Sure, the oversized cowbell is a bit gimmicky, but MGMT’s performance of “Your Life is a Lie” on The Late Show With David Letterman on August 23rd has caught itself in the midst of a critic firestorm from critics and fans alike for being unsatisfactory.
Seemingly disinterested, Andrew VanWyngarden battles his way over the almost two minute performance of the song, which is a lethargic track in self-realization of, well, one’s life being a lie. The mannerisms throughout the band, the lacking drive of the song, and overall stagnant performance kind of, in an ironic way, demonstrates the lead single off their upcoming self titled release in its mundane lyrical reality.
It’s nothing spectacular, could easily be mistaken for phlegm amongst the guts of artistic integrity, but at least it sounds good? It’s not that horrible.
Before the show & 2020k Forever on the Y-list
As my friend/photographer for the evening Amanda and myself arrived at Altar Bar on August 12th to watch the co-headlining Nico Vega and Crash Kings show, the attendees were inside sipping on some sunshine (read: alcohol) and we were stranded at the entrance due to a miscommunication between entrance permissions and press information.
“Do you know who I am?” I shamelessly shouted at a venue employee.”I’m the prestigious 2020k…here to watch the show!” He shook, but did not budge. Weird, right? Shouldn’t he know who I am?
There’s a running joke amongst my circle of friends that I’m forever on the Y-list. Before, I was on the Z-list, but now that I have an in real life hater (which is a weird story I won’t bore you with)and a couple of you have wonderfully taken the time to listen to my EP (and leave really nice comments that I’m greatly appreciative of), so it was an intense debate between all of them to bump my status up to Y. Why not just put me on the X-list, you ask? Too pornstary.
So, here I sit on the Y-list. That guy should’ve known who I am, right?! Z for Zebra, Y for “Y don’t you know who I am!”
I am embellishing and deeply digressing. I didn’t say any of the above dialogs to anyone, but there really was confusion. Eventually, after some contacts, Mike from Crash Kings came to confusingly assist my clearance and the issue was resolved. (Thanks, Mike!)
Moral of the story: we got inside, grabbed some sunshine (read: drinks), and laughed at the ongoing Y-list running joke while waiting for the bands to take center stage!
The Winter Brave & Daily Grind
The Winter Brave already have something going for them. During an Aske Me Anything segment on Reddit, a roommate of someone in the band asked Dave Grohl to check out the music. His response was just six words, “We just blasted it in 606!” and the entire internet flocked to their Soundcloud profile. With this seal of approval, Winter Brave gained a small following in which they’re humble for, and found their way opening for this co-headlining show.
Lead singer Jake Scarpino is adorable, as is the interaction between him and band mates Sam Scarpino and Chris Beaulieu. In fact, their chemistry is of epic proportions that is not even able to be described in words; you simply need to see them to believe it. Scarpino’s smile is as infectious as the band’s set, which included a deliciously funked out cover of Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)”. [The Winter Brave’s Facebook]
Following Winter Brave, a second opener called Daily Grind played a small set. Their legion of fans and friends made their way closer to the stage to give a warm welcome to the bunch, providing a blanket of enthusiasm and comfort. Plagued with a misplaced mic next to a guitar amp for the first half of a song, once this issue was fixed, it excited the sound to full potential and allowed the thrill of open ended pieces of music and a notable progressive instrumental to be embellished. [Daily Grind’s Facebook]
Nico Vega The start to Nico Vega’s set is as technological as it is talented and intense.
Lead singer Aja Volkman steps barefoot onto the stage, fronts herself up to the microphone, and begins high emotions in the form of a cappella calls. While her vocals are wonderful on their own, the songstress uses a looper, attached to the stand, to add layers that build and build until the room is packed with swooping soundwaves of which seemingly harmonize immaculately with each other. In this moment, the audience is silent; rightfully captured by the artistry.
Jamila Weaver, Dan Epand, and Rich Koehler take to the stage, with Koehler sporting an awesome Pittsburgh Steelers tank top. The city, as a whole, takes immense pride in their sports teams, as does the world (there are Steelers bars in Japan and Iraq). The following is immense, so to see support in the form of attire at a show is nothing new and always respected (see Gaga getting terrible with us back in 2010).
