October 2014 – Audiofemme

PLAYLIST: A Spooky Scary Halloween Playlist

So you’re throwing your annual Halloween party but you shot your wad on all the holiday classics ( the Monster Mash, the Time Warp, the Purple People Eater, etc, etc) on last year’s mix. So you’re going as Will Smith circa “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” and you’re looking for something seasonal to blast from the boom box slung over your shoulder. So you’re psyching yourself up to wear your Sexy Einstein costume complete with the 3-inch hair (go for it, Miss/Mister Thang!!). So you’re hosting a seance and you need some tunes to help you commune with the spirit.

WE GOT YOU. Behold AudioFemme’s spookiest, scariest, most rockin’ and rollin’ Halloween playlist, guaranteed to thrill, chill, and catch the eye of that babealicious witch doctor in the apartment down the hall. Onward!!

1. Walk Like A Zombie – HorrorPops

This Danish psychobilly act shares its guitarist Kim Nekroman with the thrashier but stylistically related Nekromantix, for which Nekroman plays a recognizable coffin-shaped bass. HorrorPops formed in the late 90s, when Nekroman met Patricia Day at a music festival in Germany. Day now fronts the group, which draws aspects of ska, rockabilly, and punk that both she and Nekroman found lacking in their other projects. The two eventually married, and fittingly, “Walk Like A Zombie” is doo-woppy and more than a little romantic. Perfect for that un-dead high school prom you’re DJing. Just make sure to keep the glassy look of death in your eyes.

2. Chainsaw Gutsfuck – Mayhem

Off the seminal Norweigian black metal album Deathcrush, released in 1987, “Chainsaw Gutsfuck” won the prestigious title of having the Blender award for “Most Gruesome Lyrics Ever” in 2006. Fifteen years beforehand, it was inspiring black metal bands in Scandinavia and beyond to delve deeper into lyrical bleakness, to glorify extremity in violence and misery, and to distort their music into the grainiest, harshest possible sounds. “Chainsaw Gutsfuck” is one of the doomier songs on a very doomy album, with lyrics that sexualize death and corporeal decay. But, if you can handle the black metal sludge, it’s totally catchy, too. Want to dress the part? Christ, you could go as any of Mayhem’s members or black metal contemporaries and stand a solid chance at being the scariest monster at the party. The group’s most recognizable figure is perhaps Euronymous, its founder and guitarist, who held some nasty political views and achieved infamy when, upon discovering the body of his band’s singer Dead after the latter committed suicide, allegedly made necklaces out of his skull fragments and possibly (though it’s unlikely) cannibalized him by stirring flecks of his brain into a stew. Euronymous himself was murdered by another bandmate, Varg Vikernes, the following year. Halloween is the time to be tasteless, so wear corpsepaint, long hair, black and leather.

3. I Put A Spell On You – Nina Simone

Originally performed by Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, Nina Simone’s “I Put A Spell On You” is seething, brooding and betrayed, like she’s looking into a crystal ball to discover a lover’s duplicitous carryings-on. Especially towards the end of her career, Simone had a reputation for fire and fury on stage, too. A life in the music business left her weary and long-embattled, bitter alike to the people who loved and exploited her. Released decades before her death, “I Put A Spell On You” foreshadows the betrayal she seemed to come to see in the people around her. But, no matter her demons, Simone’s genius is present here–as everywhere–glowing like an ember, dying down when it’s still, and firing up again in a slight breeze, even after you think it’s gone out.

4. Tainted Love – Gloria Jones

And speaking of women scorned, “Tainted Love” is practically an anthem for love gone frighteningly awry. Gloria Jones recorded “Tainted Love,” which later became an electronic single for the band Soft Cell, in 1964. The original fell somewhere short of Motown, akin to demonic bubble gum pop that had been steeped in the sultry blues. Five years after recording “Tainted Love,” Jones began singing backup for the British rock band T. Rex and met her future husband, Marc Bolan. It was Jones who was driving the car when, one night in September of 1977, Bolan died in a car accident. Jones–who nearly faced charges for impaired driving after drinking wine on the night of the accident–lost the couple’s house and moved back to L.A. “Tainted Love” remains her longest-lasting hit, with covers aplenty and appearances in current film and TV soundtracks.

5. Somebody’s Watching Me – Rockwell (featuring Michael Jackson)

It’s not just those Jackson hee-hees in the chorus that bring to mind the campy spook of “Thriller.” This track is pop-culture paranoid, stocked with references to television and the everyday horrors of being spied on. “Somebody’s Watching Me” dropped in 1984, and its theme of a dystopian state, in which even “normal people” fall under invisible scrutiny, feels ever more prescient today in light of Internet freedom issues and heightened technological development. Plus, “Someone’s Watching Me” has a spooky synth line that sounds like it’s played on a xylophone made of a cartoon rib cage!

6. Walkin’ Through A Cemetery – Claudine Clark

Claudine Clark, whose early single “Party Lights” proved her only song to score high on the charts, experimented with the spooky side of pop in “Walking Through A Cemetery.” Hindsight’s 20/20, but I’m not surprised that after “Party Lights”–which is about trying to convince your mom to let you go to a party–“Walking Through A Cemetery” flatlined. The lyrics took a serious turn in the for-whom-the-bell-tolls direction, after all: “If you’re walking through a cemetery one dark night/ Up jumps a creature and he gives you a fright/ Ain’t no use to turn around and walk the other way/ ‘Cause if he’s for you, baby, he’s gonna get you anyway.” Geez. Pretty serious stuff, for someone whose most popular work to date dealt with the injustice of not being allowed to do the twist, the fish, the watusi, and the mashed potatoes. But no one said Halloween was all fun and games. We’re all destined for the grave, but in this danceable number, Clark sings om bop bop, om bop bop sha doo dee doo dee all the way there.

7. Spooky – Dusty Springfield

Dusty Springfield’s gender-switched cover of the classic “Spooky,” a song that tells the story of a “spooky little girl” who compels and mystifies, and, like a ghost, only seems to show up when no one else is around, is further “spookified” by Springfield’s sly and porcelain-pretty vocals. The performance is ghostly–the woman herself was more complex. Springfield–a lesbian performing at a time when gayness was professional suicide–made a second career of cloaking her identity. The flip side of the doll-like vocals was a person who raged, drank too much, had a problem with pills. And its restraint makes Springfield’s spooky all the eerier.

8. The Whistler – The White Buffalo

Singer/songwriter Jake Smith is a big man, with a big, big voice. Nowhere more so than on “The Whistler,” off the 2013 album Shadows, Greys and Evil Ways. His stage name is apt, and like a large herd animal, Smith’s performances are often remarkable for the gentle giant-ishness. When he roars, though, the earth quakes. “The Whistler” marks the interior battle of a man who knows what the right thing is but chooses its opposite, and revels in his own destruction. The scariest demon of all is the demon inside, kids!

9. God Alone – Altar of Plagues

Out of a host of powerful metal records to come out of 2013, Teethed Glory and Injury–from Altar of Plagues, AKA Irish musician James Kelly–stands out as one of the most precocious and innovative within a genre wreathed with tradition and homage to be paid. “God Alone” stands out as the record’s most violent track, but that violence is achieved through skill and technical manipulation, not blunt force. The rhythms tilt and hang off-kilter; the beats deploy sudden, booming jolts that make you jump out of your seat.

10. Little Fang -Avey Tare’s Slasher Flicks

I wouldn’t call “Little Fang”–or the group behind it–scary, but damned if Welcome To The Slasher House, this year’s debut release from Slasher Flicks, isn’t Halloween-ishly kitschy. The group plays shrouded in a backdrop of glowing skulls, leering in neon green, and plays on dissonance and surreal lyrics. “Little Fang” is less Fright Night, more sticky fingers and sugar rush.

And there you have ’em, folks. Consider this list your musical Trick Or Treat offerings from your friendly neighborhood Femmes. Don’t egg our house, please, but do tell us what we missed! What are your favorite Halloween tunes? Let us know in the comments below!

VIDEO REVIEW: Sevdaliza “Backseat Love” (NSFW)

At its outset, “Backseat Love” seems to be the start of a movie montage, the kind of montage where a provocative woman sets out to assassinate her ex-lover. Turns out Sevdaliza was cruising around in her vintage Impala for opposite reasons. Coming out of The Netherlands, the Iranian-born singer’s new video shows her notorious raciness and ample derriere as she connects with both men and women across the city in some cinematic trysts. There’s little left to the imagination as we see candle wax dripping down the small of her lover’s back, provocative poses in black lace lingerie, and close-ups of manicured red nails digging into flesh.

