[dazedcola]

We have finished the new record. 12 great songs. We recorded them in Phoenix last summer, then put the whole LP together starting last fall and into the winter. We are about to take off on tour, and we will be tossing all sorts of new and updated information your way. Check back here for further details.

Sewn Together will be released on May 12, 2009 on Megaforce Records.

Tracks:
1. Sewn Together (3:07)
2. Blanket of Weeds (5:12)
3. I'm Not You (4:26)
4. Sapphire (4:00)
5. Rotten Shame (5:18)
6. Go To Your Head (3:43)
7. Clone (4:35)
8. Smoke (3:16)
9. S.K.A. (3:47)
10. Nursery Rhyme (4:33)
11. The Monkey and Snake (3:03)
12. Love Mountain (3:40)

Lyrics and Music: Curt
Produced by: Curt
Mixed: Kevin Bowe and Colt Leeb

Sewn Together began with the band laboring under all sorts of questions as to what artistic and sonic direction it would strike. Afterall, band leader Curt Kirkwood openly acknowledged the rather brusque approach he chose in crafting the one-off made for Anodyne Records, "Rise To Your Knees":

"In the ‘80s, we used to just crap this stuff out," he notes. "Those SST records cost, like, five grand apiece, if that much, and those are the records that made people like us. Later, when we got into a position to work in bigger studios with outside people, we'd wind up spending a whole bunch of money and having to satisfy the people who gave us that money. We did that all through the ‘90s, and I'm just not interested in doing that anymore."

"Now, if I can get away with it, I'll make a record as cheap as I can and put as little work as I can into it, which is what we did with this one. I don't like putting a lot time into it. We cut a track, and if we've played it halfway right, we're done with it."

In the case of the new album, Curt and Cris chose a home town studio that offered analog process. To help add purity. And with production helmed by Curt, creative freedom arrived du jour. The best friend of artistry -spontaneity- governed. Indeed, going into the studio, only Curt knew what songs he planned to cut. The label didn't ask and neither did the band. When the guiding minstrel is as honed and proven as Curt, it is both easy and incumbent to roll with the pitch.

True to his vows not to beat down a session, in less than two weeks' time Curt had effectively corralled his necessary and sufficient musical elements: the songs, the band, his son Elmo, the compatible recording team at the Salt Mine Studio in Mesa, and Phoenix-based pianist William Joseph. Joseph's role illustrates how spontaneity is a giving gift. He was initially invited into the studio to help with some fills, yet by day's end, was contributing a bounty of beautiful passages that bespeak a mature flushing out of Curt's deeply embedded genetic sense of melody. Witness "Sapphire," "Clone," and "Smoke." At first listen, one is tempted with an impression of experimental Pink Floyd "Wall" like channeling here. But accuracy's sake will note that the operatic idiom behind these songs has been exhibited at least as far back as 1995's "No Joke", and subsequent trials from Curt's solo master piece, "Snow", and the texturally generous "Rise To Your Knees".

Now, however, the breadth of instrumentation is no longer in the back seat. It's right there in the guts of the entire record. And while it is not overstatement to declare a connection here to the heights of the E Street Band, the results from last summer's sessions clearly continue the Puppets' trademark forging of subtle yet iconoclastic lyrical sweetness and remarkable musicianship. Were a short description required, confidence in form applies. This is a record that is brilliantly framed by the band's sometimes folksy, always fluid wanderings. The Puppets gladly let the material step out as first fiddle, content that songs this strong come along rarely, and better to serve them than the other way around.

It is what makes the Puppets musings so difficult to classify. They ambitiously dart the melodic spectrum between buoyant pop structure like album-opener Sewn Together and the grand sweep of "Clone", two of the precision-perfect gems that will come to represent this record as a keeper. The album rides to close in pure pop fashion. The infectious "Love Mountain", a song that harkens back better than a decade, at last weaving itself free of Curt's inner aware-ness, emerges taut yet jangly enough to please George Harrison and George Martin. That's no exaggeration, either. Sure, absolutely, Springsteen and the Beatles and Pink Floyd are mighty comparisons, but let's face it, what is due is due.

