The Ohio band likes its acoustic music a bit punkish, with stomping feet as a heartbeat to accompany mind-altering words and music.
Finally, take a listen to Saintseneca's long time coming Dark Arc via NPR Music. Their ANTI- debut is out April 1st. It's a stomping seance, alive in the haunted spaces of your memories. Here's my review of their Boston show from earlier this year.
Coming off the heels of 2012's triumphant Slave Ambient, The War On Drugs are back with their blockbuster follow up Lost in A Dream. Stream it now on NPR Music.
Even as one my most hotly anticipated release's of 2014, it's actually more blockbuster-ific than I expected. Lost in A Dream adheres to a "bigger is better" formula. From "Under The Pressure" to "Disappointment," the first five anthems run over thirty minutes. Maybe it's just unfiltered and as long as it needs to be, still, as spectacular and rousing as it is, it's a lot to digest. The War On Drugs' ambient tendencies have been unshackled, in this dream their music seems without limitation.
Last week, Stereogum worked to own the album's story by issuing a whopping, thick feature on Adam Grundaciel and The War On Drugs. Despite it's, perhaps purposefully, superfluous writing, it's a must read if you're into the band. Still, Ryan Leas is on point when ruminating about Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, the LP's nearly endless recording and editing sessions, and the album's run time.
This at once makes Lost In The Dream a more naturalistic and a more idiosyncratic listening experience. The ethereal and the human, forms abstract and concrete, are collapsed together into singular pieces. Rather than another album built around memories seeping in between tracks, Lost In The Dream is a record composed of songs that echo themselves.
Admittedly, I'm still working on my opinion of this new one. It took living with Kurt Vile's Wakin' On A Pretty Daze for it to finally connect with me. I think I'm waiting for my heart to heart with this LP, but it is unmistakably big and beautifully rendered vision.
The War On Drugs
Lost In A Dream is out March 18th on Secretly Canadian.
Usually every morning I read my Twitter feed in bed, bleary eyed and still half asleep. So it seemed a little surreal when I scrolled onto the details of Hamilton Leithauser's solo album. The Walkmen lead singer releasing a Frank Sinatra inspired, orchestral colored, Rostam Batmanglij collaborated album?
Well I'm awake now, and I guess this thing is real. "Alexandra" from new album Black Hours is not as Sinatra as its video, but it definitely represents a poppier approach for Leithauser. It's positively fit for radio play. Speaking of which, since The Walkmen rocked NON-COMMvention in 2012, I think Triple A radio is hankering for some Leithauser to spin. This could be it.
If Deafheaven is opening for Between The Buried And Me as part of a metal-cred tour, they must be converting more than just us hipsters into followers.
Last night the San Francisco quintet absolutely pulverized the crowd at the Royale in Boston. Their show is a borderline-literal interpretation of "wall of sound." And for as much intense, I want to say "romantic," sound there is, the group wastes no effort. Each member performs with intent to bludgeon.
The most striking element of Deafheaven's show is frontman George Clarke. Beckoning and conducting his audience throughout the night, he cups at the air to raise the anticipation and drama. He's a psycho-sexual display that threatens danger; he mimed pumping a syringe into his forearm and slitting his throat, erotically rubbed himself, and at one point crouched with head in hands. Clarke's black metal scream is the intuited speech of dread in your dreams.
Still the MVP of the group is probably their drummer Daniel Tracy. At no point is Tracy outmatched by his partners, even though he doesn't scream, and despite not having fancy pedals to crank up the noise. He's the heavy weaponry, and extremely physical. The drumming anchors Clarke's histrionic performance and Kerry McCoy's guitar wizardry. Deafheaven's signature post-rock/shoegaze-tinted black metal all starts with McCoy's axe. Along with Stephen Clark and Shiv Mehra, McCoy part of the more stoic contingent of the group, but no less assertively badass.
The pen-ultimate set was a reinterpretation of their 2013 masterpiece Sunbather. The interludes were reordered and the album's longest song "Vertigo" was dropped for time and, I'm assuming, to keep the energy at a breakneck pace. They capped their show with a cut from Road To Judah, "Unrequited."
