The Clientele formed a long time ago in the backwoods of suburban Hampshire, playing together as kids at school, rehearsing in a thatched cottage remote from any kind of music scene, but hypnotized by the magical strangeness of Galaxie 500 and Felt and the psych pop of Love and the Zombies. Singer Alasdair MacLean still recalls a pub conversation where the band collectively voted that it was OK to be influenced by Surrealist poetry but not OK to have any shouting or blues guitar solos. From that moment on, they put their stamp on a kind of eerie, distanced pure pop, stripped to its essentials and recorded quickly to 4-track analogue tape.
These recordings were released as lovingly packaged 7" singles at the tail end of the '90s and compiled as the millennium ended into the debut album, Suburban Light, now hailed as one of the best records of the decade. From the faded pop art of Suburban Light came a move into the fog with the second LP, The Violet Hour, released in 2003. An attempt to create a deeper, more mysterious sound, it was an archetypal Clientele record: hypnotic, self-enclosed, meticulously creating its own world.
The Clientele reinvented their music with Strange Geometry (2005) and God Save the Clientele (2007); Brian O'Shaughnessy (My Bloody Valentine, Primal Scream) and Mark Nevers produced, and El Records legend Louis Philippe provided typically gorgeous string arrangements. The sound was bigger, brighter, and clearer, MacLean's ringing, classically influenced guitar style and James Hornsey's melodic bass combining to create a different kind of depth and atmosphere for the newly sparkling songs, which now came complete with crossover appeal; incongruously, one of them even featured in the Keanu Reeves/Sandra Bullock weepie, The Lake House.
Bonfires on the Heath is in a sense a return to The Clientele's roots; the dreamlike suburban landscapes first encountered in the early singles, their trippy sense of menace stronger now. Back in London, they've drawn on older traditions of English folk, which exist here side by side with the band's more familiar bossa and pop elements. Mel Draisey's contributions on piano and violin add beautifully to MacLean's timeless, eerie songs.
Instantly identifiable, The Clientele sound like no one else, although they are cited as an influence by bands as diverse as Spoon and the Fleet Foxes. It's been said that the greatest bands always create their own individual sound; The Clientele have gone one further and created their own world.
Orson Absence
Carshalton Beeches
2nd June 2009
www.theclientele.co.uk
theclientele.blogspot.com
These recordings were released as lovingly packaged 7" singles at the tail end of the '90s and compiled as the millennium ended into the debut album, Suburban Light, now hailed as one of the best records of the decade. From the faded pop art of Suburban Light came a move into the fog with the second LP, The Violet Hour, released in 2003. An attempt to create a deeper, more mysterious sound, it was an archetypal Clientele record: hypnotic, self-enclosed, meticulously creating its own world.
The Clientele reinvented their music with Strange Geometry (2005) and God Save the Clientele (2007); Brian O'Shaughnessy (My Bloody Valentine, Primal Scream) and Mark Nevers produced, and El Records legend Louis Philippe provided typically gorgeous string arrangements. The sound was bigger, brighter, and clearer, MacLean's ringing, classically influenced guitar style and James Hornsey's melodic bass combining to create a different kind of depth and atmosphere for the newly sparkling songs, which now came complete with crossover appeal; incongruously, one of them even featured in the Keanu Reeves/Sandra Bullock weepie, The Lake House.
Bonfires on the Heath is in a sense a return to The Clientele's roots; the dreamlike suburban landscapes first encountered in the early singles, their trippy sense of menace stronger now. Back in London, they've drawn on older traditions of English folk, which exist here side by side with the band's more familiar bossa and pop elements. Mel Draisey's contributions on piano and violin add beautifully to MacLean's timeless, eerie songs.
Instantly identifiable, The Clientele sound like no one else, although they are cited as an influence by bands as diverse as Spoon and the Fleet Foxes. It's been said that the greatest bands always create their own individual sound; The Clientele have gone one further and created their own world.
