Category: Reviews
Alvvays at the Drunken Unicorn on November 15
We rely on music to transport us via our imaginations to far away places opposite of current surroundings. Last Saturday at the Drunken Unicorn, as the temperature dropped well below the national average for Atlanta, Toronto-based Alvvays carried the crowd away to a place to where sun and sand are plentiful and summer love is in bloom.
Decked out in their matching white converse, they opened the show with “The Agency Group”, a slow but climactic track that showcases the peaks and depth of Molly Rankin’s vocal range blended well with Alec O’Hanley’s crooning guitar.
With her thick Canadian accent and effortless rapport with the audience, Rankin’s stage presence is absolutely infectious. Perhaps it was just the ambiance of the venue that caused one audience member to say, “I think she’s the closest I’ll ever get to seeing an actual unicorn.”
Slow and deliberate, “Dives” featured Rankin and keyboardist Kerri MacLellan harmonizing fluidly, a testament to the long-term friendship between the two women.
In a refreshing change of pace, Alvvays chose to play their most notable single “Archie, Marry Me”well before the end of the show as the crowd sung along with Rankin. The track recently gained even more attention last week after being covered by Ben Gibbard in Seattle.
“Party Police” was perhaps the truest test of Rankin’s vocal range in a live setting and one she passed with flying colors as she raised her voice one octave towards the end of: Don’t have to leave, you could just stay here with me. This is just one example of the bands quirky and natural style that translates well from outlet to audience.
For the encore the band chose to play a new song called “Haircut”, a more post-punk influenced track that still encompasses the dreamy sound we’re used to. After the show we caught up with drummer, Phil MacIsaac who said that while they enjoy playing new songs, there are no plans to record a new album anytime soon. “We’ve been touring our asses off, there’s just not enough time right now,” He said. Alvvays kicks off their international tour in 2015 and will open for the Decemberists in March.
Walk the Moon: “Different Colors”
While the band itself has been around since 2008, Walk the Moon‘s Dec. 2 release will only be their second studio album. One of their first releases, titled “Anna Sun,” launched the band’s musical career. The single was named Song of the Summer by Esquire, MTV and Seventeen. They achieved monumental success with the song without even being signed to a label. After signing, they released their self-titled debut album in 2012 and are preparing for their second album release next month. With “Shut Up and Dance” soaring up the alternative charts, the band both released a new single and announced the launch of their Spring tour.
“Different Colors” is a beautifully exciting single that only increases listeners’ anticipation of a new album from the indie band. The song is sure to induce some form of dancing from everyone, even if you happen to be from the town in Footloose. In this way, the song follows the same style of their previous single, but incorporates more electronic and techno sounds. The lyrics revert back to the feel of teenage innocence with the lyrics, “’Cause when the people get to dancin’/They forget about taking sides.” The music and lyrics work together to provide a biting sense of nostalgia for those longing to return to their teenage years.
4/5
TV On The Radio: ‘Seeds’
Indie band TV On The Radio released their fifth album Seeds on Nov. 17.
After undergoing a year-long hiatus in 2009 and even dealing with the death of a band member, TV On The Radio has had their fair share of hard times. Given that they’re a good ways into their musical career that began in 2001, now is the make-or-break phase. It’s difficult for an indie band to break onto the top charts, but their past three albums have charted in the top 50, with the last two peaking at 12. While they are included in the indie genre, the band has noted their influences include everything from classic artists like Earth, Wind & Fire to the Pixies. These influences are apparent through the creation of their own unique style, complete with an array of different instruments used as they see fit. The use of strings, horns, and an organ at times filter through much of their two most recent albums that also charted the highest.
Seeds is a surprise that wasn’t even expected by its creators. The lead vocalist has said the band wasn’t even sure about making an album after the death of their bassist in 2011. Although it was unexpected, the album proves to be a period of awakening for the band as it differs from anything that’s been released before. Long-time fans will appreciate TV On The Radio’s loyalty to the genre and opting for a more clean, tightened album.