The band began tearing through their discography in a way that brings more dimension to their music than the album releases. This is not to say the records aren’t up to par; they are, but the live experience Nico Vega takes the audience through is of potent passion. Bjork-like in vocal phrasing and an optimistic version of Fiona Apple‘s stage presence, Aja assaults Nico Vega’s collection of songs with a clean cut to the jugular, while spreading joy amongst the hard hitting sonics the rest of the band provides.
You can also see the fun these four have. During “Lightning”, Aja touched Koehler and the two laughed as the guitarist mouthed “don’t touch me” back to her. Later, the two explained that she’d shocked him four times with static electricity! The two found irony in the fact that the next line after the fourth incident was “like some electric charge unbound in static on the pavement.”
Before the shocks, Aja jokingly asked if the television screens above the bar could be turned off because she kept getting distracted. “Someone I am very close to keeps appearing on the screen,” she light heartedly stated, with a smile. Who kept popping up? Dan Reynolds from Imagine Dragons (the two are married). The screens went black.
Nico Vega’s political and best known track, “Beast” ended out the set in the alarmingly combative method that portrays the song’s protest-USA subject matter perfectly. “Stand tall for the people of America! Stand tall for the man next door! We are free in the land of America, we ain’t goin’ down like this. C’mon now!” Harsh power enraptured this piece, and the group allied together as a means to create one final push of earnest artistry, honest lyricism, and finalized anger before clearing the way for co-headliner Crash Kings to take over.
Then, it ended. Some of the crowd began to fizzle out as it seemingly always does in a co-headliner show for some reason (I distinctly remember Jane’s Addiction suffering this plague during their 2009 NINJA tour, co-headlining with Nine Inch Nails), but a strong set of eager fans awaited the final piece of this night to begin. Instead of being affected negatively by this, a more intimate setting ensued.
(PS, I’m forever loving this picture of Rich Koehler).
Crash Kings
The newly independent band Crash Kings mentioned they had physical copies of their new record Dark of the Daylight exclusively at their merchandise booth. It’s true, and it’s a cause worth supporting as the band left their major label, due to complications, to release this record. Going independent after having a successful hit with “Mountain Man” is ballsy. Having a Kickstarter to raise funds for the new record also takes courage, but they did both of these things, massively succeeded, and still push their own envelopes by choosing to rock out without an electric guitar.
No electric guitar? Nope! You won’t find one in this band. Did we mention Crash Kings have balls?
Instead, lead singer Antonio Beliveau takes his eccentric vocals (half Jack White sounding, half Jamiroquai inspired) on stage and pairs them with not only with a synthesizer, but a Hohner clavinet that is modified with the most badass whammy bar to ever meet a keyboard. The end result in the Crash Kings live show is that Beliveau is off to the side of the stage, surrounded by gear, jamming out in an eclectic realm that balances modern technology and organic warmth.
What happens during a Crash Kings show is magical.
While not as playful as the previous bands on the bill, the trio is strictly down to business and rightfully so. Their songs may seem light, fluffy at times, and minimal, but the intricacies that allow these song structure and melodically driven songs to flourish are plentiful. Mike Beliveau’s bass playing is extremely pertinent to this band and the professional dedication shown through his facial expression and body language shows a conscientiousness, but technical vigor that demonstrates he and the Kings aren’t joking around with their craft.
Most of the audience’s enthusiasm came from a sub-section of the venue – the under 21 section.
Altar Bar is small, and since there is a bar area a section is roped off to accompany the under age attendees, but it’s only an eighth of the floor space is allotted for them. Throughout the night, Antonio would often glance over at the bunch and smile. At one point, he dedicated a song to a few fans in the area because of the delightful vibe that was bantering between fan and band.
The show itself, not only Crash Kings, but the three bands before them was a show in which the audience members fed the band and the band fed just as much back. This is something refreshing, something of which doesn’t happen too much at the big shows.
Universally known amongst the base of individuals at the show, “Mountain Man” and “1985” received the most praise and interaction.
Toward the end of the night, the band mentioned that they were on a curfew at the show, so they needed to improvise for the encore. They jammed for a few seconds, chalked it up to being them leaving the stage, and went into the ending tracks. “Saving Grace” concluded the set and the trio made their exit.
Aftermath
As with most shows, I made my way with Amanda to Jekyll and Hyde in the Southside of Pittsburgh where we had a few spooky drinks, reflected on the night, and came to the conclusion that what we saw was, in lieu of drunken speech and lack of better adjectives, amazing, awesome, and cool.
