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09 May
2012

Album Review: Crystal Fighters – Star of Love

By The Audio Perv , Tags :

Want to backpack through Europe without spending your life’s savings? Tired of typical punk rock bands and want to listen to something truly uniquely different? Ever heard of any of the following instruments: a txalaparta, a danbolin, and/or a txistu?

If you answered yes to any of the previous questions, then you should give new to the American scene, Basque-county folk, techno, punk, dub step, culture combining, British/Spanish band Crystal Fighters a listen. As if that wasn’t a mouthful enough, their music is unlike any other band from Spain, erm England, erm.. actually, either country.

With both Spanish and British roots, the band is able to mix various prevalent cultures within their sound. The UK punk rock sound under Spanish guitar provides a delightful European get away through your headphones. The lyrical content is based off of an unfinished opera that lead singer Laure Stockley’s grandfather wrote, and takes the listener on even more of an adventure as the songs tell of the galaxy, the beach, and the earth.

Their album Star of Love (released on April 24th in the US), opens with “Solar System” which brings the energy right from the get go. The entrancing beats laid over almost Japanese anime sounding “go’s” start the vibe that continues throughout the whole album. The conjoining of cultures is also noticeable with an underlying acoustic guitar fingerpicking softly, strangely but successfully complimenting the dub step groove. This guitar kicks off next track “Follow,” which features male lead singer Sebastian Pringle and both female singers, Stockley and Mimi Borelli. The up tempo instrumentals are dance inspiring, beckoning friends to follow.

“Xtatic Truth” starts with an airy harp-like picking which leads to a more complex whirling that resolves into keyboard techno that maintains the original beat. Pringle’s accent contributes to the backpack through Europe feel, first taking the tour through a coffee shop in say- Barcelona, then a dance club in London, and then to some kind of mashed up culture club where the main goal is to have fun and dance and not care about how many musical elements you’re mixing together. “I Do this Everyday” almost follows by bringing a jungle rock vibe, starting with hollow drums which sound like the members are banging on random objects and switches off with a heavy bass riff that sounds like it should be in a metal band. This song would no doubt be a highlight of Crystal Fighter’s live performance.

“Champion Sound” and first single “Earth Island” are softer songs on the album, but that doesn’t make them any less energetic. The songs seem to flow naturally and effortlessly as the band conveys a story through their waxing and waning vocals. “Island” paints a picture of a whole universe opening and flying through the galaxy with the sights and the emotions.

“Plage” (translated: beach) is a bit of a love song, eagerly asking a beautiful girl to go to the beach at “4 in the morning” to gaze into each other’s eyes and watch the sunset. Continuing the backpacking metaphor, it’s almost like an American girl meeting a beautiful European guy (does the country of origin really matter?) and falling in passionate lust on a romantic beach setting. This cinema-esque feeling could also be combined with the sun soaked “In the Summer,” which croons about throwing coins into a wishing well. (Maybe there are too many movies with the same plot.. alas, romance movies set in foreign countries are most always cheesy yet satisfying).

Next track “At Home” takes advantage of the full chorus and puts the txalaparta (or giant wooden, two person xylophone) to good use. It’s probably the most ordinary sounding song on the album, but that’s not a bad thing because it shows off the band’s natural talent and the quality tones of their voices without editing. Quite contrarily “I Love London” sounds like a catchy dance track out of Yo Gabba Gabba with the heavy use of auto tune, cowbell, and “Hola, me llamo Mimi.”

Pringle’s voice shines in the a cappella intro to “Swallow” before succumbing to a mixture of electro pop bass drops and delicate acoustic melodies, further proving the uniqueness of Crystal Fighter’s sound. And as if you needed more Spanish influence, bonus track “Fiesta” a cover of Golpes Bajos, crosses English with Spanish providing the best of both worlds and an enhanced vocabulary.

Closing track “With You” gives the galaxy and stars a sound with futuristic twinkles of synth
keyboard over gentle vocals singing of starlight and staring at the sky.

Overall, the alternating sounds demonstrate the many genres that Crystal Fighters is capable of. The mixture of instrumentals, vocals, storylines, and even band members make this band one that is unpredictable and fresh.