While their previous albums have incorporated maybe too much into each song, Seeds is slightly more simplified version while still keeping with the style the band has built up over the years. It’s reluctant to venture far from the much-acclaimed spot they’ve achieved in indie rock. The songs are intentional and full of purpose to get the concept across.
The album begins with a whimsical song called “Quartz,” complete with an array of different sounds ranging from synthesizer to handclaps. While it may not be exactly what the band’s fans are used to, the song definitely incorporates their style. The band’s first single from the album, “Happy Idiot,” is a catchy song that hasn’t quite peaked on the top charts yet. The band placed heavy emphasis on this song to announce their album with Paul Reubens and Karen Gillan taking part in the music video.
While the radio hasn’t yet picked up on the potential of the single, it has received many positive reviews. Other notable songs are the heartbreaking “Careful You” and “Ride.” Each song segues into a new one about love and loss, complete with an effective array of guitar rhythms. They’ve done a rare thing to incorporate so many influences throughout each song while still keeping with their unique style.
TV On The Radio has come a long way since their debut. This first album since the death of a member is a new start. While many bands would be reluctant to continue after such a tragedy, this one refuses to quit. Seeds is a turning point for the band and holds much potential for future albums to come. This album is a proclamation of acceptance and propels the band forward.
3.5/5
Cole Swindell: ‘Down Home Sessions’ EP
Due to the success of his self-titled debut album, Cole Swindell released a follow-up EP Down Home Sessions on Nov. 17.
Little did Swindell know his role as Luke Bryan’s merch seller would be interrupted by the start of his own musical career. Born in Bronwood, Georgia, Swindell attended Georgia Southern University, where he met and became fraternity brothers with Bryan. The singer proved to be a successful songwriter after writing a large portion of Bryan’s most recent songs, “Outta My Head” by Craig Campbell, and rising star Thomas Rhett’s biggest hit “Get Me Some of That.” In 2013, he released his biggest hit to date, “Chillin’ It” independently and later signed with a label after the single showed some headway up the charts.
His first single simultaneously became his first No. 1 song, certified platinum by RIAA. His debut album, Cole Swindell, rose to No. 3 on the US chart and No. 2 on the US Country chart. He was invited to open on Luke Bryan’s That’s My Kind of Night Tour and promoted his album there, while selling over 200,000 copies. He also claimed the title of New Artist of the Year at the 2013 CMA Awards. Swindell has achieved a monumental amount of success just in the 11 months since his career kicked off.
In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Swindell said:
“The fans are always wanting new music, and with as much as I love to write I might as well give them the music while I’ve got it. I just don’t want any songs to go unheard.”
Swindell has achieved a high honor in such a short time, headlining his own Down Home Tour this year and heading on tour with superstar Jason Aldean next year. What better way to prepare for a tour than release some new music? The EP will consist of songs that wouldn’t fit on his debut album. With so much success in songwriting, it’s no surprise the singer had an excess of material.
Unfortunately, Swindell’s songwriting abilities come up short on this album. “Ready” kicks off the EP with the typical country song about a beautiful girl and her dance moves. Groundbreaking, right? If anything, this song is an unoriginal attempt at every top hit in the country genre. It seems the headliners he’s opening for have a heavy influence on his own music.
“The Way You’re Lovin’ Me Now” sounds similar if not exactly the same, echoing the style of Jason Aldean and Florida Georgia Line. The next song, “Kiss,” is, you guessed it, exactly the same. Over half the EP sounds like the same song, and listeners will be bored after the first minute. If you’re looking for some mediocre country love songs, this is a must-have.
The Down Home Sessions EP contains five songs that sound exactly the same. Swindell makes a feeble attempt at being “one of the guys” sitting atop the charts with the same material continuously heard on country radio. If he would stop trying to imitate the artists he opens for on tour, he would stand a decent chance of releasing some unique music.
2/5
Father John Misty: “Bored in the USA”
Father John Misty has released the first single off of his new album.
“Bored in The USA” is a slow, piano-based satire, backed with Josh Tillman’s powerful vocals and even more powerful lyrics.
