Brothers and sisters are like any other kind of couple: they do well in a band, or they don’t. Matthew and Eleanor Friedberger of The Fiery Furnaces are one example of a blood duo that works, and mostly works well. Since 2009’s I’m Going Away (TMT Review), The Fiery Furnaces have sort of faded from the limelight and Matthew has spent more time trying his hand at a solo career. This year alone, he’s releasing eight albums via the Thrill Jockey Solos subscription series (half of these albums are set to be shipped out in July, September, and November). You know how sibling rivalries go — Eleanor was not going to be left behind, and in April, we reported that she had plans of her own for a solo album, out July 12 on Merge. There may or not have been some competitive name-calling involved at the dinner table, but considering that Matt and Eleanor just finished a FF tour, I think they’re okay with each other.
The countdown to Last Summer still has some weeks to go, but to prove to us that the debut is worth it, Eleanor released a music video for her single “My Mistakes” on Pitchfork. The old-looking footage in the video (by Sara Magenheimer) is actually taken from a 14-year-old VHS tape of a college art project — there are no Urban Outfitters facsimile tricks here. It’s overall a smart, catchy track, and by the time you hear the sax solo at the end, you’ll be asking, Matthew who?
Now that you’re won over, you’ll be happy to know that Eleanor is planning a solo tour, coinciding with the July release date for Last Summer. We at TMT just hope that life for the Friedberger family won’t be anything like that Simpsons episode “Lisa on Ice” from now on.
Tourdates:
06.18.11 - Brooklyn, NY - St. Cecilia’s Church
07.11.11 - Philadelphia, PA - Kung Fu Necktie
07.12.11 - Washington, D.C. - Black Cat Backstage
07.14.11 - Cambridge, MA - Lizard Lounge
07.16.11 - New York City, NY - South Street Seaport (Village Voice/4knots Festival)
07.19.11 - Toronto, ON - Horseshoe Tavern
07.20.11 - Chicago, IL - The Hideout
07.23.11 - Portland, OR - Neumo’s Crystal Ball (Capitol Hill Block Party)
07.24.11 - Seattle, WA - Doug Fir Lounge
07.26.11 - San Francisco, CA - Hotel Utah Saloon
07.27.11 - Los Angeles, CA - The Satellite
• The Fiery Furnaces: http://www.thefieryfurnaces.com
• Merge: http://www.mergerecords.com
