Rock – Page 5 – Audiofemme

TRACK OF THE WEEK: The Midnight Hollow “Forward”

Reverb-drenched vocals reminiscent of Morrissey, driven by percussive synth lines, The Midnight Hollow’s single “Forward” off their upcoming EP “For The People Inside” accents the Brooklyn based psychedelic rocker’s ethereal sound. The laid back vocals emerge from frontman Spencer Draeger, who is partnered with Andrew Segreti on drums, backed with the full lineup for live shows Matt Liebowitz on bass, Vahak “V” Janbazian on percussion and Katie Lee Campo on the keys. The track is rounded by solid live drums and percussion rooting the electronic elements, as far too often groups with a similar sound become a bit lost in space. When waking up on a rainy Monday morning, ground your caffeine and nicotine buzz with the lush synth strings of “Forward” to mellow out your post-weekend angst.

Catch The Midnight Hollow in all their glory live at Piano’s on Tuesday, November 18th at 8PM. Word up to The Midnight Hollow for reminding us that the delightful post-punk sound is still alive and well in Brooklyn.

[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/172941541″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

ALBUM REVIEW: Empires “Orphan”

Orphan, the first major label release on Chop Shop/Island Records from contemporary rockers Empires, is equal parts purist and fugitive. With deference for all that came before them, the four Chicago natives spin out in multiple, bold new directions. Throughout, Sean Van Vleet’s silky vocals run like water over the sharp edge of gritty garage rock instrumentation. At times, the group leads with their alternative core – a brooding acidity that first cracks, then erupts with uncontainable, melodic energy. In later tracks, the band summons the likes of 80s essentials New Order with their tasteful use of synth accents, overlapping reverbs, and pop-reminiscent harmonies. Furthermore, their experiments with unlikely intros on tracks “Silverfire” and “Shadowfaux” bring an element of spontaneity that cements Empires’ commitment to expanding their breadth and that of modern rock itself.

“Orphan,” the title track and second on the album, also begins unconventionally, with spacey sound effects and monotone strumming. However, the catapulting lick of the chorus soon brings forth a kaleidoscope of blurred streetlights and blue-black skylines. An utterly succinct track, it demonstrates Empires’ knack for compacting complexity. Experiential and transient, it foreshadows the album as a whole with its sprawling scope and often indescribable landscape of emotions.

Next comes “Hostage.” Coarse upon the ears, jagged in the chest, the track is firmly rooted in that ominous, alternative world that is Empires’ lifeblood. Van Vleet’s intonation echoes with the raspy quake of the guitars, revealing a rawness to his instrument that was previously unknown to the listener. “I struggle with the loneliness / And you, you help me, you’re the cure for it,” he confesses in the rousing bridge, going on to unleash the full power of his resounding bellow to the very last screech of the amp.

Smack-dab in the middle of the 11-track LP is “Lifers,” a waif-like interlude striking in its simplicity. Whimsical verses float upon dreamy keyboards and lackadaisical drumbeats. It makes for a soothing pause before Orphan launches into a second half characterized by pop/new wave sentiments. “Please Don’t Tell My Lover,” a funky delight at #8, demands the listener’s attention. It’s fresh, complete with warped synth strings that drift in and out around an addicting, bouncy guitar riff. The vocal runs on the chorus are so catchy, they imprint themselves instantly in the mind, and the beat is sure to motivate a move or two, adding a dance hit to the album’s already impressive list of rock subgenres.

Finally, at second to last, there’s “Glow.” Stripped down strumming and sparse drumming accompany an insightful, meandering lyric line that muses, “Inspired on failed love in the debris of heart dust / When the night falls I expose to give you a show / And I need you to glow.” Repeatedly, choruses explode forth from a crescendo of drums and oohs that ring out like sirens, but it all stops abruptly in the end. A guileless conviction fully expressed, there is nothing left to be said.

There’s much to be said of this “empirical” venture though. Epic and edgy, the album is just the sort of statement that should mark a major label debut for burgeoning headliners. Drawing inspiration from the best of influences all the while influencing us to find new inspiration, Orphan solidifies Empires’ status as a group that other rock musicians will be taking cues from soon.

Listen to “Please Don’t Tell My Lover” from Orphan via Soundcloud.

Catch the boys at one of their many North American tour stops below:

10/2 – Kansas City, MO at the Record Bar
10/4 – Austin, TX at Austin City Limits
10/10 – Austin, TX at Stubbs Jr.
10/11 – Austin, TX at Austin City Limits
10/17 – Akron, OH at Musica
10/18 – Columbus, OH at the Rumba Cafe
10/19 – Grand Rapids, MI at Founders Brewing Company
10/21 – Minneapolis, MN at 7th St. Entry
10/23 – DeKalb, IL at the House Cafe
10/24 – Champaign, IL at Error Records
11/7 – Pontiac, MI at the Pike Room
11/8 – Pittsburgh, PA at the Smiling Moose
11/9 – Philadelphia, PA at the Barbary
11/11 – Boston, MA at Church of Boston
11/13 – Hoboken, NJ at the W Hotel
11/14 – Brooklyn, NY at Baby’s All Right
11/15 – Washington, DC at DC9
11/16 – Carrboro, NC at Cat’s Cradle Back Room

ALBUM REVIEW: Braeves “Drifting by Design”

Childhood friends Ryan Colt Levy and Derek Tramont are the backbone of Long Island ensemble Braeves, but it was a labor of love and experimentation with more recent add-ons Thomas Killian McPhillips IIV and Nick LaFalce that brought forth their melodically-inspired new sound. The group, produced by Mike Watts, has garnered comparisons to Local Natives, The Shins, and Grizzly Bear, undoubtedly owing to their rich, echoing vocals that move over a similar rock/pop landscape. However, there’s a driving quality embedded in EP Drifting by Design that diverges from what we know and moves us graciously toward “Braeve” new territory.