As a play off the 1984 Bruce Springsteen hit “Born in The USA”, Father John Misty strikes the same political chord 30 years later. Lines like “they gave me a useless education” and “keep my prescriptions filled” are echoed with corny laughter typical of a game show from the sixties.
In a sea of singles about shaking your assets and self-centered love, it is, at the least, refreshing. This beautifully written melody matched with a well-informed perspective of American culture is more of a twin to Springsteen than a rip-off.
Father John Misty is the newest side project of singer-songwriter J. Tillman, former Fleet Foxes drummer. “Bored in The USA” is the introduction to the second Father John album, “I Love You Honeybear”, set for release in February 2015.
According to SubPop, “I Love You, Honeybear is a concept album about a guy named Josh Tillman who spends quite a bit of time banging his head against walls, cultivating weak ties with strangers and generally avoiding intimacy at all costs”.
The highly anticipated album will be available in four different formats that include 11 songs total – hopefully all as wonderfully mastered as this release.
4/5
Damien Rice: ‘My Favourite Faded Fantasy’
After an eight-year hiatus from the studio, Damien Rice has released his third album, My Favourite Faded Fantasy.
Since his last studio release, 9, in 2006, Rice has been touring and working on collaborations with a multitude of artists, including Ray LaMontagne and David Gray. Rice’s last individual release was a live album in 2007, Live at Fingerprints: Warts and All.
Although it’s been almost a decade, fans of Rice don’t have to worry about this album being a complete re-vamp of his soft style.
My Favourite Faded Fantasy is a collection of rainy day music, complete with piano, guitar, violin, and Rice’s signature raspy, soothing vocals.
The album begins with the title track, a mysteriously dark and high-pitched melody. As the song builds, layers of different instruments and distorted sounds metabolize into a grander picture that defines the album, then ends abruptly.
The second song, “It Take A Lot To Know A Man”, introduces Rice’s familiar use of violin and catchy yet profound lyrics. However, from there, the album seems to ride a steady stream of a lot of the same.
Golden tracks include “I Don’t Want to Change You” and the beautiful eight-minute long “Trusty And True”, which oddly, holds a slight reminiscent feel you could compare to that of The Decemberists.
The album rounds out with a token Rice tune, “Long Long Way”, featuring slow, repetitive lyrics that are supported by ghostly female backing vocals and a plethora of soft instruments, including a clarinet that helps the album fade out.
Whereas many of Rice’s most popular slow ballads provide an array of technical instrumental solos or surprise monk-like vocals, the majority of My Favourite Faded Fantasy has a simpler feel.
For die-hard fans, the album would be considered a great and long-awaited response to 9; for long-time listeners and more surface level fans, the album has a couple of solid, interesting tracks that uniquely fit with Rice’s previous work. However, for virgins of Rice’s music, this album is not suggested for your first listen.
Compared to 9 and the album that shot him to success, O, My Favourite Faded Fantasy is, for the most part, a mundane compilation. The album is far from “bad” and still holds a couple of great songs, but the album as a whole doesn’t rise to the same of level of Rice’s previous masterpieces.
Although the Ireland native’s newest album has skyrocketed to number one in his home country, I’m not sure it will do the same outside of the U.K.
While My Favourite Faded Fantasy is a good album to flip through on a drizzly day, refer back to O to soak up the true brilliance of Damien Rice.
3/5
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. at Terminal West on November 11
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Approaching the box office at Terminal West on Tuesday night, I could hear what sounded like an acoustic version of Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.‘s “Beautiful Dream” and I had to check my watch. Doors at 8pm. Music at 9pm. And there’s an opener, right? It’s not even 9:30. How can this be? Am I really missing the show? And one of my favorite songs at that? Sh*t.
I walk inside and indeed, it is true. Detroit boys Daniel Zott and Joshua Epstein are on stage, instruments in hand, singing away. It was only after the next song (which they explained was written for the first album but didn’t make the cut) that I learned what was happening here. The opening act didn’t show. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. was opening for themselves. Sort of awkward. Sort of awesome. They continued with a couple covers, admitting they were killing time, ended with The Beach Boys’ “God Only Knows,” and let the crowd know they’d be back out in a bit.
