Tag: www.vinylmag.org


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REVIEW: David Lynch and Lykke Li’s “I’m Waiting Here”

Posted on by Amy Anderson

Two years since David Lynch’s “Pinky’s Dream,” the release of his upcoming album, The Big Dream, is creeping along quite nicely, with Lykke Li’s whispered hint of a far sexier and more surreal theme of an album that may indeed be much bigger and better than its predecessor.

“I’m Waiting Here,” the Lykke Li/David Lynch collaborative single, is the only track released from the album so far, but lucky us, it is also accompanied by a music video (that is, unlucky for us, not directed by Lynch himself).  Regardless, the video is the window to the song’s soul, and its vacant and hypnotic feel not only matches the track’s sound wonderfully, but it too will leave you feeling the way Lynch always intends to make you feel — just a little bit crazy.

It’s a tedious video following a long road as the landscape slips out of view over and over and over again.  Our eyes follow along like the weary driver’s herself, as Lykke Li’s lovesick and airy voice repeatedly serenades us with the haunting words “I’m waiting here.”  The video drives us with layered footage of the lanes, tricking us as if we’re focusing dry eyelids struggling to stay open until suddenly we’re parking in a headlight-lit neighborhood right off the side of the never-ending road.  Then it’s over.

Which leaves us waiting here, as well.

The video tells us nothing, which is why its aftertaste leaves you feeling vaguely uncomfortable and subtly curious.  There’s no explanation of the neighborhood we’re led to, nor do we have any sense of where we came from or who we are.  Lykke Li sings “I’m waiting here,” but she also tells us that she’s burned bridges to get where she waits — granting an especially eerie and mysterious vibe.  There is a story here, but we don’t know what it is.

It’s a simple and fitting visual for a song that instantly became my favorite Lykke Li song and a promise that “The Big Dream” is worth the wait after “Pinky’s Dream.”  Where “Pinky’s Dream” has absolutely been repeated through my speakers, “I’m Waiting Here” gives the impression that perhaps “The Big Dream” will be worlds different than what we had originally expected.

Of course, that is an excellent thing.  Right now we can’t know what strange neighborhood Lynch will drop us off at when the album is released next month, but it’s definitely a drive I’m willing to tag along for.

REVIEW: Heard In The Mountains’ Will To Well

Posted on by Kate Foster

In 2011, Vancouver-based band Heard In The Mountains got together and began shattering the windows of a local church – metaphorically speaking, that is. As their casual jam sessions began to morph into the beginnings of an actual band, their sound transformed into a rock-meets-pop-meets-indie powerhouse, and frankly, we’re surprised they didn’t blow that church’s roof clear into the night. Take a listen to their debut EP, Will To Well, and you’ll see what we mean.

The EP’s first track, “Sills”, is undeniably reminiscent of Fleet Foxes, but only for a moment. Mitchell Walford’s delicate, beautiful piano opens up the track, but quickly ushers the listener into an intense, slightly electronic moment. This provocative pattern continues for the entirety of the song, and through it all, we are swept up by Walford’s irrefutably sweet voice, feeling every high and low he hits. “Raccoon Hands” shows another dimension of the band’s sound. Walford’s vocals are paired with those of guitarist Daniel Baxter, and the effect is irresistible. What really perfects this song, though, are its lyrics. For example: “Memories, like bricks, to my feet, become tied, down into oceans you like to call eyes.” Convinced yet?

“Major Change” truly allows the fivesome’s synth-pop influences to shine through. But while other acts allow such genres to overpower their sound, Heard In The Mountains layers the track with whimsical, simple indie-rock instrumentals and a theme we can all relate to: the onset of massive changes in our lives. All of these elements are perfectly crafted to inspire and enlighten the listener. Will To Well’s final track, “In The Meadow”, concludes the album in the most natural of ways, both literally and figuratively. We are reminded once again of the group’s knack for alternating between slow and fast, soft and loud, exclusively indie to powerfully pop-y. And herein is where this band’s potential lies. An uncanny ability to appeal to every set of ears time and again could take them from the pews of a tiny church to the world’s largest stages.

