Category: Reviews
Vanessa Carlton: ‘Liberman’
After the reigning success of “A Thousand Miles” from her debut Be Not Nobody in 2003, Vanessa Carlton released the not-so-popular Harmonium (2004) and Heroes & Thieves (2007). Despite the commercial failures of the two albums, Carlton moved on to release Rabbits on the Run through label Razor & Tie in 2011. Critics viewed the album as “introspective,” with generally favorable reviews on rating websites like Metacritic. Roughly four years later, Carlton has discovered a different sound and a different side of herself. After marrying fellow musician John McCauley (Deer Tick) and having a baby girl, Carlton’s life has changed drastically, and that change translates directly to her music. The singer’s upcoming fifth studio album Liberman explores the sensation of taking time off to do things you actually want to do, and the reflection of self that comes with having a change of pace.
Compared to the immediately recognizable commercial pop of “A Thousand Miles,” Liberman has reached into a smooth synth-pop dreamland. “Take It Easy” starts the album with an unexpected direction. Carlton sounds like Ellie Goulding but with drowned out vocals more commonly found in low-fi tracks. The combination left a calming atmosphere for Carlton to achieve another pop success.
The album is saturated with Carlton’s signature piano hooks, and for “Willow” they open the track up without drawing too much attention from Carlton’s vocal range. “Willow” and “Blue Pool” (track 5) give off the impression of a medieval renaissance pub during the middle of a shanty.
The track is immediately followed by the hauntingly beautiful “House of Seven Swords,” where the lyric “together and we’re still on our own” sets the definition for the album. Liberman has Carlton reconnecting to her roots, discussing major life changes and how they’ve impacted her views. “House of Seven Swords” looks at that angle through a sweet and slightly melancholy glass. “Operator” expands on the themes in “House of Seven Swords” more blatantly. As Carlton says, “pack up your things, I don’t care what you bring, leave your house for a home.” Family is now a huge part of Carlton’s life, and her move from New York City to Nashville had to leave behind emotional impact that is reflected in her music.
“Matter of Time” opens with an acoustic guitar, which is very refreshing after an album of mainly synthetic drift. The track also shows variety in layered harmonies, something that Carlton does magnificently. The stripped down sound accompanied by multiple Carltons singing “when is it time to let go?” is a sincere and heartfelt expression towards the world.
Tracks 6 and 8, “Nothing Where Something Used to Be” and “Unlock the Lock” respectively, show more of the mindset that Carlton has acquired, but with less of the variation that is expected from someone of her musical talent. The tracks are catchy enough, but not near the same caliber as other tracks on the album. While not necessarily a let down, they offer a slightly disjointed feel to the rest of the listing.
The real star of the album is the simple and refined “Ascension.” The first minute of the song is filled with alternating piano chords and synthetic distortion that works suprisingly well together. Carlton sings very little on this track, letting the overall sound speak for itself. A good move. Her very obvious piano skills are highlighted while incorporating stylistic elements of shoegaze around 1:46 to add twists to the straightforward song.
Overall, Carlton has experienced a big move. The lyrical reflections of her path in Liberman are honest, playful, and jarring. By stripping down to the core of emotion, Carlton has tapped into her lyrical strengths while experimenting with sound, resulting in a beautiful calming album.
Check out Liberman, out today, and be sure to catch Vanessa on her upcoming US tour (dates below)!
Tour Dates
Oct 30 Louisville, KY @ Zanzabar
Oct 31 Indianapolis, IN @ The Hi-Fi
Nov 01 Iowa City, IA @ The Englert Theatre
Nov 02 Green Bay, WI @ Meyer Theatre
Nov 04 Minneapolis, MN @ Cedar Cultural Center
Nov 05 Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room
Nov 06 Lawrence, KS @ The Bottleneck
Nov 07 St Louis, MO @ Duck Room at Blueberry Hill
Nov 09 Columbus, OH @ A&R Music Bar
Nov 10 Chicago, IL @ City Winery
Nov 11 Evanston, IL @ SPACE
Nov 13 Ann Arbor, MI @ The Blind Pig
Nov 14 Pittsburgh, PA @ Club Cafe
Nov 15 Cleveland, OH @ Music Box Supper Club
Nov 17 London, Ontario @ London Music Hall
Nov 18 Toronto, Ontario @ Mod Club
Nov 20 Montreal, Quebec @ Lion d’Or
Nov 21 Ottawa, Ontario @ Mavericks
Nov 23 Hamilton, Ontario @ Molson Canadian Studio at Hamilton Place
Nov 30 New York, NY @ City Winery
Dec 01 New York, NY @ City Winery
Dec 03 Troy, NY @ Troy Savings Bank Music Hall
Dec 04 Northampton, MA @ Iron Horse Music Hall
Dec 05 Portland, ME @ Asylum
Dec 07 Allston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall
Dec 08 Fairfield, CT @ StageOne
Dec 09 Philadelphia, PA @ World Cafe Live
Dec 11 Washington, DC @ The Howard Theatre
Dec 12 Charlottesville, VA @ The Southern
Dec 14 Durham, NC @ The Carolina Theatre
Dec 15 Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West
Dec 16 Birmingham, AL @ WorkPlay
Dec 17 Nashville, TN @ 3rd & Lindsley
Dec 19 Asheville, NC @ New Mountain Theatre
Review: Looking Back at Porches: ‘Slow Dance in the Cosmos’
Sometimes I hear an album I genuinely enjoy, yet for some reason, it slips my mind until months later when I rediscover it with renewed enthusiasm. Porches’ Slow Dance in the Cosmos is one of these albums. I first heard of Porches back in February. I didn’t find the album particularly appealing at first. Aaron Maine, the front man for Porches, fence-sits when it comes to genre; some songs entertain a more indie rock feel while others are rooted in chiptune inspired eighties throwbacks.