Returning to the stage after the typical 20ish minute break, the duo are now joined by a live drummer and multi-instrumentalist in the backstage to fill out that bigger sound we were missing in their stripped-down opening set and clad in different outfits (Daniel even dropped the blanket he had wrapped himself in and wrestled his guitar strap over). Like a whole new band, right?
Beginning the “real” set with “Morning Thought,” the first song off their 2011 album It’s a Corporate World, they cruised through a handful of familiar favorites employing the energy and explosiveness we’ve come to love from these guys, with Joshua wasting no time hopping off stage and getting down into the crowd only three songs into the set.
Their newest single, “James Dean” was prefaced with an anecdote explaining that they released the track without the knowledge or consent of their record label, and albeit lacking label support, it’s gone on to be the most successful song they’ve ever put out. Personally, it’s not a favorite. But the crowd most certainly had a more palpable reaction than to any other song so far in the evening, which included some great ones… (“Don’t Tell Me”, “Simple Girl”, “Vocal Chords”…)
Following the new with the old, next up was “When I Open My Eyes” trailed by one of my favorite songs of the evening “Run” off their 2013 release The Speed of Things. This one was a close second to the super-melodic “War Zone” which came up after they played another new one, titled “In the Middle.” This new song was much more promising than “James Dean”… I kept thinking of “Burning Down the House” every time they went into the chorus. Not a bad thing at all.
The telephone mic Josh had been using on and off throughout the show gets called into action to mic his sax for “War Zone,” and they closed the main set out with the anthemic “Almost Lost Detroit” before returning with “A Haunting” to open up the encore. Complete with bubbles galore and the most wild light show we had seen thus far in the evening, they continued with arguably their biggest hit and certainly most dance-inducing song “If You Didn’t See Me [Then You Weren’t On The Dancefloor]”.
The evening closed on a make-you-want-to-hold-hands-with-the-person-next-to-you note with “Nothing But Our Love” and both Joshua and Daniel immediately bolted from the stage to the merch booth, embracing clamoring fans and happily signing countless autographs.
If opening for themselves wasn’t already a fairly big hint, this was a true sign that this couple of Detroit boys, despite their success, haven’t lost their humility and gratitude for their supporters. A good reason to keep on loving Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. and coming out to enjoy their rowdy and shamelessly enjoyable live shows.
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Listen: She & Him: “Stars Fell on Alabama”
Indie duo She & Him released a new single off their upcoming album on Nov. 11.
With the success of her popular show New Girl, it’s impressive how Zooey Deschanel has had time to work with her partner M. Ward to release four albums since they joined together in 2006. Their fifth album Classics is set to release Dec. 2. After switching to a major record label, it’s surprising how soon this album is due, less than two years after their last one. Classics will feature the duo performing live covers of famous songs with the assistance of an orchestra.
One of the first insights into this album comes with the release of the duo’s take on “Stars Fell on Alabama,” a jazz classic composed in 1934. The song has been covered by the likes of Frank Sinatra, Billie Holiday, and most famously by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong. She & Him provide a nice cover of the song. Deschanel’s unique voice carries well over the orchestra without being too over the top. When Ward enters towards the end, his voice provides a good balance against Deschanel’s. The duo is seasoned enough to take on a full album of cover songs. Their style brings a new take to the song without upsetting fans of the other classic versions.
4/5
Hulaween 2014 Review
Co-written with John Anderson
As the changing leaves began to fall and the costume ideas began to flow, Halloween weekend was once again on the horizon. The crisp winds of seasons’ change beckoned us to make the annual pilgrimage back to The Spirit of Suwannee Music Park for The String Cheese Incident’s second annual Suwannee Hulaween. While the festival this year started a day early with a pre-party on Thursday evening, the main focus of Hulaween still centered around The String Cheese Incident’s three headlining performances.
