Smoke Signals

Featuring your band. Right now. All articles by Britt Witt unless noted otherwise.

[signalmusic]

Carousel Caresses Onlookers @ The Echoplex

10.25.12

Well, maybe not literally, but nevertheless, Carousel serenaded their intimate and enchanted crowd. The trio’s great spirits set a friendly tone over the onlookers; their smiles and laughter were undeniably contagious, perking the subdued nature of their electro-pop sound. Despite being relatively new, the group has a solid grasp on their intentions, mistakes only noticeable in the chuckling exchange of glances between drummer, Dan Drohan, and guitarist, Kevin Friedman. Playing a satisfying account of the laundry list of tracks they have compiled since forming in Sept. 2k11, Carousel gave life to their recordings through the enhanced power of live drums and real-time mixing. Although the drumbeats lean towards a simpler style, Dan conducted his strikes in a hypnotizing manner while Kevin, mysteriously playing in the stage’s shadows, pounded his guitar during their unreleased single, “Destiny.”

Naturally, their single, “Let’s Go Home,” had the most crowd response, along with their spot on cover of Robyn’s “Dancing On My Own,” but the crowd was hardly shy; cheering, dancing and encouraging nothing but more, more, more. Towards the end of their set, singer, Jackson Phillips, motioned his onlookers to move in closer for “Lonely Heart,” saying, “We need everyone to dance more for this one!” We did.

“Let’s Go Home” will caress those ears of yours:

Also pulbished on IndieRockReviews.com: 

[signalmusic]

Video: The Trouble With Templeton - "Bleeders"

Thomas Calder aka The Trouble With Templeton swept Filter Magazine’s Culture Collide away last weekend. Hailing from Australia, Thomas captivated the assorted onlookers, leaving a long-lasting impression in Los Angeles. This week, The Trouble With Templeton is traveling to New York for the esteemed CMJ Music Marathon. Before you race there to catch a glimpse of his fervent performance, watch the haunting video for “Bleeders,” off the band’s debut album Bleeders [I Wrote A Novel EP].

Foggy silhouettes of Thomas as he walks through a cemetery amongst elegant zombie ballet capture the essence of this strolling ballad as he sings, “I don’t feel your heart anymore / ‘Cause you are so far gone.”

With vocals and instrumental intricacies similar to artists like Jeff Buckley and Andy Hull [Manchester Orchestra], The Trouble With Templeton hones the intensity of desperation and passion with an irresistible allure.

Also published on BeforeBigs.com: The Trouble With Templeton / BB

[signalmusic]

Michael Kiwanuka @ The Troubador, 8/13

When you are in the presence of Michael Kiwanuka, you will be blown away.

The Troubador in Los Angeles was a very kind host, especially for a Monday, filled with a sophisticated and overt crowd that was more than happy to praise the 24-year old's brilliant talents. London native, Kiwanuka has been silently seizing music lovers of all kinds over the past few months and its no wonder - his tight grasp of jazz and soul surpasses any of his peers and his modesty merely enhances the generosity offered in his music.

An eclectic group of mates supported Kiwanuka, keeping up with his pace and enhancing the overall stage presence. Playing an hour and a half long set, each song was precise and enchanting, enacting uncontrollable body sways and head bobs. Structured like an impromptu jazz session, Kiwanuka's strong calming voice was complimented by rich instrumentals filled with sizzling cymbals, refined bass lines, subtle bongos, and of course, exceptional guitar playing.

As he picked up his Les Paul for his melodic and steady "Worry Walks Beside Me," Kiwanuka explained, "This [tour] in America has been a lot of festivals and it's been a lot of fun, but some songs you can't play because it just won't sound right so I am very glad to play this one." Scraping the surface of the intimacy of his live tracks, his gentleness quickly contrasted with the accelerated "Bones," one of his more elastic and upbeat songs, singing, "I guess I'll leave / This world alone / 'Cause without you I'm just bones."

Kiwanuka preceded his cover of Jimi Hendrix's "May This Be Love" with a short speech of gratitude and recognition: "This song inspired me to play guitar and think about doing it every day…I feel pretty good playing it, I can't be here without it." Exhibiting his expertise in guitar, he shifted the originally psychedelic track into a tranquil and soulful performance.

Ditching the general melancholic qualities of jazz, even his downtempo and introspective songs are sanguine and encouraging. Kiwanuka introduced his encore telling his audience, "One more song on one condition, you have to sing it with me!" Finishing off the night with "I Don't Know," was the most fun being insecure and repeating "I just don't know" could ever get. The band extended the track with an enthusiastic free form instrumental, stimulating the crowd to clap and dance along.