Nonetheless, the genre ambiguity wasn’t what turned me off from Porches; it was Maine’s voice. I found it annoying and wavering, as though Maine was riddled with insecurities and self-doubt regarding his abilities as a musician and his qualities as a human being, but not in the eclectic, artfully disheveled manner of indie superstars like Conor Oberst or Stephen Morrissey. After a few listens on late-night Megabuses to Atlanta to see my ex-girlfriend, I set the album aside. I didn’t think it was worth listening to any further, and it didn’t seem to be growing on me. I meant to write up a review back in March, but the album was already two years old at that point so I didn’t think there was much of a point. I was very mistaken.
Six months later, I started listening to Slow Dance again after discovering that Aaron Maine’s girlfriend is none other than the fabulously adorable Frankie Cosmos, whose album 2014 album Zentropy found its way into the hearts of indie lovers and Kevin Kline aficionados everywhere. Cosmos, aka Greta Kline, is also the female lead vocals in Porches as well as the bass player. Likewise, Maine plays drums in Frankie Cosmos’ backing band under the alias of Ronnie Mystery, an homage to his persona Ronald Paris in Porches. My thoughts on Slow Dance underwent a complete shift. I found myself unable to stop listening to it. Maine’s voice, once thought to be grating, became oddly warm and honest.
Perhaps the circumstances under which I first heard Slow Dance left a bitter taste in my mouth, but now, months later, I find comfort in the forthright attitude Maine expresses in his songs. He’s honest, much more than the aforementioned Oberst and Morrissey. His songs aren’t full of false expressions of love or individuality or intellect. He sings how he feels and it’s incredibly refreshing, especially with Cosmos backing him up. You can hear the intimacy in the music they’ve created together.
Specifically, I cannot pick a favorite track. If I were ever to label an album as “complete,” I’d be hard-pressed to find a better candidate than Slow Dance in the Cosmos. From the opening track of “Headsgiving,” an odd sexual ode that deals with mental health, isolation, and love to the final track “The Cosmos,” the album never misses its mark. Stylistically, the songs are as various as they come. “Headsgiving” is clearly more of a progressive indie track, but its follow-up, “Jesus Universe,” is full of synthy cascades and gritty metaphors. But other tracks, like “Xanny Bar” and “After Glow” are significantly different than other tracks; the former being a slow, unplugged acoustic song about a sad sap drunk that runs across a girl in a bar that’s just as much of a sad sap as he is and Maine’s lyrics provide the dialogue between the two characters, Ronnie and Edith. “After Glow” captures the simultaneous beauty and sadness of isolation and loneliness, perhaps most emphasized through its juxtaposition against the cityscape setting described in the opening line. However, “Fog Dog” is perhaps the most complete track, with competing lines and harmonies between Maine and Cosmos. It’s almost balladic with its instrumental and vocal building, with Maine utterly dominating his place as the front man and solidifying his confidence as an artist, yet still holding on to some reservations as any artist in his mid-twenties would do.
As a whole, Slow Dance in the Cosmos is in a class of its own. It’s complete, but unlike any other albums I’ve heard that I regard as such. I love every facet of it. I honestly cannot get enough of it. Every time I listen to it, I find something new. Maine’s presence is prodigious and intimidating. Porches, in my opinion, falls in with the candid honesty of bands like Modest Mouse, Bright Eyes, The Smiths, and others without compromising its own identity. Porches does not emulate its sound, but creates it.
5/5
The Casket Girls: ‘The Piano Album’
On October 17, Savannah natives The Casket Girls are releasing their third album, called The Piano Album through Graveface Records. The three piece group features sister vocalists Elsa and Phaedra Greene as well as Black Moth Super Rainbow’s Ryan Graveface. Although the two previous albums were infused with experimental electronic sounds similar to those used by MGMT, The Piano Album takes a more low-fi approach. With Graveface creating and playing the piano melodies and the Greenes stealing the stage with hauntingly beautiful vocal harmonies, The Piano Album is both unusual and familiar at the same time.
