On their self-titled sophomore album Caveman stretch their legs in a number of different, albeit cohesive, directions. Their highly anticipated return will come out in America via Fat Possum Records on April 2nd, and the first single “In The City” is available now for streaming here!
Caveman—a five-man vibe collective from NYC—released their first album in 2011. As first albums go, CoCo Beware was something akin to a moody statement of intent, a blueprint for a band quickly learning how to create horizon-wide rock songs that were equal parts intimate and expansive. Initially self-released and later snatched up by Fat Possum for re-release in early 2012, the record brims over with four-part harmonies, crystalline guitar lines, and tracks that see-sawed between echoey lullaby (“A Country’s King of Dreams”) to shoegaze-by-way-of classic-FM-radio sprawl (“Old Friend” — which btw is my FAVORITE song from them). The album quickly elevated Caveman from local band to watch to a sizable touring draw and formidable live act, as evidenced by stints on the road with the likes of The War on Drugs, White Rabbits and Built to Spill. Despite being the work of a brand new band, CoCo Beware displayed a kind of Zen-like ease. It was the sound a five friends settling into a nice groove; the music that happens when, for whatever reason, a lot of seemingly disparate elements finally fall into place.
“We all went up to Jimmy’s grandmother’s place in New Hampshire,” says singer Matthew Iwanusa. “That’s where the new record kind of started. It was literally the attic of her barn, lit up by Christmas lights. We’d all sit in this one room together and one by one we’d all go into the bathroom and record ourselves making the most psycho noises possible. It actually felt kind of like a weird breakthrough. We were all confident and comfortable enough with each other to try out these experiments, which extended itself into the making of the new record…which is really just an evolution of this vibe that we’d been cultivating for long time.”
With that, the guys holed up in Brooklyn’s Rumpus Room to start recording in earnest with Nick Stumpf (who produced the band’s debut album) and Albert Di Fiore behind the controls. As a result, the guitars on Caveman are bigger and more expansive, the rhythm section is tighter and more adventurous, the keyboards more opaque and pronounced. Like a marriage between Tangerine Dream, late period Slowdive, and Lindsey Buckingham, tracks like their new single “In the City” and “Ankles” boast synth lines that sound simultaneously retro and futuristic, while “Pricey” and “Never Want to Know” overflow with guitar sounds that could have miraculously floated off an old Cure album. It should be noted that James Carbonetti, the band’s primary guitar player, also happens to be one of the most highly regarded guitar makers in New York City.
And while Caveman’s music could certainly operate on the level of dreamy soundscape and still be excellent, the depth of feeling in front man Matthew Iwanusa’s lyrics helps weave the songs deeply into your memory. When Iwanusa sings “Where’s the time to waste on someone else’s life?” on “Where’s the Time,” it’s hard not to read between the lines. Wonder and regret seem to fuel the record in almost equal measure.
Caveman – CAVEMAN tracklisting:
01 — Strange to Suffer
02 — In the City
03 — Shut You Down
04 — Where’s the Time
05 — Chances
06 — Over My Head
07 — Ankles
08 — Pricey
09 — I See You
10 — I Never Want to Know
11 — The Big Push
Caveman tour dates (more to be announced):
Tue, Feb 26 – New Haven, CT @ Café Nine INFO
Wed, Feb 27 – Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair
Thu, Feb 28 – Montreal, QC @ Casa Del Popolo
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Fri, Mar 01 – Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace
Sat, Mar 02 – Detroit, MI @ Garden Bowl
Mon, Mar 04 – Bloomington, IN @ The Bishop
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Tue, Mar 05 – Chicago, IL @ Schubas
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Wed, Mar 06 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th St. Entry
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Thu, Mar 07 – Kansas City, MO @ Record Bar
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Fri, Mar 08 – St. Louis, MO @ Old Rock House
Sat, Mar 09 – Oxford, MS @ Lamar Lounge
Mon, Mar 11 – New Orleans, LA @ Hi Ho Lounge
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Tue, Mar 12-17 – Austin, TX @ SXSW (details TBD)
Mon, Mar 18 – Albuquerque, NM @ Low Spirits
Tue, Mar 19 – Denver, Co @ Larimer Lounge
Wed, Mar 20 – Salt Lake City, UK @ Urban Lounge
Fri, Mar 22 – Las Vegas, NV @ Beauty Bar
Sat, Mar 23 – Visalia, CA @ The Cellar Door
Sun, Mar 24 – Sacramento, CA @ Blue Lamp
Tue, Mar 26 – San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
Thu, Mar 28 – Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour
Fri, Mar 29 – San Diego, CA @ Casbah
Sat, Mar 30 – Tucson, AZ @ Club Congress
Mon, Apr 01 – Austin, TX @ The Parish INFO
Tue, Apr 02 – Denton, TX @ Dan’s Silverleaf
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Thu, Apr 04 – Birmingham, AL @ The Bottletree
Fri, Apr 05 – Nashville, TN @ The High Watt
Sat, Apr 06 – Atlanta, GA @ Drunken Unicorn
Sun, Apr 07 – Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506
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Tue, Apr 09 – Washington, DC @ Black Cat Backstage INFO
Wed, Apr 10 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall
Thu, Apr 11 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s
Musically Amusing 