The quartet doesn’t waste any time. From the very first drum lick in “Guest of the Gun,” Levy’s vocals ring out with a captivating presence that bends along the roving refrain. Melody and percussion play off one another, the rhythmic lyrics and sliding vocals crackling with McPhillips’ slick beat.

The EP then moves to more somber, minor-resounding terrain with “Talk Like Strangers,” a percussive rumble continuing to power the album’s course. This track unleashes Braeves’ lyrical prowess with a succinct, familiar tale of two people found foreign to one another in the wake of their mutually faded affection: “We talk like strangers in empty storylines / Stare right through each other, then on to the next lie.” Trapped by false notions of one another, they lean on illusion to ride out the storm: “Ooh, hallucinate yourself the perfect lover / Dressed in best intention, dripping with another.”

Next comes the standout – the lilting, soulful mid-tempo “Souls in Transit.” Keyboards tumble from a daydream, followed by the entrancing ebb and flow of an undulating lyric line. Levy’s vocals are rawer and realer than before, a fresh and gravelly timbre added to both his suspended falsetto and delectably pliable straight tones. Amped, electric strings break out on the chorus, and the refrain lifts from the ground for a few breathtakingly weightless moments before gliding softly back down to the swaying bass line.

At last, the EP goes out on a rolling surge in the form of “While Your Body Sleeps.” Percussion and vocals intermingle once more and throw themselves at the canvas, building to a cacophony of vibrant sights and sounds that reaches its apex, then fades.

What Braeves have brought us in Drifting by Design is that up-and-at-‘em feel that gives their soulful meander indelible purpose. It is a sound untouched by wanderlust and un-plagued by aimlessness, yet one that paints a vivid reverie nonetheless. It manages to tell the tale of that most surreal and ambling journey, remaining firmly planted in the present while at the same time boundlessly moving forward, unstoppable as life. It is Braeves’ arduously crafted design that gives this ode to a drifting trajectory the capacity to soar.

<a href="http://braeves.bandcamp.com/album/drifting-by-design">Drifting by Design by BRAEVES</a>

VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Chastity Belt “Black Sail”

“Black Sail” is not the typical fare for the ballsy, brazen females of Walla Walla, Washington’s indie rock group Chastity Belt. Nevertheless, their irreverent 2013 debut No Regerts from Help Yourself Records kicks off with the sonorous, uptempo track, highlighting Julia Shapiro’s powerful, pining tone before diving into the cohort’s staple off-kilter gems like “Nip Slip” and “Pussy Weed Beer”, which showcase their more widely known talent for wry, foulmouthed humor.

Don’t get me wrong. I love the smuttiness – bring it on. Some days you just need a good ole sing-along to “Chips and dip, nip slip!” but “Black Sail” happens to be just as delightful a surprise. A driving beat and inviting chord progression carry on through to the end, and catchy riffs scattered throughout blend seamlessly with the round, entrancing vocals. Now, the track can be savored via its new video accompaniment, although, I recommend you don’t savor your dinner at the same time.

Director Maegan Houang paired the uneasy ache of “Black Sail” perfectly with a tale of weather-beaten Oregon Trail pioneers turned gruesome, Zombie-laden slaughter fest. The surprisingly low-budget, non-union shoot in Morongo Valley, CA yielded a finished product of stunning panoramas, poignant performances, and remarkably believable gory effects. Its final moments – when the last survivor must resign herself to an unbearable fate – will never leave your memory.

ARTIST PROFILE: 20 Eyes

As I sat still staring at my blank computer screen I mused on the best way to describe the three men who make up the San Pedro based band 20 Eyes. The harder I thought the more obvious it became that I would not be able to fully capture their unabashed charisma and incredible energy. With an engaging live show and versatile mixture of songs, 20 Eyes doesn’t fit into any one genre, and they certainly are not trying to conform to anything. Their music has elements of pop punk, early 1980s rock and even hints of electronic. Try to picture music that is the best parts of Good Charlotte with nods to The Beastie Boys and the Psychedelic Furs. Take that and throw in some San Pedro flair and you get 20 Eyes. Wolf Bradley (lead vocals and guitar), Andrew Macatrao (drums) and Chris Gomez (vocals and bass) are part of a new generation of rock music.

The unexpected layering of sounds in their songs makes sense due to the trio’s varying musical backgrounds. Wolf was raised in the world of ballet, and didn’t get into music until sixth grade when he branched out from some of his dad’s favorites. Andrew started learning how to play the drums when he was twelve, and around the same time he rocked out at his first concert. Then, to throw another genre into the mix, Chris was raised almost purely on hip-hop. It wasn’t until Andrew began to make him mixed tapes in middle school that he discovered the vast nature of the musical world we live in. Now they are fans of all forms of music (especially rap) and it can be heard in the unique mixture of sounds contained in their material.