The album starts with the appropriately-titled track “Beginning”, one of three entirely instrumental tracks that mark up the album at the beginning, middle and end. Advertised as the only instrument used on the entire album, the piano sets up The Casket Girls with a simplistic premonition for the rest of the tracks.
“True Believers” follows suite with a gloomy, low-fi piano mixed with the hauntingly visceral double vocals of sisters Elsa and Phaedra. Currently with 471 listens on Soundcloud, “True Believers” is either the most popular (so far) of the album or has gained the most exposure. Either way, the track starts off sounding very similar to the beginning of “Flashlight”, that one song from Pitch Perfect 2 that ended the film on a happy note. Thankfully, it progresses and sinks into dreamy territory with the repeated lyrics “we’re the true believers” melting into the piano melody seamlessly.
Tracks three and four, “24 Hours” and “Nightlife”, showcase the light nature of The Casket Girls. With climbing arpeggios of harmonies that float away with the drowned out piano, the music is reminiscent of bedroom-pop group Fog Lake with lyrical comparisons to contemporary artist Lana Del Ray. The lyrics seem fun due to simple phrases and lots of rhyming, but are actually acute criticisms on human nature. With the Greenes slowly chanting “perspective is subjective, judge and jury” in “Nightlife”, it’s hard to see how something so catchy could possibly be that dark.
The Piano Album does have a lot of darker moments. “Sixteen Forever” is a soft and gentle goth ballad that warns of maturing relationships and the new challenges they reveal. Choruses of “You cannot please me, I cannot please you too” followed by “Only the dead stay sixteen forever” takes the light-hearted melody of the piano and turns it into something far more real. Similarly, “Beyond a Shadow” touches once more on fallen romance and how “love never turns out the way you thought it would”. The true and honest lyrics compare the loss of love to a loss of light in someone’s life, equating in a shadows. Maybe that’s diving too deep into a lyrical analysis, but repeating “the source is gone” in a song titled “Beyond a Shadow” about romance could be used as evidence.
On a different note, “I Talked to God” and “Mermaid Cottage” offer surprisingly uplifting melodies and lyrics to an otherwise spookily direct album. For a group that has the word “gothic” attached to it at all times, it makes the listener redefine their definition of gothic. Bright and poppy female vocals juxtapose beautifully with words like “ouija board” that generally have sinister connotations, leaving a very interesting sound that The Casket Girls have fleshed out entirely as their own.
Overall, The Piano Album is a smooth listen. The melodies created by Graveface are all very different but flow within the same vein as the rest of the album, making a musical harmony that compliments the airy voices of the Greene sisters to a tee. The soft piano and soft vocals make it sound like two elegant women in floor-length velvet gowns with pearls and long ivory gloves are seductively serenading the listener, with overwhelming success. Although the drowned out tone of the album may take getting used to for first-time listeners, The Piano Album will keep you coming back for more.
Smallpools at the 40 Watt
American indie pop band, Smallpools, brought a full house to the 40 Watt Tuesday night. Formed in 2013, the band is relatively young, but you would never know it from the presence they bring to the stage. With big hooks, power chords and undeniably catchy melodies, it’s impossible not to dance and sing along as they showcase their genuine talent on stage.
Opening for the band was songwriter turned solo artist Phoebe Ryan, whose lighthearted pop and memorable melodies brought lots of charisma to the stage and got the crowd adequately pumped for alternative pop band, Machineheart. Their shimmering, upbeat sound and endlessly endearing vocals of lead singer, Stevie Scott, had the crowd absorbed in the music. The band closed with their hit, “Circles”–a bouncy track that earned its’ way into Spotify’s viral 50 chart earlier this year.
Both openers set the stage for the pop-influenced sound of Smallpools. The minute the band took the stage and broke into the first chords of “Over and Over,” the crowd went crazy. The positivity and eagerness of fans was tangible in the room, and this remained steadfast as the chords drifted into “Dyin’ to Live.” An impressive drum solo by Beau Kuther closed out the opening set, leaving the audience on a whimsical high.
When the band took the stage again, they slowed things down a bit with “A Real Hero”–an emotional track that highlighted the pure vocals of lead singer, Sean Scanlon. This mellow mood didn’t last for long though. Soon, Scanlon told the story of a girl trying to escape the fishbowl life in the catchy hit,”Mason Jar,” a track off their debut LP, LOVETAP!.
This mood carried into the next track, “American Love,” as the band promoted their tour of the same name. Surprisingly enough, Smallpools was signed to a major label in 2013 before they even played a live show. Flash forward two years and here they are, on tour promoting their first full-length album. However, as displayed in their show Tuesday night, this “lack” of experience is no hindrance to the vibrant performance they bring to the stage.