The only downside to Kiwanuka is that his recorded tracks hardly do his aptitude justice. He has full command of his guitar, which he describes is a product of his environment: "You can grow up two ways in the 90's, I guess: you can have loads of computers around the house and make beats or you can get a cheap guitar down the street…I couldn't do cool stuff like different drum beats so all of my songs started out as just me and my guitar." The casual and exposed nature of his songs makes his stage presence even more congenial and his sense of humor is simply irresistible.

Set List:

1. I'll Get Along

2. You'll Give

3. Tell Me A Tale

4. Worry Walk

5. Always Waiting

6. Bones

7. May This Be Love

8. I'm Getting Ready

9. Rest

10. Lasan

11. Home Again

12. If You'd Dare

13. I Don't Know

Related Articles:

2k12 Outside Lands Band Lineup And Ticket Details

Michael Kiwanuka Releases EP, Home Again

Artist Links:

MichaelKiwanuka.com

Facebook.com/MichaelKiwanuka

@MichaelKiwanuka

Also pulbished on IndieRockReviews.com: Michael Kiwanuka / IRR

[signalmusic]

Album Review: Blonds "The Bad Ones"

Now that they are beyond the raw self-recordings, all the potential of Blonds is true! Not that there was a doubt, its just nice to be right. This adorable couple has finally completed their anticipated LP, The Bad Ones and are gaining some much-deserved attention.

Carie Rae and Jordy Asher alluded to a darker side in their Dark Roots E.P. but stuck mostly to dreamy up-tempo songs. The Bad Ones delves more into what sets this duet apart - juxtaposing gothic and methodical with a contemporary and relatable fairy tale theme. Blonds wastes no time channelling their '50's influences in the short but sweet opener, "Heartstrings." Asher's quiet count-off sets a personal tone for the album as it whisks you into an ethereal time-warp.

Blonds’ comfortable style on this album is easily mistaken for being rough and the use of samples like the one applied in "Amen" to shift the tone can be misleading; however, Asher's graceful instrumentals, such as the orchestration in the title track "The Bad Ones" contrast the underlining scratchy loops of the sweet and catchy "Time" and Rae's overall gritty vocals to remind listeners that despite their informalities, the production mindset is still top-notch.

Characteristic smooth blends of genres ranging from surf-rock strums to vertical jazz guitar are as straightforward as it gets in “Mr. E,” a Jack Marshall-style track that is seductive in its downtempo verses. Blonds ace catchy in the emotionally affixing singles “Run” and “Time,” both lyrically hopeful, “Time is on our side” and “All I need is a pair of shoes / All I ever do is run, run, run” with bridges that expand expected limitations.

Asher’s vocal presence is minimal until the last half of the album but he is hardly absent, considering he wrote and performs the songs as Rae sings. Taking over in “Gospel Kid” is a welcomed shift with jolting strums and ultra moody sensations. Rapid alternate picking and finger-style jazz guitar drive the album, conveying authenticity and reverence to their influences. The Bad Ones is sedated but Rae and Asher manage their dynamic qualities well, offering little room to grow restless.

Indulge in their title track video for a dose of the darkness:

Related Articles:

Blonds Announce New Album 'The Bad Ones'

Video: Blonds "Kite"

Album Review: Blonds "Dark Roots EP"

Band Links:

Blonds.Bandcamp

Facebook.com/Blonds

@BlondsTheBand

Also published on IndieRockReviews.com: Blonds / IRR

[signalmusic]

Album Review: Twin Shadow – “Confess”

If you have not listened to this album while driving the canyons at night, you still haven't heard it right. Two years after his debut, Forget, George Lewis Jr. aka Twin Shadow returns with an album that secures a lot of new attention without removing old fans. Although Confessis comprised of brighter songs than Twin Shadow's first round, it still retains the dark edge that defines Lewis' style and draws you in.



Twin Shadow drives the eleven tracks down an emotional road, conflicted in relationships and acknowledging how they transform. Given that Confess is no doubt a comprehensive collection of Lewis' talents, it is noticeably less intimate than its predecessor but holds its ground nevertheless - although I still rather hear more of his guitar shredding and aggressive drum lines. Its the nature of the album though, recorded in a real studio (as opposed to the previous basement), produced by Lewis himself, and modeled to beckon, Confessis simply more accessible.

Although run time is almost 50 minutes, the songs transition so gracefully that it’s hard to believe its over. Luckily Lewis includes a hidden track, "Mirror In The Dark" which allows for realignment to the real world again. Yes, real world, because regardless of how common Indie music gets, Lewis still drags you into his shadows, creating something like that Las Vegas effect - the sensory saturation that leads to the 'how long was I in there?" realization. This is the conclusion to an entirely voluminous succession of tracks, especially "Patient" with marching percussion interlaced with a synth buzz and a quick drum bridge that was recorded on a football field. This drum style is a definitive characteristic of Confessand makes an appearance quite frequently, adorning "I Don't Care" at Lewis' commanding claps until he sings some of the harshest words I've ever heard: "Before the night is through / I will say three words / I'll probably mean the first two and regret the third" while chanting "Hey" methodically.