Personal Favorites/Recommendations: “Plage” and “At Home”

Star of Love is out now on iTunes, Amazon MP3 and CD

See Crystal Fighters on tour later this month

North American Tour 2012
5/21 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
5/22 – Washington, DC @ Rock and Roll Hotel
5/23 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
5/24 – New York, NY @ Le Baron (DJ set)
5/25 – Montreal, QC @ Il Motore
5/26 – Toronto, ON @ Wrongbar
5/27 – Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle
5/28 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry
5/31 – Vancouver, BC @ Fortune Sound Club
6/1 – Seattle, WA @ Neumos
6/2 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
6/4 – San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
6/5 – Los Angeles, CA @ Echoplex
6/6 – San Diego, CA @ Porter’s Club

04 May
2012

Album Review: Lower Dens – Nootropics

By The Audio Perv , Tags :


By Ace Ubas

I’ll admit that I’ve never heard of Lower Dens prior to the hype leading up to the release of their latest album, Nootropics (pronounced “No-eh-tropics”). Shame on me, I know. But after listening to this album, I am completely sold on the Baltimore-based quintet led by vocalist Jana Hunter. In the past she’s been a touring member for renowned artists such as Devendra Banhart, Marissa Nadler, Deer Tick, and Peter & the Wolf, so she’s definitely a diverse artist in her own right. After going through a few lineup changes, she finally settled in with guitarist William Adams, bassist Geoffrey Graham, drummer Nate Nelson, and keyboardist Carter Tanton.

After an initial listen, what Lower Dens have done is create a new form of dream-pop and shoegaze in not only in an ethereal way, but also something that’s borderline sci-fi, spacey, and cosmic. Add to the fact that Hunter was exploring the idea of transhumanism (use of technology to enhance the human condition) as the overarching concept of this album.

Nootropics opens with “Alphabet Song” and sets up the mood for the rest of the album. Nelson and Tanton make their presence immediately felt with the subtle percussion and tip-toeing synths that shadow a keyboard melody and Hunter’s husky vocals. “Brains” is driven by the precise, metronomic drums repeat the same pattern throughout the song, building tension along with the discordant guitar lines. At about the two-minute mark, Hunter’s indistinguishable vocals fade in hauntingly, slithering in and out until they become clear again to close out the song. The next track “Stem” continues interrupted, acting as an instrumental extension to “Brains,” carrying a similar rhythm. The only difference here is that instruments like the arpeggiated guitars, thick bass, and dancing synths take precedence.

“Propagation” can be likened to contemporaries like Warpaint in its etherealness. Hunter’s vocals are reverberated, filling the room a nice echo with ghostly vocal melodies that linger in the background, harmonizing halfway through the song. The hollowed, drone-like bass provides a monotone groove that pulls you in like a black hole, reminiscent of the dream-pop of the 80s ala Lush.

The mid-tempo number “Candy” relies on Adams’ lingering guitar riffs, incorporating a tremolo at various parts of the song to give it that eerie effect. It’s pretty minimal in structure, with the rhythm section bringing to mind the post-punk/new wave sound of the late 70s.

“Lion in Winter Pt. 1” is a four-minute instrumental track filled with different layers of meandering noise and electronic waves, acting as the ambient complement to “Lion in Winter Pt. 2.” The second part is centered on a bouncing electronic beat, with a typical pop structure surrounding it.

“Nova Anthem” is one of the slower-paced tracks on the album, but also the most gorgeous. Minimal in arrangement, Hunter’s drawn-out vocals are sung over church-like organ chord progressions that harmonize and emphasize each other glowingly, backed by the clacking percussion. Her voice soars at around the three-minute mark, showing how dynamic of a singer she can be.

The closing track “In the End is the Beginning” not only hints at their success, but their ability to write a 12-minute epic. It pulls you in with a sprawling bass line, twinkling synths, and Hunter’s transcendent vocals and takes you through a surreal experience. Guitars lunge towards you at spontaneous moments, adding to the overall dark tone of the song. It’s as if you were in the mind of Salvador Dali and seeing all the madness in his head that transferred over onto his canvas. The track fades out to a close, waking you up, and making you question what the hell just happened.

With Nootropics, Lower Dens may have crafted an offshoot of dream-pop. Themes that encompass technology and the human condition, a sound that’s overall dark with music that is heavily layered with synthesizers, simple drums, wailing guitars, and echoing vocals, how can this not be called sci-fi pop? To the root of it, this is a ridiculously impressive album and easily one of the best of the year. Referring back to the last track, it signifies that this is going to be the beginning of Lower Dens on their way to reaching new heights.