Before diving into the next track, the band gave an anecdote about one of their greatest musical inspirations–The Killers. An endearing mashup of Smallpools’ hit, “Karaoke” and The Killers’ track, “Human,” followed, leaving the crowd eager for more. One of the most exciting moments of the night, however, was when Scanlon urged the audience to put away all technology, for just one song. As the track, “Street Fight” filled the room, Scanlon jumped into the crowd with a video camera, giving fans a genuine, personal and undeniably exciting moment with the lead vocalist.
When Scanlon jumped back on stage, the band broke into an acoustic mashup of Major Lazer’s “Lean On” and the traditional “Lean on Me.” The acoustic melody was even complete with a campfire (on the iPad of course).
In the encore performance, the band performed an exciting arrangement of “Killer Whales,” complete with inflatable whales to toss around the crowd, followed by “No Story Time”–another track off their 2013 EP. The infectious single that drove the band to the top of the charts closed the night–avid Smallpools fans and newcomers alike found delight in the hit track, “Dreaming,” and the night ended on a playful high.
After Tuesday’s performance, it’s evident that this band is becoming more than just a big fish in a small(pool)–they are on their way to a bigger and better ocean.
City and Colour: ‘If I Should Go Before You’
If I Should Go Before You is the fifth studio album by City and Colour, and it’s definitely a ride. The main themes of the album revolve around self-rediscovery, unrequited love and being lost within oneself. It’s very easy to see that Dallas Green has lost himself, both lyrically and musically. If I Should Go Before You brings a lot of different elements together in a way that is confusing and accumulates into a heaping pile of questions. From the use of heavily synthesized western jangle-pop for the majority of the album to the constant repetition of lyrics, there’s a lot going on.
The album starts off with “Woman”, which was released as a single in July. The characteristic high and light voice of Dallas Green is very audible, but the real stars of the song are the backing layered guitar pieces. The whole drowning and weaving into a dreamy rock sound can work for some artists, but when you have a voice as smooth as Green’s the overall sound comes out as very disjointed. Having that for a complete 9 minutes and as the opening song brings no real excitement, especially since the lyrics are few and far inbetween once you get rid of the ones that are repeated.
“Northern Blues”, or ‘that drum beat and synthpop combo familiar from 80s cop drama car chase scenes’, really sets the bar high for imitation sounds. It seems like the heavily produced albums are a popular trend right now, but for City and Colour the connection just seems forced. Lyrically, Dallas Green is still pushing through. From repeating “I can hear the devil whisper, pay no heed to what he said”, it’s obvious that Green is fighting some inner demons on this album.
Complete with little synthesized keyboard riffs and a bizarre rock-band guitar progression in the middle of the song, “Mizzy C” is easily one of the most confusing songs on the album. About depression and routine of self, the track goes over touchy subject matter, but the accompanying melodies do the lyrics no justice.
Then, out of nowhere, comes “If I Should Go Before You”. The track that shares the same name as the entire album should be an accumulation of everything the album represents, and this track is quite the opposite. There is a lot of drawing from other pieces on this song, especially for the lyrical content. The song reminds too much of the poems “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night” by Dylan Thomas and “If I Should Go” by Joyce Grenfell. The lyric “dying in the light of day” is too close to “rage against the dying light”, and “if I should go before you” is almost identical to Thomas’s “if I should go before the rest of you”. Another complaint would be the slow electric blues sound, because it doesn’t seem to work well with a minor key-then major key in the chorus. It could just be personal preference, but the surrounding music doesn’t connect with the sadness and overall meaning of the song. It seems very uncharacteristic of Green’s work, and that is off-putting.
Tracks five and six, “Killing Time” and “Wasted Love” respectively, continue moving at the same pace as the first leg of the album. Green sings “lately I’ve been thinking about just who I’m supposed to be” in “Killing Time”, and that is evident in the progression of If I Should Go Before You. For right now, Green continues to draw inspiration too close to that of others. “Wasted Love” sounds eerily similar to “Tainted Love” by Soft Cell, and starting off the song with the phrase “careless love” doesn’t help make a distinction between the two.
The hidden gems of If I Should Go Before You are the last three tracks. “Map of the World” has the right idea, bringing together the mix of western flair and indie pop until it meets right down the middle. The track offers more acoustic instruments that compliment Dallas Green’s voice better than the heavy electric ones do, and it showcases his smooth folksy Morrissey-esque voice a bit more.
“Friends” follows the suit set by “Map of the World” and shows what could have gone right with the album if he had followed that same pattern. The combination of a little steel guitar with overarching acoustic guitars makes a much better impact than all of the synthetic sounds. This continues and ultimately finishes in the final track “Blood”. Why couldn’t the whole album be like these songs? Maybe as a comment on the self-discovery found in so many of the songs prior, “Blood” sounds like Green’s true voice and not what he was trying to be earlier in the album. The addition of the female vocals harmonizing with Green’s for the last set of lyrics “I think we finally found a home in this place” and “I know there’s beauty buried beneath” complete a full circle of resolve within the confusion.
