REVIEW: Snowbeast

Posted on by Grafton Tanner

Album: Snowbeast by Snowbeast

The upsurge of intentional lo-fi music that has pervaded the Internet lately has usually been written by artists looking to emulate roughness and obscurity through the recording means now offered on everything from Ableton Live to Pro Tools.  Without question, many of these faux-fi musicians seek the warmth of analog or grittiness of a past era’s recording technology, but Snowbeast’s lo-fi tendencies and stripped aesthetic never sound over-wrought or exploitative.  There is honesty within this EP that somehow gets lost or strangled out of a recording once it undergoes the slick treatments of post-production.

But Snowbeast’s strength doesn’t lie solely in its production.  Vocalists Riun Garner and Brayden Pichor drawl and scream their lyrics, which hinge on the threat of growing older and the paranoia that accompanies too much change too quickly.  “Backyards and alleyways/ Skateboards and roller blades/ It’s all stayed the same,” Riun sings, ending the repeated refrain with “It’s you that has changed.”  At certain moments, Snowbeast break from their grungy, shout-along guitar rock to dabble in Vampire Weekend tropic stomp and electro noise, and these left turns occur only when the lyrical mood becomes harried, panicked, or even playful.  Snowbeast have crafted an entire world that expands beyond their EP.  Their moniker, EP title, and opener all share the same title, and their Facebook page provides a proper definition of the Snowbeast that stalks their persona.  In short, to “capture a glimpse of a Snowbeast” is to witness truth, ease the mind, and retreat into a world free from pain.  It’s a bare release from a bare-bones band –one that invites you into the church they recorded in and hands its music to you with delicate ease and raw emotion.

7/10


REVIEW: Carpet of Horses’ It’s Only Light EP

Posted on by Kate Foster

An EP recorded in three different countries inevitably sets up some pretty massive expectations for a worldly and sophisticated sound, right? Get this: Carpet of Horses, a project fronted by Tobin Stewart, just released It’s Only Light – and though the EP was created in the earthly cities of Toronto, Berlin, and Tel Aviv, the six tracks and the mood they evoke are almost otherworldly.

You wouldn’t think it possible, considering Stewart’s project has only 78 “likes” on Facebook. Trust us, though, when we say that that number is going to be increasing – by A LOT – sooner than you can say “Oblomov” (this is one of the most impressive tracks on It’s Only Light). While listening to the EP, it’s easy to compare the sound to that of some of indie music’s greats: we hear Elliott Smith, Death Cab for Cutie, Iron & Wine, Bright Eyes, Frightened Rabbit… are you excited to listen to these six tracks yet?

 

 

Though the first track, “Algamest”, is simply a 49-second light instrumental intro, it conveys perfectly what is to come on the rest of the EP: a whimsical, sometimes folksy, often even eerie, set of fantastic songs. The title track introduces Stewart’s airy, soothing, slightly chill-inducing voice. By “Oblomov”, we’re in indie music heaven. Stick clicks and a violin open up the tune, catapulting us into the perfection of the vocals as Stewart sighs, “Laaaaaazy bones….” The dark-yet-vibrant mood continues, until Stewart’s voice crashes into the beautiful sound of a piano and some incredibly ghostly whistling, which ushers us onward into the next track, “Stars on Montsou”, which features absolutely ideal instrumentals.

By “The Rider”, the EP’s final track, we’re almost exhausted from such ethereal and busy listening. But this song – possibly the best of all – gets us excited all over again. The soothing mixture of the simple instrumentals – featuring a piano and a trumpet – and uplifting vocals make for an entirely calming end to a perfect album, one that both keeps you on steady feet and shoots you, unapologetically, into another universe.