The three of them are more like brothers than friends now, and have been playing together for years. Andrew and Chris met in middle school and have stayed close friends since then. The two met Wolf at his parents’ ballet studio in San Pedro, but they didn’t click immediately. In fact Wolf and Andrew almost hated each other at first. Luckily for us their rivalry didn’t last long. Once they discovered their mutual passion for music they threw their preconceived notions of each other to the side and started a band. As Wolf said they went “from loathing to loving.” Chris didn’t join them for a few years because he was helping raise his little brother. Even when he wasn’t playing in the band he was always around; finally Andrew and Wolf asked him to be a permanent member and the trio was complete. It’s been four years since then (almost seven for Andrew and Wolf.) These years of experience and friendship comes through strongly in their performance. They are incredibly in tune with each others’ moods and energy on stage and it translates well to the audience. The first time I saw them there wasn’t a still body in the room, everyone (including 20 Eyes) was dancing as hard as they could.

[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/158698761″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”300″ iframe=”true” /]

They are easily likable with loud laughs, insane hair and enveloping energy. They believe that “if you don’t care about what you’re doing then no one else is,” and they truly love making music. The three of them have different ways that they show their devotion for the craft. As the songwriter, Wolf tries to make sure that his songs are personal to his life but easily relatable, and gets excited when a song turns out better than expected. It’s a group effort and they’re all still learning about their sound, which is one of Andrews’ favorite parts of being in the band. On stage all three of them are in constant motion. They are dancers, rockers and goof balls. Their music is melodious, meaningful and dynamic. You can’t stop moving at their shows, which are brilliantly entertaining. They are 20 Eyes.

20 Eyes has just released a new single, “Friends Like You,” which reflects their newer sound. They will be playing at Jerry’s Pizza in Bakersfield on the 25^th (one of Chris’s favorite venues) and at Club Moscow in Hollywood on September 17^th. So make sure to give them a listen and catch a show.

[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

LIVE REVIEW: Banshee Bones @ Bar Sinister

When I met the Banshee Bones crew my interest was immediately sparked. They looked like 1970s rock stars that had joined a funky motorcycle gang, freshly beamed from a time machine into 2014. So when they invited me to their gig at Bar Sinister I couldn’t refuse, even though I had never heard their music.

I was excited and a little nervous for the show, especially since the locale seemed to be part music venue and part fetish bar. Needless to say I was glad I wore black. The stage was set up on the back patio, already drawing a peculiar crowd of apathetic Goths, old-fashioned punk rockers and possible witch doctors. Banshee Bones’ lead singer Eugene Rice wore a bright white pantsuit (bell bottoms included), in stark contrast with the black clothing and creative makeup of the band’s fans. A fountain of candles glimmered near the red-lit stage, reflected off of the disco ball hanging over the band. It was Banshee Bones second time at Bar Sinister and the cheering of the crowd proved that they were happy to have the band back.

In addition to Rice, Banshee Bones consists of his brother Ryan on drums, Salem Romo on bass and Joe Perez on guitar. The Rice brothers hail from Vermont, and met Joe at Hollywood’s Musicians Institute when Joe complimented Ryan’s Aerosmith tee. Joe, originally from Indiana, began jamming with the pair, and their search for the last member began. As if by an act of fate, Ryan sat next to Salem at a free mastering clinic. They started talking about music, specifically Salem’s interest in playing bass, then ended up going their separate ways, but throughout the next month Ryan continuously bumped into Salem, who’d spent most of his life in the L.A. scene. Eventually, Ryan’s bandmates encouraged him to invite Salem to join the group for a jam session; his playing rounded out the overall sound and the band was at last complete.

Over the last three years Banshee Bones have toured throughout the West in a Coachmen trailer, further proof they came (almost literally) out of a time machine. They’ve also released Life & Limb, a self-produced EP, and their debut album Birds of Prey, with no plans to stop touring or recording. At their shows, they often wear Venetian style “plague doctor” masks, half black and half white, to represent the dualities in personal identity. They believe that every person can choose good or evil but they must know what lies underneath their mask to discover their true nature.

As midnight rolled around the ensemble took the stage. Banshee Bones’ ever-shifting sound and energetic set kept the attention of the audience piqued. Eugene’s serious pipes gave the performance an air of pure rock opera with some metal-style screams mixed in. They moved seamlessly from head-banging rock with haunting undertones to grimy, almost punkish abandon. Billing themselves as “experimental heavy rock,” the band’s style is at times a bit hard to pin down. A more descriptive phrase from their Twitter bio that reads “Rock and Roll married your dark progressive side” goes a little further in accurately assessing their whole vibe. In the grand tradition of hard rock performers, almost all of the band’s members had stripped to just their pants by the middle of the set, but none could seem to truly keep their cool – when their hair wasn’t covering their faces the wide smiles they all wore were obvious to the crowd.

Banshee Bones a scheduled to play a handful of dates in local Los Angeles clubs over the next month. The video below is a few years old but still gives a sense of their showmanship, though you’ll want to catch them live for the full effect; you can keep tabs on Banshee Bones via Facebook.

TRACK REVIEW: Crystal Stilts “Delirium Tremendous”

After the September release of album Nature Noir, Brooklyn’s own fuzzy noise pop darlings Crystal Stilts have triumphantly returned– with new single “Delirium Tremendous.” But this time, there’s less fuzz, and more sun. The track begins with a deliciously upbeat, almost Krautrock-sounding tempo, built around singer Brad Hargett’s Ian Curtis-like croon. He makes a fervent plea to be understood: “Delirium/Delirium/Deliver me from tedium.” The lyric creates a dark, complex backdrop to the otherwise light and playful pace of drums and insistent, building guitar. Perhaps a bit of shadow lurks beneath the sunny veneer.

