) has a very low voice, and Dave’s (Hyde, drummer) is very high. So, Jaff (bassist) and I fit into the middle.”
On previous efforts, both Barry Hyde and Ross Millard would bring loose arrangements to the band, and together they would work out the songs. But this time, the songwriting process was even more collaborative than before, with Barry taking on lead vocals for songs written by other members, and Dave Hyde contributing many guitar parts. In terms of lyrics, The Futureheads have always had a knack for being slightly ambiguous, while still being great storytellers. But on This Is Not the World, Hyde says that “we tried to be more straight-forward with the lyrics,” and he notes “Hard to Bear,” a broken-hearted love song written for a friend, as a prime example. The lyrics are very simple: “She broke your heart yesterday/It tore you apart when she turned the other way/You came to me and I didn’t know what to say/But know I do,” with the chorus being a message for Hyde’s friend to take care, and know that the worst is behind him. “It’s a place where every young man has been,” says Hyde, “and everyone can relate to it somehow.”
The Futureheads’ debut album was comprised mainly of the first songs they had ever written together, and their second release, News and Tributes, was basically an exercise in trying not to write big hits and radio singles. This Is Not the World was written with the intention of creating an album that would translate well in a live setting – and the end result appears to be a great success. Explains Hyde, “When we started playing the record live back in December, the fans were hearing the songs for the first time. But towards the end of each song, they were singing along with them.”
This Is Not the World is not only The Futureheads third album, but it is also their third record label - having formed their very own Nul Records. “After News and Tributes,” explains Hyde, “we were in a position where we were possibly going to be dropped because of the sales of the album, and for me that would have been perfectly fine.” With the major record label industry being in the sad sate that it is, The Futureheads saw an opening and ran with it. “The label started asking about a new album, and I told them I had writer’s block – when in fact, I had actually written about six songs already. But I didn’t want them to get their hands on it. I would have given them an album of white noise if I could.”
Ultimately, Warner Records did not drop The Futureheads as much as they forgot to pick up their option on the band – leaving The Futureheads in the very fortunate position of being able control their own destiny. Many potential suitors all came knocking in hopes of snatching the band up, and even Warner tried to resign them, but ultimately The Futureheads decided to focus on a more independent way of distributing music – something Hyde hopes bands will do more of in the future. “Just recently, the Von Bondies asked if we could sign them to Nul, but unfortunately, we had to turn them down. We really don’t want to sign anybody, because we’d rather a band realize that they can do it for themselves, and not have to rely on a record label.”
This Is Not the World is in stores now.
"Radio Heart" - The Futureheads
R.E.M. at Madison Square Garden, NYC
June 19th, 2008
by Daniel Alleva
Michael Stipe and Peter Buck of R.E.M. with Johnny Marr
It was clear when they stepped on stage at Madison Square Garden, that the R.E.M. of today was not like the R.E.M. of most recent note. Granted, their performance in support of their latest release, Accelerate, was not a time-warp back into R.E.M.’s heyday. But instead, the band blasted through a two-hour set with a flare not seen from them in quite some time – a set marked most by the strength of the Accelerate material, and the boatload of R.E.M. classics that were also included.
Opening up with the Document-be-damned explosiveness of “Living Well Is the Best Revenge,” R.E.M. focused mainly on the high energy aspects of their repertoire, including “These Days” from Life’s Rich Pageant, and “What’s the Frequency, Kenneth?” from Monster. Dressed in a black suit and tie, singer Michael Stipe presided over the crowd like he was possessed by Marc Bolan’s Holy Ghost - working the stage from left to right, and falling to his knees into character-esque poses.
The set would go on to include other gems such as “Driver 8,” “Don’t Go Back to Rockville,” “Disturbance at the Heron House,” and even “Pretty Persuasion” from their second full-length L.P., Reckoning. Also from that album was “Harborcoat,” with Stipe joking how The English Beat’s influence on R.E.M. was most notable in the song’s ska-like rhythm.
Still, though, the taste of vintage was merely a whipped-cream topping on the quality selections played from Accelerate. “Man-Sized Wreath,” “Horse to Water,” and the set-closing, “I’m Gonna DJ,” kept the pace banging along nicely, as guitarist Peter Buck and bassist Mike Mills - along with new member and former Ministry drummer Bill Rieflin - seemed to find great comfort in the new material’s aggressive nature.
The night’s encore featured the first single from Accelerate, “Supernatural Superserious,” as well as R.E.M.’s most successful single to date, “Losing My Religion.” Stipe then introduced to the stage Johnny Marr, who had been on hand earlier in the evening during opening act Modest Mouse’s lackluster set. The former Smiths guitarist sat-in on renditions of “Fall On Me” and “Man on the Moon,” which closed the show.