Despite being such an impassioned lyricist, Lewis is unusually straightforward and somewhat curt, implying a tiredness in searching for love.  Amongst the grungy electric guitar shreds (the kind that supports that nagging void of instrumental bragging) and biting synths of "You Call Me On," Lewis pointedly says, "I don't give a damn about your dreams / Or a world that is falling at the seams / Because that's what it's supposed to do."  Lewis manipulates his accent to fill milliseconds with more words than you can actually hear.  His David Byrne-style vocals (yes, that is a more accurate description than the lazy Morrissey associations) in "Run My Heart" echo in accordance with his quiet and slow guitar picks, starry keys and the stunning background choral voices layered over Lewis' depicted struggle make this track genuinely standout.  "When The Movie's Over" is the closest Confessgets to Lewis' previous umbra, getting especially moody and truly harnessing the new wave inspirations.  Authentic and honest, this song has a dominating bass line and chiefly twitching synths along with whistling samples that channel Britain in the 80's.

Of course, the single "Five Seconds" wore on me until I realized that the abrupt start and overall feeling of incompleteness is actually Lewis' success in conveying the act of just jumping into something.  Rich and fast, the synths scale during the chorus while electric guitar tells its own sentient experience.

Confess is an artistic effort, capturing a moment and the nostalgia that lingers.  This album was composed for dreamers - the vanity of our youth and the beauty about that fleeting era of our lives. Delicately combining new wave synths with post punk-styled rhythms, Lewis compliments his instrumentals with fervent lyrics filled with articulate double entendre's and ambiguity. Regardless of his seemingly level-headedness, Lewis can still isolate emotion that transcends comprehension. This juxtaposition is what makes Twin Shadow so infatuating…and Confess so addicting. Check out Twin Shadow's acoustic performance of "Run My Heart" from Yourstru.ly. Gives me chills!

Also published on IndieRockReviews.com: Twin Shadow / IRR

[signalmusic]

5 Days until Twin Shadow Releases "Confess"

Its great to see George Lewis Jr., aka Twin Shadow, on a bike - especially in cheetah print creepers and towing a stuffed coyote. "Five Seconds" is the world's introduction to Confess, Twin Shadow's second album due out July 10. Commencing with a nostalgic narration by Twin Shadow himself, the video immediately changes pace as we watch the unspoken bond between two bros defeat a gang of bunny masks with bats - known as the Princes Goons. Its graphic, its emotional, its flat out awesome. Oh, and this leads into the follow-up video, "Patient," which looks just as promising. D'angelo Lacy co-stars, directed by Keith Musil.

Twin Shadow Tons Up for tour in July: 7-27 @ Paradise in Boston 7-28 @ Corona Theater in Montreal 7-30 @ Lee's Palace in Toronto 8-061 @ Crofoot Ballroom - Pike Room in Pontiac 8-06 @ 7th Street Entry in Minneapolis 8-08 @ Pyramid Cabaret in Winnipeg 08-10 @ Saits The Gateway in Calgary 08-11 @ Venue in Vancouver 08-14 @ Doug Fir Lounge in Portland 08-16 @ Great American Music Hall in San Francisco 08-18 @ Soho Restaurant & Music Club in Santa Barbara 08-24 @ The Cellar Door in Visalia 09-04 @ The Crescent Ballroom in Phoenix 09-05 @ Tricky Falls in El Paso 09-07 @ Bluebird THeater in Denver 09-08 @ Waiting Room in Omaha 09-09 @ The Granada Theater in Lawrence 09-11 @ Opolis in Norman 09-13 @ Trees in Dallas 09-14 @ The Mohawk in Austin 09-16 @ Fitzgerald's in Houston 09-17 @ Cine El Rey in McAllen 09-18 @ Bottletree in Birmingham 09-19 @ The Earl in Atlanta 09-21 @ Orange Peel in Asheville 09-23 @ Cat's Cradle in Carrboro 09-24 @ Black Cat in Washington 09-25 @ Union Transfer in Philadelphia 09-27 @ Webster Hall in New York

[signalmusic]

Album Review: Torches - "Heads Full Of Rust"

