With Ryan Adams’ cover of 1989 releasing today, it’s only appropriate to take a moment to appreciate the allure that a good cover can have. In the case of Ryan Adams and Taylor Swift, it combines two totally different genres, giving pop songs a singer/songwriter feel. Other covers take old school classics and mold them into modern day hits. No matter where your tastes lie, these covers are sure to spark an interest and put a unique spin on the familiar originals.
https://open.spotify.com/user/1224015150/playlist/6c9c9efQnMCpUZgjrq3gB5
Noted as one of the frontrunners for the emo revival of the 2010s, The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die is a nine piece indie punk band from Connecticut. Their music can be described by their use of confessional lyrics and a large range of instruments that make a “full” band sound. Although their discography includes a lot of EPs with great content on each, the full length albums tell entire stories through the progression of tracks and are highly regarded as an accumulation of the best of TWIABP. Harmlessness is the second studio album to be released by The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die and will be available on Sept. 25, 2015 for purchase. A streaming version of the album is currently available for free on Bandcamp, or you can purchase it digitally for $7.
Harmlessness brings a new chapter for the band by creating a flow of motion from start to finish. The tracks blend into each other so well that the album doesn’t feel like it’s made up of individual songs, it’s more of an elongated soundtrack. The switching of male and female vocals brings depth to the album, and layers of harmonies make the feeling more visceral. An ode to realizing, forgiving and carrying on, Harmlessness is warm-sounding with heavy impact.
Because the themes mentioned in Harmlessness are similar to “Whenever, If Ever”, it’s easy to draw comparisons between the two full-lengths. However, Harmlessness exceeds all expectations. The album draws on floaty riffs that fade into the background and pull forward at just the right times, allowing space for the sweet twangs of the synthesizer to shine through. Every different instrument is used at full potential, with the right sounds pronouncing at the right times to give an unparalleled listening experience.
The album starts with “You Can’t Live There Forever,” a kick-off to ignorance of people in the world around us. With lyrics littered with rhetorical questions, the track ends with the important phrase “we think that the world is alright, and that’s a lie.” It’s interesting to note that the name of the band, The World Is a Beautiful Place, is taken very seriously throughout the lyrics of “Whenever, If Ever” but is torn apart on the first track of Harmlessness. This could be a progression of TWIABP as a band, or possibly a further stab at self-realization through breaking ignorance. Either way, it is a powerful start.
The third track “January 10th, 2014” was released early as a single and is easily one of my favorites from the album. The song draws from the story of Diana the Hunter of Bus Drivers, a woman that killed at least two bus drivers in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico during 2013. The news of the killer spread rapidly through the city, plaguing its citizens with fear of the unknown for months. The track encourages everyone to draw on bravery and hope for something better despite atrocious things that have happened in the past, citing the killer as an example of past horrors. “We are brave and strong, but don’t you quiver.”
Another special mention should be made for the final two tracks on Harmlessness. “I Can Be Afraid of Anything” and “Mount Hum” are the finale of a brilliant climb. They summarize the full album through a post-rock build up to the chanted phrases of high impact. “I Can Be Afraid of Anything” revels in the phrase “I really did dig my own hole, but I’m climbing out,” with the entire band breaking into whimsical harmonies at the height of the song. “Mount Hum” does the same, but in the classic TWIABP style of layered lyrics. Much like the infamous “Getting Sodas” from “Whenever, If Ever,” “Mount Hum” finished off an impressive album with a message that remains even after the track ends:
“Come off and fall, so that I can pick you up. Our homes are not the kind of places you own. We were ghosts even then, errant sunlight on our skin. Sunlight, sunlight. And we drove out to the bluffs, raced each other through the dust. We’re all going to die.”
