Band To Watch: The Slip
Glad you all had a blast with Les Savy Fav at our favorite new outdoor venue. Stereogum's not involved in putting on this second show, but we'll be there:
McCarren Park Pool, Brooklyn 7/16/06Who are the Slip? Well, they're Jim James' favorite band, for starters.
Dead Meadow
The Slip
Mobius Band
+ Opener (TBD later today)
JIM JAMES: "I usually don't like bands when I see them live for the first time. But this trio of Berklee College of Music dropouts blew my mind at the recent Mountain Jam in Hunter, New York. At a show like that, you expect to hear a dude wail over a blues scale for half an hour, but the Slip are creative and weird: The drummer shakes it down with a hip-hop backbeat, the bassist plays a baritone guitar and the guitarist plays lots of crazy solos without losing the tight pop melody. Most things that are widely accepted suck, but hopefully these guys will be semi-widely accepted -- because it's really beautiful stuff."
- Rolling Stone, June 2006
JIM JAMES: "The Slip is a rock trio from Boston with tons of live releases. I had heard from friends I would like them. Then finally I had the chance to see them play, and seeing them live was amazing. I've seen so many thousands of bands; most times I see a band I'll give them one or two songs, but I instantly felt a bond with these three guys with very weird brains doing some weird music. They can build a good song and take it somewhere. 'Children of December' is the song on their Web site that hit me hardest. It's going to be released in a new form. I've heard it, but it's not out yet. The way the guitar and the melody interlace, it's incredible. You see so many tired, boring rock acts doing the same thing over and over, but these guys are reaching out. They have creative drumbeats, weird liquid bass lines. It's like a big pool of lyrics; it's really rhythmical. It could even appeal to some kid who really likes punk rock. It's really challenging. They're taking what we know of music and trying to take it and twist it to a different place."
- NY Times, July 2006
The Slip - "Children Of December" (MP3)
The Slip - "Even Rats (MP3)
Watch some live video (WIN MEDIA) of an instrumental "Sorry" > U2's "With Or Without You" from Mishiwaka Amphitheater in Colorado, 2003. Pretty jammy. I see why JJ likes 'em.
The Slip's putting the finished touches on their fourth LP, expected this fall. Chris from Stars visited the band in the studio yesterday and added some french horn.
As for our Bonnaroo heroes My Morning Jacket, keep an eye out for 'em at Lollapalooza, and ear out for Okonokos, a double live album (9/26) and DVD (10/31).
Posted at 2:13 PM in Band To Watch, MP3
Tags: My Morning Jacket | The Slip
I first heard of The Slip thanks to the very excellent Guitar Hero game, where you can play Even Rats.
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i heard children of december YEARS ago
i think on myspace
this is a newer slicker version
but I don't think the Slip was there name
did they used to have another name?
so weird.
who is jim james?
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Another hippie/hipster connection a la Bonaroo. Will The Slip release a 7"? I doubt it, but I'd totally snatch that up.
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I've had several trustafarians recommend the Slip to me, which was my cue to ignore them. But I trust Jim James and Stereogum way more than my own friends.
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I was all set to enjoy the Slip, and then the fretless bass kicked in, and a part of my soul died.
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jammy swill
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Its about fricken time a good band came out of Boston!
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Is it bad that, as I listen to them, I think this sounds a lot like Train?
(And that's not a good thing. Too pop-ish for me.)
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The Slip play a Tight Tight show. Glad to see they are getting recognized outside of my hole of providence.
AliveElectric is outstanding,
_J
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Andrew and Brad Barr from The Slip (who live in Montreal) have a little side project with Elizabeth from Land of Talk called Sister Brother. They play TONIGHT at Maverick's in Ottawa, Canada on July 12th.
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i saw the slip in providence a year and half ago or so. sort of bored me to death, but i WAS sober. they have a nifty stage show with puppets and things, but, yeah, jammy. depends on your tolerance of that sort of stuff. they're certainly a talented jam band, but still a jam band.
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ive seen the slip put on some spectacular live shows. hard to pin down what makes thees guys good, but theyve got serious chops and a potent grasp of post-millennial bittersweetness.
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Beside the Pool show, The Slip play at Maxwells in Hoboken on wednesday (7/19) and Webster Theatre in Hartford on 7/20. Aberdeen City open both shows.....