"You never know a person until you know their fears."  With that said, its safe to claim the worth of listening to the lyrics for Torches' bits of wisdom - and thats a pretty good one.  Their twelve-track debut album Heads Full Of Rust is quite a solid introduction to the Los Angeles local (ok, South Pasadena) dwellers, especially given that these guys (and lady) manage themselves.  The album is also graced by engineer, David Newton (The Henry Clay People, Happy Hollows) and mastered by Mark Chalecki (Silversun Pickups, Yeah Yeah Yeahs) and with those stats alone, you know you won't have to tread lightly. Azad Cheikosman's gentle voice guides the melancholic theme while the electric guitar pickups give their tracks a radiance that floats the subdued mood.  The single, "I Want Something" shuffles along but its slight repetitiveness is unique to the album.  Instead, their dreamy tunes are relaxing enough to unwind with but plenty catchy to make for some great sing-a-long jams.  With focused instrumental build-ups like in the title track, "Heads Full Of Rust", Torches define their aptitude for their devices and how to unite them in an utterly charming style.  "Whine" and "Dead Face" both capture the sleepy town concept perfectly with calm yet progressive melodies that sweep you through a graduated series of parallel strings and echoing hums.  Their overall use of spring reverb and varying tonal characteristics are strong elements that carry throughout the album, complimenting the lyrical theme of an unbounded search for fulfillment.  The raw claps of "Lights Go On" positively shape the track's ruminative manner while the eagerness of "Out Of The Desert" charges with the chorus, "throw up my fists into the air screaming someone let me out of here!" Never getting too tender or harsh, Torches perfectly exemplifies indie <em>rock</em>.  From self management to manipulating shuffled percussion with falsettos and channeling dreamy surf rock guitar sequences, this trio has composed an extraordinary debut album. You can grab Heads Full Of Rust on iTunes or CD Baby.

Also published on BeforeBigs.com: Torches / BB

[signalmusic]

PK @ The Roxy, 6/15

“I don’t like the parking in this town!” singer, Travis Hawley, joked to the crowd. Playing their first show at The Roxy in Hollywood (and overall second gig in Tinsel Town), the San Luis Obispo based PK was more than ready to rock the legendary venue. The crowd was so exhilarated just at the sight of these hunks, Travis really could have said anything and they’d go wild.

The vitality of the room was hardly one-sided despite PK’s odd shyness and preference to play straight through their set with hardly a break. The show kicked off with quick-paced “The Catch,” and Travis didn’t waste any time scaling the truss. Monkeying around is these fellas specialty – the rousing energy in their pop meets punk rock songs is no doubt a product of their vigorous spirits, which radiate off the stage and flood their diverse fans.

PK started “1920″ with Travis playing an acoustic guitar smiling as he told the crowd, “Alright, watch me mess this up.” This acoustic opening led to an unexpected flare into the whole band pounding their instruments, accelerating the overall pace of the song and throwing the crowd into an uproar. The synth-laden “Some Nights” proved to be a great excuse for all the members to show off their inner rockstar – bassist Mikel Van Kranenburg played with his appendage lifted in the air as guitarists Matt Depauw and Nick Fotinakes synchronized and jumped around stage. Drummer, Rico Rodriguez was unstoppable regardless of the heavy percussion load of each song. Most of the onlookers mouthed every word and if they couldn’t do that, they were certainly jumping to the music.

Travis’ astute articulation shined in their single, “London” as the power in their heavy chords amped up the instrumentals. Although PK live nearly mirrors their sound in the studio, their stage presence trumps any recording: oozing power, potential and utter command, leaving the crowd no choice but to hang on their every note. Their boyish charm swoons and their sincere talent makes them inextinguishable, plus their attitude combined with the sanguine melodies prove its just a matter of time before rockstar is more than just an attitude. Setlist: The Catch Sea Wolves Innocence Some Nights Not In Love 1920 London Berelain

Also published on BeforeBigs.com: PK / BB

[signalmusic]

Greenhorse @ The Satellite, 5/11

Greenhorse’s performance at the Satellite was more than just a typical opening band on a Friday night. Sharing their home state with popular headliners Gauntlet Hair (its Wyoming), Greenhorse also recognized how monumental this moment really is: “It’s kind of exciting because when we first moved to L.A, we came to Spaceland and we were like, ‘I hope we get to play here someday.” The trio played to a dark room, each member merely lit by their own spotlight, which caters well to their industrial style. Their eruption of sound is breathtaking, especially given that the only actual abrasive instrument they involve are Joel’s array of drums. Greenhorse started things off with their familiar track, “White Dust,” which can only be compared to the THX introduction at the movie theater to offer any sort of accurate description. Their sound is characterized by the abundance of layers, which their recordings hardly do justice for when juxtaposed with their live performance. “Breathing Machine” provided insight into just how much each band member is doing at any given time – while Chris is busy with his set of synths and vocals, Shawn multitasks between a drum machine and fingerpicking keys, and Joel hits his various drums so hard I still can’t believe the skins didn’t split! Despite the heaviness of their genre-straddling tracks, these guys are quite upbeat and entertaining characters. They didn’t let their shy crowd deter them from cracking jokes or good-natured banter: when describing their fifth song, “Unbroken,” Shawn and Chris admitted the short list of ears that had heard it including “my grandma, I did share it with her.” This is especially entertaining when one imagines a grandmother handling the hard snare hits and combination of a sweet two-bit breakdown with bass-driven instrumentals that are so vigorous the vocals are plainly inaudible. This, however, had nothing on “Hidden Love,” where the audience was treated with Joel’s insanely buff (and shirtless) body at the head of the stage with a floor tom around his neck. Sure, the hollowness of the floor tom pairs well with the champagne cymbals and all-around lightness of the song, but the shadows of the spotlights make the song ironically haunting. Greenhorse is a pleasant and much welcomed surprise that ended abruptly with a horn-driven orchestral outro. They blow your mind for just long enough to leave you dazed yet refreshed. These fellas will be playing shows around LA over the next few months and keep a look out for their 7″ for "Faces" by the end of summer. Their Happiness EP can be streamed via their Soundcloud.

