Zach Condon’s use of brass and keys can make much of his music seem like a blast from the past, particularly on organic efforts like “Vagabond” and “East Harlem” where natural orchestral-laden instrumentation makes his infusion of folk and pop (with Balkan influences for each) sound irresistibly nostalgic. Tracks like “Santa Fe”, with its bouncy synth lead, are more indicative of his contemporary indie-folk leanings, but the cohesive balance on The Rip Tide between both these styles made it one of 2011’s best (#41).

So with the balance between old and new, it’s apt that the video for “Vagabond” is in black-and-white with allusions to 1940s wartime films. The video, which features soldiers and sailors “flirting with nurses and hard-living local girls at a dance”, was inspired by Milos Forman films from the 1960s. Directors Sunset Television also added that “With all the smoking, drinking, and advanced pregnancy, the video will probably be banned from MTV, so we hope lots of people enjoy it on the internet.”

MP3: Beirut – El Zocalo

MP3: Beirut – My Wife

MP3: Beirut – The Shrew

Official Site / MySpace / BUY

The post Video: Beirut – “Vagabond” appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.

#50 to 41                   #40 to 31                   #30 to 21                   #20 to 11                   #10 to 01

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50. Dirty Beaches – Badlands

If you were to play Dirty Beaches’ debut full-length, Badlands, loudly in your apartment, the neighbors would likely suspect one of two things: either you pulled out an old-fashioned phonograph and started playing cracked vinyl records of early-era rockabilly, or you were blasting a documentary focused around Beat Generation novels like On the Road and Naked Lunch. The reason I picture a narrative character in place of songwriter Alex Hungtai is a complement to Dirty Beaches’ distinctive display of stylistic nostalgia and the contemporary lo-fi movement. Badlands finds many comparisons to Springsteen’s cult-favorite album Nebraska, where he would alternate sparsely haunting folk music with glimpses of rockabilly aided by the occasional Elvis-like yelp. If the album title was extracted from the Springsteen song of the same name I wouldn’t be surprised. The outstanding narrative power of Nebraska is undeniable, and Dirty Beaches follow a similar path in a concise 27-minute release built on nostalgia, imagery, but most importantly great songwriting that finds perfect accommodation in its unconventional lo-fi production. Review>>>

Dirty Beaches – True Blue

Dirty Beaches – Sweet 17

Official Blog / MySpace / BUY

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49. Moonface – Organ Music Not Vibraphone Like I’d Hoped

Spencer Krug is wise enough to categorize his lofty ambitions in the form of various projects. Wolf Parade and Sunset Rubdown are his best known ventures for good reason. The former is more willing to ride on hooks and with tight art-rock savvy production, while Sunset Rubdown is a more unrestrained version of Krug that produces epic rock operas (“The Men Are Called Horsemen There“) as often as it does soaring and infectious power ballads (“Apollo and the Buffalo and Anna Anna Anna Oh!“). Keys and guitars are Krug’s forte, though with his solo project Moonface he experiments with just the keys — marimbas to be specific, with key-based loops and drum machines. Krug’s previous release under the moniker, Marimba and Shit-Drums in 2010, was the first indication of Krug’s most recent project. He named it Moonface, so no one was surprised when it sounded like a mixture of chiptune and anxious prog-rock. Organ Music refines the sound of Moonface’s first endeavor, even if it comes across as more self-indulgent in the process. But with gems like “Return to the Violence of the Ocean Floor” and “Fast Peter”, both of which showcase Krug’s knack for atmospheric build-ups and swift hooks, Organ Music is worthwhile despite being generally inferior to Krug’s other offerings. Moonface is an experiment for sure, but with results that are positive more often than mixed.

MP3: Moonface – Return to the Violence of the Ocean Floor

MP3: Moonface – Fast Peter

Official Site / Extra Track / BUY

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48. Quichenight – Quichenight I

Quichenight I, the first album by Boston native Brett Rosenberg’s band Quichenight, features nostalgic components of classic rock, namely the excitable guitar twang, bustling keyboard accompaniments, and quirky yet unpretentious lyrics reminiscent of other revivalists like Dr. Dog and Ariel Pink. Quichenight’s sound is comparatively lo-fi, and though the album was recorded “in a Nashville Tennessee basement”, there is little of the traditional Nashville sound at work here apart from country-pop exercise 615. There are a couple excellent songs on the album which point the way toward some future iteration of Quichenight, which leans less on the specter of Dr. Dog (“Stuck Here” could’ve been taken right off Easy Beat) and The Minus 5. These moments come largely when a variation in rhythm lends definition to Rosenberg’s plentiful hooks, such as on “The Sober Ones”, where the guitars stab with each strum, punctuating the nasally angst of Rosenberg’s struggle with a sober society which he doesn’t take part in. The other major standout track, and subject of the band’s first music video, is “L.A. Time”. This song is just a wash of hooks and wonderful vocal harmonies; it gives Caribou a run for his money. Rosenberg may sound like he’s imitating his heroes at some points, but there’s no denying he has many similar melodic gifts. Review>>>