Each song on Harmlessness manages to carry some sort of weight, and it is impossible to list all of the reasons and meanings. Some important positive mentions are on “Mental Health” and “Rage Against the Dying of the Light,” where the lead singer chants “you are normal and healthy to forgive yourself” and “I am alive, I deserve to be.” Overall, the album exposes the dark points we all experience throughout our lifetimes with questions that we have all thought about at one point or another (like the emotional line “Whose side am I on?” from track four’s “The Word Lisa”). Despite the hardships we all have to pick ourselves up and keep moving until we reach a beautiful place.
Easily one of the best new albums to come from 2015, Harmlessness should be at the top of everyone’s “need to listen to” list.
Tracks to listen to: “January 10th, 2014,” “Rage Against the Dying of the Light,” “I Can Be Afraid of Anything,” “Mount Hum.”
The line to the 40 Watt curved down Pulaski Street as people waited for the doors to open. Those who RSVP’d ahead of time were sent to a Red Bull Sound Select representative and given free chocolate chips cookies and foam black lips. Once inside, Muuy Biien performed an enthusiastic show and set the hardcore, punk mood for the rest of the night. Front man, Josh Evans brought the energy and the fun with his animated dance moves. After Muuy Biien, people migrated to the bar or outside for a cigarette. Even the boys of Muuy Biien made their way to ground level as fellow Black Lips fans. We weren’t outside for more than 30 minutes before my friend points out Black Lips’ singer, Cole, and the band’s female saxophonist walking by. It was an occurrence that seemed so surreal at the time, to be that close to performers dressed in their punk garb and makeup. Shaky Knees was a completely different experience; fans leaned over metal gates and bodyguards in order to reach for the Black Lips. The 40 Watt is much more intimate, eliminating the barrier between the audience and the performers. It’s not uncommon to see band members mingling among the audience with a PBR in hand or partaking in the chaos that is the mosh pit.
Finally, the seemingly misplaced 50’s standby music abruptly transitions to the rough and raw guitar sounds of Black Lips. Opening with “Family Tree,” the band wastes no time in amping up the energy. Cole gracefully trust falls onto a tightly packed group of audience members, and is just as gracefully placed back on stage. I vigorously nodded my head and bounced in the back of the crowd. The band recently included a female saxophonist that brings a new layer to the band’s sound. Although she is only present for a few songs, her power gives the songs new life. Its no secret that punk-rock shows can be overwhelming; one doesn’t come to a punk-rock show to sit in the back and not get pushed around. I think the genre is successful in generating an energetic crowd; as long as the performers are screaming into the mic and jumping around on stage, the audience is bound to follow. The genre gets back what it puts in. Have you ever been to a rock concert and not been able to dance? It’s hard. I think the same concept goes for any genre, but the punk-rock genre is all about creating chaos and instilling a rebellious mindset in its listeners.
It wasn’t long before I saw my girlfriend crowd surfing a few bodies in front of me. She was so close to the stage that I think Cole looked her square in the face. A few girls gabbed back in forth in front of me, a few even checking updates from Instagram as the band played “Boys in the Woods.” I couldn’t go to a Black Lips show at the 40 Watt and remain in the safe section. People started to filter out of the crowd, making their way to the calmness of the bar. The aggressive moshing and flying toilet paper rolls were too much to handle, but I grabbed my friend by the hand and pushed our way closer, eventually reuniting with my crowd surfing friend. I knew the concert was coming to an end, and I also knew I would regret it if I didn’t enter the ominous mosh pit. I asked my crowd surfing friend to come with me, which she agreed to without hesitation. As we pushed our way into the pit, the temperature immediately climbed 10 degrees and the humidity was enough to stifle my breath. Once in the center of the pit, my legs and arms became pinned to my body. It took all the power I had to pull an arm up for defense. I finally got my head up enough to see Jared’s sweaty, red face and the veins popping out of his neck as he belted out “Bad Kids.” In a blur, I see a guy jumping off the stage, and it’s my job to catch him. Immediately the impact takes my friend and I to the floor. I was surprised to feel people reaching for me, helping me up. It wasn’t long before the weight of so many bodies took its toll, and just as I felt a crushing sensation in my chest and a tingling in my face, I moshed my way out of the pit.