Also published on IRR.com & BeforeBigs.com: Greenhorse / IRR & Greenhorse / BB

[signalmusic]

The Mowgli’s CD Release Party @ The Roxy

In a word, The Mowgli's are happy. The crowd that follows The Mowgli's is quite a diverse one, not so surprising given their demeanor - filling The Roxy with old and young, long skirts, short shorts and even studded belts. Turns out love & happiness arent't just reserved for flower power!

The benefits of releasing an album before throwing the party are that the audience already owns, loves and knows every word so this crowd didn't miss a beat once the curtain rose! The Mowgli's started things off with "Hi Hey There Hello," the first track on Sound The Drum. Their set followed the album consecutively, giving a great feel for the flow of things and definitely testing the band's stamina - their slower songs are few and far between which makes for a great party…and a lot of sweat!

The Roxy proved to be a great host, appropriately presenting and catering to The Mowgli's big sound. Granted, the best environment to enjoy them is probably your back yard where you have plenty room to dance and be merry. This must be the most amiable group of people, happily talking with the crowd between songs, inviting friends to the stage and Colin Dieden was even nice enough to lend his special necklace to a fan. A defining characteristic of their live performance, aside from constantly moving about, is their sense of brotherhood and togetherness. They sing, they shout, they dance all together - sharing microphones and the spotlight. Even during a solo song like "Time," a song guitarist Michael Vincze sings with an acoustic guitar, has a sense of camaraderie as his fellow mates offer back up vocals and instrumental support. "Slowly, Slowly" featured a peak in the all-around energy of the room as the band demonstrated that they practice what they preach through shouts, smiles and love for everyone in the room. The song's excitable instrumental breakdown offered everyone time to get sucked into the moment and release their free spirits. The same went for well-known single, "San Francisco," featuring more exhilarating shouts and waving hands than the recording implies. Before performing "The Great Divide," Michael announced, "this song is about how you can make every day the greatest day of your life, it's the first song we ever wrote." Producer, Christian Hand joined his friends on stage for some vocal assistance as Katie Earl finished the song with band member introductions to the crowd.

The Mowgli's define an important lesson that fellow Angelino's need to learn - it's time to let go and just live! As they shout in "Carry Your Will," "Let your faith guide your fate / If you carry your will I will carry my will." Filling the percussion driven dance party void that The Local Natives have left, The Mowgli's are a guaranteed good time, even the most bitter moods can be salvaged with a dose of a Mowgli's track.

Grab Sound The Drum off of their Bandcamp at a price you name for yourself. I suggest giving it a good listen to determine how worth it the album is!

Band Links: Facebook.com/TheMowglis TheMowglis.bandcamp.com @TheMowglis

Also published on IndieRockReviews.com & BeforeBigs.com: The Mowgli's/ IRR & The Mowgli's / BB

[signalmusic]

Review: Brokechella 2k12

Deep in the monotonous cracks of downtown LA, the 2nd-annual edition of Brokechella announced itself with a homemade cardboard & Christmas lights “Brokechella” sign. So appropriately designed, even a 2Pac mural greeted you upon entrance! A Jarritos truck garnished the DJ stage outside while the main stage faced a shipwreck themed bar in the quaint Six01 Studios. The detailed decor made it more like LowerMiddleClass-Chella than Broke but that just made the aesthetic of the event that much more pleasurable and entertaining. Aside from the eye-catching gold wall entrance art, the glam continued to the art cage, where cinder block stairs led you to an excitable tutu-wearing face paint artist and the flowery photo booth area, carefully designed by Amanda Wallace.

Goodies from sponsors like Popchips and Activate Water made early-comers feel even better about the “Afternoon Buzz” bar special while Starry Kitchen and Mucho Perro satisfied the hungry.

The music was a blast, despite the occasional blown fuse that simply became a great Brokechella goer inside joke, featuring familiar acts including Infantree, Rumspringa and major crowd-pleaser, Das Tapes. Lesser knowns, such as The Dead Ships, rocked the house while DJ’s like Robin People spun tracks under a mesmerizing LED light board.

