TRACK OF THE WEEK: Brian Robert “Black Heart”

Brian Robert

Love and heartbreak, sex and death, highs and comedowns. The duality of life’s most intense aspects of being human inspire the best art. Infiltrating our hearts and resonating with our own experiences, it’s what we dig about music. Melody or lyrical expression, people love to relate, to have your own emotions captured and expressed in art form by another soul to know you’re not alone. There’s the light messages of life’s little joys and complaints pumped out by the pop power houses, and then there’s the real shit. “Black Heart,” off Brian Robert’s EP Feels Like I’m Gonna Die is the real shit. The lead singer/songwriter of the Charleston band Company, friends and favorites of their neighbors Band of Horses, Robert spread his wings to fly solo in the sadness of the death of his childhood best friend and Company costar Kelly Grant. So, when he titles his first EP post-tragedy Feels Like I’m Gonna Die you get the impression he isn’t mincing words or using the concept of death for shock value. These songs are coming from his deep black lake of a heart, picturesque on the surface but churning with life and all of its cruelties below. “Black Heart,” with its (my favorite expression) beautifully morbid melodies doesn’t have soul searching lyrics, it has soul revealing lyrics. 

Stream (or download!) “Black Heart” via Bandcamp below.

LIVE REVIEW + ARTIST PROFILE: FRTNK

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Bryan Ramos, Benni Aragbaye, Josh "Quick" Ivey and Sir Izik of FRTNK rocking out at UC Riverside.
Bryan Ramos, Benni Aragbaye, Josh “Quick” Ivey and Sir Izik of FRTNK rocking out at UC Riverside.

I stumbled upon FRTNK [/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][pronounced “FourteenK”] in the Voodoo Lounge at the House of Blues on Sunset. Their eclectic style (not to mention bare feet) caught my eye, and I was intrigued when the eight men took their places on stage. They were absolutely mesmerizing once the beats began flowing. Floating harmonies, beautifully on pitch with their vocals and instruments; I was hooked. It wasn’t a common venue space for them to play in with a small stage in the corner next to a blues bar, and the show itself was performed almost exclusively acoustic. In fact it was a happy coincidence that we ran into each other at all, and they encouraged me to attend their next concert at Seven Points in Downtown Los Angeles, a venue more typical for them so that I could truly understand their energy and sound.

I took their advice and there I stood, surrounded by fashionistas and men with beards wearing ironic t-shirts. I found myself speechless at the complex music resounding from the makeshift stage. Truly with a little more space FRTNK rocked the house. With so many exuberant members in FRTNK it is impossible not to be caught up in their positive energetic performances.

At the front stood the original members – Benni Aragbaye, B.J. and Bryan Ramos. They met in “The Gates,” which is their nickname for the cookie cutter gated community they grew up in. Boredom motivated them towards artistic expression and creating the grooving harmonies that is truly FRTNK. These three began developing their sound as early as 2009 and make up the core vocalists of FRNTK. The tenor-alto harmonization is stunning, and the in sync raps layered on top ties their sound together.

The rest of the band didn’t join until later in their career and the addition of the five musicians elevate FRTNK’s sound with style. Sir Izik was the first band member added as he joined three years ago. He plays bass, adding a consistent and creative backbeat, and with his relaxed island vibe it’s hard not to move with the beat. The other band members joined just one year ago, although they are so in step with each other it seems as if the entire group has been playing with each other for years. Along with Bryan there’s Raven Michael on guitar, both adding melodic tune (reminding me of beach rock) to each song. Not only are there two guitar players there are two keyboardists, Josh O’Connell and Caleb Ivey. These two create a sound just as synchronized as the vocals, they are also responsible for both the electronic and blues elements added into FRTNK’s sound. Finally there’s Josh “Quick” Ivey (yes, he’s Caleb’s brother) on the drums. Quick brings the concluding tone to the music, an ever changing jazz style drum beat. Normally I would attempt to name their genre but according to them it’s “undetectable” so I’ll leave it at that. Plus, with all these elements added together they are on the way to becoming one of the most unique and amazing group of sounds I’ve heard from an up and coming band.

Quirkily they divide their audience into “robots” (a.k.a. the people that just stand nodding their heads with their feet planted) and “aliens” (those who dance as hard as the performers) and interact with each group throughout the entire show. Working hard everyday on their sound, to them “music is a lifestyle” and that dedication shines through in their tight performance and deep sound. They produce their music in a homemade studio, which is simultaneously cheap and brings a “down to earth” element to their music.

As I stood on the wooden floorboards at Seven Points I was enchanted by FRTNK, a group that believes in the avoidance of perfection, represented by their slogan “live life impure.” To them the name FRTNK doesn’t just reference gold, it tells a story of a group of men bonded as tightly as brothers (some quite literally) who refuse to conform to the norms of society.

As said by B.J., “This is a time when impressive, magnificent things are occurring” and with the lyrical and musical depth presented by FRTNK I believe they are one of those magnificent things. The men of FRTNK are weird, loud, a little crazy and absolutely brilliant. They have a bright future to look forward to as more people are as lucky as I am and stumble upon one of their shows. Bringing a unique perspective and sound to the music industry, I am eager to follow FRTNK’s path and implore you to do the same. And you don’t have to wait long, if you don’t have plans for New Years Eve these wild dudes are hosting an all ages show at 9onVine in Downtown Los Angeles that should definitely make it on to your party-hopping list.

