Author: nicole.baumann

Sea Pinks – Dreaming Tracks

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SPRating: ★★★★½

Sea Pinks are a group from Belfast, whose Bandcamp page touts that they got their start by being “inspired by sea glass, bleached grass and ghost guitars.” That being said, their catalogue, including their incredible most recent full length Freak Waves, adheres to these stimuli. This time around, the band has come out and said it— it’s no coincidence that Dreaming Tracks is called just that.

“Dream Happening” is a killer way to open the album, let alone an album called Dreaming Tracks. There’s this moment of suspense before the band starts with a long drawn out note, and in this brief space that somehow seems like it lasts forever, you are dying, waiting for the band to kick off and get going. When they begin, its like a bath of warmth and light- the guitars are springy and bounce through the tune, while the vocals mirror this effect. The drums are easy, popping along in the background, giving you the perfect head bobbing little rock jam. Here is a wonderful way to begin.

There are some noticeable differences from last go round, mostly in the production of the sound. It seems like there is a clearer quality in this recording—they’ve cut the little bit of fuzz on the guitars and vocals, which makes this album lean more towards the outright jangly rock genre and less so in the camp of garage rock. However, it’s not completely gone from the fuzz, but rather Dreaming Tracks takes things to the detached garage level of jangly rock. This shift is apparent on “Waiting For You (To Go),” in which the guitars cleanly flit and flirt in and out of the percussion, vocals and more cello (who doesn’t love any kind of strings in indie rock?). There’s a certain clean tightness to the guitar work, especially in the breakdown at the end of the track and the freshness does the band good on this album to prevent a replica of their past record.

It’s also very important that the presence of the cello in a lot of the tracks gets noted—simply put that cello pulls me right back in each time I start to wander in the guitar riffs. Take beauty and end track “Invisible Lines” for example, in which the breaks for the string work gives the track an elegance that is totally unexpected for this genre. And yet, it works so well, not only with the jingle jangle, but with deep cutting lyrics as well; the last line of the song is “You’re in the prime of your life/you’re in the dreamtime between worlds.” It’s these little touches that remind you that you’re listening to damn well crafted music here.

Honestly, Sea Pinks can do no wrong by my ears—these last two albums have been spectacular collections of deeply interesting, as well as enjoyable songs. What are you doing still reading this review when you could be jamming? Go listen! GO!

 

ACL Interview: My Brightest Diamond

mbd

We are merely a skip and a hop away from ACL Festival 2k14, and so to get you properly hyped (as if you weren’t already) we’ve got yet another artist interview to tantalize you from your office chair or couch and get those feet itching to touch ground at Zilker Park already. Today’s interview features Shara Worden, the lady behind the moniker My Brightest Diamond, who released This is My Hand earlier this year.

ATH: Now, this is an ACL interview, but we’ve got to ask, which would you rather play: a club show or a festival?

Shara: When I was conceiving the album, I imagined an outdoor festival where a marching band approached the stage from behind the audience and surrounded them, creating a 3D affect. Then I imagined that on the stage the rock band would have a micro version of a marching band with flute, clarinet, trumpet, alto sax, and trombone, so that there could be this kind of call and response between the big macro marching band in the crowd and the mini but microphoned group on stage. Dreams come true! So sometimes when I get lucky, this situation actually happens and we are lucky enough to have a marching band in Austin!!!

ATH: You’re slated to play on the Sculpture/Zilker Stage from 4:30-5:30 on Saturday for both weekends, if you could pick any bands from the lineup to play before and after you, who would it be?

Shara: Whoever is playing before and after us!

ATH: Would you rather play to a crowd that knows all the words to your songs, or get the chance to win over a crowd who has never heard of you before?

Shara: My ideal engagement with an audience is when we can have it all, every emotion. I love us singing together, laughing together, dancing with abandon, and also being able to be silent and cry in certain moments. That’s my goal in every show, to create an environment for release, for oblivion, for anger, for joy and if that happens with those who know all the lyrics or with people who have never heard the music, then I’m happy.

ATH: This Is My Hand, your latest full length, has received a fairly large amount of praise… does this make you more inclined to play more songs from it, or can we expect a mix of new and old?

Shara: This show is a mix, weighing heavily on the new material but jamming some oldies too. Some of the songs on This Is My Hand are too difficult for me to play with a trio formation, so not all of them are ready for the stage.  With some more work I will be able to play a song like “Shape”,  but it’s in 5/4 and I sing in 4/4, then when the drums move to 4/4, I play my guitar solo in 5, so it’s tricky. I need to practice more. I recorded myself improvising and singing as I was writing, and then I often kept the exact improv, but formalizing it by notating it for other people to play, especially with “Shape” and the title track “This Is My Hand”, so it’s very hard for me to repeat exactly what I did. Possible ultimately,  but I need more practice.

