After delivering several albums with flashes of brilliance but a lack of consistency, mr. Gnome have taken their biggest stride with Madness in Miniature, their third full-length album. Their previous two carried a common plague, where style reigned over substance as memorable hooks failed to form with over-active arrangements or superfluous stylistic pursuits. When mr. Gnome were at their best, it usually involved post-rock explosives with vocalist Nicole Barille stretching her exceptional vocal range to the limits. Both her guitar work and drummer/pianist Sam Meister’s technical skill were always apparent, but sometimes the songs struggled in letting loose and allowing melodies to reign over virtuosity.

Madness in Miniature is a different story. Standout “House of Circles” manages to inject freak-folk into a frenzied alt-rock arsenal. Barille’s voice ascends from a moaning whimper into a confident snarl, both accompanied by a backing vocal harmony producing a ghostly yet ethereal effect; the banshee-like ‘ooh’ing is a perfect fit. A clashing between the folk-leaning verses and explosions of alt-rock guitars comes to full fruition slightly past the three-minute mark. Introduced by an epic percussive build-up that marches along in a bluesy White Stripes fashion – and complemented by a quivering Barille, who puts in one of her best vocal performances yet – the conclusion to “House of Circles” is a rampant stunner that embodies mr. Gnome’s energy and structurally innovative tendencies.

“Bit of Tongue” is structurally comparable to “House of Circles”, mainly in the evolution of softer folk verses into loud guitar-based propulsions. It’s a tactic employed throughout the album, avoiding repetition with an eclectic display of stylings in the verses, often containing offshoots of softer folk and pop.  The verses on “Bit of Tongue” float with the whimsy of ‘70s AM-pop , and also with hints of contemporary artists like Marissa Nadler and St. Vincent. Barille projects a presence quite similar to both, especially with the variation in her vocal delivery. The introduction of distortion at the two minute mark increases the tempo, allowing Barille to show off her astute abilities in reflecting rhythmic movements. Despite having such a powerful voice, her willingness to occasionally back down and let the music dictate her vocal intensity – instead of vice versa – results in some of the most memorable moments on the album.

Several interludes, most at less than a minute long, provide intuitive atmospheric flair for Madness in Miniature. “Fly Me Over” is most indicative of this. Placed between the intense “Bit of Tongue” and the straightforward rush of blues-infused power-pop contained in “We Sing Electric”, its serene and nearly religious feel provides brief serenity between two songs containing a constant rush of ideas and twists. It helps that its ending sounds like it would complement the setting of a secluded temple in a Far East mountain range. Even as “We Sing Electric” sounds initially like a straightforward rocker, by the end of the song the tremendous number of ideas is apparent. It sounds like a two-parter despite being under four minutes.

While the first few tracks show Madness in Miniature as a continuous fusion of lighter rock elements with thunderous post-rock eruptions waiting at every turn, the second half of the album contains some efforts that could be considered ballads – at least by mr. Gnome’s standards. The aptly titled “Winter” utilizes crystallized keys and high-pitched note sequences, delivering something that sounds like the alternative equivalent of Sally Shapiro’s similarly arctic-sounding work. The wavering use of tremolo in the backing keys also deliveries a dream-pop vibe typical of Beach House, especially with Barille now alternating between a soft-spoken quiver and emotive proclamations. “Now I feel so ordinary,” she sings before an absolutely gorgeous conclusion, marked by the first use of heavy percussion in the song. It’s a stunning track that fully represents mr. Gnome’s growth. Never before has the duo’s songs resonated with such rich atmospheres and beautifully interwoven hooks.