REVIEW: “Palm Reader” by Sonny and the Sunsets

Posted on by Grafton Tanner

Sonny and the Sunsets’ follow-up to Longtime Companion is entitled Antenna to the Afterworld, and like many indie artists to go before them, Sonny Smith and his band are ripe to tackle death and its aftermath.  The band suffered the loss of a close friend, and that tragic experience has led them produce songs like “Palm Reader,” a light ditty about reading palms and impending death.  The production on this song is top-notch with its sharp, analog synths and country-western electric guitars.  The song kicks off with the low-register twang of the main guitar riff, and that riff continues for the majority of the song.  Smith’s vocal track is the only component that really misses the mark in the song, with such bland lines as “Every year, they say the end is near/ But we’re still here.”  His voice is too jarring amidst the warmth of the instrumental tracks, and his lyrics rest awkwardly between the quirk of Syd Barret and the heart of Phosphorescent.  The song is whimsical and is not meant to erupt at any point, but it never seems to find its way.

7/10

REVIEW: Lemuria’s “Oahu, Hawaii”

Posted on by Samantha Gilder

Buffalo, New York’s own Lemuria is dropping their newest album The Distance Is So Big on June 18th, but prefacing that date, they have decided to release a few sneak-peaks from the album- the most recent being “Oahu, Hawaii”. Upon pressing play, I noticed Lemuria had strayed from the norm in certain aspects, but in other respects you still find the deadline Lemuria traits, such as the dramatic 15-second build to really get you amped on what your ears are in for. Alex Kerns takes on the lyrical lead for the song but is quickly met with Sheena’s bubblegum melodies.

In a recent interview [Vinyl Mag] conducted with Lemuria, Sheena spoke of Alex as a “man of many words”- this song being no different. That concept alone, paired with strategic lyrical repetition, make for the basis of almost the entire song. If you were already a fan though, the magnitude of their simplicity is probably something you’ve already come to love. As far as the intensity goes, “Oahu, Hawaii” tends to ricochet back in forth between about a 3 and 5- but don’t be fooled, these guys definitely have it in them (and will probably release that energy elsewhere in the album). It’s clear, though,  that this song in particular holds a lot of meaning to the members, having named the album from a direct lyric in this song.  Have a listen for yourself here, and be sure to check out the new album when it drops.

REVIEW: September Call-Up’s Air And My Sleep

Posted on by Kate Foster

Christian Bitto, singer of the September Call-Up, is a lot like Leonardo da Vinci. How, you might ask? Quite simply, Bitto is a Renaissance Man of vocals, a jack-of-all-moods, you might say. From first track to last on his album with drummer Jesse Gimbel, Air And My Sleep, Bitto switches constantly and effortlessly from a soft, near whisper to a powerful shout, before retreating back into a passionate warble. Such a truly textural range is the focal point of this otherwise very calm, smooth indie record.

Its first track, “Negative Film”, is exemplary of the EP’s depth. As Bitto utters, “Gave you my word, it wasn’t worth a spit. Gave you a kiss, it tasted like shit,” the song has a very Ryan Adams, alt-country feel to it. Before you can even process that comparison, though, Bitto becomes a 2013 version of Michael Stipe, his voice loud and all-consuming through the chorus.

“Our First Fall” is a song everyone needs at some point in his or her life, for a lonely, heartbroken kind of night. Bitto’s cloud-soft voice paired with very angry, tearful lyrics sweeps you into a storm of emotions you can relate to. “Song No. 3” is probably our favorite on the EP, and is equally heart wrenching. Comparing Bitto’s vocals to that of Conor Oberst is inevitable, and only makes the track tug at your chest more.

Toward the end of the album, a sense of nostalgia begins to emerge, especially on “Burnt Orange”, a very pretty track about love come and gone. “Ghost” is a surprisingly upbeat tune instrumentally, raising the tempo of the album before a pleasant crash into Air’s final track, “9”. The September Call-Up couldn’t have chosen a more perfect track to conclude their album – it’s sensitive, dreamy, and thought provoking. And after listening to the record, you see that the duo’s intention, all along, was to get listeners thinking.  Job well done.

Air And My Sleep is due out June 25 through Wissahickon Records.

What We Know About Season Four of Arrested Development

Posted on by Amy Anderson

After about six and a half years of waiting, the Bluths could have had us thinking they’d never come back for us— but that’s why you always leave a note.  Thankfully, they left us a few.

