I was never a huge Pedro The Lion fan, so David Bazan’s excellent new EP finds me totally off guard. Fewer Moving Parts is a collection of five accessible, even poppy, dirges about familiar themes of control: women, drinking, going solo (“I still run the show/ Don’t you forget it … I do and I don’t/ think I’m better off alone.”) Cleverly, the 85th greatest living songwriter gives two versions of each song, a fleshed out guitar assault and an alternately titled stripped-down slo-core take.
Here’s my favorite tune. Not sure which version I like better, this or the acoustic one (“Don’t Cry I’m Not Gonna Hurt You”) on which he coos the organ solo.
David Bazan – “How I Remember” (MP3 Expired)
Former Low bassist and graphic novel artist Zak Sally did the artwork, which I wouldn’t mention if it wasn’t so striking.
David’s working on a full-length for release next year on Jade Tree and is playing some shows later this month with Micah P. Hinson:
Wed 07/19 Portland OR @ Doug Fir
Thu 07/20 Eugene OR @ WOW Hall
Fri 07/21 Chico CA @ 1078 Gallery
Sat 07/22 Modesto CA @ Xclamation Festival
Sun 07/23 Pomona CA @ Glass House
Mon 07/24 San Diego CA @ The Casbah
Tue 07/25 Los Angeles CA @ Tangiers
Thu 07/27 San Francisco CA @ Bottom of the Hill
Sat 07/29 Seattle WA @ Tractor Tavern
Stream all Fewer Moving Parts here.
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You should really mention that Zak was Low’s bassist up until this year. I met him at the MoCCA fest this year, and he’s a super nice guy. Great artist.
good point!
I love me some Bazan. That MP3 you’ve post is about the pop-rockin’est thing he’s done in a long time. I don’t see the slo-core thing with him mostly though.
I really like Pedro…But this Ep is wonderful.
With one eye open you can focus like a camera on whomever you are capturing. Without exception I prefer it as a way to document the object of my interest.
Glad to hear the news.
I hope David solo project sounds more like Pedro The Lion and not like Headphones
Best stuff I have heard all year.
I think Cold Beer and Cigarettes is my favorite track.
Seling advertising is a very sarcastic jab at pitchfork and is great.
also the soft drugs are good – the other pedro guy.
http://myspace.com/thesoftdrugs
http://thesoftdrugs.com
You can listen to the album in its entirety on purevolume.com – http://www.purevolume.com/albums/davidbazan/fewermovingparts Great album.
I really think this is good.
-Travis from ptl.org
(they put me up to this. I really like the CD, but I normally don’t whore myself out like this.)
Nice to see Dave Bazan get some attention, this really is a great EP. Thanks for mentioning!
he’s also well worth checking out live in the event you’ve never seen him. usually very funny and personable.
PTL and Headphones are by far the best things Bazan has ever done. Anyone who has followed him for very long or at least listened to more than just Control could tell you that. The fact that he has now gone solo is great, and I know I’m very happy to hear that he has gotten over his wife leaving him and such, but his lyrical content just seemed so much better before. I’m not saying Fewer Moving Parts isn’t good, or that it’s not classic Bazan at times. I’m just saying that his writing is obviously less personal and more commercial. More fiction and less personal truth. At least that’s what i think.