REVIEW: Evan Andree’s Invisible Sap EP

Posted on by Samantha Gilder

Evan Andree is an up-and-coming singer/songwriter/producer/music journalist, born and raised in the home of the brave. The Atlanta native’s song Panic (off of his Flags Pt. II EP) has recently been featured in Nike UK’s ad campaign “Find Your Greatness”. Now, Andree has released a new EP titled Invisible Sap, which has been online, accessible, and furthermore, FREE, for over a month now. I took it upon myself to stay in on this fine Friday evening and download this free little musical gem I had been introduced to earlier in the week.

The EP starts off with American Dream, a bubbly number with a modern-day John Mellencamp meets Jacks Mannequin-esque sound (is that too weird?), appropriately singing of those first butterfly feelings that come with young romance.  I will admit that at this point in the game, I’m kind of just….eh.

But oh! Wait! There’s more.  Track numero dos begins playing, and here is where I realize that perhaps this kid may be on to something. Your Song (thankfully) takes on an entirely different sound than American Dream; slowing it down altogether, giving it a little more lyrical depth, and allowing Andree to become more vulnerably exposed.  The song that I claim as my favorite off of Invisible Sap would most definitely be this track – the ending was executed perfectly.

The third and final track titled Mr. Teleportation heavily emotes the aforementioned Jack’s Mannequin sound, but in much more bearable doses. I can say that after listening to this particular track a few times, I really began to enjoy it. It encompasses that same light and bubbly tone that resonates throughout the entire EP, but this track really owns that sound like no other.  “Light and bubbly” easily and often translates as generic, but Andree really did something right with this one, setting it apart from all the others who tried and failed.

Invisible Sap will remain free-for-download for a few more weeks and can be accessed here.

My opinions are my own, so don’t just take my word for it – go and create your own!


REVIEW: Blink 182’s “Boxing Day”

Posted on by Emily McBride

So…blink-182 has come out with a new song, “Boxing Day,” off of their new holiday EP, Dogs Eating Dogs.  Always exciting news for me when there is a new blink song.

That being said, the song is pretty mundane.  Not bad…just kind of forgettable.

It’s a song to drive and not pay attention to.  A good background song – not powerful or groundbreaking.  It desperately wants to be heartbreaking, but unfortunately, the most you can say is that it’s kind of a bummer.  There is a dreary tone, and the emo kid in me is all about a downer Xmas song, but it just kind of drones on to the point where you find yourself thinking about your grocery list (or am I just really A.D.D.?).

I will say that I do think that it is more “blink-sounding” than most of Neighborhoods was, which bodes well for future releases.  It looks like Mark and Tom have finally found their middle ground (hopefully…I don’t want to hear any more AVA-wannabe songs), and I am excited for what’s coming.

P.S.  Really like Travis’ lil drum solo at 3:19.  Might actually make the end my favorite part of the song.  Go figure.


REVIEW: The Last Tycoon’s Ballad of the Bloodstained Bible

Posted on by Kate Foster

Take a large dose of Sufjan Stevens circa Seven Swans, mix in a little Ryan Adams, and toss in just a dash of more current folk acts like Mumford and Sons, and you have “Ballad of the Bloodstained Bible”, The Last Tycoon’s newest single.

John Gladwin, currently living in Athens, Georgia, ushers in the song with a slow, melancholic banjo. From the moment the first note hits – as if the incredibly substantial title didn’t tell you enough – one can see that this song isn’t just your everyday folk song about love and loss. The tune, inspired by Southern Gothic literature, runs much deeper. By the time you reach the haunting chorus, chills run up your spine: “There’s bloodstains on the family bible…” Gladwin goes on to describe gunshots and, somberly, the fact that “sometimes love don’t get you through.”

Gladwin’s worldly lyricism and musical talent in “Ballad” express his unceasing understanding of the world and, especially, the Deep South. Just as writers like Flannery O’Connor, William Faulkner, and Truman Capote expressed the region’s mystic, often grotesque, nature, Gladwin achieves the same ends in song with this single. At one moment, Gladwin sings darkly of “neon crosses” that “burn through the night”; the next, the song builds into a dangerous atmosphere, a man walking solely with his “hat too low”, warned that, “one wrong step and you’re gone.” The rest of the song works in much the same pattern, ultimately leading to “strange fruits hanging on the trees”, a reference to the southern practice of lynching.