Just as Black Lips ended, the crowd chanted for an encore, and the band willingly obliged. I discovered I’m not much of a mosher, but I was proud of myself for taking a chance. Their recorded songs definitely have a cleaner quality, but there’s something about the rawness of a blood-curdling scream and the feedback of a guitar that gets to the heart of the audience member, physically. If you’re heart isn’t racing at a Black Lips concert, you’re either in the bathroom or passed out.
The third album release from indie punk band The Front Bottoms brings in new instruments to accompany the quirky and angsty goodness that is Brian Sella.
Back on Top brings a mature sound to a band that was made famous for being quirky. The album uses a different production and sound value, which can be seen in the clearness of each instrument and the synthesized twang placed on every lyric. Elements from the past two albums are still present in Back on Top such as the style of anecdotes as lyrics and if you listen closely, you can hear backup female vocals that were introduced on a few songs such as the self-titled album’s “Flashlight.” For dedicated fans, it’s little connections like that between albums that make listening to the discography more of story-telling experience. If the first two albums were sarcastic introductions to the hardships of being an adult, Back on Top is the perfect addition to a trilogy making light of all the crap we go through.
The album kicks off with “Motorcycle” and “Summer Shandy,” both lighthearted tunes that bump along without any snags. Although they’re catchy songs, nothing about them stood out too terribly much.
“Cough It Out” and “HELP,” tracks three and four off of the album, were released earlier as singles and already gained prominence through streaming services like Spotify and Youtube. The songs were originally met with criticism for such a different sound with the main complaint being that it was more electronic than the indie acoustic sound that made The Front Bottoms famous. The straight-forward confessional lyrics that made the band popular can still be found in places like when Sella repeats, “I am delusional with love,” or “I don’t know what I’m going to do about anything.”
“Laugh Till I Cry” shows off Sella’s impressive vocal range, putting lots of emphasis on his accent that set The Front Bottoms apart from others. The use of sound effects like a motorcycle when the lyrics scream “motorcycle” makes this track one of my favorites off of the album.
“Historic Cemetary” for someone that sings about “getting high” so much, Sella has openly admitted to not being a fan of smoking. The irony of that only adds to the humor found in dark places of the album. Sella touches on difficult topics, particularly on how to deal with emotional hardships through relationships, personal importance, and our place in the universe. This track brings in a singer other than Sella that spits dark spoken word about drug abuse over a bright and poppy synthesizer. Nothing could epitomize The Front Bottoms better than that.
“The Plan (Fuck Jobs)” is another personal favorite, because it starts off with a quieter acoustic guitar that lets Sella show off his lyrics and voice. Kicking off with personal faults like hypocrisy through lyrics like “when my mind is uncertain, my body decides,” “The Plan (Fuck Jobs)” accomplishes what the rest of the album is hinting at. It balances the Front Bottoms sound that everyone is used to with its new elements in a way that welcomes the listener to something new.
“Ginger” and “West Virginia” are more of those catchy filler album songs that give the listener something to jam with their friends on a road trip or something to blast at a party. “West Virginia” manages to show the goofy side of Sella that has been missing a little on this album. He even slips in “ride or die” to describe some friends in West Virginia, whom he also gives a personal shout out.
The ninth track, “2YL,” is another favorite. It’s a shout-out to the tingly feelings you get from romance with cute little stories that could rival the perfect dates we’ve dreamt about. A instrumental break with a large trumpet section is refreshing and a great addition to the lightness of this song after which Sella professes his affection, saying “I can be the rainbow in your sky” and his willingness to be there for someone else.
The hardest part of closing an album is picking the perfect track to finish the list. “Plastic Flowers” is a great end to a blossoming album. The highlight is the mid-song monologue that Sella speaks, encouraging everyone to chant along to the chorus of “I believe that someone’s got a plan for me even if I don’t know it yet.” “Plastic Flowers” tags a bigger sound with more background vocals, leading up to a the conclusion of their discography so far: even though things are hard now, it will work out in the end. Another added bonus is that if you’re listening to the album on repeat, the end of “Plastic Flowers” flows perfectly into the beginning of “Motorcycle,” bringing everything full circle for round two, three, and four.
