On Friday, local electro-pop duo People Museum released their debut record I Dreamt You in Technicolor. This is a record that looks to the future of what New Orleans music can be. Vocalist and principle lyricist Claire Givens explains it this way, “We obviously love New Orleans, but somebody has to progress this tradition. You know, we want to hold onto something, but we also, it's 2018. We want to make something new. But we have so much respect for what's already happened. So it's just, like, combining it all.” This is a perfect summary of her work with trombonist Jeremy Phipps. On this record the duo have taken traditional elements from New Orleans music and fused them with elements from the contemporary pop and electronic scenes. Groups like Rubblebucket and Moon Hooch have been pushing the envelope of what horn music can be for a while now but People Museum offer a distinctly New Orleans take on this sound. Despite his obvious skill Phipps looks at the trombone more as a tool than a vocation. He wants the sound to fit into the large scope of a piece, “I look up to people who are able to take acoustic – analog-feeling – things, and then merge them with the new style of like, EDM and electronic music, and all the parts of that.” This synthesis between the traditional and the emergent is clear from the first moments of the record.
The two work in stages with Phipps providing Givens foundational tracks for her to develop the lyrical and vocal style of the song. Interestingly, both of them indicated that the collaborative process had revealed something new to them about work that they initially disliked. It is a journey of discovery, “I will listen to it over and over again, and just kind of put myself in what I feel like the mindset of the song is. And just try to draw on what memories are coming up for me while I'm listening to the song. What feelings are grabbing onto me.” This impressionistic approach is evident in the final tracks and creates an overall sense of cohesion on the record. A careful listener will here influences from Bjork and the Dirty Projectors to local brass bands, Chvrches and Sylvan Esso – but it is all tied together by a sound internal unity. If this is where local music is heading, we are in great shape. The album is out now. Check out the single “Bible Belt” below.
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To Do This Week
Today is the Melt Test festival at Gasa Gasa. This is a day long psychedelic festival that will feature a wide variety of what the local and regional scene has to offer – check out the art market and record pop-ups as well. Tomorrow, the Hinds play Gasa and Eric Johnson plays The Civic. Saturday, Figure is at Republic and Father John Misty plays The Civic. Also Saturday, the Dirty Heads are at the Joy with Jukebox the Ghost. Sunday Jungle plays Republic. Tuesday, Windhand is at Gasa and King Khan and The Shrines hit One Eyed Jacks. Wednesday, Fall Out Boy are at the Smoothie King Center.
To Listen This Week
- Check out this version of R.E.M.’s “E-Bow The Letter” featuring Them Yorke via Youtube
- Rian Johnson directed this stunning video for LCD Soundsystem’s “oh baby” via Youtube
- Iggy Pop has shared a new version of Bowie’s “Bang Bang” via CoS