Clearly, “Backseat Love” introduces a different edge for Sevdaliza, as her last two videos “Clear Air” and “Sirens Of The Caspian” focused on elements of nature, with many colors and hues. The scenes in the new video are shot with a mysterious, shadowy vignette that compliments her disco sound. She reigns as a creature of the night, a cool energy burning in her gaze while she smokes a cigarette, waiting for her cue while playing pool. Lyrics “You said I took your free will” can only pertain to way she conducts herself in the video, seemingly taking control of her conquests.

Although Sevdaliza doesn’t have any tour dates for the area lined up, we can appreciate the intimate videos she produces. Check out NSFW vid for “Backseat Love” below and head to her SoundCloud for more jams.

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EP REVIEW: Avid Dancer “I Want To See You Dance”

A little under a year ago, Jacob Summers uploaded a song called “Stop Playing With My Heart” to his Soundcloud under the moniker Avid Dancer. Catchy, smoky, and riddled with Shangri-Las’ sentiment, his lo-fi vocals smoothly glide over the backing melodies in a way that’s both seductive and mysterious. When I first heard the track, it reminded me of two things: Link Wray’s “Rumble” (remember the uncomfortable silences scene at Jack Rabbit Slims in Pulp Fiction?) and the theme song to Twin Peaks. Similar to those songs, Avid Dancer’s ballad hits the right electric guitar chords to create a mood that straddles the line between alluring and slightly dangerous and unsettling. “I just want to be where you are,” he begs. “So, help me… Stop playing with my heart.”

Almost a year after “Stop Playing With My Heart,” Avid Dancer released his debut EP I Want To See You Dance via Grand Jury Music. It’s four tracks long—and one of those tracks is “Stop Playing With My Heart”—but it’s quite an eclectic collection. The EP’s title and opening track, for example, is a pretty, synth-heavy disco-pop song that paints a cosmic world begging you to boogie. It’s not exactly dissimilar from that first single, but it’s certainly got a different vibe, a light-hearted and upbeat song with a tinge of groove. Think Starfucker and Hot Chip–only Avid Dancer is a one-man show. It’s not surprising that the music video for “I Want To See You Dance” takes place in a roller rink decked out with warm neon colored lights.

The EP ends with “Medication,” three and a half minutes of crooning and guitar strumming. The song showcases a few varying guitar chords with Summer’s voice digging into the acoustics of his instrument. It’s a demo; it’s dusty. It’s much more, for lack of a better word, raw. This in part has to do with the sheer simplicity of the song. Although there’s nothing really novel about the alternative-indie 90s vibe of “Medication,” the choice to wrap up his debut EP with a song that’s less glossy adds a new layer of complexity to his sound. In addition to making fun electropop songs, he can play the guitar and brood too! “Medication” is unexpected and surprisingly well-executed, and therefore pretty freakin’ enjoyable.

Like his music, there’s a fact about Summers that’s a little weird but also intriguing: he grew up in a strict Fundamentalist Christian household where he couldn’t watch MTV or listen to music that wasn’t associated with God. When he sent some songs to a friend, who told him the songs reminded him of The Kinks, Summers thought The Kinks were a new band! It’s kind of cute actually, and as it turns out, his lack of pop culture knowledge is irrelevant, considering how catchy I Want To See You Dance turned out to be. You can listen to the EP in its entirety below.

Avid Dancer just played CMJ and is currently touring with Cold War Kids.

11.07.14 – Echoplex – Los Angeles, CA w/ Warpaint
11.18.14 – The Observatory – Santa Ana, CA
11.19.14 – Belly Up – San Diego, CA
11.20.14 – The Regent – Los Angeles, CA
11.21.14 – Fox Theater – Oakland, CA
11.22.14 – The Catalyst – Santa Cruz, CA

WILLONA ON WAX: Seattle Grunge & African Psych

Each month in Willona on Wax, Willona Sloan reviews new vinyl, reissues, and vintage finds. For her first installment, she reviews a Soul Jazz comp of lesser-known Northwestern grunge bands, and an Analog Africa comp of psychedelic sounds from Benin and Togo.

NEW VINYL

No Seattle: Forgotten Sounds of the North-West Grunge Era 1986-97 (Volume One)
Compilation by Soul Jazz Records

The thing is, I really wanted to like this record. From the first song I heard — Thrillhammer’s “Alice’s Palace” — I knew that I would.

The majority of the bands on No Seattle never got record deals; they didn’t tour extensively outside of the North-West region and they didn’t achieve fame; therefore, their output was often raw and unpolished. The liner notes set the context for how tiny the rock scenes were in these small towns in Washington and Oregon, where the floor breaking from the walls at a house show could be a band’s biggest (or at least most memorable) gig — as it was for the band Pod.

It’s easy now to see how Nirvana evolved from this music scene. The band’s Bleach-era songs fit neatly into this musical context, where bands were blending hard rock, metal and punk with throaty vocals that matched the ferocity of the music.

Often, comps lose steam and focus, but Volume One is solid all the way through. Stand-outs include the delightful Starfish track “This Town;” a grungy, psychedelic tune by Yellow Snow called “Take Me For A Ride;” and Crunchbird’s erratic and emo “Woodstock Unvisited.”

Packaging: Double LP with a digital download code. The liner notes explain the idea behind the comp and give brief band bios.

Where to Get It: Purchase No Seattle from Soul Jazz Records here.

VINTAGE VINYL

African Scream Contest—Raw & Psychedelic Afro Sounds from Benin & Togo 70s
Compilation by Analog Africa

While record shopping in downtown Athens, GA, I saw this amazing album cover propped on display: an African singer, leaning cool, dark sunglasses, flared bottoms and a rock ‘n’ roll mic tilt that meant business.

This marvelously funky, groovy compilation reissues singles from popular 1960’s and 1970’s artists from Benin and Togo. The compilation is the painstaking work of an enthusiastic German-based collector who selected the included tracks from the thousands of records he discovered during crate-digging expeditions in the two countries during the early 2000’s. In his notes, Samy Ben Redjeb explains that during the 1960’s and 1970’s the music of Benin and Togo was influenced primarily by Cuban and Brazilian rhythms; Congolese-style Highlife; French-African music, local traditional music, which included music used during Vodun (Voodoo) ceremonies; as well as American soul and funk.

Despite being a mishmash of influences, the compilation works well as a unit of highly danceable tunes. Standouts include “Oya Ka Jojo” by Les Volcans De la Capital; “Mi Kple Dogbekpo” by Lokonon André & Les Volcans; “Se Na Min” by El Rego et Ses Commandos and “Gbeti Madjro” by Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou (video below).

Packaging: The inserts include interviews with the musicians, many of whose records have been long out of print.

Where to Get It: You can order the vinyl or CD or get digital downloads from Analog Africa here.

VIDEO REVIEW: Pet Sun “Gimme Your Soul”

Toronto-area garage rockers Pet Sun released the excellent Feel Like I’m Going Away, their debut EP for Sleepless Records, last September. Now, there’s a new video for “Gimme Your Soul,” equally seizure-inducing and psychedelic.

The video flashes back with 90’s MTV illustration-style bats, flying eyeballs, pulsating brains, and splattered blood. Lasting just over a minute and a half, these Hamilton dudes give us a little look into their rockin’ performance on a roof : high energy, short, nothing sweet, yet a whiz-bang of craziness. “Gimme Your Soul” is a late-night television epileptic fit that makes it hard to look away. Heavy, trashy guitar (courtesy of Sam Rashid Stephane Senecal-Tremblay, who also handles insolent lead vocals), crashing drums from Parth Jain and Nic Arbour’s rollicking bass add to the visual stir of the band as they schlep gear around Hamilton’s streets, shove pizza in their faces, or goof off in the studio.

All in all, it’s a lysergic little window into what it’s like to be Pet Sun right now at this very moment. They are the lively bunch you’d want to bum around with during downtime on their current show streak, much like how video director Scott Waring must have felt. Fresh off a stint supporting Black Lips, Pet Sun are rolling through CMJ Music Marathon as we speak.

