The World of Dan Boeckner

Dan Boeckner probably doesn't like you. His eyes see right through all the superficial bullshit piling up around your heart, and it makes him nauseous. He hates hype, press and this article. Since 2006 is the year of Spencer Krug, I thought it was a good time to start talking about Boeckner.

The fierce, punk energy that Dan first showcased in Atlas Strategic, has become the perfect counter-weight in Wolf Parade for Spencer Krug's boyish charm. During my initial experience with Wolf Parade, Boeckner's songwriting was overshadowed by Krug's pulsing keyboard and drunken yelps. Spencer's sound was so infectious that I wanted nothing more.

Now a veteran listener of Apologies To the Queen Mary, I've become obsessed with Boeckner's guitar wielding, heart bleeding tunes. In an interview he talks about Wolf Parade being a punk-rock band. I'd say that Dan infuses the band with a punk-rock feel. While his songwriting often sounds raw and intuitive, each track is actually complex and meticulous. He's just able to deliver it with a punk swagger.

I've noticed this same shift in attitude at the two Wolf Parade shows I've attended. At their first show in LA, the crowd was most responsive to "Runner," "Sons and Daughters" "I'll Believe in Anything" (all Krug tracks). At the time I thought it must be hard for Dan to hear that kind of crowd reaction; however, no one can touch "This Heart's On Fire," and the crowd loved every second of it. Seeing them a second time, the audience really embraced "Shine a Light" and "We Built Another World" (Dan's tracks). Like me, I think the crowd had finally expanded its horizons with the LP.

From Atlas Strategic, to Wolf Parade and finally to Handsome Furs, Boeckner's transition has a common theme - slowing down. Where Atlas Strategic is unfiltered, and Wolf Parade finds Boeckner in a balance, Handsome Furs (a side project with his fiance Alexie Perry) is his most sedated work to date.

Here's the Dan Boeckner musical spectrum:

[mp3] Atlas Strategic - Jeered By Minor Demons
[mp3] Wolf Parade - Shine a Light (CBC Radio 3)
[mp3] Wolf Parade - Love You Like I Do (new song - live)
[mp3] Wolf Parade - This Heart's On Fire
[mp3] Handsome Furs - Untitled #1

Bonus Track:

[mp3] Subtle - Middleclass Haunt (featuring Dan Boeckner)