All four acts had extreme amounts of musicianship. Friendly pop/rock tunes, serious moments, technical skill, and interaction with the crowd bombarded the evening in a way of closeness that thrives upon the independent scene, but not normally affiliated with most shows. The night was a night of leisure, of celebration between bands, of a delightful summer sunset in Pittsburgh.
The opinions surrounding the debut single “Applause” from Lady Gaga’s upcoming third LP, the smart phone app ARTPOP are vast. Love it or hate it, it’s a mainstream pop track crafted by the Interscope signed songstress that’s taking the entire music industry by storm, as she normally does, and is buzzing with opinions firing in all directions.
What we think?
“APPLAUSE” SUCKS.
Just kidding.
Did we rattle you, Little Monsters? Send our apologies to the Mother.
Living in an average dynamic range of 5dB, “Applause” has the standard in your face sonic realm that we’ve come to hear from Lady Gaga as of late. Producer DJ White Shadow plays with minimalistic synthesized lines during the chorus and verse placements that they could be seen almost as mundane as Will.I.Am’s atrociously simple composition for “Scream and Shout (featuring Britney Spears)” if it weren’t for the interesting movements through each segment of the track, such as the filtered synths at the pre-chorus.
Bowie-esque in vocal phrasing (yes, we’re getting this Bowie reference out of the way quick. It’s there, it’s obvious), Lady Gaga charges through her verses in theatrical expression and remains at the top and front of the mix throughout the entirety of the song. She’s so compressed, so in your face, that it’s quite difficult to focus on anything but. In fact, an interesting segment in the chorus in which she melodically spells out the word A-P-P-L-A-U-S-E is buried within the mix a bit.
A nice, free-verse approach to writing in the second verse seems to attack the critics and stay closely to demanding the acceptance of her fan base: “I’ve overheard your theory/nostalgia is for geeks/I guess, sir, if you say so/some of us just like to read”. It’s a weird part of the song upon the first few listens, but is a refreshingly interesting writing technique not heard as directly in the Pop world as it is addressed and poetic here.
The main issue with this song is related to a tirade Lady Gaga went on via her Twitter account where she urged listeners to not listen to the record through laptop speakers. If we may be combative and blunt for a moment, “Applause” is seemingly laptop pop manufactured for laptop speakers. The frequency spectrum is focused highly on the high and low frequency zones inside of this 3:32 spectacular. It doesn’t take a genius to know that laptop speakers are terrible to listen to anything on, but with the speakers being driven mostly by small beaters that are able to only translate the higher frequencies, why has Gaga tarnished the equipment if the warmth of her records have already been hidden beneath the equalization techniques in this lead single?
“Applause” is absolute brilliance at the chorus as it’s as catchy and boisterous as it is intelligent, as well as a recollection to why Germanotta reigns supreme as one of the sharpest songwriters in the genre of present pop music. Where The Fame and Born This Way brought blatant live references to her fans, adoringly called little monsters, specifically asking them to put their paws up, Stefani greatly disguises the request and appreciation for her fans through the subtle line “put your hands up, make ’em touch,” (as opposed to the more blatant reference “Paws up“) then following up with a reprise of the chorus which starts “give me the thing that I love.”
An acknowledgement may slightly occur in the pre-chorus of the song during the chanted lines “give me the applause-plause, give me the applause-plause.” plause :: paws.
This morning, a music video directed by Inez & vinoodh premiered in the United States on Good Morning America and while an almost fully unclothed Gaga prances around, it’s 2013 and not as shocking as most headlines mislead (in fact, the only shocking thing that will come from it is it’s reference to Janet Jackson’s infamous Rolling Stone cover in the 90’s). It is, however, a highly entertaining video recalling the late 20th century’s larger than life adaptation of music creation into the visual world. Simple in manner, complete with a light up tail, the video walks a line between the almost signature black backdrop that’s been featured in the “Alejandro” and “Born This Way” video and a new, slightly bonkers-without-reason mentality the ARTPOP record has been mechanically built to be.
This is by no means Lady Gaga’s finest single to date, but it’s by no means her absolute worst. While it is a bit too self-indulgent, Born This Way remains a political moment early-on in Stefani’s skyrocketed career that she’s earned the right to be a bit silly for a bit. “Applause” is an infectious piece, but hopefully it’s our “Just Dance” of the record, with the “Poker Face” and “Bad Romance” moments coming to fruition in the next coming singles.