Overall, City and Colour brings an interesting commentary on their typical folksy sound mixed with the current popular trends in music. They show that it doesn’t work for everybody, and that is okay. If I Should Go Before You has redeeming parts, and will leave newcomers content but possibly push away more traditional listeners because of the difference in technique and style. It’s not a bad album by any means, but it’s also not the best.
Futurebirds: ‘Hotel Parties’
Everything you know and love about Athens, GA band Futurebirds remains in their newly released studio album, Hotel Parties. The twangy hollered harmonies, the distinguishable fusion of country and atmospheric indie rock influences, and the lingering reverby sound can all be checked off the list, yet this time in a more polished package. The rambunctious band, whom I first had the pleasure to see in 2012, has cleaned up their style a bit. But don’t be fooled; this album has the band’s name written all over it.
Hotel Parties, which is the band’s third studio LP, is an ode to the duality of life. Futurebirds guitarist Thomas Johnson adds that it is about “the give and take of life; dreams vs. reality; loving vs. longing; wanting to grab life by the horns vs. needing to chill…I could go on forever. With a touring band, the home vs. road theme comes to the forefront daily.” It is simultaneously an anthemic roll your windows down kind of album that you can also listen to before going to bed. Either way, the album brilliantly captures the band’s outerworldly sound and energy; truly, it features some of their best work to date.
To kick off their promotion tour, the 5-piece band came home to the Georgia Theater in Athens, GA to give their fellow Athenians a first glance of this stunning work. The 11-song record was highly anticipated among their many fans, as they have steadily gained traction outside of Athens since their forming in 2008. For what seems like one endless tour, they have made their mark at many reputable venues and festivals. This fall will be no different; their tour schedule features dates in both Southern college towns and large metropolitan cities to promote this album.
Be sure to check out Hotel Parties as well as one of their live shows if you get the chance; these Georgia boys will not disappoint.
10/02 – Mercy Lounge – Nashville, TN
10/03 – Zanzabar – Louisville, KY
10/04 – Cosmic Charlies – Lexington, KY
10/06 – The Bishop – Bloomington, IN
10/07 – Southgate – Newport, KY
10/09 – The Southern – Charlottesville, VA
10/10 – Black Cat – Washington DC
10/11 – The Camel – Richmond, VA
10/13 – Mothlight – Asheville, NC
10/14 – Revelry Room – Chattanooga, TN
10/15 – Saturn – Birmingham, AL
10/16 – Montgomery Museum – Montgomery, AL
10/22 – Proud Larry’s – Oxford, MS
10/23 – Martin’s – Jackson, MS
10/24 – One Eyed Jack’s – New Orleans, LA
10/27 – Lightbulb Club – Fayettesville, AR
10/28 – Riot Room – Kansas City, MO
10/29 – Rose Music Hall – Columbia, MO
10/30 – The Bootleg – St. Louis, MO
10/31 – Subterranean – Chicago, IL
11/02 – Beachland Tavern – Cleveland, OH
11/03 – The Basement – Columbus, OH
11/04 – Mohawk – Buffalo, NY
11/05 – Higher Ground Showcase Lounge – Burlington, VT
11/06 – Great Scott – Boston, MA
11/07 – Press Room – Portsmouth, NH
11/10 – Iron Horse – Northhampton, MA
11/12 – Bowery Ballroom – New York, NY
11/21 – Music Farm – Charleston, SC
Alex G: ‘Beach Music’
Alex Giannascoli, more commonly known as Alex G, is a lo-fi bedroom pop artist from Pennsylvania. Although he has tons of albums currently on Bandcamp, Beach Music will be the first released under the record label Domino Recording Company. Beach Music features the same good old Alex G with smooth and fuzzy vocals, but this time introducing a variety of rhythms to the mix. With melodies ranging from ‘80s crime drama theme songs’ to ‘blues-influenced western steel guitar,’ Beach Music gives a dreamy and effervescent performance.
Beach Music is a mashup of everything: genres, melodies, vocals, rhythms, you name it. Every song contains at least two different types of each, which normally should not go together so well. Alex G manages to bring together harmonies with styles of music in a way that flows from song to song in a continuous motion, with each element building on the other throughout the album.
The only thing that remains consistent throughout the album are the lyrics. Alex G is known for relating his songs to the inevitability of growing up and the hardships accompanied with difficult topics like psychological disorders and illness, broken romances, and discovering the true nature of oneself.
It’s easy to see that at play during the introduction to the album, nicely titled “Intro.” Sounding like garage noise, the track is short and leads into the slower and more “head bob along” track “Bug.” On Bandcamp, the only songs from the album available for preview are “Bug,” “Kicker” and “Salt,” complete with lyrics for each.
