Athens, GA band Futurebirds third studio album, 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
It’s not often the three best things in life come together seamlessly under the same roof, but when music, sizzling tacos and camaraderie meet, an unforgettable night is born. PALMAS, a five-man band hailing from the musically booming Philadelphia, brought all this to life in the bustling kitchen of a third floor walk-up in Brooklyn, New York.
It is the kind of Monday that feels more like a Friday, and the summer heat leaks through the kitchen windows and crashes full-throttle into the stovetop steam. Adam Cantiello, the band’s guitarist and chef of the evening, stands over the front burner flipping chicken breasts while Pat Degan, PALMAS drummer, slices limes. Eric Camarota, bassist, grabs a Modelo from the fridge full of Mexican beers, and Kurt Cain, singer, follows suit. Matt Young, guitarist, keen to create an authentic atmosphere while feasting on homemade guacamole and tacos, makes quick use of Pat’s limes and pours out tequila shots. And so, dinner with PALMAS begins.
“Just so you know, I blindly poured five of them, so you can just pick which one…” Matt warns the group gathering around the tequila and limes.
A quick cheers and universal grimace later, all is down the hatch, and tales of band origin and college parties past are flowing.
“I mean, they’re all awesome,” says Pat of his bandmates. “[Adam] asked me like, ‘hey, I’m jamming with these guys, and they’re all very talented players; you should come out and jam with us,’ and I was like, ‘yeah, cool, sure!’”
Adam pours the taco sauce into the skillet full of chicken. A few minutes later, the chicken is finished, and a hearty helping of tofu takes its place. What’s a PALMAS taco night without a vegan option?
Ten minutes later – who knew tofu was a slow-cooker – dinner – or, la cena – is served, and it’s every man for himself in the taco assembly line. The band grabs plates, and the taco assembly begins. Tortillas, chicken (or tofu), toppings goes the order. A side of homemade guac is mandatory.
One by one, they fill their plates and make their way into the living room. Personal photographs hang on the wall above a couch and coffee table. A tall shelf full of records stands in the corner, and a record player spinning Elvis holds the throne on top. Adam plops himself at the end of the couch with Matt to his left. Pat takes a seat on a stool to the right, and Kurt sits to the right of him. Eric makes himself comfortable toward the doorway, and just as if they were on stage, PALMAS takes their shape.
The tacos are devoured within minutes – our compliments to the chef – and conversation morphs into the serious kind that only happens when you get musicians talking about their music.
“We started this band for fun, not to make money,” says Adam.
“Basically, we all knew each other through the Philly music scene; we all played in bands in the Philly music scene,” said Kurt.
Philadelphia is a true hot bed for music and musicians, breeding artists and groups such as Joan Jett, Dead Milkmen, mewithoutYou, and Dr. Dog…not bad company to be in.
“I don’t know if I can speak for the other guys, but I think this is truly the very first time in my life that I started music for fun,” Matt says. “This was the first time that it was like, purely for fun, and I think that ended up being the best thing ever.”
“Eric, Adam, and I started jamming, and we went through a couple singers and a couple drummers,” continues Matt. Kurt chimes in right on cue.
“Really? A couple singers? I didn’t know there were others… Two singers? I didn’t know that,” he says, poking fun.
Matt continues.
“And then I knew Kurt and Adam had known Pat, and we were like, ‘let’s do this,’ and in the first practice we wrote three songs. We wrote ‘Without You,’ ‘Stay Away,’ and ‘You Were My Girl.'”
One year later, and here they are.
“At first when we started playing – all of us together, as it is right now, this band – we didn’t make anything of it besides, ‘lets do this every Sunday if we’re all free, and that’s what we’ll do, just for fun.’” says Eric. “And then we just started going and decided, ‘hey this is fun, let’s keep doing it every Sunday,’ and then we decided still, ‘hey why not do a show? What have we got to lose?’ First show we played sold out.”
By 10 p.m., plates have been swapped for after-dinner beers, and Elvis has been traded for the surf-side rock, nostalgic sound of PALMAS. Their newest tracks circulate the sound waves of the room, and each band member is set into motion, each their own, fully present and alive. They sit in silence, but not a body is still as the rhythm moves through them like a heartbeat moves through a newborn child, inhaling for the first time. They’ve heard it a million times before, it’s played in their minds and through their fingertips, but each time it rings in their ears, it’s like the first time all over again.