After this delicately gorgeous ballad, the immediate blast of guitars on “Wolf Girls” may catch some listeners off guard. This somewhat abrasive art-rock trip begins with a bizarre and somewhat repetitive series of animalistic noises and straightforward power-punk verses, but like most songs on Madness in Miniature it evolves into something fascinating. The guitar work in the final two minutes is some of the best on the album, with the hypnotic organ-like accompaniment at the tail-end begging for continued expansion well past its four-minute length. Well, that is until the listener is introduced to the excellent “Outsiders”, a rollicking folk-rocker with hints of Alamo-styled folk. Tempo shifts are hardly noticeable at this point in the album, as listeners have become accustomed to it. But there are no greater tempo-related moments throughout the album than “Outsiders”, to which Barille adapts flawlessly in a vocal performance that rivals “House of Circles” for best on the album. On a triumph of a release like this, rivalries like this are indicative of a generous outpouring of ideas, most of them striking.

MP3: mr. Gnome – Winter

mr. Gnome – House of Circles

mr. Gnome – Bit of Tongue

mr. Gnome – Wolf Girls

Official Site / BUY

The post mr. Gnome – Madness in Miniature (2011) appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.

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For many, Outside Lands is the premiere music festival for the West Coast. Numerous Coachella comparisons are warranted; headliners like Arcade Fire, Phish, and Muse mixed well with an assortment of independent acts, many on the verge of breaking out after a hot year of exposure. A handful of them – Lord Huron, Tamaryn, and Major Lazer – should be familiar with OS readers, all touting a following that has been growing rapidly. Outside Lands’ lineup was an excellent representation of old favorites, emerging stars, and unknowns with a boatload of potential. For every big name like Arctic Monkeys and Big Boi, there were groups like Cosmic Suckerpunch, The Stone Foxes, and Diego’s Umbrella; they all maintained a small but avid following prior to Outside Lands, but by the end of Sunday (the 14^th) it was evident their fan bases grew exponentially. Their live presence is the main reason such groups were chosen to appear at this prominent festival. Unlike headliners, a poor performance is a make-or-break scenario, an opportunity that may never be salvaged.

With beer/wine in one hand and something off the grill in the other, most listeners excitably made their way around the Golden Gate Park over the three-day festival. Listeners could have stumbled upon a variety of interesting occurrences. Even to the least dedicated of music fans, it would be fun to see Dave Chappelle cracking jokes on stage during a Big Boi technical malfunction intermission, deadmau5 exposing an orgasm of lights and hallucinations on a crystallized stage, or Arcade Fire frontman Win Butler sharing the stage with soul maven Mavis Staples. And that’s mainly a bunch of superficial appeal, separate from the musical aspect (which Outside Lands dominated as well). Or perhaps you’re one to enjoy the difficult decisions of carefree affluence, like on Friday choosing between seeing Beirut or The Decemberists. For me that’s a fairly easy choice (Beirut), but you know the massive followings for either group would have a strong opinion either way.

In any case, enjoy the tracks from some of Outside Lands’ more unknown artists below. The Stone Foxes present a swanky form of bluesy alt-rock that brings to mind The White Stripes, Allman Brothers, and 12-bar blues modernists. Diego’s Umbrella calls their sound “gypsy rock”, though it sits more in the flamboyant indie-pop category with sparkling key-led hooks and a little bit of Latin percussive flair. They remain a bit rough around their edges, but clearly have the pop smarts to traverse beyond the Disney soundtrack limits. Their sound will be a bit too cartoonish for some, but it’s hard to deny their fast-paced bursts of creativity. Then The New Orleans Klezmer All-Stars, Paper Diamond, and Orgone present something entirely different. Gypsy instrumental, lush electronica, funk revivalism… a bit of everything perhaps? Take a listen:

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THE STONE FOXES

The Stone Foxes – I’m a King Bee

The Stone Foxes – I Killed Robert Johnson

RIYL: The White Stripes, Allman Brothers, The Dead Weather, The Kills, The Black Keys, The Hives, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Dan Auerbach

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DIEGO’S UMBRELLA

Diego’s Umbrella – Richardson

Diego’s Umbrella – Downtown

RIYL: Queen, Hot Hot Heat, The Cross, Deep Purple, Rooney, Randy Newman, Boy Kill Boy, We Are Scientists

