Catch My Shoe

Last updated
Catch My Shoe
Catch My Shoe.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedJanuary 25, 2011
RecordedMarch 22–24, 2010
Studio Electrical Audio
Genre Art punk, noise rock
Length53:36
Label Fishtank/Carrot Top
Producer Steve Albini, Bob Weston, The Ex
The Ex chronology
30 Years of The Ex
(2009)
Catch My Shoe
(2011)
Y'Anbessaw Tezeta
(2012)
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 72/100 [1]
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [2]
Alternative Press Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [3]
The Austin Chronicle Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [4]
Consequence of Sound B [5]
NOW Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [6]
PopMatters Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [7]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [8]
Spin Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [9]
Tiny Mix Tapes Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [10]
Tom Hull B+ [11]

Catch My Shoe is an album by Dutch anarchist band The Ex. It is the band's first record after the departure of their original vocalist G.W. Sok and features Arnold de Boer, from the band Zea, on vocals, guitar and keyboard. It is also the band's first album recorded without a bass player and has The Ex's two other guitarists trading off duties on lower pitched six-string baritone guitars. Two songs contain overdubbed brass lines recorded by Sicilian jazz trumpeter Roy Paci.

Contents

Content

On Catch My Shoe The Ex combine their usual art punk-style with influences from African music. One track ("Maybe I Was The Pilot") features a guitar line from a 1950s Ugandan harp player, and another ("Eoleyo") is a cover of a song that the band found on a cassette by Ethiopian singer Mahmoud Ahmed. [12]

Reception

The album received "generally favorable" reviews according to Metacritic, with a score of 72 based on 9 reviews. [1] Critics generally praised the contributions of the rest of the band and remarked upon their consistency. "How many bands can weather the loss of a founding member who's been a mainstay for 30 years, then come out on the other side like they haven't missed a beat?" asked Popmatters' Arnold Pan, praising the track "Keep On Walking" as a "rallying cry" that "casts the new Ex in a new light, a worthy acknowledgment of their legacy that also promises much more to come. And how many bands with the Ex's longevity and history can you say that about?" [7] Joanne Huffa of NOW praised the contributions of Katherina Bornefeld's drumming: "Perhaps more than any other element, her incorporation of rhythm into the songs' very fabric is key to the Ex's sound." [6] "As a whole, this record bodes well for the future of The Ex", writes Adam Kivel of Consequence of Sound , "It’s got hooks and noise, songs to dance to and songs for fighting. The lineup change isn’t the cause of this, though; instead, it’s just further proof that Moor, Bornefeld, and Hessels were just as important and powerful as Sok in the band’s mixture. Sok will be missed, but this record is too good to whine about his leaving." [5] Richard Elliot of Tiny Mix Tapes writes: "The variety of musical textures that The Ex layer into each performance make for continued interest and invite repeated listening. They also ensure that, while political messages inform the lyrics as much as ever, musical style is the star. Ex songs are wordy without being preachy, serious without being solemn, faithful to the funk as much as to the band’s philosophy." [10]

However, the reception to Arnold de Boer's contributions were quite mixed, with many comparing him unfavorably to G.W. Sok and criticizing his vocals and lyrics. While his inclusion was praised by the likes of Jesse Jarnow of Allmusic [2] and Chuck Eddy of Rolling Stone , [8] the same was pointedly criticized by the likes of Jessica Hopper of Spin and Jason Heller of The A.V. Club . The former writes that "DeBoer’s political poesy lacks his predecessor’s acerbic wit, and his singsong delivery is much less bracing than Sok’s full-throated rant. Essentially, DeBoer is the Sammy Hagar of anarcho-punk [...] when collaborating, as it has before, with everyone from Sonic Youth to Tortoise, The Ex has always absorbed the flavor of whatever it’s paired with—and de Boer is mostly flavorless. His hiccupping, singsong vocals try to operate on the same level as Sok’s raspy, poetic chants, but the result is tentative and forceless." She also described his lyrics on "Cold Weather is Back" as making him sound like a "cartoon radical". [9] The same lyrics were also criticized by Audra Schroder of The Austin Chronicle : "he rages against technology like it's something new, the blast of brass saving it from caricature." [4] According to The Wire : "It's tempting to consider The Ex as Holland's The Fall, but that wouldn't be quite right--de Boer's pronouncements lack the gnomic bite of Mark E Smith." [13] Elsewhere, Alternative Press criticized the lack of a "low-end" in the album's sound. [3]

Electrelane named Catch My Shoe as one of their top ten favourite records of all time. [14]

Track listing

  1. "Maybe I Was the Pilot" 5:36
  2. "Double Order" 6:20
  3. "Cold Weather is Back" 6:32
  4. "Bicycle Illusion" 6:48
  5. "Eoleyo" 5:45
  6. "Tree Float" 5:53
  7. "Keep On Walking" 6:05
  8. "Life Whining" 3:23
  9. "24 Problems" 7:05

