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Surprisingly, I wasn’t quite exhausted from SXSW, and nor was the near sell-out crowd over at the Mohawk this last Friday night. We all gathered to watch Destroyer, better known as Dan Bejar, not to mention the excellent War on Drugs. As a nice breeze floated in to the venue, you had to know it was going to be a special night.
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Coming off of an eventful SxSW, the Joy Formidable is trying to carry momentum into the year and the summer festival season by bringing their powerhouse live show to new audiences. Their latest release, The Big Roar, is one helluvan album to tour behind.
It starts with an epic 7 minute long track that builds to crescendo and serves as a warning that the trio means business. “The Magnifying Glass” starts with some odd samples, feedback and random banging. I love it, it sorts out into awesome understated verses and transitions to power choruses that I love about this band. Just to keep the averages proper, the next track is short and sweet; “The Magnifying Glass” is all of 2:19 long.
Track three is a personal favorite, “I Don’t Want To See You Like This”. Ritzy Brian has the job of providing the haunting back vocals during the loud moments that creates tenderness in noise. The following track is likely the most recognizable and popular track; it is the first of four that appear on A Balloon Called Moaning. “Austere” starts with the falsetto cries of Ritzy and transitions for a level of disorder to power chord bliss. One of their best live tunes, loved it all the way.
“A Heavy Abacus” is a “slow track”, evolving without being a jam song and a bit noisy at times with a clean finish. I am a bit curious why the Abacus is watching her. “Whirring” is the next of the Balloon tracks and again, you should recognize it immediately if you know of this band. “Buoy” has a very cool climbing and descending chord structure that draws you in and bridges the first verses beautifully. Again, a bit of a slower tempo to this new track, but not any weaker, light breaks, heavy drum track finish, *chirp*…
“Maruyama” serves as an intermission before another old-new song called “Cradle”. “I can see he says what he means, We’ll deal him sticks and stones and apologies, I wish…it was through”. “My vicious tongue cradles just one”. Love it.
“Llaw=Wall” is the departure track. Rhydian Dafydd sings lead on this one, nary a guitar for the first half until the track erupts. “Chapter 2” returns to a more punk progresson and Ritzy belting over bass lines and a strong drumming from Matt Thomas.
To close things out is the final track from the previous release and if you don’t love “The Greatest Light Is The Greatest Love”, I don’t even know you anymore.
The Big Roar is an interesting mix of the best tracks from “A Balloon Called Moaning” and new material that is more complex in some ways, a complete departure in others. Being a best of old and new, it should to be limited to a 3.5 IMHO, but the recent sets at SxSW push it to the 4 star status.
This tune has been all over since Friday, but it’s precisely the type of track that’s drawn me to Low for the past decade or so, which means I have to post it right? You’ll find the following tune on the band’s upcoming album, C’mon Baby, which Sub Pop is putting out on April 12th. While their last few records have demonstrated an edgier band, one that is much more forceful, long time fans will surely find this record a return to form, if one is to even say the band has fallen off form (they haven’t!). On this track you’ll find Mimi softly singing you into submission, as the band takes a much quieter approach to the orchestration and arrangements; this is the sort of stuff that will make you fall in love with Low, surely.
Download: Low – Especially Me [MP3]
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On their 2009 album, Con Law, the duo known as Generationals sort of left their mark by being all over the place, touching on various genres of modern indie pop. For their second album, Actor Caster, the band sounds a lot more confident, clearly having spent loads of time developing their sound into a cohesive gem of an album, ready for mass consumption by anyone and everyone.
Kicking off the party with “Ten Twenty Ten” seems like as good an option as any for the band, as it definitely has this rootsy pop-rock guitar bubbling through it, ready to boil over with melodic pop momentum. Here the band sounds really steady, and instead of hitting you over the head with hooks like on their last release, those moments slowly build beneath the songs on Actor Caster, making it more infectious the more you listen. Similarly, “I Promise” uses this jangling sunny guitar line to reach up and grab you and carry you swinging arm in arm out the door. A slight piano track in the background adds to the jangling, giving more texture to the band’s sound, again making lasting impressions.
Of course, the band will definitely find themselves compared to other groups with some of the tracks present here, namely comparisons to The Drums. But, unlike the latter, Generationals have something stronger in their summery swagger, such as “You Say It Too.” It’s got that clever little surf-rock guitar hook here, and vocals upon vocals, some oohs to boot, but it’s got more substance than other like-minded groups. In “Goose & Gander” you’ll find yourself sitting at your desk, or wherever you are, tapping your feet. You can try all you want to avoid it, but once a hook inserts itself in your subconscious, there’s nothing that will get you away from happily swaying moments from left to right.