MP3: Quichenight – L.A. Time

MP3: Quichenight – The Sober Ones

Official Site / Facebook / BUY

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47. Matthew Herbert – One Pig

You never know what you’re going to get with Matthew Herbert, a true musical chameleon that could write a full orchestra Broadway hit (see Scale) in the same day as a droning electronic experiment. Listening to the harsh One Pig will catch anyone off guard with its idiosyncratic delivery, a collection of field recordings that confidently sound like a farm under attack from a horde of flesh-eating demons. Take “November, for instance. It evolves from the quaint sounds of a pink oinking and snorting, seemingly at peace, to a harsh discordant whirring with hectic rhythm and lead buzzing reminiscent of a dentist’s drill. Too bad for Babe the Pig that Thanksgiving arrives in November. We trace back to Herbert’s dispute with PETA over the concept of One Pig, which was to audibly document the life and death of a pig — from its birth to butchering. On that front, it’s a job well done. I’m sure Morrissey appreciates it too. Beyond the novelty factor , One Pig is a bold venture that proves unforgettable to anyone with the patience to sift through it. Herbert’s subtle touches, like the stricken tremolo in the far background of “October” or the poignant ode-to-pig acoustic charmer “May 2011”, provide plenty of melody and color to an experimental set of field recordings.

Matthew Herbert – September

Matthew Herbert – November

Official Site / BUY

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46. Gang Gang Dance – Eye Contact

Gang Gang Dance are becoming increasingly difficult to classify. Each of their albums deal in different stylistic realms and structural tendencies, their ambition seemingly growing with each successive release. Their newest, Eye Contact, is a wonderful fusion of both their pop and ambient smarts, sounding like a disciple of Brian Eno and Talk Talk more than past rampant dubstep comparisons. “Glass Jar” is a gorgeous opener resembling the pinnacle of a futuristic sound, best accompanied by a vast array of stars and lucid planets with blue and green pastels. Wispy synths dart across the track like shooting stars, guided by the dexterous drumming of new addition Jesse Lee, whose added jazz and Latin rhythmic flair helps steer what GGD consider their first true pop album. The lofty association of rhythmic styles like jazz into an electronic soundscape reminiscent of both ambient sci-fi film scoring and glittery Italo-disco. One reference point is to Talk Talk’s later career, when Mark Hollis produced Spirit of Eden and Laughing Stock with the simultaneous virtuosity of a pop songwriter and jazz ringleader. “Chinese High” is more accessible with similar high-pitched synths and synth solo scatterings. Lizzi Bougatsos’ voice is just as high here, both in terms of actual pitch and excitement within, stretching her voice to the limits like Carey Mercer or Karin Dreijer Andersson. Few acts can capture both the atmosphere and pure visceral emotion of experimental pop music like Gang Gang Dance. Eye Contact shows some of their best songwriting to date.

Gang Gang Dance – Glass Jar

Gang Gang Dance – Mindkilla (Blackbird Blackbird remix)

Official Site / BUY

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45. John Maus – We Must Become the Pitiless Censors of Ourselves

Between his new album and 2007’s Love is Real, John Maus worked as a philosophy professor at the University of Hawaii. It’s an unlikely role for someone with a cult following since his teens, but Maus is like past collaborator and classmate Ariel Pink in many ways. His sound is eerily unique despite owing much to the nostalgic tones of warm ’80s synths, mainly because his structures are as flexible as his moody delivery without sacrificing space for hooks. At times, Pitiless Censors of Ourselves is so eerily complacent that it resembles a hypnotized church procession. “…And the Rain” resembles a cathedral organ in its ascending pitch tendencies and hypnotic lull, while the subsequent “Hey Moon” takes the form of a ballad with its angelic twinkle and gentle murmur. Opener “Believer” enjoyably picks up right where Maus left off with the more accessible yet equally moody Love is Real. Variation was never Maus’ forte, so he instead relies on gorgeous layers of synth-laden melodies that achieve an anthemic quality through subtle structural shifts and frequencies. Throughout the album, Maus’ voice is forever entrenched in a nonchalant reverb akin to acts like Bauhaus and Felt, which over stiff drum machines and wavering synth tones makes for a very intimate sound. Leave it to a philosopher to craft perfect music for studying, driving, or any other tedious necessity that demands an interesting soundtrack.

