[thecorrespondence-blog]

Interview with Temples

We had the chance to speak with Thomas Warmsley, the bass player and co-founding member of what has been called the best new band in England. Temples have left their home in Kettering, England to come tour the U.S. and they recently played here at Kung Fu Necktie on November 3rd.

TW: Yea, it’s the first time any of us have played music in America. In England it’s quite a landmark thing to come over to the states and play. Yea, it’s been quite a special trip, I guess, to come out here and do that. I think every venue has its own atmosphere and every country has its own kind of way of doing things, and different audiences. It’s really exciting and we’re having a great time; taking it all in.

VP: What do you miss about your home?

TW: I don’t know, I mean when you go on tour you kind of expect to leave all of your home comforts behind. I think we all enjoy the fact that we’re not home in Kettering, where we all live. It’s kind of like a world away from where we’re from. I think we kind of embrace the fact that it’s a little bit alien and different. It’s all part of the trip really.

VP: Who is your all time favorite producer and why?

TW: (laughs) Tricky question, because we have so many… I don’t know, I mean Phil Spector for us is such a big name and his whole style and way of doing things in the studio is kind of a real institution. He has such a signature sound – signature meaning the reverb and other elements. It kind of takes it away from being familiar, in terms of sound.

Jack Nitzsche as well, I guess he falls under the Phil Spector umbrella. I think between the two of them, they had something really special.

He worked with The Rolling Stones, the orchestrations on there and their records. He always worked very closely with the artists he was recording with. He played on the record as well and having that kind of involvement blurs the line between artist and producer. Most of us in Temples think it’s very important to embrace both because we are fans of producers as well as bands and artists.

VP: What artists have you been listening to lately?

TW: Umm, yea well we listen to quite a lot.

VP: Well what about in the past few days?

TW: We’ve been listening to Atom Heart Mother, the Pink Floyd album, if you know that one. And there’s a band that just released a single, they’re called Telegram. We’ve been touring with them in England and they have a song called “Follow,” which is their debut single. Since we’ve toured with them we’ve had the pleasure of getting to listen to them every night. We’re really big fans of what they’re doing. So I guess that’s one old and one new?

VP: What is your musical guilty pleasure?

TW: I guess, film soundtracks are always a strange one that people either love or hate. We really enjoy listening to some kind of more cinematic sounding music. We try to play our music so that it kind of transposes visually. And like, Ennio Morricone, he does soundtracks. Oh and like Goblin, as well, they’re like an Italian prog band that did some soundtracks in the seventies as well. It’s kind of slightly weird and you know that’s a little bit different from your normal rock band.

VP: Who would be your dream collaboration?

TW: Well we’re from the Midlands and not too far away in a place called Rugby is where Sonic Boom from Spacemen 3 is based. And yea, we’re all really big fans of Spacemen 3 and Spectrum. He has his own studio as well. He creates some really interesting sounds in the studio and we’d like to, one day, perhaps, collaborate with him. Peter Kember is his name, but his nickname is Sonic Boom. But yea, really spacey and almost like soundscape and noise. There’s something quite simple and charming about his recordings.

VP: In your song “Shelter Song,” the lyrics mention reading poetry aloud; who are your favorite poets?

TW: James wrote the lyrics… but yea William Blake is great, if you like reading and stuff. I think it is part of your admission into music that deals with consciousness, that you read, “The Doors of Perception” and “Heaven and Hell”.

VP: How do you prepare yourself for a live show? Any weird rituals?

TW: (laughs) Not especially. I’m kind of torn between just saying anything; making something up, and just being honest. We always sing as much possible and do three part harmonies. We like to sing some songs by The Byrds and we usually fight over who sings David Crosby’s harmony. That’s always the best.

VP: I was wondering just now, have you ever tried meditation?

TW: Um, not yet. I think we all kind of meditate in our own way. That’s not meditating explicitly but yea. I think you have to be in the right mindset when you go on stage and stuff, so I think everyone has their own way, perhaps, of meditating.