Overall, Back on Top brings a new sound that evenly splits the album into songs that sound vaguely like “old Front Bottoms” and songs that scream “new Front Bottoms.” Characterized with chanted choruses and those certain lyrics that stay hooked in your mind long after the song is finished, Back on Top is a light-sounding but hard-hitting addition to the musical arsenal of The Front Bottoms.
Tracks to check out: “Cough It Out,” “2YL,” “Plastic Flowers,” “Laugh Till I Cry.”
Atlanta-based band Stokeswood returned to Athens last night in support of their new EP, ‘2075.’ The electronic pop/indie rock group filled the Georgia Theatre with a young crowd, and the driving dance beats created an energy that was tangible both on and off the stage.
Stokeswood wasn’t the only one to take the stage by storm, however. Athens-based band Walden opened for the group, bringing an energetic live performance that lit up the stage. Their unique cover of “Pumped Up Kicks” was a favorite of the night and had the whole crowd singing along. Following the young band was Wrenn, the quirky, Athens-native queen of pop. Her rich, vibrant vocals and nationally recognized beat-boxing were the perfect combination to get the crowd adequately stoked for Stokeswood.
The energy from Wrenn and Walden carried into Stokeswood’s opening set, which included “Tightrope Talent,” a catchy track off the album In The Field of Vibrations and their newest single “2075” off the album of the same title. As the buoyant electronic beats reverberated around the Theatre, lead vocalist Adam Patterson danced around the stage barefoot, showcasing his talent as he switched instruments during and between songs. This eclectic style brought an ethereal quality to the stage, making it easy to get lost in the band’s soulful musical stylings.
Other fan favorites of the night were “Our Streets” and “Forget,” both off of their newest album, 2075. If the vibrant dance beats weren’t enough to get the crowd pumped, then the colorful laser and light show that accompanied the music were more than adequate at getting the job done. The band put on a light show worthy enough to battle any Jedi and as colors of green, purple, yellow, red and blue filled the room, you couldn’t help but jump and dance along with the vibrant beats.
2075 was recently awarded Best Local Album by Creative Loafing and after their show last night, it’s no surprise why. With their variety of instruments, the band creates a sound that is both textured and soulful—a mesmerizing sound for any listener. From electronic pop to alternative and indie rock, Stokeswood encompasses a variety of genres, a factor that will help them continue to grow their fan base. With captivating performances like the one seen at GATH last night, there’s no telling what this diverse, lively group will uncover next.
Purity Ring’s opener for their Another Eternity tour is LA-based artist HANA, and she took the stage last Saturday night in front of a packed house at Austin Music Hall. My first thought was that this is what Grimes would be like if she had a bit more pop culture appeal. You know, pretty face, tight clothes, all the stuff people want to see from a female musician (gag!). But real talk, the music was similar, just significantly more accessible than some of Grimes work. Come to find out, Claire Boucher actually calls HANA a dear friend, and Blood Diamonds (who worked with Grimes on “Go”) was the producer on HANA’s “Clay.” A not-so-curious connection.
HANA was alone on stage with just a mic and and whatever electronic goodies she was hiding behind her sashed equipment table, and her one-woman show commanded the crowd’s attention regardless of whether they were there to see her or not. She was a great choice for an opening act, and will stand to gain a lot of fans as this tour continues. She made one of me.
Floor level tickets had been sold out for days and Austin Music Hall was full to the brim for the start of Purity Ring’s set, which they opened with “Stranger Than Earth” off their new album Another Eternity.
The stage was outfitted with a sea of cables hanging from the ceiling, each sporting a string of illuminated pearls. Throughout the show, the tentacle-like cords showcased a superb array of colors, patterns, and effects, changing from song to song to match the vibe and the pace of the music. This set up was not only fun for the crowd to look at, but I would bet they are pretty fun for singer Megan James to play with on stage, and I know the woman or man controlling them behind the scenes HAS to have a good time. I want that job.
