SXSW Watchlist: Telekinesis

telekinesisMichael Benjamin Lerner records under the moniker of Telekinesis, and he’s the most recent signing to indie stalwart Merge Records. His self-titled album is set to come out on April 7th, and its precisely the sort of album one would want with a Spring release; its full of warmth, yet filled with memorable pop moments.

His whole sound is difficult to put down on paper, as there seem to be many underlying elements. At some moments, he sounds like the more mature brother of young Ben Kweller, when Ben was geared towards the poppier side of life. Still, you might find some resemblance to Brendan Benson‘s solo works here, as fuzzed out guitar is mixed with precision drumming.  Even more interesting is a song like “Foreign Room,” which recalls Elliott Smith moments before picking up pace, all done to perfection. Mark my words, Telekinesis should be on your radar, and not just for SXSW.

He will be playing at The Parish on Saturday, March 21st at 8 PM.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/06-foreign-room.mp3]

Download: Telekinesis – Foreign Room [MP3]

New Telekinesis

One of our favorite labels, Merge Records,  just signed Michael Benjamin Lerner, and his project Telekinesis, to their label.  The first single that’s been floating around is catchy as all get out, and we’re really looking forward to the release of his first album, set to hit stores on April 7th. 

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/coast-of-carolina.mp3]

Download: Telekinesis – Coast of Carolina [MP3]

Free Merge Records Sampler

Merge records wants you to remember their artists when making your year end lists so they decided a free year end sampler would be a good way to do that.  The free sampler features 13 tracks from She & Him, The Broken West, The Rosebuds and 10 others.  This is not the first free year end digital sampler from record labels and probably won’t be the last.  Download/stream all the tracks now.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/02-why-do-you-let-me-stay-here_.mp3]

Download: She & Him – Why Do You Let me Stay Here [MP3]

The Rosebuds – Life Like

Rating: ★★★★☆

Last time around the Howards, also known as The Rosebuds, offered us a swirling bundle of disco beats and dance tracks.  Beneath those bubbling hooks layers of darkness soothed out of the stereos, making melancholy danceable. This time around, they’ve stripped out of those disco clothes, revealing a straight-forward moody album titled Life Like.

Opening title track, “Life Like” presents a somber Ivan Howard looking back on his life, or his current state, warning those to come that there are more just like him.  The hollowed guitar work seems to mimic the emotive vocals, continually building an underlying darkness.

Juxtaposed to the opening track comes “Cape Fear,” which features Kelly singing in place of her man.  Despite a darkness in the search for a man-eating catfish, the vocals don’t quite seem to match that of her counterpart, making her feature tracks seem more positive.  It seems odd to have such a juxtaposition, but this is the one thing that makes the dynamic between the two so strong, on album, and life like.

One of the more special moments comes by way of “Nice Fox.”  It’s a pleasant ballad driven by chugging guitar strumming and darkened saloon piano.  The entire affair is made more meaningful with the presence of a backing choir full of the who’s who of the band’s various musical friends. Then comes “Black Hole,” which seems to have the band emulating the late great Grandaddy in a supremely slow fashion.

In the end you find that this album is full of storytelling, which is most likely due to the fact that the band owes the imagery in this album to their respective grandparents.  It reflects a band that is willing to look anywhere for their creativity, relying, always, on what they know best, or in the case of this album, what they feel.  Life Like is not coated in the past, and as it moves into the future, The Rosebuds continue to progress, always keeping their best elements as the focal point.

Conor Oberst – Conor Oberst

Rating: ★★★★½

When it was announced that Conor Oberst would be stepping off Saddle Creek for a little bit, I was a bit taken aback; I expected a huge step away from his traditional sound. In some respects, the departure has changed the overall sound, but at the heart of this album is Conor Oberst at his best–ever.

Immediately upon first listen, the change is apparent. The string arrangements, and other effects of long-time producer Mike Mogis have disappeared. For me, it works to the benefit of Conor, because it establishes his voice as the focal point. Sure, in the past, that might have been a bad sign, but he clearly has control over his voice here; his voice sounds stronger than ever. And, in all honesty, I thought the grandiose arrangements on his previous albums got a little over-indulgent–ruining some songs.

However, this new album is listenable the whole way through. I struggled to find a song that I didn’t want to focus on for a moment of time; going back through most songs a dozen or so times before sitting down to write about it. Using headphones will definitely make your listening experience a great deal better, for there are some little nuances in this recording that really open up the album to the listener. The approach of this album seems to be a bedroom approach, which makes the entirety of this album more personable–although I hear it was more of a front porch recording in a quaint town of Mexico.

Lyrically, he continues to get better as he ages. He goes from first person to third person within songs, but all the while holding on to general themes and ideas. A lot of people will probably look to the subject matter, and his continual growth with mystical ideas, but the writing in general just keeps improving. Sure, you can take away some points for his simpleton Spanish where he mutters “El cielo es azul,” during “Eagle on a Pole,” but I suppose the mood struck him. He does it several more times as well.

If there is a fault in this album it might be the inclusion of “NYC-Gone Gone.” It doesn’t add much to the story of the album, but I’m just a listener. Also, there aren’t any standout tracks. For me, this means that the album is extremely even, which I think is good, but some people always want a single. This album suffices without one. Perfect.

Can I just add, that despite the turnout, I applaud Conor for disappearing off to remote locations to record his latest albums, as if Omaha wasn’t enough. I think it adds to the stories he tells, and the feeling of the albums, which, in this case, is extremely beneficial.

Don’t forget he will be playing with his new band at Austin City Limits this year. The man commands a stage well. Watch for yourself.

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