Without warning, things change direction and a bridge builds out– a slowed tempo oozing with a “party’s over” sense of resignation as Hargett himself resigns: “And after all/Is said and done/We have to go.” But is the party really really over? No time for contemplation– as all traces of the bridge have melted away, replaced by the resurgence of the frenzied, driving pace that you were just starting to miss.

This track has the feel of being on a spontaneous road trip; and although Hargett and Co. make a pit-stop halfway through the wild ride to get out of the car, pace around a bit and contemplate the universe, they more than make up for the break once they get back on the highway; with tires screeching, steering wheel swerving, and blissful, reckless abandon charting the course through to the song’s abrupt end. Damn right, it left me wanting more.

As it happens, this month Crystal Stilts will be rolling through a slew of East Coast (and even a few Midwest) cities with some live dates. Schedule below:

6.14.14 – Rock and Roll Hotel [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][tickets] – Washington, DC*@

6.15.14- Ottobar [tickets] – Baltimore, MD*

6.16.14- Cattivo- [tickets] – Pittsburgh, PA*

6.17.14- Mahall’s [tickets] – Cleveland, OH*

6.18.14- Empty Bottle [tickets]- Chicago, IL*

6.19.14- The Warehouse- Ann Arbor, MI*

6.20.14- NXNE- The Garrison- Toronto, ON

6.21.14- Il Motore- Montreal, QC

6.22.14- Space Gallery [tickets]- Portland, ME

6.27.14- Baby’s All Right [tickets]- Brooklyn, NY#

*with Juan Wauters

@ with Craft Spells

# with Christines

[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

ALBUM REVIEW: Yellow Ostrich “Cosmos”

Since beginning his solo project Yellow Ostrich, singer-guitarist Alex Schaaf has been making music prolifically and with fanatical focus. Within a couple of years of its inception, while Schaaf was still a college student, Yellow Ostrich had recorded two full-length albums and three EPs, each of which barreled with blinders on in a direction that had little in common with that of the previous release. In 2009, one of Yellow Ostrich’s earlier releases, The Serious Kids EP, consisted of a six-track foray into acousti-fied electronic dance music. The same month, a Morgan Freeman tribute EP surfaced on the group’s Bandcamp page. Suffice it to say that Schaaf doesn’t shy away from experimentation, nor the prospect of devoting an entire album to that experimentation.

Yellow Ostrich has grown since those days. Having added drummer Michael Tapper, and then, later on, bassist Zach Rose and Jared Van Fleet on keys, Schaaf remains the center of the band. Though as a solo artist, the sheer amount of sound Schaaf was able to orchestrate was impressive, it’s difficult now to imagine Yellow Ostrich without Tapper’s drum work. But though beefier instrumentation makes Schaaf’s penchant for big, unpredictable themes a bit less obvious, those deeply delved-into concept albums are by no means an outgrown phase for Yellow Ostrich.

By way of preparation, Schaaf moved into the band’s windowless Brooklyn practice space for nine months before writing the songs on Cosmos. There, he studied astronomy, and artificially recreated of the cycle of daylight and night in lieu of going outside. When he did start to write, the album developed an obsession with darkness and light. “Pull the shades down and never let go,” Schaaf intones on “Shades,” and then inverts the image in the following track with the wearily repeated line “hiding under the brightest light.” Less poppy and more violent than anything the group had so far put out, Schaaf’s vocals cycle over delicate electronics and heavy guitars like waves crashing unenthusiastically against a wooden dock at nighttime.

For all its well-researched complexities, Cosmos retains the element that’s been threaded through all of Yellow Ostrich’s deviations: it assumes, for lack of a better term, a sense of wonder in its audience. It’s easy to find sections of Schaaf’s vocal track precious, his looping melodies boring. The group has, in interviews, expressed preference for playing college campuses, and it’s easy to see why: the ideal Yellow Ostrich fan is deeply enthrall-able and eager to suspend disbelief. Even if the group’s grand, far-flung scope won’t appeal to all listeners, the prospect of being invited to dig deep in this album adds an allure to the deceptively catchy, pulsing echoes of Cosmos.

Walk, don’t fly, over to Facebook for more Yellow Ostrich. Listen to “Shades,” off Cosmos, below:

ALBUM REVIEW: Kins

Thomas Savage’s anxious tenor takes center stage on Kins‘ eponymous album’s opener, “Pale Faced Fear.” Channeling both the chilliness and unhindered expression of Radiohead’s frontman, a fellow Thom, Savage saunters over the track, his voice cascading over all its low beats and lingering echoes. That spaciness gives Kins the feel of an album made someplace dark and cold, and in fact, it was: the sometimes-quartet relocated, in the winter of 2012, from its Australian home base to a basement apartment by the water in Brighton, England to record Kins.

As idyllic as the Brighton seaside may sound, the album has a lot of bleakness to it. Savage’s voice recedes from the forefront as Kins wears on, never again to be as clearly in focus as it is on “Pale Faced Fear.” Instead, the vocals become part of a backdrop of smudged harmonies, swirling bass and keys. The impressionistic layering of the instrumentals conjures a pretty sound, but though its foundation is solid, Kins develops into an album that never really settles on a focal point.

Which seems like an easy conclusion to come to, given that the band has a track called “Aimless” on here. In fact, that song is one of the more driven on Kins. “Aimless” makes a bid for the return of a strong vocal line, adhering to a conventional song structure more so than the preceding tracks. Then, “Under The Radar” pairs voice with understated, bubbling instrumentals that—more than anywhere else on the album—draw the group’s rhythmic complexity into a balanced arrangement.