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yeah the slip have played here in new brunswick, canada a few times...cool stuff. a good band thats definitely worth checking out from n.b. is "grand theft bus", they've played with them a few times.
doo it.
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I watched them play at my college. Like every jam band, they are technically proficient. On the other hand, I found their sound offensive and their songs tended to go nowhere, which is problematic for me at least because I do like songs to go places.
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Woa all the Jam band hate around here.
Those two tracks are damn good, especially the first one. And not all that "Jammy." And jamming isn't so bad now and then. Not everything can be an overwrought Sufjany orechestration. Sheesh.
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Seems like Jim James is paying it forward (bad movie, excellent phrase). After Dave Grohl spent a year talking about how great MMJ are, seems like Jim now is doing the same for another band.
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how can you say thier songs go nowhere.
Any person who sees teh slip knows that they go on a musical journey on every show
Dan
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They sound pretty damn good.
http://www.musictimes.com.au
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THE SLIP...... the best music of a generation.... whoes time has come..... all you have to do is LISTEN to them..... they are everything that great music is all about..... and I've been listening for 15 years now..... each year different and exciting... The Slip is a band without boundaries... who invite all to travel with them.... every time they preform.
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The Slip is a band that you cannot "get" quickly. You have to listen to about 20 songs before you understand the scope of what they're accomplishing. They're far too complicated, versatile and eclectic for quick "big pop success." Admittedly, the vocals are weak and the most likely reason they're not more popular. But their amazing talent and potential cannot be denied. Brad Barr is one of the best (and most creative) guitarists I've ever heard-- he's a monster. And the rest of the boys ain't too shabby either.
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Too pop-ish? Too Jammy? The critiques are all over the place. I guess you can't please all of the people all of the time. What drives me nuts, is it sounds like feedback from people who have listened to two or three songs approximately one time... if that. If you like hearing new sounds, do yourself a favor, take the time to check out this band's entire catalog- you will never find a more diverse portfolio of songs from a band- especially if you include their side project with Nathan Moore, Surprise Me Mr. Davis.
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You won't know anything about this band until you listen to them -- and I mean listen. Forget your pre-tensions. lean into their diverse material -- See them live!
Once you listen, you'll never be the same! Rock on!
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oh my god. that video is unreal. if you have 15 minutes to kill, i'd suggest investing it in watching that.
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Dearest folks inside of boxes.
It is quite dishearting to think that 'jam' or 'improvisation' is an automatic shut-off sign for people. Dig a bit beyond the little box you're stuck in, and see music for what it is built upon, namely the spontaneous interaction between players. Here's some names you can look into if you like: Ellington, Parker, Davis, Coltrane, Mingus.
Ahh too jazzy for you? How about Led Zepplin? Ever seen a live video of theirs? If they were around today, they'd be called a "jamband", and what? You wouldn't be listening? How about the Rolling Stones? Even Talking Heads, who founded the now recycled sound of the Yea Yea Yea, Clap Your Hands, Franz, etc could 'jam' all night.
One look outside of that box, and life becomes a bit more intereting. Or are you happy being inside small closed walls?
LII
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if anyone wants to check out a good show, heres one, a one day festival they put on during 2004: the Ice Cream Truck. the ice cream dude fled, so they decided to completely kill all of us in the audience with an amazing 3 hour set.
put this in your ipod:
http://www.sliplive.com/diesel/music/Ice%20Cream%20Truck/
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The Slip are a band to watch? Wow. I have an album of theirs that I bought in 1997. I probably first saw them live within a year of that. Are they supposed to get bigger now or something? I must have missed a memo.
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It's like they're playing what I didn't know I needed so badly.
Thank-you.
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Whether there's improv or not, music has to be tasteful. The Slip have always focused on being 'artists' first and foremost. They have a certain unique intimate vibe that is apparent at all of the shows they've done over the years where they rent out an art space and put on their own show. Their sounds has certainly changed a lot in the last 9 years from being that Berklee jazz-jam-rock style (that is so hated today even by those that used to play it and are trying to escape it ;) to being a pioneering indie rock band that has the instrumental capability to really explore and take their songs to new places live. Hopefully they'll be win over the cynics at the Pool tomorrow...
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What sonic bliss!
Saw their short 5 song set today at the poolparty. Great slip N' slide (how fitting)
these guys can really bring it, and i heard those 2 songs, and boy do they hit you hard!
