For a Gainesville native, singer-songwriter John Vanderslice doesn’t make it down to Florida that much, and to South Florida even less. So we’re thrilled
to see that he’s included Lake Worth on Sept. 1 as part of a short tour of the Southeast, before embarking on an extensive European jaunt.
A cult figure who’s never been as popular among the indie hipsters as he should be, Vanderslice started out in the little-known experimental pop outfit MK Ultra, releasing three albums with them in the ‘90s. But he finally emerged into the public eye with his first album under his own name, 2000’s “Mass Suicide Occult Figurines.” Released on Barsuk, the label that propelled Death Cab for Cutie into the alt-rock stratosphere, the album generated some controversy thanks to the driving track “Bill Gates Must Die.” Vanderslice claimed he was being sued and bullied by Microsoft on account of the song, which turned out to be nothing but a prank and prompted exactly what Vanderslice intended: a lot of media attention for his album.
His career has been consistently rewarding ever since, each album a more ambitious undertaking than the one before it. “Cellar Door,” from 2004, is the apotheosis of Vanderslice’s self-described “sloppy hi-fi” sound, in which crisp vocals and a lovely rhythm section complement gravelly guitars. Its infectiousness doesn’t hit you over the head but creeps up on you when you least expect it.
“Cellar Door” also began Vanderslice’s three-album cycle of songs set largely amid the turmoil of the Middle East in a post-9-11 world. There is talk of the planes crashing into the Twin Towers (“Exodus Damage”), of a journalist finding warmth with a prostitute in occupied Iraq (“Trance Manual”), of a Sept. 11 conspiracy theorist addicted to codeine (“Tablespoon of Codeine”), of tortured prisoners at Guantanamo Bay (“Heated Pool and Bar”). Like colleague John Darnielle of the Mountain Goats – with whom Vanderslice collaborated on the fantastic 2009 release “Moon Colony Bloodbath” – the world is a pretty apocalyptic place in his anxiety-riddled songs. The difference between the two is the specificity of Vanderslice’s evocations. He’s never been to Afghanistan or Iraq, but you wouldn’t believe it from his exquisitely detailed story-songs.
Vanderslice abandoned this geographical preoccupation on 2009’s “Romanian Names,” whose sprightly, Brian Wilsonesque harmonies highlight this layered, more upbeat pop record. The orchestrally flourished “Green Grow the Rushes,” an immaculate six-song EP that Vanderslice has been giving away for free on his website since September 2010, is the bridge that connects “Romanian Names” with his latest release “White Wilderness,” which boasts a full symphonic backing from the Magik Magik Orchestra. The songs are gorgeous and full of colorful, dynamic surprises. Vanderslice is expected to perform solo at his Florida shows, so we’ll have to see how the songs breathe in a stripped-down setting. I for one can’t wait.
John Vanderslice performs at 9 p.m. Sept. 1 at the Speakeasy Lounge, 129 N. Federal Highway, Lake Worth. John Ralston will open. The cover charge is $10. Call 561/791-6242 or visit speakeasylounge.com.