No disrespect to "The Pecan Tree," but the title track "Sunbather" was definitely the showstopper. Check out Deafheaven performing the song, as part of Pitchfork's "RIP 285 Kent" series, below.
Every defiant growl, jaded vocal fry and distorted guitar lick on St. Vincent's fourth album flirts with the avant garde, yet uses an accessible, if inventive, musical vocabulary to do so.
St. Vincent's self-titled release proves to be apt. Annie Clark has mixed a fondness for grating noise first on her sophomore album Actor, her idiosyncratic songwriting fully realized on Strange Mercy, and the funk sensibility most prevalent on her collaboration with David Byrne, Love This Giant. It could be her strongest work yet. Sink your teeth into this.
Generator Research forecasts that the industry will grow from $16.7 billion in 2013 to $17.2 billion in 2017. That growth will come thanks to digital music subscriptions — enough to offset a projected $2 billion in losses in physical sales and $663 million in declines to digital sales.
Digital subscription revenue is projected to grow by just shy of $3 billion from 2013 to 2017.
From The Top 22, the music industry is projected to cover its losses in music sales by way of streaming revenues through 2017. The figures are nearly 3% growth over 4 years. While far from rousing news, it appears that streaming will not cannibalize the music industry.
How does this affect artists? Click for more from Media Mechanics consultant Paul Marszalek.
Allston was a slush-shit storm. Ava Luna dropped out because of weather & vehicle issues. The headlining set was littered with sound problems. Yeah, seems about right.
If the narrative around Steve Hears Pile In Malden And Bursts Into Tears is that it's a "failed" concept EP, then it's only appropriate that its release show contained so many elements of would-be failure. Considering the chorus of Krill superjam "Infinite Power" --"If you want to feel like a failure, that's your right" -- they couldn't have planned it any better.
Fat History Month, Bad History Month, Sean History Month, Jeff Meff, whatever you want to call the guy, he opened the show. After asking the sound guy to crank it up as much as possible during soundcheck, he mumbled 'fuck it' and decided to just play the floor. Grabbing up his guitar and stool, Sean plopped down in the crowd and began his acoustic set. He plucked away over the sounds of bathroom hand dryers and sang about trying to get out of bed, driving in snowstorms, and more what-is-life lyrics. Stopping only for a water break and a wise crack ("I should stop playing here, there's a sign at the bar that says 'no whining'"), Bad History Month was to the point and strikingly intimate. The easy comparison for the set is Modest Mouse's "Bankrupt On Selling," but that short changes the genuine torment living in Bad History Month's songs.
The rock commenced with the second Exploding In Sound Records label mate, Kal Marks. By the way, you really picked the wrong scene if you were hoping for a romantic V-Day Eve, although lead singer Carl Shane received an "I Choo Choos You" card from his Mom. Shane and his hollering drawl are the signature to the 3 piece's grunge-ish sound. Their set was packed with dissonant churns, a surprisingly jazzy breakdown, and some Young-ian dirges. Also I'm sorry Kal, for tweeting that you as "Karl." I'll make amends by spreading the word, Marks is another Boston band worth keeping an eye on.
Although not outlandishly different from the two previous acts, Fat Creeps served as something like a breath of fresh air. Fronted by two female leads, Mariam Saleh on bass and Gracie Jackson on guitar, their set proved to be diverse, ranging from cooing shoegaze pop to muscular Savages post-punk. They have the chops to pull off the tough girl act while performing and the good humor to a crack smile between songs. They wrapped up their set with a wistful 80's-inspired guitar-pop song, capping a compellingly fun grab-bag set. So this is what's going on in Lynn? Let me point you to Stereogum's "Band To Watch" piece on Fat Creeps for more.
After some appropriately geeky Krill Trivia, the band came out to play their new EP in full. Don't bands usually have to go on hiatus first before they have enough cred to play full albums live? No. Not Krill.