Brokechella’s rebuttal to Coachella’s hologram Tupac? Their very own custom-made Tupac pinata – now that’s real 3D! All in all, your 5 bucks was well spent. Joey Stevens of Rumspringa even commented to the crowd, “This is a really well put-together event, which is ironic.”

No doubt, Brokechella is the place to be, whether you’re too broke for Coachella or can only survive one desert weekend!

Also Published on BeforeBigs.com: Brokechella / BB

[signalmusic]

Santigold @ Transmission LA: AV Club at MOCA

Santigold made quite a dazzling appearance at the opening of the Transmission LA: AV Club at MOCA last night. This special audio/visual experience is curated by Mike D (of the Beastie Boys) and will feature special music guests over the next 17 days as well as a great art installation featuring Sage Vaughn, L.A. locals Roy Choi and Mike Mills and many others.

Amongst the fashionable crowd, Santigold exploded the stage with her seemingly effortless performance and fabulous dance moves. Her flawless vocals and sexy choreography maintained everyone's attention throughout her set - playing favorites like "Lights Out," "Say Aha," and her new track, "Big Mouth."

If you missed the free show, she will be back on tour in the U.S. in May.  Santigold also just announced her new album, Master of My Make Believe, set for release on May 1. Don't forget to check out the Transmission LA: AV Club stimulating exhibition at MOCA now through May 6!

Also published on BeforeBigs.com: Santigold / BB

[signalmusic]

Album Review: Sleepy Sun - "Spine Hits"

Sleepy Sun is one journey you just want to experience again and again. Their experimentation with psychedelic and progressive rock in combination with their seductive Bay area twist has finally landed them right where they belong. For those of you who aren’t familiar, here is the disclaimer: Rachel Williams is back to working on her own projects and the face paint and trippy visuals have left the building. Don’t dare let this deter you, however, as this is hardly an end for Sleepy Sun! Instead, they have dialed it back a bit, leaning more towards the rock in psychedelic rock, perfectly detailing the heavy power chords with mind-altering diatonic melodies and fuzzboxes. Just as Sleepy Sun has developed, so does the album, exploring extended musical structures and incorporating bluesy and world elements. Spine Hits explores extended musical structures with progressive and abstract themes. “Stivy Pond” abruptly opens the 11-track album in a sonorous production of sound, setting an opulent tone you can rely on throughout the rest of this pilgrimage. This is especially true for a track like “Creature,” which pairs rough cymbal clashes and an elastic melody with a quick psychedelic break, oh, and a 30-second instrumental to close. At points, their style may be simply esoteric but the imagery solves anyone lacking. “V.O.G.” exposes the roots of Sleepy Sun with a popping melody while Bret sings, “walking on a trail, Redwood forest, paying our respects to the valley of giants.” Providing a well-timed intermission, “Boat Trip” is characterized by its bluesy guitar riff and drumming heartbeat. Not to mention an emphasis on Bret Constantino’s vocal control in his nearly-a-whisper singing. Things get a little grungy and Black Angels-esque during “Martyr’s Mantra,” a sensual vibration with a rolling guitar riff that juxtaposes lyrics like, “its you, its your fault, its been you all along.” Look out for this track live, it gets pretty epic when drummer Brian Tice does a dual drum solo with guitarist Evan Reiss. Spine Hits has a mellow conclusion, especially in comparison to its first half – incorporating harmonica solos, reverberating and elongated tones and no omission of intricate guitar solos. A bit of a concept album, Spine Hits is the third installment of the group and proves to be more of an evolution of Sleepy Sun. Incorporating diverse genres and intricate instrumental patterns, they define their versatility as well as mastery of their instruments and the progressive genre. Every moment of this album is enriched with elaborate textures and layers; Sleepy Sun doesn’t miss an opportunity to fill space and the engineering keeps the pace steady and the transitions crisp. All in all, Sleepy Sun, “wicked is the comedown from your love crest.”

Also published on IndieRockReviews.com: Sleepy Sun / IRR

[signalmusic]

Check out my introductory article with BeforeTheBigs.com. Brian Lopez will likely make you swoon and his cover of Echo And The Bunnymen ain't so bad either.

Stay tuned for my interview with Brian!

[signalmusic]

The Features: Interview

The Features lead singer, Matt Pelham, took a moment to tell us about getting booed by kids, being featured on The Twilight: Breaking Dawn Soundtrack and that the ideal music career would be to follow in Tom Petty’s footsteps.

Are there any specific dates on the tour that you are looking forward to?

Matt Pelham: Eureka, I’m kind of excited about that. We’ll be in northern California again. Last time we went through there we got a chance to go through some of the redwood forests, which was pretty awesome. Hopefully we’ll have time to do that again.

How do you like being with your label, Serpents & Snakes?