John Maus – Hey Moon

MP3: John Maus – Believer

Official Site / BUY

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44. Bill Callahan – Apocalypse

Bill Callahan has a voice like no other man on earth; it’s haunting, intimate, spontaneous and passionate. The first thing heard on Apocalypse is Callahan singing a single line, unaccompanied: “The real people went away.” His beautiful voice lures the listener into the dark world of Apocalypse, which is darker than his previous material. The rolling drum beat of the album’s opener, “Drover”, brings the album to life, immediately transporting the listener to a darker and more solitary place. One highlight, “Riding for the Feeling”, leaks pure passion; it’s clear that Callahan put every last drop of sentiment into it. It enforces an odd attachment from the listener to Callahan, in a personal and sympathetic light that makes one want to comfort him. “Riding for the Feeling” seems as if it’s sung in a reflective state, looking back on the last part of his life in sadness and wondering if things could have been different. Maybe it’s about his long-term relationship with Joanna Newsom. Maybe not. Regardless, the album works beautifully. It is driven by Callahan’s two-piece band, but led heroically by his phenomenal voice. He chooses each word carefully and intricately lays them over his touching compositions with precise timing. Apocalypse provides the listener with a unique and abstract view of not only how Callahan feels about himself and his plights, but also about the world as a whole. Review>>>

Bill Callahan – Riding for the Feeling

Bill Callahan – Drover

Drag City / MySpace / BUY

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43. Man Man – Life Fantastic

Life Fantastic is more of what we love from Man Man and their creative blending of pop music. Except this time, it gets slightly darker. “Knuckle Down” is an excellent album opener that reminds the listener of why they fell in love with Man Man in the first place: jangly, exotic instrumentation and band leader Honus Honus’ signature vocal style. The disturbingly dark lyrics play well off the more lighthearted beat. With true-to-form Man Man flair, “Piranha’s Club” is the band’s take on ‘50s doo-wop and boogie music, some of the earliest roots of rock and roll. Keeping to the theme, the lyrics state that “the world is a shit show, as bad as the sequel.” Shameless” might be the best song on Life Fantastic. Its piano opener is a fusion of Far Eastern-influenced chord progressions combined with a classical Western symphony-style composition. It’s a daring and rewarding mix that makes for an absolutely stunning track. Not since “Ice Dogs” has a song so wholly represented Man Man’s unique sound, a sound that could be defined as its own genre, a genre that only Honus and his wacky friends can tap into. Call it drunken pirating tunes, or simply creative pop music. While “Shameless” doesn’t feature funny voices, kazoos, or other tiny screwball idiosyncrasies, it feels more complete and straightforward than much of the band’s previous material. The same can be said for the bulk of Life Fantastic. Review>>>

Man Man – Knuckle Down

MP3: Man Man – Haute Tropique

Official Site / MySpace / BUY

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42. Neon Indian – Era Extraña

The likes of Washed Out, Toro y Moi, and Neon Indian were understandably weary of the ‘chillwave’ tag, or anything that lazily grouped them together for that matter. For some artists it would have been tempting to continue developing a small niche out of gauzy synth loops and reflective reverb, with superficiality and nostalgia reigning over any semblance of a structural innovation. Neon Indian’s Alan Palomo firmly rejects that notion with Era Extraña, a very pleasing album that infuses Palomo’s hang-loose sentiments with a variety of composite adjustments and long-reaching comparisons; “The Blindside Kiss” rides on heavy drum distortion and a faint guitar roar, its halt-go patterns emphasized by sticky layers of reverb that My Bloody Valentine and Low would approve of. The starry-eyed “Fallout” sounds like a lost cut from a John Hughes film, relocating the ’80s new wave/electro-thriller vibe M83 mastered with his newest. “Should Have Taken Acid With You” and several other cuts on Psychic Chasms were more revealing of Palomo’s occasional tongue-in-cheek demeanor; he’s more of a distantly mysterious figure on Era Extraña. The polished production brings Neon Indian’s sound to a more grandiose place with loftier ambitions, most of which are fulfilled on this defiant accomplishment. It’s very easy to get excited about Palomo’s next release.

Neon Indian – Polish Girl

Neon Indian – Fallout

Official Site / BUY

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41. Beirut – The Rip Tide

Zach Condon makes music that sounds bigger than it truly is. This fact is made apparent throughout The Rip Tide, Beirut’s first new LP in four years. And while the band’s previous works have had a ‘world music’ quality to them, the new album is focused on American locales (see “East Harlem”, “Goshen”, and “Santa Fe”) and could even be considered to be a “Zach Condon album” more than anything else. By consciously choosing to keep this album free of overt cultural themes, Condon was free to explore his own style that wasn’t necessarily dependent on an international influence. The end result is The Rip Tide, a jaunt, fun, and straightforward album that skips the pomp and delivers quality songs from one of the most under-appreciated bands recording today. And though it clocks in just a hair under the run time of 2009s March of the Zapotec/Realpeople Holland EPs (combined), it feels more conscious, structured and fleshed out. On opener “A Candle’s Fire”, signature horns are front and center ready to grab the audience before the large, introductory crash of instruments that leads into the track’s summer day buoyancy. Like much of the album, this opening song includes classic Beirut tendencies, but removes all the frill; it leaves a more minimal song, but one that is more focused and brilliant. “Santa Fe” acts in a similar fashion, using sweeping horns to create the grandiose mood Condon envisions. Review>>>