After one final, echoing chorus, the band finishes with an impressive last minute of instrumentals – a folksy banjo, a characteristically southern piano, and so on. With “Ballad of the Bloodstained Bible”, the Last Tycoon successfully transports the listener from his or her cozy living room to the historical South, sinister bloodstains and all.

REVIEW: Rivals by Her Bright Skies

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Here is a band from the land of beauty.   Introducing Switzerland’s rock/pop punk group called Her Bright Skies. They’ve just released their third album titled Rivals through Panic & Action records on November 19, 2012. They hail from the small town of Jönköping in Switzerland, and they got their kick-start in 2005. Since then, they have released two EPs (Beside Quiet Waters, DJ Got Us Falling in Love) and two full-lengths (A Sacrement: III City, Causing a Scene).  With a sound that can be compared to Crown the Empire, Sleeping with Sirens, and Close to Home, they have very catchy melodies and lead singer, Johan, has an incredible vocal range. They have a huge following in Europe, and are breaking through here in the US. They’ve shared the stage with the likes of Asking Alexandria, Paramore, Bring Me the Horizon, 30 Seconds to Mars, August Burns Red, and plenty of others.

The current album Rivals was birthed in the states in New York City.  HBS teamed up with producers Shep Goodman (Bayside, Cute Is What We Aim For, From Autumn to Ashes) and Aaron Accetta (Four Years Strong, He Is We, Forever the Sickest Kids). Less than two months later, out came a catchy, 11-track album. The album was then mixed by the legendary producer/engineer/mixer Mike Plotnikoff (Flyleaf, My Chemical Romance, Hawthorne Heights). Their single Lovekills is featured on the album, and the music video is nearly at 40,000 views on YouTube after being posted just a day before the album release. With an appealing chorus stating: I take take take what I want want want/And I pick pick pick it apart part part/I take what I want and I can’t get enough/And I want your heart.  A personal favorite on the album would have to be “Bonnie & Clyde (The Revolution)”. It’s a slower, more melodic song.  However, I feel this song really shows off Johan’s range. From the bottom of my heart/To the top of my voice/Let the spark in your eyes/Set the whole world on fire/Let’s start a revolution is the chorus and ending of this harmonious song. The whole album itself is a great listen, and you guys can get it off iTunes for only $9.99, so go support them and their music!

Members:
Johan “JayBee” Brolin – vocals
Niclas Sjostedt – guitar
Peter Nilsson – guitar/backing vocals
Jolie Karlsson – bass/backing vocals
Jonas Gudmundsson – drums

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REVIEW: Foeme’s El Fin Del Mundo

Posted on by Samantha Gilder

Isn’t it something when a song can speak volumes to you (regardless of the familiarity of the language it’s being played in)? This was my revelation from earlier in the week when I was introduced to Foeme, an independent rock band from Mexico City. I find it kind of ironic that even though my Mexican roots run deep in my mother’s side of the family, I’d never really been exposed to traditional Mexican music, let alone anything modern and authentic as that of Foeme. But at last, aforementioned exposition and I have met and formed a musical friendship.

Foeme released their official video for “El Fin Del Mundo” in early November, which has since quickly made waves in the realms of the interweb. The song starts off with that favorite-old-record-buzz to it, slow and melodic, quickly transcending into an instrumental fiesta of horns, spastic drum hits, and resonating bass riffs. “El fin del mundo” translates to “the end of world”, which can be heard throughout the chorus physically, but somewhat metaphorically, as well. Following in suit, the video itself sets a somber tone, shot entirely in a single room and in all black and white.