We like it a lot. It’s been a very good experience, they’re extremely hands-off and we’ve been pretty much able to call all the shots.

Did they seek you out?

Well, it’s sort of a joint thing between Kings Of Leon and Bug Music. We were hoping to release a new record and they said that they would like to put it out. It sounded like a good idea so we just did it. We had already released Some Kind Of Salvation on our own but we didn’t have any sort of distribution or label behind it so they said we should be on their label, get distribution and some press going. It’s been good.

Are you working on anything new?

Just before we released Wilderness in July, we finished another record so we’re just kind of sitting on it until we’re finished touring and promoting Wilderness, then we’ll release the new one. Are you planning on going back to the new record and making changes? We’re trying not to listen to it too much. There are loose ends and still some vocals to be done, little things here and there. I imagine in the end if there are some ideas, we will add stuff but for the most part we’re trying not to over think or second-guess it. We’re excited about it, we’ve already started playing some of the stuff live.

Do you have a name for it yet?

No. No name or any idea of art or anything like that. We just have the music done and that’s about it.

What would you consider to be the best thing about being from Tennessee?

When we started out in ’93-’94, if we talked to anyone they would be surprised that there was a rock band out of Nashville. Even in the early 2000′s, we would do interviews and people were just shocked that there were bands other than country coming out of Nashville. Now, things are very different. People are aware of this and I think a lot of that is because of Kings Of Leon, they shed a lot of light on the music scene. It’s always been really good, people just aren’t aware of it, they just assumed that if its from Nashville, its country.

Do you find that weird?

It used to be more frustrating than weird. Now I think its just weird because it seems like Nashville has almost turned into the third place that people talk about – there’s always been LA, New York and now its Nashville. There are just way more conversations about music in Nashville. That just wasn’t the case 5 or 6 years ago. Now Jack White lives in Nashville, The Black Keys live in Nashville, its completely different and it’s changed a whole lot.

Would you consider yourselves to be a part of the birth of rock in Nashville?

I don’t know. I would definitely consider us the dinosaurs of the Nashville rock scene. We’ve been together for so long that we’ve been a part of the Nashville scene for a long time.

Where exactly are you from?

Roger and I grew up in Sparta, Tennessee, which is about an hour east of Nashville. Then we moved to Murphysboro for college, which is only about 30 minutes out of Nashville. There’s another band called Those Darlins that are also from Murphysboro! What is the best thing about coming from a small town? One of the reasons we started playing music was because there just wasn’t a lot to do. Right before I started high school, I got a guitar and a couple friends I knew got guitars the same year so before we even knew how to play our instruments, we were going to start a band. It just became this goal that we had. We would learn a couple chords here and there and turn those into songs, that’s really how the band started…just by saying we were a band before we knew how to play our instruments. We kept playing through high school, I guess, instead of getting into the trouble that most kids get into in high school – drinking beer, riding around going to Sonic and Hardy’s. That was a big part of it; being in a small town there wasn’t a lot to do so we started playing music.

We actually played our first show in Sparta – the very first show we ever played as a band was for a 4th, 5th and 6th grade Valentines Dance. We called ourselves the 4 Elvis’, each dressed up as Elvis from a different era. We ended up getting booed by all the kids! We didn’t have a lot of our own material so we ended up just playing a lot of Elvis and Beatles covers and it just didn’t go over too well with those kids who just wanted to hear modern songs. I remember hearing Mariah Carey specifically requested and we were the farthest thing from that.

Where did your idea for the Behind-The-Song videos come from?

We were doing the video and I think our manager said we need more content but we’re really bad at stuff like that. None of us really enjoy doing stuff like that so I feel like it comes across really awkward, but it is what it is. I feel that collectively we’re decent at being musicians but our personalities are just not interesting at all. We’re not extremely confident or comfortable with interviews. Even when we’re performing live, to speak between songs is very rare, it’s just, “lets not talk about anything and play music.”

How did you get a song on The Twilight: Breaking Dawn soundtrack?

We recorded that song for the record and weren’t really happy how it came out so it was going to end up just being a B-side or something but our management heard that they needed songs for the Twilight soundtrack that was exclusive for the soundtrack so we submitted and they ended up picking it. It was just an extra song that we recorded that didn’t make the record.

What would you classify your music as?

We’ve always considered it rock. Honestly, I think collectively, it has always been a goal to try and write music that has a timeless quality to it. Bands I grew up listening to don’t really get old to me or sound so dated that I wouldn’t be able to listen to it 20 years from now. I don’t know that we have accomplished that yet but that’s what we’re trying to do – create music that even if you listen to it 20 years from now, you don’t think “oh, that’s awful, I cant believe they made music like that in 2010.” I consider it rock music, I hope it has some amount of quality to it so it will hold up with time.

What is a song that you consider timeless?