Rating: 9/10

http://lowerdens.com

27 Apr
2012

Album Review: JT Daly – Memory

By drainu182 , Tags : ,

By: Cassandra Paiva

Step inside the mind of Paper Route’s JT Daly and pry into all of his personal files; his relationships, his hometown, his childhood, his faith. Do a bit of soul searching and that’s pretty much exactly the message that Daly’s debut solo album Memory conveys.

The album, which Daly states inside the booklet, was made because he “wanted to write an entire album without the possibility of people ever hearing it.” However, he decided to release it because he felt the need to “set some demons free.”

And these demons are expelled as Daly’s inner rhythm and musicality paired with painfully honest and heart felt lyrics. The intimacy of every song is intensified by each growing chord along with the mere fact that he published what was mostly his own personal journal.

“Things Will Never Be The Same” starts the album with bittersweet nostalgia and a tinge of first love. The booming chorus beats as an aching heart with explosive guitar and pounding drums under Daly’s assuring vocals. The same themes of summer and reminiscence carry into “Memory,” a more positive and upbeat perspective of love as Daly croons, “in that moment we know / I’ll never be alone.”

There’s also a very natural feeling that carries all throughout Memory. “Hymn (Lord I Need Time)” tells a story revolving around the Earth and the sun and various creatures sharing the land with him and his love. Tranquil instrumentals flow under cries of “Hallelujah” until it all fades away and the tender soprano of Daly’s friend Abigail Wright shines in “Love from Dust, Blood, and Rust.”

The interesting part of this album that makes it all the more personal, is that Daly pulled upon the people closest to him in his life, by showcasing their talents as well as his own. All of the artwork is by his friends, as well as the execution of the final touches.

Much like personal favorite “Youth” alternates and combines Daly and Wright’s vocals in a symphony-esque tell all reverie, the album follows suite by breezing by like a pleasant daydream. However, “Boys and Girls” breaks the mold by suggesting change and ending with an enjoyably chaotic calamity of jingle jangled instrumentals.

“Oberlin” is a bit harsher and heavier than previous tracks, with a constant clashing symbol sounding begging and pleading for a fresh start. Campfire sounding “You Go Your Way, I’ll Go Mine” plays with the idea of opposites, giving the track a duality of personal strife and inner peace.

Ballad “No Other” slows the pace and lightens the mood by contradicting the feelings of growing up too fast. “Children of God” ends the album on a happier note, with upbeat piano, edgy, dissonant bass that resolves midway, and soothing oohs paired with elegant and effortless guitar strums.

In essence, Memory is Daly’s enlightenment from all of his personal demons. The tender workings of his heart and mind are poured into this album with such craftiness and care. Each song is almost like its own ghost, getting set free to rest in peace and tranquility.

Pre-order Memory now at http://jtdalyart.paperrouteonline.com

26 Mar
2012

Album Review: White Rabbits – Milk Famous

By drainu182 , Tags :


By Emilia D’Albero

In a world where the quality of indie rock ebbs and flows constantly, it’s comforting to know that there are bands out there that are consistently being awesome. White Rabbits, hailing from Brooklyn, is one such group. And if there’s one thing that White Rabbits knows how to do well, it is definitely writing strong, catchy bass lines and pulsing percussion. In fact, their newest release, Milk Famous, is positively brimming with both of those things. From the very start of the title track and first single, “Heavy Metal,” to the last few seconds of the closing track, “I Had It Coming,” the band’s musical dexterity and confidence is evident. “Heavy Metal” itself is an eerie blend of memorable bass and a sort of mechanical percussion (including short bursts of what sounds like banging on trash cans); this track is simple enough to follow, but is also beautifully complex. The otherworldly sensation that comes with listening to “Heavy Metal” all the way through is not out of place on Milk Famous, however.

Every song on the entire album is a bit spooky; whether it’s the slightly dissonant yet aurally pleasing vocal harmonies in the chorus of “I’m Not Me” or the urgency of the piano riff in “Everyone Can’t Be Confused,” Milk Famous maintains an eerie, spectral quality, as if White Rabbits’ music contains some secret to life that only the band knows about and are holding just beyond our reach. Fortunately, it seems plausible to assume that listening to Milk Famous just might be the boost one needs in order to reach this alleged secret. Perhaps the smooth vocals that cover the high-pitched siren sounds in “Hold It to the Fire” hold the key to unlocking the secret, or maybe it is the fast-paced urgency of “The Day You Won the War,” or it may even be the haunting harmonies coupled with the strong bass backbone of “Temporary” (both of which ensure that the song will be anything but temporary in your brain). The final track, “I Had It Coming,” integrates a bit of acoustic guitar with a bit of piano and the aforementioned percussion, and the result is a track that practically bleeds a feeling of catharsis, as if it were the happy ending to the story told by the album.