VP: What’s coming up in the future for Temples?

TW: We just announced that we will be releasing our album, Sun Structures, in February. I think it’s February the 10th. We announced it online yesterday actually, so it’s really excited for us. All this year we’ve been recording in between touring, and it’s great to finally have a record. So that’s in February. And I think we’re coming back over to the states again in like March or April as well, so we’re really looking forward to coming back over here once the album’s been released. We can’t wait for everyone to hear it, since everyone’s only heard the singles and what’s online. It will be great for everyone to hear the full spectrum of music that we play.

Check out Temples on Facebook here.

-Victoria Powell

[thecorrespondence-blog]

Photos: twenty | one | pilots at the TLA

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Check out our photos of twenty | one | pilots at the TLA with Smallpools last week! Photos by Alex Rudisill

[thecorrespondence-blog]

I Surrender Records Presents: Our Voices

“Because It Works” by Adam Lazzara is the first song. It is a pure acoustic song and even has a bit of harmonica in it. This song was definitely a good way to start off the album and show off Adam’s solo abilities. This is easily a song I could hear as a Taking Back Sunday song with a full band behind it. Up next is “String Me Along” by Anthony Raneri. This is the most upbeat song on the EP in my opinion. The piano blends well with Raneri’s voice to create a great song.

“Diamonds & White Gold” by Chris Conley and “Sick Down to My Heart” by Vinnie Caruana close out the second half of the EP. Chris’s vocal stands out, as it usually does. I wasn’t immediately drawn in by this song. It is also significantly shorter than the other three songs. I’m not too fond of it, but I think it’s a song that will grow on you after a few listens. Vinnie wraps it up with his rough, raspy voice. “Sick Down to My Heart” easily comes off as the darker song on the EP. It’s a good closer and wraps up the album nicely.

Overall Say: The EP is a great start to this series and I am looking forward to seeing what comes next.

If You’re Cheap: It’s only 4 songs, listen to them all.

Rating: 7/10

[thecorrespondence-blog]

Photos: Sky Ferreira with the Smith Westerns

Check out our photos from Sky Ferreira with the Smith Westerns on Friday night at the First Unitarian Church! Photos by Alex Rudisill.

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

[thecorrespondence-blog]

Vagrant Records Launches Auction to Benefit the Philippines

Today VAGRANT RECORDS has launched an online auction to benefit the American Red Cross in their efforts to provide relief to the victims of Typhoon Haiyan in the Phillipines.   The eBay auction features several rare vinyl test pressings including those from PJ Harvey (Let England Shake), Thrice (Live at Guitar Center 7”), and Band of Skulls (Sweet Sour) among others.   The direct link to the auction is http://www.ebay.com/usr/vagrantrecords and 100% of the proceeds will go directly to the American Red Cross.   Vagrant Records is a Los Angeles, California-based indie rock label that is home to The 1975, Bombay Bicycle Club, Bad Suns, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes, Active Child, James Vincent McMorrow, Rogue Wave, Eels and many more.

[thecorrespondence-blog]

Tori Kelly @ TLA [11/15]

She started off the show with “Rocket,” which is on her recently released EP title Foreword. Tori has always been outstanding with interacting with the crowd during her shows. Between songs, she would tell little stories while she was either switching guitars or tuning. Shortly into the set, Tori performed a song called “Design” that is currently unreleased. She just released an EP and still has new songs. She’s constantly working on new material and the new song was absolutely fantastic. Since the first time I saw her perform, her voice has significantly improved, not that I ever thought it was bad to begin with. The amount of control she has over her vocals is overwhelming at times and you can hear it in every high note and every run.

Tori played pretty much all of the songs from her two EPs that have been released. She also treated the crowd to some of her most popular covers that can be found on YouTube which are “PYT” and “Thinkin’ Bout You.” She also did a medley of Justin Timberlake songs that included his recent hit “Suit & Tie.” Another song she snuck in was “Say My Name.” The crowd was really into the show the entire time. At times Tori would stop singing and the crowd would just take over and fill the whole room. Overall, it was easily one of the best shows of hers that I have been to. If you haven’t heard of her, you definitely should check her out. 