Editor’s Note: A small while ago, Ross Auger (link) and I were exchanging messages as we normally do. Mentioned to me was an interest in writing. What transpired is a piece on ambient music entitled “Under the Scope,” which I graciously offered to extend to the blog as a means to cover a genre that’s cherished in the Electronic world. Not only this, but the article continues on an exploratory method of uncovering underground sounds in a way the 2020kblog project was founded upon (and also in the way Amber Waves and I do things through our monthly Hidden Gems and Northern Lights features).
Without further ado, I’m proud to present “Under the Scope…Ambient” to you.
There have been articles making rounds in the creative fields of how a little bit of ambient sound can kick start your productive juices (example). As much weight as a coffee shop carries supplying the brain jitters, it’s been noted that espresso machines and mellow chatter are a great source for subconscious entertainment. It would be an act of perjury to not recommend caffeine suppliers, but there’s so much to be said for the genre of ambient music.
When the Mona Lisa comes up in conversation, I imagine somewhere at some point someone has had to have said, “I don’t get it.” My grandfather once asked about ambient music with a blunt “So, it’s just for background music right?” What was once a skim-over genre has become a rolling stone gathering no moss taking a vocabulary of nasally terms and giving them beauty. Drone, loop, field recording…you know the ones. The umbrella keeping these captions dry is an audio dimension that some folks just might not get. In case the situation revolves around not knowing where to start, or how to start for that matter, this article may be the hand that helps you across the street.
The highest aesthetic pleasure from the ambient scene is presented through audio cassettes. Some might be savvy to the cassette store day or how not only the increasing vinyl sales, but cassette sales as well. Although that whole scenario is a detour around a large canyon of gorgeous reels and movements. A network of independent labels across the globe, each with auditory worlds of sounds to take your mind into new spaces. The ambient of what might take your creative juices to any level if that’s what your subconscious craves. Call this statement bold if you please, but ambient music might be a new sort of classical style. Movements created over structures. An experience versus an obvious message.
A Rose Worth it’s Weight in Gold by Wolf Fluorescence is the first piece on this list to drown the imagination. Best experienced, as you should all know by know, with a decent pair of headphones and the lights out. Take a peak at the track length and say what you will, but not a second itches to stop.
Sink the Stable by M. Sage presents the phonic equivalent to the word lush. If there’s ever been a need to experience what it feels like to be a wave in slow motion curling over itself in the oceanic night, again turn those lights off, plug in, and close your eyes.
If there’s some confusion on what the term loop might refer to in the ambient world, Was Utilitarian by Long Pond is a fetching example. Almost the experience of wandering an art museum without actually being there. The delight of experiencing something you can’t touch.
These movements are the attractive look back, rolling the pointer finger of invitation to the room away from it all. The albums are an even further involvement leading to discographies to independent labels each of their own flavors. The quality oil the brain never knew about to tap that well of subconscious gold. Each experience through a new understanding of bending music. Lights off, comfortable position taken, walkman welcome.
Greetings, Earthlings! I have now taken over 2020k….
It’s summer in the city and while perhaps one might expect my monthly round-up of gems from Canada to harbour a Caribbean flavour (it’s Carnival weekend here in Toronto), I’ve opted instead for a blend of the atmospheric and the hook-heavy pop. Cozy up, get introspective and dance the rent check blues away.
“With Haste” – Future History
Toronto indie band Future History fast earned my devotion at NXNE 2012, where I caught half their set and rushed off to another gig with their CD in hand. Said CD, Loss:/Self, earned top honours in OTM’s Top 12 of 2012 with its powerful storytelling and sonic exploration of what it means to lose oneself in every way.
Sounds depressing, but it’s not. Trust me, it’s a must-own album.
2013 heralds the band’s third album Lungs, and like the title suggests, Future History plans to rebuild the soul left searching in 2012. Lead track “With Haste” is the first single and signals the rise from the scorched earth. Haunting vocals and a continued commitment to the progressive elements and experimentation that push them to the front of the pack make this a track to check out. It’s a free download at their official site, or you can check out the video below.
“What I Wouldn’t Do” – Serena Ryder
Canadian songstress Serena Ryder is well known around my neck of the woods. With her bluesy pipes and catchy songwriting, it’s no wonder the divine Melissa Etheridge brought her along as support on her tour for Fearless Love. Let me tell you: the duets between the two were simply incredible.