Beirut – The Rip Tide

Beirut – Port of Call

Official Site / MySpace / BUY

The post Best Albums of 2011: #50 to #41 appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.

Autumn nears and so do my qualms about winter. Needless to say, it always seems like the best music and film arrives during the last one-third of the year. Award considerations aside, one gets the hunch artists want to end the year on a positive note rather than one of nothingness. A looming uncertainty can sometimes be the best source of inspiration. Combine this artistic spur with crisp days, pumpkin ales, and some football and you have some of my favorite moments. This month’s compilation offers a preview of that. New releases from Girls, Beirut, and CANT are some of the most buzzed-about kickstarts to the season, but don’t forget about emerging ones like The Wind, Pepper Rabbit, and J. Nolan as well. Not to mention, a familiar face in Bill Callahan released Apocalypse months ago, but we tossed a review up because – well – it just feels like an album for autumn.

The newcomer I’m most excited about is NewVillager, who released a very fun album the past month. Like TV on the Radio meets Man Man, the duo projects a perfect mixture of experimental pop and soulful rock. They should be big fairly quickly, especially with chaotically brilliant efforts like “Say the Code”.  In the hip-hop realm, J. Nolan touts the best delivery I’ve heard in awhile. The young and tireless rapper releases something new every month, each time time with improvement (even if it’s hard to top the lush electro-rap of “Cosmic Cruise”). Some garage-rock and blues can be found with the likes of You Won’t, The Stone Foxes, and Chappo, while artists of the more lengthily ambitious variety include old favorite Cymbals Eat Guitars and CANT, the solo project of Grizzly Bear’s Chris Taylor with appearances by Twin Shadow. Their album Dreams Come True sounds like a fall release if I’ve ever heard one. Some of these efforts, like the effervescent classic-rock sound of The Wind and The Drums, are not precisely aligned with the fall variety, but showcase the spurt of quality that is to be expected over the next several months.

Get back to the grind and enjoy the falling leaves with these wonderful efforts:

01. NewVillager – Say the Code (post)
02. Girls – Vomit (post)
03. The Wind – Sunshine and Peace of Mind (post)
04. Beirut – The Rip Tide (post)
05. Pepper Rabbit – Tiny Fingers (post)
06. J. Nolan – Cosmic Cruise (prod. One Love Beats) (post)
07. Woods – Out of the Eye (post)
08. The Drums – Let’s Go Surfing (post)
09. Warm Speakers – Where the Comma Lands (post)
10. Oh Ruin – The Pillow Where Your Head Does Lay (post)
11. CANT – The Edge (post)
12. Bill Callahan – Riding for the Feeling (post)
13. Chappo – Bodies Coasting (post)
14. You Won’t – Three Car Garage (post)
15. Cymbals Eat Guitars – Definite Darkness (post)
16. The Stone Foxes – Psycho (post)

DOWNLOAD ENTIRE COMPILATION>>> (106 MB, .RAR)

The post Obscure Sound: Best of August 2011 appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.

by Jay Mattson

Zach Condon makes music that sounds bigger than it truly is. This fact is made apparent throughout The Rip Tide, Beirut’s first new LP in four years. And while the band’s previous works have had a ‘world music’ quality to them, the new album is focused on American locales (see “East Harlem”, “Goshen”, and “Santa Fe”) and could even be considered to be a “Zach Condon album” more than anything else. By consciously choosing to keep this album free of overt cultural themes, Condon was free to explore his own style that wasn’t necessarily dependent on an international influence. The end result is The Rip Tide, a jaunt, fun, and straightforward album that skips the pomp and delivers quality songs from one of the most under-appreciated bands recording today. And though it clocks in just a hair under the run time of 2009s March of the Zapotec/Realpeople Holland EPs (combined), it feels more conscious, structured and fleshed out.

On the album opener “A Candle’s Fire”, Condon croons “Just don’t forget a candle’s fire is just a flame.” It’s an excellent sentiment to start an album that presents Beirut at their most vulnerable. Signature horns are front and center ready to grab the audience before the large, introductory crash of instruments that leads into the track’s summer day buoyancy. Like much of the album, this opening song includes classic Beirut tendencies, but removes all the frill; it leaves a more minimal song, but one that is more focused and brilliant. “Santa Fe” acts in a similar fashion, using sweeping horns to create the grandiose mood Condon envisions.

