The Helio Sequence are back after four years with their fifth LP called Negotiations. Before making this album, the duo’s practice space/studio flooded while they were on tour. The flood wiped out some of their gear and it left them in need of a new place to record.
“Instead of a shared practice space, the duo found an enormous disused industrial space in an otherwise unoccupied building and set about sculpting the songs that make up Negotiations. Their ability to stretch out in a much larger space (one without anyone else around to come into the band’s mental landscape) is reflected in the patient tones and insular approach to almost every song here.” (http://www.allmusic.com)
So, basically the flood was a blessing in disguise. Their new studio paved a way for them to create something that they would not have been able to achieve in their old studio. With this album they have completely captured a “dreamy pop” affect with their music. The album opens up with “One More Time” and it is a very calm and chill tune, which sets that “dreamy pop” tone for the rest of the album.
The Helio Sequence have really outdone themselves with this album. It is kind of difficult to explain this album in means of “reviewing” because it is a really special album to me. In my opinion, Negotiations is just one of those album that you just HAVE to listen to. Once you hear it the first time you’ll want to listen to it over and over again!
A friend of mine told me about his new favorite band, Alabama Shakes. This band isn’t new; they’ve been performing together since 2009. They dropped their debut album, Boys & Girls, this past April. Alabama Shakes is a southern rock band, though their lead singer, Brittany Howard, lends a unique dimension to the sound with her raspy vocals. My personal favorite is Hold On. I just love that guitar and bass riff under the chorus. I also love how low-key their music video is; Brittany is rocking a t-shirt, and the whole atmosphere is very chill. They aren’t going for a specific image or theme, they are just themselves.
This rockabilly music is not my typical jam, but I thoroughly enjoy it! It’s a nice refresher from the music that’s currently dominating the airwaves. I highly recommend checking out their album Boys & Girls and I send many thanks to my friend Jake for telling me about it.
Alabama Shakes performs next at Terminal 5 in NYC on October 4, 2012.
“Smells like golden Virginia!” Screams out Cut Corner’s singer, the ever growing Indie rock band. Singer Alex Walker along with the other members join together to make a unique flurry of addictive songs to not only envelop the audience but also reflect their own lives.
From ‘Euphoria’; a haunting song about the hard feat of being happy and to ‘Real’, a much more upbeat song about just having a good time, these boys have it all. Parties, sex, drugs and love; this band is far more than meets the eye and not just skin deep. The audience is grasped by both the beautifully tragic and fun lyrics to the sounds that radiate from their bodies like the irresistible talons of a joint at a festival.
You might have seen them around, especially people living in the South of England from their previous venues of Blissfields, The Brook and the Railway in Winchester, home of these four budding musicians. However, don’t worry as if you live near Bristol you’ll be pleased to know these boys now study at Bristol University to most certainly get laid, drunk and send shivers of adrenaline down the spine of future fans.
If you want them in your bedroom however I suggest throwing on a nice dress or simply looking them up on Facebook or clicking onto their Bandcamp; http://cutcorners.bandcamp.com/. There you will find a selection of their hits from their recent album and get that same indescribable feeling of excitement and lust without smooth talking your way into their underwear.
Check them out, I guarantee you will not be disappointed. Within no time you to will be begging for escape from the smooth caramel vocals and entrapment from the smooth waves of synth and guitar riffs.
Cut Corners, just a good band having a bloody good time.
So, I don’t know about you, but I love Mumford & Sons, and have been highly anticipating Babel. Marcus Mumford has this powerful raspy voice that is totally his. It is pretty obvious to anyone who has heard a Mumford & Sons song at least once what their sound is – folk. There is no other way to put it. Simple chords, catchy lyrics, and a beat you can’t help but slap your thigh to. But you may have noticed after Sigh No More, their first album that came out 3 years ago, every song of theirs seems to sound the same. Now, if you’re a Mumf fan you’re thinking one of two things. 1) “What!? Have you even heard Thistle & Weeds? It sounds nothing like The Cave!” or 2) “So? I like their sound.” Those who agree with thought 1, please hear me and the 2s out. What makes Mumford & Sons so great is the fact they know what they’re good at, and they stick to it. And there is nothing wrong with that.
Babel is proof of that. In fact, take a listen to Broken Crown, sound familiar? It’s Thistle and Weeds. Not exactly, I know. But pretty damn close. And you know what? We love it. So what if you don’t use more than 4 or 5 chords? So what if all do is wail and scream your raspy scream Marcus? We love it. And so what if all your songs are about unrequited love? We love unrequited love!