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LIVE REVIEW: Parlour Tricks @ Mercury Lounge

Parlour Tricks

Lily Claire, frontwoman and primary songwriter for the New York-based Parlour Tricksgets wild-eyed when she performs. Standing squarely in the middle of the stage at the Mercury Lounge last Saturday, wearing a white tunic with a black collar (her backup singers wore matching outfits, but with the colors reversed), Claire gripped the microphone and gave the audience this look, poised yet deer-in-headlights-ish, as if she were a circa-1920s high-end jewelry thief, stealing just for the thrill of it, and to escape the tedium of her wealthy but loveless marriage, and we were the police squadron waiting outside her secret trapdoor exit to catch her with her bag of loot. Drama flatters rock and roll.

The six-piece bases operations out of New York City, though technically Claire is the only native. True to its name, Parlour Tricks consists of an array of hometowns, and many different musical scenes–its members hail from Philadelphia, Nashville and Paris, to name just a few. If you listen to the singles the group has released over the past couple of years, the show-magic quality of the name links best to the Parlour Tricks’ sense of theater, the heavy beats and brawny soprano vocal harmonies. A performance from Tricks falls into the category of stage magic that happens at close range in front of a small audience; no pyrotechnics necessary. On Claire’s left and right, backup singers Morgane Moulherat and Darah Golub didn’t need acrobatics to coax the high drama out of their voices. Just standing there, swaying in tandem, like they were being pulled by the same tide. They looked haunting as a pair of Greek Sirens.

All told, Tricks’ output has been surprisingly small, just a few singles over the last couple of years. Why surprisingly? Maybe because “Belle Gunness” got featured in that BMW commercial, or maybe–relatedly–because every track they’ve released has the “this is it” quality of a breakout hit. Standing in the audience, amidst an enthusiastic-ish crowd (sidebar, paraphrased from my notebook: Why, in the presence of all the group’s musical prowess and slight of hand, all its heavy hooks and belty harmonies, was a Saturday night crowd at the Mercury Lounge only enthusiastic-ish?), I felt that with each song a heavy weight dropped, the way a young band performs the first song that comes straight from the guts. But the songs didn’t talk to each other. Every last one was a power single. Every last one was a breakdown, an epiphany, a turning point. I couldn’t imagine them all crowded onto an album together.

About three quarters of the way through the band’s set, Claire said “This is a song about a crazy woman,” turned her back to the audience, and shook out her shampoo-commercial-shiny hair.  “Me,” she added off the mic, laughing in the direction of her bass player. The band launched into “Bukowski,” which turned out to be my favorite performance of the night, because though it began and ended in the spotlight, the song’s theatrics meandered into shadowier–and more vulnerable–corners between the hooks. Maybe it was the combination of a crunchily chaotic guitar line with Moulherat and Golub’s high-pealing (even for them!) vocal lines. Certainly it helped when Claire eased her pose at the microphone. Once she began to amble around the stage and joke with her fellow players, the aesthetic got pleasantly rumpled. They looked more like a band, and less like a portrait.

Check out the music video for Tricks’ irrepressible latest, “Lovesongs,” below. You can go here to buy a download!

BEST OF 2014: Songs For Rebellious Girls

In 2014, strange days have found us. I toyed with the idea of creating a Best of 2014 playlist for sad chicks, but then was all, “Cut the crap Sophie.” If you’ve gone out and gotten laid rather than cried after a break-up, if you don’t have an office job and are poor but happier for it, and if you’ve decided to make friends with the voices inside your head, these songs are for you.

FKAtwigs-promo

The majority of the artists involved in this list are chicks, but not for the sake of grouping vaginas together, in this, dare I say, male-dominated industry perhaps I’m just being rebellious.

10. Perfect Pussy “Interference Fits” 

Perfect Pussy’s “Interference Fits” is so wham, bam, thank you m’am perfect for the anthem to rebellious women everywhere I could embed this track ten times on this page and we’d be good to go. Setting aside the fact that simply with a name the Syracuse noise-punk band forced an array of bloggers still scared of the word “pussy” to get over it, no song captures the tumultuous inner-dialogue of the nearing-30 years than “Interference Fits.” “Since when do we say yes to love?” questions Meredith Graves, in a hard to make out (and empathetically, a hard to figure out) inner female dialogue.

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9. Banks  – “Goddess” 

The title tune off Jillian Banks’ debut studio album, “Goddess” ebbs and flows with such beautiful scolding you could die to it. “She’s a goddess, you never got this.” The scorned lover thing has been done of course, as Banks seems warily aware of based on the traces of boredom found in her voice. If you close your eyes and allow the lyrics to dissipate the song is rather seductive in nature, like what a praying mantis would put on to make love to before biting her mate’s head off.

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8. Copeland feat. Actress – “Advice to Young Girls”

“Pretend to go to sleep, while your parents argue in the kitchen. Put on some makeup and dress up, you sneak out of the window…” encourages Hype Williams’ Inga Copeland off her new LP Because I’m Worth It. “The city is yours” she promises on this disjointed spiny track. A desolate ravaged urban future is imagined, perhaps one we’re already living in, awaiting the rise of our heroines from the ashes.

7. Bets – “Don’t Give A Fuck” 

This delightful tune off of BETS upcoming 2015 debut LP Days, Hours, Nights had the honor of being our very own Track of the Week. Brooklyn’s own, she makes warning about potentially sociopathic tendencies (“Everybody knows, I never fall in love”) seem down right adorable. I said it once and I’ll say it again, not giving a fuck is a crucial part of the path to enlightenment.

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6.FKA twigs – “Two Weeks” 

The best word I can think to describe FKA twigs is mesmerizing. If the year 2014 means we’ve made it to the future, she is our poster child. The self-proclaimed ex “Video Girl” evolved into an icon this year, different in a manner that challenges the current pop star quo but rings true to FKA twigs. Her weirdness never seems staged, yet more of like she’s been this way all along and now only letting in an audience. See: This Queen of the Damned-themed video. A virtual high five for the lyrics “Motherfucker get your mouth open know your mine.”