Upon arrival we were greeted by the beauty that is The Spirit of Suwannee Music Park. Nestled along the historic Suwannee River, this unique festival ground provided a premium camping experience unlike any other festival on the east coast, let alone the country. The majority of the park is covered by towering live oak and cyprus trees that provide shade to many primitive and powered camping locations. Given that the park is a permanent fixture, bath houses are scattered throughout the property with showers and flushable toilets. The 800-acre park also provides activities for any attendees who are feeling adventurous, such as canoeing down the river or taking on the full-length disc golf course. However, one of the most unique features of Suwannee Music Park is the ability to have campfires. It is a rarity to be allowed to have campfires at most music festivals, and on this chilly Hulaween weekend we were forever grateful for having a campfire to huddle around.
The festival pre-party kicked off on Thursday as attendees poured in from all corners of the country. Although temperatures were already dipping, a little cold weather wasn’t about to spoil anyone’s good time. We arrived at the park shortly after dusk and breezed right in to meet our friends at our camping spot. We quickly set up camp and headed on over to the amphitheater stage to catch the last bit of Particle before Electron took the stage.
Both bands delivered high energy sets blending electronic with free form improvisation. Electron’s set featured various Disco Biscuits tunes like “Home Again” and “Confrontation” which came to no surprise considering the band includes both Marc Brownstein and Aron Magner of The Disco Biscuits. The highlight of the night came when Electron dropped into a cover of Pink Floyd’s “Comfortably Numb” to close out their set. Shortly after, we headed back to camp to build the first fire of the weekend and rest up for the upcoming festivities of the next few days.
It was a beautiful day on Halloween with not a cloud in the sky. It was a great afternoon for some bluegrass as our friends Judah and the Lion took the Amphitheater Stage and played some music off of their new album Kids These Days. Greensky Bluegrass was up next on the main stage followed by a early evening Emancipator set. Scheduling for Hulaween provided almost no overlapping sets which made it incredibly easy to see everyone you came to listen to.
Before we knew it, the afternoon had escaped us, and it was time for The String Cheese Incident’s main event. They opened their first set with a jam teasing the Friday the 13th theme before dropping into the classic staple “Restless Wind.” With the first exploratory jam of the weekend coming up next in “ Joyful Sound.” Cheese continued to build momentum throughout the first set with their spin on the traditional instrumental called “Valley of the Jig.” The set closed out with one of their newest songs“Can’t wait another day,” written by keyboardist Kyle Hollingsworth about the birth of his youngest daughter. From here, Shpongle kept the party going on the Amphitheater Stage while the Main Stage was prepared for String Cheese’s Halloween themed “After-Life” set.
The spectacle of last year’s Halloween set was one of the musical highlights that weekend. This year’s set proved to be no exception and in true Cheese fashion it was certainly a party not many will soon forget. Jason Hann started the set off on the bongo’s with a simple riff that could only be “Sympathy for the Devil.” Bassist Keith Moseley was on lyric duty for the Rolling Stone’s classic before dropping into the Ghostbusters theme that had everyone laughing and singing along. Frontman Michael Kang then worked his way through Bob Marley’s “Time Will Tell” before bringing out the first pyrotechnics of the evening with “Live and Let Die.” Guest singers Rhonda Thomas and Tony White as well as the Antibalas horns kicked it up a notch with a stellar version of Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven. Other highlights of the set included “Don’t Fear the Reaper” “Break on Through” and closed out with Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.”
“Miss Brown’s Teahouse” kicked off the third set and got the crowd in a groove for a fun version of Kool and the Gang’s “Hollywood Swingin.” This set featured some newer dance friendly tunes like “Rosie” and “You’ve Got The World” and closed out with hard hitting staples like “Way Back Home” and “Just One Story.” Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition” held down the encore slot sealing the deal on another excellent Halloween performance from The String Cheese Incident. Following a brief stage change, Thievery Corporation took the stage with their worldly sounds blending traditional middle eastern string instruments with laptops and synthesizers.