LIVE REVIEW: Xiu Xiu @ Glasslands

As the driving force behind experimental art rock outfit Xiu Xiu, Jamie Stewart has been known to push boundaries. Constantly reinventing himself (and his music), Stewart’s eccentric and sometimes violent themes are what ties the project together most readily, his fragile shout the crux of the band’s bursting, bloody heart. His line-up of touring musicians rotates regularly, so one never knows what to expect from a Xiu Xiu show, and given Stewart’s prolific output–which has included an album of Nina Simone covers, a collage of Caribbean folk songs and field recordings, a Record Store Day four-LP best-of comp, and Xiu Xiu’s ninth studio album Angel Guts: Red Classroom in just under a year–unpredictability is part of what makes the project so fascinating.

At Glasslands last Saturday, Stewart appeared with pioneering percussionist Shayna Dunkelman by his side. As a duo, the two performed assaultive selections from Angel Guts with an almost frightening intensity; the heightened confusion of “Cinthya’s Unisex,” the awkward desire of “Black Dick,” the almost danceable glitch of “Stupid in the Dark”–these tracks typify the aim of Xiu Xiu’s newest album.

Thematically, there’s the unwavering look at racialized fetishes, the intersections of death and sex, and the dissolution of gender identity that have often appeared throughout Xiu Xiu’s catalogue. Angel Guts is based on a 1979 Japanese film of the same title. Both the album and the movie hinge on unsettling aspects of eroticism and human sexuality, and Stewart’s always been a master of communicating society’s most twisted impulses in his own idiosyncratic manner.

Sonically, Angel Guts is a percussive tour de force, so it makes sense that Stewart would enlist Dunkelman’s unique talents. The Brooklyn-based musician isn’t a drummer in the traditional sense, and that worked out well in interpreting these songs for the stage. She bashes cymbals with kind of antagonistic joy, while the melodic tones from her xylosynth punctured the rapid-fire mish mash from her electronic kit. Stewart created the fuzz, bleeps, bloops, and other electronic miasma roiling like stormy waves under the prow of his characteristically quavering voice.

That Xiu Xiu has become a percussion-focused project as of late is not just an extension of Angel Guts but also of Stewart’s extracurricular activities. He spent September in NYC collaborating with conceptual artist Danh Vō on a series of performances entitled “Metal,” which featured Xiu Xiu’s percussion syncopating with the sound of Thai gold pounders creating the golf leaf Vō’s uses as a medium in real time. Vō and Xiu Xiu also worked together to present “Kling Klang” at the Dumbo Arts Festival, attaching 999 bright-pink vibrators to Vō’s copper We The People installation. The NYC appearance was their only US show before embarking on a European tour that will extend throughout November.

Finishing the set with crowd favorites “Sad Pony Guerilla Girl” and “I Luv the Valley OH!” Xiu Xiu was rushed off stage with no encore to make way for the ensuing dance party at Glasslands. In lieu of playing more songs, an apologetic Stewart told a long joke about a child who idolized clowns; if only it could’ve morphed into “Clowne Towne” the punchline would’ve been far more satisfying. Though songs from much of Xiu Xiu’s back catalogue were absent, it was one of the most inspired, kinetic Xiu Xiu sets I’ve seen, and the times I’ve made it a point to bask in Stewart’s disconcerting presence have been many, stretching all the way back to the early aughts. As challenging as Xiu Xiu can be for some to digest, Stewart remains one of the most extraordinary and important musicians of the last fifteen years, and though you never know what to expect from him, it’s safe to say he’ll be pushing boundaries well into the next decade.

Future Islands Release 4AD Sessions, Add Tour Dates

Long regarded as one of Baltimore’s hardest working under-the-radar bands, Future Islands have hit their stride in 2014. They’ll be heading out on another tour in support of their breakout album on 4AD, Singles, and though they’re playing some of the biggest venues they’ve ever headlined, shows in L.A., Portland, Boston, NYC, and London sold out in record time. There’s good news though – Future Islands have scheduled additional dates in many of these cities, but act quick; tickets are likely to go fast.

Last week, Future Islands unveiled a series of performance videos produced in conjunction with 4AD. A string quartet and brass section fill in lovely renditions of “Doves” (see below), as well as “Sun In The Morning,” “Seasons (Waiting On You),” “Light House” and “A Song For Our Grandfathers.” The beautifully shot sessions were directed by Iain Forsyth & Jane Pollard, the duo behind recent Nick Cave documentary “20,000 Days On Earth.”

Future Islands US Tour Dates:
Nov 20 – Los Angeles, CA at The Wiltern – SOLD OUT
Dec 1 – Columbus, OH at LC Pavilion – SOLD OUT
Dec 10 – Portland, OR at Crystal Ballroom – SOLD OUT
Jan 6 – Boston, MA at Royale*
Jan 7 – Boston, MA at Royale* – SOLD OUT
Jan 8 – New York, NY at Terminal 5*
Jan 9 – New York, NY at Terminal 5* – SOLD OUT
Jan 10 – Philadelphia, PA at Union Transfer* – SOLD OUT
Jan 11 – Philadelphia, PA at Union Transfer*
Feb 10 – Honolulu, Hawaii at The Republik
Feb 26 – Atlanta, GA at Variety Playhouse
March 30 – London, UK at Roundhouse
March 31 – London, UK at Roundhouse – SOLD OUT

*Operators and Wing Dam supporting

VIDEO REVIEW: Yellerkin “Tools”

yellerkinpress — Photo credit: Jacob Wayler

Surrounded by a dark forest and lit by a bright fire, Brooklyn-based duo Yellerkin return to nature in their latest music video for “Tools.” The band, comprised of childhood friends Adrian Galvin and Luca Buccellati, shot the video in the woods of Katonah, New York with the help of director Nicolas Pesce. Add some Pranayama – a form of yoga that focuses on breathing – and mystical effects and the music video becomes the perfect visual companion for the airy, ardent track.

Yellerkin released their debut EP earlier this year with “Solar Laws” as the promo single. Their sound is experimental pop, a mixture of folk sounds and synthpop that’s familiar and pleasant. What will make them stand out from the mass of music talent from Brooklyn will be their ability to tell stories through their music and how attention to lyrics and instrumentation may help differentiate them from their contemporaries. So far, Yellerkin has performed at SXSW in Austin, Texas this year and is prepared to release another EP before the end of the year.

“Tools” is about that resentful feeling the current generation may have when they realize how hopeless and alienating the world really is. But it’s also about finding a way to make things work. The video fittingly reflects this sentiment with Galvin and Buccalleti, dressed in a plain uniform of sweatshirts and loose pants, finding solace in the woods and using their tools to make sense of the darkness. At the start of the video, the men are gathered around a fire and once the song starts, they’re suddenly suspended in air, complementing the floating yet heavy feeling of the synths and percussion.

Even though they sing, “You don’t have the tools to realize that God won’t talk to you,” there are lots of tools used in the video: sticks for a shelter, fire for light, a shovel for digging. Even their bodies become tools to experience the world through yoga and dancing. It’s a Rousseau-inspired solution by minimizing society to the few and a reverence for the natural state of being.

Toward the end of the song, there’s a dynamic shift marked by a brighter, more energetic sound; the movement becomes more frantic, representative of some new understanding that has been reached. On this, the band suggests that even if they feel helpless and overwhelmed by the current state of the world, what they can do is reflect within themselves and use what “tools” they do have to start again.

Yellerkin plays the Wild Honey Pie’s CMJ showcase at Brooklyn Night Bazaar on Saturday, October 25th; it’s free with RSVP.

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What to Wear to CMJ 2014

It’s that time of year again: CMJ Music Marathon is upon us. One crazy awesome week of running around Manhattan and Brooklyn to see the newest, coolest emerging faces in music. The one problem? New York in October. It’s getting cold, it’s rainy, and you have to make it from Webster Hall to Brooklyn Bowl in a short amount of time. You need the right gear to get you through. Luckily for you, we’ve gone ahead and pinned some of our favorite show looks that will also defend you from the weather. Check out our ASOS picks on our Pinterest page!

