Category: News
Song Premiere: Sam Burchfield: “Spring”
We’ve got a good one for you here. Our bud Sam Burchfield has dropped a new single in anticipation of his upcoming EP, and we’re all ears. Check out “Spring” below, and be sure to catch Sam on his current tour!
Petal: “Heaven”
Hailing from Scranton, Pennsylvania, Petal is a band featuring Kiley Lotz, occasionally members of Tigers Jaw like Brianna Collins, and a few rotating others. Sounding like a simpler Tigers Jaw and a less low-fi Fog Lake, Petal released an EP called Scout in 2012 that was met with high praise. Since then, there have been a few singles released in anticipation of a debut LP with Run for Cover Records called Shame to be released Oct. 23, 2015.
Most recently, Petal released a music video for the song “Heaven” off of the up-coming Shame. With complimentary vocals stretching across a high range, “Heaven” reaches for the skies and also the heart. The video, shot in New York City in a total of three days, highlights the interactions people have with one another in their daily lives, and emphasizes the special moments that we may all take for granted. According to Petal’s blog, “I wanted this video to touch on some deeper meaning, that everyone has intrinsic value and is worthy of love.”
Check out the music video here, thanks to The A.V. Club.
Modern Baseball: “The Thrash Particle”
The indie punk, emo punk, or whatever you want to call it band Modern Baseball has released a new single called “The Thrash Particle”. It is unknown whether or not this will be featured on an upcoming album, split, or if it’s just a new stand-alone track. The only thing we know is that Modern Baseball has been working on a more mature sound, and “The Thrash Particle” shows some deep jealousy wounds. Brendan Lukens, lead singer and guitarist, softly speaks about a broken-heart past and how that made him decide to change and be more careful in the future. This Modern Baseball is going the distance with new resolve.
Check out “The Thrash Particle” below, which premiered first on The Fader.
Kurt Vile: b’lieve i’m goin down
Kurt Vile’s new album, b’lieve i’m goin down, opens with “Pretty Pimpin.” The riff immediately implants itself in the listener’s mind and forces him/her to learn the lyrics. Vile, formerly of The War on Drugs, exhibits a lingering twang, ironic considering he hails from Philadelphia. His country-tinged rock combines synth-laced beats to create catchy, western melodies that make any listener feel a little bad. “Pretty Pimpin” is just one of many popular singles from the album. The track begins with a foot stomping melody and transitions into Vile’s raw vocals. With the monotone fluidity of Leonard Cohen and the inflections of Lou Reed, Vile comes through with a stripped down album of genuine lyrics and haunting melodies.
Vile’s bluegrass background reveals itself in “I’m an Outlaw.” A synthetic beat compliments Vile’s banjo fingerpicking to produce a western, country vibe. The fingerpicking continues in “That’s Life, tho (almost hate to say)” with heavy acoustic sounds. The track is softer, and its simplicity allows Vile’s deep vocals and lyrics shine through. Another popular single, “Life Like This” moves away from the southern style to a evocative piano melody.
Vile’s rough-cut style combines his bluegrass background with modern alternative styles. Vile’s smooth but distinct vocals soften stark chord changes. Likewise, Vile is just as capable of producing a slow, sweet track like “All in a Daze Work.” The album really speaks to Vile’s progress since the start of his solo career in 2008 with Constant Hitmaker. Don’t let Vile’s long, tangled mane intimidate you, his songs are lovely and comforting.
5/5
Mac Demarco: Another One
Mac Demarco is a relatively new artist that not everyone has heard of. My first encounter with him was on a sticker on the back of my friend’s laptop. I had to ask, “Who was this strange man surrounded by lettuce, bearing a large and mesmerizing gap toothed smile?” Once I bought my Shaky Knees ticket for summer 2015 and saw that he was on the lineup, I delved into the soft rock, surfer sound that is Mac Demarco. His first album Ying Yang released in 2010 with 2 following in 2012. Perhaps it wasn’t until Salad Day,s released in 2014, that Demarco started to acquire a larger following (or at least until I jumped on the bandwagon).
