The tracks are up on Amazon.uk mp3 downloader.
Cover art, bright yellow and red blazing, by Robert Beatty, check.
“Not available” is the current legend online. On May 16, that will change and Idiot Glee—the solo project of James Friley of Lexington—will have its first full-length international CD release on Moshi Moshi records.
Moshi Moshi is the label that also is home to such act as Architecture in Helsinki, Florence and the Machine, Hot Chip, Lykke Li, Matt and Kim, Still Flyin’, The Drums and Casiokids.
Friley himself calls Idiot Glee “post-doo wop,” and much has been made in the international music press of his influence by a chance pickup of a flea market cassette copy of Brian Wilson’s “Pet Sounds” in 2008. (For generational reference, Friley has never
heard U2’s “Unforgettable Fire.”)
A classically trained pianist who came to Lexington as a University of Kentucky music major, Friley departs for Europe and a tour to support the record soon.
“I’ve got shows in England, Scotland, France, Germany, Holland and Belgium. Unreal…can’t wait. Several of them are support slots for bigger bands like Black Lips, Kurt Vile and Toro y Moi. But, I am headlining a lot of them, which is kind of nuts,” the Ashland native, still in his early 20s, said in an interview.
“Mostly, the audiences over there love it. At least it seems that way…lots of people come up to me afterwards and buy merch. I think the tour (last year) with Women was a super good way to break into the scene there,” he said.
The Paddywhack CD includes tunes that some Lexingtonians may know from live performance, local radio airplay or the variety of singles, split cassettes and EPs that have been available at independent record stores like CD Central. But with the newer
tunes, this represents the first true collection of Idiot Glee’s work. Tracklist:
1. It
2. Let’s Get Down Together
3. Don’t Go Out Tonight
4. All Packed Up
5. Trouble At The Dancehall
6. Deep Descent
7. I Want The Night To Stay
8. FOE
9. Don’t Drink The Water
10. Happy Day
11. Welcome Back
12. In The Sadist’s Garden.
The CD cover is also a product of Lexington’s music scene. The art is by Robert Beatty, known for his work with the noise band Hair Police and its associated acts like Three-Legged Race.
“I basically told Robert I wanted him to do something with his airbrush skills that fit my music. We thought about it for a long time before Robert one day just said “how about a soda can?” Simple. Perfect,” Friley said.
Friley personally, is a quiet, shy young man with the “childlike wonder” that critics find imbued in his music. His stance on how he feels about his success reflect this.
He says he is “…Super duper lucky. I got so lucky with the Belmont Booking guys supporting me and booking me over there, and the same with Moshi Moshi helping me get overseas and distributing it everywhere (except PHYSICALLY in the US with the
Hop Hop vinyl). I think this is a good start for IG!”