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TRACK REVIEW: Bonobo “Flashlight”

Bonobo Simon Green — photo by Dan Medhurst

Expansive rhythms and spiral synths mark Bonobo’s latest single “Flashlight,” part of a three-track EP due for release on Dec. 2 via Ninja Tune. New music from this British producer and musician, also known as Simon Green, comes after nearly two years of touring for his fifth studio album, The North Borders, released in 2013. Before another full album release, Bonobo heads back to North America to tour in several cities including Denver, San Francisco and Vancouver.

Bonobo relies on his dedicated instrumentation, not necessarily lyrics or guest features, to draw in his listeners. And with five studio albums and an enormous wealth of EPs, extra releases and hundreds of venues later, his fans continue to grow.

Bonobo’s brand of electronic music is introspective and entrancing with his use of intricate basslines and a variety of percussion. “Flashlight” stays with that formula; heavy bass anchors listeners and airy synths gradually illuminate a spacious soundscape on which to reflect in and vibe out. Hollow percussion adds a driving factor the track, always surging forward, never left to dwell too long on a single movement. Although it’s not a particularly innovative or exciting track, it highlights what Bonobo does best: ambient electronic music that shows skillful composition and attention to detail. Void of any lyrics with only the occasional whisper of vocal articulation, “Flashlight” invites listeners to shine a light onto themselves, to see what moves them the way the percussion moves the song.

A perfect companion for late night drives and early morning meditation, “Flashlight” showcases the best of Bonobo’s talents and offers listeners a chance to turn down and chill out.

Bonobo North America Tour Dates:
10/20: Vancouver, BC @ Celebrities Nightclub
10/21: Seattle, WA @ Neumos
10/22: Portland, OR @ Branx
10/23: San Francisco, CA @ 1015 Folsom
10/24: San Francisco, CA @ Regency Ballroom
10/25: Los Angeles CA @ KCRW Masquerade Ball (Park Plaza)
10/26: San Diego CA @ House Of Blues

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ALBUM REVIEW: Foxygen “…And Star Power”

When I was in college, I spent a lot of time dating musicians, which meant I spent a lot of time sitting in on band practice. By “dating,” I guess I mean puttering around somebody’s basement, falling asleep on an old, bottomed-out couch, my French homework in my lap. Or being invited over to “hang out,” which meant lying around and listening to my amarato’s admittedly very good sound system crank out some rare Morphine b-side or watching him play “Wave of Mutilation” on acoustic guitar. But all that is beside the point. The point is, there’s something about Foxygen’s new album, …And Star Power, that reminds me very much of sitting in on band practice. The songs meander at length, and often talk more to themselves than to their listeners. They navel-gaze. To get to the nuggets of exhilaration and catchy magic buried in this thing, you have to sit through a lot of repetition, strumming, and self-amazement.

It’s easy to see why …And Star Power is so ambitious, and sometimes seems like it incorporates every musical thought the band has had over the past year. On their 2012 studio debut Take The Kids Off Broadway, the California-based outfit Foxygen–aka Jonathan Rado and Sam France, who between the pair of them make a sound so huge and anthemic it’s hard to believe they’re a duo–set a standard for overarching power rock full of catchy choruses and drunk-around-the-campfire feelgoodery. Then, the very next year, they put out the airtight and stellar We Are The 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic. It was sweet and raucous, and in its way, it was a huge album, too–concise as a well-packed suitcase, 21st Century Ambassadors seemed as if it could expand into two or three records worth of triumphs and lessons.

Measure for measure, the number of well-constructed melodies in …And Star Power probably equals that of 21st Century Ambassadors; however, the former is a double album, clocking in at about an hour and twenty minutes. With extra time comes extra filler, presented as spaciousness and a vaguely futuristic ambiance punctuated by such spoken interjections as “society, maaaan” thrown seemingly at random into the background of the tracks. One might imagine that Foxygen decided to make a double album before writing the requisite songs to fill one, but I think it’s more likely that …And Star Power‘s long-windedness is a result of a challenge it makes to itself to be even more multi-faceted than 21st Century Ambassadors, and simply incorporate every kind of music in the history of rock and roll. Thus the swirl of lo-fi strummed folk, the sludgy doom metal, the channel-changing static, thus the campy ’70’s space noises, thus the schizophrenic production. Like porch furniture being sucked into a tornado, classic Americana, noise rock, California psych, and more than a few nameless hybrids go flying towards the gaping maw of Foxygen’s musical vision. Voila: …And Star Power.

..And Star Power came out October 14th on Jagjaguwar. Pick up your copy here, and check out the psychedelic lullaby “Cosmic Vibrations,” from …And Star Power, below:

TRACK REVIEW: Dilly Dally “Green”

Formed in Toronto in 2009 by teenage besties Katie Monks and Liz Ball, Dilly Dally debuts with noisy, fuzzy, lo-fi gem “Green,” their belated and amplified angst blasting through speakers. The duo recently brought in Benjamin Reinhartz (of Beliefs) on drums, as well as adding bassist Jimmy Billy Rowlinsonin (of Mexican Slang) after hosting a rotating lineup for a while, but the main mission stands strong — to pump out raw feeling in the form of messy words and loud instrumentals.

“Green” hearkens back to those garage days, or to last Saturday’s punk rock kegger, tapping into grungey vibes that never seem to get old. Even if you’ve outgrown your sloppy haircut and ratty flannel, “Green” isn’t so easy to discard. The track starts out a bit subtle, with discordant, distorted strains of Berlin’s “Take My Breath Away,” enough to induce a trance if only for a few seconds. Then come the jangly guitars and crashing drums, with lyrics equally creepy and flirty and slurred vocals that sound like a weird mix of Courtney Love, Bob Dylan and Stevie Nicks. The rest of “Green” seems to hum, screech, yawn and yelp while the instrumentals stay carefully upbeat and consistent, an anxious pop of ear candy.

Dilly Dally are playing two CMJ shows on Friday (12pm at Baby’s All Right & 4:40pm at The Studio at Webster Hall) and one on Saturday (7pm at Bowery Ballroom). Check out “Green” below!

LIVE REVIEW: Sam Amidon at MHoW

Seeing Sam Amidon perform at Music Hall of Williamsburg on Saturday, I had no idea that the music he played wasn’t wholly his own until after the show. His set was built from folk standards, remastered to create something new. Normally, learning something like this changes my opinion of an artist, as it doesn’t really feel like they should get all of the attention and credit for their music. Not that I completely write them off, but it’s definitely a let down. But I didn’t feel disappointed when I realized that the performance I had just experienced was in part dependent on old folk standards. Somehow, the origin of the lyrics Amidon and his band sang didn’t quite matter as much as how they sang them. And he sang them as though he’d written them himself, deeply personal odes to a fading folk tradition.

At most shows, I’m a relatively easy audience member to please. I instantly connect to artists who perform and make you feel like they truly love and enjoy what they’re doing. When you feel the joy from the people up on the stage, that’s when you know you’re watching something special. At this show, I couldn’t help but to get that feeling from the band. The lyrics of the songs don’t really matter when you’re watching people perform something interesting. The folk standards are more of a vessel for the band to exhibit their talent than the meat of the experience.

Amidon traditional catalogue is shaped to a more modern bluesy rock/folk that’s infinitely more interesting and entertaining than someone standing up onstage with a banjo, performing a straight and faithful cover. Especially during the title track of the band’s new album, “Lily-O” (which he referred to as “the murder song”), Amidon’s inflection sets his voice apart from any other folk singer I’ve heard. Amidon released his first record of Irish traditional standards in 2001, and that Irish influence still comes through in his newest work. At times, he talks more than he actual sings, even muttering at times, but reaches higher and lower registers when necessary. The muttering gives the songs a bit of a haunting sound, especially considering the moody content of some of the songs, which narrate anything from walking in the woods to shooting groundhogs. Combined with the acoustic guitar or banjo or fiddle, it creates a beautiful sweeping ballad.

The band had its awkward moments, like many do live. A joke about Bruno Mars’ former role as drummer for the band started out funny and sarcastic and then several minutes later had gone on far, far too long. It concluded with Amidon pretending to play the fiddle horribly and then smoothly transitioning into the next song, wherein he played beautifully. However awkward and long the joke was, it reflects a bit of Amidon’s style; he mixes humor with some of the dark lyrics in the folk songs. It’s an interesting contrast: folk songs with a wink, almost. Toward the end of the show, Amidon announced that this tour was conveniently doubling as his book tour. At first, I thought this was also a joke, but the book is indeed real and was available at the merch table for purchase. It’s a small collection of Tweets (his or others’, I’m not sure) but proves that Amidon’s interests extend beyond that of creating and performing music.