~ Deanna Chapman

[thecorrespondence-blog]

Photos: Built to Spill

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Check out our photos from Saturday night's Built to Spill show at Union Transfer!

[thecorrespondence-blog]

Interview: Jenny Hval

Jenny Hval has in recent years made a name for herself as an artist, musician and writer both in Norway and abroad. When her third record Viscerawas released in 2011, WIRE magazine described the record as: "a stunning achievement both conceptually and musically."

Jenny Hval "Innocence Is Kinky" (official video) from Jenny Hval on Vimeo.

1. Your new video for Innocence is Kinky recently came out. Did you play any part in the creation or concept of the video?

I didn’t know the director before she wrote to me out of the blue, but I really liked her videos so we started talking. We based some of the ideas on the book Preliminary Materials for a Theory of the Young-Girl, which I won’t try to explain properly here, but which deals with the concept of the young-girl as a capitalist figure. Needless to say, it’s a massive critique of capitalism.

2. The video shows a woman shaving… Do women commonly shave in Norway? What are your beliefs about shaving?

Tough question - I don’t know if we shave more or less than in other parts of the world. Shaving is an incredibly interesting act, isn’t it? I love seeing those shots in the video with the blood. My belief: as long as there is a little blood, flesh, thought and touch in it, I think shaving isn’t all bad. But there’s so much fear (of the body, of aging, of sexuality, of imperfection) tied to shaving…

3. One of your lyrics, “That night, I watched people fucking on my computer” alludes to the fact that you may have been watching porn. Were you in fact watching porn and if so, what kind of porn was it? 

I was watching Paris Hilton’s sex tape. The most interesting part of it is the very beginning of the DVD, when you see an American flag and some really patriotic, semi-military phrase, something like "We will never forget." Truly creepy. Nothing that comes after that can quite match this.

4. Also, I love your music because your vocals are almost non-metric, but still flow perfectly with the drums and guitar. How do you do it?!

I play guitar and sing at the same time. It happens naturally.

5. I notice that your vocals sound a lot like spoken word at parts of the songs, then more like singing at other parts. Have you been influenced by any spoken word artists or poets?

Yes, but also all kinds of voices, from films I love or hate, Google Translate voices, GPS voices, you name it. I love listening to voices. 

6. In this video, You mentioned that you have worked with sound installations in the past. What were those experiences like? Do you have any new sound installations in mind to work on in the future?

I feel very intimidated by the art world, but I have loved making sound installations. The main difference between the installations and the album I made (Innocence) is just that I produced the sound installations myself, and I’m the only person playing on them. I’ve always been recording lots of sounds that I don’t know how to place on albums, and doing sound installations have taught me to take more chances with that. No plans for the future.

7. Where has your favorite place to play a live show been so far?

I have no favorite venues, there are so many factors involved, and so many wonderful people everywhere to play for. 

8. If you could play a live show at any location, where would you play?

Dream locations can be anywhere, can’t they? 

9. What lies in the future of Jenny Hval?  

At the moment I’m almost at the end of a lot of non-stop work, so hopefully that means some serious hibernation. And then hopefully more time to work on some new music next year. I don’t have a plan, but I just know that something good is gonna happen.

-Victoria Powell

[thecorrespondence-blog]

Interview: Joshua Radin

We had the awesome chance to interview Joshua Radin right before his show at the Electric Factory in Philadelphia as the opener for Matt Nathanson. Check him out on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram! 

The Correspondence: You’ve released several albums so far, how did you first get your start in music and did you think you would end up here?

The C: Do you prefer a tour of this size like you’re doing with Matt Nathanson or do you prefer something more intimate like your Wax Wings tour? 