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And now for some REAL Gypsy-inspired tunes, courtesy of THE NEW ORLEANS KLEZMER ALL-STARS. They tend to be surprisingly eclectic as their songs progress, showing influences hovering in blues, pop, and R&B:

The New Orleans Klezmer All-Stars – Moroccan Roller

RIYL: Gogol Bordello, Kultur Shock, Balkan Beat Box, Fanfare Cioc?rlia, Goran Bregovi?, Csókolom

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PAPER DIAMOND

Paper Diamond – Levitate

Paper Diamond – Snowfall

RIYL: Röyksopp, Air, Junior Boys, The Field, Groove Armada, The Chemical Brothers, Zero 7, Daft Punk

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ORGONE

Orgone – Who Knows Who

Orgone – Bacano Come Around

RIYL: Funkadelic, Parliament, Sly & the Family Stone, Graham Central, The Poets of Rhythm, Baby Charles, Lefties Soul Connection, Speedometer

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Cosmic Suckerpunch – In Love with a Robot

RIYL: Pearl Jam, Built to Spill, Pavement, Sebadoh, Archers of Loaf, Superchunk, No Age

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But alas, the days of summer festivals are over — at least for another nine or ten months. So for those starting to shuffle to class, save on next year’s tickets by checking out the Back to School Music Guide presented by Best Buy. Enter to win a $250 gift card to Best Buy and save on tablets, smartphones, and laptops. This deal was passed on to me, but I guess it’s more of a shock that you can buy a decent laptop these days for $300. That gift card would do the trick:

The post Dark Horses From Outside Lands appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.

by Stephen Swett

Three years removed from his last full-length album, Canadian sensation Jeremy Fisher follows through with his most complete album yet. Released on October 25th, Flood is an outstanding collection of indie-folk tunes that will leave you craving more from this Dylan-esque singer-songwriter.

Jeremy Fisher began his musical career with the independently released Back Porch Spirituals in 2001. Essentially a tribute to Fisher’s greatest influence Bob Dylan, each track features lively acoustic guitar melodies and an accompanying harmonica. There is even a tune found here called “Song For Robert Zimmerman”. The sound, however, is raw, and most of the songs are pretty similar. A terrific debut, but Fisher would have to break away from his imitation of Dylan if he wanted to make an impact on the music world.

Moving along, his next work, Let It Shine, was released in 2004 to a smattering of fans, but this album would push Jeremy Fisher into the limelight for the first time. He finally broke away from traditional folk, employing a variety of instruments to supplement his superb guitar riffs. Several Canadian radio stations awarded his single “High School” significant airplay over the next year, spreading his name to the masses.

With an ever-growing fan base, Jeremy Fisher did well to keep his followers in awe with his third full-length album, Goodbye Blue Monday, released in 2007. Simply put, this is one of my favorite albums of the past couple years. Every song hits me like a delicious Thanksgiving dinner, and I feel completely satisfied after listening. The choruses are innately addicting, but unlike modern pop songs these do not get tiring or overplayed.

Like many Jeremy Fisher listeners, I was curious how one could possibly follow up such a masterpiece as Goodbye Blue Monday and, to be honest, was not expecting a comparable encore. Jeremy is now shoveling my words back into my mouth. Flood is fantastic, and it is clear now that Jeremy Fisher has fully grown into an expert singer-songwriter. His lyrics are clever and rich, while his melodies are still intoxicating. It is impossible not to sing along to his catchy choruses as well. It’s hard to imagine that former Bob Dylan-wannabe Fisher could transform his sound so completely into an individualized act. Now that he has found his own voice, this Canadian journeyman definitely has the talent to rise to the top of the indie music scene.

The album opens with the single “Shine A Little Light”, a delightful track that lends itself to being the single as it is probably the most conventional song of the collection and, therefore, fit for a wider audience. But that does not mean the song lacks spirit or energy. What makes the song even better is Jeremy Fisher’s homemade music video, featuring his iPhone.