Despite these minor distractions, Amidon’s show was one that was rewarding to experience. Not all artists sound as good live as their albums do, but listening to the album after seeing them live first, I much prefer the live version. Not that the recording isn’t good, it’s just that the live inflections in Amidon’s voice can’t be felt as completely in the album version. The live show sounded raw and imperfect, yet beautiful and uncomplicated. He’s touring throughout New England the rest of this month before heading to Europe in November. You can check out a performance with Bill Frisell on NPR’s World Cafe below.

ALBUM REVIEW: Kevin Morby “Still Life”

Kevin Morby is nothing if not prolific. He left Woods indefinitely last year — with whom he released a new album every year until his departure — and put The Babies (his band with Cassie Ramone) on hold. Now. he’s focusing on his solo work, and his sophomore record, Still Life, is perhaps one of his most contemplative pieces.

Released October 14th on Woodsist, Still Life opens with the track “The Jester, The Tramp, & The Acrobat.” It is a reeling, Lou-Reed-meets-Leonard-Cohen story, using broad strokes to provide just enough color to each character, but never a direct plot line. It’s an approach continued throughout Still Life, which provides listeners with feelings and reactions – not stories.

This might perhaps be the reason this LP is so thoughtful. The album is named after an art piece by Maynard Monrow entitled “Still Life with the Rejects from the Land of Misfit Toys,” but even truncated as it is, the title is apt: Still Life is low key, low-energy, and highly meditative. Still Life does not dwell, but it lives in a land of misfit toys which leaves a little room for playfulness.

Even with a healthy dose of the stillness – considering and reflecting on hard subjects – there’s still lots of movement; Morby shifts gears before songs feel too stagnant. That’s reflective, in many ways, of his move from New York City to Los Angeles last year. Throughout the album, he moves through themes of finding peace, death, and parades. When Morby handles the subject of death, he is never heavy-handed – instead, he is hopeful, considerate, but realistic. “I’m not dead, but I’m dying,” he says in “Amen,” the 7-minute track that has multiple movements that bleed into each other. “So slow, so slow,” he qualifies.

He sings in the haunting “Bloodsucker,” “I am trying to make peace with who I am,” and he hasn’t completely abandoned his former bands’ aesthetics. While Woods defines itself as a psych-folk band, Morby’s solo work focuses more on the folk aspect of that equation. In this way, Morby’s own influences come to full light: his love of Bob Dylan’s songwriting emerges in the fast paced “Ballad of Arlo Jones” which channels Dylan during his major move to electric in the 60s. “Motors Runnin” is a kindred spirit to The Babies; Cassie Ramone’s repeated lines in “Run Me Over” almost feels echoed in Morby’s track. In spite of the different influences and camaraderie, the tracks all feel right together. Still Life is carefully constructed, and sonically simple, but has just enough complexity in its riffs and hooks to keep the songs in your head after a few listens.

This much is clear: Morby has grown tremendously over the years as a musician and songwriter, and he shows no sign of stopping.

Still Life is out now on Woodsist. He’ll play some shows for CMJ; check out dates and watch his video for “All of My Life” below:

10/24 – Brooklyn, NY – Rough Trade (Aquarium Drunkard CMJ Showcase)
10/25 – Brooklyn, NY – Academy Records *Free*
12/01 – San Francisco, CA – Great American Music Hall w/ Angel Olsen
12/04 – Los Angeles, CA – El Rey Theatre w/ Angel Olsen

TRACK REVIEW: Paperwhite “Pieces”

Brooklyn brother and sister duo, Katie and Ben Marshall, record as Paperwhite and have just revealed their fourth song this year, titled “Pieces.” It’s a bright, airy slice of neon-tinged eighties nostalgia, and a gloriously uplifting attitude adjuster. The track will feature on their upcoming EP, Magic, out on Duly Noted Records on November 17, which will also include previously released singles “Magic,” “Take Me Back,” and “Got Me Goin” as well as two yet to be revealed tracks, “Gold” and “Galaxy.”

“Did you know? From the second you walked in I wanted more. And in a minute I’ll be losing all control…” begins “Pieces,” which, according to Katie, describes the trance and magnetism of love at first sight. “And if it’s right, will these pieces fit together?” she asks, the track continuing in the dreamy tone of young love, as yet unblemished by the cynicism of experience. “While it questions if they’re the one,” Katie says, “it’s backed with an energizing spirit and hopefulness that they are. It makes me want to dance, move and forever stay in love.”

It certainly makes us want to dance too — in fact, the crisp synths and power pop chorus makes us forget the creeping approach of winter and entices us to throw the top down, wrap our arms around the nearest dreamboat and cruise off into the sunset in the style of all the best 1980s teen movies.

Paperwhite have a CMJ date at Webster Hall’s Marlin Room on October 21, then, on November 5, they will be supporting Panama Wedding at Rough Trade NYC.

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EP Review: Little May S/T EP

What do you get when the members of Mumford & Sons are swapped out for three equally rocking women? You get something like the Australian folk rock trio known as Little May, who have a self titled debut EP, out yesterday via Capitol Records, that packs in some major feels. Rife with angelic harmonies from vocalists Liz Drummond, Hannah Field, and Annie Hamilton, this EP soars across the spectrum of human emotion in just a matter of five tracks, and it does so in that foot-stomping, kick-drum-pounding, Mumford way.

“Dust” is the song that opens this little Pandora’s box, luring you in with sweet emotive singing over melodically plucked acoustic guitar. It possesses the intimate feel of being in the recording studio, as if you are there to witness the inception of this beautiful song, so familiar that it quickly starts to feel like part of your own life story. The song is innocent enough until the lyric “and I’m not ready to ignite this now” — the sort of statement someone might make when the inevitable is about to occur, breathlessly uttered almost like a reflex. And just when you think this is going to be one of those sleepy, pensive tunes, the song sonically ignites. This is why the trio have drawn comparisons to Fleetwood Mac or Haim; the plucking turns to fast strumming, the bass starts rumbling in your chest and the whole song becomes larger than life itself.

“Hide” takes a different emotional approach. We go from the loss and longing of “Dust” to somewhat more tumultuous passive aggression in this track. The sound is less dramatic as it features more technical guitar work throughout, but the lyrical impact is emphasized. This track makes it apparent that this isn’t a girl group that sings only about the pangs and hurt of lost love; those waters get muddy when there’s the other woman involved, and this is what that song is about. When the song ends with the chant-like line “Can you see me count to three / No, I won’t play your hide and seek” there’s no self-pity, and you can begin to envision the faint outline of revenge on the horizon.

The next three minutes of the EP take you on the “Midnight Hour” train. The rustic guitar strumming hums underneath the solo whine of the lead guitar, which somehow (remarkably) is more emotive than the singing itself. This sleepy crooner steadily builds itself into a perfectly up-tempo moody jam. “Bones,” on the other hand, starts with a wallop and begins refreshingly fast, but it doesn’t keep that pace long before dipping back into a mellow verse. While the vocal harmony is ever-present on this track, there is some striking interplay between guitars. There is the rich, heavy chord strike, which leaves a heavy tone hovering above the verses, but also some distant reverberating licks clamoring to the surface and fizzling out quickly before the chorus. The light tread of the fuzz bass makes this song more atmospheric than some of the others, but the piano in the first chorus and throughout the rest of the song retains some charm in the ballad.

The EP ends on “Boardwalks,” an indie-folk track in all of the truest respects. It features the most undeniably catchy guitar picking heard since Of Monsters and Men or The Civil Wars’ slower material, paired with some sleepy, but impactful lyrics that could double as Little May’s mission statement: “We are not afraid of who we are but of what we have become.” By the end of the song, the Aussies prove again that all of their songs possess an intense transformative property, one that maintains the ability to transcend the power of their instruments.

The girls will be in New York for CMJ, followed by a show in Los Angeles. Stream the EP and check out the dates below!