According to the comment section, fans are already falling head over heels for “Bug,” which is understandable (it’s one of my favorites from the album). “Kicker” however, is not high up on the list mainly because of the lyrics. Something about saying “white bird” over and over with the same vocal melody just drags the song on for longer than is needed. Aside from that slight blunder, there’s a lot of bird imagery in Beach Music, matching the lyrics with the drifting organ and guitars.
Track 5 brings something new to the table. “Salt” dives in with machine-orchestrated power drums like you’d find in classic hair metal but then pairs it with diluted electric guitar riffs that sound oddly close to the Twin Peaks theme song. It doesn’t seem like it would go together, but Alex G can pull anything off. Should he add a quick organ chord progression in the middle of the song with no backing sound? Of course. Backing choirs of muttled children and adult vocals? Why not. A slightly remixed beat that only shows itself for a few seconds then disappears for the rest of the song? You bet. “Salt” is a break-out for the album, because it ties in so many different approaches to self-made music and instead of falling flat it adds dimension.
I’m going to skip “Look Out” and head straight to “Brite Boy,” which is another that shows exactly how flexible Alex G is with his music. The track starts off with a kid’s vocals: “Brite Boy I can help you if you let me take your hand” only to have G take the reigns with “bring you right to promised land” and then switch back off. Having a deeper and older voice in a lyrical call-and-response with a pre-pubescent voice makes this song a lighthearted listen. Although the melody and lyrics are relatively simple for this song, the easy-going and poppy guitar makes it a nice break from slower tempos.
Immediately following that uplifting track is “In Love,” a dreary ballad complete with trumpet, old-style piano, and fuzzy interference in the background. Luckily, the fuzz sounds almost exactly like rain, which paired with the bluesy nature of this track works magically well. G takes on a scratchy and strange voice that sounds similar to someone you’d find in Dr. Dog, which fits perfectly seeing as a lyric in the song is actually “scratching in love.”
“Walk” (track 9 just for organization’s sake) is an instrumental that is very welcomed. It breaks up the album between two songs that are both relatively slow and monotonous, then quickly builds up sound into a bright and poppy intermission between halves of the album. The final track “Snot” follows the same pattern, ending the album on an instrumental mesh.
Most artists chose to have their most influential track listed last on the album to make it stand out more, but Alex G uses an instrumental. More than just an interesting stylistic choice, it offers nice closure to a pretty all over the place album. The absence of lyrics gives time for things to come together, and if you listen to the album on repeat then it flows right back to the beginning like a continuous loop.
In between track 9 and 13 are a mix of interesting songs, but the one that (in my opinion) stands out the most is “Ready.” It uses guitar and bass with a Western-influenced flair that may just be interpreted that way because of the blurring technique used on the album, but for 4:22 minutes, it’s still very fresh.
Alex G is pretty much the next posterchild for abstract lyrics, and Beach Music shows an evolution that calls for multiple listens to get all of the meanings. It took the second or third listen to notice that the particularly upbeat songs owe their catchiness to their simple and effective rhyme scheme. It’s an extra tid-bit that’s pretty interesting.
It may be something about lo-fi music as a genre, but that specific piano sound is found in almost every single lo-fi song I’ve ever listened to. That makes it difficult for most lo-fi artists to stand apart from the others. However, Alex G took that same muffled and drowned-out old school piano and matched it with so many other instruments that there’s no way Beach Music isn’t one of his greatest releases yet. Pair all of that instrumental praise with his growing armory of lyrics, and you’ve got something great.
Beach Music will be released on Oct. 9, 2015.
Vinyl Mag’s Favorite Moments of Catskill Chill 2015
It’s true, there are some things that you can never fully understand until you’ve experienced it. We’ve always heard the stories of Catskill Chill, but it wasn’t until this year we were able to join the ChillFam for a weekend in the mountains and truly experience everything this festival has to offer.
Nestled in the Catskill Mountains, Camp Minglewood proved to be a special place. During the summer months Minglewood serves as a performing arts camp, but for one last summer weekend for the past six years, Minglewood hosted one of the most beloved intimate festivals on the East Coast.
This year was the last time Catskill Chill will call Camp Minglewood home. In late 2014 it was announced that “due to circumstances outside of their control, the festival will find a new home for 2016.” Even though it seems very hopeful that this beloved festival will continue on, it wasn’t hard to see why many people have come to love Minglewood as the festival’s venue.
While there was a somber undertone to the weekend, all in all, Minglewood was given a proper farewell.
From the venue, to the amazing sets and artist collaborations, to the strangers that became friends…it was a wonderful weekend all around. Even though this list only touches the surface, we’ve picked some of our favorite moments to share from this “Farewell to Minglewood” weekend:
ChillFam Allstars Tribute to Herbie Hancock:
The planned collaboration was everything you hoped for and more. Electro funk was all around Saturday afternoon as Eric Gould (Pink Talking Fish), Steve Molitz (Particle), Mike Greenfield (Lotus), Danny Mayer (On the Spot Trio / Alan Evans Trio) gave tribute to the legendary Herbie Hancock. The set took place at the “Club Chill” stage, just a short walk from the Main Stage area, and the crowd was absolutely loving it (and so were we)! The tribute’s setlist included: Spank A Lee, Fat Mama, Steppin’ In It>Chameleon Outro, Watermelon Man, The Traitor, Rockit. The chemistry of the “Allstars” was on point and “The Traitor” was an absolute highlight.
moe.