_Tman
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This is sad. These guys have been innovating since the mid 90's and the music media is just now jumping on the train? And why? Because Jim James told them to. Sheesh, I guess even blogs are out of touch. It is pathetic that if improvisation creeps at all into music, that band is written off immediately as a "lame jamband". When in reality, purposeful group improv is among the most difficult types of music to produce.
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Slip rock your face!
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The Slip is one of the tightest live acts I have ever seen. I've been to a few shows, the first one taking place in 2001, where most of the show was jazz fusion jamband style, and it was amazing. A few shows later at the Halloween show in 2004, their set was considerably different with more singing, and although there was jamming, it was not phish style drug-induced 2-chords and odd solo, but like a plane lifting off. Their songs by themselves are incredible, and I do not consider them a studio band because once you hear a studio song played live you realize why everyone recommends a visit to a show of theirs. Simply outstanding musicianship and diversity make the Slip a perfect band to help usher talent back into the mainstream.
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ive been listening to the slip since about 2002, and ive seen 6 live shows... the only studio release that does them any justice is "sometimes true to nothing" on Angels come on time... no critic should be able to speak at all until seeing them play live. I've seen them evolve from a jazz rock trio, to an indie rock trio. They can play 10 amazing, inspiring indie, rock, acoustic songs and then throw in 3 jazz jams out of nowhere and you can hate jazz but you'll still love when they play it. they have a cult following that hopefully will turn into a large fanbase after this album is released....opening for the allman brothers didnt hurt, either.
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Anyone who knows the Slip will find this entire thread absurdly comical and exactly indicative of why they have been such a cult phenomenon for the last 8 years.
The Slip have been one of the best bands in the country for years now, and I find it charming that Mr. James has come around. Welcome to the party sir.
At a certain point the experience trandscends music and you realize that you're part of a community of people who understand something that a lot of other people don't. At a certain level, after blowing people's minds with this special band, you just get comfortable knowing they exist.
Haters and idiots out there unite - and go see Moe and the Arctic Monkeys. Good, less frat boys at BAM.
Yuu don't find the Slip, doods, the Slip finds you......
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I worked for The Slip in the late 90's for about 3 years as their publicist. Let me tell you not only are they men of integrity, but they have a solid musical foundation.
I worked with many bands and what stood out was not only the chemistry they have, but that each decision was carefully weighed with much thought.
They are focused on the music and creating something within a community. They are very intelligent and thougthful and have taken their time to let their music reach people in a natural progression. No short cuts and truly a band you can see a 100 times and every show is different because their catalog is so deep and diverse.
Sometimes it takes a bit to click, but once it does you become open to a whole new realm.
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Love's been looking for you.
Children of SEPTEMBER!!!
Caroline gets it. Do you?
As Dre once said, "It's a beautiful thing."
Have a good weekend everybody.
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Whatever you want to label this band, they'll shatter it. Beleive me. Their sound has indeed changed, but they're doing it without pretense and with just as much rock and roll.
I first heard The Slip about ten years ago. A couple of years later I saw a poster for live show during a road trip in California. I was lucky enough to see them play live at 6 Rivers Brewery in Mckinleyville and it was one of my most memorable live music experiences.
In addition to checking out the tracks listed in this post, interested folks might want to check out live versions of a tune called "So Dope". Monkeys beware...this shiny red button is an example of just how far this trio of highly skilled musicians can take you.
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Whatever you want to label this band, they'll shatter it. Beleive me. Their sound has indeed changed, but they're doing it without pretense and with just as much rock and roll.
I first heard The Slip about ten years ago. A couple of years later I saw a poster for live show during a road trip in California. I was lucky enough to see them play live at 6 Rivers Brewery in Mckinleyville-CA and it was one of my most memorable live music experiences.
In addition to checking out the tracks listed in this post, interested folks might want to check out live versions of a tune called "So Dope". Monkeys beware...this shiny red button is an example of just how far this trio of highly skilled musicians can take you.
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If you like NIN you might be interested in the album I just finished last month. It is also available free, donations are accepted. We are also doing a name your own price CD (starting at cost price). Politics Apocalypse is political and subversive post-industrial rock with an interesting mix of classical instruments, guitars, electronic beats, and a small dash of aussie hip-hop. You can download the whole 11 track album at no cost at our website.
http://www.politicsapocalypse.com
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