Zeppelin to me, as a band is timeless. I can’t think of anything of theirs that doesn’t hold up. Tom Petty is timeless to me, for the most part his stuff holds up really well. I think the ideal career would be like, Tom Petty. He’s not doing so much now but I would say in the mid to late 90′s that he would appeal to so many people, whether your young or old, into metal or indie rock, everyone liked Petty, he was a common ground. That’s a really good place to be, if we could be in a spot like that, it would be really nice. But its really hard place to be, its hard to appeal to a lot of different audiences. It’s a lot easier to pick a genre or style of music that isolates you to a particular crowd. That’s a lot easier than it is to play music that appeals to a really large audience.

Also published on IndieRockReviews.com: The Features / IRR

[signalmusic]

M83 @ Club Nokia, Jan 12

Standing with his hands cupped at his mouth, Anthony Gonzalez and the rest of M83 took the stage at 10PM, exploding into “Intro” with strobes of blue and white lights.

The stellar backdrop helped set the celestial tone that Gonzalez’s synth pop inspirits as the strobes matched up with the beat of the drums. In addition to the adrenaline rush from such a cosmic blast, Gonzalez’s calm and passionate voice resonating instilled a wave of overwhelming emotion, as if the words streamed out from his soul and washed over his admiring onlookers. In short, that otherworldly and infinite sound that you hear on your inferior speakers is beyond comprehension when heard straight from the creator’s fingertips. Breathy siren-like vocals from both Gonzalez and keyboardist, Morgan Kibby (who was appropriately dressed in a metallic pewter-colored dress), drew the crowd closer as the pulses of “Kim & Jessie” enveloped individuals and sent them into their own expedition of the universe. The experience is incredibly internal, which would explain the hardly-moving crowd, as the music shifts between vibrating synths and heavy riffs, sometimes combining the two for a blinding saturation of echoing sound and light streams that throw the band members into a silhouette and blast fans into an impenetrable space. Regardless of the tempo slow-down in “We Own The Sky,” the crowd was tried and true to M83′s earlier hits by throwing their arms in the air, swaying together and even pulling out lighters. An inebriated and ecstatic fan celebrating his 21st birthday screamed to everyone around him, “This is the best song…the video is the best indie video of all time!” Gonzalez spoke lightly in his heavy French-broken English accent before performing “Wait” saying, “Let’s try to enjoy the moment…we get very stressed out to play to you, thank you for coming.” It seemed ironic considering how intense their presentation as a whole was – with improv instrumentals, dynamic vocals from both Gonzalez and Kibby (especially in their encore performance of “Skin”) and uninhibited stage prances. Naturally, Gonzalez’s most recent single off of Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming!, “Midnight City,” woke the crowd from their hypnotic state and tested Club Nokia’s floorboards. Yes, yes, yes there was a live saxophone solo! How satisfying this solo was unfortunately is directly correlated with how close one was to the stage since the notes from a sax were easily drowned by the crowds’ roar and buzzing synths. The charged instrumental, “Guitar & A Heart” followed the single, setting the crowd up for the quick pause between set and encore. M83′s first of two shows in Los Angeles proved why their name is on the Coachella bill – the sound is epic, the performance is extraordinary and the total experience sends you out of your body. Especially look forward “Year One, One UFO,” the shuffling percussion and sporadic shouts will spring your body into hyperdrive!

Also published on IndieRockReviews.com: M83 / IRR

[signalmusic]

South Of France ‘Kings EP’

South of France, actually based in Boulder, Colorado, is so new and fresh that their website is a skeleton of information but by no means is this a metaphor for their music.  In fact, their short 3-song E.P., released on their Bandcamp webpage is everything but lacking.  They describe themselves as melodic noise pop – three perfect adjectives to properly introduce their style, regardless of how common this genre is becoming. Almost a direct derivative of their influences, Emily Ashley and Jeff Cormack play off the call & return technique that The Cults and Summer Camp are popularizing.  Incorporating well-timed and well-pitched harmonies, both of their voices are less flat than their peers but they keep the distortion tuned up to retain the lo-fi design. The most impressive aspect of this E.P. is its production – ordinarily E.P.’s are raw peeks at a band’s potential, but South Of France offers nearly flawless recordings that leave little room for skepticism.  Granted, the muffled vocals could use more volume, the minor imperfections will likely be smoothed out by their full-length release at the end of February.  What’s more impressive?  Jeff produced, mixed and played every instrument on the E.P.! Most of their sound resembles the Peter Bjorn & John combination of perky instrumentals with scruffy vocals but the last track, Ghost Driver, is the most pop-y they get with a Vampire Weekend-esque electric guitar riff and a clap-along beat. In short, once you give your ears a taste of South Of France, they’ll be aching for that full-length!  You can grab a free download of the Kings E.P. on their Bandcamp.

Also published on IndieRockReviews.com: South Of France / IRR