Saturday started off with a drastic change in the weather. Brisk winds picked up throughout the afternoon causing the park to make the decision to limit camp fires until the wind died down for everyone’s safety. Although the weather was cooling down, the music was just beginning to heat up as Nahko and Medicine for the People brought a fun filled and inspiring west coast vibe to the Amphitheater Stage and Keller Williams hit the Main Stage. Keller served up some grassy renditions of Grateful Dead classics like “Samson and Delilah” and “Scarlet Begonias” as well as originals like “Kidney in the Cooler” and “Doobie in My Pocket.”
The sun was setting behind the trees as String Cheese took the stage for their second show of the weekend. First set featured sit-ins from Nicky Sanders of the Steep Canyon Rangers and Keller Williams culminating in a short but sweet version of “Franklin’s Tower.” Second set hosted a sit-in from Big Gigantic’s Dominic Lalli on the jazz instrumental “Birdland,” while the highlight of the set for us personally was a cover of the Talking Head’s “Swamp” dropped right in the middle of “Rivertrance.” Bollymunster came in the encore slot as it geared us up for The New Deal on the Amphitheater Stage. The New Deal was a special surprise to be added to the line-up as they called it quits after Jam Cruise last year. Pioneers of the jamtronic sound, The New Deal relies heavily on improvisation and building energy in the moment. It was great to see these guys up on stage playing together and having fun again, and we can’t wait to see them again in the future.
Following The New Deal, Big Gigantic took the stage for their late-night appearance on the main stage. This was a highly anticipated set as their set last year was rained out by a torrential downpour that sent campers running for cover and actually flooded certain parts of the park. Big Gigantic delivered a high-energy set with remixes of popular artists like Wiz Khalifa and Zhu. Frontman Dominic Lalli was personable with the crowd speaking multiple times throughout the set and laid down some soothing sounds on the saxophone while drummer Jeremy Salken held down the beat in what looked like a cow suit.
The party kept rolling with The Applebutter Express as they kick up their set on the Spirit Lake stage at 2:30 AM. The late night bluegrass tunes and their cover of Suwannee veterans The Allman Brother’s “Whipping Post” was top notch. As the evening came to a close, we took in the visual spectacle that was Spirit Lake with all its varying art installations ranging from a jellyfish inspired swing set to humongous burning man art car that spit flames and played music. Perhaps one of the most fun installations at Spirit Lake was the Sonic Forest that had poles scattered about that would create various audible sounds as you passed by.
Sunday morning at a festival always brings about a plethora of bittersweet feelings from the joyous satisfaction of all the fun that has taken place to the sobering realization that it is all coming to an end soon; and we will be left with nothing but a memory as we try to enter back into the real world. The wind had died down and the sky was clear, however Sunday wound up feeling like the coldest day of the weekend. Rising Appalachia who has taken the festival scene by storm over the past year brought their organic and uplifting sounds to the main stage while Dean Ween kept the rock n roll alive on the Amphitheater stage.
String Cheese opened their final show of the weekend with “Sometimes a River;” A feel-good tune sung by bassist Keith Moseley that always builds into an excellent jam. “Close Your Eyes” was up next that provided a jam that ran the gamut of various genre’s before ending up as a fast passed version of The Stanley Brothers “How Mountain Girls Can Love.” “MLT” (My Latin Tune) is a instrumental from Hollingsworth was a welcome addition to the set and it was great to see this song show up during this show, as well as on more setlists as of late. The first set closed out with one of Cheese’s oldest and most popular tunes called “Round the Wheel.” This was the first time this song was dusted off in over a year and it certainly disappoint.
After a short break, the final headlining set was upon as The String Cheese Incident took the stage to lay all the cards out on the table. “Colliding” kicked off the set, a newer electronic influenced song that has really blossomed into a fun song since debuting three years ago at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta. Up next was the Paul Simon tune “Late in the Evening” which was a first time we have seen this song performed. Our favorite part of this song was the a cappella break down ending that saw each member of the band contributing to different vocal themes. Songs like “Look At Where We Are” and “Naïve Melody” reminded us to savor the moment and reflect back on everything that had taken place throughout the weekend while the heavy hitter “Texas” closed out String Cheese’s performance; a song which culminates in arguably the best ending ever.