10.21.14 – Rockwood Music Hall – New York, NY
10.22.14 – Rough Trade – Brooklyn, NY
10.24.14 – Mercury Lounge – New York, NY
10.27.14 – Hotel Cafe – Los Angeles, CA

VIDEO REVIEW: Caribou “Our Love”

It’s been a few years since we’ve last heard new music from Caribou, the Ontario-based neo-psychedelic brainchild of Dan Snaith. So the release of his new album Our Love on October 7th from Merge Records is an unexpected, but nonetheless fantastic, 41 minutes of twirling synth melodies and the crooning of Snaith’s smooth falsetto. In addition to the new album, Caribou dropped a music video for the title track. Unlike the song, which is a dizzying minimal techno composition, the video for “One Love” is much more somber. Shot in Ireland, the narrative follows an elderly woman as she creeps around her giant and empty estate, interspersed with nostalgic glimpses of a relationship she had as a young girl.

The video’s director, Ryan Staake, who also directed alt-J’s “Left Hand Free” said, “I wanted to create a slow, brooding film that contrasted the seeming limitless of youth with the reality of death in later years.” It’s an odd approach to the song, but it’s surprisingly effective with Caribou repeating “our love” throughout the super romantic long-panning shots. Check out “Our Love” and tour dates below.

Caribou Worldwide Dates:
Oct 08 London, UK — KOKO* SOLD OUT
Oct 09 Brussels, BE — Botanique* SOLD OUT
Oct 10 Cologne, DE — Ewerk*
Oct 11 Hamburg, DE — Grosse Freiheit*
Oct 12 Amsterdam, NL — Melkweg Old Room*
Oct 13 Helsinki, FI — The Circus
Oct 14 Berlin, DE — Berghain* SOLD OUT
Oct 15 Leipzig, DE —Conne Island*
Oct 16 Prague, CZ — Meet Factory*
Oct 17 Budapest, HU — A38*
Oct 18 Vienna, AT — Electronic Beats @ TMuseumsquartier* SOLD OUT
Oct 19 Munich, DE — Muffathalle*
Oct 20 Zurich, CH — Komplex 457*
Oct 21 Lyon, FR — Transbordeur*
Oct 22 Lille, FR — Aeronef*
Oct 23 Liverpool, UK — Liverpool Music Week at Camp & Furnace*
Oct 24 Bristol, UK — Simple Things Festival at Motion * SOLD OUT
Oct 31 Manchester, UK — The Warehouse Project* SOLD OUT
Nov 01 Paris, FR — Pitchfork Festival Paris* SOLD OUT
Nov 05 Dublin, IE — Vicar Street* SOLD OUT
Nov 06 Barcelona, ES — Razzmatazz*
Nov 07 Turin, IT — Alfa MiTo Club To Club*
Nov 08 Reykjavik, IS — Iceland Airwaves*
Nov 10 Montreal, QC — Metropolis (was Le National)* UPGRADED
Nov 11 Boston, MA — Paradise*
Nov 12 New York, NY — Webster Hall* SOLD OUT
Nov 13 Philadelphia, PA — Union Transfer*
Nov 14 New York, NY — Webster Hall* EXTRA DATE ADDED
Nov 15 Washington, DC — Black Cat*
Nov 16 Carrboro, NC — Cat’s Cradle*
Nov 17 Atlanta, GA — Terminal West*
Nov 18 Orlando, FL — The Social*
Nov 19 Miami, FL — Grand Central*
Nov 20 Tallahassee, FL — Club Downunder*
Nov 21 New Orleans, LA — One Eyed Jacks*
Nov 22 Houston, TX — Fitzgerald’s*
Nov 23 Austin, TX — The Mohawk*
Nov 24 Toronto, ON — Danforth Music Fall* SOLD OUT
Jan 31 Brisbane, AUS – Laneway Festival
Feb 01 Sydney, AUS – Laneway Festival
Feb 06 Adelaide, AUS – Laneway Festival
Feb 07 Melbourne, AUS – Laneway Festival
Feb 08 Fremantle, AUS – Laneway Festival
Feb 27 Los Angeles, CA – The Fonda Theatre EXTRA DATE ADDED
Feb 28 Los Angeles, CA – The Fonda Theatre SOLD OUT
Mar 01 San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore
Mar 03 Portland, OR – Wonder Ballroom
Mar 04 Seattle, WA – The Showbox
Mar 05 Vancouver, BC – Commodore Ballroom
Mar 10 Brussels, BE – AB
Mar 11 Paris, FR – Olympia
Mar 12 Berlin, DE — Columbiahalle
Mar 14 London, UK — Brixton Academy

*support from Jessy Lanza

ALBUM REVIEW: Tomorrows Tulips “When”

Tomorrows Tulips Burget Records — photo by Taylor Bonin

Tomorrows Tulips was born from the ashes of front man/pro-surfer Alex Knost’s previous venture, Japanese Motors, and a fortuitous experiment with his girlfriend at the time, Christina Kee. The twosome embarked on a musical union inspired by Kee’s fledgling foray into drumming, and by the next day, the group had the seeds of several songs. Following the pair’s only release, Knost was joined by Ford Archbold (bass, vocals) and Jamie Dutcher (drums) to create 2013’s Experimental Jelly and now, When – both on Burger Records.

Much exploratory elbow grease has gone into crafting the sound of this curious collaboration that prides itself on a “shambolic” approach. With every rendering, the group has fallen more fully into a chaotic, DIY sound that is completely their own. Originally motivated by 1960s rock & roll, Knost took refuge in the genre’s penchant for guts and creativity over technical ability. With When, their wave-riding nature has paid off, and a commitment to process has fed their efforts in creating a sound which embraces emotional transparency.

An acoustic, lo-fi wash and ear-catching chord progression serve as the canvass for “Surplus Store.” The track paints its subject vividly: “He pulls his tricks out of three-quarter sleeves / And combs his hair like the 90s / Hides a shoebox full of his broken dreams / A dirtbag revolution airing out in the seams.” On the bridge, Knost demonstrates his guitar chops, jamming on a solo that peals with rich, elastic groove.

Resounding with achy rumbles and feedback on the edge, When‘s title track stops and starts in husky contemplation. Haunting and dreamy, “When” captures what Tomorrows Tulips does best. The grainy, amped guitar line runs alongside the heavy echo of Archbold’s bass, eventually fading out and giving way to “Favorite Episode,” a mostly instrumental, experiential journey that rises and falls with reincarnations of a single, entrancing theme. Grunge-rattled growler “Glued to You” picks things back up, marked by breathy vocals and the perpetual pulse of the bass. The deep, uneasy grind of the guitar burrows into the darkly melodic refrain that chants, “Stay glued to you,” tapering off into ethereal, reverb-soaked oohs.

The appropriately-named conclusion of the record, “Clear,” closes the album with melodic reflection. Meditative and uplifting, it flows forth gently with tumbling riffs, steady strumming, and whimsical flits of flute, triangle, and strings. Both the vocals and lead guitar carry the melody line through, lulling the listener with the simplicity of a doubly-delivered refrain.

Mellow, lo-fi, and California-infused, it’s no wonder Tomorrows Tulips has culled such descriptions as “loser rock” and “bummer pop,” yet the band’s heart is anything but lackadaisical. Knost has been quoted saying that his ultimate muse is isolation in a world “masked by media, fashions, trends, and technology.” With When, Tomorrows Tulips has ventured their farthest yet, daring to put expression first on a mission to transcend vapid means of existence and reveal an inner life marked by authenticity.

https://soundcloud.com/burgerrecords/tomorrows-tulips-glued-to-you[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

TRACK REVIEW: Tei Shi “Bassically”

On the heels of last year’s well-received debut EP Suadade, Tei Shi returns with “Bassically,” a song that begs while asking you to discount the pleading and take true consideration into the drowsy 80’s vibes that trickle in and out. Co-produced with Gianluca Buccellati, the track balances lushness and austerity like the best Johnny Jewel jams, resulting in the kind of sound that inspires swirling in circles of glitter and glowsticks.

The Argentinian-born Tei Shi, a.k.a. Valerie Teicher, has lived all over the world, from Vancouver to Bogota to Boston, and now lives in Brooklyn. The lyrics to the song are as worldly as Tei Shi is well-travelled; though her multi-cultural roots don’t crop up much in the track itself, her words are a warning that she’s not just something to throw carelessly away “like the other toys.” Willing to submit (or “behave,” as she puts it in the lyrics) she’s also challenging the listener to take her up on these promises, a dichotomy that’s worked well for like-minded artist FKA Twigs. Through that submission glimmers a need for power and desire to conquer.