The next track is called “Naked Girl” and is about exactly that. Despite the near immaturity of the song’s topic, Fisher is surprisingly able to blend profound lyrics with incredibly poppy ones. In one moment, Fisher sings, “Everybody wants to see a naked girl,” which I hope needs no explanation. Later on he sings, “The shadow of a shadow is the sun itself,” which had me thinking for a while after I heard it.

Next is the tune “Laissez Faire,” which is less of a critique on Western political-economic systems and more of a Vampire Weekend-like reggae-rock track. Once again, the chorus pulls the song together, and we now have three songs which are all in the running for the best on the album. What follows is the ukulele-driven “Come Fly Away”, which is best described as fun to listen to. It may seem like a lazy adjective to use, but once you hear it you’ll know what I mean.

The fifth song on the album, “Nothing to Lose,” sounds like it’s straight off Bob Dylan’s Infidels album. Fisher’s piano playing matches his talent on the guitar in this slower, uplifting ballad. The lyrics, “Life is just a speck in the sky, a teaspoon of honey, the blink of an eye,” bears a striking resemblance to Dylan’s simple yet enlightened verses.

“Alison” comes next and might be the best song on the whole album, although I could say that about every one. The infectious chorus carries the tune and leaves you wanting more. It’s gotten to the point where terrific and catchy choruses are just expected from Jeremy Fisher songs. How does this man keep churning out these unbelievable refrains song after song? Every band takes a track off here and there in order to fill in the gaps of an album, but Fisher maintains quality throughout.

Next we find “Morning’s Broke,” a beautiful and brilliant piano piece which offers a relaxing three minutes of listening. After that, however, Fisher reverts back to his immaturity with the track “On A Monday,” a song about “getting messed up on a Monday.” Once again, the chorus is supreme and lyrics down-to-earth, forming a tune that’s thoroughly enjoyable.

The simplicity of “Summer Rain,” Flood‘s ninth track, is refreshingly uplifting and bound to put a smile on your face. Next is a traditional folk jingle, “Umbrella,” which might easily be found on the Juno soundtrack if it were written a few years ago. Then, at the 02:40 mark of the song, Fisher switches drastically to a sing-a-long chorus which could have been a terrific song in itself. Jeremy Fisher ends strongly with “All We Want Is Love”, a song with a strong bass line and, (do I even need to say it?) a great chorus.

As a full compilation of tracks, Flood is extraordinary, drawing from a wide range of influences, and will hopefully cement Jeremy Fisher as one of the premiere indie artists to emerge this year. I fully recommend that you download this album. But be warned, once you listen to these songs you will be hooked on this Canadian musical talent for some time. Once believed to be a Bob Dylan impersonator, Jeremy Fisher has now found his own unique sound and should continue to impact the music world for a long time.

RIYL: Bob Dylan, Matthew Sweet, Kings of Leon, Kasabian, The Kooks, Tallest Man on Earth, The Dead Weather, The Black Keys

Jeremy Fisher – Come Fly Away

Jeremy Fisher – Cigarette

Jeremy Fisher – Shine A Little Light

Official Site

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The post Jeremy Fisher’s Flood appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.

by Lauren Tischler

Though we’re forever resistant to let go of the warm weather, the transition from summer to fall is never unpleasant. Sweaters and autumn-colored foliage greet us warmly, while our ears begin to beg us for grunge over the pop-filled melodies we have been continually listening to under the sun. Fall 2010 has already proven to be a friendly listening season, with noteworthy album releases from Of Montreal, The Drums, and Blonde Redhead. With more coming from Badly Drawn Boy, Simian Mobile Disco, Belle and Sebastian, and Sufjan Stevens to name a few, we’ve got a lot to look forward to. Get ready for the color of music to change this season along with the leaves, making a smooth transition with this dark and dusky playlist.

