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Joan of Arc

Flowers CD/LP

Polyvinyl Records June 9, 2009

Despite being written over the course of a year in four different sessions with four different lineups, the first listen reveals the songs on Flowers as a more cohesive unit than those on its predecessor Boo Human.

As the record neared completion, Tim Kinsella and the latest incarnation of Joan of Arc entered the studio one last time with hardly any songs written and no instruments. Instead, the group simply did what felt right, using what was available to all the musicians who had recorded there previously -- pianos, acoustics, and synthesizers -- to create a new batch of music after only two days.

This experience encapsulates the spirit of Joan of Arc -- a mentality that embraces contradictions and tears apart common musical structures, only to rebuild them without a blueprint. Joan of Arc continues to succeed in doing what many strive for with a new album: creating an obscure combination of familiar, obvious ideas while sticking with the notion that "if it feels good, do it."


Track Listing

  1. Fogbow
  2. The Garden of Cartoon Exclamations
  3. Flowers
  4. Fasting
  5. Explain Yourselves #2
  6. Tsunshine
  7. A Delicious Herbal Laxative
  8. Explain Yourselves
  9. Table of the Laments
  10. Fable of the Elements
  11. Life Sentence / Twisted Ladder
  12. The Sun Rose
  13. My Summerlong High Wipeout (Japanese Bonus Track)
  14. The Surrender (Japanese Bonus Track)
  15. Man Needs A Maid (Japanese Bonus Track)

Artists

Tim Kinsella - guitars, singing, percussion (3,4,6,8,9,10), synth (3,8), processing (4), organs, electronics (8), ukelele (9)

Mike Kinsella - drums (3,7), bass (3)

Leroy Bach - slide guitar (3), electric guitar (6), piano (7), organ (8), bass (12)

Paul Koob - synth (1), piano, acoustic guitar, vocals (2), conga, organ (5), upright bass (10), bass (11)

Todd Mattei - electric guitar (1,6,9,11), synth (1), organ (5), xylophone (10)

Bobby Burg - guitar (1,11), synth (1), vocals (2), organ (5,7,10)

Theo Katseounis - synth (1), vocals (2,12), drums (5,10,11,12), organ (5), bass (8)

Josh Abrams - goblin bass (3), bass (7)

Graeme Gibson - synth (1,3,6), drums (8)

Evan Hydzik - upright bass (3)

Emmett Kelley - shakers (7)

Liz Payne - viola (3)

Elizabeth Remis - violin (3)

Mark Trecka - organ (3)

Ben Vida - tremolo guitar (3), guitar (7)