5. Pharmakon – “Bestial Burden” 

A little more noise, please! In this tense, minimalist, creepy track Margaret Chardiet entices and bewitches, keeping you looking over your shoulder for a looming attack that never comes. Like a great horror flick, the art of the title track of Bestial Burden lies in the anticipation rather than the reveal.

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4. Azealia Banks – “Heavy Metal And Reflective” 

What is rebellion if not controversial? Azealia Banks silently dropped the anticipated Broke With Expensive Taste with slurs, beef, and tears, but in a landscape of processed foods she remains apologetically, perhaps brutally, raw. The forever banger “212” continues to be hard to live up to but “Heavy Metal And Reflective” sure gets me going.

3. Tove Lo – “Habits (Stay High)” 

There’s two paths one can go down after a break up, crying in bed watching sappy chick flicks with a pint of ice cream, or getting fucked up and fucked. Well, I suppose one could responsibly process their emotions and exhibit gratitude for their time spent with their respected ex-partner before accepting life has taken them down different roads, but what are we, adults? (Editor’s note: This song was originally released in 2013 as a single off the Swedish darling’s debut 2014 album Truth Serum but the sleeper took a bit to blow up). This song’s the one we can all sing along to, and you know I’d have to include anything with the lyrics “I eat my dinner in my bathtub/Then I go to sex clubs watching freaky people gettin’ it on.”

2. White Lung – “Face Down” 

Captivating in the VHS-shot video, Mish Way is a goddess per usual in this perfectly titled track off Vancouver punk White Lung’s debut album with Domino. “All the world’s pretend,” she reminds us, sneering in leopard stockings whilst burning scarecrows on a beach. It’s brash, it’s feminist, it’s frenzied rebellion by nature of simply being.

1. Childbirth – “I Only Fucked You As A Joke” 

I’m going to be real with y’all, at first I had Jessie Ware at this spot and then I was all, “Why so serious…!” 2014 was the year of the anti-needy-chick “I don’t want to be your girlfriend” anthem, summed up hilariously with Childbirth’s (Chastity Belt/Tacocat/Pony Time supergroup) “I Only Fucked You As A Joke.” Whatever gender pronoun you identify with and no matter how 2014 sat for you on the rebellion spectrum, I think we can all relate to the line “I can’t make good decisions every day!” Let’s bring in the New Year with that.

SST out.

 

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ALBUM REVIEW: The Great Escape “The Great Escape”

The Great Escape, Los Angeles, 10.10.2013__DSC2833

the great escape

I have spent my last few years trying to dissect New York City. And while I was learning that a train schedule isn’t as accurate as it ought to be, I was engulfed in the music culture that the city is notoriously known for. The sheer amount of bands that come out of New York is incredible, so massive that there are hundreds of venues to house and nurture them. And out of all the underground venues and bands that have made up our unique music culture, it holds that familiar city feel. New York is grungy, rebellious, and an intelligent mind of its own.

I wouldn’t trade my home for anywhere else, but like so many quarter-century beings, I’ve had those East to West coast feelings. What is music like in a place where the sun shines more than Rockefeller’s Christmas tree, where shoes are optional, and surfing is more common than sledding? I imagine it’s exactly how The Great Escape feels like. Was their name intentional?

The trio, formed in LA, features incredibly talented artists. The self-produced band is made of Malte Hagemeister playing the guitar, Kristian Nord on drums, and Amie Miriello as their strong female songstress.

Amie has a colossal voice that makes unpolished vocals sound badass. She can go perfectly along with the album’s varied themed tracks. “The Secret Song” is definitely one of the more soothing tracks with a small country feel, her voice honeyed. Then she can take on a 1930’s swing club with “I Want It All.” “We play with fire ‘cuz we can take the heat,” she softly croons. Amie sounds sultry whether with a horn section or raucous for Malte’s wigging and Kristian’s goddamn feels for percussion. She harmoniously belts in “It’s Getting Better” against power-driven guitars and punchy drumming. And my favorite song on the album, “Put It On Ice” effects sound like an early Flea bass solo. The track that really made me feel the excitement of heading to California was “Let’s Go.” The beginning starts off with a calming ambience, the realization that you’re leaving- but then jump-starts into what could be my packing then driving through the countryside montage music.

Now, I’m not trying to start the cheesy ‘pack-your-bags-going-to-Cali’ gig, but their debut self-titled album literally makes me feel like it. Listening gave me the confidence in seeking those sun-showers you hear so much about in the West coast. Their style is ambitious, but genuinely so. Every song is a completely raw look into what rock was like before bands just wanted to sell records, and look too cool while doing it. While they remind me of similar styles to the likes of The Black Keys and Janis Joplin, they’ve created a new style I haven’t seen on the current music grid- combining the classic sounds with contemporary flair.

Not to be mistaken for Iggy Azalea’s “The Great Escape Tour,” the LA triad have many outlets to reach out. Maybe we can get them to come to New York. We could probably also see their eyes open, unlike all their press-released photos. More importantly, we could show them what we’re made of.

The album is a half century packed into a 33 minute digital download. You also can stream their complete album below.

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BEST OF 2014: 10 Musicians Killing the Fashion Game This Year

Let’s admit it: 2014 has been a rough year for news. Missing planes, police killings and various states’ decisions to limit women’s access to health care (all together now, deep breaths) are just a few things that happened. So, to brighten things up, I’ve rounded up my favorite style icons from the music world. These ladies go outside the circle of accepted streetwear to find their own unique looks that we all should aspire to.

zola jesus

Zola Jesus/Nika Danilova

Zola Jesus is one of my personal style icons. Her style is dark and minimal, yet still edgy and cool. My favorite of her looks this year was the promotional photo passed around for her album Taiga. In it, she’s wearing a black dress that has what looks like a leather corset and this huge plate that looked like she cut out a circle and stuck her head through. Straight, long dark hair and dark red lipstick. Perfect.