They skipped through the first handful of songs at a quick pace, cruising on the excited anticipation you could feel pulsating through the room at the step of the booming bass. Speaking of the bass, they had it turned up a few more notches than I recall from the last time I saw them (which was a few years ago on the Shrines tour). I had been warned that the sound at Austin Music Hall was not the best, but Purity Ring capitalized on what they had to work with, filling the large space with more sound than I honestly thought the duo possessed. While listening to a Purity Ring record in your bedroom might not give you the sense that this band has the potential to get loud, a live show will prove you quite wrong. What can seem like sad, quiet music in one setting transforms into a thumping pop concert in another.
After the first five songs (including “Heartsigh,” “Obedear,” and “Lofticries”), they paused briefly to thank HANA for opening up, and I paused to make a note to do some research on how Corin Roddick’s touch-sensitive light-emitting drum machine worked, and thankfully, their behind the scenes video with Creators Project answered a lot of my questions. Each “cocoon” is connected to a midi machine which turns the stroke of his drum stick into a wave form which can then be run through Ableton to translate it to a synth note. I think I got that right. Learn more here.
They also discussed in the interview their desire from day one to create a visual performance that was engaging for the audience, and to not just expect people to want to watch a guy press buttons on a keyboard. From their humble DIY beginnings with the Roddick’s first home-made light set up to the full-stage experience they are able to put on now, the band are certainly not a bore to watch. Mission accomplished.
With a huge eruption from the crowd and explosions of firework-like lights, they jumped right into the popular single “Push Pull” before hushing things down to build up to “Belispeak,” a cut from their debut record. While Shrines is notably more quiet and creepy (yes, creepy) than their more recent material, it was interesting to see this older song translated to their new live show. I never thought I’d feel like “Belispeak” was a dance party kind of song, but the crowd in Austin thought otherwise. They continued on the old-song train with “Crawlersout” which saw James hopping behind the instrument table with Roddick to add a few notes of her own.
If I had thought the crowd was nutty before, I was proven wrong when they went into “Bodyache,” one of the singles from Another Eternity. I should be used to things like this by now, but it was wild for me to see so many mouths singing along when a few years ago, the vast majority would of these people would have thought only of a piece of jewelry symbolizing a commitment to abstinence if someone mentioned “purity ring”.
For “Dust Hymn” I was more than happy to see the illuminating gong that James used on their last tour resurface. This time, rather than standing alone on the side of the stage, the gong was hung high above Roddick’s table, with James ascending a platform to showcase it’s effects.
I must admit that I lost it a little when the first few notes of “Flood on the Floor” came through the speakers. I just cannot fathom how this song was not a single. It’s absolutely the most hard-hitting track on the album, with the most fierce breakdown of anything they’ve ever put out. I won’t try to sell you on it, just watch for yourself.
If anyone thought that there weren’t enough interesting lights and light-up instruments on stage at this point, James appeased their desire for more when she revealed a new toy – a row of light-emitting vertical tubes she played while wearing mirror-lined gloves that threw the light in all different directions. Another note to self to research how this thing works.
The two songs she played with this instrument were a slow point in the show. That’s not to be taken in a bad way; one of my favorite things about this band and this show in particular is their ability to take the listener on a roller coaster of dancefloor-ready tracks to slower, more melodic ones like “Sea Castle” and “Stillness in Woe”.
After an old favorite “Fireshrine” saw an animated crowd brimming with enthusiasm, James paused to address the group, who absolutely went nuts upon her expressing her love for Austin. She also warned, “We have one left and we don’t do encores.”
What had been missing from the set? “Begin Again,” of course. With a mass of people screaming the words back to her, James let the voice of the masses sing the end of the last verse as the music faded. With the drop of that next beat, she threw herself into the eager crowd and surfed her way through to the end of the show.