“East Harlem”marks the point where The Rip Tide veers from traditional Beirut fanfare. This more optimistic effort still utilizes Beirut instrumental staples, but instead of building and crashing in movements, “East Harlem” employs a constant rhythmic melody that repeats throughout the song but never feels forced or irritating.

The following track (and the b-side to the “East Harlem” single), “Goshen”, might be one of the most emotionally tugging songs Condon has ever written. For most of the song, a lone piano is all Condon employs along with his lead vocals. As the song goes on, Condon begins layering his voice over itself to make a chorus-style effect.  And while this might sound odd, it actually works extremely well; Condon harmonizes with himself over the piano and light horns in the far background, crafting a beautiful delight.

If I had to choose a song on the album to deem as weakest, it would be “Payne’s Bay”  – and only because it seems the most out-of-place; the European overtones would have been far more appropriate on The Flying Club Cup. It simply feels like the sore thumb of the group. But as expected, Condon pulls a 180-degree turn with the album’s title track, offering an extended opening movement and Western-inspired song structure. With only six lines of lyrics (repeated twice), “The Rip Tide” is mostly instrumental, and that’s just fine. Beirut’s baroque-style chamber-pop (what a terrible genre name!) lends itself to pure instrumentation very well. Condon’s voice is as damn close to a living instrument as you can get, and it feels like his lyrics were written with spontaneous appeal rather than a practice of regurgitation. Moving forward, “Vagabond” brings us dangerously close to “Payne’s Bay” territory of being sequentially discordant. Fortunately, it quickly moves into personal theme music to a scrappy young boy factory worker at the turn of the 20th century; it’s light, but not pompous.

If “The Ripe Tide” was the album’s instrumental track, “The Peacock” is its vocally-focused jam. Similar to “Goshen”, this song finds Condon harmonizing with himself on layered tracks. Unfortunately, “The Peacock” rests too much on Condon’s vocal chops, leaving the instrumentation sounding like a muddled mess under the multiple layers of singing. “Port of Call” brings the album full circle by showcasing Condon’s incredible ukulele skills. Two minutes in, the horn section joins in and it sounds like listening to a b-side from earlier Beirut work, utterly nostalgic without the audience knowing exactly what Condon is being nostalgic about.

Zach Condon is one of the most talented musicians alive today and he proves it continually. Many Beirut fans were expecting a new culturally-themed album. Because of that expectation, some fans may be slightly disappointed with The Rip Tide. Instead of looking outward, to the rest of the world for inspiration, Condon took a look into his own backyard and himself to craft this group of songs. And while the level of quality swings between ‘incredible’ and ‘generally good’, none of the album is superfluous or worth skipping. If you’re looking for the same ol’ Beirut, you won’t find it here.

Beirut – Santa Fe

Beirut – A Candle’s Fire

Beirut – East Harlem

Beirut – The Rip Tide

Beirut – Goshen

Official Site / MySpace / BUY

The post Beirut – The Rip Tide (2011) appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.

Week in Review (Jan 15-21)

by Jay Mattson

Top News Story:

COACHELLA!  The 2011 Coachella Music and Arts Festival artist lineup has been announced and is currently flying all over the Internet, kind of like a little indie-rock Christmas present for the kids.  Exciting acts include Arcade Fire, The Strokes, Kanye West, the reunion of Death From Above 1979 (!!!!), Animal Collective, The Black Keys, Lightning Bolt, Best Coast, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Tame Impala, and many, many, many others.

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New Tracks:

Wavves – Mutant

* A reported b-side left over from the King of the Beach sessions, “Mutant” is Nathan Williams at his best with Wavves.  Hazy instrumentals and Williams’ unique vocals swim through the first half of the track before breaking down into a full instrumental movement.  Williams has stated that “Mutant” may appear on an upcoming 7” single… maybe.

Nicki Minaj – Roman’s Revenge 2.0 (featuring Lil’ Wayne)

* The only thing that’s changed on this 2.0 version of “Roman’s Revenge”, from Nicki’s debut, Pink Friday, is that Lil’ Wayne contributes the featured verses instead of Eminem. Overall, “2.0” isn’t better or worse than the original, it’s just different.  Wayne’s tempo doesn’t fit as well as Eminem’s, and it shows when each version is played consecutively.

The Mountain Goats – Damn These Vampires

* As the first new track from John Darnielle since the Mountain Goats’ The Life of the World to Come way back when in 2009, this track held a heavy burden.  Would Darnielle choose to continue down the dark and relgious path he set for himself, or would he start climbing toward a lighter tone and less serious tone?  The latter is proven true, as “Damn These Vampires” is a spirited acoustic jaunt through some of the Mountain Goats’ greatest strengths.