You’ll still be able to find bits of pop experimentation on this record, so don’t go thinking it’s all same-old same-old. “Tell Me Now” is probably one of the more distinctive songs on this entire collection, and it’s the vocals that seem to take hold of you here, as opposed to the overall hooks of guitars and melodies. That’s probably one of the greatest things about listening to Generationals, they just have an arsenal of hooks and pop wonderment that will instantly win you over; there’s no fighting it folks, so you may as well just let yourself get absorbed in it all. Whether you want a jangling guitar, or a piano-laden track or even a sing-a-long chorus, you’re going to find it here.
In the end, their ability to harness that exuberant energy into a more confined sound is going to be greatly beneficial. Actor Caster is just chock full of hit after hit, begging you to open up the windows and share these joyous listening moments with anyone, and everyone, who is willing to open their ears. At the end of the day, Generationals have constructed yet another record full of tracks that you can, and should, take anywhere, as they’ll be around for some time, destined to bring you every bit of sun your heart desires.
[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/09_Greenleaf.mp3]Download: Generationals – Greenleaf [MP3]
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It’s pretty easy to label Noah & the Whale as sort of a bipolar band; their first release was loaded with sunny twee pop, while their sophomore effort was trenched with deeper, folksier tunes. While this is forgivable, c’est la vie, it’s still nice to bring about an even-tempered album, and that’s exactly what Noah & the Whale attempt to bring about Last Night on Earth.
It opens on “Life is Life,” which shows exactly the progression of this group on its opening line, “You used to be somebody and now you’re someone else.” The drum machine percussion and the drawl of Charlie Fink seem a little hollow at first, when the song begins. However, as the groovy little tune continues, it opens up to more of a sprawl. The overlapping of Fink’s vocals with that of the rest of the gang vocals of the band creates a stylistic motif for this band. It’s not a bad start, it’s just a bit “middle of the road.”
The motif of those gang vocals continues all the way up to “L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N,” which is the band’s best bit from this album, despite it’s tedious to type title. It’s a catchy narrative of characters that may find themselves in bad situations, but still manage to carry on. It’s a universal theme of life, and is easily identifiable with the listener, so it is not hard to find yourself spelling out the chorus with the rest of the band, agreeing with the sentiment. This song is a reminder of why you love a band like this; the empathetic and simple qualities that live in their music.
If I could tell you to listen to any three tracks from this album, it would be the previous described, “Wild Thing,” and then “Give it All Back.” On “Wild Thing,” there is a bit of transport back to the last album. The five-minute song begins with a bit of feedback and echoing synthesizer, and then slowly swells to its chorus. This slow-mover is the deepest that Noah & the Whale will delve; the sugary gang vocals are cut from this track, and replaced by a climactic and distant “ooh.” Following this is mellowness comes another pop tune with “Give it All Back,” which salvages the mood from before and entertains with another narrative.
For the most part, they achieve their goal. They put “Wild Thing” next to a simple song like “Give it All Back,” which emphasizes their need to move back to a balanced album. It’s not a bad work and there is sure to be a song or two that suits your fancy. However, this album is exactly that; a few exceptional songs coupled with a lot of mediocre ones.
You don’t really think I’m going to list my top 5 hangovers during SXSW, do you? That would be a task that would take years of scouring my brain and the memories of many who have been involved. I know I can be an idiot sometimes, but give me a little credit. I’m talking about what seems to be the lingering taste of that stale, warm, bitterness, that some people in this town, and many outside have lingering on their cranial palate after last week. The wise and beautiful Nathan Lankford already laid it out here on this site recently, and as this week has passed in the wake of SXSW, some of those points rang incredibly true, and others have reared their ugly heads to add to the growing Medusa.
Now, lets get one thing straight before we get too far into this. I love SXSW! I love the official SXSW and I can’t say that I completely hate the non-official part of SXSW. I’ve worn the badge, the wristband, and done the RSVP till my fingers hurt, but something needs to change.