Orson Absence
Carshalton Beeches
2nd June 2009
www.theclientele.co.uk
theclientele.blogspot.com
07/08/10
On August 31, The Clientele will release Minotaur, a mini-album featuring eight new songs. Minotaur will be available on limited-edition CD and digital download.
Minotaur, The Clientele’s sixth release, does not, as it is so easy to suggest, mark the end of a lost decade, for The Clientele have never been “lost,” nor does it mark a life at the edges of material success or debilitating failure. Through whispers, Minotaur reminds us that The Clientele’s truth waits within a geographic poetry, that The Clientele are of the edges. Minotaur enables us to read their albums as rain-soaked maps from a decade of exploration. A journey into the nebulous, into the eeriness between the edges of the dying village and the new estate, between the unknowable edges of the city and the sanctuary of the marshes, the places where dreams and fears replace street signs and nothing can ever be “ordinary.” If walking, as Iain Sinclair has suggested, across such terrain “confirms identity,” then Minotaur reasserts The Clientele’s skewed, bucolic visions.
These songs, from the caress of the title track through the Television-esque tensions of “Jerry” (“Am I afraid? Are you afraid?”), to undoubtedly one of The Clientele’s most beautiful pieces, “Nothing Here Is What It Seems,” are the falling leaves, the turning ashes of the “Bonfire Sessions.”
Download an mp3 of “Jerry” now, and order The Clientele’s most recent full-length Bonfires on the Heath on CD and LP in the Merge store. Get your tickets now for The Clientele on tour in September!
The Clientele on Tour:
Sep-06 Seattle, WA TBA
Sep-07 Portland, OR Doug Fir
Sep-09 Oakland, CA New Parish
Sep-10 San Francisco, CA Independent
Sep-11 Los Angeles, CA Echoplex
Sep-12 San Diego, CA Casbah
Minotaur, The Clientele’s sixth release, does not, as it is so easy to suggest, mark the end of a lost decade, for The Clientele have never been “lost,” nor does it mark a life at the edges of material success or debilitating failure. Through whispers, Minotaur reminds us that The Clientele’s truth waits within a geographic poetry, that The Clientele are of the edges. Minotaur enables us to read their albums as rain-soaked maps from a decade of exploration. A journey into the nebulous, into the eeriness between the edges of the dying village and the new estate, between the unknowable edges of the city and the sanctuary of the marshes, the places where dreams and fears replace street signs and nothing can ever be “ordinary.” If walking, as Iain Sinclair has suggested, across such terrain “confirms identity,” then Minotaur reasserts The Clientele’s skewed, bucolic visions.
These songs, from the caress of the title track through the Television-esque tensions of “Jerry” (“Am I afraid? Are you afraid?”), to undoubtedly one of The Clientele’s most beautiful pieces, “Nothing Here Is What It Seems,” are the falling leaves, the turning ashes of the “Bonfire Sessions.”
Download an mp3 of “Jerry” now, and order The Clientele’s most recent full-length Bonfires on the Heath on CD and LP in the Merge store. Get your tickets now for The Clientele on tour in September!
The Clientele on Tour:
Sep-06 Seattle, WA TBA
Sep-07 Portland, OR Doug Fir
Sep-09 Oakland, CA New Parish
Sep-10 San Francisco, CA Independent
Sep-11 Los Angeles, CA Echoplex
Sep-12 San Diego, CA Casbah
05/04/10
Spring has sprung and it is time for a new free Merge sampler! Featuring hit songs from the latest albums of Radar Brothers, Spoon, Let’s Wrestle, She & Him and more, visit amazon.com now to download all fourteen free songs with special cover art by Let’s Wrestle’s Wesley Patrick Gonzalez!
As always, you can find new albums from all of these artists and more in our handy Merge store.