Single and out takes

An alternate version of "Maybe I Was the Pilot" was released as a single without Roy Paci's trumpet work, backed with the non-album track "Our Leaky Homes". [15] An alternate take of "Double Order" was released as a download on The Ex's website in 2009. [16]

Personnel

Related Research Articles

The Dandy Warhols American alternative rock band

The Dandy Warhols are an American alternative rock band, formed in Portland, Oregon, in 1994 by singer-guitarist Courtney Taylor-Taylor and guitarist Peter Holmström. They were later joined by keyboardist Zia McCabe and drummer Eric Hedford. Hedford left in 1998 and was replaced by Taylor-Taylor's cousin Brent DeBoer. The band's name is a play on the name of American pop artist Andy Warhol.

The Ex (band) Dutch band

The Ex are an underground band from the Netherlands that formed in 1979 at the height of the original punk explosion. Initially known as an anarcho-punk band, they have since released over 20 full-length albums exploring a wide variety of genres, blending punk rock with free jazz and folk music from all over the world.

<i>Keasbey Nights</i>

Keasbey Nights is the debut album by the East Brunswick, New Jersey ska punk band Catch 22, released on March 24, 1998 by Victory Records. It is the only album by the band's original lineup, as singer/songwriter/guitarist Tomas Kalnoky, bassist Josh Ansley, and horn player James Egan all left the group later that year. Kalnoky re-recorded the entire album in 2006 with his new band Streetlight Manifesto in response to Victory's plan to re-release it. The album's title references Keasbey, New Jersey, an unincorporated area within the Woodbridge Township of Middlesex County.

Electrelane English indie rock band

Electrelane were an English indie rock band, formed in Brighton in 1998 by Verity Susman and Emma Gaze. The band comprised Susman, Gaze, Mia Clarke, and Ros Murray. Their music drew from a wide range of influences including Neu!, Stereolab, Sonic Youth, and the Velvet Underground. Although the band had strong feminist and political views in their personal lives, they generally preferred to not communicate that directly to their fans or through their music; one exception is their inclusion of the protest song "The Partisan," which they began playing while on tour in the United States during the months preceding the 2004 Presidential election. The band, when playing live, had a reputation for a focused show that minimised audience interaction and rarely included more than one encore.

Please Let Me Wonder 1965 single by The Beach Boys

"Please Let Me Wonder" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1965 album The Beach Boys Today!. Written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love, it was the first song Wilson wrote under the influence of marijuana. The lyrics are about a man who does not know if a girl loves him and is afraid of learning the answer, and so he prefers to fantasize that she does. On February 15, the song was issued as the B-side to their "Do You Wanna Dance?" single before the album's release.

<i>Joggers and Smoggers</i> 1989 studio album by The Ex

Joggers and Smoggers is a double album by punk artists The Ex, released in 1989 as a double vinyl record album, and issued as a double CD in 1992. It is the first of the Ex's albums to feature extensive use of improvisation and instruments outside of the standard guitar/bass/drums arrangement of punk rock, as well as great numbers of international guest musicians, most notably New York's Sonic Youth, Glasgow's Dog Faced Hermans, Amsterdam's Instant Composers Pool, as well as numerous folk musicians from a variety of European and Middle Eastern traditions. The album marked a turning point in The Ex's artistry, foreshadowing many collaborations and delvings into avant-garde, experimental, improvisational, folk and world music that the band would mix with their abrasive trademark post-punk sound in the 20 years to come.

<i>Axes</i> (album) 2005 studio album by Electrelane

Axes is the third album by English rock group Electrelane.

<i>Scrabbling at the Lock</i> 1991 studio album by The Ex and Tom Cora

Scrabbling at the Lock is the first of two albums by Dutch punk band The Ex in collaboration with avant-garde cellist Tom Cora. It is also the first of The Ex's studio albums to feature the work of then Dog Faced Hermans guitarist Andy Moor, who has remained in the band ever since.

<i>Moa Anbessa</i> 2006 studio album by Getatchew Mekuria, The Ex and guests

Moa Anbessa is an album by Ethiopian saxophonist Getatchew Mekuria with Dutch post-punk band The Ex and guests, released in 2006 on The Ex's subsidiary label Terp.

<i>Aural Guerrilla</i> 1988 studio album by The Ex

Aural Guerrilla is the 1988 studio album by Dutch anarchist post-punk band The Ex, co-released by American indie label Homestead Records.

<i>Too Many Cowboys</i> 1987 live album by The Ex

Too Many Cowboys is the second double-album Dutch anarchist punk band The Ex. Released in 1987, it mixes live and studio recordings and marks the band's beginning of a collaboration with British anarchist group Chumbawamba.