Joe Russo’s Almost Dead closed out the festival on the Amphitheater Stage with a wonderful set of Grateful Dead tunes. JRAD, as it is often abbreviated, is comprised of keys player and long time collaborator Marco Benevento, Tommy Hamilton of Brothers Past on Guitar, Bassist Dave Dreiwitz known most notably from the band Ween and Scott Metzger from Particle on Guitar. These guys cruised through classics such as “Truckin” and “Uncle Johns Band” before dropping into a quick tease of Led Zeppelin’s “No Quarter.” The alarming accuracy and precision of these guys became apparent in the more rare tune “Crazy Fingers” before lighting up the night with a remarkable rendition of “Help on the Way”>”Slipknot”>”Franklin’s Tower” to close out a great weekend of music. This set really shed some light on how timeless the music of The Grateful Dead is and how their spirit lives on in this community nearly 20 years after the death of Jerry Garcia.
It’s pretty apparent that Hulaween may have found its new home at The Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park. It provides enough space to fit everyone comfortably while still curating an intimate feel, which is a rarity for many of today’s music festivals. While the park plays host to numerous festivals throughout the year with a wide range of musical genres, Hulaween may just be one of our favorite Suwannee fests. Although Hulaween weekend has just ended, we have already marked our calendars and we are counting down the days until next year when we will once again spend Halloween with The String Cheese Incident and about 8,000 of our closest friends.
Foo Fighters: ‘Sonic Highways’
Foo Fighters released their eighth album, their first in three years, to accompany the band’s HBO series commemorating their twentieth anniversary on Oct. 10.
Since the band formed in 1994, they have been praised for being one of the most iconic in rock history. What could you expect when you have the drummer of Nirvana as the lead vocalist?
Dave Grohl wrote songs while the famous ‘90s band went on tour and kept them for himself. After the death of Kurt Cobain, Grohl returned to the studio to record his songs and play every instrument necessary for the recordings. The recordings were released under the name “Foo Fighters” and generated an incredible amount of buzz in the music industry. After recruiting some band members, the Foo Fighters were an official band and released their first album in 1997. Over the course of their extensive musical career, the band has been awarded four Grammy Awards for Best Rock Album and sold millions of copies of their albums.
Some of the negative reviews the band has received include comments noting the inability to distinguish one album from another. It’s true there are some songs that stick out, but overall the theme of the band has been consistent since they formed in the ‘90s, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The band spent the beginning of their career creating a name for themselves, which clearly has paid off as they have become a household name. Now, the attempt to rebrand themselves proves challenging. Remaining relevant after decades of creating music is difficult for any artist. That’s where the creation of the Sonic Highways HBO television series came into play. The series documents the making of the album, which may not sound incredibly interesting besides the fact that each song was recorded in a different city.
Good news for exhausted Foo Fighters fans – this album is different from its predecessors. The band’s current single, “Something from Nothing” – possibly the most notable song on the album – launches with a steady progress that builds up to the traditional Grohl style that makes the band what it is. The title of the song refers to Grohl as he chants, “I’m something from nothing.”
Following this are two songs that resort back to classic Foo Fighters style and don’t set themselves apart much. Then comes “What Did I Do?/God as My Witness,” which sticks out in a great way. “Outside” shows off the band’s bluesy side, which they don’t display too often. The album concludes on a rather ostentatious note with “I Am a River.” The album only contains eight songs, but when each song is recorded in a different city, you can’t expect an extensive album.
While the effort put into this album was immense, the actual sound isn’t nearly as powerful given the build-up to it. It is the band’s most adventurous album, but it’s still way too familiar to bring back their relevance in the way the television series has done. Sonic Highways has a great hard rock sound, and it’s clear the band put their all into it. There isn’t a bad song on the album, but there are very few notable tracks. Overall, the Foo Fighters can still make great music, just as long as you don’t mind it sounding incredibly similar to their previous work.
3/5