Salad Days seemed to add clarity and value to Demarco’s unique sound. His style does seem to have a subtle beach vibe, but most of all it is unique in it’s effects and smooth melodies. As a friend pointed out, what sounds like an echo or distortion effect on Demarco’s guitar and vocals, sounds as if it could be some sort of physical recording manipulation. This theory came with the realization that Demarco’s live performance sounded subtly different than his studio recordings. Soon after Salad Days, in fact a mere two weeks ago, Demarco released his newest album Another One. Although the album is short with only 8 tracks, it is well recorded and features Demarco’s signature laid back sound. However, this album, unlike any of his other albums, seems to make use of 80’s synthesizer sounds that can be heard in tracks like “Another One” and “A Heart Like Hers.” Demarco’s personality and humor comes out in this album. The last track, “My House By the Water,” is almost three minutes of the sound of the tide coming in, water rolling over rocks, overlaid with a somewhat eerie synthesizer tune. This is the environment that Demarco inhabits. He has no worries and no cares, just a twenty-something making fun music and entertaining people. Finally, in the last few seconds of the track, a man’s voice can be heard, almost automated. He relays an address, and it’s not until the voice says “Stop on by, I’ll make you a cup of coffee. See ya later,” that you realize it is Mac Demarco, himself, inviting you to his home.
5/5
Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp
Set in 1981, Wet Hot American Summer (2001) is the story of Camp Firewood and the raunchy counselors who strive to make their last day of camp one they’ll never forget. Directed by David Wain, WHAS is comprised of a hilarious cast starring Paul Rudd as Andy, the bad boy who has a way with the ladies, specifically Katie, played by Marguerite Moreau, Amy Poehler and Bradley Cooper dominate the camp thespians, and Michael Showalter acts as “Coop,” the stories main character who is just trying to fit in and find a girlfriend, also specifically Katie. Michael Ian Black, Molly Shannon, Christopher Meloni and Elizabeth Banks also contribute to the deadpan humor and witty jokes.
Fourteen years later, David Wain and Michael Showalter have created an 8 episode series of Camp Firewood, only this time set in 1981 on the first day of camp. ATTENTION: only watch the series, if you have watched the movie first. The humor stays the same, but a lot of it depends on the audience’s knowledge of the movie. The series is funny in its telling of origins: how “Coop” came to wear a cut off shirt and a puka shell necklace, how Katie and Andy became an item and how H. Jon Benjamin became “The Can.” New faces enroll in the camp: Jason Schwartzman, “Weird Al,” Jordan Peele, John Hamm, Kristen Wiig, and Chris Pine among others. And you can’t beat the awesome music!
The series doesn’t miss a beat, and the fact that the actors are fourteen years older playing fifteen and sixteen year old’s makes it that much more hilarious. Furthermore, the series is quick, 8 episodes on Netflix no longer than thirty minutes and literally no brainpower required, just watch and laugh.
5/5
Preview: Campfest 2015
With the recent news that Wet Hot American Summer is getting a Netflix reboot, it’s easy to slip into campy (sorry) nostalgia. Think back to the halcyon days of food on sticks, eau de bug spray lingering in the air, and weirdly intense two-month friendships which end in unfulfilled promises to “totally write to each other like all the time!!” If you find yourself missing summer camp, then boy, do we have good news for you: Campfest. Is. Here.
In the same way that Dave & Buster’s is a Chuck E. Cheese for adults, Campfest is a return to the cherished American tradition of outdoorsy, activity-packed summer camp – with a musical twist. We could tell you about the crafting on crafting on crafting, or the karaoke and cornhole competitions, or even the festival’s preposterously picturesque location at a real summer camp in the Blue Ridge mountains of Georgia. But this being Vinyl Mag we’re gonna tell you about the surprisingly rad band lineup.
Making an appearance at the inaugural event are Cold War Kids, the Whigs, Langhorne Slim, Roadkill Ghost Choir, Hey Rosetta!, and Margo and the Pricetags. What better way to stay warm (as warm as you’ll want to stay on a September night in Georgia) in the mountains than a few great bands playing anthemic, ringing rock and roll?