Milk Famous is an album full of catchy guitar riffs, ethereal vocals, and simple yet elegant percussion that is poignant and strong enough to drive the album from opening to close. As a whole, Milk Famous will leave you thoroughly satisfied yet somewhat confused, wondering whether you should dance along or call Ghostbusters.

Buy Milk Famous on Amazon.

23 Jan
2012

Album Review: Porcelain Raft – “Strange Weekend”

By drainu182 , Tags :


As the year 2011 was coming to a close, Mauro Remiddi is an artist whose hype was building up into the New Year with EP’s that caught the attention of many music publications. Under the moniker Porcelain Raft, his debut album Strange Weekend has been highly anticipated since late last year, making its release this month one of the more prominent albums of 2012 so far.

Before venturing out on his own, Remiddi was in the British indie-pop band Sunny Day Sets Fire where their music was recorded in a proper studio. But for Porcelain Raft, he looked no further than his bedroom (technically, a New York basement) to record his full-length. For the past couple of years, creating music entitled “bedroom-pop” has been on the rise, with Youth Lagoon’s 2011 debut The Year of Hibernation being the most notable. Some may be turned off to these type of recordings because it is raw and lo-fi in production. But the idea of an artist holed up in his bedroom or basement with only his music creates a sense of intimacy and allows listeners to get a glimpse into personally knowing who that artist is. In the case of Strange Weekend, that personal connection is strong enough to overlook the production style.

“Drifting In and Out” not only makes a good opener, but sets up the experience that the album can create. The Cocteau Twins-esque synths fade in and out blends well with the drowned out percussion and guitar to create a beautiful psychedelic feel. “Shapeless & Gone” nearly lives up to its name as the vocals are heavily drowned out while the acoustic guitar provides a nice shimmer of light through the reverb.

“Is It Too Deep For You” is an example where Remiddi’s vocals are at the forefront of a song rather than blending in the background. The subtle beats help highlight the emotion in his vocals as well as the intense theme of the song. On “Put Me to Sleep,” the bouncy beats and the echoing vocals are hypnotizing to the point where falling asleep while listening to the song is definitely possible – and not in a negative way. The way he utilizes electronic effects and beats to emphasize his vocals is done really well. While some artists may use synth washes and glitches just for the sake of using it, Remiddi uses them as a complement to bring out other aspects in his songs.

Though 2012 is still ripe, album standout “Unless You Speak from the Heart” is easily the catchiest song of the year. The infectious pop tune is a shot of nostalgia that can fit in quite well in the 70s/80s. It’s not hard to find yourself bouncing along to the simple electronic percussion and synth chords while singing along to the catchy-as-hell chorus when you’re walking through your neighborhood.

With Strange Weekend, Porcelain Raft proves that he can easily deliver quality music from a not-so-quality setting. Forget the fact that this album only 35 minutes in length, Remiddi is efficient with his time in that there are no wasted moments in his songs. In each of the 10 tracks, Remiddi uses his instruments to create a setting while his soulful voice acts as the guide to his heartfelt story.