Here are the ones we’ve gathered at Vinyl Mag:

1. From the trailer, it looks like… Michael is moving, George Michael and Maeby are dorm-mates, Buster’s hook is bedazzled, and the series didn’t say goodbye to these  Kitty. 

2. Each episode will revolve around a different character

Luckily we won’t just see a single plot from fifteen different angles, though we will get to see the characters’ paths intersect.  As Jason Bateman explained to GQ, “…the action across the episodes is happening simultaneously. If I’m driving down the street in my episode, and Gob’s going down the sidewalk on his Segway, you could stop my episode, go into his episode, and follow him and see where he’s going.”  Which means…

3. You don’t really have watch the first episode first or the last episode last…

While creator Mitchell Hurwitz says the episodes are placed in their order for a reason, Portia de Rossi says the episodes can be watched in any order because they are filmed as stand-alones.  Which for most other shows would mean not getting so hooked that you watch the entire season in one sitting…  But it’s Arrested Development… stopping the season midway would be like going to jail without eating ice-cream sandwiches.  But that’s okay, because we’ll be able to watch them all in one sitting since…

4. All the episodes will be released at once on Netflix

And Netflix has apparently been super awesome about letting Arrested Development stay Arrested Development.  According to Hurwitz, they wanted to make sure everything was as he wanted it rather than making demands.  Also…

5. The length of episodes, budget, and bleeping are pretty much the same

The closer to the Arrested Development nature the better, I say.  Unfortunately, on the other hand…

6. Julia Louis-Dreyfus won’t be in this season

’Cause HBO has Selina Meyer too busy trying to to clean up after the “50 Ways to Win in Denver” fiasco. However…

7. New characters will include Blake Anderson, Seth Rogen, Ed Helms, Isla Fisher and John Krasinski

We may not know their roles yet, but we do know Rogen filmed his scenes with…

8. Kristen Wiig, who is cast as a young Lucille

Which has led to speculation that Rogen could be cast as a young George Sr. (he may not look as much like George as the pope does, but I could still see it).  Also…

9. Conan O’Brien will be a guest star

Cast as himself, and…

10. Ron Howard (producer and narrator) and Brian Grazer (producer) will also be on-screen playing themselves

Supposedly the plot will include Ron Howard and Brian Grazer’s production company, Imagine Entertainment, working on a movie about the Bluths.  Also both acting and producing…

11. Michael Cera helped write the season

Apparently Hurwitz invited him to the writer’s room for what Cera thought was a one-time thing, but he ended up staying for the whole season and gained a producer title on the credits.  Meanwhile…

12. Buster and Lucille’s relationship looks as near-incestuous as ever,

13. And Maeby is still the forgotten child

14. Somebody, at some point, is gonna be naked

The cat— or dead dove (do not eat)— isn’t totally out of the bag… but if anybody wants to place a bet, I’ve got mine right here:

15. …Also Ann is apparently still in the picture

In other news, there’s this…

pacificUV gets remixed by The Album Leaf, new album out now

Posted on by Vinyl Mag

PacificUV’s “Russian” gets remixed by The Album Leaf and can be streamed below.

They also have a new album out via Mazarine Records, After The Dream You Are Awake.

Tour Dates:
05/16 Atlanta, GA – The Earl
05/18 Athens, GA – 40 Watt
05/21 Charlottesville, VA – Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar
05/22 Brooklyn, NY – The Rock Shop
05/23 New York, NY – Pianos
05/24 Philadelphia, PA – Ortlieb’s Lounge
05/25 Baltimore, MD – Golden West Cafe

Dead Confederate shares “Vacations” video

Posted on by Vinyl Mag

Dead Confederate shares their new music video for “Vacations”

 

TOUR DATES

May 15 – Knoxville, TN @ The Bowery
May 16 – Winston-Salem, NC @ The Garage
May 17 – Washington, D.C. @ Black Cat
May 18 – Annapolis, MD @ Metropolitan
May 19 – Hoboken, NJ @ Maxwell’s
May 21 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s
May 22 – Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall
May 23 – Brooklyn, NY @ Knitting Factory
May 24 – Northampton, MA @ Iron Horse Music Hall
May 25 – Providence, RI @ Fete Lounge
May 29 – Columbus, OH @ The Basement
May 30 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
May 31 – St. Louis, MO @ The Old Rock House
June 1 – Nashville, TN @ The High Watt