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annie clark

St. Vincent/Annie Clark

Annie Clark has always had a cool style, but when she died her hair white/lavender/gray to serve as the look for her new album and tour, things got even better. The best way to describe her look is futuristic rocker chic. Even just the album cover of her latest release has her looking regal as she sits on her thrown, wearing a long sleeved, floor length dress. Even when she was featured in Time Out New York wearing a simple crew neck black dress, she still looks dazzlingly otherworldly. If her look is of the future, then I’m on board.

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Grimes/Claire Boucher

No matter her hair color this year, Grimes kept it fresh. From cutting her hair into a super short straight bang to wearing sparkly gold blazers, a Simpson’s themed sweatshirt or a yellow fuzzy sweater, her style is always keeping our attention. She wears what makes her happy and that is that. She’s one of several younger female musicians who aren’t afraid to be adventurous with her outfits. And thank goodness.

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charli

Charli XCX

All I really need to say about Charli and her look is “pussy power.” She’s tough and fearless and sexy, in the best way. She’ll wear bomber jackets and platform heels and whatever the hell she wants. So much black fishnets, leather, choker collars, plaid miniskirts, fringe and two-piece matching outfits. And she has a sour-but-sweet attitude to top it all off. We’re so in love.

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haim1

Haim

Lucky for us, when the Haim sisters get dressed, we get three times the style. All of them have different taste altered to their liking, but it’s the same aesthetic: girl rockers who are here to kick some ass. Lots of black leather and denim jackets. You’re likely to find Este sporting either a dress or a skirt/crop combo. Alana has a more edgy look, more likely to pair leather with neon colors. Danielle pulls off the menswear look with button ups and blazers. Each of their looks compliments the others. It’s almost like they have some sort of sisterly telepathic energy that runs through them, keeping their styles together.

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beyonce

Beyonce

Is there a year that Beyonce doesn’t run the fashion game? This year she kicked it up with her concert outfits with her On The Run Tour with Jay Z. Leotards for days. And Bey is the one to rock them all. The 7/11 music video where she wore variations of underwear and sweatshirts, and even an upside down visor that looked like a crown. Then there was the gold sequin Tom Ford jersey. Really, there’s nothing left to say.

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ri

Rihanna

Do I really need to explain why the 2014 CFDA Style Icon Award winner is on this list? From baring it all at the awards ceremony in an Adam Salman dress to kicking it in a tee and cuttoffs in her ever-changing hair colors, RiRi has a fearless attitude when it comes to how she dresses herself. Vogue praised her style and put her on their March fashion cover and W did the same with the coveted fall fashion September issue. And she was recently named creative director of Puma. She truly shined this year and we should all be paying attention.

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Taylor Swift

I don’t care for Taylor Swift. Not my music, not my thing. But I do have to admit that the girl really upped her style when she ditched her former permanent uniform of sundresses and long curls for a more retro style and long bob. She really came into her own. When she’s not wearing glittery crop tops and high-waisted skirts while performing, you can find her strutting around New York in shirtdresses, button ups, and even… pants. Maybe hanging out with Karlie has rubbed off on her? Whatever it is, it’s working. So props to you, Tay Tay, even if you hold you purse really weirdly.

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BEST OF 2014: Best Tracks from NYC Bands

There were a lot of great songs released in 2014, and many came from bands who are from New York City (or, like many of us here, just currently call it home). Here are some of the year’s best tracks from the city that never sleeps.
Ava Luna: “Plain Speech” from Electric Balloon (Western Vinyl, March) 
Ava Luna is an eclectic quintet based in Brooklyn. Practically three tracks in one, this hipster love song involving fixies is an example of how the band can switch seamlessly from funky, offbeat rhythms to heartfelt, soulful anthems. Expect a new album from them soon.

Celestial Shore: “Gloria” from Enter Ghost (Hometapes, November)
This Brooklyn-based band released their second, more polished album in November. On Enter Ghost’s second track, they transition easily from complicated drum beats and snarling guitars to soft melodies. “Gloria” builds up and pulls back constantly, never quite resting on any one type of sound.

Hospitality: “I Miss Your Bones” from Trouble (Merge Records, January) 
The trio’s second album toes the lines of psychedelic/garage rock and guitar pop with songs about the subtleties of relationships and everyday insecurities. “I Miss Your Bones” is one of the album’s most energetic tracks, with shifting rhythms, perfectly synced guitars, and spot-on lyrics sung with Amber Papini’s charismatic lilt.

LVL UP: “DBTS” from Hoodwink’d (Double Double Whammy/Exploding in Sound, September) 
LVL UP’s hometown is Purchase in Upstate New York, but they’ve recently joined the roster of emerging Brooklyn bands. They’re masters at crafting quick songs, sung with a tired drawl and lively metaphors reminiscent of David Berman. Hoodwink’d is a short, bittersweet showcase of mid-twenties angst.

Mitski: “Townie” from Bury Me At Makeout Creek (Double Double Whammy, November) 
How do you describe Mitski? You could say she’s like Brooklyn’s edgier version of Angel Olsen, with more grit and fuzzier guitars. That’s not all, though. With lyrics like “I want a love that falls as fast as a body from the balcony” and “I’m holding my breath like a baseball bat,” you can’t help wanting to know exactly what’s going on in her head.
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Parquet Courts: “Ducking and Dodging” from Sunbathing Animal  (What’s Your Rupture?/Mom & Pop, June)
These punks originally from Texas play an intense form of something falling between blues, punk and rock. They recently turned Webster Hall into a mess of mosh pits and attempted stage-diving, which reached its best point (or worst, if you were the incredibly unamused bouncer) with “Ducking and Dodging.” The lyrics are more spit than sung, punctuated by sharp guitar chords and a constant, pounding bass.

