Leak Of The Week: The Rare Birds
You knew that you weren’t gonna be able to keep The Rooster — aka Gregg Foreman, indie-rock infidel, Cat Power sideman, DJ, and liver of one billion lives — down for long, wouldn’t you? While last few years have introduced to the city to a kinder, gentler, healthier Foreman who’s kept busy with DJ gigs and said Cat Power services, it feels like a dog’s age since we’ve heard any new, self-penned music from the one-time leader of The Delta 72. (Fun trivia, ready? Number of times Philebrity has discussed getting together a Delta 72 reunion gig: Once a year, at least.) Anyhow, good things come to those who wait: Foreman’s new band is called The Rare Birds (pictured), and after working on putting it together in fits and starts over the last few years, he quietly posted two demo tracks to his blog this week. And… it’s good! Boasting a co-ed lineup including Gillian Chadwick(Golden Ball, Ex-Reverie), the tunes are, as it happens, totally up our alley: In the two tracks below, you’ll hear echoes of Spacemen 3, Pierre Henry, Stereolab and The Jesus & Mary Chain. Enjoy, and listen to what the picture at right is telling you: Acid is groooovy.
January 16th, 2009 at 1:27 pm
Is this town big enough for two bands with the same name?
January 16th, 2009 at 5:13 pm
fo’ real… http://www.myspace.com/rarebirds
January 16th, 2009 at 5:13 pm
http://www.myspace.com/rarebirds
January 16th, 2009 at 5:16 pm
Jesus Christ! There is already a Rare Birds IN PHILADELPHIA! Has Foreman never heard of google? I’m Boycotting this band until they change their name.
January 16th, 2009 at 7:53 pm
2 albums, 4+ years, lots of local shows….that Gregg sure has his finger on the pulse of his local rock scene.
January 16th, 2009 at 8:06 pm
I saw rarebirds play recently and I don’t recall their female singer looking like a reject from the Faces circa 1970. Greggggg should look into calling his band Like A Pox, Dr. Doug or something like that. Rarebirds has played in Philadelphia for 7+ years. Chump!
January 17th, 2009 at 2:25 pm
from a philebrity ’07 cute band alert regarding the other rarebirds:
“South Philly’s Rarebirds are one of those bands we worry about: The name is too good, and hopefully, there are no other Rarebirds out there claiming the name, so hopefully, you kids have your copyrights in order.”
i guess that name really IS too good.
January 17th, 2009 at 3:12 pm
Okay , okay people let’s breathe .. The name Rare Birds was actually taken from a friend of mine Jay Demko (from Lincoln) … He used the name for a band that lasted a month . I liked the name and will continue to use it . The sound is completely different first off . I was aware of the band long after I started using the name in 2002 . What is in a name anyhow ? As far as the negativity from some of these folks … I believe you are the energy you project , meaning if anger , frustration and fear are what you put out , then more then likely this is what you feel within , no ? . If you’re worried about what is going on over here , then what is going on within ? Right , The Rare Birds are a well meaning collective , and mean and meant no harm . So you may hold on to the anger or even boycot the band , that is certainly your view and right … But I would like to think music is music , name or not … Or what the band looks like , as Amorosi probably would reply ,”that is just churlish” . And by the way , a psych band called ; Rare Bird existed in the 70s , as well as bands with names like the Charlatans , Nirvana and the Birds . Suppose It wouldn’t be a Gregg Foreman article without some resentful responses from the cue . . Ah sending good energy to you all , love it it or hate it … can’t Skins and Punks unite ? Gregg Foreman , now ending transmission from Barcelona ! Also Cat Power dates in Feb , NY at the Apollo . Wash Dc , and LA ! Right On !
January 17th, 2009 at 5:11 pm
Huh??? It is not resentment. It is a comment on stupidity or blatent disregard. How about Dog Power? Thats a cool name.
January 17th, 2009 at 6:49 pm
Thank you for the good energy. I feel much better now. It’s like all of my anger , frustration and fear have left my body! Up the RARE BIRDS! All of them!