JR: They’re just so different you know, I always prefer to headline. I don’t know, I rarely open slots on tours but I’ve done so much headlining in the last few years. I was convinced by my booking agent and manager to go out and do an opening slot because I needed to be seen in front of a new audience that might not have seen me or known me.  It’s definitely difficult to walk off the stage after 40 minutes when I feel like I haven’t really shown you anything. Constantly people are telling me “You didn’t play this or this” and I’ve only got time for about 9 songs. 

The C: What would you describe as success in your eyes?

JR: I don’t know, being able to eat or order anything on the menu. I was always looking at the prices at a restaurant and I don’t have to do that anymore. But that changed years ago so I feel like I’m just as successful now as I was 8 years ago. I wear the same clothes everyday. I don’t really have any expensive tastes. That would be in the terms of monetary success. In terms of creative success, I don’t know if I would ever consider myself successful. That almost sounds like there was a goal and you got to it. But I think that defeats the purpose of being an artist. You’re always striving for more and striving to get better at what you do. My favorite song that I’ve written always the last one I’ve written and when I finish that I always think I’m never going to be able to write another song. Then inspiration hits and another song comes out. It’s always that cycle. 

The C: Are you always writing music while you’re still touring? What inspires you to write new songs? 

JR: I write less on tour because it’s just hard to find privacy. When this tour is over in a few weeks I’m not going to do another headlining tour or any tour until next fall. I’ll be doing a few spot shows here and there over around the world – a couple of festival spots in Europe. Really I just want to give myself enough time to write another album and I’ll probably put that out in fall for the next tour.

The C: Would you say you’re the same artist you were when you started or have you had a lot of growth?

JR: That would suck if I was the same. It’s not really for me to say I guess. If I had to, I would say that I think I’ve matured as a songwriting, hopefully other people have seen that. Once I record my music I don’t really listen to it again.

The C: What would you say has been the best moment in your career? 

JR: There’s been so many, it’s hard to choose just one. I’m the luckiest person in the world. I have the greatest job, it’s so much fun. I don’t know I’ll just take the easy route and say everyday I wake up and realize I don’t have to wait tables anymore. I feel like I win.

The C: Who would be your dream collaboration and your dream venue to play?

JR: I would love to headline the Hollywood Bowl, either that or maybe Carnegie Hall. Dream collaboration would be so many people. I would love to sit down and write a song with Bob Dylan.

The C: What do you do when you’re not working on your music or are you always working on your music?

JR: I’m always working on it in my mind. When you’re a writer you’re always working in your mind. People are always telling me I’ll be in a conversation but I’m somewhere else thinking about a lyric or a song I want to write. I’m distracted that way. I’m always thinking about it. I guess I’m just doing what anyone else does; walking around and living their life. I hang out with my friends and try to stimulate my mind as much as possible.

The C: Who’s been the best person you’ve met in the music industry?

JR: Oh gosh, I don’t know. That’s so tough. Let’s go with Patty Griffin. Although it was pretty cool meeting Elvis Costello. 

The C: Do you have any certain rituals you do before you go out on stage?

JR: I eat a spoonful of honey and a little bit of whiskey that I bring on stage with me. It help me calm my nerves a bit and talk to the crowd.

The C: Are you ready for tonight’s show? 

JR: Not yet! It’s only 5pm and I’m about to sound check. 

Be sure to check out Joshua's latest album Wax Wings! You can find it at his site and directly on iTunes as well. 

~ Deanna Chapman

[thecorrespondence-blog]

Terraplane Sun at World Cafe Live [10/24/13]

Musically, the band was spot on, especially with the harmonies. Much of the set reminded me of young Local Natives, which was truly thrilling. The rhythmic nature of the songs paired with the upbeat melodies created a stirring performance. About halfway into the show, they started performing songs with a trombone. It was a little shocking and completely appreciated as it added a unique and unexpected depth to the music. They put on one hell of a show that even the youngest audience members (literally two babies) and the oldest members (a group of seniors) seemed to adore, which, in my mind, solidified the group as the total package.