Headliner moe. brought a heavy hitting, high energy set that included many long-time fan favorites. A high point of the set was when the band brought Mike Wilbur and Wenzl McGowen (Moon Hooch) on horns and guitarist (and son of Dave Matthews Band’s Stefan Lessard) Diggy Lessard on stage for “Happy Hour Hero” and “Dr. Graffenberg.” If there is one thing we learned from this sit in is that Lessard surely takes after his dad and truly blew the crowd away with his talent. moe.’s entire set included: Seat of My Pants>Recreational Chemistry, Billy Goat>Bearsong, Happy Hour Hero, Dr. Graffensbery, Spine Of A Dog>Buster.
Cover Sets
They were three sets that were continuously talked about amongst attendees over the weekend- Dopakuaz Plays Studio 54, Twiddle Dead Set, and ShwiKus Plays the 80s. There was nonstop chatter about Dopapod and Turquaz‘s “Disco Inferno” set that included songs such as, “That’s The Way,” “Give It To Me Baby,” and “Bad Girls” >“Funky Town.” Vermont’s Twiddle took an electronic approach to Dead favorites and a sit-in with Chris Houser of The Werks and Todd Stoops for “The Music Never Stopped.” Saturday afternoon ShwiKus (Shwizz+FiKus) tore up the Club Chill stage with 80s classics- it doesn’t get any better than “Rock the Casbah” > “We Didn’t Start The Fire.”
Camp Minglewood
Camp Minglewood is a highlight all unto itself. Driving into the venue and losing all cellphone service, you are transported back to a simpler time where summer meant carefree fun. Walking through the campgrounds you see groups of friends who have been coming year after year, attendees are welcoming as they offer up a smile or hug to a passerby, and the whole vibe of the festival really does put the “chill” in Catskill Chill. For all who attend the festival, once they arrive at Minglewood, whether it be their first or sixth time, they become a part of this special family.
In the last minutes of this year’s Catskill Chill and in a final farewell to Minglewood, it was only appropriate that the festival closed with a monstrous finale. Featuring Haley Jane, DJ Logic and Tom Hamilton of Billy and the Kids and American Babies along with members of Lotus, Turkuaz, Disco Biscuits, Pink Talking Fish, The Werks, Perpetual Groove, Shwizz and Fikus, all were on stage for the final goodbye that included Sly & The Family Stone’s “Family Affair” that went into Sister Sledges “We Are Family” – a fitting tribute to this festival family and to this cherished venue that so many have called their second home.
Early Review: Sweet Spirit’s Cokomo
If you haven’t already heard, disco/rock nonet, Sweet Spirit, are about to release a gigantic party-bomb of an album. The Austin-based group fronted by writing partners Sabrina Ellis (Bobby Jealousy, A Giant Dog) and Andrew Cashen (Tear Dungeon, A Giant Dog) are set to release their first full-length LP in mid-October on Nine Mile Records. Earlier this year, Sweet Spirit released an EP as well as a 7” with Spoon frontman Britt Daniels, quickly establishing the band as a force to be reckoned with in the Austin Music Scene. After seeing the band twice in one week at Waterloo Records and Hotel Vegas, and finally getting to listen to their album, Cokomo, I decided it was time get the word out.
Cokomo blasts off with “Take Me to a Party.” An extremely full track that boasts pitchy synths and wailing guitar riffs alongside belting vocals and beckoning horns. Whether crammed into a dirty bar or in front of a diverse crowd, Sabrina manages to turn the performance into a full-on dancing affair.
The subsequent track, “Baby When I Close My Eyes,” feels like a future-tropical space ride in and of itself. Released as the first single for their up-and-coming album, the song dives right in with an intergalactic groove that is quickly accompanied by a catchy little riff. Then suddenly, Ellis slips into the verse with, “L, is for the way / We look when we’re together / U, because we’re unashamed.” Finishing off the spelling of “LUST,” the ballad-esque space-pop describes the more fearsome side of love.
“Poor,” the fifth track, was one that particularly stood out to me. This old-school pop/rock track resonates in its description of the pleasures of the little things in life. You can’t help but feel the passion behind the bellowing of Ellis’ voice proclaiming, “Someday I’ll have a house that I can call my own / For now I call the mattress on the floor my home.” This song could very well be the embodiment of the life of a struggling artist, with high aspirations and an attitude that cannot be swayed.