January 17th, 2009 at 11:22 pm
how many bands do you think exist in the world right now? or ok, let’s limit them to just english language to be fair. 10k? 100k? more?
now how many bands have EVER existed in the popular music realm? let’s say…from 1950 until today…? well, i’ve lost count myself!
facts: gregg named this project many years ago, and many many miles from here. i’ve personally read the interviews and seen the posters to prove it. believe it or not, people are actually making music and starting projects all over this big world of ours, and they are also moving about that same big world, bringing their art, style, and – yes – already named projects with them. this is the way we live now, and i think it’s pretty great way all in all.
what gets me about these comments is a palpable disconnect between the intention of the original posting and the petty nastiness of the knee-jerk’s reactions. i’m going to go out on a limb here and get meta on you for a sec: i think when we make music it is basically in the service of the Good. when we make art it is in the service of the Good. artists are putting something out there in the world for truth of expression and often to add beauty to a moment or to a life. noble, huh?
when it’s a band you get to move beyond pure form and into things like the whole aesthetic package, including a name that wraps it all up. it’s fun! i’m sure you see what i’m getting at here: that making music is a GOOD thing. having a band is a positive thing to do. this band in particular feels great to do, i can tell you that. listeners are loving it.
let me leave you with one more question, just a small stray thought. i don’t hear any similarity in sound between the two projects. in fact, they are pretty different in every other way. but it seems that both, somewhere along the way years ago, felt an affinity for the same two common words…now, in a sane world, wouldn’t that mean they are more disposed to have something in common as people? even, perhaps, more disposed to be friends than enemies?
so to any predictably anonymous commenter’s here who are interested in making them enemies, starting a feud, or just dishing out some poison because you are bored, i say: whatever gets you through your day! good luck with that!
the rest of us involved will be too busy over here making music :)
January 18th, 2009 at 7:00 am
Many of us make music for the love of making music. I certainly didn’t mean to call to question the legitimacy of Greggs passion. But you have to see how naming your more than likely heavily hyped, newly restarted band the same thing as a band that has been working regularly in this city, could be seen as egotistical. If the other Rare Birds are cool with it than awesome. I’m just participating in a little discourse here. And I think it is silly and kind of ass-kiss-ish that Philebrity wouldn’t call them on it despite the fact that they KNOW there is another LOCAL Rare Birds. And I’m a fan of Delta 72 and Gregg (they were awesome opening for Man…or Astroman at the TLA 14 years ago)and I don’t even really know the other Rare Birds that well. I’m just a fan of fairness. But hey, it’s the internet. Who gives a shit…
theblacklodge now ending transmission from his anonymous parents basement.
January 18th, 2009 at 11:04 am
I figured I would comment since I introduced the name Rarebirds when I was a guitar player in the band many years ago. I understand band names can be a dodgy business. I know the Teeth ran into some other Teeths during their travels. That happens, especially with very simple or vague names.
I just don’t quite understand how a band reuses a name that is already in use in their tiny city. I am sure people want to hear this new project and talk about the music, but people are just debating the boneheaded band name move.
Also, Philebrity clearly understands that the other Rarebirds exists since it has written up the band many times. Show your work, Sween.
Maybe hardcore bands have the right idea. Just find an obscure passage in a Bukowski book or reference one of the bunnies from Watership Down. Then you have a unique name for your gang and you don’t have to be defensive about what your band sounds like or when your buddy from Nebraska (very very far from Philly) came up with the name.
I still have the email that I sent Carolynne from Rarebirds with Rarebirds and a bunch of other brainstormed band names. I ended up taking MITCH FICTION AND THE SHITS for my own thing, but I think most of them are still unused. I remember WINGZ was on the list. Oh, and FANG SHANKAR seemed like a really cool one. Let me know if you want me to post all the names for possible use. It’s always fun to brainstorm band names that don’t yet exist in Philadelphia musical history.
