ARTIST: Charlemagne
TITLE: We Can Build an Island
LABEL: Sidecho
GENRE: Indie
BITRATE: 183kbps avg
PLAYTIME: 0h 35m total
RELEASE DATE: 2007-09-11
RIP DATE: 2007-11-30
Track List
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1. Crushee 2:38
2. Quivers On An Overpass 2:36
3. You Are My Diary 4:13
4. New Train 2:32
5. Saturn Return 3:34
6. You Dipped Your Toes in Blood 1:19
7. First Day of Spring 3:31
8. We're Gonna Hate All Over This 3:38
Town
9. Death Brings Us Together 4:04
10. Until We Are Called 3:50
11. 8 X 10 3:29
Release Notes:
Charlemagne is still very much Carl Johns, bringing his songs to life with help
from friends. But since his previous release and SideCho debut, 2005's
critically acclaimed Detour Allure (which garnered four stars from Uncut and was
called an album that's "beautifully crafted, mid-tempo bliss with bouncy pop
hooks and folk reassurances" from Harmonium Music), things have changed
significantly in the musician's camp. No longer are albums pieced together in a
Madison, WI-based home studio in between day jobs and life's obligations. And
Charlemagne is less of a revolving door of sidemen and artistic hands. This
year's Charlemagne model finds Johns with a better sense of musical permanency.
He has since relocated to Brooklyn from Madison, WI (after a short stint in
Philadelphia) and has established a backing ensemble with his East Coast-based
bandmates Matt Ricchini and Michael Heinzer (also of Soft People). He has also
reverted to his days of recording as a live unit (as he did in Noahjohn several
years earlier), by implementing the same techniques with Charlemagne's latest
album, We Can Build An Island. For example, instead of dialing in tracks on a
computer, one layer at a time in a home-based studio over several months, Johns
and his bandmates trekked out to Tucson, AZ's Wavelab Studio for two weeks to
record and mix in a live and analog setting ù not to mention the change of
scenery. "I liked the idea of going to the desert to record, being in an expanse
with a lot of sky," Johns says. "I was first there in February 2006 touring for
Detour and it was almost like being in another planet. I was really into the
idea of a completely different locale for making this album and the desert
seemed like the perfect contrast to urban surroundings of New York and Philly."
The new environment allowed for a more concentrated effort, as the trio took
full advantage of the two weeks to produce We Can Build An Island. Though Johns
penned all of the tracks on the album, he credits his bandmates in providing
their assistance on arrangements and production. With a melding of influences,
including The Clean, Smog, The Velvet Underground, The Kinks and the Pixies,
Charlemagne's latest effort still finds the act squarely in the realm of dirty
pop songs, tinged with a bit of folk and psychedelia. We Can Build An Island
deftly alludes to theme of prevailing after times of trauma and survival, in
rebuilding a safe haven for oneself, touching upon a variety of situations,
including death, divorce, dating, and life after turning 30. Many of these
aforementioned changes came about after extensive touring for Detour Allure
throughout the US, Canada and the UK. The time spent on the road became a
transitional journey of sorts, which has landed at. With the album wrapped,
Johns looks forward to the future of touring with his new bandmates. "I just
wanted a consistent variable," he says. "I spent the bulk of 2006 switching live
lineups, which was fun, but now I'm interested in the idea of playing with the
same people over and over again."
Charlemagne is:
Carl Johns - Vocals, guitars, triangles
Alex Fulton - Drums, Tambourine
Curtis Whaley - Keyboards, guitar
Bill Borowski - Bass
Kaleen Enke - Backup vocals
Tenaya Darlington - Backup vocals