Indie rock is a broad umbrella. If you’re into the harsher, rawer chord assault side of things (as this writer surely is), the Whigs are your bag – check the nuclear bomb that is “Someone’s Daughter”. And you know we always love giving shoutouts to the hometown heroes. But for the mellower folks out there, Cold War Kids and Hey Rosetta! make what I like to call midnight music. It’s contemplative, heavily reverbed, and is generally good for looking thoughtfully out of a car window at the world racing by. Hey Rosetta!’s excellent 2015 record Second Sight is full of such offerings. Cold War Kids, as most of you probably know, make alternative piano ballads that are the perfect comforting nightcaps after a long day of adult league dodgeball. And then there’s the funk side of things, brought to Campfest courtesy of Alanna Royale and her Dap-Kings vibiness. Goes without saying that this lady has a killer voice.
Alternately, Langhorne Slim (nee Sean Scolnick) prefers the rootsier side of bouncy acoustic rock. Though he hasn’t released music since 2012, his discography goes back nearly a decade and is full of fantastic bluegrass-informed numbers like “Coffee Cups” and “Set Em Up”. Speaking of roots music, you mainly need to get your ass here to see newcomers Margo and the Pricetags. They hail from Nashville and unfortunately aren’t on Spotify yet, but that’s no excuse not to fall in love with her whip smart back-t0-basics country.
It’s worth mentioning that Campfest, which runs September 18-20 in Camp Blue Ridge, GA, isn’t even done announcing its full lineup. Wristbands and day passes are on sale here, but why the heck wouldn’t you want to overnight it?
Modest Mouse “The Ground Walks, with Time in a Box”
Modest Mouse released their newest album “Strangers to Ourselves” March 2015 with hit singles such as “Lampshades on Fire” and “Coyotes.” Now, a new music video accompanies one 0f the most familiar tracks, “The Ground Walks, with Time in a Box.” The video opens slow and dramatic, strange creatures in straw hoods walk across what seems to be a landfill; lead singer, Isaac Brock is king of the wasteland. The video is hard to grasp with a gray tone and Brock’s energetic facial expressions, almost unsettling and a little bit mind boggling. Brock rules the junk in a crown made of scrap metal and almost nothing but an animal pelt on his back. Geometric shapes wave across the video in true Modest Mouse form. Plastic bag angels and dark lipped maidens are his followers, and Brock oversees them all with a maniacal grin on his face. Pops of color bring life to the scene and coincide with the upbeat track. I guess one man’s trash is Isaac Brock’s treasure.
Yuck “Hold Me Closer”
Yuck is one of those hidden gems from the UK because of it’s unique sound combination of rock and pop, along with subtle surfer and punk vibes. The band, manned by Max Bloom of Cajun Dance Party, Mariko Doi, Jonny Rogoff and Ed Hayes, has been compared to the likes of My Bloody Valentine and Dinosaur Jr. Among their various singles, the band has only released two studio albums, Yuck (2011) and Glow and Behold (2013). Their debut, self-titled album put them on the map with tracks like “Shook Down” and “Get Away,” which found popularity in the States. Their most recent short album, Southern Skies (2014), features 4 tracks, all very ethereal, very pop-rock, very Yuck. Now, their website allows you to listen to their newest single “Hold Me Closer.” The single opens with a rhythmic guitar riff and follows high pitched guitar scales that give it a classic rock sound. At about 3:10, the track slows to a more romantic melody.
Tom DeLonge Responds to Bandmates’ Statement
The Blink-182 feud continues, as Tom DeLonge (guitarist/vocalist) defends himself from his former bandmates’ (Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker) accusations that he was “disrespectful and ungrateful,” as well as their statement that he quit the band through his manager without doing them the courtesy of informing them directly.
In his (ridiculously long) Facebook diatribe, DeLonge condescendingly claims moral and professional superiority over Hoppus and Barker (best line in the letter – “But I guess that’s another example of how I differ from most. I follow the light… I follow passion and I make art. I hang with my son, my daughter and my wife.”), playing the victim and humblebragging that his only failure was putting his faith in them instead of trusting his own instincts and judgement.