On the whole, Another Eternity has infinitely more pop value than their debut album, and whether you consider that a good or bad thing, the’ve upped their own game in terms of how they perform these songs live, both new and old. They continue to evolve into a more pop friendly outfit, and I’ll be the first one to applaud them for their success. I just hope they don’t let this Nick Jonas collaboration go too far…
It’s been a festival filled summer for Vinyl Mag and we’re not slowing down anytime soon. While we are still full steam ahead, we want to be mindful to not run ourselves ragged. Lucky for us, and everyone else heading to Hancock, NY, this weekend, Catskill Chill will be providing some wellness activities that we cannot wait to participate in.
Last year we talked with Melia Marzollo, Director of Yoga and the Wellness Village, about Catskill Chill’s yoga program and how attendees can stay centered and healthy at the festival. We caught up with Marzollo to get the scoop on what to expect at this year’s Chill and what we have to look forward to concerning the Wellness Village.
“The Wellness Village will act as a haven in the center of Camp Minglewood for healthful, restful pursuits,” stated Marzollo. “This year we have a 30-foot massage tent with a team of therapists offering chair, table, and foot massage at a rate of $20 per 15 minute segments. We have a tea house, a small market offering organic produce, apothecary products, yoga gear, tarot readings, aromatherapy, Thai Yoga Massage and more!”
The expansion of the Wellness Village and yoga program this year also means additional daily classes for attendees. “This year’s yoga program has extended to offer classes daily from the opening of the Wellness Village at 11am to 7pm at its close,” Marzollo said. “We have lectures and talks, plant medicine and sound, and yoga classes including: partner yoga, deep stretch yoga, back bending and heart-opening and flow yoga. Some classes will be accompanied by live music as well.”
Some of the offerings this year include a transformative experience in The Sonic Portal where attendees will lounge inside a custom chamber while sonic sculptors perform around them 360 degrees. Partner yoga will be offered on Saturday afternoon and on Sunday attendees can restore their bodies with either deep stretching yoga with musical accompaniment by Jesse Merandy of The Breakneck Boys, or revitalizing flow yoga.
All classes at Chill are by donation and will range in size from 20 to 200 people. Yoga mats will be available for purchase and a few to borrow on a first come, first serve basis. By taking some time and focus on themselves, attendees participating in these festival activities will experience centering, restoration, invigoration, and self-love by practicing self-care.
Last year Marzollo has some great tips for taking care of yourself while at the festival including “rage and restore” – Taking time to stretch and sleep and love and eat good food and dance and laugh and relax and get a message and dance some more, then repeat. This year, she offered some more sound advice:
“This year, I’ll simplify my advice, (as I am continuously trying to do with my life) practice the act of being in your body and deeply listening to its needs. Being surrounded by constant vibration and high-intensity for days on end can push you out of your own body witnessing your life experience externally and somewhat superficially. This life is too rich and too beautiful to experience it from the outside. Whether we are talking about music or self-care, I implore you to go in and come out listening deeply.”
Beirut began their journey in 2006 with Gulag Orkestar. Influenced by front man, Zach Condon’s, visit to Europe, the first album combines Balkan folk and Gypsy music, which continues throughout their most recent albums. Since then, Beirut has evolved into a folk pop sound, but still incorporates the common European instruments and melodies using brass and string instruments such as trumpets and violins. Their newest album, No No No, gives the classic sound a modern twist by utilizing pop synthetic sounds and upbeat piano melodies. No No No introduces a focus on the folk pop sound that seems less prevalent in previous albums. Multiple instruments and the contrast of Condon’s deep, smooth vocals with sharp synthetic sounds give the tracks a layered and complex sound.
“Gibraltar” opens with a tribal beat and transitions to an upbeat piano sound that becomes prevalent in multiple tracks and gives the album that folk-pop sound. The piano, prevalent in multiple tracks, exudes a vintage, 70’s pop sound that listener will find comforting and catchy. “August Holland” also exhibits the same style with a rhythmic piano melody. “No No No” follows with Beirut’s signature electronic sound, overlaid with fluid vocals that soften the synthetic sound. “At Once” transitions to a somber mood with blooming trumpets. “As Needed” follows suit and acts as an intermission for the energetic album with a soft, instrumental melody. The track successfully combines subtle haunting melodies with the softness of a lullaby. Finally, “So Allowed” completes the album with Beirut’s familiar sound and Condon’s deep, lofty vocals.