The sound is familiar, echoing that of a 1960s rock hall filled with swinging guys and gals. It’s a sound that feels warm and steady in the bones, speckled with an electric edge. It’s crooning meets quickness, mellow meets passion in an era where repetitive pop beats and Auto-Tune have drowned out what it really means to sing, play guitar, or keep a beat on drums. PALMAS is a rocker’s past meets California future.
Their wish for this sound the world so desperately needs?
“I would like for us to write an album that is actually timeless,” says Kurt.
Matt, on the other hand, wants to be featured in a Quentin Tarantino movie soundtrack. Judging from the sound coming from the speakers, neither of them are far off.
PALMAS’ new album To The Valley will drop November 13, 2015 via Lost Colony following a New York live showing at the Elvis Guesthouse on October 9, 2015.
To keep up with PALMAS and experience their tacos first hand, check out the recipe below (written by Chef Adam himself), and follow them on Facebook for updates.
Palmas Taco Recipe:
1. Modelos, tequila, and limes. Lots of ’em. Now start drinking.
2. Grab a bunch of chicken breast. Trim the fat.
3. Heat up a pan with oil, let it get real hot, then add in chopped onion and garlic.
4. Add in full chicken breast until it’s no longer pink.
5. Heat up a pot with water and a pack of taco seasoning and bring to a simmer. Add in some beer, limes, garlic, hot pepper, and a shot of tequila.
6. Shred the chicken breast with two forks and add the shredded chicken into the simmering sauce.
7. Let the chicken soak in all those juices.
8. Preheat the oven and warm up flour tortillas.
Serve with sour cream, chopped tomatoes, radish, onion, and fresh salsa.
With the neon title of their latest album illuminating the stage behind them and an eerie skeleton prop occupying the stage, Lord Huron filled the sold-out 40 Watt with a heartbreakingly beautiful sound on Wednesday night.
The L.A.-based indie-folk band originally started as a solo act by lead vocalist, Ben Schneider. After the release of a few EP’s, Schneider added four more members and the band quickly rose to success in their live tours. In 2011, they performed at multiple music festivals including Lollapalooza, South by Southwest and Outside Lands. Their debut album, Lonesome Dreams was released in 2012, followed by the 2015 release of Strange Trails, an album which set them up for their next round of live tours.
As fans followed Lord Huron to the 40 Watt, they were treated to the soulful sound of opening act, Son Little, a northeastern-based vocalist. With roots in acoustic blues, vintage soul and a little element of hip-hop, Son Little set the stage for the mellow but blissful noise that followed the rest of the night.
I was anxious to see what elements Lord Huron would bring to the stage in a live performance. With many of their songs inspired by adventure and location—even the name of the band itself—I knew a live setting was the perfect place for them to truly tell their story. The band started off on a mellow note, opening with “Love Like Ghosts,” a track off of their newest album. Schneider told the story of broken hearts and lost love as the lyrics “If you’re leaving, I gotta know why” reverberated around the room. The somber mood quickly turned around, however, with the bouncy rhythm of the next track, “Until The Night Turns,” again off of Strange Trails.
Lord Huron easily demonstrated their talent for layering sounds as a variety of instruments and sound effects were brought to the stage. In the next track, “Dead Man’s Hand,” Schneider surprised the crowd by whirring off a few chords on the harmonica and changing not just one or two, but three guitars throughout the show. The set offered an interesting contrast of sound, fluctuating between mellow and energetic, really giving fans the chance to absorb the emotion-enriched lyrics.
Of course, the band played a few favorites off their debut album including “Lonesome Dreams” and “She Lit A Fire,” both of which had fans singing along with every lyric. Although the majority of the show took on a relatively gentle and mellow atmosphere, the hand clapping and multiple “oh-oh-ohs,” were successful in getting the crowd adequately consumed in the show.
As the set came to a close, the band sang of being carelessly in love with the hit off of Strange Trails, “Fool For Love.” The ever-popular “Ends of the Earth” closed the show, followed by an encore performance of “The Night We Met” and “Time To Run,” a perfect combination of somber and bright that left the audience on a whimsical high.
Lord Huron brought their vision of the outdoors and adventure to life on the stage, creating an ethereal atmosphere that left the crowd eager to go on an adventure of their own. With the immense talent displayed on the stage Wednesday night, there is no doubt that the band’s fan-base will continue to build and follow them down whatever strange trails lie ahead in the future.