Free Merge 2010 digital sampler track listing:
1. Radar Brothers – Horses Warriors (from The Illustrated Garden)
2. Let’s Wrestle – I Won’t Lie to You (from In the Court of the Wrestling Let’s)
3. Destroyer – The Very Modern Dance (from Streethawk: A Seduction)
4. Shout Out Louds – Fall Hard (from Work)
5. Spoon – Written in Reverse (from Transference)
6. Lou Barlow – Don’t Apologize (from Goodnight Unknown)
7. She & Him – Thieves (from Volume Two)
8. Superchunk – Learned to Surf (from Leaves in the Gutter)
9. Alec Bathgate – Glide (from Stroke: Songs for Chris Knox)
10. The Clientele – I Wonder Who We Are (from Bonfires on the Heath)
11. Caribou – Odessa (from Swim)
12. The Clean – In the Dreamlife U Need a Rubber Soul (from Mister Pop)
13. Wye Oak – I Hope You Die (from My Neighbor / My Creator)
14. Lambchop – Give It (from Live at XX Merge)
As always, you can find new albums from all of these artists and more in our handy Merge store.
Free Merge 2010 digital sampler track listing:
1. Radar Brothers – Horses Warriors (from The Illustrated Garden)
2. Let’s Wrestle – I Won’t Lie to You (from In the Court of the Wrestling Let’s)
3. Destroyer – The Very Modern Dance (from Streethawk: A Seduction)
4. Shout Out Louds – Fall Hard (from Work)
5. Spoon – Written in Reverse (from Transference)
6. Lou Barlow – Don’t Apologize (from Goodnight Unknown)
7. She & Him – Thieves (from Volume Two)
8. Superchunk – Learned to Surf (from Leaves in the Gutter)
9. Alec Bathgate – Glide (from Stroke: Songs for Chris Knox)
10. The Clientele – I Wonder Who We Are (from Bonfires on the Heath)
11. Caribou – Odessa (from Swim)
12. The Clean – In the Dreamlife U Need a Rubber Soul (from Mister Pop)
13. Wye Oak – I Hope You Die (from My Neighbor / My Creator)
14. Lambchop – Give It (from Live at XX Merge)
04/27/10
The Clientele will perform on NPR’s World Cafe on Thursday, April 29! Visit NPR.org for local airtimes, or you can listen live on WXPN’s live stream at 2PM EST. Also, The Clientele just announced their return to the US for new west coast dates this September!
The Clientele’s latest album, Bonfires on the Heath is available on CD, LP and digital download in the Merge store. If you missed it, be sure to watch their late night television debut on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.
Sep-06 Seattle, WA TBA
Sep-07 Portland, OR Doug Fir
Sep-09 Oakland, CA New Parish
Sep-10 San Francisco, CA Independent
Sep-11 Los Angeles, CA Echoplex
Sep-12 San Diego, CA Casbah
The Clientele’s latest album, Bonfires on the Heath is available on CD, LP and digital download in the Merge store. If you missed it, be sure to watch their late night television debut on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.
Sep-06 Seattle, WA TBA
Sep-07 Portland, OR Doug Fir
Sep-09 Oakland, CA New Parish
Sep-10 San Francisco, CA Independent
Sep-11 Los Angeles, CA Echoplex
Sep-12 San Diego, CA Casbah
03/22/10
Don’t miss Alasdair, Mark, James, and Mel who will wind up their North American tour in support of their new album, Bonfires on the Heath on March 23 at the Bowery Ballroom. Also, on March 24, The Clientele will make their late-night television debut on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon—set your DVR now!
Featured on individual critics’ year-end lists at The Onion AV Club, Pitchfork, NPR Music, and more, Bonfires on the Heath is in a sense a return to the Clientele’s roots, the dreamlike suburban landscapes first encountered in the early singles, their trippy sense of menace stronger now. Back in London, they’ve drawn on older traditions of English folk, which exist here side by side with the band’s more familiar bossa and pop elements. Mel Draisey’s contributions on piano and violin add beautifully to MacLean’s timeless, eerie songs.
Bonfires on the Heath is available on CD, LP (with MP3 download), and digital download in the Merge store. Watch video of The Clientele playing a stripped-down version of “Bonfires on the Heath” from XX Merge!