Rating: 8/10

PORCELAIN RAFT TOUR DATES
Jan 24 – Academy, Oxford UK *
Jan 27 – Legendary Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto ONT ~
Jan 28 – Il Motore, Montreal QC ~
Jan 29 – Paradise Rock Club, Boston MA ~
Jan 31 – Webster Hall, New York NY ~
Feb 01 – Black Cat, Washington DC ~
Feb 03 – Metro, Chicago IL ~
Feb 04 – Turner Hall Ballroom, Milwaukee WI ~
Feb 12 – HMV Next Big Thing at The Garage, London (with Elephant)
Feb 16 – Shepherds Bush Empire, London *
Feb 22 – U&G. Hamburg DE *
Feb 23 – Vega, Copenhagen DK *
Feb 24 – Rockefeller, Oslo NO *
Feb 25 – Berns, Stockholm SE *
Feb 27 – Tavastia, Helsinki FI *
Feb 29 – KB, Malmo SE *
Mar 02 – Introducing Festival, Berlin DE *
Mar 03 – Introducing Festival, Cologne DE *
Mar 04 – Lucerna, Prague CZ *
Mar 05 – Hansa 39, Munich DE *
Mar 06 – Magazini Generali, Milan IT *
Mar 08 – Rockstore, Montpelier FR *
Mar 09 – Razzamatazz, Barcelona ES *
Mar 10 – Riviera, Madrid ES *
Mar 11 – Hard Club, Porto PT *
Mar 12 – Lux, Lisbon PT *
Mar 14 – I.Boat, Bordeaux FR *
Mar 15 – La Cigale, Paris FR *
Mar 16 – Le Grand Mix, Tourcoing FR *
Mar 17 – La Laiterie, Strasbourg FR *
Mar 18 – Les Docks, Lausanne CH *
Apr 02 – Radio Radio, Indianapolis IN^
Apr 03 – Off Broadway, St Louis MO^
Apr 10 – Crescent Ballroom, Phoenix AZ^
Apr 11 – Porter’s Pub, San Diego CA^
Apr 12 – Troubadour, Los Angeles CA^
Apr 13 – The Independent, San Francisco CA^
Apr 14 – Harlow’s, Sacramento CA^
*With M83
~With Smith Westerns
^With Youth Lagoon

25 Dec
2011

Album Review: Strange Boys – Live Music

By drainu182 , Tags :


While the third release from the Strange Boys might continue their trajectory of becoming more refined, tight, and hi-fi, there is a bit of a backdrift in the album. Not necessarily a bad thing like the connotation would make someone assume, but perhaps a bit of a nostalgic regression into a time where you’d hear a band like them on a jukebox.

The new album, Live Music adds a new instrument to the Strange Boys’ arsenal of garage instruments. They bring a piano into the forefront of most the album, and it’s pretty refreshing. Combined with the grittyness of their guitar and harmonica, the piano adds a nice clean touch to the album with its simple parts.

As the album progresses, you can hear their Texas roots emerge as their album borderlines some Americana sensibilities at many points. Take the ending two minutes of “Doueh,: which sounds like it was ripped straight from the pages of Wilco’s Sky Blue Sky. However, from there the relaxed outro of that song goes into the slightly frantic “Punk’s Pajamas” which is a must-listen for any Walkmen fan. Raunchy guitars, harmonica in the background, frenetic drums, and Ryan Sambol’s vocals have a cadence that would be easily mistaken for Hamilton Leithauser.

For more Americana goodness, you could also listen to “Mama Shelter”, a bit of The Band meets a bit of punk, and it works. But, even if you’re not too enamored with the idea of Strange Boys going soft on you, you can find the same fuzz and sway on tracks like “Hidden Meaning, Soul Graffiti” or just listen closely to any of the other 13 songs on the record, those fuzzy-garage ideas are still there, only partnered with new ideas and new instrumentation.

In the end, the album culminates with the short “Opus.” Now, by no means is this opus as large scale as the name would imply, but it’s a nice way to end the album. It’s almost like a stripped down attempt at a short pop-guitar symphony, a little added bonus two minutes of pleasant outro solace. Imagining the Strange Boys conducting a little symphony in a garage is nice, isn’t it?

strange-boys.com

08 Dec
2011

Album Review: The Black Keys – El Camino

By drainu182 , Tags :

By Kathryn Nasto

This Tuesday, The Black Keys returned with their seventh album, El Camino, the follow up to 2010′s Brothers. Once again, the band have teamed up with Danger Mouse, who produced their fifth album Attack & Release, creating an album that has echoes of nostalgia for their earlier albums. The band have taken a step back from the progression Brothers encapsulated, returning once again to the grunge found on previous albums. As a result, El Camino is at once aggressive and exciting, and bafflingly lucid.

Once the listener delves past album opener and lead single “Lonely Boy,” the first few tracks sound relatively repetitious. Each song contains a thumping drum beat and the noise of heavy guitars that make the tracks seem to blend together. While enjoyable, they are frustrating when one considers that Auerbach and Carney are capable of creating music that is much more dynamic. While “Lonely Boy” opens the album with a bass that delivers a catchy hook that is unparalleled throughout the rest of the album, the time signatures of the first three tracks contain only minor differences which cause each to sound too similar and too simple.