<i>Een Rondje Holland</i> 2001 live album by The Ex

Een Rondje Holland is a live album by Ex Orkest, an orchestra made up of the Dutch post-punk band The Ex accompanied by 20 other musicians. The album features orchestral arrangements of previously released Ex songs mixed with pieces of improvised music. The tracks were recorded over a series of four performances in the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium, and compiled for release on the band's own label in 2001.

<i>6</i> (The Ex album) 1991 box set by The Ex

6 is a collection of six singles by Dutch musical group The Ex. The singles were available in record shops and also through a subscription with a new one being issued every two months throughout 1991. Each of the singles explored different facets of The Ex's musical relationships and interests, featuring collaborations with an array of musicians and other artists. The 6 singles were not released on The Ex's CD collection, Singles. Period. The Vinyl Years 1980–1990 as they comprised an album to be collected and stored in a single box. The band announced plans to reissue the collection on CD in 2010, but have yet to do so.

Roy Paci

Rosario (Roy) Paci is an Italian trumpeter, singer, composer and arranger.

<i>YAnbessaw Tezeta</i> 2012 studio album by Getatchew Mekuria, The Ex and friends

Y'Anbessaw Tezeta is the second studio album by Ethiopian tenor saxophone player Getatchew Mekuria in collaboration with Dutch punk rock band The Ex and several other musicians. The title is Amharic for "The Memory of the Lion" and Mekurya intended the record to mark the closure of his 65-year career.

<i>1936, The Spanish Revolution</i> 1986 EP by The Ex

1936, The Spanish Revolution is an album of songs and archival photographs related to the Spanish Civil War, recorded and assembled by Dutch anarchist punk band The Ex. The band released it in 1986, the 50th anniversary of the Spanish Revolution, on their own label as a square 7" (17.5 cm) soft-cover book with two 45 rpm records. A 5" (12.5 cm) hardcover edition was republished by AK press in 1997, replacing the records with a pair of 3" CDs.

KatJonBand was a collaborative musical project between Jon Langford and Kat Ex. After collaborating on and off for decades, Langford and Ex decided to write and record songs together in 2004 after Langford performed at one of the Ex's live shows in Amsterdam. They debuted the project in 2005, touring Germany and Austria, before recording 10 songs together and releasing them as KatJonBand's eponymous debut album in 2008.

<i>Enormous Door</i> 2013 studio album by The Ex & Brass Unbound

Enormous Door is an album by Dutch post-punk band The Ex and Brass Unbound, a quartet of horn players from four countries. The album was released in 2013 on The Ex's own label.

The Ex are a Dutch music group from Amsterdam founded in 1979. In their four decades as a band, they have moved from playing anarcho punk to post punk, jazz, folk and African music. They have collaborated on records with fellow indie musicians Chumbawamba, Dog Faced Hermans, Tortoise and Sonic Youth, improvisers like Tom Cora and the Instant Composers Pool, and toured with African musicians Konono No. 1 and Getatchew Mekurya.

<i>27 passports</i> 2018 studio album by The Ex

27 passports is a 2018 album by the Dutch band The Ex. It is the group's first studio album in five years since Enormous Door, their 2013 collaboration with Brass Unbound, and The Ex's first album of all new material since 2010's Catch My Shoe.

References

  1. 1 2 "Catch My Shoe by The Ex" via www.metacritic.com.
  2. 1 2 Allmusic review
  3. 1 2 Alternative Press Feb 2011, p.87
  4. 1 2 Schroeder, Audra (March 11, 2011). "The Ex: Catch My Shoe Album Review". www.austinchronicle.com.
  5. 1 2 "Album Review: The Ex – Catch My Shoe". 15 November 2010.
  6. 1 2 Huffa, Joanne (27 January 2011). "The Ex - Catch My Shoe". NOW Magazine.
  7. 1 2 "The Ex: Catch My Shoe". PopMatters. 14 October 2010.
  8. 1 2 Eddy, Chuck (25 January 2011). "Catch My Shoe".
  9. 1 2 "SPIN Review". 25 January 2011.
  10. 1 2 "Music Review: The Ex - Catch My Shoe". Tiny Mix Tapes.
  11. "Tom Hull: Grade List: The Ex".
  12. Catch My Shoe. Amsterdam: Ex Records. 2011.
  13. The Wire Dec 2010, p.46
  14. Blanche, Cate (July 22, 2011). "Electrelane Takeover: Ros' Top Ten Records". DrownedInSound. Archived from the original on 2019-02-22. Retrieved 2019-02-22.
  15. "Maybe I Was The Pilot / Our Leaky Homes". The Ex. Archived from the original on 2011-05-26.
  16. "Audio". The Ex. Archived from the original on 2011-05-04.