The cable to Jonah Furman's mic caused mayhem (and serious noise) all night, but he shrugged it off, "Purity of heart is to not fuck up a song in the same place." Crackle! I've got another punched into my iPhone notes, "If you want to feel like a failure because your mic cut out, that's your right." I actually don't remember if that was said or not, but I'll include it anyway. The sound problems were kind of amusing. It provoked the band to react and improvise, and they took in self-effacing stride. After seemingly resolving the problem Furman announced to himself "Now we're a good band."
And good they were as they tore through the remainder of their set. The new Steve songs are thicker and more composed, with fully formed musical ideas and stories, and by this point the Lucky Leaves favorites are guaranteed crowd pleasers. Really for a band that's supposed to be so at home with failure they can sound damn right triumphant.
Maybe I'm just an amateur, but I can't shake the memory of another Boston act, The Pixies. As Krill sets off into the big wide world, maybe they can find that sort of success down the line. "Theme From Krill" closed their set, and these days it sounds something like a self-fulfilling prophecy, or maybe a manifesto. Sure, it was a laugh line when Jonah ad-libbed "And now we split our paychecks," but they may have punched their ticket to the big show.
But for me and for now and then, it was time to slog back home.
Steve Hears Pile In Malden And Bursts Into Tears is out now on Exploding In Sound Records.
I'm still working on a write up for Krill w/ Fat Creeps, Kal Marks, and Bad History Month at the Great Scott last night. In the meantime, here's Fat Creeps' self titled EP which nicely encapsulates their A-side/B-side, one-two of wistful pop and muscular post-punk.
Animal Collective’s Bonnaroo set from 2013, now streaming exlcusively on Spotify. Wish the recording was bassier, but besides that, incredible. I’m moving these guys up on the absolute need-to-see list.
Somehow it seems self-evident that Animal Collective were, or are, ahead of their time. Can you even say that about contemporary musicians? Animal Collective take pleasure in defying logic, so it's fitting either way. Untiring experimenters, they started incorporating sample and loops into their music years ago, with their most prescient release coming at the end of last decade, their electronic-pop opus Merriweather Post Pavilion. Indie trends have trailed Animal Collective for a while, and they continue to stretch and mutate their sound.
So it's actually refreshing to hear a bit of a retread from AC co-lead David Porter, aka Avey Tare. He's gathered up a new band with Angel Deradoorian (of Dirty Projectors, Deradoorian), and Jeremy Hyman (of Ponytail, Dan Deacon) called "Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks," and this April they'll release Enter The Slasher House on Domino Records. Minds from Animal Collective, Dirty Projectors and Pony Tail on one album? That's pretty damn exciting.
New single "Little Fang" most closely resembles Avey Tare's work on Strawberry Jam, with a more traditional "band" sound anchored by a bobbing bass line, rippling guitar, and what sounds like a nightmare undersea army led by toothy anglers and slurping bottom-feeders. It's a refinement of mid 2000's indie, and yet another odd-yet-catchy Avey Tare recording.
"VSCO is the company coming closest to replicating the look of film without making it gimmicky," says William Wilkinson, a photography enthusiast and designer at software studio MetaLab.
Meet VSCO Cam, the "beautiful" camera app for iPhone and Android. Now that Instagram is one of the world's largest social networks complete with hashtags, video and self-portrait tabs, there's an opening for the world's best photography app. Now, I can't say if VSCO is the best or not, I don't even qualify as an amateur photographer, but it sure is gorgeous.
As Ellis Hamburger points out, now that manufacturers are pushing the limits of smartphone photography there is a greater capability for realistic mobile photography. Hands down VSCO Cam's #nofilter looks realer than Instagram's. VSCO Cam not only supplies filters and varying degrees of a select filter, but also adjustable exposure, temperature, and contrast, and all with an elegant interface.
(Look at the beautiful mug on my mug.)
Currently the focus at VSCO Cam doesn't seem to be growing a social network and selling ads, it sells you the experience of quality photography. And it literally does sell. You can buy additional filters by sets or singles, giving you plenty of options and making sure you're pictures are cutting-edge hip. The fancier photo editor doesn't function as a direct competitor to Instagram, it's more like a companion for those who want to up their 'gramming-game. Take your photo, edit, and post to your favorite social network, as well as the taseful VSCO Cam "grid."