Okay, but in all seriousness, I really like this album. The first time, I thought I was just listening to Sigh No More with new lyrics. The second time I still thought it sounded the same, but maybe better? More mature perhaps? I must ask you again to hear me out. You’re probably thinking I am an unreliable Mumf fan now. Sigh No More was, in my opinion, one of the best debut albums to come out in the past five years. The songs flowed perfectly from one to the other. Their sound was different, freeing, and had the ability to transport us to a place we don’t often visit in this day & age. And if you’ve listened to Babel once or twice, you probably don’t think it’s anything special. My challenge to you is to listen to two songs: Lover of the Light and Hopeless Wanderer.
Lover of the Light is the perfect stadium song. No more small stage pubs for these guys. Well, who am I kidding? They will always play at pubs. They wouldn’t be Mumford & Sons if they didn’t. But now they have a song that I can imagine filling a large stadium, every note reverberating and surrounding the audience. Everyone will want to “love the one they hold.” And I can say the same for Hopeless Wanderer. The whole crowd going hush as the first few fast notes of the piano are plucked. Then everyone will begin to sway to the familiar rhythm. And you know when everyone in the band sings a chorus the audience sure as hell will join in. Especially when they know those fast guitar strokes are coming up. The swaying will stop and the bouncing will begin.
But Hopeless Wanderer has another thing going for it. I’m willing to say it is the stand out song of this album. I can’t put my finger on what it is exactly that makes it different from most Mumf songs. It seems to be a little bit of everything. The very prominent piano instead of acoustic guitar in the beginning. The fact that Marcus is not heartbroken or angry, but his voice is actually giving off a tiny bit of sex appeal. And there is something else. Something purely electric going on. I’m not a musician, so if I’m wrong in saying it sounds like there is an electric guitar there, I deeply apologize. But what! Mumford & Sons going electric? This song is definitely unique for the boys.
So, yes on first, second, and perhaps even third listen, Babel does sound a bit like Sigh No More 2.0 But don’t give up hope. The boys haven’t lost it. They just know what they’re good at. And any real Mumf fan out their knows – we love it!
¡Uno!, one of 3 upcoming Green Day albums [namely, the ¡Uno!, ¡Dos!, ¡Tré! trilogy, a series of studio albums to be released from September 2012 to January 2013] was released on Sept. 25, and they’re back with long time producer Rob Cavallo. This album is much different from 21st Century Breakdown, with short spurts of energy, each song is sure to keep you dancing on your feet with a big smile on your face. From sexual tension “Stay The Night“ “Trouble Maker“, to love “Fell For You“ “Sweet 16“, to anger “Let Yourself Go“ “Loss of Control“, there is still a lot of emotion on this album that anyone can relate to. In the words of the band, ¡Uno! is like getting ready to go the party, and it definitely has that feel. Personal highlight: “Angel Blue”
The first thing that strikes me when watching A Place To Burn Stranger’s music video for “Leaving Tomorrow” – apart from the heavy bass of the lead singer’s vocals and the repetitive droning riffs that kick off the track, is the renegade, grassroots quality of the film. The costumes, camerawork and acting is basic, and a little bit amateur, but I think that’s why I like it so much. Filmed on an iPhone, it rocks the “dare you to do better at home” look, and hopefully many fans are going to respond with “challenge accepted.”
It harkens back to the simplicity of the music, reminiscent of the folk rock genre which is gathering momentum thanks to the bigger names of Mumford and Sons and Noah and the Whale, and I for one really like it. As the video and song plays, my foot taps along almost of it’s own accord and I enjoy following the camera wobbles as it changes from scene to scene. The song is based on the Japanese short horror story Katshu Gee- though if I’m honest I’m not entirely sure what the plot entails. Nor can I see the link between the song and the video, but that might be because the low voice makes it difficult to distinguish the lyrics themselves. Despite this, it’s still likeable and intriguing.
It’s been a year since the all-female band Dum Dum Girls released their acclaimed second album, Only in Dreams, the follow up to their debut, I Will Be. It is obvious that these girls know how to do catchy fun noise pop tunes. However, on End of Daze they showed that their sound could develop into something more broad and genuine.
After listening to these five songs several times, I started becoming interested in the order of the tracks. “Mine Tonight” couldn’t be anything else but an opening, due to the slow and kind of dark beginning that turns into a more glowing, yet not cheerful, second half of the song. The languid style of Dee Dee’s vocals not only is in harmony with the music, but is also capable of transmitting the gloominess of the lyrics as when she sings: “There is nothing left, there is no light; need you here to be my guide”. This track, along with the friendly and danceable I Got Nothing, was recorded just after Only in Dreams was finished. The third song is a cover of Strawberry Switchblade’s “Trees and Flowers”. Again, Dee Dee’s voice stands out as it is a side of her we had never heard before that detaches from the playful melodies she is used to sing. This shows that her vocal abilities can extend into a bigger range and you can truly believe her when she says “I get so frightened, no one else seems frightened, only me.” The two left tracks are new songs and very different to each other. While “Lord Knows” elongates the melancholic mood, Season in Hell finishes the record with a pleasant and even joyful end, though it contrasts with the theme of the lyrics.
