Be Forest: ‘Earthbeat’

Posted on by Nikki Smith

Balance is key in Be Forest’s sophomore album, Earthbeat. The members, the sounds, and the technique all share some element of balance. Similar to nature, the pieces come together to create an elegant whole. Whether or not that’s what Be Forest was going for is unknown, but the listener, no doubt, feels wholesome and fulfilled. The listener envisions forest grounds and can almost smell wet leaves while listening to the album, for it is the essence of nature. Costanza Delle Rose on bass and vocals, Erica Terenzi on drums and vocals, Nicola Lampredi on guitar, and newly added member, Lorenzo Badioli for synth/atmosphere make up the four members of an evenly distributed assemblage from Pesaro, Italy.

Be Forest’s first album, Cold from 2011, embodies winter and is…cold, at times. Still Be Forest maintains their light sound with soft vocals, as in Earthbeat.

Earthbeat opens with “Totem”. The opener is a crucial and interesting piece of any album. It’s a preface of what’s to come and sets the mood. “Totem” is an instrumental piece with tribal drumbeats, which are prevalent throughout the album and create the wild atmosphere that makes the listener feel the need to break out in a rain dance.

“Captured Hearts” follows with deep guitar chords and ethereal vocals that mimic the wind. This happens often, the blending of opposing sounds, specifically dark and airy, but it harmonizes beautifully. Woodwinds in “Captured Heart” and, faintly, in “Airwaves” bring about that earthy, natural beat that the album claims.

“Totem II” acts as an intermission with the reoccurring rhythmic drumbeats and faraway guitar riffs. Intermissions are just as important as the opening. It can act as a break in lively albums or a period to reflect and relax.

The intermission seamlessly transitions into the slower second half. “Colours” follows at a steady pace and creates a languid atmosphere for the second half. The album is capable of using synthetic instruments but creating a raw sound, which becomes meditative. At no point does the album leave the listener feeling restless or weary. In fact, it had a profound effect accompanied with vivid imagery, for me, of nature.

The album is out February 4th.

New Prides track “The Seeds You Sow”

Posted on by Vinyl Mag

Pride have debuted a new track “The Seeds You Sow” off of The Seeds You Sow 7″ and digital single on March 18 in the U.S. Pride just announced a spring tour which will include performances at the SXSW Music Festival. See dates below.

Prides Upcoming Tour Dates

03.11 – 03.15 – Austin, TX @ SXSW
03.16 – Dallas, TX @ Prophet Bar *
03.18 – Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West *
03.19 – Chapel Hill, NC @ Cat’s Cradle *
03.20 – Washington DC @ 9:30 Club *
03.21 – Boston, MA @ Sinclair *
03.23 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Church *
03.24 – Brooklyn, NY @ Rough Trade *
03.25 – New York City, NY @ Webster Hall *

*With RAC

Real Estate debut two new tracks

Posted on by Vinyl Mag

Real Estate are now sharing two new tracks off their upcoming third album, Atlas. They are premiering the tracks, “Bend” and “April’s Song,” through a WNYC Soundcheck session that includes live versions of the two tracks as well as a live version of the first single they released off the album, “Talking Backwards.” Atlas will be released on March 4th.

Real Estate tour dates:

February 28 – San Francisco, CA @ Noise Pop Festival
March 1 – San Francisco, CA @ Noise Pop Festival
March 3 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
March 4 – Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theatre
March 6 – Seattle, WA @ Neumos
March 8 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
March 9 – Boulder, CO @ Fox Theatre
March 11 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Fonda Theatre
March 19 – Boston, MA @ The Sinclair
March 20 – Boston, MA @ The Sinclair
March 21 – Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground
March 22 – Montreal, QC @ Il Motore
March 23 – Toronto, ON @ Opera House
March 25 – Madison, WI @ Majestic Theatre
March 26 – Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line
March 27 – Chicago, IL @ Metro
March 28 – St. Louis, MO @ Firebird
March 29 – Nashville, TN @ Exit/In
March 31 – Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West
April 1 – Charlottesville, VA @ Jefferson Theater
April 2 – Washington, D.C. @ 9:30 Club
April 3 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
April 5 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall

CYMBALS: ‘The Age of Fracture’

Posted on by Alexis Tiedemann

Inspired by a poem and truly very poetic indeed, CYMBALS’ debut album The Age of Fracture takes the listener on an introspective journey without compromising its ability to make us bob our heads and dance to the disco beats.

Lending its name from a work by Princeton scholar Daniel T. Rodgers and inspired heavily by British poet Joe Dunthorne, this album layers spacey instrumentals and hard-driving beats with thoughtful lyrics to create an intergalactic disco.

Hailing from the UK, CYMBALS recorded this album with producer Dreamtrak (Swim Deep, Chad Valley, Hot Chip) in his Hackney studio carefully putting each beat, melody, and word in place for a bright, polished, sophisticated sound dripping with deep thoughts and positive energy.

“We can hear the passing of time” sings Jack Cleverly, coolly, wafting over the pop beats, reflecting on the inner indecisiveness and over-complication of our generation on “The Natural World”. The Age of Fracture is abound with interesting comparisons, sweetly singing in the track, “You Are”, “I won’t forget you running down the stairs like it’s the end of another age.” Other tracks, like “Empty Space” feel like Andy Warhol paintings come to life to whisk you away to a party in Greenwich Village. Funky electronic melodies go hand in hand with the dance pop beats to create a lighthearted and fun musical experience.

The album matures as the listener progresses with more dreamy tracks such as “The 5%” and “The Age of Fracture.” CYMBALS continues to explore the idea of our generation not being able see the world in a simpler light, lamenting, “it’s more complicated than that.” When talking about the album, Cleverly writes “It hit me that I often feel paralysed by the feeling that everything is ‘too complicated’, and that many people I know feel that paralysis. I realised that this way of thinking can be traced through these songs.”

The album progresses to more hard-driving beats and funky guitar riffs with “Like An Animal.” Simpler, mellower grooves take over with the focus shifting to the musicality but never forgetting its purpose of exploring the human condition, remarking “you are life’s delicate child” but reminding us “nothing can be solid as a rock.”

“Erosion” and “This City” are pure fun tracks, and the album comes full circle with the track “The End.” Speaking in French over delicate beats, Cleverly adds depth and interest to the music. This track feels like an album hangover, but not in a coffee, sunglasses, and ibuprofen way. This track leaves us buzzing in the warm afterglow of the album, contemplating the ideas CYMBALS has presented us over the course of their work. “You’ve been dancing too much,” Cleverly croons, “you’ve got to turn on the lights”.

The album ends on a positive note, but not before leaving us with one last cool instrumental groove on “Call Me.” The slower, meandering jam is different than the rest of the album but leaves us basking in the ambiance of the album we have just listened to.

Overall, CYMBALS has made an album that makes a profound statement about our generation without neglecting the fun dance tunes drives the indie electro pop genre. You can enjoy this music in the morning with your coffee, at the beach, or on the moon.

You can catch The Age of Fracture when it comes out on Feb. 4 via Tough Love Records and when CYMBALS performs at South by Southwest in Austin, March 11th through the 16th.

CYMBALS TOUR DATES:
 
03/11 – 03/16 Austin, TX – SXSW

EXCLUSIVE SONG PREMIERE: Static Jacks: “Teenage Shakes”

Posted on by Vinyl Mag

Recently stumbled across Static Jacks while browsing around Spotify (thank you, Spotify suggestions) and immediately contacted them to beg for an interview.  Success.

And as a bonus, they threw in a B-side from most recent album, In Blue, released last October. So get a load of the exclusive premiere of “Teenage Shakes” below. And be sure to check out In Blue if you haven’t already. I might definitely for sure be listening to it right now.

 

How to Stay Warm AND Stylish

Posted on by Kate Foster

Okay, so everyone’s making fun of Atlanta for our little snow day slip-up. But you know what? It was freezing, and people everywhere were piling on the coats, scarves and hats in an attempt to stay a little toasty. Now that we’re finally used to this weather, though, are you hoping to maintain your fashion cred while still bundling up? It’s not as hard as you’d think.

Wear jeggings.
Wait! Don’t close this article! I swear, not all jeggings look fake and ridiculous – Check out H&M for some super authentic ones. However, my reasoning isn’t purely aesthetic. It’s easy to pull stretchy jeans over black leggings, so you have an extra layer of warmth.

H&M jeggings

Find the perfect quirky sweater.
If you’re the type that loves a classic knit sweater, then rock it and don’t look back. But I’m fonder of a fun Adventure Time sweater or one with a silly word or phrase. Don’t lose your personality under all those layers! Stores like TopShop are loaded with the kind of sweaters that dreams are made of.

TopShop sweater
TopShop sweater

Buy a trendy coat.
Take a break from your typical pea coat. Right now I’m loving plush army green coats, especially ones with details like leather sleeves or a fur hood. Or, if you’ve got a more classic style, try a trench coat or even a cape. The idea is to broaden your jacket horizons – you can do it!

Forever 21 coat

Tuck into some boots.
Slip your feet into some fuzzy socks, pull them up over your jeans, and enjoy the ease of putting on boots. Seriously, any kind works: riding, combat, sexy booties. Even some edgy sneaker wedges will keep you snug – they’re usually extra padded for extra attitude, and designers like Jeffrey Campbell have some that go beyond punk.

Jeffrey Campbell Sneaker Wedge

…and don’t forget accessories!

Yeah, yeah, we’ve all seen about a thousand beanies and infinity scarves. These days, though, retailers are upping the basics with funky studs and hip patterns. And who couldn’t use an awesome pair of gloves with text-ready finger pads? Finally, don’t forget jewelry. A bright pair of earrings will remind you that, yes, spring will come!

ASOS beanie
Anthropologie earrings

 

Arcade Fire takes over Australian Radio

Posted on by Vinyl Mag

On January 29th, Arcade Fire decided to blow the minds of Australia’s Triple J radio station. They performed many songs including “My Body is a Cage” from one of their biggest albums Neon Bible, as well as songs off of Reflektor. Listen to the entire show below. Get ready to set fire (a good, cuddly type of fire) to your ears!

 


Words with Static Jacks

Posted on by Colby Pines

We recently got the opportunity to chat with indie rock band Static Jacks about their new album, In Blue (not to mention, we got an exclusive premiere of b-side “Teenage Shakes”). While the New Jersey rockers have been holding it down since 2009 when their EP, Laces, first dropped, their sophomore album marks the first record they’ve released since 2011. In Blue is also the band’s first full-length album to be produced by Andrew Maury, most known for his work with Ra Ra Riot, Tegan and Sara, and RAC. With all of this and more in mind, we discussed the new album, New Jersey, and much more (I couldn’t think of a third phrase that started with the word ‘new’).

What do you feel like the biggest difference is between this album and your previous album, If You’re Young?

I feel like the setting and the approach to both records were vastly different.  For one, when we made If You’re Young, we were high after freshly signing to a record label, and we went for the whole rock and roll thing – spend a number of weeks in an enormous and beautiful New York City studio with a Grammy Award winning producer, Chris Shaw.  I wouldn’t take that time back for anything, but it’s become definitely clear that we were out of our comfort zone there.  So for In Blue, we brought back our main man, Andrew Maury who we had worked with previously on EPs to produce, mix and engineer at Retro Media Studios in Red Bank, New Jersey.

Can you talk a little bit about your relationship with Producer Andrew Maury?

Andrew Maury is our guide.  I really trust him and have always believed that his vision of what Static Jacks should be, matches, if not exceeds our own.  Sometimes I think back on everything we’ve done so far and feel like, “Man! If we just listened to Andrew a litttttle bit more.”

How do you feel like he’s affected not only this album but you as a band and your music overall?

We definitely all respect and look to him for answers.  He saw something in us from the start and wanted to be a part of it and help us out when we were really nobody.  He knows what we’re trying to showcase and what we’re not really in favor of.  Plus, he’s just damn good at what he does.

What was your favorite part of the recording process?

My favorite part of recording is figuring out the added instrumentation that make a song or an album round out. You know, sound a little bit fuller.  Sometimes when focusing in the studio on guitar, which is my main instrument, I get too caught up about playing these parts really perfectly, you know, like really shredding.  But when you’re messing around with something you barely know, something you just picked up, like an omnichord for example, which we used on this album, there’s really no way around it.  So you’re figuring it out as you go.  You can’t worry about playing it perfectly, because you’re not.  That’s a really enjoyable feeling.

Least Favorite?

My least favorite part is the set up.  It’s like you’re heading into the studio and you’re so amped up, so ready to go, and then immediately, it’s like, “OK! Let’s get these mice in place. Let’s get these boards warmed up.  We’ll be ready to go in no time!” Three days later…

Do you have a favorite song on the album?

My favorite song is probably We’re Alright. I say that because I was furthered removed for the crafting of that song.  So when I hear it, it always sounds fresh to me, because I’m not thinking about the hours and days I’ve spent in my room trying to figure out how the hell to finish it haha.  Also, it sounds like a Guided By Voices recording to me, which I love.

Did you film during your recording sessions with the idea that you wanted to make the “In Blue” short film about this album and the recording process?

Totally.  I’ve always been interested in filming everything we’ve ever done, stockpiling all of this footage, then making cool videos out of it all.  We’ve done a number of tours, and I’ve always made these like 5 minute montage videos that we put up on youtube from each tour, with some sappy old jazz song playing, which is really just like a TV show moment for us.  I want images we can all look back on at 80-years-old, no matter where we are and say, “Wow, we’ve really done some things.”  So yeah, when we were getting ready to make the album, I was really interested in exploring something a little bit more developed than narrative-less montages about how great friends we all are and how much fun we always have together.  Haha, I wanted to tell the story.  Also, I wanted to make the other guys cry.

You talked a lot in the short film about how tough some of your writing sessions got. What was the writing process like for this album?

It was strained at the beginning for sure.  But just because we weren’t sure right away where we were going to go next.  We wrote a lot, both together and individually.  Like we address in the film, Nick was definitely the most stressed about it, because he felt like his voice wasn’t being heard as much as the rest of us.  I wasn’t as worried about that though.  I knew we were going to make another album, and we were going to figure out what it was going to be about.

So many great musicians and bands have come from New Jersey. From Springsteen to Sinatra to Whitney Houston and Bon Jovi just to name a few. Do you feel like New Jersey inspired this record at all?

Definitely.  I remember when Whitney Houston died we were overseas in Germany at the time.  A few days later we were in London, listening to the radio and we hear “Whitney Houston, to be buried in Westfield, New Jersey next weekend.”  Westfield, is our hometown.  I don’t know why I’m explaining this.  But yeah, you could say In Blue could have easily been called For Whitney.

Who are some of your musical influences, New Jersey or no New Jersey heritage?

NJ-wise, the Misfits for sure.  Springsteen is definitely there, whether you go for it or not.  But then like outside of the Garden State, Smashing Pumpkins, Arctic Monkeys, The Shivvers. Maybe like first album Goo Goo Dolls, when they were trying to be the Replacements haha.  In Blue was all about the Goo Goo Goth.

Do you guys have any plans to get back on the road and tour soon?

Nothing at the moment.  We’re trying to figure out what to do next.  In Blue only came out a few months ago, but it already seems like we have to figure out what to follow it with next.  We will see! Only time will tell!