The Temper Trap – Fader (buy)

Local Natives – Airplanes (buy)

Summer Camp – Round the Moon (buy)

Dirty Projectors – Remade Horizon (buy)

Santogold – Say Aha (buy)

The Dead Weather – Hustle and Cuss (buy)

Cold War Kids – We Used to Vacation (buy)

Why? – By Torpedo or Crohn’s (buy)

Coldplay – Yellow (buy)

Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin – House Fire (buy)

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zero’s – Home (buy)

Dr. Dog – My Old Ways (buy)

The Strokes – Trying Your Luck (buy)

Gorillaz – Clint Eastwood (buy)

Grizzly Bear – Cheerleader (Neon Indian Remix) (buy)

The White Stripes – This Protecter (buy)

Band of Horses – The Funeral (buy)

DOWNLOAD ENTIRE COMPILATION>>> (72.8MB, .RAR)

The post Lauren’s Fall Playlist appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.

by Colleen Seidel

When The Dead Weather released their debut album Horehound last summer, it was hailed as a masterpiece of indulgently badass garage rock ‘n roll. At the time, it was hard to imagine anything better coming from four of the best talents in the biz right now. So when news surfaced late last year that the group – Alison Mosshart of The Kills, Dean Vertita of Queens of the Stone Age, Jack Lawrence of The Raconteurs, and Jack White of The White Stripes – was working on a second record, one had to wonder how far The Dead Weather could take things.

Well, not very far. Unfortunately, the latest release from Jack White & Co. feels like little more than scraps left on the cutting room floor from their first venture.

Sea of Cowards is messier than its big brother and not in a good way. It is no secret that the group itself was born out of one big jam session at White’s studio in early 2009, but Sea of Cowards takes the jam session idea too literally, with many of the tracks lacking a sense of tightness and direction.

Most of the time, the record sounds as if someone accidentally left the reverb on too long, and the heavy-on-the-synthesizer motif threaded throughout the album wears thin quickly. Very quickly. Song intros oscillate between the essence of robotic noises from video games, like in “The Difference Between Us”, and soft hi-hat hits, like those of “Blue Blood Blues” or “Die By the Drop”. Some tracks combine both approaches, creating an aural pastiche of cacophonous mess.

And where Horehound sent White to the rear of the band and allowed Mosshart to shine with her intense, full-bodied vocals, Sea of Cowards sadly takes Mosshart’s gift for granted; it is a major offense if there ever was one, doing little to utilize the singer’s gutsy pipes that gave The Dead Weather’s debut so much edge. In “I Can’t Hear You”, the guitar notes and Mosshart’s vocals match to the point where one can’t tell which is which. The technique is nothing new; it has been done before, perhaps most famously by Led Zeppelin. But whereas Zep’s use of it was progressive, Dead Weather’s employment of the technique is simply headache-inducing.

The album’s lone redemption is its last track, “Old Mary”. It is a quick shot of Jack White’s eccentric genius in an otherwise tempered bath of stale music. Here, he recites a deliciously cold perversion of the classic prayer “Hail Mary”.

Over one long tone and a few percussive knocks, White simply speaks, “Old Mary, full of grease, your heart stops within you. Scary are the fruits of your tomb, and hoarse are the terms of your sentence. Old Mary, sister of mine, mother to the world, carry this burden now until the moment of your last breath.”  Sounding eerily reminiscent of another Jack (Kennedy, that is), White employs spine-chilling realism as he repeats this twisted prayer over staccato piano notes, baby cackles and other macabre sounds that make the song downright creepy.  Too dark to be found on a White Stripes album, but born too late to be found on Horehound, it seems as though Dead Weather’s newest venture exists solely to give this song a place to call home. And while it stings to say so, considering the poor quality of everything else on the record, that may not be such a bad thing.

4.5/10.0

RIYL: The White Stripes, The Raconteurs, Them Crooked Vultures, The Greenhornes, Jack White, The Black Keys, Band of Skulls, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Queens of the Stone Age, Grinderman, The Vines, The Go, PJ Harvey

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The Dead Weather – Old Mary

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The Dead Weather – Die By the Drop

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Official Site

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The post The Dead Weather – Sea of Cowards (2010) appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.