All the songs have a spectral and dreamy sound, probably influenced by the production of The Raveonettes’ Sune Rose Wagner, who also produced Only in Dreams. This EP is highly satisfying for consisting of only five songs, and is as solid as an album, as it delivers a variety of different textures and moods. Hopefully, this change will continue in Dum Dum Girls’ third album.
It’s the truth that a lot of us human beings don’t know who we are or where we’re going. But it’s fact that every second we spend obsessing over the unknown is time wasted. Time evaporates into thin air during the Indian summers of this generation. To some, it’s terrifying. To others, it’s freeing. Whether we deny the fact time is slipping away from us or not, we must always make some for ourselves. But it wasn’t until a late night by myself, when I heard the lyrics ” And the end is unknown, But I think I’m ready, As long as you’re with me Being As in love with you as I am” that time stopped completely(Angels/Coexist).
I didn’t know this indie-pop band, The Xx, could literally stop all thoughts and time with one simple line of lyrics. From the song “Angels”, time ceased and I knew I had to learn more about this band and the album it came from. I didn’t know it was 3 a.m. and I didn’t realize until an hour later that I had repeated the song about twenty times. Time evaporated once again, but I clearly didn’t care. This song reminded me of the love I once had for him. Him. The first man I ever fell in love with. “There’s no one that knows me like you do.” (Our Song/Coexist). The first man I ever let break my heart. “I ask you would you have stayed? Did I hold you too tight? Did I not let enough light in?” (Chained/Coexist).
The album hit me hard. It made me questions why things ended why they did, and why I wasn’t good enough. But it was beautiful, and the songs told a personal story for me. It reminded me of the summer I rebuilt myself back up again. It reminded me of how terrifying time can be. How I didn’t know who I was without him, and how I had to build myself back up as a new person. It showed me how strong and important music is and how healing it can be in the process of building strength. It also showed me that looking back on memories is a healthy thing. That obsessing over the unknown is time wasted and we must always make time for ourselves with The Xx and Coexist.
The Lumineers. Haven’t heard of them? You will. Their self-entitled album was released last April, and if what I write doesn’t entice you to listen to it…do it anyways. I was lucky enough to discover them last November and have been avidly following them ever since. So imagine my joy when I heard they were going to be playing a free show in Chicago, just a few stops up the red line from me. Yeah, I was going to that show, even if I had to skip Italian class. (Don’t worry, I didn’t.)
When I arrived the show had already started, but you wouldn’t know it from the outside. The place wasn’t crowded at all, and when I arrived the security guard said it wouldn’t matter if I was VIP or not. That’s just how close we all were. It couldn’t have been more than a hundred people there. That small of crowd either makes or breaks a show. It definitely made this one. Everyone there loved the energy The Lumineers gave off. It was early afternoon in a small bar, but they still put in the same effort they had at their big show the night before.
They are true musicians. You can hear it in their album. They use a variety of instruments, sound great together, and love to involve the audience in their music making. And in concert, they were exactly that. Whether it was their cute love song – Ho Hey – or their funny, slightly “drunkard’s tale” – Classy Girls – we, the audience, were every bit a part of the music as the band themselves.
While some go to concerts to see entertainers, myself included, The Lumineers offer a nice reprieve. They are more about their heartfelt, relatable lyrics, varying their sound from slow, chill, dream-like, to upbeat, thigh slapping, folk, than they are about impressing you with their “mad” guitar skills or perfectly timed transitions. The band itself has such great dynamic that it feels as if you’re sitting in on a group of friends just playing music together than at an actual concert. A really talented group of friends that is.
So if you’re into that folky guitar, tambourine, cello mix, check ‘em out. Or if you’re looking for something that doesn’t sound like it’s been edited to the max, check ‘em out. And if you’re just looking for something new, CHECK ‘EM OUT!
from the fiery 12/8 blues opener (‘sleeping ute’) to the steely melancholic closer (‘sun in your eyes’), brooklyn weirdos grizzly bear’s new release shields takes familiar forms and perfectly lovely melodies and ends up with an album that has the potential for much wider appeal than previous efforts while staying true to their textural eccentricities.
