Facebook: Spoon Day 8: A Thing Called Divine Fits (Divine Fits, 2012)
(You might argue that a side project like Divine Fits does not deserve its own full day in an immersion, but I think it’s an indispensible step in Spoon’s evolution. And anyway, it lets us make the immersion an even 10 days.)
I’m not sure whether or not Britt Daniel and Dan Boeckner were already acquainted, though it seems unlikely their paths wouldn’t have crossed at some point. In any case, it started off simply, as these things do. First it was Spoon covering Wolf Parade’s “Modern World” at their shows. Then, at Radio City Music Hall in 2010, Spoon brought Boeckner on stage during an encore to sing “Modern World” with them. Finally, in late 2011, Daniel and Boeckner decided they’d enjoyed working together enough that they’d try to put together a band of their own.
The timing must have been great for Boeckner, a Canadian. His main project, Wolf Parade, had just gone on indefinite hiatus after three albums on Sub Pop. His other project, the duo Handsome Furs, would soon be breaking up -- along with his marriage to Furs-mate Alexei Perry. It was a good time for Spoon to take a break, too, with Jim Eno busy producing albums at his recording studio and fledgling record label, Public Hi-Fi.
Daniel and Boeckner starting writing together, recruited drummer Sam Brown of New Bomb Turks and keyboardist Alex Fischel of PAPA (a band Wolf Parade had toured with), and recorded A THING CALLED DIVINE FITS in Los Angeles with producer Nick Launay*. Both Daniel and Boeckner said repeatedly in interviews at the time that Divine Fits would be more than just a one-off project, but, while they did put out a non-album double A-sided single in 2013, this band has been dormant ever since.
* Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Talking Heads, Kate Bush, Killing Joke, Gang of Four, Public Image Ltd., Lou Reed, Arcade Fire, INXS, Midnight Oil, Supergrass, The Slits...
EXTRA: SINGLES & B-SIDES (2012-2013)
Today’s bonus listening includes a “My Love Is Real” B-side borrowed from Camper Van Beethoven, two tracks from the aforementioned double A-side, and a live Tom Petty cover that Divine Fits frequently played on tour.
NEWS ALERT!
http://www.spin.com/2012/05/handsome-furs-disband-following-nixed-tour/
Spin, 18 May 2012
“Handsome Furs disband following nixed tour”
Uh-huh. “Medical” problems.
DIVINETV
Divine Fits gets to know one another
The members of Divine Fits talk about early musical influences and how they ended up getting together.
NEWS ALERT!
http://www.spin.com/2012/05/how-britt-daniel-gave-us-divine-fits-his-new-indie-supergroup/
Spin, 22 May 2012
“How Britt Daniel gave us new indie supergroup Divine Fits”
NEWS ALERT!
http://www.texasmonthly.com/the-culture/spoons-jim-eno-on-his-recording-studio-and-new-label/
Texas Monthly, 10 May 2013
“Spoon’s Jim Eno on his recording studio and new label”
Meanwhile, back at the ranch...
DIVINETV2
“Would That Not Be Nice” (official video)
DIVINETV3
“My Love Is Real” (official video)
DIVINETV4
“Chained to Love” (official lyric video)
DIVINETV5
“Ain’t That the Way” (official lyric video)
DIVINETV6
“Would That Not Be Nice” live in studio on “Q”
Oh, hey, this performance comes complete with intro by disgraced radio host and former Moxy Früvous member Jian Ghomeshi!
DAILY COVER TRACK ROUND-UP
“Shivers” (The Boys Next Door/The Birthday Party)
“I Was Born in a Laundromat” (Camper Van Beethoven)
“You Got Lucky” (live 2012) (Tom Petty)
Three cover tracks amongst today’s listening, bringing our immersion total to 23 thus far (which includes Ben Zimmer’s addition Monday of “Tear Me Down”).
If you recognized track 9 from A THING CALLED DIVINE FITS as a Birthday Party cover (well, really a Boys Next Door cover), give yourself a pat on the back. Britt Daniel is on record as a Birthday Party fan, but one could as easily attribute the presence of “Shivers” here to Nick Launay, who worked with The Birthday Party back in the early Pleistocene.