And, of course, it wouldn’t be a Tom DeLonge post about Blink-182 if it didn’t have some shameless Angels & Airwaves plugging as well.
Check out the full letter below:
LETTER TO THE FANS
Where to begin?
The truth is always a good place. Let’s go there.
I love Blink and am incredibly grateful for having it in my life. It has given me everything. EVERYTHING. I started this band, it was in my garage where I dreamed up the mischief.
So what have I been doing behind the scenes? Well, I’ve tried to make things work. I’ve tried to help move this band down 50 different paths using my people, or other people, and people we don’t even know. I tried to put forth ideas about how we can grow and challenge ourselves to become a better band. I’m not sitting around waiting for someone else to do the work. I’m not wired that way.
The big reset was when I tried to put together a band summit in Utah where we’d talk and work things out. It quickly was narrowed down to three hours in someone’s dressing room in a shitty casino. What I hoped would be a positive get-together away from everything turned into an awkward meeting in a smelly convention hall dressing room. But it was there that I told Mark and Travis that as long as we talked, and things were good between us as real friends, that I would be engaged and work passionately. I’d mirror our personal relationship. Exact words.
Then, the EP was the test. Months later, we’re recording those songs. I was in the studio for two months and they came in for around 11 days. I didn’t mind leading the charge, but we had all agreed to give it 100%. And this time- no baggage.
Despite that, we still somehow managed to self-sabotage.
At one point, squabbling and politics forced me to pull the EP down at a time when 60,000 fans were trying to purchase it. And that blew my mind. I’d been trying so hard but that moment ultimately broke my spirit. I then realized that this band couldn’t lose the years of ill will.
It was after that episode that I promised myself I would never be in that position again – to rely on the words we said to each other.
I remember asking one of them on the phone, “did you try your best? Like we all agreed to?” He was silent.
Are they at fault?
Am I? Of course. I’m nuts.
But there’s three of us – we’re all accountable. At the end of the day, we’ve always been dysfunctional, which is why we haven’t talked in months. But we never did. In the 8 years we have been together it has always been that way.
Over the past two and a half years, while a recording partner was being sought for a new Blink record, I launched a media company. I just put out a new Angels & Airwaves record and as some of you know, there’s a lot more coming – comics, books, a film, etc. The books will all come with music. This is a wheel that’s already in motion. So you can imagine my frustration when I was handed a 60-page Blink contract saying I couldn’t release an Angels album for 9 months and that the Blink album had to be recorded in 6 months, which was impossible for me. Doing so would force me to breach several artist contracts. Authors, Concept Artists, Animators… Many people.
They did eventually drop the Angels provision, but the part about having to finish a Blink album in 6 months remained. All of these other projects are being worked, exist in contract form– I can’t just slam the brakes and drop years of development, partnerships and commitments at the snap of a finger.
I told my manager that I will do Blink 182 as long as it was fun and worked with the other commitments in my life, including my family.
But Mark and Travis know all of this.
I wrote this same letter to them a year ago. But it created a massive argument, the biggest one yet actually. I just wanted us to do things we all agreed on. But that was their moment to dig in. From their view I was controlling everything. In reality, I was scared to put myself out there again. To repeat the EP experience.
I also wrote all of this to their managers this past December (who told me my bandmates weren’t angry and agreed with some of my ideas of how to grow the band).
So you can imagine my surprise when a press release went out yesterday—without my knowledge—about the band’s future. This is new to me. It’s not in my nature to fuel negativity about the legacy of the band on something as trashy as the Internet world.
But I guess that’s another example of how I differ from most. I follow the light… I follow passion and I make art. I hang with my son, my daughter and my wife.
At the end of the day, all of this makes me really sad.
Sad for us.
Sad for you- that you’re witnessing this immaturity.
I know them very well, and their current actions are defensive and divisive.
I suppose they’re doing this as a way to protect themselves from being hurt.
Like we all do.
And even as I watch them act so different to what I know of them to be, I still care deeply for them. Like brothers, and like old friends. But our relationship got poisoned yesterday.
Never planned on quitting, just find it hard as hell to commit.
–
Tom
Post by Tom DeLonge.