On her latest album Harmony, Ryder is a bit of a child at play, exploring different styles of music yet retaining the sincerity of her work. Single “What I Wouldn’t Do” is commercial pop all over and yet, it delivers enough maturity and quirky lyrics to make it more memorable than the latest Disney star pap. Check out the track below and groove along.
“Goldmine” – Fitness Club Fiasco
Matt Henderson has never been the kind of guy to kick back and rest, or so it seems. Having released his first album with Old English this year to considerable acclaim from OTM, he’s already off and running with a new band, Fitness Club Fiasco. The sound is decidedly similar to Old English‘s retro-but-fresh-synthpop vibe, yet it has a bit more of a lightness to it. The happier cousin, perhaps?
“Goldmine” is the first single the band’s dropped and it’s definitely danceable — just ask the poor souls on the subway who’ve witnessed me tapping my toes happily while commuting to the day job. Give it a spin, but beware: it has earworm qualities.
“Bad Dream” – Wildlife
One of the stellar albums of 2013 I have yet to properly pay attention to over on OTM is Wildlife’s…On The Heart. A sort of musical love letter to the importance of the heart — as a muscle, as a metaphor for our passion and dreams — Wildlife combine indie alt-rock’s driving guitar lines and drums with a twist of electronic overtones to create something that’s more intriguing to the ears than the likes of Billy Talent.
(Aside: I apologize to America for Billy Talent and their “Viking Death March” song that has nothing to do with vikings or marching, much to my husband’s rage.)
“Bad Dream” has been on a loop for weeks in my skull, with its tale of sordid lives and love done wrong and its pulsing undercurrent. It truly embodies a racing heart on a sonic level, one of the nuances that make the entire album so memorable. By the time the song crescendoes and you’re singing, “‘Cause all this is better than nothing!” it’s too late: you belong to Wildlife.
“Catching Cold” – Andrew McMahon
Andrew McMahon is American and not indie. As the frontman of Something Corporate and Jack’s Mannequin, McMahon has spent half his life on stages, pounding a piano with a ferocity only Tori Amos can top (although I don’t see her standing on her piano and jumping off). His piano pop-rock compositions are a staple on the trusty iPod and his latest EP, The Pop Underground, is no exception.
On this track, there’s a riff that evokes old school Police and a flair of reggage and while it doesn’t surprise me much, given the man’s taste in music, it’s still a new element that makes “Catching Cold” standout. Ever personal within his lyrics, the sincerity touches the heart even as one moves to the melody.
Speaking of that sincerity, a quick Toronto concert story: the city was hit with a thunderstorm from hell, creating havoc and floods as I and dozens of fans waited outside for his show. Andrew came out into the storm — no umbrella, no coat — and took photos with and hugged every single one of us, thanking us for braving the weather to see his show. Now, if that’s not a man worthy of four minutes and two seconds of your time, I don’t know who is.
And that’s it for August! Be sure to swing by OTM for more reviews and news, including RJ’s Hidden Gems series as part of our blogging exchange.
We’re still waiting for the “Hot Knife” remix that was done during the The Idler Wheel… sessions. Well, at least, I’m still waiting. For now, we have a music video to the Fiona Apple track from director Paul Thomas Anderson.
It’s an effective, simple video that displays the layers of the song as they come and go throughout it. Easily pinned as one of the most unique songs in Fiona’s catalog, it’s nice that this spark of creativity has paved a way to the visual world.
Also, this video comes as a bright sign of good spirits since her heartbreaking letter to her fans after a forced cancellation of the last leg of her tour because of complications with her dog.
A favorite at the 2020k blog, we covered two live Fiona Apple events. One in Connecticut and another in Pittsburgh, PA.
(Thank you to Lizz, who attended the CT show with me for the heads up about this video!)
We’ve heard the remixes over the past few months via Soundcloud uploads and now Beatport.com has an exclusive release of “y” by iamamiwhoami. This release comes in promotion for the physical release of bounty.
While the CD and digital version of Jonna Lee & Claes Björklund’s debut release have both been out since June 3rd, 2013, the vinyl contained some sort of delay which unfortunately pushed its availability back to July 26th, according to Iambounty. To support this information, three days ago, Sandbag and Cooperative Music sent out an email to purchasers which relayed “We have been told good progress has been made and the correct album is in process manufacturing.” They’re also expediting orders.
