Been a good day for the downloads, and we’re capping it with the day’s finest. As we mentioned when taking a look behind the scenes of Rogue Wave’s Asleep At Heaven’s Gate, hints of meloncholic maturity shouldn’t be a surprise for this band, right now: last year Pat Spurgeon received a new kidney, keyboardist Gram Lebron’s father died, Zach Rogue had a daughter, and the band welcomed a new bassist into the fold. That’s a lot of life to go down, and the bittersweet shimmer ‘n’ chime of “Chicago X 12″ sounds like it was tailor made to soundtrack the group’s collective rollercoaster ride. Nada Surf’s Matthew Caws joins Zach Rogue on the track’s delicate melody, and Rogue Wave’s done nothing short of turning out an absolutely perfect, five-plus minute serving of sweeping indie pop. Don’t really have a rating system around here, but if we did, “Chicago X 12″ would get as many thumbs up as we have hands to blog with. Enjoy it.
Asleep At Heaven’s Gate is out 9/18 via Brushfire Records.
You Might Also Like
 |
 |
I’m tastin’ it. Thanks for the heads up.
Sucks!
Seriously?! “an absolutely perfect, five-plus minute serving of sweeping indie pop”? Please tell me you’re joking!
loves it. never been much of a fan, but this one hits.
this is sooo different than “descended like vultures”, but i’m still super into it.
I’ve been a fan since day one. Instantly fell in love with Out of the Shadow, Descended Like Vultures was okay. I think they tried to go too dark with it and this is the perfect common ground. I don’t know why there’s so many haters. Especially around these parts.
booring
Not bad, but it borders on boring.
Not bad at all. I hope the rest of the album is a bit more like Descended Like Vultures, though.
This is really good. Asleep is one of those albums that only gets better with repeated spins. Just wait till you can hear the whole thing in a higher bit rate!
what a heavenly song – esp. with Matthew Caws on vocals! i can’t wait to get my hands on this album!
thank you Stereogum!
This is the second song I’ve heard from their upcoming album and so far, they’re both bloody awful.
Stinks!
If Rogue Wave is boring, what exactly is exciting? They’re pretty damn innovative, if you can’t admit that — what kind of music is? Jesus. Why do I still frequent these sites? I’m retarded.
Sucks.
i just heard ‘lake michigan’ and it’s way better than this.
haven’t heard the new one. but the first two are so best. chock full of soaring poprock melodies set again dark and surreal lyrics. not experimental or groundbreaking, but just very, very good at what they do.
Great, great stuff… Love the people who write “sucks”… Very insightful…
“Sucks” is very insightful. There’s no need to be long winded about it. The song sucks! That’s all that needs to be said. I don’t think all of their songs are boring, but they are certainly NOT innovative.
Please stop putting out albums. The guy can’t sing!
go ahead and blather on about how this is boring and how they aren’t innovative because i find it comical that you can’t appreciate a lovely melody and a good pop song (or are too cool to admit it). go home and listen to more of that stuff that’s weird for the sake of being different and revel in your supposedly unique musical tastes.
haters, especially of the hipster variety, are of course entitled to their personal opinions (read: elitist posturing) but the really pathetic part is how much pleasure they get from bitterly crushing genuine enthusiasm from others. sad fucks.
v must be in the band. way to stick up for yourself.
yea, i like it. Lake Michigan is a bit better.
it’s on their myspace.
i don’t think it’s necessary to be able to sing anymore – and i like his voice.
V is right. Rogue Wave are awesome. Waaaaaay better than most stuff posted on this or other hipster havens.
Rogue Wave are dull, boring, middle of the road, safe, commonplace, stale and drab. There are much more exciting bands being posted on this site. What do you mean it’s not necessary to be able to sing anymore?
Rogue Wave = Sad Bastard Music
excerpt from the hipster music dictionary:
safe (adj). anything lacking atonality, weird sound effects, odd time signatures, strange vocals, obtuse lyrics or boldly unique characteristics. implies that the artist is either unable to deviate from sort of predetermined formula or is merely substandard because they are not creative (in an art-school type of way); pop music, by definition, is structured, safe, and thus dispensable.
example: “it was OK to like the first coldplay album but they were eventually deemed too safe for cool people to enjoy.”