It’s clear that Kins’ focus is on subverting the ear’s expectations, stretching out phrases and avoiding easy rhythmic progressions. But, in this case, that intent leads somewhere uninspiring. While the album can be beautiful, it is just as often boring, and the complex evocation created by Kins’ orchestration ultimately amounts to backdrop—a painstakingly created stage set with an unclaimed microphone in the center.

Head over to Kins’ Facebook page, and listen to “Under The Radar,” off Kins, below!

TRACK REVIEW: David T. Little “…and there was morning – the Second Day”

David T. Little’s seemingly inborn theatricality complements his music’s strong themes. A classical composer with a rock drumming background who, in the company of an array of edgy and sometimes rock-leaning classical groups–the Kronos Quartet, Alarm Will Sound, and his own project Newspeak, to name a few–flirts with the rock/classical boundary, Little’s got a knack for unlikely but accurate pairings. In “…and there was morning – the Second Day,” the first track released off his forthcoming album Haunt of Last Nightfall, that tension lies between the courteous delicacy of minuet-ish xylophone trills and heavy strains of hard rock.

In early 2013, Little’s evening-long, multi-perspective cantata “Soldier Songs” demonstrated this blend of theme and experimentation on a grand scale. After interviewing soldiers, Little divided the experience into three phases of life–the young soldier playing war games, the fighting soldier, and the old soldier reflecting on his experience–to draw tormented circles around the ultimately incommunicable experience of war. Details like hip hop music filtering out of young soldiers earbuds add sharp, astute, and decidedly Little-ish twists on the music.

In “…and there was morning,” the parallel lines–one light, one heavy–lose separation as the song progresses, the bell-like melody drawn into and eventually transformed by the dark, rock and roll line. For all the new dawn-ness of its title, there’s little salvation in this song. Biblically, the second day marks a separation between the waters, and the creation of the heavenly expanse that sits between them. The song plays with boundaries and borders, considers and inverts the meaning behind their distinctions, but doesn’t seem to end with separation–if anything, the opposite is true. The song begins clear and clean, the xylophone separated into neat phrases, but by halfway through the track this line has been overtaken by chaos, churning electronics and sinister bass line lows. Little’s imagination is active, creating shadows out of clean separations, and a kaleidoscopic image out of a familiar picture.

David T. Little’s new album, Haunt of Last Nightfall, is out February 25th on New Amsterdam Records. Listen to the first single off that album, “…and there was morning – the Second Day” below:

ALBUM REVIEW: Gringo Star “Float Out To See”

Though the world is hardly hurting for sixties-inspired doo-wop indie rock, Gringo Star‘s latest release, Floating Out To See, skews rock and roll in an irrepressibly colorful direction that’s too much fun not to pay attention to. Brothers Nicholas and Peter Furgiuele grew up raiding their parents’ record collection, and it shows: the Atlanta-based trio composed of the two brothers and, most recently, multi-instrumentalist Chris Kaufmann repurpose sunny riffs and hummable harmonies from sixties rock. Sometimes, their music could fit right onto a record from that decade, but more often a Gringo Star song feels like more than imitation: they recall the atmosphere of blissful excitement behind a Beach Boys song or a Turtles song, but along with evocative chord progressions and a generous helping of reverb, Gringo Star mix in plenty of modern-day psychedelic bells and whistles to bring off the finish.

The name, in fact, is not a Beatles reference. As the group told one interviewer a couple of years ago, it’s inspired by Mexican slang they’d picked up working in kitchens. That anecdote gives you a decent idea of what to expect going into Floating Out To See: the project was entirely DIY, the first of the group’s three albums to be put together without a producer, and the tracks on this thing are short, catchy, and crackling. The album sounds like a brilliantly half-baked bid for glory, but if you listen closer, the distortion on this record cloaks a lot of melodic detail and very strong musicianship. It’s as if Gringo Star wants to make simply-constructed instant hits, but can’t resist slipping him an extra riff or harmony here and there.

Then there are the unexpected instrumental breaks that pepper this album. Though they don’t seem to fit into the rest of the music at all, the musical lines are a pleasure to listen to, both on their own and laid over the rest of the band. The first song on this album, “In The Heat,” barely sees a vocal line, instead giving itself over to an easy beat that saunters through the track from start to finish. It’s an unpredictable opener for a band like Gringo Star, and although so many of the group’s beats and harmonies are well-worn, it’s only one of the ways in which Float Out To See defies expectations. Six tracks in, “Satisfy My Mind” melts from a fast-paced cut-and-copy rock number into an extended drum solo, which lasts for a solid thirty seconds.

With tightly controlled musicality, the album speeds up, and slows down, and speeds up again. Sometimes brooding, sometimes barely containing its excitement, Float Out To See contains an impressive number of elegant shifts in mood and intent. Gringo Star hits a gorgeous balance of immaturity and sophistication here, which, hopefully, will afford them room to experiment for many albums to come.

Find Gringo Star on Facebook, and watch the music video for “Find A Love,” off Floating Out To See, here:

TRACK REVIEW: Angel Olsen “Hi-Five”

“I feel so lonesome I could cry,” Angel Olsen half warbles, half snarls on “Hi-Five.” The new single off her forthcoming album, Burn Your Fire for No Witness, blasts by in just under three minutes . Olsen’s voice bristles with clarity, striking a shimmering balance between vulnerability, earnestness, and rock and roll swagger. Pegged as an early frontrunner for a 2014 favorite, Olsen released her debut, Halfway Home in 2012. The first album favored folky acoustic guitar stripped down to spotlight the singer’s voice—one worth spotlighting, with a barreling, Southen-tinged electricity to it that ultimately overpowered its acoustic backdrop.