Pictures taken on this app really do pop when compared to Instagram's. The aesthetic is simply different, counter to making the subject retro or vintage, its about making the subject its best self. Without sounding too soullessly commercial or cloyingly hipster, VSCO Cam photos will not only look great on your devices but really stand out from the pack.
Saintseneca are slowly pulling the shroud off of their ANTI- debut Dark Ark. Unlike the decidedly folk-rock "Uppercutter" or "Visions," "Happy Alone" positions Saintseneca as an American Frightened Rabbit. It's downtrodden and damn near redemptive, but the chorus is unwilling to burst into full on catharsis. Instead, they shrug the finale off, content to let the mood linger.
Above is the Christopher Good directed music video that somehow manages to contain Zac Little's glorious mustache. Dark Ark is out April 1st on ANTI- and they're finally doing preorders (with the full track list available as well).
From the press release:
Songwriter Little says of the song “Happy Alone,” “This is a love song, a meditation on doom, the joy and the transcendence in all of that. I found the song in a bass that was half melted from the time when my bedroom had burned down. I didn't even know the bass worked, but kept it anyway. One day I could feel the gravity coming from it, pulling on me. I plugged it into this raspy little amp and found all of these little songs with it, bouncing around in the reverb tank. There is joy in doom, and doom in joy.”
It's fitting that Krill's would-be concept EP Steve Hears Pile In Maiden And Bursts Into Tears fails at telling the story it set out to elucidate. After all, Krill's charm lies in its lackadaisical nature.
From the AV Club, hear the the fifth and final track from Krill's new EP, "Fresh Pond." If the Steve Hears Pile In Malden And Bursts Into Tears' self-effacing title alone doesn't sell you, try the EP's most bipolar cut yet, about watching movies at Fresh Pond Cinema and the reflective glare in windowpanes. The flip from howling chorus to a contemplative-Lonesome Crowded West outro is one of many nuances that makes Krill a band worth watching.
And when you see these guys live, how could they not break out in 2014? Speaking of watching, they're going on tour. Dates below.
2/7~~ NYC EP RELEASE @ Brooklyn Night Bazaar w/Speedy Ortiz (EP Release), Heeney, Blessed State, Infinity Girl, Odonis Odonis
2/13~~ BOSTON EP RELEASE @ GREAT SCOTT w/ Bad History Month, Kal Marks, Fat Creeps, Ava Luna
KRILL + AVA LUNA #HKARNUTZ 2014 US TOUR ! ! ! !
All dates w/ Ava Luna
2/18 Bennington VT~~ Bennington College
2/19 Kingston NY~~ BSP w/ Wave Envy
2/21 Gambier OH~~ Kenyon College
2/22 Chicago IL~~ The Observatory w/ Oshwa, Today's Hits
2/23 Milwaukee WI~~ Riverwest Public House w/ Sat. Nite Duets, Blonder, Joshua Breakfast + The Breakfast Boys
2/24 Minneapolis MN~~ Kitty Kat Club w/ Tickle Torture
2/25 Fargo ND~~ Aquarium
2/27 Spokane WA~~ The Bartlett w/ The Thermals
2/28 Seattle WA~~ Black Lodge
3/1 Olympia WA~~ The Northern
3/2 Portland OR~~ Valentine's w/ Jesse Carsten
3/4 San Francisco CA~~ The Knockout w/ Dude York, Chastity Belt
3/5 Isla Vista CA~~ BIKO Garage
3/6 Los Angeles CA~~ Bootleg Theater w/ TOPS, Calvin Love
3/7 Phoenix AZ~~ VIVA PHX Festival w/ Jason's parents
3/8 Flagstaff AZ
3/9 Albuquerque NM~~ The Sister
3/11 Austin TX SXSW
3/12 Austin TX SXSW wat is it though
3/13 Austin TX SXSW
3/14 New Orleans LA~~ Tulane U
3/14 NEW ORLEANS LA~~ Siberia w/ Caddywhompus, Native America
3/15 Tallahassee FL
3/16 Sarasota FL~~ New College of Florida
3/17 Atlanta GA~~ Mammal Gallery w/ Warehouse, hello ocho
3/18 Charlotte NC~~ Snug Harbor w/ Bo White
3/19 Durham NC~~ Pinhook
3/20 Richmond VA~~ Gallery5
3/21 Washington DC~~ The Dunes w/ Laughing Man
3/22 Baltimore MD~~ The Crown w/ Ed Schrader's Music Beat
3/23 Philadelphia PA~~ Golden Tea House w/ Laser Background
3/24 Brooklyn NY~~ Silent Barn AVA LUNA ALBUM RELEASE w/ Guerilla Toss, Ryan Power, Railings, Jerry Paper
3/30 BOSTON~~ Great Scott w/ Pile, LVL UP, Ovlov, Disco Doom
Steve Hears Pile In Malden And Bursts Into Tears is out Feb 18th on Exploding In Sound Records, and if you like what you hear, preorder it.