Thank you V. I can’t believe these comments people have to say about a band that shows an sincere earnest appreciation for music. Apparently having indie cred means you have to make music that is hollow and dull or it’s automatically boring or too commercial. God forbid a band makes thoughful music that appreciates having a wonderful melodic sensiblity. I love the new stuff and I love where this band is going.
rogue wave is the definition of underground indie music. it’s not necessarily supposed to be a widely loved by the masses, just for those who appreciate the genre. if they were mainstream, it wouldn’t have the same truth; it’d be like any mundane band who’s only goal is to gain revenue.
each album is a testament to their evolution and now they have the ability to push the envelope just a little bit further.
you don’t have to like it, but don’t disrespect it just because you don’t understand it.
Wow, this track is gorgeous. I completely agree with Stereogum on this one. It takes a couple spins to sink in but now I’m hooked…
brilliant…among the best stuff to come out of the Bay Area
man, stereogum readers HATE rogue wave
new album has 3 real great songs (this being one), the rest is pleasant…typical rogue wave album
Rogue Wave is mainstream music. Right up there with Maroon 5 and uh em, Jack Johnson. There’s nothing innovative or earnest about this band whatsoever. They make music for soundtracks and commercials. Just wait, the next McDonalds and/or iPhone will feature this song. They want to talk about how horrible the world is for giving into consumerism when their main objective is to hop on the money making train.
There are much better bands from the Bay Area. You must love Third Eye Blind.
I can’t get enough of this song. I can’t fathom that it might bore someone.
i love (as in literally enjoy it immensely)when people try to suggest that bands purposely write music that will be commercially successful. it’s as if the band makes a conscious choice to effortlessly produce beautifully crafted pop songs that will appeal to as many people as possible.
it’s a ridiculous and ignorant theory, not to mention a bizarre unintentional compliment – songwriting isn’t that easy, buddy. my guess is that you aren’t a musician. and if you are, then why aren’t you (and countless others) making millions in royalties by churning out perfect little consumer-friendly ditties in your sleep?
you not only follow the laughable “good pop music = lack of innovation = mainstream = uncool” hipster formula, you go further and claim that the band can reverse engineer commercial appeal. good one.
holier-than-thou hipsters evolved from the same breed that mercilessly teased the poor kids in elementary school. they go on to act all outraged and disgusted by bands that “sell out” as insecure adolescents and finally end up as adults with a deep inner dissatisfaction that causes them to act like dicks.
v, fess up! You’re Zach Schwartz! Don’t be so sensitive, little buddy!
i’m kind of flattered that i keep being accused (perhaps by the same person) of being in the band. just hatin’ on haters, though. it’s a dirty, thankless job but somebody has to do it…
so far, from the new songs out there “All I needed’ has been the best….herd them play their new stuff recently when they opened for spoon in SF and it sounded amazing.
Wah! You don’t like a band I like so you must be a hipster! Die hipster! Die!
Wah! You like a song I think is boring, so therefore you like Maroon 5! Wah!
wah! the comments section consists of people arguing back and forth (gasp!) therefore it must be annoying, even though i take the time to read it and actually go as far as posting myself! wah!
Rogue Wave is boring!
Darn. I was hoping this would be a new album by Chicago.
Boo. Hoo.
DwD
I’m not remotely a hipster. I was a big fan of the first Rogue Wave record. The second record had some moments but mostly left me feeling like they were chasing DEath Cab for Cuties audience or something. This new stuff really leaves me cold. It feels like something that would do well opening for Dave MAtthews or something. I don’t say this to hate on them, i say this as someone disappointed in the direction this band has chosen to evolve in.
Chicago X 12 is one of my least favorites on the album. Check out Lack Michigan, Lullaby, Fantasies, Ghost.
Song of the year, easily.
Wow. I’ve never read a stereogum comments section before and I never will again. It’s like reading YouTube comments…a total, utter waste of time.
Great tune, by the way.
i like it. if you please, check out some acoustic RW performances i came across on their myspace page in the kyte player nestled in the “sounds like” section. myspace.com/roguewave