ATH:  Best food you’ve had on tour so far?

Shara: Vietnamese noodles in New York.

ATH: Favorite song to play live?

Shara: “Pressure” !  I like the loud parts best!

ATH: Of the new songs, which have you enjoyed breaking in so far on the tour?

Shara: “Resonance” is fun because it feels like just pushing up against a wall and banging on it until the wall comes down.  You never really know what it is going to be each night, so it’s a risk and that feels good to just take a chance.

You can catch My Brightest Diamond and her macro and micro marching bands on the Sculpture (Weekend 1) and Zilker (Weekend 2) Stages on Saturday at 4:30.

The History of Apple Pie – Feel Something

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appsRating: ★★★½☆

If you haven’t heard of London’s The History of Apple Pie, you probably shouldn’t beat yourself up about it, as they only released their debut album, Out of View, last year. The unintentional product of singer Stephanie Minh and guitarist Jerome Watson messing around with a guitar and a computer in a bedroom gave them their start. With an added touch of a drummer they found on the Internet, who magically came along with a bassist and another guitarist, they got their start. Now they’re back a year later to try and expand on their shimmery indie pop with Feel Something. Can they go beyond the glimmer and dole out a sophomore release that hits deep?

They kick things off with “Come Undone,” which has this undercurrent of electric guitar that runs through the whole song—be it in the background as that shiny, clean sound, or in the center of things with a little bit of added twang It’s not a bad first number, but the superstar song that simply steals the show for me is third up on the record, “Keep Wondering,” which is that kind of track that you’ll want to play on repeat all day, and maybe all week. It opens with a sort of preview for the number, as if you’re hearing the band rocking out in the other room, thirty seconds go by and you finally decide to open that closed door and there is the band at their finest, the jangly lead guitar knocking you off your feet with waves of striking sound, reinforced by the tambourine-heavy percussion and the crash of cymbals like waves off fresh ocean spray. If this wasn’t enough, then Minh steps in with her honeyed vocals that seem to float atop the mix with their airy quality. Altogether, this creates an easy listening song that also cuts through with a little rock in that guitar—simply a great track.

There are some other pretty killer songs on this record: I like the little simmering number “Puzzles,” which lets the group sink into a bit more of a sultry number. The guitar on this song has a bit of snarl on it as it loops through the tune, giving the band the most bite possible with their sugary sound. Just when you thought that the track was already a step in a different direction, then it kicks into a whole new level towards the end, capitalizing on the build they’ve made and making this track go from good to great.

Feel Something isn’t really a step in any direction away from The History of Apple Pie’s first album, but in a fair number of instances on this sophomore record, I’m all right with that. I’ve found some number tracks to add to the genre of glossy and sunny jangle pop, and maybe you can too.

Purling Hiss – Weirdon

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homepage_large.635a11a9Rating: ★★★★☆

It seems like the genre of weirdo rock and roll is one that’s up-and-coming and is perhaps the trend of the present and the near future. Whether it be twisted in different angles with subgenres like psychedelic, garage rock, or lighter jangly pop, it is all the rage lately to be slightly off kilter and less straight edged. Purling Hiss have been doing this for years, but just how weird is Weirdon?

Turns out its not so freaky and more-so just plain good, albeit those things aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive. “Forcefield of Solitude” kicks the album off with the squall of some feedback before Purling Hiss lays down some psychedelically gritty guitars and far-away percussion to combine for this almost anthem-esque opening to the song as well as the record. Soon the vocals join the mix and offer some more grit, as Mike Polizze provides his hollow and yet somehow simultaneously engaging pipes. Though immediately striking, the track becomes absolutely swoon-worthy whenever it gets to the chorus, and you just want to sing along with the group…but wait, what’s that you hear? Handclaps? What’s better than handclaps? Nothing.

The first few tracks are a little deceptive, as Weirdon is not all straightedge garage rock either; oddly enough the more eclectic numbers in my opinion are the mellower tunes like “Reptili-A-Genda” and “Running Through My Dreams.” On both of these numbers, the emptier nature of the tracks allow for the guitar parts to stand out as extra twangy and almost sour sounding. “Running Through My Dreams,” makes this work very well for itself, and Polizze steps it down on his vocals, almost whispering you the words in the delicacy of the song. It’s a beautiful number that provides a large contrast between the more jarring and heavier numbers that surround it—solid track placement.