First, I’d like to take a minute to thank my fictitious friend Toby over at Finest Kiss for alerting me to this band. Gold Bears are a group from Atlanta, and they seem perfect to fit right into the stable of Slumberland Records, who will be releasing a full-length from the group later on this year. But, what you need to know is that this track is on a recent 7″ (on Cloudberry) and it sounds just like Cloud Nothings, minus the lo-fi tag, and with a more adult lyrical approach. Don’t get be wrong, both options are great, but I definitely am enjoying the more developed vocal approach apparent on this track. Give this a spin, and get ready for big things from this group.
Download: Gold Bears – Something To Think About [MP3]
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You might remember the Strokes as the saviors of rock n’ roll who quietly disappeared into the night, only to form several side-projects, hinting that they might never return. Well, they’ve returned now, and while there are definitely bright spots, Angles isn’t the album of triumphant return that we all pined for during their absence.
“Machu Picchu” is a reserved album opener, with half-hearted guitar lines opening up the entire affair. Julian Casablancas’ voice still sounds familiar, enough to give the song some credence, although the continuing trickling guitar work just holds the song back. But, “Under the Darkness,” the second track, is that gem of a Strokes song that we’ve been missing for quite some time. It’s filled with those sharp guitar cuts and fantastic bass work, just a bit more polished than earlier works off Is This It. Julian has a great performance here, getting gruff and angry during the chorus. In fact, this might go up the charts as one of the better tunes they’ve recorded, in one man’s opinion. Then, they recover back into mediocrity.
“Two Kinds of Happiness” is a cheesy little number, reminiscent of a band trying to break into the MTV culture of the 80s; it’s lacking creativity and sharpness, with Casablancas coming off as disinterested, more so than his usual stance. “You’re So Right” doesn’t do too much to change that, although the middling section is a lot more endearing than that buzzsaw guitar churn that serves as the backbone of the track.
Still, this album goes back and forth between being catchy and boring, which makes it a hard record to really get your head around. “Taken For a Fool” features Julian providing some charming vocals, and that bass line is something that they’ve always done well, so it’s no surprise it sounds so good here. And the chorus of this track is probably one of the brightest moments present in all of Angles. “Call Me Back” reminds me of the tracks off First Impressions of Earth that seemed more like a place for Julian to prove doubters wrong in regards to his voice, as it’s nothing more than an exercise for him, with the rest of the band just sort of standing in the background while he takes the lead.
Then comes a track like “Gratisfaction,” which definitely has a bit of swagger to it, something we all appreciated about the band, though it has a more modern pop twist. It will make you yearn for similar tracks, the kind that could have easily saved Angles, making it more than a sub-par effort. Toss that in with Angles’ closer, “Life is Simple in the Moonlight,” and you wonder if the band does indeed have more to offer us, as these are some of the better tracks on the collection. The last track, especially, sounds like the band’s natural progression, something we might have been able to foresee after all this time.
You see, the problem with The Strokes is that a lot of us probably feel like have a lot invested in the band; we might even believe that it helped bring us back to rock n’ roll back in the early 2000s. All of this makes it harder to digest Angles, as clearly there are some solid tracks, but overall, it just doesn’t live up to our expectations of what the band should sound like in our minds. With that, many listeners will find themselves disenchanted, losing faith in the band that helped us believe all over again.
[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/01-Under-Cover-Of-Darkness.mp3]
It’s been quite some time since we’ve heard anything from anyone aside from Jenny Lewis in the Rilo Kiley camp, but it seems that the once retired Blake Sennett has put down some tracks of his own. He’ll be releasing his newest record under his The Elected moniker for Vagrant Records on May 17th titled Bury Me in My Rings. Listening to this song reminds me of the early work of RK, when used solid harmonies to provide a bit of summery pop to listeners. I’ve always liked Blake’s voice, ever since his early days on Boy Meets World, so I’m happy to hear him back doing what he does best. Lets hear it for Joey the Rat.
Download: The Elected – Babyface [MP3]
If you haven’t been introduced to John Davis before, you must’ve been hiding behind a rock of some sort. He was in Q and Not U, one of the phenomenal Dischord bands and he fronted Georgie James for a bit. Both bands earned a respectable following, but now John’s working on his new group, Title Tracks, who are about to release their second album, In Blank, on April 19th via Ernest Jenning Records. These tunes are full of a steadier, less angular guitar groove, allowing Davis more room to develop his vocals, not to mention his overall craftsmanship. If the rest of the record sounds anything like this, we’re destined for another brilliant work by one of the most under-appreciated songwriters around. You can also check out another track from the upcoming record on his SITE.
Download: Title Tracks – All Tricks [MP3]
