The cycle of life continues this April when another stage in the metamorphosis of the David Grubbs is released from the hollow logs known as Drag City. After incubating for a period of time, the Grubbs is set to emerge on April 16 as The Plain Where the Palace Stood. Here it will emit sounds both pop and experimental, calling fans of Gastr del Sol to take note and participate in the ritual known as listening to music, a key component of the Grubbs mating process. Once properly seduced, ‘listeners’ will deposit money into the coffers of Drag City’s cavernous environs, continuing the all important circle of production that is independent music.
Seriously, though, David Grubbs has been around for a good long while and this new release, the follow-up to 2008’s An Optimist Notes the Dusk (TMT Review), is being touted as a return to his days of seamlessly combining pop and experimental sounds through extended compositions with punctuated segments of straightforward songwriting. Four of the tracks on the album feature vocals, but all should take you on a mental journey not unlike that of a wriggling grub evolving into pupae. Listen to the title track, featuring C. Spencer Yeh on violin and Andrea Belfi on drums and electronics, at David’s blog.
• David Grubbs: http://blackfaurest.tumblr.com
• Drag City: http://www.dragcity.com
[Photo: Gonçalo F. Santos]