Though airing on the side of a little more straightforward garage rock than weird for the most part, Weirdon is clearly an album with a range; there’s jangle, fuzzy vocals, great cutting guitar licks and a balance and delicate imbalance of all those things. There’s a lot to love here, so get to listening.

 

Show Review: The War on Drugs @ Stubb’s 9/28

photo 4 Last night at Stubb’s was a night for a little hillbilly-esque rock and roll, as Philidelphia’s The War on Drugs made their way to Austin once again to play the hits off their stunning release, Lost In The Dream, which came out to great praise earlier this year. A fair number of folks eventually turned up for this Sunday night show, albeit, mostly after the opening band, Califone, were halfway through their set. Read more about how the night unfolded after the jump.

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So Cow – The Long Con

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so cowRating: ★★★½☆

We’ve posted a bit lately on Irish act, So Cow, but in case you missed those blurbs, and still haven’t heard of this group, here’s the scoop. They started out back in 2005 as the solo project of front man Brian Kelly, and then evolved into a three-piece outfit that’s put out four LP’s up to date. Back in July the band signed with Goner Records to put out The Long Con, which makes for their fifth full-length record of DIY guitar and lyric-central indie rock.

They begin the album right off with their funky, off-kilter rock with a single “Barry Richardson,” which kicks in immediately with electric guitar that squalls and around the vocals and drums. This, along with the vocals from Kelly gives out a very meandering-post-punk vibe, but then the song manifests itself into a different animal for the chorus. Here, we see a switch to the straightforward chorus as the group joins him to repeat the title characters name. This switch is interesting because it creates a fairly large distinction between the off-kilter opening to the song and the more direct and harsh sound of the chorus. So Cow traverses this fine line for the majority of the album, constantly switching between the quirky and straightforward.

Another track that really draws on this concept is “Guess Who’s Dead,” which has a drum beat that’s all serious business, while the guitar juts out at angles at the end of lines to begin. Again, the chorus gives out a more direct notion of indie-post-punk with the grit of a tinge of metal on the guitar. All the while, Kelly’s lyrics are the very opposite of serious, discussing the going-ons of people around town; the balance here is what’s so intriguing about the sound that So Cow is all about.

My biggest qualm, albeit still fairly small, with The Long Con is that it seems to stretch on just a few songs too long. If you look at each individual song, track-by-track, you can see that this band really pulls off some interesting takes on indie-rock via their style, but it is difficult for a collection as long as this to hold your steady attention for the duration of a forty five minute long album. The last song kind of fizzles out when it comes to the energy of the record, leaving you on a slightly flat note; it makes you question the organization of the album and the incorporation of some of the tracks.

That being said, The Long Con, minus a few minutes, is a quirky and enticing album. Fans of the band will enjoy the twang of not only the lyricism that Kelly brings to the table, but also of the more direct pieces of rock-n-roll.

 

 

Allah Las – Worship The Sun

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worship-lpRating: ★★★☆☆

I say this with little to no sarcasm—there hasn’t been an influx of retro American rock these days—I mean there’s a plethora of garage and surf rock, but not much of what helped inspire this genre. So when it comes to bands like Allah Las, I’m a little soft, but granted, there’s something infectious about their sound, as if it’s a straight blast from the past; akin to that perfect vintage collectable you find tucked away in some mom and pop store. Though old fashioned in style, Worship The Sun has just enough jangle to keep up with today’s genres.

“De Vida Voz” begins as a subtle and soft introduction to the album, with plenty of gang vocals and jingle-jangle to float anyone’s boat, though the very opening part allude to a deeper, rockier side to the band and album that will be revealed later. The whole number sounds like a glazed over desert rock tune—the guitars play off each other in a campy mix, while the gang vocals blend together with the guitars in a nasal ethereal kind of vibe. It’s the perfect kind of song that you want as its still somehow stiflingly hot in the last (who am I kidding, this is Texas) September slump of the summer.

There are quite a few tracks to listen to on this album, so if you aren’t careful, you just might miss some of the good ones. In the third position, “Artifact” is a hauntingly western rock song, which creeps along for longer than most of the tracks here, and oddly enough it has the kind of build that most of the other songs don’t lead up to. You get Miles Michaud on lead vocals through a thick glaze of reverb and fuzz, while the music forms a kind of storytelling mode. Though it comes across as a story in the instrumentation, Michaud’s vocals have a different idea and you can hear the build within it as he circles round for the last time, singing, “it goes on and on and on…” You get the feeling like this song, or style of song, though done well by the group, has been around for a while.