Though I believe they would have been at their peak in a small club as opposed to the sit down venue, their radical, sunny music brought warmth to one of the season’s first truly frigid Philly evenings. And honestly, if everyone could go to a T. Sun show when they were upset, they would leave with a giant smile plastered on their face, and the world would surely be a happier place.

Just a couple of my favorite moments from the show, as it’s rare to see such candidness:

- The band took two shots each onstage -  the first round I can only assume came from a love struck lady in the crowd while a kind older gentleman who was enjoying dancing his ass off bought a second round.

- Frontman Ben shouted, “Everyone turn to your right, whether you know them or not, and tongue kiss them!” Not too many people seemed to take him up on that opportunity except one lame couple up front (just kidding, they were okay, I guess).

- In between songs, it was explained that the band’s trombone and harmonica were lost in NY, but some man bought a replacement trombone for them to use instead.

It just goes to show you never know what kind of things people will do. Afterwards the band was hanging around, signing autographs and taking pictures with anyone that wanted one, which was incredibly impressive. It was a real treat to see Terraplane Sun, and I can’t wait for them to come back.

If you’d like to check them out, they recently released an EP “Ya Never Know” that you can listen to on Spotify or better yet purchase here or here. Beware of the track “Get Me Golden” though. The catchy tune will get stuck in your head faster than you can say, “Oh no!” Though you'll probably love it...

~ Emily Selke

[thecorrespondence-blog]

Headstones - Love + Fury

The album begins with “changemyways” and the punk-influence immediately emerges. Tim White plays a killer bass line and that just might be the best thing about the opening song. The vocals could have been a bit clearer and more up font in the mix. As the album continues, however, this is not an issue. Trent Carr plays bluesy guitar throughout the album and that’s just how “longwaytoneverland” starts. I believe this is where the album really starts.

On my first listen on this song, one of my first thoughts was that these songs would fit in perfectly with a Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater video game. It’s rock that will pump you up, even if it’s not what you usually listen to. “astronaught” has a bit slower tempo to it and isn’t as hard hitting as a good chunk of the songs. It’s right in the middle of the album and gives a great change of pace. However, it almost sounds like something from a totally different album. This is then followed by a handful of fast-paced songs that all clock in under three minutes. The album closer, “midnightofthislife” is the ballad of the album. It reminded me of “Hurt” by Nine Inch Nails and later covered by Johnny Cash. But much like “astronaught” it felt like it didn’t belong on the album.

Overall Say: For not releasing music in such a long time, it was a great comeback for the band and really displayed their punk-influence. 

If You’re Cheap: “longwaytoneverland,” “dontfollowtheleader,” and “SOS”

Rating: 5.5/10

~ Deanna Chapman

[thecorrespondence-blog]

Photos: Fidlar and The Orwells

Check out our photos of Fidlar with the Orwells last night at the First Unitarian Church!

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

[thecorrespondence-blog]

Introducing Wreck It Records

Hey guys! Just wanted to let you know that one of our writers, Deanna Chapman, has started up a record label called Wreck It Records. She started the label over the summer and is working with a couple of bands already. Jordan Fox and The Folded Faces are the first two bands on the roster. Be sure to check out the label on Facebook and Twitter! 

[thecorrespondence-blog]

CONTEST: AXE One Night Only

This Friday night, AXE is hosting AXE: One Night Only at Underground Arts! 

It'll be one big party with one hot DJ and two surprise artists, who could be any one of the following:

J. Cole

A$AP Ferg

Kaptn

Meek Mill

French Montana

Kaptn

DJ Spinking

We've received a handful of tickets to the event Friday night and we're looking to give them away in pairs! To enter, simply reblog this post.

Rules:

You must be following The Correspondence.

You must be at least 18 years old.

You must be able to pick up the tickets on-site before doors at 10pm.

The venue is subject to capacity, and your ticket does not guarantee entry, so get there early!