Nothing could make Olsen’s voice sound bad, but “Hi-Five” is flattered by its harshly lo-fi backdrop. Swampy guitar lines seethe in reverb, prolonging their high notes in the same way that Olsen draws out the highlights of her vocal lines. One of the singer’s many talents has always been an elegant lyrical handling of angst; her songs deal with isolation, betrayal, and being unable to speak one’s mind. The vocal lines double back on themselves too quickly to be mistaken for self-pity, the dejection cracks a smile, and on “Hi-Five,” Olsen follows up the crooning “Are you lonely too? Are you lonely too?” with an unsentimental “High five, so am I.”

The new album is a more rugged approach to familiar material, but that doesn’t mean Burn Your Fire will lose the intimacy of Olsen’s previous work. Although the increase in guitar work can make it seem, on first listen, as if Olsen is abandoning the folky stylings we saw so much of in Halfway Home, it’s really just a punchier interpretation of the same gorgeous, forlorn soul music. Instead of a new direction, Olsen’s recent singles seem to better encapsulate the goals she’s always had.

Burn Your Fire for No Witness will be out February 18^th on Jagjaguwar. You can listen to “Hi-Five” below via SoundCloud, and click here to watch the video “Forgiven/Forgotten,” the first single off the new album.

FLASHBACK FRIDAY: Elvis Joins The Army

As 1957 wound to a close, Elvis Presley was twenty-two and a mega-star. He’d taken several steps during that year towards becoming the icon he’s remembered as today: earlier in 1957, he began dying his hair black and made his third appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show There he was filmed from the waist up, per censors, although by that time the sex appeal ship had sailed for Presley: already he’d been dubbed “Elvis the Pelvis.” He bought Graceland, his iconic Memphis mansion, and moved in with his parents in time for Christmas.

On December 20, Presley received the draft summons that sent him to Germany the following year. Though Presley apparently feared that the notice would sabotage his career, his image as soldier only bolstered his appeal, particularly because he’d been given the choice to enlist as Special Services and perform for troops. He chose to be a foot soldier instead. His time spent in the army was fateful in several ways. Presley grew dependent on barbiturates while serving–a habit which triggered later drug use and contributed to his early demise. But more positive, less personal changes ensued, too—the army made Presley a more flexible icon. Already established as smooth-talking, sharply-dressed rock ‘n’ roll royalty, Presley’s army career added ruggedness to his public image. News crews filmed Presley being sworn in and, three years later, discharged. Subsequently, stories about this time in his life figured him an American hero—not just a pop star.

When he was drafted, Presley’s single at the time, “Jailhouse Rock,” moved the singer away from his golden boy image into grittier territory. “Jailhouse Rock,” featured in one of his most successful movies, achieved fanatical acclaim in the second half of 1957. Aside from the generally seedy aesthetic the song cultivates to go along with its subject matter, it’s a miracle that “Jailhouse Rock” ever snuck by the censors at all—famously homoerotic lyric “Number 47 said to number 3/You’re the cutest jailbird I ever did see/I sure would be delighted with your company/Come on and do the jailhouse rock with me” made Presley’s unwholesome side exciting and sexy, and not in a “Love Me Tender” kind of way. The army similarly expanded the reach of Presley’s reign, confirming the heroism his deep bass and dance moves had always posited.

Check out the original video for “Jailhouse Rock” below:

LIVE REVIEW: Built to Spill 11/07

As a music reviewer, when you get the chance to attend a concert for well known rockers at a legendary rock venue, you don’t exactly turn down the opportunity. And I’m so glad I said yes to seeing Built to Spill play Irving Plaza last Thursday. While the band isn’t one that I follow particularly closely, they are one of only a handful of bands I’ve seen live more than once. The first time was as an opener for Kings of Leon (this was pre Caleb Followill meltdown/rehab/wife/baby situation, as in, right before they cancelled their tour in 2010) and I was surprised at how well they played live and the unique tone of vocalist Doug Martsch. Naturally, after that concert, I went home and downloaded a ton of their music, which I listened to for a few weeks and then drifted off to other bands. After receiving the news that I would be seeing them, I dug into my iTunes for those tracks I had saved and rediscovered what had originally caught my attention the first time I saw them play live. Needless to say, I recognized that the show at Irving would be awesome.

Opener Slam Dunk started the night with its cool brand of pop rock. The Canadian natives sounded uniform and their songs were interesting to listen to. They were a great pick to get the crowd amped for the concert to come, and played a lively set. However, they were followed by the less than impressive The Warm Hair, the lead singer for whom appeared to be attempting to hold onto younger days when he tore up the stage, under the influence of unknown substance, the effects of which show clearly on him in the present day. He entered barefoot with his denim shirt unbuttoned, revealing a skinny, bony chest. His long, frizzy hair seemed to be an unspoken mascot for the band name and he often mumbled incoherent ramblings about his muse, for whom he wrote what seemed to be most of the songs. By the end of their performance, several people in the audience were shouting for Built to Spill to hurry up and come out already.