Featured on individual critics’ year-end lists at The Onion AV Club, Pitchfork, NPR Music, and more, Bonfires on the Heath is in a sense a return to the Clientele’s roots, the dreamlike suburban landscapes first encountered in the early singles, their trippy sense of menace stronger now. Back in London, they’ve drawn on older traditions of English folk, which exist here side by side with the band’s more familiar bossa and pop elements. Mel Draisey’s contributions on piano and violin add beautifully to MacLean’s timeless, eerie songs.
Bonfires on the Heath is available on CD, LP (with MP3 download), and digital download in the Merge store. Watch video of The Clientele playing a stripped-down version of “Bonfires on the Heath” from XX Merge!
| 09.06.2010 | Seattle, WA | Bumbershoot | |
| 09.07.2010 | Portland, OR | Doug Fir | |
| 09.09.2010 | Oakland, CA | New Parish | |
| 09.10.2010 | San Francisco, CA | Independent | |
| 09.11.2010 | Los Angeles, CA | Echoplex | |
| 09.12.2010 | San Diego, CA | Casbah |
Suburban Light [cd] (Merge) 2001
The Violet Hour [cd] (Merge) 2003
Strange Geometry (Merge) 2005
God Save the Clientele (Merge) 2007
Bonfires on the Heath (Merge) 2009
The Violet Hour [cd] (Merge) 2003
Strange Geometry (Merge) 2005
God Save the Clientele (Merge) 2007
Bonfires on the Heath (Merge) 2009
loading...
Arcade Fire [+]
| September | ||
| 02 | Bologna | Arena Parco Nord |
| 10 | Mexico City | Palacio de los Deportes |
| 22 | St. Paul, MN | Roy Wilkins Auditorium |
| 23 | Winnipeg, MB | MTS Centre |
| 25 | Saskatoon | Credit Union Centre |
| [see all] | ||
Lou Barlow [+]
| September | ||
| 02 | Cambridge, MA | Middle East |
| 03 | Philadelphia, PA | Johnny Brenda's |
| 04 | Hoboken, NJ | Maxwell's |
Richard Buckner [+]
| September | ||
| 07 | Charlottesville, VA | The Southern |
| 08 | Asheville, NC | The Grey Eagle |
| 09 | Columbia, SC | Columbia Museum of Art |
| 10 | Raleigh, NC | Hopscotch Music Festival |
| 11 | Charlotte, NC | Evening Muse |
| [see all] | ||
Caribou [+]
| September | ||
| 14 | Guelph, ON | Ebar |
| 15 | Ottawa, ON | Babylon |
| 16 | Montreal, QC | Le National |
| 17 | Toronto, ON | The Drake |
| 17 | Toronto, ON | Phoenix Theatre |
| [see all] | ||
The Clean [+]
| September | ||
| 28 | New York, NY | Bowery Ballroom |
| 29 | Hoboken, NJ | Maxwell's |
| 30 | Chicago, IL | Bottom Lounge |
| October | ||
| 02 | Lawrence, KS | Granada Theater - SCION Festival |
| 04 | San Francisco, CA | The Independent |
| [see all] | ||
The Clientele [+]
| September | ||
| 06 | Seattle, WA | Bumbershoot |
| 07 | Portland, OR | Doug Fir |
| 09 | Oakland, CA | New Parish |
| 10 | San Francisco, CA | Independent |
| 11 | Los Angeles, CA | Echoplex |
| [see all] | ||
Fucked Up [+]
| September | ||
| 05 | Monticello, NY | All Tomorrow's Parties |
| 09 | Washington, DC | Rock n' Roll Hotel |
| 10 | Raleigh, NC | Hopscotch Festival |
| 11 | Atlanta, GA | The Drunken Unicorn |
| 12 | Charlotte, NC | Amos Southend |
| [see all] | ||
Lambchop [+]
| November | ||
| 11 | Berlin | Admiralspalast - 20 Years of City Slang |
| 22 | Katowice | Ars Cameralis Festival |
| 24 | Zagreb | Kino SC |