Official Rules

Official Event Page

[thecorrespondence-blog]

Radical Face at World Café Live [10/10/13]

Jonny Rodgers, a solo performer from New Haven, CT, opened for the band with an interesting air about him. Onstage was a mic, synth keyboard, an electric guitar, and a table filled with tuned wine glasses. He shyly joked around about his unique musical style before charging into his performance. He incorporated a lot of prerecorded and live-recorded looped sounds while showcasing the full range of his voice. Each song sounded completely different while the mood and instruments remained constant. This was aided by his utilization of bizarre semi and half tones to create some of the weirdest sounding intervals likely possible. The experimental nature of the music was arousing and ethereal, entrancing the whole crowd. One song caught my attention over all others because of its story. Rodgers wrote the song “Spero” to benefit the organization his wife co-found to stop child trafficking called Love 146. It was truly lovely, and you can listen and donate to the cause here. The best part of the performance was seeing members of Radical Face side stage, watching their friend rocking out. The fact Jonny kind of looked like Will from Will and Grace didn’t hurt either.

After JR got off stage, Radical Face seemed to go through set up in 15 minutes, most of which was spent distributing tiny battery-powered tealight candles all over the stage. After a brief intermission of sorts, they took stage. Frontman Ben began talking about his band and introduced his companions by name, leading into the fact this was their first time playing in Philadelphia. After explaining the trouble it took to arrive at the venue, Ben said, “I’m not very professional. We like that. You’ll see.” And with that, they played. Before each song, Ben would explain what each song was about. Each instance came with a depressing story, detailing spousal abuse, loneliness, suicide, and the like. Despite the solemn topics, the band lightened the atmosphere with humor, which honestly helped me enjoy the show even more. Though I had heard all but the new songs before, nothing compared to experiencing them live. It was one of the few times I was ecstatic the live performance sounded nothing like the record because there was an abundance of emotion that filled the room and bonded everyone together. The music and voices swooped and soothed, and all the men were quite charming. Ben was injured, as apparently happens every time before tour due to what may be a gypsy curse, with a strained back as well as having just had facial surgery and five teeth removed. The latter part left him with a slight lisp, which he claims to have not gotten used to, but it somehow added an incredible amount of character (not that he needs any more). A few new songs from The Branches were played, and they seemed much heavier than the older material. One song in particular was branded ‘almost’ post-rock followed by a shout from stage saying, “I hope you like distortion!” All in all, the self-proclaimed “old married polygamy unit” put on a show that I pity anyone for missing. 

P.S. They really enjoyed Philly. Here's a photo post-show at Pat's King of Steaks!

~ Emily Selke

[thecorrespondence-blog]

Kodaline - In A Perfect World

The Irish quartet, Kodaline, just released their debut LP, In A Perfect World. Previously, they had put out a couple of EPs and began playing shows to get the word out about their music. It’s safe to say that definitely got people’s attention. They’ve recently hit the states in support of In A Perfect World and have been getting well-deserved press for it.

Stephen Garrigan’s vocals have a way of drawing you into the song and really get across the message. His falsetto blends well with the heavily acoustic style of the music. The fast strumming at time gives off a vibe similar to Mumford and Sons. This is one of those albums that are great from beginning to end. My only suggestion would be to put a little more variety in since sometimes you’d listen to two songs without really realizing when one ended and the other began if you weren’t paying close attention. 

“Brand New Day” is a song I could picture being in a modern day John Hughes type of movie. At one point or another, every teenager or college student gets the urge to want to travel the world and that’s exactly what this song is about. “Won’t you come down/Come away with me” are lyrics that people can relate to, or at least wish they could.

Overall Say: The album is enjoyable and hands down a great debut LP for the band. 

If You’re Cheap: “All I Want,” “Brand New Day,” and “Big Bad World” 

Rating: 7/10

- Deanna Chapman

[thecorrespondence-blog]

Photos: Earl Sweatshirt

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.ear

Check out photos of Earl Sweatshirt with Vince Staples and DJ Syd Tha Kyd last night at the TLA!