Fiery Furnaces burn the midnight oil

Fiery Furnaces w/ Pit Er Pat Nov. 3, Hiro Ballroom 371 W. 16th St., $20 www.thefireyfurnaces.com Doors open at 7 p.m., 21+

It seems like so much time has passed since blogs everywhere were singing the praises of Brooklyn-based sibling duo The Fiery Furnaces and their debut album, "Gallowsbird's Bark." In reality, it's only been four years. Since 2003, the band has released four more full-length albums and an EP, touring in support of each release. This impressive productivity is simply normal for member Matt Friedberger.

"It's fun to write songs, and it's fun to get into the studio to record them," Friedberger said. "If you're a creative being, and this is your main job, you're going to want to write songs every day."

The Furnaces' busy schedule is not going to free up anytime soon - the band is on tour promoting its new album "Widow City," which Friedberger says draws heavily from the culture of the '70s. But "Widow City," released Oct. 9, "is not meant to be a '70s-sounding record but a record made up of '70s sounds," Friedberger said.

To articulate this idea, the siblings used a "heavily processed rock-rhythm section" to create a point on which the entire CD is based. For lyrical inspiration, Friedberger sifted through women's magazines and advertisements from the time, lifting phrases to authenticate the overall mood of the record. Writing songs around a concept is a familiar method to the Furnaces.

Though the songs are not lyrically focused around one narration, the '70s sounds hold the record together. But Friedberger detests the clich'eacute; phrase "concept album" that has been attached to several of The Furnaces' past records.

"[All artists have] some idea of what they were going to do unless they were morons and the best they could do was just write 12 songs and pick the ones they thought people would like," Friedberger said.

Since the Friedberger siblings grew up listening to albums, they do not worry about the industry pressure for bands to pop out stand-alone singles for the iTunes generation. In ordering a CD's tracklist, Friedberger said they do what feels right, disregarding any formulas that place the first single after however many songs. This focus on the album's mood creates the coherent flow that only the pause button can break.

The relationship between siblings Matt and Eleanor Friedberger seems to ease their production of music. The two work together so well because they are "nicely different," preventing major arguments by spending so much time together. The best part of their familial relationship is the knowledge they have of each other. Theyare close enough to speak freely and for ideas to quickly bounce back and forth.

After the band wraps up its current worldwide expedition, it will head back to the studio to record yet another album that should be released in the summer or fall of next year. The duo hasn't decided what this record will entail, but there are about four possibilities, one of which is a vocal-driven collection of ditties incorporating the influence of bands such as ABBA and the Bee Gees.

Also on their plate is an interactive ballet, using the language of hands to create a narrative. The project is inspired by a Muslim dance group whose only available mode of expression was choreographed hand movements. Friedberger believes the most challenging part of this project will be telling a story and effectively translating messages from the motions to the minds of the audience. Friedberger wants to transfer his inspiration as effectively as he can to his live audiences.

This tour has taken the band through the wildfires on the West Coast, but Friedberger said that nothing revolutionary has happened to him so far, except for a playful encounter with a couple of puppies. The most wearing aspect of daily performance for Friedberger is not the physicality of having to play his songs so often, but his desire to return to life in New York City.

On previous tours, The Furnaces have rearranged tunes for the road so the attendees can combine their impressions of the live show with those from the recording, creating "their own ideal version of the song in their head." This time, the band is taking a different approach, playing the songs as similar to the CD versions as possible. He is interested in his audience's diverse interpretation of his songs.

"It's fun to have people take whatever they want out of it and listen to it in a way that you don't understand at all," he said, adding that this disparity is the most gratifying part of his fans' understandings of his songs. The Fiery Furnaces thrive on examination from different points of view, giving the music the depth that constantly intrigues listeners.

Charlie Tatum is a staff writer. E-mail him at music@nyunews.com.