“Little Black Submarines” is the first track that breaks the trend. Beginning as an acoustic ballad, the song is immediately set apart from its predecessors, exhibiting the band’s range of sound. The beauty that is found in the silence comes from the heartbreaking tenderness of Auerbach’s voice, singing each lyric with a gentle directness. In the background, the music slowly builds from a simple acoustic guitar to drums and keys, eventually exploding into a something epic, injecting riffs and powerful harmonies in al’ the right places. The evolution the song undertakes in just over four minutes is remarkable, proving that The Black Keys are not only perfectionists but masters of songwriting.

From there, the album wobbles between moments of brilliance and moments of disheartening simplicity. “Money Maker” serves as a disappointing follow up to “Little Black Submarines,” as the music falls back into the previous pattern of the first few tracks, before “Run Right Back” fuses the band’s trademark American blues with a bit of funk, making for the most fun track on the entire album.

“Hell Of A Season” is a second example of the complex musicality the band can achieve in one song. From verse to chorus, the song is continually changing its dynamics. Here, there is a reversal of musical roles: bass delivers the melody while simple guitar chords keep time with the drum. With tempo changes and gospel-esque keyboards, “Hell Of A Season” contains a myriad of symphonic treats that prove The Black Keys are capable of much more than they are showing us.

El Camino is, altogether, a solid album. While it may seem that the band have regressed after depicting astonishing growth on Brothers, there are elements contained within the tracks that can be broken apart and enjoyed singularly. And while some many may seem too simple, there is a balance contained in the album that makes El Camino standout from of this year’s releases.

Buy El Camino on iTunes, Amazon MP3, CD, Vinyl

07 Nov
2011

Album Review: O’Brother – Garden Window

By drainu182 , Tags :

By Michel Dussack

O’Brother classify themselves as an ambient, indie and experimental band, however after non-stop touring for the past year, particularly with alternative band Cage The Elephant and Scottish arena rock band Biffy Clyro, they could just as easily fit into the post-hardcore category. Yes, for a bit over half of their album, the band delivers heavy, in your face rock full of distortion and feedback. Most impressive though, is how well the band delivers during the quieter moments of the album.

O’Brother’s debut full length album “Garden Window” (which is currently scheduled for release sometime in November) like off with a wall of feedback and a crashing introduction courtesy of the opening track “Malum”. Tanner Merritt’s distorted vocals and the heavy distortion on the guitar riff combine for the sonic equivalent of a punch in the face, instantly alerting the listener that they mean business. The keep up the heavy, aggressive tone until the fourth track, “Poison!”, which initially begins with just a piano and vocals, but quickly adds slithering drums to the mix. “Lay Down” continues this pattern until the distortion kicks back in for the songs chorus, and a screeching guitar solo brings the song to a close.

“Easy Talk (Open Your Mouth)” starts quietly with an almost acoustic vibe, and is the closest thing on the album to a radio friendly single. The line “Why don’t you open your mouth and let it out now” is repeated over and over again, and the song seems tailor made for a live audience to sing along with. “Machines” is divided into two parts – “Part I” is a fast paced headbang worthy track, and “Part II” is a slow, soft song that explodes with loud rhythmic drumming.

“Cleanse Me” is the standout track on the album. It encompasses every aspect found on all the other tracks – lots of feedback, loud distorted guitars, stomping drums, and bit of screaming, and a quiet, borderline whisper outro. “Last Breath” closes the album on a subdued note, a fitting end given the intensity of how the album began.

With “Garden Window”, O’Brother proved they’ve spent their year of constant touring honing their skills and perfecting a solid debut album. Be sure to catch them on their fall tour with Moving Mountains, La Dispute, and Thrice!

Garden Window tracklisting
1. Malum
2. Lo
3. Sputnik
4. Poison!
5. Lay Down
6. Easy Talk (Open Your Mouth)
7. Machines Part-I
8. Machines Part-II
9. Bear
10. Cleanse Me
11. Last Breath

02 Nov
2011

Album Review: Florence and the Machine – Ceremonials

By drainu182 , Tags :

By Kathryn Nasto

Grandiose is not typically a word chosen to describe an artist’s second album but, then again, Florence + the Machine is not a typical band. After their debut album, Lungs, went Platinum in the UK and Gold in the US, singer Florence Welch found herself on a meteoric rise to fame while becoming an icon of both beauty and eccentricity. Released yesterday on Halloween, Ceremonials takes the darkness of the holiday and transforms it into a stunning twelve-track masterpiece which proves that grandiose is the perfect word to choose.