Parkay Quarts: “Pretty Machines” from Content Nausea (November 2014, What’s Your Rupture?)
Andrew Savage and Austin Brown made this list twice, with another recently released album under a slightly different name. “Pretty Machines” has a catchy, bright guitar hook, Savage’s deadpan vocals, and a surprisingly uplifting horn section. Every verse in the song is a quotable gem, with lyrics such as “ Whiskey sips upon me as my secrets escaped/ In the skyline of hell there are no fire escapes.”
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Sharon Van Etten: “Taking Chances” from Are We There (May, Jagjaguwar) 
Known for being kind of a downer, Are We There is probably not an album you want to listen to when you’re in a good mood. “Taking Chances” was the album’s first single and one of its best tracks. Van Etten’s sleepy voice, gloomy guitar and electric piano make this a good song for days when you’re not quite ready to force a smile.

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BEST OF 2014 LADY FRONTED POP ACTS: Raquel’s Picks

The Used & My Chemical Romance

1. Jenny Lewis – “Head Underwater”

One of the best tracks off of one of the year’s best albums, “Head Underwater” is a

doozy of a pop song. Lewis sings conspicuously dismal lyrics (“My own mortality, I

contemplated”) over a bubbly, dynamic beat (that she also produced herself), creating

interesting tension within a sublime melody. Who doesn’t love a song you can have a

good cry to while also dancing?

Sylvan-Esso

2. Sylvan Esso – “Hey Mami”

It’s tricky to deal with a subject like catcalling, especially through pop music, but Sylvan

Esso pull it off gorgeously. Amelia Meath’s vocals are luxe and silky as she sings

“Sooner or later the dudes at bodegas will hold their lips and own their shit” over Nick

Sanborn’s bass-heavy, booming beat. A very welcomed “hey mami” that I’ll gladly listen

to as I walk down the street.

Jessie-Ware

3. Jessie Ware – “Keep On Lying”

Jessie Ware’s impressive sophomore album contained quite a few pop gems, but “Keep

On Lying” is a standout. The weirdly magnetic song features a dramatic and opulent

choir of voices paired with a rinky-dink keyboard sound that, together, conjure

minimalistic pop magic.

 

alvvays

4. Alvvays – “Archie, Marry Me”

Another powerfully catchy and sunny song that boasts quite a forlorn narrative. The

lyrics of this romantic plea are unassumingly genius in the way they roll off singer Molly

Rankin’s listless tongue (“You’ve expressed explicitly your contempt for matrimony”),

but they also hit a nerve that feels incredibly generationally relevant (“You’ve student

loans to pay and will not risk the alimony”). The push and pull between hopeless

romantic and practical realist has never sounded so blissful.

chumped 2

5. Chumped –Hot 97 Summer Jam”

Chumped ooze nostalgia for ‘90s and early ‘00s punk pop without ever losing their

originality. “Hot 97 Summer Jam” is a fun and quick listen with endearing “ooh”s over

gritty guitars.

st vincent audiofemme

6. St. Vincent – “Psychopath”

Amongst a roster of outstanding and complex tracks, “Psychopath” is notable for its

slightly more pared down sound. It hooks you instantly, with its quick repetition evoking

an OCD tick that you can’t quite shake, but the spaced-out chorus balances that quality

perfectly.

tops

7. TOPS – “Change of Heart”

TOPS’ music sounds like pure summer. “Change of Heart” dazzles with ‘80s influences,

but it’s also got a slight shoegaze-y sheen to it that allows the infectious ditty to stand

apart from the sea of dreamy indie-pop out there.

sabina

8. Sabina – “I won’t Let You Break Me”

Brazilian Girls’ chanteuse Sabina debuted her solo efforts this year to little fanfare, but

Toujours was a solid record with the catchy “Won’t Let You Break Me” tucked in near its

end. Pulling from French Yé-Yé and rock a la Velvet Underground, this song is proudly

alluring pop rock with worldly charm.


banks

9. Banks – “Beggin’ For Thread”

Banks’ industrial R&B leans most heavily towards pop with “Beggin for Thread.” It’s

confidently aggressive and also playful in both its lyrics (“So I got itches that scratch /

And sometimes I don’t got a filter”) and its sound, making it a perfect dance number.

mr-twin-sister-16

10. Mr. Twin Sister – “Out of the Dark”

After a little musical reincarnation, the new Mr. Twin Sister gifted us this funky electro-

pop banger that begs to be played on a dark, sweaty dance floor. Andrea Estelle adopts

a monotone, robotic voice but, thankfully, nothing can shake her seductive qualities.

BEST OF 2014 ALBUMS: Kelly’s Picks

lana-del-rey-14032160071. Lana Del Rey – Ultraviolence
I’ve been on the Lana Del Rey bandwagon ever since I heard “Dark Paradise” (we’re all just pretending that her second album, Paradise, never happened, right?). Lana delivers all of the slow-burn goodness found in Born to Die and that fans expect from a follow up. She kicks things up a notch with tracks like “Money Power Glory” “Florida Kilos” and “Fucked My Way Up To the Top” but keeps her dreamy California cool reputation with songs like “West Coast,” “Cruel World” and “Shades of Cool.” It’s the perfect combination of what we loved about Lana, but matured and honed to perfection.

 

Tennis

2. Tennis – Ritual in Repeat
In 2013, Tennis released an EP called Small Sounds, which was so good that I couldn’t wait until they released the next full album. In September, they finally obliged, and it was worth the wait. In the last few years, the band has taken themselves from a fun, 80’s girl vibe heard in Cape Dory and honed Alaina Moore’s voice to make an even bigger impression, first on Young and Old and now in Ritual in Repeat. They’ve only gotten better over time, and Ritual in Repeat is the most enjoyable album yet. The catchy and upbeat “Never Work for Free” and “Viv Without the N” pair perfectly with the hopeful “Bad Girls” and “Solar on the Rise” to form a complete, solid album.