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Best New Album of the Week:

Smith Westerns – Weekend

Smith Westerns – All Die Young

Smith Westerns – Dance Away

If you wish you were born in the 1970s, Dye it Blonde is for you.  Built upon the jangle and swoon of the beginning of psychedelia without sounding too…well, psychedelic. More so, Smith Westerns manage to match the tone of psychedelic past, but crank the tempo up a few notches and add more electric guitar than hazy sitar.  In today’s increasingly niche-based musical world, it has become increasingly difficult to record an album that audiences will willingly listen to from start to finish without skipping a track.  Dye it Blonde accomplishes this through songs that consistently grab your attention with their lighthearted melodies and catchy instrumentals.  More often than not, the guitar work carries the tracks, which is not a bad thing at all.  Smith Westerns have carved a sound for themselves that’s simply enjoyable to hear and Dye it Blonde is the result of that.

BUY

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Song of the Week:

Beirut – Elephant Gun

Everyone has a few songs that stay with them.  There are those few tracks that hold meaning, no matter what that meaning may be.  Perhaps it is a memory of a specific summer, or a feeling of happiness or depression rushes over you.  Maybe you actually become frightened, or it could simply that you really love the song.  For me, “Elephant Gun” is one of those songs.  It was the Beirut track that truly made me fall in love with Zach Condon’s mesmerizing vocals and uncanny arrangements.  And while Beirut’s entire catalog is genius, “Elephant Gun” is my favorite track by Condon and company.  The blending of instruments evident throughout the song is gorgeous, as Condon seamlessly adds and removes different layers of horns, strings and vocals.  When I first heard this song, all I could think about was a parade, a procession making steady progress down a smallish street in a populated French city.  Condon is, of course, the leader, but he’s not walking in front.  Instead, he’s sitting atop an elephant in a carrier while he strums away at the ukulele while his marching band whimsically plays along.

BUY

The post Week in Review (1/21) appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.

Soft Landing remain somewhat elusive, but the members’ experiences are never in question. Frontman Paul Collins is part of the traveling circus that is Beirut. And so is Perrin Cloutier, who Collins recruited just as Soft Landing passed its preliminary stage. Mike Lawless, Collins’ friend from college, later rounded out the trio as they began recording their debut full-length in Chicago with Icy Demons’ frontman Griffin Rodriguez. The self-titled release predictably found a home with Ba Da Bing Records, the label to bands like Beirut and Shearwater. Soft Landing was released last fall but just recently found its share of press. The trio possesses the same angular approach to rock, folk, and pop that frequent collaborator Zach Condon does, but Soft Landing implement their diverse showing of styles – from tropicalia and mariachi-driven chillwave to twangy folk and rhythmically combustible pop anthems – more succinctly than Condon. The result is not as grandiose or individualized as Beirut, but with greater stylistic prowess and arguably more percussive involvement.

While Condon plays with enjoyably rigid sentiments of Balkan folk and unconventional fusions of electronica, Soft Landing is a breezier and more accessible interpretation of freak-folk, electronica, and art-rock. The world influences are not as striking – like Condon’s Balkan folk – but Soft Landing provide plenty of international flair mainly pertaining to South American and African folk/pop. “Papaya” shows this off well with the exotic woodwind-like synths and fast acoustic arpeggios. One can envision a blue-sky atmosphere, mainly on account of the handclap-percussion and vibrant guitars resembling both an Irish jig and tribal dance. Collins has a voice most comparable to The Veils’ Finn Andrews in a half-nasally half-anthemic croon that fits well, particularly for this fun track.

“Mic Check” boasts a little electro bass gargle and quick strums of a ukulele. During its build-up, Collins’ gradually raises the pitch of his voice until the falsetto signals a fury of percussion, which is mastered subtly in its panning but still unavoidable considering its incredible workmanship within the track. “Mic Check” is constant and somewhat repetitive, but the subtleties inherent in Collins’ vocal usage and percussive involvement prevent even the slightest moment of predictability. The stampede of percussion and revolving synth licks create an infectious quality rarely found in driven works like these and Soft Landing should be commended for it. They are able to manipulate a flimsy synth sound into the capabilities of a retro-friendly organ, and these bursts bring along sentiments of psychedelia and classic-rock that fit seamlessly into Soft Landing’s creative presentations of freak-folk and Balearic-influenced electronica.