It's a few days late, but here's my January listening report. As part of my New Year's Resolution I'm writing up all of the "new" albums I listened to each month. Whats [quote] [unquote] "new?" New to me. So you'll notice many older albums on here, but we glorify brand new too much anyway. I'm hoping to use this as a reflection exercise to then expand my tastes beyond my typical favorites. We'll see how that goes. Oh, and please tell me what I'm missing out on.
Here's January 2014's "Quantified EQ."
Against Me! Transgender Dsyphoria Blues (2014)
Listened to this only a couple of times, but my surface level judgement was that it's very good. I've known of Against Me! for years, but never investigated them. If you can't tell, I'm far from a punk aficionado, but this seems like a quality release. I might return to throughout 2014.
Burial Rival Dealer EP (2013)
Bought this and have greatly enjoyed it. I agree with the majority critical assessment, that it's a game changer that widens Burial's palette and scope. Beautiful Burial songs? Very promising for his future work.
Chance The Rapper Acid Rain (2013)
Downloaded and wrote about it. Chance obviously has charisma on his side. I'll probably revisit Acid Rain again whenever his collaboration with James Blake is released. That's definitely on my radar.
Damien Jurado Brothers and Sisters of the Eternal Son (2014)
Only listened once, and was vaguely disappointed. We'll see if I give it another shot (someone convince me).
Grass Is Green Vacation Vinny (2014)
Bought the record, saw them live, and enjoyed. I've written about them multiple times. Count me as a fan. Might have to dig into their back catalogue more.
Krill Lucky Leaves (2013)
Yes, and can't wait for their new EP to come out. Krill Forever.
Mutual Benefit Love's Crushing Diamond (2013)
Saw them live and streamed their debut album multiple times. It's a lovely work that employs electronic music and ambiance to achieve an outdoors peace. I'm sure I'll come back to it.
Ovlov AM (2013)
Also saw these guys live, streamed, and am looking forward to their next release. Lots of talent here. My take away from their live show, "Pants crapper."
Pavement Brighten The Corners (1997)
After the release of Wig Out and some articles about 20 years of Crooked, Crooked Rain, yada yada yada, I went back to Pavement's catalogue. Hadn't spent that much time with Brighten The Corners. Still need to listen to it more, but enjoyed the poppy looseness to it. Reminded me of Velvet Underground's goofier side.
PIle dripping (2012)
Currently obsessed with this one. Still listening to it backwards and forwards. Pile have a very immediate sound, shouting does that I guess, but I want to put work into them and study up on dripping's lyrics. (Album art up top)
Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks Wig Out At Jagbags (2014)
Another enjoyable entry into Malkmus' discography. Streamed multiple times. It's no classic, but I dare say its underrated right now.
Warpaint Warpaint (2014)
Streamed this multiple times. Don't have much of an opinion on it yet. It's a clearly well produced effort, but it remains to see if I'll keep listening to it throughout 2014.
Well that's that. Looks mostly like varying shades of indie. Mostly white men. It was a very "rock" month, and I only listened to a handful from the new year. Let's see how (or if) my 2014 evolves.
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