Brooklyn’s The National was also on hand to open the evening
The Black Crowes - Warpaint
by Daniel Alleva
The Black Crowes have found themselves again on Warpaint, the long-awaited studio release from the Brothers Robinson and family. For a record that seemed all but impossible for The Black Crowes towards the start of this decade, Warpaint gives The Black Crowes finest works a brand-new rival.
Warpaint is an album that is best exemplified by its true personality. “Walk Believer Walk” finds guitarists’ Rich Robinson and Luther Dickinson dropping into the hard blues, while vocalist Chris Robinson howls about “mainline Jesus” and wanting “your diamond god.” Then there is “Oh, Josephine,” a tender ballad that doesn’t force a cringe by being too contrived, instead touching on real things such as life, love, and everything in-between. It’s a genuine moment from a band that seemed to have the hardest time just being themselves for the longest of times. Their signature brand of rock and roll - a mixture of Keith Richards, Alex Chilton, and Gram Parsons that has made The Black Crowes’ catalog one of the most varied in all of rock - allows the band to sound positively revitalized on “Wounded Bird” and “Movin’ On Down the Line,” especially when coupled with a healthy dose of psychedelia.
Warpaint closes with the pastel hope found in the slide and strum of “Whoa, Mule.” Robinson sings, “We’re dirty but we’re dreaming, we’ll both get there someday.” It’s an optimistic refrain that downplays the subtle truth: “I could tell you that all pastures stay green, but you know that I'd be lying,” he states. But for all the highs and lows, The Black Crowes have finally found a reason to stand tall again.
The Futureheads recorded This Is Not the World last summer on a mountaintop in Spain, and while describing the setting, Hyde says to me, “I don’t know if you know this, mate, but we recorded our album in the only area in all of Europe that has a desert.” He pauses for a second and then laughs, “Of course, they’re not like the deserts you have in your country, but it’s all we have here in Europe!” Hyde’s spirit is as youthful and energetic as his music, and The Futureheads’ journey from their native Sunderland to the mountaintops of Spain all started with a lesson in letting it all hang out from super-producer Youth, who along with the band crafted This Is Not the World out of his home studio.
“We learned so much from Youth,” says Hyde. “He taught us that we didn’t have to spend too long on a song . . . we could just write and record a song one day, and the next day, start up on another.” Of the twelve songs on the album, nine were written previously to arriving in Spain, which allowed the band to knock out the recording of the album in just three weeks. The frenzied pace is evident all over This is Not the World.
Unlike the acoustic elements that made up News & Tributes, This Is Not the World is a 38-minute blitz to the finish line - a manic attack signaling the start of an indie rock rampage. Tracks like “Broke Up the Time” and “Think Tonight” are perfect morsels of post-punk jive, and all the tracks on This Is Not the World were crafted with The Futureheads’ signature vocal harmonies. “We try to use the very tones of our voices to make our harmonies unique,” says Hyde. “For instance, Ross (Millard, bassist) has a very low voice, and Dave’s (Hyde, drummer) is very high. So, Jaff (bassist) and I fit into the middle.”
On previous efforts, both Barry Hyde and Ross Millard would bring loose arrangements to the band, and together they would work out the songs. But this time, the songwriting process was even more collaborative than before, with Barry taking on lead vocals for songs written by other members, and Dave Hyde contributing many guitar parts. In terms of lyrics, The Futureheads have always had a knack for being slightly ambiguous, while still being great storytellers. But on This Is Not the World, Hyde says that “we tried to be more straight-forward with the lyrics,” and he notes “Hard to Bear,” a broken-hearted love song written for a friend, as a prime example. The lyrics are very simple: “She broke your heart yesterday/It tore you apart when she turned the other way/You came to me and I didn’t know what to say/But know I do,” with the chorus being a message for Hyde’s friend to take care, and know that the worst is behind him. “It’s a place where every young man has been,” says Hyde, “and everyone can relate to it somehow.”
The Futureheads’ debut album was comprised mainly of the first songs they had ever written together, and their second release, News and Tributes, was basically an exercise in trying not to write big hits and radio singles. This Is Not the World was written with the intention of creating an album that would translate well in a live setting – and the end result appears to be a great success. Explains Hyde, “When we started playing the record live back in December, the fans were hearing the songs for the first time. But towards the end of each song, they were singing along with them.”