BBC

3. Bombay Bicycle Club – So Long, See You Tomorrow
Bombay Bicycle Club has always been a fun rock band, but So Long, See You Tomorrow cemented them as seriously fun (and seriously good) alternative rockers. The standout track is “Home By Now,” which pairs Lucy Rose and lead singer Jack Steadman for a R&B duet, closely followed by “It’s Alright Now,” “Carry Me” “Whenever, Wherever,” and “Luna.” It’s difficult to even pick out a non-catchy track among the listing—a well-rounded, enjoyable collection.

mothxr

4. Mothxr – Various singles
OK, so this isn’t actually an album. But in interviews, the band has said they don’t plan on releasing an album, but rather release singles whenever they feel like it and I’m obsessed with the four they’ve given us this year so they belong on this list. I fell in love with them during a CMJ 2014 performance and can’t stop talking about them now. Frontman Penn Badgley (yes from Gossip Girl) leads a funky, jazzy, sexy soulful band. During their live shows, Penn grooves along to the music, and it’s hard not to do the same when listening.

 

 

lykkeli

5. Lykke Li – I Never Learn
An embarrassing confession: I first heard of Lykke Li from the Twilight: New Moon soundtrack. But thank goodness I did because even though that franchise was a disaster, I was introduced to such a great musician. It had been nearly four years since Lykke gave us Wounded Rhymes, and she didn’t disappoint with a follow up in I Never Learn. The album is definitely an extension of her signature haunting croon, and even feels a bit darker and more melancholy than her previous work. Even though it was released in May, I recently discovered it’s a great album to listen to on dreary winter commutes into the city.

sve

6. Sharon Van Etten – Are We There
Are there more depressing song titles than “Your Love is Killing Me,” “I Love You But I’m Lost” or “Nothing Will Change”? I doubt it. But Sharon Van Etten makes the depression feel so good—probably because most of us can relate in some way to the mournfulness she projects. And her voice itself doesn’t hurt. A full, sometimes breathy voice gets into our heads and refuses to leave. Luckily, we don’t want it to.

banoffee

7. Banoffee – EP
While not a full-length album, the EP itself has me excited enough for whenever they’ll make their debut. I sadly missed their CMJ performances in October, but I’ll catch them another year because I’m sure Aussie Martha Brown is going to be killing it for a while. The synthetic beats on the tracks combine with R&B melodies and her dreamy vocals to create a fun, funky jam.

SE

8. Sylvan Esso – Sylvan Esso
I first saw Sylvan Esso when they opened for Volcano Choir in 2013. While they performed, I realized that they sounded good, but I was a bit thrown off that a group so focused on synth loops would be paired with Volcano Choir. Given more time to reflect, it makes sense to me now. Their debut album has been topping the charts for best of 2014 lists, and it’s clear to see why. Those synth loops are catchy, as are Amelia Meath’s sweet vocals.

Stvincent

9. St. Vincent – St. Vincent
It’s not surprising the St. Vincent turned out a stellar album this year—Annie Clark has been making them for a while now. I admit to being a little wary of “Birth in Reverse” when it first premiered, but I’ve since come around, and enjoy it just as much as the rest of the album. It’s guitar heavy and sounds like futuristic robots should be performing it. I mean that in the best way.

antlers

10. The Antlers – Familiars
The Antlers came back this year bringing their signature moaning vocals and smooth, swelling beats. The Antlers has always been one of my favorite artists to belt out while driving at night, and I’ll probably test that out with this album next time I get the chance. Peter Silberman’s voice is a kind of lonely moaning that is best projected when you’re by yourself.

VIDEO PREMIERE: Celeste “More Lives”

Celeste Green_Hi Res_Alan Siegler
Monday morning doesn’t have to be glass half empty. With the video premiere of Brooklyn based Celeste‘s “More Lives” your glass can be half full, like the dirty martini you left on the record table as you drifted to sleep after an indulgent Sunday.
Directed by Elizabeth Skadden, the black and white video features Celeste in an evening gown and elbow-length gloves posed on a chaise lounge with the majesty of an Egyptian cat, purring “I’ve got more lives…” Celeste creates electronic R&B with southern-soaked vocals (her roots are in Birmingham, AL). A dancer turned musician, she makes sure she creates “music she can dance to.”
The current EP More Please combines the singer’s soul with elements of her producer Louis Sherman’s electro-psych influence. In the video her dance moves are utilized to seductively tell in motion the message she sings. Celeste captivates the camera with natural talent writhing from both her body and voice. Southern roots mingle in your eardrums with a hip hop snap as she drawls layered vocals while your eye lips peel back to admire the calm, collected cool of her satin-r0bed figure classically strut to the music.

We’ll keep this a post full of pleasures and include below a stream to the full EP More Please.