Ceremonials hits the ground running, with opening track “Only If For A Night,” sounding as though Welch was in the middle of a conversation with her listener. She embarks on a discourse of love, death, ghosts, religion, and sin without hardly ever stopping to catch a breath. The album builds from start to finish, guiding taking us on a musical pilgrimage with stampeding drums and choruses which sound suited for cathedral hymns.

On an album as bombastic as this, it’s easy to overlook the moments of peace that appear on tracks like lead single “What the Water Gave Me,” and “Never Let Me Go.” And while this could be considered a weakness, it’s exactly what makes these songs stand out. Captured within the calm is proof of Welch’s brilliant lyricism, which in turn pulls on the heartstrings of the listener. From heartbreaking way in which she says “I’m not giving up, I’m just giving in” to the haunting cartwheels her voice turns in the slow chill of “Seven Devils,” Flo exhibits how a little restraint can go a long way.

Perhaps, then, the only fault of the album is that nearly all of the songs follow a similar pattern to each other: a slow build to an explosive mid-section which trips over the five minute mark before giving way to a gospel-like finish. But that is not to say the songs lack dynamic range – that is hardly the case. Where Welch used Lungs to prove she could belt and she now uses Ceremonials to prove that she has exceptional awareness of the lyrics she’s singing. In “All This And Heaven Too,” Welch sings with gasps and whispers, staccato accentuations on words like “tip-toes” and gradual crescendoes from mezzo-piano to forte that carry the listener on a journey that feels akin to falling in love.

As someone who thought Welch’s vocal prowess was somewhat stifled on Lungs, and her quality improved during live shows, I feel as though she has brought elements of her stage performance her follow up. Ceremonials contains a different Florence, one whose voice resonates with the clarity and freedom of a mature artist. Bewitching, ethereal and, yes, grandiose, Ceremonials finds Welch experimenting with her creativity and proving that while she is at the top of her game, she has only just begun.

Buy Ceremonials on iTunes, Amazon MP3, CD, Vinyl

16 Oct
2011

EP Review: Carson – Carson

By drainu182 , Tags :

By Cassandra Paiva

Formed in 2009, the small town North Carolina band, Carson released their 5 song EP early in 2011 with the hopes of breaking out in the same year. And they did just that as they won a local battle of the bands to play the Ernie Ball Stage at Vans Warped Tour 2011. With their self-proclaimed “aggressive but catchy melodic rock music,” Carson has the intentions of expanding their fan base, and with the start they’ve had, will most likely succeed.

First track off their self-titled EP, “Moving Forward” packs a Paramore-like punch, with heavier bass and guitar riffs. Right down to the “da-das” and “oh whys” lead singer Taisha’s voice is similar to that of Hayley Williams.

With cymbal taps and bluesy guitar “No Sleep November” croons about the down spiral of a relationship. The back track and harmony are a nice touch, with solid “oohs” cutting through the pounding of the drums. The looping of the guitar with the building of the percussion is a substantial lead in for Taisha’s final standoff.

“Resilience” starts off with a punch of rhythm drums and slap bass power chords. While the lyrics tell of indecision and insecurity, the instrumental is incredibly sure of itself. The breakdown in the middle with the shaker leading into drum and then into riffage gives each instrument a mini solo until they once again combine in a groovy, not quite hard rock, angst-y jam session.

“Heart Meet Habit” fits in with the majority of the EP, solidifying the sound the band is trying to establish. The honest lyrics on top of the steady driving rhythm accentuate the tempo changes and vocal range. The end mysteriously drops off, but the song isn’t left unfinished since the end of the vocals makes sense.

The hi-hat beginning of “Apparition” is probably one my favorites parts of the EP, mostly because of its uniqueness. The guitar riffs, echoing vocals, and drum roll make the track sound like it would be even better live.

Overall, for only an EP, it’s pretty impressive and solid. The only thing that might be precautionary in their future of music is making songs with the same sound that they’ve already established. But for now, Carson should be on the watch list of up and coming artists.

Track List
1. Moving Forward
2. No Sleep November
3. Resilience
4. Heart Meet Habit
5. Apparition

http://carsonrock.com

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