This Is Not the World is not only The Futureheads third album, but it is also their third record label - having formed their very own Nul Records. “After News and Tributes,” explains Hyde, “we were in a position where we were possibly going to be dropped because of the sales of the album, and for me that would have been perfectly fine.” With the major record label industry being in the sad sate that it is, The Futureheads saw an opening and ran with it. “The label started asking about a new album, and I told them I had writer’s block – when in fact, I had actually written about six songs already. But I didn’t want them to get their hands on it. I would have given them an album of white noise if I could.”
Ultimately, Warner Records did not drop The Futureheads as much as they forgot to pick up their option on the band – leaving The Futureheads in the very fortunate position of being able control their own destiny. Many potential suitors all came knocking in hopes of snatching the band up, and even Warner tried to resign them, but ultimately The Futureheads decided to focus on a more independent way of distributing music – something Hyde hopes bands will do more of in the future. “Just recently, the Von Bondies asked if we could sign them to Nul, but unfortunately, we had to turn them down. We really don’t want to sign anybody, because we’d rather a band realize that they can do it for themselves, and not have to rely on a record label.”
This Is Not the World is in stores now.
"Radio Heart" - The Futureheads
R.E.M. at Madison Square Garden, NYC
June 19th, 2008
by Daniel Alleva
It was clear when they stepped on stage at Madison Square Garden, that the R.E.M. of today was not like the R.E.M. of most recent note. Granted, their performance in support of their latest release, Accelerate, was not a time-warp back into R.E.M.’s heyday. But instead, the band blasted through a two-hour set with a flare not seen from them in quite some time – a set marked most by the strength of the Accelerate material, and the boatload of R.E.M. classics that were also included.
Opening up with the Document-be-damned explosiveness of “Living Well Is the Best Revenge,” R.E.M. focused mainly on the high energy aspects of their repertoire, including “These Days” from Life’s Rich Pageant, and “What’s the Frequency, Kenneth?” from Monster. Dressed in a black suit and tie, singer Michael Stipe presided over the crowd like he was possessed by Marc Bolan’s Holy Ghost - working the stage from left to right, and falling to his knees into character-esque poses.
The set would go on to include other gems such as “Driver 8,” “Don’t Go Back to Rockville,” “Disturbance at the Heron House,” and even “Pretty Persuasion” from their second full-length L.P., Reckoning. Also from that album was “Harborcoat,” with Stipe joking how The English Beat’s influence on R.E.M. was most notable in the song’s ska-like rhythm.
Still, though, the taste of vintage was merely a whipped-cream topping on the quality selections played from Accelerate. “Man-Sized Wreath,” “Horse to Water,” and the set-closing, “I’m Gonna DJ,” kept the pace banging along nicely, as guitarist Peter Buck and bassist Mike Mills - along with new member and former Ministry drummer Bill Rieflin - seemed to find great comfort in the new material’s aggressive nature.
The night’s encore featured the first single from Accelerate, “Supernatural Superserious,” as well as R.E.M.’s most successful single to date, “Losing My Religion.” Stipe then introduced to the stage Johnny Marr, who had been on hand earlier in the evening during opening act Modest Mouse’s lackluster set. The former Smiths guitarist sat-in on renditions of “Fall On Me” and “Man on the Moon,” which closed the show.
Brooklyn’s The National was also on hand to open the evening
The Black Crowes - Warpaint
by Daniel Alleva
The Black Crowes have found themselves again on Warpaint, the long-awaited studio release from the Brothers Robinson and family. For a record that seemed all but impossible for The Black Crowes towards the start of this decade, Warpaint gives The Black Crowes finest works a brand-new rival.
Warpaint is an album that is best exemplified by its true personality. “Walk Believer Walk” finds guitarists’ Rich Robinson and Luther Dickinson dropping into the hard blues, while vocalist Chris Robinson howls about “mainline Jesus” and wanting “your diamond god.” Then there is “Oh, Josephine,” a tender ballad that doesn’t force a cringe by being too contrived, instead touching on real things such as life, love, and everything in-between. It’s a genuine moment from a band that seemed to have the hardest time just being themselves for the longest of times. Their signature brand of rock and roll - a mixture of Keith Richards, Alex Chilton, and Gram Parsons that has made The Black Crowes’ catalog one of the most varied in all of rock - allows the band to sound positively revitalized on “Wounded Bird” and “Movin’ On Down the Line,” especially when coupled with a healthy dose of psychedelia.
Warpaint closes with the pastel hope found in the slide and strum of “Whoa, Mule.” Robinson sings, “We’re dirty but we’re dreaming, we’ll both get there someday.” It’s an optimistic refrain that downplays the subtle truth: “I could tell you that all pastures stay green, but you know that I'd be lying,” he states. But for all the highs and lows, The Black Crowes have finally found a reason to stand tall again.