My biggest regret after listening over and over again to “El fin Del Mundo” was that I didn’t pay as much attention in my language aspects of high school curriculum as I should have. There’s a message to be heard in this song, no doubt, but all I can take away personally is what the music is saying. And those horns…..they said it all for me.

Go give Foeme’s “El Fin Del Mundo” as listen for yourselfbelow and let your own interpretational imagination run wild!

In the words of Foeme, “cheers and tacos”, Vinyl readers!

SHOW REVIEW: Deerhoof, Liam Finn, Tunabunny, Formica Man

Posted on by Colin Frawley

An unusually large lineup and an (almost) appropriately large crowd convened at Athens, Ga.’s 40 Watt on Saturday, Nov. 10. Formica Man and Athens natives Tunabunny delivered energetic sets, but it wasn’t really until über-bearded New Zealander Liam Finn took the stage that things started to fill in on the floor. An impressive showman, Finn managed to keep the audience engaged through every second of the floor-bound fiddling and fussing that comes with being a one-man band.

Maybe it was because the music itself actually delivered. Finn’s tunes were chord-y and emotive, at times harkening back to the mid-90s golden age of guitar alternarock. But even if each song appeared to fit a template at first, there was almost always a twist. In addition to his trusty looper, Finn deployed an armada of octave machines, flangers, dirt boxes and every other pedal you can think of, always to good effect. Instead of merely overdriving guitars to make them louder, he would find compatible timbres and blend them to create new flavors of resonance. You get the sense that some of this stuff could be achieved more easily by pressing a space bar. But Finn’s the kind of guy who’d rather work for it, even relying entirely on live percussion played by you-know-who. He displayed impressive chops on the kit, even managing to rearrange loops with a spare foot during the infinitesimal moments between kick drum hits. By the time he delivered a personalized tune about being an “Athens virgin,” Finn had won over just about everyone in the room.

Then, with gracious speed, Deerhoof filed onstage. There were cheers.

Listening to their records, it’s not hard to glean that this group rarely wants for ideas. But in a live setting, you also realize what a staggeringly talented collection of musicians they are. While there weren’t any warp-speed, Steve-Vai-sanctioned guitar solos going on, the members’ understanding of rhythm – and the many ways in which to turn it on its head – was borderline virtuosic, improbably calling to mind the technical prowess of nerdier bands like Battles and the Mars Volta. On innumerable occasions throughout the set, Deerhoof veered off into time signatures so odd and unexpected, it was like watching a troupe of trapeze artists pull off stunt after stunt.  And all night they did it without a net: shaggy drummer Greg Saunier roughs it on a spare three-piece kit, confidently tossing off the chance to bury mistakes beneath a mound of blurry tom fills.

But don’t worry: Deerhoof aren’t going to write any hour-long prog operas anytime soon (I don’t think). Despite the pronounced “jankiness” of their rhythmic engine, the true unifying force behind their live show is a strong dedication to the ethos of straight-up rock. There is ample noise and energy, and all the combinations of loud-soft/fast-slow shakeups that render each full-band crash absolutely huge. They’ve nailed these devices, skillfully conjuring and combining them at will. And above all, the performance was expressive, a quality that seems to slip the minds of many equally nimble musicians. Throw in the robotic pixie dance moves of frontwoman/bassist Satomi Matsuzaki, and you have a show that’s just weird enough to fascinate while precluding any accusations of gimmickry. Deerhoof may be an against-the-grain act, but they’re too focused a unit to fall back on faux-showmanship.

Words with Pinback’s Rob Crow

Posted on by Emily McBride

Everyone should know Pinback.  They’re kind of a big deal.  Based in San Diego, California, the band is essentially made up of Zach Smith and Rob Crow.  They recently released their fifth full-length studio album, Information Retrieved and are currently on a US tour.

I got the chance to grab a few minutes of phone time with Rob to talk about their current tour, the album, Disney’s takeover of Lucasfilm, and what’s up next for the band.