Kurt Vile’s new album, b’lieve i’m goin down, opens with “Pretty Pimpin.” The riff immediately implants itself in the listener’s mind and forces him/her to learn the lyrics. Vile, formerly of The War on Drugs, exhibits a lingering twang, ironic considering he hails from Philadelphia. His country-tinged rock combines synth-laced beats to create catchy, western melodies that make any listener feel a little bad. “Pretty Pimpin” is just one of many popular singles from the album. The track begins with a foot stomping melody and transitions into Vile’s raw vocals. With the monotone fluidity of Leonard Cohen and the inflections of Lou Reed, Vile comes through with a stripped down album of genuine lyrics and haunting melodies.
Vile’s bluegrass background reveals itself in “I’m an Outlaw.” A synthetic beat compliments Vile’s banjo fingerpicking to produce a western, country vibe. The fingerpicking continues in “That’s Life, tho (almost hate to say)” with heavy acoustic sounds. The track is softer, and its simplicity allows Vile’s deep vocals and lyrics shine through. Another popular single, “Life Like This” moves away from the southern style to a evocative piano melody.
Vile’s rough-cut style combines his bluegrass background with modern alternative styles. Vile’s smooth but distinct vocals soften stark chord changes. Likewise, Vile is just as capable of producing a slow, sweet track like “All in a Daze Work.” The album really speaks to Vile’s progress since the start of his solo career in 2008 with Constant Hitmaker. Don’t let Vile’s long, tangled mane intimidate you, his songs are lovely and comforting.
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.
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.
With the release of their second album, Every Open Eye, it is evident that Chvrches’ career is only just beginning. The Scottish trio quickly rose to success following the release of their debut album, Bones Of What You Believe, hurling them out of obscurity and into headlining slots at music festivals. Chvrches is known for their 80’s synth-pop sound and their latest album does not stray from this trend. With tracks featuring layered rhythms and heavy electronic textures, Every Open Eye showcases the unique vocals of lead singer Lauren Mayberry and talented instrumentalists Iain Cook and Martin Doherty.
The album picks up with the solid first track, “Never Ending Circles.” The energetic electronic beats flow smoothly into the popular hit “Leave A Trace.” The earlier released single quickly gained popularity on Spotify and YouTube, giving fans an accurate preview of the excellence of the album. The lyrics “You think I’ll apologize for things I left behind/But you got it wrong” set the mood for the overall album—one that tells the tale of betrayal and survival.
Mayberry’s vocals soar into the brisk pace of the next track, “Keep You On My Side,” a catchy beat that paves the way into the inspiration-laden lyrics of “Make Them Gold.” Mayberry takes the role of motivational speaker as she sings “We are made of our longest days/We are falling but not alone” and “we will take the best parts of ourselves and make them gold.”
From this point, the album downshifts a bit with “Clearest Blue” and “High Enough To Carry You Over,” the latter sung by Doherty. His smooth vocals offer a dynamic contrast to the heavy electronic textures of the rest of the album and set the stage for the danceable track, “Empty Threat.” The song screams empowerment as Mayberry sings to “take it back with no regrets” and leaves the listener with a sense of triumph.
The somber, mellow sound of “Down Side of Me” gives way to the defiant “Playing Dead”—a personal favorite on the album. The listener can easily relate and be inspired as Mayberry sings of self-sufficiency and ambition: “I am chasing the skyline much more than you ever will.” As the album flows into the heady beat of “Bury It,” the theme to forgive and forget shines brightly. The layered rhythms and electronic textures featured in this track perfectly sum up Chrvches’ style. The trio’s album comes to a close with the somber “Afterglow,” a cleansing track with little instrumentation that highlights the purity of Mayberry’s voice and wraps up the album with a sense of accomplishment.
Every Open Eye reaches energetic highs and mellow lows while telling the tale of betrayal, survival and ambition. With immense drums, layered beats and a singer that’s not afraid to put emotion and vulnerability into every syllable, Chvrches creates a sound that is overwhelmingly endearing.
Tracks to check out: “Leave A Trace,” “Empty Threat,” “Make Them Gold” and “Playing Dead”
As the rocking world has heard, Pope Francis is set to release an 11-track album to help preach his message of faith and righteousness with the masses. The pop-rock album will be called “Wake Up!” and is slated to come out on Nov. 27, 2015. The Pope released a single from the album entitled “Wake Up! Go! Go! Forward!” which features his Holiness himself delivering inspirational speeches over beats and background instrumentation.