A guitar arpeggio and more intensified synth-organs than before propel “Live with Birds” into yet another memorable effort. Big bass drums dominate shortly thereafter, with a poppy synth line only to designed to tease. The initial vocal introduction is complemented by only an acoustic guitar, and this bass drum/synth collaboration reveals itself as a killer hook once it appears again, now laced beautifully under Collins’ soaring vocals. XTC, David Bowie, and Deer Tick are just a few comparisons that come to mind. “Pendleton Woolen” has a type of lush delicacy that the band should pursue more. An acoustic track for the most part, a little bass shuffle enters concurrently with Collins’ voice. “All my kisses turned to ash,” he sings at one point. “I wish I could control the beats of my heart.” This is one of the more aptly emotional tracks on the album, and more developments like these should result in heavy exposure for this promising trio.

RIYL: Beirut, Au, XTC, David Bowie, Deer Tick, Rita Lee, Os Mutantes, Devendra Banhart, Fanfarlo, Andrew Bird

Soft Landing – Mic Check

Soft Landing – Pendleton Woolen

Soft Landing – Baptism

Ba Da Bing Records / BUY

The post Brace for a Soft Landing appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.

It’s almost dark, and I am sitting in front of the fountain that decorates the Bearsville Theater in Woodstock, NY. Walking towards me is Kathryn Calder and her manager Euvin Weeber. Kathryn is looking like anyone else in the crowd that surrounds us, down to earth in a floral print dress, while Euvin blows her cover in a flashy, white suit. After introductions, Kathryn and I find a comfortable spot and begin to acquaint. Later this night, she will be playing the first show of her upcoming tour with her band The New Pornographers. The band very recently released Together, their fifth album, which features impressive collaborations and an extensive orchestra of unusual instruments. The band, who have been together since 1997, are a grand group of nine. I took my moments with Kathryn to speak of the tour, David Bowie, and her ongoing goal of producing the best album ever made.

LAUREN: Your album (Together) just came out a couple days ago?

KATHRYN: Yes!

Very exciting, congratulations

Thank you

You guys have been together for a while now. Since like, 95′?

Well, I think the official date is 97′. But, I didn’t join until 2005. But yeah, it’s been a long time.

How do you feel like your music has evolved since your first album (Mass Romantic)?

I think it’s just getting “more.” More of everything; more harmonies, more instruments. I think Karl is getting into orchestration these days, so it’s pretty fun. You know, we’ve got lots of guests on the record obviously. Lots of cello, horn section, all kinds of chimes. You name it! We’ve got it!

On the album you collaborated with acts like St. Vincent and Beirut. Is there anyone you are really inspired by and would die to collaborate with?

Me personally? I’m not speaking for the band here? Who would I love to collaborate with… oh man. You know, I’m a huge fan of St. Vincent. I mean, technically, I’ve already collaborated with her. I wasn’t there when that was all going down, but it’s still awesome. Who else? I can’t pick… but, David Bowie! I don’t know. Tough question. The Shins!

You guys have been compared to The Shins multiple times!

Really? I’m not surprised. It’s sort of a melody-driven, similar type of thing.

I noticed that the album art for Together is remarkably similar to Neko Case’s solo album, Middle Cyclone. Any relation in regard to design?

Well the album artwork was actually designed by… this is terrible, but you’re going to have to look this up. I can’t remember. But they were both designed by artists, and Neko did the typography. I love it. I think they did an amazing job. (Editor’s note: I believe Katherine is referring to Kathleen Judge)

What has been your most interesting experience on stage?

So many shows! I guess my most memorable show was when I first joined the band in June 2005 and we played Prospect Park in Brooklyn. It was something like my third show with the band… in front of, you know, 10,000 people. And Neko wasn’t there, so I was singing Neko’s parts. It was super fun, and about three quarters of the way through, we were on stage in this big park with tons of people. And there was this sort of “reserved” section for people in front of the stage, and then a bunch of people from behind stormed into the reserved section. It was fun, and it was this big party! That was one of my most memorable shows.

Well you guys are headlining Lollapalooza this year, are you excited?

Yeah, yeah! It’s a big deal! We played Lollapalooza before, and I had a good time. That brings up another memorable show! We played Coachella, and I almost got heat stroke! For some reason I didn’t eat before the show. I was too busy wandering around and having a good time. And it was sunset, so I thought, “Oh, Sunset! It’ll be cooler!” It totally was not though, because the sun was directly facing me. So yeah, that’s another memorable one. But yes, Lollapalooza!

This is the first stop on your tour. What made you choose Woodstock, NY?

Karl lives here! We did a lot of the record here. I mean, the record was done everywhere. We recorded in studios all over the place, just because that’s the nature of the band. Most of the band is from Vancouver, so we make it work. Karl moved up here with his wife and they have this little guest cottage that we put up this makeshift recording studio in, and did a lot of the record in the bedroom. You know that kind of thing, where the control room is in the living room! So we did a lot of the record here, and then when we were looking for a place to rehearse, we picked this theater (Bearsville Theater) because Karl knew about it. It’s a really beautiful little place, and it fits everybody. We’ve been here for the past week, just getting ready for the upcoming tour. Fitting, it’s all very fitting.