 

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VIDEO REVIEW: Maryleigh Roohan “Oh Brother”

With nothing more than three and a half minutes, some bluesy guitar, and some starkly emotive lyrics, Maryleigh Roohan effortlessly sets our hearts a smolder with her new track and video for her song “Oh Brother.” A lost relationship is perhaps the most oft employed musical theme; it is inherent in the human condition to feel that pang of loss, but more often than not, that emotion becomes overwrought with sappiness and is treated with the mundane, formulaic handling of radio’s top 40. This is certainly not the case with Roohan’s powerfully resonant ballad. Coupled with filmmaker Lindsey Copeland’s elegantly crafted video, this is a definitely a heartfelt endeavor.
The song’s strength comes from two direct sources, its concise lyrics, and Roohan’s bereft crooning. The opening “oh brother” hearkens to a sort of hymnal Americana that her sound is attributed. The song drives home the idea that the voice behind the lyrics can really invoke the emotion behind the words. Lyrically this song is not complex or hard to understand. But the intermissions filled with Roohan’s humming, or even with the simple “oh” following the second line of the chorus really leech out the emotion from the words themselves. Lest we forget the understated whistling solo which adds a sort of nonchalance or coming to terms with the loss of something immense.
The song is underpinned by a stunningly thoughtful video. The hues are warm, the scene is almost orange; it has the familiar glow of candlelight on a cold dark night. But the juxtaposition to the dark shadows overcast by the Williamsburg bridge show the loss of the battle. The scorched paper in the beginning depict that very battle, how flame and passion eventually, and often too quickly, submit to the dark. The journey throughout the video, past the empty picture frames and the relics of struggle enhance the message of the song. By the time that forlorn whistle solo kicks in, the ashes of what were are being carelessly strewn about the bridge, in anger and fury but also in resolve. A quick image of burning sage show an attempt at a new beginning, but perhaps only a futile one. As the lyrics “Liquor is quicker than the blood that we share/ Liquor is quicker than learning to care” ring one last time over the tapering music, there still remains a pair of sullied hands. A powerful ending to an impactful song prove that the partnership between Maryleigh Roohan and Lindsey Copeland was truly fateful.
The release of Roohan’s new song and video follow up her full length Skin and Bone released earlier this year, and if it tells us anything about this talented songwriter, it is that we need to stop and listen. Check out the video here and just feel for a few minutes:

Oh Brother- MaryLeigh Roohan from Lindsey Copeland on Vimeo.

TRACK OF THE WEEK: BETS “Don’t Give A F#CK”

BETs album

Sleep in late. Roll out of bed disheveled. Creep up the volume on our track of the week BETS “Don’t Give A Fuck.” Over an entrancing retro beat, “I don’t don’t don’t give a fuck, don’t don’t don’t give a fuck” teases the sultry bicoastal singer/songwriter before warning, “Everybody knows…I never fall in love.”  An image is evoked of a lazy morning and the electro-pop artist in a floral silk robe with hair tousled pouring black coffee, perhaps a morning toke, while ignoring her lover still sleeping from last night’s antics. BETS is too busy writing a song in head swept from the day’s early glow and the late night memories. The electro-pop tune provides recurrent reminders via pulse and vocals lifting you into a mellow trance. Start your day with this one, I’ve always said not giving a fuck is an important part of the path to enlightenment.

BETS 2

The track is off of her upcoming 2015 debut LP Days, Hours, Nights.

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VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Happy Lives, “Marry Me”

happy lives

Art Rock duo, Happy Lives  (Julian Beel & Mike Lande), make self-described stripped down “neo pop”. Though much of what they do is conceptually bare bones, the result is invariable addictive–an amalgam of lo-fi grit and musical complexity. Their newest single and accompanying video, “Marry Me”, follows suit with what they do best, with a slow, grungy bass lines anchoring the track throughout, minimalist electric guitar melodies, crashing drums and Lande’s dry, straightforward rap bringing the whole thing together like super glue.

The video focuses on Lande as he recites the track’s lyrics. Getting up close and personal with him in this manner sucks us into his psyche like a siren’s call. It appears as if he’s truly attempting to communicate something to his audience, adamantly and sincerely. I’m not sure quite what it is he’s conveying, however that’s part of the video’s mystery and charm, and keeps me pressing replay over and over again. Its overall simplicity, focus, and beguiling aesthetic puts it smack at the top of my best-of list for 2014.

See for yourselves her, via Youtube.

The band will be performing on 12/14 at Baby’s All Right.

LIVE REVIEW: Yo La Tengo @ Town Hall

New York City’s resplendent Town Hall is quite a place to have a birthday party. Amid the glistening chandeliers and velvety red carpet, an unassuming crowd filed in, featuring a mix of young kids with neon hair, older folks with silver hair, and everyone in between. Yo La Tengo’s longstanding, universal appeal manifested.

For the Hoboken trio’s thirtieth anniversary, they invited several friends and fans for a couple of back-to-back celebrations in Times Square, featuring opening bands/YLT BFF’s Antietam on 12/3 and The Feelies on 12/4. Sadly, I was only able to attend the latter show, but happily (and not surprisingly) it was excellent.

The Feelies appeared on stage at 8pm on the dot, and though half the audience were still searching for their seats, people still called out “Hi guys!” and “Hey Stan!” [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][Stan Demeski, drummer] as if we were all old friends catching up over our favorite ’80s indie rock. The band launched right into their impeccable set with intense focus and a skittering energy that made them as enjoyable to watch as they were to listen to. Highlights of their hour included “Away” and “Deep Fascination”—both off The Feelies’ 1988 album Only Life—and the impressively sped up rendition of “Crazy Rhythms” that made it nearly impossible for the crowd to resist getting out of their seats and rocking out. It was easy to see (rather, hear) how the Feelies truly comprise part of the foundation on which Yo La Tengo was built, particularly with their screechy guitar solos. By the end of their set, all of the band members were wiping sweat from under their slipping glasses.