(If you’re wondering where the 2020k coverage of this record is, we’re waiting to hear the vinyl. Just like we did with kin, we want to hear the record on every platform possible before doing an all-out retrospective on it).
The first remix in the track listing is argumentatively the most unique. Joe Goddard of Hot Chip offers a laid back, stuttered and glitch-esque melody, while the stereo spread quacks of synthesized rhythm trudge through a classic four-to-the-floor kick and snare. What’s creative about this mix is the road of which it travels. The melody is more than a little hope in that it’s filled to the brim with full out optimism! The micro-beat sounds, which recall something that could be featured on a remix from Bjork’sVespertine, quietly unfold, beautifully, keeping a focus on frequencies not as present in Lee’s vocals, so that when her voice comes through in the mix, the position in which it lays on is perfection. Bells continue unfolding, and we finally hear, clear as day, what Jonna is whispering in those highly delayed and disguised vocals in the song. “So many questions…who am I? What am I? So many questions. So many things that I..” After some backwards lyrics, which ironically sound very church-like, an ending arpeggiated, late-night-subway-home-dance melody comes into focus, finding the remix a final euphoric zone to completely thrive inside.
There is one small issue with the Goddard remix and it’s not the fact that a kick drum layer is panned more to the right channel. While it takes some getting used to, it’s a nice switch from the general perspective. It’s an outstanding composition, so it can be ignored, but you can clearly hear a clicking noise throughout the entire track. It seems intentional, perhaps adding to the electronic ambiance, but it plays more like the sound a digital loop makes before you add a millisecond fade to it…or the sound when someone’s jaw clicks.
Next? Moby. Obvious by now that the two are fans and connected within their respective careers, it shouldn’t come as too much of a shocker when these three collaborate. It started with the “After” remix this duo did for him, and now the favor has been returned. Speaking on the remix, Moby said “I first heard iamamiwhoami at a restaurant in London a few years ago. After hearing them I emailed my manager, Eric, and asked ‘have you heard of this band iamamiwhoami?’ and he wrote back, ‘yes, we manage them’.
When they asked me to do a remix for them I happily said ‘yes’, as iIm a fan of theirs. And when I heard the song they wanted me to remix I realized that I didn’t want to deconstruct it and change it, but rather just add melodic and structural elements to it, to enhance what they’d already done.”
Finally, Brodinski offers his sonic interpretation of the song infamous for being the first Google video result if you search for the letter ‘y’. A highly distorted, noisy synth-bass leads way for the darker of all of the remixes heard so far. It’s very industrial, very minimal and moody – which shouldn’t be surprising considering his work on Kanye West’s most in-your-face release to date, Yeezus.
Absent from the track list is the great original remix by Zoo Brazil, but all of the original remixes have been erased from the internet. Why? y?! We’re unsure. But, we hope you grabbed them while they were hot (especially the Tara Busch remix of “b”).
The original mix? It’s included on this EP, but you know what that sounds like…
A song of fire.
Grab your copy of y over at Beatport now. Released July 22nd, 2013. It’s also out on other outlets, including iTunes, on August 5th.
Last month was a doozy in terms of concert events. On June 5th, 2013, Metric played Mr. Smalls [2020k review] and the following day? Passion Pit and Cults at Stage AE.
Amanda And I waited in the rain, feeling like the oldest individuals in line. Apparently, Passion Pit has a lot of young fans. Initially on the lower level, the young attendees had security wondering why they took a job at Chuck E. Cheese for the night, often shining a flashlight in the direction of a rowdy individual. It was too much. We moved to the upper level before the opener hit the stage. Good thing too, as someone puked very close to where we were standing and cleared out a fifteenth of the area. We started calling that area the “playpen” with other attendees as the night went on. None of these are complaints, just observations. The target audience in the area shouldn’t surprise anyone, considering the optimistic instrumentals that accompany Michael Angelakos’ high-pitched vocals – however, it is the overall lyrical content that glues the band’s discography together that disguises it. In many ways, it is this masquerade that makes this collective brilliant. It’s real life inside song, the human mind personified into extremely polished, scatterbrained mixes – and it’s definitely presented in live fashion.