The song in its entirety brings the listener up and down with high notes, low tones, drowned out and auto-tuned melodies as well as strikingly simple lyrics sung slightly serenely. The end of the song climaxes with layer upon layer of synths, tribal beats, and Tei Shi’s impassioned highest notes, forgoing lyrics for the primal release of bringing her energy to its ultimate level. She ends with a whisper, spent by the effort — “Please don’t say that I’m begging you for love” — as though to erase any hints or question of desperation that might have surfaced earlier on in the track.

Having recently signed to Mom + Pop imprint Mermaid Avenue, Tei Shi in both image and sound keeps up the dreamy idea of a supernatural creature. She’s playing several CMJ dates next week (listed below the track), where she’ll likely debut new material from her upcoming record, though no release date has been set.

10.22.14 – Disco Naivete / Crack In The Road CMJ Showcase (10:45PM) – Pianos – New York, NY
10.23.14 – Gorilla vs Bear CMJ Showcase (11:30PM) – Baby’s All Right – Brooklyn, NY
10.24.14 – M For Montreal CMJ Showcase (11:00PM) – Arlene’s Grocery – New York, NY
11.17.14 – The Drake Hotel – Toronto, ON
11.19.14 – M For Montreal – Montreal, CA w/ Seoul

TRACK OF THE WEEK: Springtime Carnivore “Name on a Matchbook”

SpringtimeCarnivore_byEddieO'Keefe4 — Springtime Carnivore by Eddie O’Keefe

Before Craigslist popularized Missed Connections, there were very few ways to get the attention of the potential lover who caught your eye the night before; you had one chance to chat up that handsome stranger in the darkened bar or lose touch forever. There are few moments more salient than the electricity of first attractions, and when we don’t act on them, we’re faced with mountains of regret, asking ourselves what could’ve been.

L.A.’s Greta Morgan isn’t taking any chances. As Springtime Carnivore, she’ll release her debut LP November 4th on Aquarium Drunkard‘s Autumn Tone Records, co-produced with Richard Swift (who’s also worked with The Shins and Foxygen). Her second single from the self-titled record, “Name On A Matchbook,” is an ode to romantic first encounters, the exchanging of contact information and coy glances in anticipation of exchanging more in the future. But she’s going to make her would-be suitor work for it — in the lighthearted bridge, she coos “So long, so long… until you prove me wrong.”

The track is as breezy as it is infectious, the cheery whistling and plucky piano in the intro denote that this is a casual affair. For all her nonchalance, Morgan dabbles in cinematic flourishes, sonically referencing 1960’s girl group pop with aplomb and even a little grit. While it’s not as sassy as the guitar-oriented “Sun Went Black,” Springtime Carnivore’s first single, there’s still lots of soft psychedelic underpinnings — the slight fuzz on the vocals, for instance, amounts to the aural equivalent of smearing vaseline on a camera lens for nostalgic effect.

Morgan is a pro at the flirtatious brush-off, shrugging and singing “I’ve got your name on my matchbook” as if to say “We’ll see what happens.” But there are wistful backwards glances too. After solemnly stating “I’ll leave your books unread / your mouth unkissed / Your bed can stay all made up / Step too easily / Into a possibility” she wonders “Is it wrong that i want more?” It’s the same daring hope that made Carly Rae Jepsen’s 2012 smash hit “Call Me Maybe” so buoyant and inescapable. There’s no commitment intrinsic in that first encounter, when anything can happen, and there will never be another like it, whether someone initiates something more serious in the future or remains a random name hastily scrawled on a napkin. So the next time you’re at a bar and are suffering a loss of words in the face of unadulterated crushworthiness, take a page out of Springtime Carnivore’s playbook and start a fire.

Springtime Carnivore will be in NYC for CMJ before hitting the road with The Generationals. Tour dates below:

Thu. Oct. 16 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Mayan w/ Of Montreal
Fri. Oct. 24 – Brooklyn, NY @ Rough Trade (Aquarium Drunkard showcase – CMJ)
Sat. Oct. 25 – New York, NY @ Pianos (Bowery Presents Day Party – CMJ)
Sat. Oct. 25 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom w/ Sam Roberts Band, Water Liars, Dilly Dally (CMJ)
Tue. Oct. 28 – Kansas City, MO @ Record Bar w/ Generationals
Wed. Oct. 29 – Bloomington, IN @ The Bishop w/ Generationals
Thu. Oct. 30 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall w/ Generationals
Sat. Nov. 1 – Madison, WI @ Freakfest
Sun. Nov. 2 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Ave & 7th Entry w/ Generationals
Wed. Nov. 12 – Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour w/ Generationals
Thu. Nov. 13 – San Francisco, CA @ The Chapel w/ Generationals
Sat. Nov. 15 – Seattle, WA @ Crocodile w/ Generationals
Sun. Nov. 16 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge w/ Generationals
Mon. Nov. 17 – Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore Cabaret w/ Generationals[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

ALBUM REVIEW: Homeshake “In the Shower”

If you like your shower with a side of jazz and Twilight Zone, Homeshake’s new album on Sinderlyn/Bad Actors may be your spirit animal. Homeshake is the side project of Peter Sagar, better known for playing guitar with Mac DeMarco. Following the Dragon Ball Z-inspired release, The Homeshake Tapes, In the Shower is similarly strange and eclectic, with smooth, sliding vocals and wonky instrumentation. The name fits, albeit at times a la Psycho, with creepy voiceovers and unsettlingly discordant refrains.

Working out of Montreal, originally from Edmonton, Sagar draws intense inspiration from his frosty homeland. The album was recorded this last winter at Montreal’s Drones Club with the help of close friend Mike Wright. The feel is cool, in both senses of the word, with subtly grooving basslines and funky, tremolo-soaked guitar riffs. Homeshake’s bread and butter is the music Sagar jams on with his friends, and even the band’s name was derived from their handshake back home.

“Chowder,” second on the album and the first to catch my ear, is an off-kilter love song steeped in extraterrestrial vocals and guitar that smacks of a Brazilian bossa nova. Strangely clever lyrics add charm: “Sitting there just staring at the trees / Jonesing for a little of that cream / We’ll lock the door behind tonight / And leave a light on for your eyes / She’s my chowder and I love her so much.”

“Making a Fool of You,” the standout at number four, is funky, melodic, and mellow. The catchy refrain is accentuated with warbling guitar and a stop and go rhythm that delivers an elastic groove. Sagar’s runny vocals lend themselves well to the sedate track.

“Michael” is next, adding an upbeat, instrumental interlude to the mix that quickly dissolves into “Cash is Money.” A steady ditty about taking a woman for all she’s worth, Sagar exercises his funny bone: “She can’t believe it but I don’t love you anymore / I just don’t feel it even though the cash flow keeps me warm.” “Slow,” at number eight, introduces a dreamy vibe with meandering complexity that is a stark contrast to the stripped sound of earlier tracks.

And then, there’s “The Shower Scene.” Set over a slow, jazzy jam and running water, the voiceover returns, tinkering between a pornographic Family Guy character and the masked omen of death in the Saw franchise. Not exactly what I want to hear in the deadliest room of the household, but hey, it’s cool if that’s your thing.

In the Shower is an altogether odd experience. Light humor and several delightfully funky melodies add substance, but the utterly unsettling gimmicks cheapen the concept. The album won’t leave you feeling clean, but if you let it wash over you, you’ll be sure to uncover a couple of gems.

LIVE REVIEW: Made In Heights @ Le Poisson Rouge

If you crept down the stairs and into the venue at Le Poisson Rouge last Saturday evening, you would’ve heard the disembodied voice of a woman gliding off the walls. It was silvery and sensual and the sprightliness of her breathy singing chilled the space. It was a little after 7:30 and I recognized the voice: Kelsey Bulkin of Made In Heights. And until recently, no one really knew the face behind the voice. It wasn’t until the duo started touring last year that fans who’d been listening to Made In Heights could put a face to both the singer and the DJ.