Perhaps this album is an indicator of Beirut’s evolution in a musical world where one listeners can be attracted to vastly different genres. No No No debuts Beirut’s ability to keep with their old, familiar sound, while pushing the limitations of multiple genres in order to appeal to more listeners as well as keep up with their loyal listeners’ continuously changing tastes.
Athens, GA is steadily gaining more attention for their live music scene, as bands from their local music repertoire crank out some killer musicians that tend to gain traction outside of the music city. Saturn Valley, known for their cosmic jams and tendency towards prog-rock, is no exception. With the upcoming release of their second studio album in Fall 2015, the band decided a live compilation was in order to showcase their jam sequences and set formations.
“Alive in the Georgia Theater” does that and more, with its seven track set list featuring their Georgia Theater set list from February. It is clear in this live album that the band shines live, as with most improvisation bands. They bring the energy that engages the audience, with their unique rock sound and their spacey jams. Perhaps the best part of this album is the controlled spontaneity; one minute you will be listening to a jazzy instrumental collaboration, the next a synth-pop explosion.
Saturn Valley’s signature track from their first album, “Odysseus,” was even voted into Athens’ annual local music festival compilation album by thousands of UGA students, “Athfest 2015”. However, the live album also features some promising new tracks from their upcoming second studio album, “Cartographer.” If “Luna Latina,” “Bruise,” and “Captain Fiki” are any indication of the album to come, I’d say these guys are going to be pretty set.
“Alive at the Georgia Theater” is available on iTunes and Spotify, so give the band a listen! They won’t disappoint.
FIDLAR is known for their edgy sound and high-energy performances. It was unfortunate that they played at the same time The Black Lips performed at Shaky Knees this summer. Both bands have very similar sounds, and it was hard for my friend and I to choose between the two. However, Vinyl Mag had previously interviewed The Black Lips at SXSW in 2014, and I wanted to see what their performance was really like. I think the heat was too heavy for anyone to do any proper moshing; nevertheless, The Black Lips came through with their typical punk sound. I imagine FIDLAR would’ve played out similarly. In fact, their video for “West Coast,” from their most recent album, Too, shows some behind the scenes footage of the band, complete with bathroom tattoos, kicks to the face and partial nudity.
In 2013, FIDLAR released their debut, self-titled album with Mom & Pop. The band members have history with the punk scene; members, Elvis and Greg Kuehn’s father was a guitarist for the punk band T. S. O. L. FIDLAR released their newest album, Too, this month. Edgy vocals and raw lyrics give the album that signature punk sound. However, this album seems to experiment with genres like indie and garage rock, instead of the inherent screaming commonly associated with the punk genre. The album opens with “40oz On Repeat,” in which there is a stark verse change from FIDLAR’s typical sound to a simple, softer melody. The video gives the melody context. Elvis dresses up as multiple pop icons to parody musicians’ tendency to express their seemingly trivial problems. Elvis is quite the actor and his performance (especially his rendition of Britney Spears) is hilarious. The video appears homemade, as does “Leave Me Alone,” in which an entire roll of toilet paper is used to display the song’s lyrics.
The punk genre is one that has evolved since its genesis, constantly incorporating similar genres such as classic rock and metal. What remains constant is the genre’s effect on its audience members. The band and their audiences are tight-knit groups. It is not uncommon for punk bands to play in small venues without a stage or for band members to get involved in the mosh pit along with their fans. The genre is highly sensational. Just as Father John Misty can drive us to tears, punk bands like FIDLAR and The Black Lips can drive us to anarchy, yet audience members still leave the venue as friends and wake up in the morning laughing at the night’s escapades.