To see Angelakos is awe-inspiring. Recently presented with an Erasing The Stigma Leadership award for raising mental health awareness, Michael is an inspiration to anyone who has struggled to cope with any sort of illness (watch his speech; trust me). To see him flying around the stage, interacting with the audience, and delivering near perfect vocals while the band plays next-to-album perfect almost makes it all seem like it’s not real. How do the songs become so lifelike in a live setting? It shouldn’t work considering how many layers go into every single track (Michael has said that he often works within his digital-audio-workspace until it is impossible to insert anymore tracks), but it does! It works so well. Genuine emotion is felt through the entire set. Lifelike lights, a great background, and one song encore. This is definitely a show to catch.
New York indie-pop act Cults opened for Passion Pit, and delivered a great throwback set with visuals overlaying the band members and entire stage. Playing the majority of their small discography, their set was just as strong as the band they were opening for. Plagued with small issue of initial low gain on Brian Oblivion’s microphone, Madeline and company powered through their simple, mid-20th century inspired set. Before this show, Cults flew under the radar on this blog. After their performance? The vinyl was purchased and they are currently a blog favorite!
Cults Set:
Abducted
The Curse
Never Heal Myself
Bumper
Never Saw the Point
You Know What I Mean
Rave On
Go Outside
Walk at Night
Passion Pit Set:
I’ll Be Alright
The Reeling
Carried Away
Moth’s Wings
Love Is Greed
It’s Not My Fault, I’m Happy
American Blood
To Kingdom Come
Constant Conversations
Take a Walk
Where I Come From
Cry Like a Ghost
Eyes as Candles
Make Light
Mirrored Sea
Sleepyhead
Encore: Little Secrets
What’s been going on over at 2020k? News has been slow? It’s true and it’s because of a full plate! Not only are there collaborations in the works with a few respected underground Electronic artists (not saying too much yet!) but I’m also a contributor over at Netlabelism, Avenge The Virgins, and putting together monthly Hidden Gems series between Amber Waves at OTMblog and myself. It’s a lot of weight to take on for one individual, but I’m managing so far, absolutely loving every moment of it, and trying to keep the music happenings informed as best as possible through these four outlets and via Twitter & Facebook.
For now, here’s a list of albums that haven’t been able to be fully reviewed at the 2020kBlog this year.
MINI-ALBUM REVIEWS
HiBeams by Javelin
The March release by Luaka Bop Records Hi Beams presents Javelin, a Brooklyn based duo, in their most mature light to date. While Pitchfork made odd-comparisons to Karmin on their review of the project, at a deeper look this release strives to find a light balance between classic Electronica precision and standard pop song structures. “Light Out” brings in marching percussion snares while perfected vocal layers live amongst string sounds, bells, and left panned tambourine. “l’Ocean” calls to a more playful, straightforward scene and “Airfield” bounces in fluffy, hardworking lyrical content; “I don’t understand the work I do, my mind keeps running around. Every day it takes a special toll on me, my mind is running around.” The record doesn’t contain ground breaking tunes, but they’re greatly inspired, well put together, and unfortunately underrated.
Welcome Oblivion by How to Destroy Angels
Last year, we reviewedAn Omen_, the EP that came before this debut full length record. For information on what Welcome Oblivion’s essence is, you could basically just read that review as most of the songs from that project find their way to this one. It’s a natural progression, a smart move considering the EP was only released via vinyl. With an aggressive live show (check out their Coachella performance), alongside lead single “How Long,” the back-and-forth on “Too Late, All Gone,” and the glitch-motivated “Strings and Attractors,” the expansion of the EP makes for a listen worth repeating amongst the ever-growing Reznor discography (Nine Inch Nails followers who were fans during the dry-spell from The Fragile and With_Teeth should find the Trent Reznor and ever-growing statement to be met with glee every time someone mentions it).
Fever/Try Me Anyway by Telepopmusik
As always, Telepopmusik delivers. Although it takes the boys a bit to deliver their records to the public, it’s never not been worth the wait. The two songs take us through the euphoric song elements while seeming to step toward an escalation of the dreamscapes crafted on their previous full length record Angel Milk. Two songs? You read that right and is our only complaint. Where’s the record?
Talk a Good Game by Kelly Rowland
We weren’t so nice to Kelly Rowland’s 2011 release Here I Am. Panned as an identity crisis with a failed marketing plan – the “Motivation” singer’s third effort just didn’t resonate. Thankfully, fresh off a Super Bowl appearance that she can add to her repertoire, Talk a Good Game walks the walk. “Dirty Laundry” caused a controversial storms over her Destiny’s Child jabbing, abusive relationship confrontation and R&B it-man Mike WiLL Made Itknows how to produce crisp, clean R&B productions with sly dance influences on the infectious “Kisses Down Low” and the deluxe edition’s “#1”. It’s the right balance between Pop genres that Here I Am was trying to achieve. On “Freak,” a Danja and Rico Love production crosses the Pop-Electro synthesized arpeggios with Rowland’s erotic vocals. In addition, a kick-snare-kick-snare/clap production maintains a four-to-the-floor vibe without sounding overly rushed – making the opening track one of the must here’s on the record.