Then came the guests of honor: guitarist Ira Kaplan, drummer Georgia Hubley, and bassist James McNew. They began with “Ohm,” off of their 2013 record, Fade. Normally a rather innocuous and—per its name—meditative track, here it was reincarnated as abrasive and noisy, with Ira flailing along with his guitar. They truly ripped the song to shreds, and this for their opening number. The rest of the set took the audience on a tour through Yo La Tengo’s thirty years, featuring bygone gems “The Cone of Silence” from their debut album Ride The Tiger (with longtime YLT pal Dave Schramm on guitar) and “Upside-Down” from 1992’s May I Sing With Me, as well as crowd favorites “Hey Mr. Tough” and an outstanding, nearly fifteen-minute-long version of “I Heard You Looking” with Feelies’ guitarists Glenn Mercer and Bill Million along for the ride. Ira, in his classic striped t-shirt and jeans uniform, commented at one point that “the idea that we get to play with [The Feelies] in this century is so special to us,” and the crowd heartily agreed.

For their encore, the threesome treated the crowd to an intimately acoustic, Georgia-led version of “Big Day Coming” (featured on the recently released deluxe album Extra Painful) and a cover of Neil Young’s “Time Fades Away.” For their very last number, Yo La Tengo were joined by all members of The Feelies onstage, with Ira commenting, “Thirty years and two days ago we played at Maxwell’s for the first time and this is the last song we played that night.” And midway through this momentous cover of The Psychedelic Furs’ “Pretty in Pink,” Ira snuck a glance back towards his two bandmates huddled by the drum set, and the three of them exchanged smiles. It was a rare moment and possibly the biggest public display of affection from Yo La Tengo, and the perfect ending to a show that genuinely felt like a family affair (albeit a very badass one). The bands left the stage and the crowd poured out into the blistering cold, but the show’s warmth lingered on each of us like a blanket for the rest of the night.

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TRACK PREMIERE: Del Sur “In My Room”

in my room

Del Sur–a beach pop band from decidedly un-beachy Philadelphia–specializes in whimsy done mellow. The group is both youthful and young: young because their debut EP H.A.G.S. comes out at the end of January 2015, and youthful because of their penchant for simple melodies that repeat each other and multiply, like a round, over a bongo drum line.  H.A.G.S., though, isn’t quite a pop album. More accurately, it’s a paradox of the familiar and the strange: Del Sur lays catchy guitar lines and confessional lyrics down alongside one another, but never syncs them up. You get the sense that these songs aren’t telling you something.

“I see you, I want to know more,” vocalist Michael Collier singsongs in the second single off H.A.G.S., “In My Room,” with the kind of disconnected earnestness that sets up a listener for an album’s worth of songs that are endearingly, if irreconcilably, at odds. Beginning with a sunny surf pop melody line, the listener is immediately hooked in, only to be thrown by Collier’s charming, idiosyncratic lo-fi vocals. Simple yet catchy, the track’s brevity speaks for itself, leaving us, well, wanting to know more from this band.

Listen to their brand new gem here, via Soundcloud.

ARTIST OF THE MONTH: Her Habits

HerHabits 1 by Mikaela GauerWhen discussing artists, a phenomenon frequently comes up among those who work in the industry. You may adore someone, yet not be so into their music, or discover your favorite artist is kind of an ass. Her Habits (singer/songwriter Joanie Wolkoff) passes both the human and art test with flying “tropi-pop” colors (a term meaning tropical pop she used to describe her earlier work, before finding her rock and electro sides in part with Her Habits collaborator/producer Sanford Livingston).

Originally from Toronto, Joanie grew up in a musical household “Mom played folk guitar and dug (Canadian legend) Gordon Lightfoot and dad sings and writes his own blues songs to this day,” says Joanie. She lived with her father and stepmother (her mother passed when she was nine) as an only child. “I explored a lot of imaginative avenues because I spent a lot of time alone when I was a little kid,” she says. After attending a conservative all-girls school, Joanie fell into an artistic community of “elective kin” during her time spent at an alternative high school, a sharp (and assumed appreciated) change from her early education. “I sort of found myself at age 14 or 15 surrounded by a much broader spectrum of demographics,” says Joanie. “I left home early and found myself in a really creative community of folks who were a few years older than me, and who really wanted to empower me and help me find my footing. They helped remind me that I had jurisdiction over my life even though I was 17 and super young and super intimidated. I think I still had these ideas around what I as meant to do or entitled to do instead of just following all my passions.”

After a successful enough modeling career to support herself and save up for college, Joanie moved to Paris to study. What was meant to be a brief stint turned into four years. Eventually, Joanie found herself in New York in 2006. As noted in the interview, we’re skipping over the internship in rural China, the chandelier making, and other glimmering gems of experience that fall out of Joanie’s lips with a humbling nod. “I do carry an expired state issued barbering license,” she adds.

HerHabits by David Gillespie 6 high res

While music had always been a part of her experience, the energy of New York sailed Joanie through the progression that emerged to become Her Habits. “I think there’s a professional blood lust in America that gives its art a really powerful reach,” she says.

Her Habits is a recent initiative after four years of Joanie and Sanford working together. The two met a while back working on a pitch for Hershey’s chocolate. They didn’t get the gig, but it lead to a creative partnership of filtering Joanie’s songwriting through Sanford’s production skills, who along with honing in on that unique style (like being able to tell who made the vegetables at a potluck, she describes) also pushes her musical boundaries. “Make no mistake, Her Habits is a collaboration,” Joanie says. “We had to join forces to create the particular energy and texture and production value that you get when you listen.” When asked of her creative process, she says “It’s kind of insular, like I’ll try to construct really interesting really stimulating melodies.” Stimulating melodies indeed. From someone who has dabbled in everything from stoner rock to commercial pop and lived a life encompassing the grit of a farmer and the glamour of a world model, Her Habits is a clean and sparkly well-though out collection of driving beats and sugary melodies. The grit and the glamour is all there in the music, I like to imagine twirling under the lights of a disco ball spinning from a log cabin as I listen, but check the forthcoming EP out for yourself. It also comes with an illustrated booklet created by Joanie after asking around what habits people found to be unique to women.

Her Habits debut Northerner EP will be out Jan 27th. I

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