But, again, I’m not in that band now, but I thought I would throw that out there as a non anonymous contributor.
January 19th, 2009 at 1:05 am
I’m happy that some caustically brilliant pop cultural references were able to come to fruition. But can we put the goddamn thing in perspective? The last 8 years have been a horror dream, tomorrow is MLK Jr. day, Tuesday is the inauguration, and I think there is some shit going on in the Middle East. Where is the love?, and not only that but let’s direct anger toward something worthy of changing. Rock on Gregg cause we’re too busy self-importantly typing off to each other. And my version of Philly is nice and doesn’t involve people trying to besmirch the names of people they are jealous of. It involves people trying to make asses out of people who slept with them and dicked them over.
January 19th, 2009 at 3:31 pm
greg & gang –
if you had the name long ago then there’s no need to waste your time posting here in retaliation to what looks like one hostile post – nor should you attempt to preach some artistic jive you feel exonerates you from potential copyright infringement. that sh*t’s for real. you should always google any ideas you have to safeguard them from copyrights. so, just contact the band and see what’s up – maybe they’ve had it longer. what’s upsetting is that you’d just assume you’ve had it longer and say you’re not letting the name go. talk to the other band instead of wasting your time here.
i want nothing but the best for your band, greg, but two philly bands with the same name gets touchy and i wouldn’t get so sensitive about it.
January 19th, 2009 at 6:02 pm
Since Mr. Foreman is having trouble with coming up with an original name for his band, I have a few ideas I would like to shoot at him. Feel free to use any or all.
The Just Add Organ to Punk Songs and It’s Cool
Bring Your Sideburns
We Played at the Middle East A Few Times
Do You Guys Know Chan Marshall?
Chan & The Marshalls
I Buy Scarves at Marshalls
Where Have I Been since 1998
Steve & the Marriotts
American Apparel Ad
I Wish I Was In Nation of Ulysses
Post-Loserdom
Greggg & The Anti-Hygienes
The I’m Forty Sixes
I’m The Center of the Universe
Keith and The Richard’s
The I’m Actually An Adult But You Wouldn’t Know It
The Ill-fitting Trousers
The Giant Bug Sunglasses
The Unnecessary Gs in My Name
I Wear High-Heels When I’m at Home
The Jesus Christs
The People With Good Reason Hate My Guts
Foreman & the Un-originals
The Un-originals
The Black Pairs of Jeans
The Purple Ascots
The Interest from Drag City and Matadors
The Full-Time Touring Band
The I Know Jay Demko
Angry at the Soundman
The Rooster Do’s
I DJ’d at Transit
Silk City is my Homeboy
My Friends Were In Bands After the Interpeters That Sucked
Joey Sweeney is My Publicist
Here are some more, but i havent had a chance to google them, so they might already be out there…who knows…
Delta 72
Fugazi
Elvis Presley
Lincoln
Fleet Foxes
The Beatles
Cat Power
Manta Ray
January 19th, 2009 at 6:18 pm
Update here:
http://www.philebrity.com/2009/01/19/update-this-is-why-indie-rock-bands-in-philly-cant-have-nice-things/
January 19th, 2009 at 6:56 pm
anger is is an energy anger is an energy . may the road rise with you . Ha I love the effort and time in these names .
Honestly all this trouble for me ? I am flattered !
Honestly I am laughing out loud right now , this is great ! You made my night anonymous caller … Who are you ? do we get to know who this masked humorist is ? Really though , the names are really good !
January 19th, 2009 at 7:29 pm
going on about the inherent beauty and goodness of creating art comes off pretty hollow when you can’t even create an original name, ya know?
January 22nd, 2009 at 2:35 pm
What’s in a name? Do you want to be remembered by your name when you have been outted or do you want to be remembered for who you were as a person? That is for you to decided but to all the bad energy and harsh critique, were you baptised by fire with the ‘name rule manifesto’? Let’s not forget its about the sweet music and let that be the focus! Rock on Rarebirds of all forms!!!