While the overall style on Worship The Sun is really worth your time, the album feels a bit like it could have used some revision. There isn’t a track that’s bad per-se, but a little more precision in the tracks selected, or variation, would have given this record the appeal it lacks when you reach its end and the tracks have all blurred together in one American rock haze.

 

She Keeps Bees – Eight Houses

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skbRating: ★★★★☆

Ever since 2006, She Keeps Bees, hailing from Brooklyn, have been creating under-the- radar blues-inspired rock music. They have three records already under their belt, but chances are Eight Houses is the first you’ve heard of the group, as they’ve somehow evaded popularity. Consisting of Jessica Larrabee on vocals and guitar and Andy LaPlant on drums, the duo has generated a fourth, slow burning and soul itching album in Eight Houses.

To say that Eight Houses is a light record may be one of the biggest possible understatements that you could make—their sound here simply aches with the blues at every twist and turn. “Feather Lighter” begins this trip down the soulful winding road by showing the more mellow face of this group. The start out here with a slowly haunting number—the track really only consists of Larrabee’s retro-vocals, guitar, drums, and a hint of piano. Instead, the group lets the vocals and lyrics dominate the song, which serves to warm you up a little bit before they bust out the rock next on “Breezy.” Whereas the opening number had the band reserved in their little world, the second song sees a fire lit underneath them, which you can hear clearly in the vocals and the new presence of growling electric guitar. This song introduces you into the burning element that She Keeps Bees encapsulates so perfectly; especially the last break down, or rather build up, that they end the number with. Larrabee’s voice is pushed to its max as the guitar gets gritty and intensifies.

However, while the album is quite heavy, at no point does it feel overly weighty or grueling to listen to. A large part of this seems to come from the tempering of this heaviness with the simplicity of some tracks that don’t try to overcomplicate the tunes, similar to the style of bands like Wye Oak. This is especially apparent on the last track of the album “Is What It Is,” which features Sharon Van Etten on backing vocals. The song begins with just vocals and drums, laying it out to you earnestly and letting you come to it on your own. Though this is the way the song starts, when Larrabee strikes out with the line “Do not surrender,” her voice quivering with force, you can feel the tugging of this emotionally charged music pulling you in. It’s a gorgeous and simple end to the album.

Though it was somehow possible that you had yet to encounter She Keeps Bees, I do not see this being a probable phenomenon after this album starts to makes its way around the indie-sphere. This comes with good reason; don’t be the last to get on board with Eight Houses and its epic simplicity.

Tennis – Ritual in Repeat

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TennisRiR1500px-608x608Rating: ★★★½☆

A few years ago, I heard a lot of buzz around the husband and wife duo, Tennis, from Denver, but somehow I never got around to really introducing myself to the band. Needless to say, I missed not one, but two albums from the group, as Ritual in Repeat marks their third full-length studio effort of groovy indie pop dance music, and it seems like this time around their challenge is to create an album with more that just a few killer singles.

They start the album out with a slow opener in “Night Vision,” which has these tinny drums that roll along from the very beginning. Alaina Moore’s sugarcoated vocals dance around the drums and a bob-your-head-to-it bass line, while the track builds up to its catchy chorus. It’s a good little warm-up number, but it gives me the impression that the band is holding back. While the chorus is a burst of energy, the rest of the song comes across as just filling space before the band really gets going. The real song that catches your attention and begs you to get on your feet is “Never Work For Free,” which follows the first track. Instantly, from the second the first drumbeat hits you square in the face, Tennis just takes off. You get these electric guitar riffs streaming in with just the right amount of rock to balance out the jumpy drums while Moore’s vocals get playful, pushing themselves for the chorus while a backing vocal track of quick “ohs” loop over. It’s simply a great pop song that will get stuck in your head for long periods of time.

Other solid numbers come later on and are scattered around in the scheme of the album. Immediately you get to “I’m Callin’” after the first few tracks and you’re taken back to the seventies in a little bit of a disco vibe as synths bee-bop through the song. Further into the thick of it you have a more lo-fi tinged number in “Solar on the Rise.” The slightly gritty guitar on this number that cuts through the fuzzy drums and vocals makes the track stick out from the rest as you get down the last stretch of jams.

When you listen to this album all the way through, while cleaning your house, or doing your every day chores, it’s easy to let it play all the way through while dancing away—Tennis will keep you doing just that. However, when you go back to listen to each individual track, there’s a handful of songs that stand above the rest on Ritual in Repeat. It’s up to you to find them.

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