Luckily, Built to Spill did eventually take the stage to save what had become a very awkward performance. As I had previously predicted, it was a great show. Martsch still has the ability to capture the room and the band followed suit, keeping up with the energy. I don’t know many of the songs by heart, but jammed along when they played familiar hits such as “Strange,” “Liar,” “Reasons,” and “Carry the Zero.” My only complaint was that several of the instrumental breaks got a little carried away. However, as that’s worst thing that happened during their performance, it is easily forgivable. As I watched Martsch perform, I remembered his signature performance style. He wags his head side to side while singing and juts his right knee up and down while playing his guitar in swift, unison motions. It looks difficult and tiring to perform this way, but it works for him and feels seamless with who he is. Without this usual feature, the performance would look almost alien.

Built to Spill fans proved themselves fiercely loyal to the band, chanting along with song lyrics and showing wells of enthusiasm for the ’90s rockers. Despite their lack of current work, they have a steady following, and are content to continue performing their favorite songs from both 2009’s There is No Enemy as well as older releases. When they finally walked off after their last song, the audience showed they hadn’t had enough. While most performances end with cries for encores, the sincerity of the crowd’s request for more music was remarkably earnest. The band had already surpassed its allotted time, but no one seemed disappointed with the opportunity to hear more. They ended with my favorite song — and the only one I know all the words to — “Car,” from 1994’s Their’s Nothing Wrong with Love: a great ending to a great show.

[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][retweet][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

FLASHBACK FRIDAY: “The Big Come Up”

Ending your band’s debut album with a 23-minute hidden track is a bold move, but then again, The Black Keys have always been pretty bold in their bluegrass/garage rock. Years before they were selling out tours throughout the country, Akron, Ohio natives Dan Auerbach (guitar/vocals) and Patrick Carney (drums) were jamming in their basement, penning tracks that would soon become their first DIY full-length, The Big Come Up (2002). Auerbach and Carney had sent a demo to several record companies, eventually securing the support of Alive, an indie label in California that didn’t even require the duo to perform for them.

The boys’ DIY roots extend to their sound. The songs on this album are much more raw than the polished versions of the duo’s latest albums, but that lends the early tracks something special and nostalgic. Although it consists of only a few original songs written by the bandmates (who began their friendship in middle school), those original songs exude a unique roughness that is rarely found anymore. They rock their guitars and drums, but they take their time as they make their way through each track.

However, the covers themselves shouldn’t be taken for granted, as they so perfectly convey the band’s style. Their take on The Beatles’ “She Said, She Said” turns the light, airy feel of the original and adds heavier rock, turning up the guitars and thus incorporating another layer of passion to the track. On “Leavin’ Trunk,” Auerbach and Carney flair up the blues standard with their own interpretation.

The part original composition, part cover album didn’t initially gain the pair many followers outside of Ohio, but it did manage to attract the attention of Fat Possum Records, which produced several of their subsequent albums. The garage rock band had something different to offer in the early millennium, and eventually people took notice. Their single, “I’ll Be Your Man,” one of the best from the album, later received much recognition, including use as the theme song for HBO’s “Hung.”

Throughout several albums after The Big Come Up, The Black Keys refined their style and slowly weaned themselves off of covers, to produce fresh music of their own. While they’ve released chart-topping albums since their beginning, their roots of blues rock will always be a part of their sound and image. The Big Come Up not only started it all, but also influenced it all.

Listen to “I’ll be your man”, here, via Youtube:

[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”] [retweet][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

FLASHBACK FRIDAY: Kings of Leon “Youth and Young Manhood”

Anthony Caleb Followill, Ivan Nathan Followill and Michael Jared Followill — who go by their middle names — spent their childhood traveling the southern states while their father, Ivan Leon Followill, delivered sermons as an United Pentecostal Church pastor. As detailed in the Kings of Leon’s documentary, Talihina Sky, their father’s religion had a great influence on the family. The boys were enrolled in religious education when they were not home-schooled by their mother, Betty Ann. Eventually, Ivan became overwhelmed by his religion, which may have been a contributing factor in his divorce with Betty Ann and the boys going their own way — Caleb and Nathan moved to Nashville, Tenn., their birth state, to try their hand at music. They had performed in choirs with their church, but now that they were on their own and free of the religion’s strict hold, they began experimenting with heavy drugs and rock and roll. The two rejected the idea of a musical duo and recruited their younger brother Jared as their bassist — although at the time he had no experience with a guitar — while Caleb and Nathan would become vocalist/guitarist and drummer, respectively. Once they “kidnapped” their cousin Matthew to play guitar, the band was set.

Caleb and Nathan had signed a deal with RCA, who promised to check up on the band after a month. In that month, the brothers and cousin began planning what would become the Holy Roller Novocaine EP, a five-track offering of drug-induced hard rock with blues influence, released in 2003. The boys sang of women, narcotics and fame. Their hair was long and their bellbottoms were flared: they were the image of southern rock and rebellion. Four songs of Holy Roller Novocaine became part of the band’s first full release, Youth and Young Manhood, later that year.

The album opens with clashing guitars and drums and Caleb’s quick lyrics about a girl prostituting herself and the attitude of the men she serves. This song quickly sets the tone of the rest of the album full of smoky rooms and rock and roll. The best of the album is found in the songs riffed from Holy Roller Novocaine. “California Waiting” involved Caleb crooning about how he just wants to be alone and live his life how we wants without the influence of others. “Molly’s Chambers” was redone to a quick, hard-hitting jam about a girl who enslaves men in her “chambers” for her fun. They both hate and love this temptress. “Holy Roller Novocaine” is probably the track most straightforwardly about drugs — and also sex, of course, likely the result of many days spent in the Followill’s basement, jamming and drugging, (just like all great rock and roll, right?) The closing track ends with “Talihina Sky,” a rare, slower track for this album. The song is a homage to their hometown in Tennessee and explores the theme of leaving. Beautiful both sonically and conceptually, it is the track that they later used as the name of their documentary and is probably one of their best overall. It’s relatable in the sense of wanting to leave home, and offers a serious note regarding the themes of drugs and sex, pervasive throughout the album.