Made In Heights consists of Alexei Saba Moharjersjasbi (Sabzi) and Kelsey Bulkin; he hails from Seattle, and she, from San Diego. What’s convenient about a group that’s not well known is that the only information you have of them is from what they choose to tell the audience at live shows. It’s sort of ironic because this is a musical pair that garnered their audience through the internet, first through bandcamp, then through Soundcloud. I’d seen Made In Heights twice before, and in both those cases, the crowd was a skimpy handful of die-hard fans, people who might’ve been following Sabzi (he’s also ½ of Blue Scholars) or Kelsey’s creative trajectories since they debuted their first little EP on Bandcamp in 2011. When I got to the venue, I was surprised at how large the crowd was. It was a combination of young college students and people in their late 20s, early 30s, most of whom I assume were there for Tokimonsta (the main act). While the college students floundered wildly around with Sabzi and Kelsey to songs with “heavy drops” like “Wildflowers (Exhale Effect)” and “Murakami,” most if not all of the people surrounding me, seemed unfamiliar with Made In Heights. But strangely, it didn’t diminish the liveliness and energy of Sabzi and Kelsey’s affect towards the crowd.

It’s a funny era we live in these days. While putting music online can reach an indefinite number of computers, there’s still little information on the internet about the musicians that are sharing. So the details that artists choose to share when they have the opportunity to meet their listeners (and new listeners) in real life are crucial. What did Made In Heights choose to share? Sabzi and Kelsey met in New York and are now based in Los Angeles. He does the beats, she does the singing. They don’t know what genre they are so if you can think of a good description, please, do tweet at them @madeinheights. Some of the better suggestions fans have given them include: mythical filth (presumably a play off of the Seattle slang word “filthy”), artisanal (c/t)rap, and beauty slap. I’ve heard Sabzi recycle this script before, and it surprises me how charmed I still am by it.

One thing you should know is that Made In Heights loves synchronized dancing. People who watch Made In Heights will also love synchronized dancing after they see Sabzi and Kelsey busting out unimpressive moves in unison. When you’re watching a DJ and a vocalist—especially when it’s not about EDM, drugs, and light shows—it’s so easy for the set to fall flat, and this is their way around it. Made In Heights also has a particular kind of sound. Their music is lyrically poetic and sonically intoxicating with its juxtaposition of instrumental melodies and synth beats. This combination is what makes their performances interesting. Strip away Sabzi’s efforts, and the show might as well be another intimate acoustic session with Kelsey. Take away Kesley’s singing and the show would just be another experimental electronic set with people writhing into weird shapes. Put the two together and we have this chilling vocal performance alongside some really endearing choreography. By the end of their set, I even felt subtle nudges from my previously stock-still neighbors. Despite not knowing a single verse or who these people on the stage were, they, too, were feeling the endorphins flooding into the crowd.

With the internet and social media, we’ve become a culture that thrives from humanizing our famed musicians and celebrities; the problem with this is that it ends up blurring our opinion of the artist’s talent. After a short 30 minute set, the two snuck off of the stage, and disappeared into the green room. As much as I’d like to know more about Made In Heights—who they are as artists, what they consider their genre to be—it’s also refreshing to know that Made In Heights might not care about those categorizations.

The two will be returning for the CMJ Music Marathon, which takes place October 21-25, 2014. Check out their latest single, “Ghosts” below.

https://soundcloud.com/madeinheights/ghosts

TRACK PREMIERE: IAMEVE, “Walking On A Dream”

IAMEVE makes music that has been described as “undeniably inspiring” , mixing swirling electropop with her unique ethereal vocals to make tracks that are at once catchy and substantial, dreamy and musically circumspect. For her newest endeavor, however, IAMEVE has flipped the script and sourced from her own well of inspiration, covering Empire Of The Sun’s classic 2008 break out single, “Walking On A Dream.” The original is an indisputable summer dance jam, possessed of infectious disco beats layered with sunny analog synth lines and Luke Steele’s undoubtedly Glam Rock inspired vocal stylings. Though the original is immediately recognizable, much of the songs conceptual substance is perhaps lost in the fray of its overall catchiness. In IAMEVE’s adaptation of it, though, she retrieves various elements that have been overlooked, bringing into focus the track’s romantic conceit. Specifically it is her voice that summons the listener to pay attention, snapping us out of our electropop daze, as her tenor and tone stand out with such rich dimension and depth that we can’t help but engage with her as a singer. In listening to her narrate, we find out that this is a love song. Indeed, the songstress even chose it as the soundtrack for her walk down the aisle. “I think Walking On A Dream is a timeless song – I just love the lyrics/production/his voice – everything about it. As much as I adore the original recording, it’s so epic sounding that I think the lyrics can get a little lost on people.. I wanted to produce an intimate version that was all about the lyrics with everything else nakedly wrapping around them.” She has certainly succeeded on all these fronts.

The track premiered here today, listen below via Soundcloud:

LIVE REVIEW: Imelda May @ Irving Plaza

Imelda May radiates light when she’s on stage–and not just because of her bright red lipstick. The Irish rockabilly singer brought an ebullient grace to her set last Monday at Irving Plaza, beginning with the immaculate-as-always platinum blonde quiff set on top of her dark ponytail, and ending with the nuggets of adorable stage banter that peppered her set. “I want to thank The Bellfuries,” she said at one point, referring to the opening act, “because I’m, like, a huge fan of theirs–a follow-them-around-and-carry-their-bags kind of fan–and I hope I get the chance to open for them one day.”

It makes sense that she would make a special point to spotlight her opening band–May knows what it’s like to take the long road to success. As a young singer gigging around her hometown of Dublin, May had eclectic tastes, but always had a penchant for bluesy vocalists like Wanda Jackson. Her only training came from listening to the performers that she loved. Today, May’s many terrific covers–like “Tainted Love” on the 2010 album Mayhem–testify to how deeply those old records have sunk into her sound. In fact, the two encores she played without her band on Monday night were both covers: intimate, dramatic renditions of “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)” and Blondie’s “Dreaming,” accompanied by ukelele.

Complete with cat eyes and a soul-singer piano bench perch, May slipped into the persona of the rock ‘n’ roll songstress as easily as if it were her favorite vintage sundress . But she rotated the spotlight between her bandmates, too, ushering her upright bass player, Al Gare, to the front of the stage for the bass-heavy number “Johnny Got A Boom Boom,” and flashing frequent smiles in the direction of her guitarist Darrel Higham, whom she married in 2002.

Most of the songs May performed that night came off of her new album Tribal, and, while just as energetic and old-school catchy as her previously released material, their themes tended towards joy over the gleeful darkness of older singles like the title track of Mayhem. More than ever, her performance felt celebratory. As evidenced in the bubbly and–even more than usual–aesthetically retro single “It’s Good To Be Alive,” May has plateaued in fun-loving rock ‘n’ roll stardom with ease and obvious delight.

Get down with this candy-coated jam below, and be sure to pick up your copy of Tribal, out via Decca Records, right here.

Month: October 2014

PLAYLIST: A Spooky Scary Halloween Playlist

VIDEO REVIEW: Sevdaliza “Backseat Love” (NSFW)

EP REVIEW: Avid Dancer “I Want To See You Dance”

WILLONA ON WAX: Seattle Grunge & African Psych

NEW VINYL

VINTAGE VINYL

VIDEO REVIEW: Pet Sun “Gimme Your Soul”

LIVE REVIEW: Xiu Xiu @ Glasslands

Future Islands Release 4AD Sessions, Add Tour Dates

VIDEO REVIEW: Yellerkin “Tools”

What to Wear to CMJ 2014

TRACK REVIEW: Bonobo “Flashlight”

ALBUM REVIEW: Foxygen “…And Star Power”

TRACK REVIEW: Dilly Dally “Green”

LIVE REVIEW: Sam Amidon at MHoW

ALBUM REVIEW: Kevin Morby “Still Life”

TRACK REVIEW: Paperwhite “Pieces”

EP Review: Little May S/T EP

VIDEO REVIEW: Caribou “Our Love”

ALBUM REVIEW: Tomorrows Tulips “When”

TRACK REVIEW: Tei Shi “Bassically”

TRACK OF THE WEEK: Springtime Carnivore “Name on a Matchbook”

ALBUM REVIEW: Homeshake “In the Shower”

LIVE REVIEW: Made In Heights @ Le Poisson Rouge

TRACK PREMIERE: IAMEVE, “Walking On A Dream”

LIVE REVIEW: Imelda May @ Irving Plaza

Ticket Giveaways

Each week Audiofemme gives away a set of tickets to our featured shows in NYC! Scroll down to enter for the following shindigs.

See you there! xoxo