Looking ahead, to May '09, the Puppets start the first leg of extensive road work celebrating the new record, but as with every Puppets' tour, the show will be certain to range over the course of performance afforded it by the Puppets' endearingly adventurous career . The Sewn Together tour kicks off May 12th in Los Angeles at the Mint.

[dazedcola]

you can find tour dates on their http://www.myspace.com/themeatpuppets

Bassist from the meat puppets Cris Kirkwood shares his impression of the record:

1. Sewn Together; Curt was hanging out with DMX, who was working on some new tracks at The Saltmine, so I took advantage of his momentary lapse of attention to add a third, unauthorized, harmony to the choruses. I'm such a scamp.

2. Blanket of Weeds; The little bubbling wockita-wockita effect in the lead section is me thwocking myself on the cheek while waiting for the vocal passages to come back around. Talk about your high-tech, seasoned-pro style studio wizardry.

3. I'm Not You; One of the coolest vocal things we've ever done is the responding line in the chorus, which features a stack of falsetto harmonies. It's like fuckin' Queen or somethin', dood! Plus, who knew Curt was such a snazzy mando' player?

4. Sapphire; From the title to the verses and chorus, another stellar example of Curts' way with words and his ability to capture that certain something that exudes the essence of the Meat Puppets.

5. Rotten Shame; And speaking of '70s arena rock, that's an 8 string bass on the ascending intro lines, just like that guy from Cheap Trick (editor: that'd be Tom Petersson, who does not suck). Without too much imagination, the title could pretty easily be applied to my life, the bands' career, or just about anything, for that matter, considering what a toilet the world is. Quack.

6. Go to Your Head; Little by little it all goes to hell. Aint that the truth, and yet, ultimately, the redemptive qualities of rock (and life) shine their meager light through the darkness of adversity, while Curt's guitar gently weeps. (editor's note: we like the Beatles)

7. Clone; This project is just dripping with some of the most tolerable vocal shit, the round in the pre-chorus being a fine example. The composition of this song is testimony to the old saw "Less is More" in that it's primarily only two chords, and yet it conveys so much. What that so much is that it supposedly conveys is supposedly it that is much so that what! Fancy!

8. Smoke; One of the cool things about this project, for me, is that the versions on the album managed to maintain much of the original charm of Curt's demos. The pedal steel track he did at home was so integral (i.e. drunkenly unreplicable) that we cut this one playing along with the demo. Elmo, Curt's son, played the acoustic lead in one take. Sick.

9. S.K.A.; As in Senior Kegger Association, a paeon to the joys of the undeveloped Sonoran desert and its seemingly limitless abilities to absorb the egesta of boondocking baboons. Urp. We're, uh, totally rockin'.

10. Nursery Rhyme; Fab Four-era Hoffner bass, raga-esque drumloops and sitar. Like, fuckin' psychadelic, man! An excellent example of Curt's craftsmanship as a composer, lyricist and guitar player. The guy never ceases to amaze (and amuse) me. Aww, that's sweet. (editor: more homage to the mop tops. once you get started, it's an easy habit to feed . . . )

11. Monkey and the Snake; There used to be this little carved Bavarian figurine, who's head would swivel back and forth when he whistled, that Curt and I idolized as children. We have tried to live our lives accordingly.

12. Love Mountain; Curt and Ted did this one at Ted's apartment without me, so I'm not really sure that I can confidently speak to the nature of the song, but if I had to hazard a guess, considering the title, I'd say it's about hate.

[SuperCreep]

This sounds fucking awesome. I thought Rise to Your Knees was a nice return to form and easily the best album they've done since Forbidden Places. Hopefully this one will be a bit better.

[Andrés]

Really looking forward to hear the new album. I really liked Rise... but I think it's their weakest album. Even Golden Lies was much better

[dazedcola]

You can hear the song "rotten shame" at this site
http://cdn.stereogum.com/mp3/Meat%20...en%20Shame.mp3

Its got a ZZ top rhythm to it but lurking in the background is a heaping dose of puppets psych weirdness.

The new album comes out a week from tomorrow !