What do you aim to achieve with your music?

I think we just try and make the best records we can, all the time. That’s what the goal is, you just have to keep getting better, keep trying to make the best music you possibly can. That’s all we’re trying to do, all we’ve ever tried to do.

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The New Pornographers – Sweet Talk, Sweet Talk

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The New Pornographers – Silver Jenny Dollar

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Immaculate Machine – Dear Confessor

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Immaculate Machine – Sound the Alarms

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Official Site

MySpace

BUY

Get the “Crash Years” MP3 for free here.

Kathryn’s solo material can be heard here.

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by Jay Mattson

If you haven’t heard Sleigh Bells yet, you haven’t been listening hard enough.  If you have heard Sleigh Bells, your hearing (and speakers) have already taken quite a beating.  In late 2009, Derek Miller and Alexis Krauss rose out of the mist of the CMJ Music Marathon and dropped a treble-saturated bomb onto the underground music world.  The band’s first single, “Crown on the Ground”,  is a monstrous song; it surges with an energy rarely seen in today’s indie scene.  It’s not surprising, though, as Miller used to be a member of hardcore outfit Poison the Well.  What is surprising is about Krauss’ musical background is her involvement with girl-pop group Rubyblue.  Somehow, one part hardcore guitarist + one part pop princess = gritty, infectious noise-rock.  CMJ was the beginning of the Sleigh Bells onslaught, but it was just that: the beginning.

In early 2010, Sleigh Bells was confirmed to play both Coachella Music & Arts Festival and Pitchfork Music Festival.  Overlapping acts between Coachella and Pitchfork isn’t uncommon (see Beirut in 2009 and Pavement this year).  Miller and Krauss, though, succeeded in booking two of the major indie music festivals this year without a proper release of any sort. With only a single (technically unreleased) CD-R under their belt, Sleigh Bells still managed to catch the attention of anyone who heard them.  In love-it-or-hate-it fashion, some listeners have trouble getting past their utterly forceful jams, others can’t get enough (myself included).

The third track on their demo disc, 2HELLWU CD-R, “Beach Girls”, shows how versatile Sleigh Bells aims to become.  While not veering from the over-the-top treble work of “Crown on the Ground”, it is a different kind of noise.  Synthesizers play a heavy roll on “Beach Girls”, which adds to the motif of the track and feels like a dystopian version of what a beach jam should be.  With “Infinity Guitars”, yet another facet of Sleigh Bells is revealed to the tune of murky, dirty ’90s rock mixed with a beat-conscious producer.  My favorite track on the CD-R has to be “A/B Machines”, a song that swells with a twisted, gnarled melody that would make Jesse Keeler and Sebastian Grainger cringe with excitement.  Oddly, the ‘title track’, “2HELLWU”, is the most soft-spoken, tender track of the bunch, with only minimal backing for Krauss’ impeccable vocal style.

Recently, Miller and Krauss released the first single from their debut album, Treats. Aptly named “Tell ‘Em”, it is a confident showing of excellence.  Seeing as this track will probably be the first Sleigh Bells song heard by a broader audience, it delivers a sincere and powerful representation of the material we’ve already heard.  Power-guitars and smoldering drum work succeeds in destroying my speakers (yet again) while pulling me in so hard that I can’t turn it off, even to save my poor Korean-brand sub-woofer from certain doom.

It’s hard to categorize Sleigh Bells.  Today, a venerable volcano of lo-fi indie pop/rock has been erupting from the New York scene (see Vivian Girls, Cymbals Eat Guitars, etc.). Miller and Krauss have taken elements of this scene and infused a grandiose sense of noise and rock so succinctly that it feels effortless in the face of so many down-tempo acts who rigorously attempt to provide their own uniqueness in a sea of similar bands.  If Treats doesn’t deliver, it might be one of the biggest letdowns of the year.  But that doesn’t seem likely.  Sleigh Bells has, thus far, shown impressive ability to create amazing music, and that momentum doesn’t seem to to be slowing down any time soon. Treats is out May 11th on N.E.E.T and Mom + Pop Records.

RIYL: Dum Dum Girls, Best Coast, Toro y Moi, Neon Indian, Real Estate, Beach Fossils, Phantogram, Smith Westerns, Titus Andronicus, Beach House, Zola Jesus, Girls, Penguin Prison, Delorean, Eternal Summers

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Sleigh Bells – Ring Ring

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Sleigh Bells – Beach Girls

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Sleigh Bells – Crown on the Ground

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MySpace

2HELLWU

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