| 25 | Munich | Amerikahaus |
| 27 | Copenhagen | DR Concert House |
| [see all] | ||
Let's Wrestle [+]
| September | ||
| 04 | Los Angeles, CA | FYF Fest |
| 05 | Santa Barbara, CA | Club Mercy Presents |
| 06 | San Francisco, CA | Great American Music Hall |
| 08 | Seattle, WA | Neumo's |
| 09 | Vancouver, BC | Rickshaw Theatre |
| [see all] | ||
The Love Language [+]
| September | ||
| 03 | Atlanta, GA | The Earl |
| 03 | Atlanta, GA | Criminal Records |
| 04 | Charlotte, NC | Visulite Theatre |
| 09 | Winston Salem, NC | Earshot Records |
| 09 | Winston Salem, NC | Krankies |
| [see all] | ||
Conor Oberst [+]
| September | ||
| 28 | Pioneertown, CA | Pappy & Harriets |
| 30 | Santa Barbara, CA | Soho in SB |
| October | ||
| 01 | Big Sur, CA | Fernwood |
| 02 | San Francisco, CA | Hardly Strictly Bluegrass |
Polvo [+]
| November | ||
| 05 | Baton Rouge, LA | Spanish Moon |
| 06 | Houston, TX | Fitzgerald's Downstairs |
| 07 | Austin, TX | Fun Fun Fun Fest at Waterloo |
Radar Bros. [+]
| September | ||
| 24 | Montreal, QC | Le National |
| 25 | Boston, MA | Royale |
| 27 | New York, NY | Bowery Ballroom |
| 28 | New York, NY | Bowery Ballroom |
| October | ||
| 01 | Philadelphia, PA | Trocadero Theatre |
| [see all] | ||
The Rosebuds [+]
| September | ||
| 10 | Raleigh, NC | Hopscotch Festival |
Shark Quest [+]
| October | ||
| 09 | Carrboro, NC | Carrboro ArtsCenter |
She & Him [+]
| September | ||
| 05 | Los Angeles, CA | Paramount Studios |
| October | ||
| 17 | San Francisco, CA | Treasure Island |
| 22 | Portland, OR | Schnitzer Hall |
| 23 | Seattle, WA | City Arts Music Festival - 5th Avenue Theatre |
| 24 | Vancouver, BC | The Orpheum |
Spoon [+]
| September | ||
| 11 | Harrisburg, PA | The Forum |
| 12 | Clark, NJ | Oak Ridge Park |
| 13 | Brooklyn, NY | Music Hall of Williamsburg |
| 30 | Los Angeles, CA | Hollywood Palladium |
| October | ||
| 01 | San Diego, CA | Soma |
| [see all] | ||
Superchunk [+]
| September | ||
| 16 | Durham, NC | The Nasher Museum of Art |
| 17 | Washington | 9:30 Club |
| 18 | New York, NY | Bowery Ballroom |
| 19 | Brooklyn, NY | Music Hall of Williamsburg |
| 21 | Boston, MA | Royale |
| [see all] | ||
Teenage Fanclub [+]
| September | ||
| 22 | Toronto, ON | The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern |
| 23 | Toronto, ON | The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern |
| 24 | Montreal, QC | Le National |
| 25 | Boston, MA | Royale |
| 27 | New York, NY | Bowery Ballroom |
| [see all] | ||
Telekinesis [+]
| September | ||
| 02 | Chicago, IL | Lincoln Hall |
| 03 | Detroit, MI | Magic Stick |
| 04 | Toronto, ON | El Mocambo |
| 06 | Montreal, QC | Casa Del Popolo |
| 07 | Cambridge, MA | TT The Bear's |
| [see all] | ||
Versus [+]
| September | ||
| 21 | Boston, MA | Royale |
| 22 | Philadelphia, PA | Trocadero Theatre |
Wye Oak [+]
| September | ||
| 02 | Cambridge, MA | Middle East |
| 03 | Philadelphia, PA | Johnny Brenda's |
| 04 | Hoboken, NJ | Maxwell's |
| October | ||
| 04 | Lawrence, KS | Bottleneck |
| 05 | Columbia, MO | The Blue Note |
| [see all] | ||
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