Youth and Young Manhood set Kings of Leon up on their path to stardom. It’s interesting to think that before Caleb penned 2008’s “Use Somebody,” a commercial hit, he and his family were producing music of this nature. But it’s some of their best work. The brothers and cousin revisited some of their roots with Mechanical Bull‘s “Don’t Matter,” paying homage to some of the rock that influenced them early on. Though they’ve evolved in their sound — some say “selling out” into the mainstream — they will always maintain that southern rock and roll ethos they developed in the beginning.

[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/111290371″ width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

[/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/21801327″ width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

LIVE REVIEW: Bosnian Rainbows at The Bowery Ballroom

The Bowery Ballroom is a place I only remember through other people’s experiences. I’ve picked up at least two friends from the venue, each emerging from the darkness with tales of music, drink and being hit on by skinny hipsters. New York has an uncanny ability to recreate memories for you, and as I walked into the space I was immediately greeted by a few dejavu’s: the solemn look of the audience as they wait for the opener, the look of contempt from the people you share a couch with, and that beautiful look whiskey gives off…under any circumstance.

We sat in a back room with the light bulb twisted off (the overhead brights were too much to take) waiting for the opener; Rye Coalition had unexpectedly cancelled so it was up to Sacramento band Sister Crayon to bring the initial heat. Lead singer Terra Lopez’s voice cuts through ambient sounds to deliver clear, borderline operatic vocals; her dynamic with Dani Fernandez, who plays backing tracks, is arresting. Terra almost always sang in the direction of Dani, allowing the music to build seamlessly throughout the set. There isn’t a great deal of show in Sister Crayon, the feeling of watching the group ran parallel to the way they were lit: single colors, dark, unfocused; the perfect music for reflection.

The highlight of the set for me was Sister Crayon’s stellar performance of their single “Floating Heads”; the song has the right combination of the bands best traits: moody undertones, backed by the power of Lopez’s voice: “You can keep the past away. You can keep the past away. Mouthing mantras to make me calm, look at what I’ve done.” The band has gone through a lot of changes in the two years since their initial formation; Lopez and Fernandez performed as duo Silent and Clementine for the first year, before bringing in keys player Genarro Ulloa and drummer Nicholas Suhr. Lopez said of band’s name change: “I didn’t want to be shy anymore, and I wanted to have a name that was bolder, and a completely different alter ego”.

Bosnian Rainbows may relate to the feeling of changing alter egos. The band was created when ex-Mars Volta/At the Drive-In guitarist Omar Rodríguez-López invited Teri Gender Bender (Le Butcherettes), Deantoni Parks and Nicci Kasper (KUDU) to perform material off of Rodríguez-López’s Octopus Koolaid; it was during impromptu jam sessions that the group first saw the potential of starting a new band. Rodríguez-López said of the group “It’s completely different in that it’s completely collaborative. All four people are composing. We all have input on everything. A track can start from anything. It can go from a phrase that somebody likes lyrically to a track that the rest of us flesh out and flip around. The idea was to put together a group of four band leaders, four producers, four composers…Nobody has a reason to be here except wanting to serve the music”

The first time I saw Bosnian Rainbows live I watched Teri Gender Bender punch herself in the throat while singing. It is a moment that has come to epitomize the band for me: a group of artists who normally push back even in collaboration, finding a common ground to build upon. My own anticipation of their performance was apparent as I sucked down my whiskeys and talked excitedly beside dull-faced strangers.

“Eli, Eli, you can’t tell left from right
Eli, Eli, your eyes are black and white
Why, why, why, why do you smile at me?
Oh, why do you smile at me?”

In Gender Bender’s first moments on stage she stands like a rock; the music drifting around her body as she slowly bends, her voice expelling the words. The band works like a well-oiled machine: no lyric, no note out of place. The audience connects to the music through Gender Bender; it’s her hands they get to touch, her body that is flung out into the crowd, her bare feet moving lithely across the stage. “I use my body as an instrument”, she has said of her movements; indeed the way that she contorts her body throughout a performance has the power of speech. Just as she is the only band member who sings lead, she is also the only one who speaks between songs; her ‘thank yous’ are sweet and disarming, very different from her on stage persona.

The inclusive nature of the group is apparent within the scope of this debut album; it isn’t an album where one could pick out who wrote what. It has a great deal of range between singles, but the arc is decidedly spooky and popish. Bosnian Rainbow’s next project is a Spanish version of the same album. The group hopes that this will open up new doors in Latin Rock, as many concert venues in Latin America only allow acts that play in Spanish. Whether their next show is in Spanish or English, I know that I will be there.

The show was solid; entertaining; introspective and dangerous all at the same time. It’s music that forces your body to move, even though I doubt anyone would call it dance music. But I did dance. I danced to the beats of ‘Dig Right In Me’; I bounced to the hypnotic, sinister ‘I Cry For You’; I swayed to the lovelorn feel of ‘Turtleneck”.

Bosnian Rainbows doesn’t do encores. And as far as I can tell, there is no need for them to start. By the end of a Bosnian Rainbow show the audience is exhausted, drunk from the performance as well as the whiskey gingers.

Tag: Rock