Two tracks later, Andrew Cashen takes the driver’s seat on lead vocals for “Someone Like You.” This doo-wop insta-classic, reminiscent of 50’s greats such as The Platters or The Penguins, arrives sonically in full force. Coming in from every direction, hard-rocking harmonies paired with some skillful dramatic rests, it’s sure to make you dance with moves you never knew existed.
With one of the most memorable albums as well as performance of this year, this whole album is Christmas come early. Their album is only topped by the sheer attitude and aggression that this band puts into making a truly captivating live performance. Never letting instruments drown each other out, while also displaying each in its own prowess throughout the set, these guys know what they are doing.
Big shout outs to new Sweet Spirit members Leslie Matthews, Samuel Rives, & Cara Tillman, rightfully in charge of the horns & harmonies. Cokomo comes out on October 15th, but you can listen to the album’s single, “Baby When I Close My Eyes,” and a track from their 7” with Spoon’s, Britt Daniel below.
The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die: ‘Harmlessness’
Noted as one of the frontrunners for the emo revival of the 2010s, The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die is a nine piece indie punk band from Connecticut. Their music can be described by their use of confessional lyrics and a large range of instruments that make a “full” band sound. Although their discography includes a lot of EPs with great content on each, the full length albums tell entire stories through the progression of tracks and are highly regarded as an accumulation of the best of TWIABP. Harmlessness is the second studio album to be released by The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die and will be available on Sept. 25, 2015 for purchase. A streaming version of the album is currently available for free on Bandcamp, or you can purchase it digitally for $7.
Harmlessness brings a new chapter for the band by creating a flow of motion from start to finish. The tracks blend into each other so well that the album doesn’t feel like it’s made up of individual songs, it’s more of an elongated soundtrack. The switching of male and female vocals brings depth to the album, and layers of harmonies make the feeling more visceral. An ode to realizing, forgiving and carrying on, Harmlessness is warm-sounding with heavy impact.
Because the themes mentioned in Harmlessness are similar to “Whenever, If Ever”, it’s easy to draw comparisons between the two full-lengths. However, Harmlessness exceeds all expectations. The album draws on floaty riffs that fade into the background and pull forward at just the right times, allowing space for the sweet twangs of the synthesizer to shine through. Every different instrument is used at full potential, with the right sounds pronouncing at the right times to give an unparalleled listening experience.
The album starts with “You Can’t Live There Forever,” a kick-off to ignorance of people in the world around us. With lyrics littered with rhetorical questions, the track ends with the important phrase “we think that the world is alright, and that’s a lie.” It’s interesting to note that the name of the band, The World Is a Beautiful Place, is taken very seriously throughout the lyrics of “Whenever, If Ever” but is torn apart on the first track of Harmlessness. This could be a progression of TWIABP as a band, or possibly a further stab at self-realization through breaking ignorance. Either way, it is a powerful start.
The third track “January 10th, 2014” was released early as a single and is easily one of my favorites from the album. The song draws from the story of Diana the Hunter of Bus Drivers, a woman that killed at least two bus drivers in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico during 2013. The news of the killer spread rapidly through the city, plaguing its citizens with fear of the unknown for months. The track encourages everyone to draw on bravery and hope for something better despite atrocious things that have happened in the past, citing the killer as an example of past horrors. “We are brave and strong, but don’t you quiver.”
Another special mention should be made for the final two tracks on Harmlessness. “I Can Be Afraid of Anything” and “Mount Hum” are the finale of a brilliant climb. They summarize the full album through a post-rock build up to the chanted phrases of high impact. “I Can Be Afraid of Anything” revels in the phrase “I really did dig my own hole, but I’m climbing out,” with the entire band breaking into whimsical harmonies at the height of the song. “Mount Hum” does the same, but in the classic TWIABP style of layered lyrics. Much like the infamous “Getting Sodas” from “Whenever, If Ever,” “Mount Hum” finished off an impressive album with a message that remains even after the track ends:
“Come off and fall, so that I can pick you up. Our homes are not the kind of places you own. We were ghosts even then, errant sunlight on our skin. Sunlight, sunlight. And we drove out to the bluffs, raced each other through the dust. We’re all going to die.”
Each song on Harmlessness manages to carry some sort of weight, and it is impossible to list all of the reasons and meanings. Some important positive mentions are on “Mental Health” and “Rage Against the Dying of the Light,” where the lead singer chants “you are normal and healthy to forgive yourself” and “I am alive, I deserve to be.” Overall, the album exposes the dark points we all experience throughout our lifetimes with questions that we have all thought about at one point or another (like the emotional line “Whose side am I on?” from track four’s “The Word Lisa”). Despite the hardships we all have to pick ourselves up and keep moving until we reach a beautiful place.
Easily one of the best new albums to come from 2015, Harmlessness should be at the top of everyone’s “need to listen to” list.
Tracks to listen to: “January 10th, 2014,” “Rage Against the Dying of the Light,” “I Can Be Afraid of Anything,” “Mount Hum.”