Yeezus by Kanye West Noisey has a feature on what Rick Rubin left on the cutting room floor from Yeezus. Along the strangest is a piano-line played by Trent Reznor, Mortal Kombat samples, and six extra rounds of tape saturation. What’s left is a stripped down Marilyn Manson sample on “Black Skinhead,” (and a bunch of other samples) which was reported as almost cut from the record in its entirety for sounding too much like a soccer anthem. Thankfully, it’s included and is one of the strongest efforts on the release. What’s interesting about this record is the take on aggressive, up-scale Hip-Hop; extremely abrasive through Yeezus’ entire run, it’s certainly not for everyone.
A brilliant, innovative introduction to the album began by projecting “New Slaves” on the side of buildings across the planet. Although his most experimental project to date, it’s mixing and mastering is downright disgusting – holding proudly onto an average dynamic range of 4dB and even dipping into being squashed so much that three songs only have an average of 2dB range. It’s a depressing listen – especially since the sound of this West effort is so sparse. Where space could’ve played a pertinent part of the sonic story, specifically on “Hold My Liquor,” it’s absolutely not present because of the amount of processing and audible distortion on the final product. Lyrically? Brilliant. Composition? Beautiful. Final engineering execution? Absolute dread, even if it is intentional. Whatever. Records always rununnecessarilyhot when Rubin is the executive for the project.
False Idols by Tricky
Originally advertised as a return to the humble solo beginnings, say-around Maxinquaye, FalseIdols plays more like a sequel to his previous effort, 2011’s Mixed Race. Francesca Belmont finds herself on this record and seems to interpolate a unique version of hushed-Kelis vocal stylings, specifically on “Is That Your Life,” one of the record’s must-listen to’s. She recites the original “Makes Me Wanna Die” lyrics by Martina Topley-Bird from the Pre-MilleniumTension on “Nothing’s Changed” and sensually covers a track recalling “Car Crash” from the Vulnerable record
The record doesn’t all run as references to previous work, and it’s best when he strays for a distant cousin approach to a track as opposed to immediate family. In fact, Tricky recalls his earlier, more obscure days on “Hey Love” and while “Bonnie & Clyde” recalls the muted, four to the floor kick of Mixed Race’s “Time to Dance,” it’s fresh.
An almost exclusively bass and handclap-sampled “Does It” deadpans the lines “I wouldn’t be caught dead in love” and should immediately be listened to.
Where Are You? by The Avalanches, Dr. Dre, and Aphex Twin: I successfullybullied Boards of Canada (specifically when I said the world was ending and still no BoC record) until they promoted and released something. So, you’re all on my list. All of you. Do you see all of the acts coming back this year? I’ve had multiple anneurisms. In fact, we all have. Come back. We’ll buy your records, we promise.
Is there someone you’re wanting to make a come back this year? The comments section is open..also feel free to (nicely) yell at one of the musicians in the previous paragraph to release their record!
After an astounding seventeen year break, Mazzy Star has announced Seasons Of Your Day which is due out on September 24th, 2013. It includes songs by all original members as well as a collaboration with Bert Jansch, who died in 2011 and My BloodyValentine drummer Colm Ó Cíosóig.
What’s gone on since this long break? The band united to play a slew of European shows in 2011, while front woman Hope Sandoval collaborated with The Chemical Brothers, Massive Attack, Air, and The Jesus and Mary Chain.
If “California,” the band’s lead single off this project is anything to go off of, the follow up to 1996’s Among the Stars is sure to be filled with unplugged-sounding dream pop goodies we’ve learned to love.
While you’re at it, check out their fancy Twitter and Facebook accounts. Currently, the twitter account is at 283 followers.
Sure, the oversized cowbell is a bit gimmicky, but MGMT’s performance of “Your Life is a Lie” on The Late Show With David Letterman on August 23rd has caught itself in the midst of a critic firestorm from critics and fans alike for being unsatisfactory.
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