In honor of the Pope’s budding career as a musician, here are some songs featuring religious figures in the title or the song itself.
“Hood Pope” – A$AP Ferg
There’s nothing like a bold start to a playlist, and that’s exactly what you get with A$AP Ferg’s “Hood Pope”. The Pope doesn’t seem like a hardened person at all, making this both humorous and serious (because of the lyrical content, it’s not to be taken lightly obviously).
“Bishop’s Robes” – Radiohead
This particularly dark song by Radiohead is not a light point of the playlist by any means, but it serves as a nose dive into a different territory of rhythm. The bluesy style of “Bishop’s Robes” that sounds similar to something Muse would produce is strangely soothing.
“Oh My God” – Ida Maria
This song is featured on a lot of soundtracks, but not enough as a single itself. From the gentle crooning of “So you think you’re in control” to the combinations of both singers chanting “Oh my God”, Ida Maria brings a fresh indie element to the playlist.
4. “Jesus Christ” – Brand New
Probably one of the most fitting songs for this playlist, Brand New questions life after death in the reflective “Jesus Christ”. This track questions morality and personal beliefs in a way that both asks for forgiveness and condemns the need for it.
“Angels and Demons” – Front Porch Step
Front Porch Step brings romantic emotions in juxtaposition with the stereotypical forces of good and evil in “Angels and Demons”. A man and his loved one are at odds and it is comparing his lost heart as being (surprise) sold to the Devil.
No religious playlist is complete without a track from the hit musical Jesus Christ Superstar. This is that track.
“The Pope Smokes Dope” – David Peel and The Lower East Side
There’s no good way to follow up a track as great as “Superstar”, but “The Pope Smokes Dope” is very close. Pope Francis is regarded as the “hippest” Pope in a long time, which probably inspired songs like this. Don’t fret, The Pope does not actually smoke dope.
“An Audience With the Pope” – Elbow
Elbow is a sleeper hit. Their musical artistry is shown in the cool cascade of random instruments for the intro, followed by the lyrics which are in the style of low-fi indie pop.
“The Prophet” – Slightly Stoopid
There is no explanation for Slightly Stoopid. They just appear, and whatever they create magically fits into the world perfectly. “The Prophet” is an example of that.
“Jesus Christ Was An Only Child” – Modest Mouse
The earlier Modest Mouse albums feature low production sounds and are notoriously more indie and acoustic influenced than later albums. The interesting thing about this song is that even though the instruments are friendly and inviting, the lyrics are actually very dark subject content.
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.
Sweet Spirit at Hotel Vegas // Photo credit: @smallbatchpro
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.
Superbody was born in the mountains of Chattanooga, Tennessee, the brainchild of Robert McCurry and Caleb Dills. The duo has only just begun; after 5 months, the band has produced their first full length album, Hades Land.
Vocalist, McCurry, brings the deep, pop vocals of the 80’s, while Dills softens the sonorous voice with dreamy indie sounds. The album opens with “Call Me That.” McCurry’s baritone voice flows over a harmonizing layer of twinkling melodies. The video was directed by Athens’ own, Vann Johnson. The video really embodies the band’s ethereal persona, as McCurry wakes up in a world of surrealism, surrounded by montages of plastic toy animals and magazine clippings. McCurry walks through this world with a feminine poise, which lightens the low tone of his voice and adds a bit of humor to the colorful dream.
“Hands Up” employs a more industrial, noise style with a haunting melody, but the chorus comes through with airy “ooh’s” and an uplifting riff. “Wings 4 Two” follows with sweeter sounds and lyrics. This track definitely exhibits an 80’s pop sound, with samples from a female voice, “I don’t really care where we go, baby. It could be Paris, London or Little Rock for all I care…” The synth utilization is similar to that of Desire and Chromatics. Superbody exhibits the same ambiance, but continues to include a subtle and deep, indie sound that makes it all their own.
“5678” takes on a more upbeat sound with a funky riff and more synthesizer beats. Finally, “Fools Gold” completes the debut album with a rough, rock sound combined with a dreamy synthesizer melody.
Superbody has been born, and they’re definitely a band that we’re definitely interested in watching grow. It’s rare that a band comes along and creates something new. No doubt Superbody will continue to change their sound as they evolve, but we hope they remain constant in their originality and creativity. Imagine their live shows! Check them out at the Flicker Theater on October 7th and/or the 40 Watt on November 6th.