So enjoy.  And be sure to check out of their upcoming shows.  They’ll be in Atlanta at Terminal West tomorrow – and so will I – so you should definitely not miss it.

What are your thoughts on Disney buying Lucasfilm?  What do you think that means for the new movies? 

I’m highly excited about it.  There will be a lot more possibilities now.  Lucas has been trying to ruin his own thing.  There are a lot of amazing directors and writers out there right now.  Looking at what they did through Pixar…things like The Incredibles don’t treat children like idiots.  The [Star Wars] prequels do treat children like idiots.  What’s great about the original Star Wars is that there is a hero.

I’m mostly hoping for someone to look up to in the films.  In the last three films, the closest thing to that is the bad guy.  I think it’s detrimental to bring up children with that.

You once said that Pinback is the most accessible thing that you do- can you elaborate on that?  What other projects are you involved with at the moment?

I gravitate more towards extreme things that most people don’t care about, which is unfortunate.  I don’t gravitate towards it because it’s not popular.   It just seems to be what I’m interested in for no particular reason.

Tell me about the Helios Creed tribute album.  How did that come about?  Was it more about the project for you or the charity?

Somebody asked me if I wanted to do it; only recently did I hear that it was for charity.  Charity is great – I just didn’t know about it.

I read that you now do a lot of recording at SDRL studios?  Is it your studio?  What does it stand for?

At the time it was me, Zach, and two other people partnering in it.  We have studios at home also.  Zach doesn’t work [at SDRL] anymore.

You all have children now- do they inspire or change the way you write?  How does having a family change the way you prioritize the band?  Do they ever tour with you?

It’s a lot harder to really put the time in to complete a linear thought; they used to tour with us.  It’s a lot more difficult now that I have three kids – one’s a baby, one’s in school.  It would be a little crazier.  It was pretty great when I could [take them on tour].  They have been all around the US already.

I really like concept of an artist as a person.  People go to see a band, and they’re all spotlighted.  So people may think we’re above them or something, which we’re not.

We’re definitely not cooler than them.  It’s a privilege not a right what we do.  We should all be on our knees thanking people for letting us play for them.

You released “Proceed to Memory” to Rolling Stone and then “His Phase” to Pitchfork before releasing the full album.  Are those your favorites or were they just the first done?

I don’t know.  I don’t know much about marketing.  Jeremy runs Temporary Residence [record label]. I thoroughly trust whatever he does.  He’s a good, honest guy.  If he thinks the way to go about something is the way to go about something, I trust him completely.

What is “Denslow, You Idiot!” about?  What inspired the lyrics?

There is a lot of stuff on the album that I decided not to talk about for about a year…there is a bunch of hidden stuff in some of the videos and the songs.

The reason for this is because it is more fun to have people use their imaginations and come up with what they think these things are about.

It’s like the old days of radio when people used imagination instead of just turning on the TV and having it in their face.

[It’s] any excuse to use your imagination.  It’s also an excuse for people to come up to me at the end of show.  It’s a way to promote conversations and communication.  If they have ideas about what things are, they can come talk to me about it.  Some people are too nervous to talk to us, and this can give them things to talk about.

Is it strategic to release albums so far apart, or is that just how it goes with your schedule and writing process?

It’s just how it went it.   It just took so long.  We did not want it to take so long.  We’d be happy if we could put out an album a year.  We would, but we just can’t.

What is your favorite part of touring?

Making new friends and seeing old friends and getting to go to cool areas around the country.  Getting regional food and drinks.

What is next for Pinback?

We do a lot of touring.  We are talking about whether we want to do a new record or not.  If we do, we try to do it in a way that wouldn’t take five years.

_____________

Tour Dates

11/14 – Durham, NC @ Motorco
11/15 – Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West
11/16 – Nashville, TN @ Exit/In
11/17 – Chicago, IL @ Metro
11/18 – Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon
11/20 – Ann Arbor, MI @ Blind Pig
11/21 – Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace