The stage glowed purple as fans awaited the arrival of Blonde Redhead Tuesday night. Atmospheric music played to set the tone and fans kept their chatter to a low rumble as the band set up.
Flickering light bulbs soon partially illuminated the stage, emitting just enough light for the silhouettes of Kazu Makino (vocals/keyboard), and twin brothers Simone (drums) and Amedeo (guitar/vocals) to appear.
Makino, wearing a strange white mask similar to that of a horse’s head, struck the first few chords of “Black Guitar” from their new album Penny Sparkle. The light bulbs faded and were replaced by blue and purple floodlights, emphasizing the dark heaviness of the song.
As the concert progressed, Makino removed her mask and the songs became more upbeat, luring fans into the band’s melodic trance. Playing a very balanced mix of songs from both old album, 23, and Penny Sparkle, released in early September of this year, Blonde Redhead allowed both old and new fans to dance along in a head bobbing daze.
Makino’s voice has a very haunting component to it, and when placed with Simone’s deep drumbeats and harmonized with Amedo’s tranquil vocal’s, a strange ambiance overtakes the room. The lyrics, hard to make out over the roar of the synth and the thudding of bass, proved to be only a slight hindrance of the show. The aesthetics of Blonde Redhead’s stage performance are what really drives their live show and truly entices fans. No one really sang throughout their performance, it was much more about being in the moment and letting the band’s profound beats and skewed vocals take you on a melodic journey.
A certain darkness permeates from the band’s slower songs while lifted major chords and fast paced vocals embodies the quicker ones. Blonde Redhead, unlike many bands I’ve seen live, was able to push through their slow songs while maintaining the same energy fashioned in the faster ones. The show lacked any “downer” moments and preserved a sexy mood throughout the entirety of the performance despite the band’s aging members.
Blonde Redhead is scheduled to finish off the U.S. part of their tour December 1 in Austin where they will then travel to Australia. With Penny Sparkle being their first new album in three years, the band is hard to catch on tour and anyone who has the opportunity to see them live should most definitely take it.
Friday, December 3, 2010
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Stars Light Up Granada
The lights dimmed, the crowd silenced, and Torquil Campbell’s (vocalist) silhouette took the stage, melodica in hand. Soon after the first few chords were struck, the stage became illuminated with intricate light schemes; effectively setting the scene for the atmospheric voices of both Campbell and Amy Millan.
Despite Millan’s newly announced pregnancy, the duo fashioned an energy that filled the room and lured some band members into the lively crowd. Playing an evenhanded mix of songs from both new and old albums, the mood remained upbeat and Stars ornamented the audience with their iconic long-stemmed, white roses; sporadically throwing handfuls of pedals into the crowd.
Despite Millan’s newly announced pregnancy, the duo fashioned an energy that filled the room and lured some band members into the lively crowd. Playing an evenhanded mix of songs from both new and old albums, the mood remained upbeat and Stars ornamented the audience with their iconic long-stemmed, white roses; sporadically throwing handfuls of pedals into the crowd.
Halfway through their set of heavy melodies and profound lyrics the lights dimmed except this time, Torquil Campbell exited. A French horn and trombone replaced the previous sounds of the synth and hard drumbeats and the lyrics took on a euphoric persona as Amy Millan began a solo show complete with a bubble machine. Millan’s nuanced voice and supporting classical instrumentals cast a tranquil blanket over the audience that lasted for the brevity of time she remained alone. Her second half soon rejoined her where, together, they belted out the last few songs; Campbell banging on his synth and Millan jamming out on her electric guitar.
I must say, with the release of their new album in late June of 2010, I became skeptical as to whether the band would be able to hold on to their unique sound much longer. Though a hit among most, The Five Ghosts & The Séance, takes listeners on an alarming trip into pop influenced choruses and predictable turns in melody; greatly differing from both Set yourself on Fire and In Our Bedroom After the War.
However, following last night’s show, Stars proved that they are capable of holding on to their distinguished sound regardless of the track or album. Each performed song is given its own vocal component that only Campbell and Millan could possibly pull off; keeping a stronghold on their ability to distinguish themselves from the mainstream.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
The Right to Bear Hands
This Thursday, November 11, Bear Hands will be playing at The Nightmare.
Their stop in Dallas is only one amongst a number in their first-ever headlining tour to promote the new album, The Burning Bush Supper Club. The album, under Cantora Records, falls amongst two others, Golden EP and What a Drag – EP, and as the titles suggest, Burning Bush Supper Club is the band's first full-length.
Touring with bands such as Vampire Weekend, Passion Pit, The xx, MGMT, Matt & Kim, and We Were Promised Jetpacks, Bear Hands has been successful in building a strong following. And singer, Dylan Rau, believes that "the response to the record will be even better than the EPs," giving non-fans a perfect chance to jump onto the bandwagon.
Bear Hands takes influences such as "Bob Dylan (folk), Michael Jackson (pop), and Daft Punk (techno)," and converges them to fashion a sound separate from any genre. With a lo-fi feel, Bear Hands appeals to all of the senses by putting realist lyrics with atmospheric guitar sounds, and techno induced percussion that is pleasing to any audience.
Dylan Rau (vocals/guitar), Ted Feldman (guitar), Val Loper (bass) and TJ Orscher (drums) have given numerous magazines something to write about and fans looking for something innovative to talk about. Using the words, "stellar," (Huffington Post) "spectacular," (Billboard) and "riveting," (Spin) Bear Hands has won the hearts of some of the nations most renowned magazines - this band is not going into hibernation anytime soon.
For a mere $8, the chance to a see a band of this caliber is impossible to turn down. A great time is guaranteed and the chances are, you'll leave with a new band to add to your iTunes collection. So, head over to The Nightmare on Elm St. Thursday night at 8:00 p.m. and watch as Bear Hands continues to mark their territory throughout the nation.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Of Montreal Creates an Unreal Experience
The lights dimmed on a packed house at The Grenada while remnants of Janelle Monae’s R&B soul atmosphere lingered in the crowd. Strange images illuminated the stage’s surrounding screens as each band member casually made their way to their instruments, each dressed flamboyantly and emphasizing the enigmatic mood.
A hard bass backbeat and foreboding synthesizer lead Kevin Barnes of Of Montreal onto the stage. Purple tights, apron, and all, Barnes kicked off the night and fed the begging audience with “Coquet Coquette”, a hit from their new 2010 album, False Priest.
The band began their False Priest tour in July of 2010, just a few months before the album released in September. The album, similar to others, is saturated in disco influenced dance beats and sensual lyrics that fit the persona of the band members seemingly flawlessly and make for a great show.
Barnes danced through the night and performed songs, both old and new, while the audience gyrated and sang along. This, however, was very unlike any other concert in that sprinkled throughout a majority of the songs, Of Montreal decided that their presence alone was not good enough for their fans - what better way to entertain then to bring a series of skeleton children, Chinese dragons, life-size pigs, and silver people into the act. And as if the characters and their costumes weren’t enough, these characters then proceeded to play out intricate scenes.
These scenes, though extremely scandalous, fit snuggly into the set list the band had put together and successfully enhanced the fan’s experience by adding to the shock factor previously created by the band member’s chosen attire. From pig bestiality, to cannibalism, to nuanced statements concerning young America, Of Montreal and their stage circus comically covered an overwhelming range of issues – all controversial, of course.
With music, dancing, some narrative driven scenes, and costume changes, it’s hard to believe that the experience was a concert and not a musical. For roughly a two-hour period of time on the night of November 2, dull moments did not exist within the walls of The Grenada; only clean fun had by a vast array of people varying in both age and kind.
It was a remarkable way to end such a dreary day and in the words of Kevin Barnes, “All good stories end with a gong.”
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
As the sun set on Austin City Limits, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros raised spirits all around. The sounds of jolting bass drum backbeats and folk driven guitar riffs saturated the ZYNC stage in a euphoric aura that engulfed every fan in over a 100-yard radius. Bodies swayed and heads bobbed to Jade Castrino’s and Alex Elbert’s energetic duality.
This hypnotic experience was amplified with Elbert’s number of excursions into the crowd. Fans would lift him almost sacredly and hold him as he sang, head back and eyes closed, only to be echoed by a sea of raised hands and high emotions. The experience is difficult to put into text and the concert high that followed has yet to subside.
Alex Elbert and his 9-membered posse clarified the rumors fashioned by Rolling Stone Magazine that the band is “an artist to watch.” Even those who are not in to the ‘indie-folk’ era that’s emerging should take the time to attend an Edward Sharpe concert; it’s life altering.
Friday, October 22, 2010
"The Misunderstood Saints"
On Tuesday, October 26, Indie/Rock duo, We Are Scientists, will grace The Loft with their presence. That’s right; “The Misunderstood Saints” are coming to Dallas. Unlike my intrusive interview with Keith Murray (singer), this concert will be anything but an “outrageous, invasion of time.”
Their new album, Barbara, has proven itself to be one of the band’s most successful albums to date and its catchy chorus’ and underlying dance beats make for a spectacular live show. Following the albums release in early June, We Are Scientists wrapped up a world summer tour in late August that earned Barbara immense praise from both critiques and fans. Keith Murray, Chris Cain (lead guitarist), and new drummer, Andy Burrows continue to leave an electrifying impression on audiences thanks to their charismatic personalities and Keith’s aesthetically pleasing pink amplifier.
Keith and Chris are quite the pair and anyone who attends a W.A.S. concert is promised much more than your cliché live experience could ever offer. Instead of preplanned one-liners and monotonous set lists, fans can expect an unforgettable event filled with spontaneity, dry humor, and a certain uniqueness other shows lack. In a recent interview, Keith described the set list as a “grab-bag of songs” and mentioned how they’ve begun experimenting by “yelling out songs” and “not actually making a set list.” This creates the raw atmosphere bands strive for when in front of a crowd and allows the audience to feel apart of an inimitable show – they are able to participate and leave confident that no other show will be like the one they attended.
The album name alone has attributes unique to the band member’s infamous humor. When speaking to Keith, he informed me that the name “Barbara” was obtained from a woman who “works down the street and mops up spills; she’s a tragedy” in that “she’s always trying to mop with the handle end.” Whether this was an on-the-spot improvisation or a based on true events, these guys have a different way of thinking that’s alluring to all audiences. Aside from Barbara, herself, the band’s influences include “the cooing of children, the singing of birds in the trees, and the murmur of collective historians,” with an emphasis on the historians. With influences such as these, this is a concert that you really can’t stand to pass up. Whether you’re into rap, classical, or even auto-tuned YouTube songs, We Are Scientists is a band worth your time and money for the simple reason that you’re guaranteed to have a good time.
October 26. The Loft. Doors open at 8. Go, you won’t regret it.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
I've always hated Mondays...
Hey Monday, an emerging Alternative band, just released their new EP, Beneath It All, in mid August. Cassadee Pope can pride herself in her vocals - the lack of electronic enhancement in her tracks gives the band a very clean sound that seems to be on the verge of extinction within the Alternative music industry. Under Sony Music Entertainment, the same label that signed like bands such as Avril Lavigne and Boys Like Girls, Hey Monday has released one album, Hold On Tight, prior to the release of Beneath It All. Hold on Tight’s poppy, electronic sound did not seem to click with Hey Monday’s preteen audience; however, Beneath It All takes on an edge that focuses more on vocals and raw instruments than it does on the elaborations of electronics. With this, the band should see a much larger fan base surface than ever before, giving them a reliable shot at fame.
Beneath It All fails to take on a sound of it’s own. Instead, it is very easily compared to – and possibly even confused with – bands like Paramore and Avril Lavigne. Inevitably, the album will be classified as just another CD submerged in a bubblegum pop sound with lyrics that fail to breach the shallow subject matter of boys breaking hearts. Beneath It All comfortably snuggles into the 21st century stereotype of alternative rock bands. Accordingly, that’s exactly where the album will end up – forgetfully placed amongst the hundreds of other teen angst artists of it’s time.
Hey Monday, though successful amongst it’s 21st century preteen fan base, fails to distinguish themselves from any other day of the week. Accordingly, it becomes quite obvious that Beneath It All will fall extremely short of making any type of impact amongst the world of music. Sure, the vocals are bearable and the rest of the band (for the most part) knows how to play their instruments in time and together, but the album lacks any sort of substantial meaning and the lyrics contain no real message. The most one could get out of listening to this album is learning some of the symptoms of a hangover thanks to the track, “Hangover”: “Oh my god, what's wrong with my head? Sweating with the chills, still in my bed…” Despite the fact that America just elected it’s first black president, the country is at still war, the gulf is full of oil, and Tiger Woods cheated on his wife with multiple women, Hey Monday continues to find various ways to sing about getting broken up with. Not that anything is wrong with this tactic, it’s just not the type of material that will be talked about years from now and noted in history books.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Superbs
Arcade Fire did the world a favor with the release of their new album, Suburbs. Much like previous albums, the listener is exposed to the atmospheric voices of Win Butler and Regine Chassagne. Together, this dynamic duo creates a sound that breaches the barriers of the ordinary and, instead, fashions an ambient experience that gives Arcade Fire it's unforgeable sound.
The band makes all of the right moves in the album, picking the perfect moments to lead the listener on and never succumbs to the temptations of premature climaxes [haha]. For example in "Modern Man", the listener is repeatedly teased with faulty bridges and a chorus that never really peaks correctly until the end of the song. The anticipation that forms is the same force that keeps the listener captivated throughout the duration of the song, making the last 1:30 beautiful and the clapping that overcomes the snare back beat much more complex. It's all about timing and makes this Suburb anything but Stepford Wives.
This album contains tracks that feature components so saturated in simplicity, the listener becomes enthralled in a different kind of complexity - the eyes closed head bobbing type. "Rococo" is a song that repeats the same lyric multiple times throughout the majority of the song. This lyric just happens to be the title of the song [creativity at it's finest?]. Instead of becoming a monotonous annoyance, "rococo" takes on it's own roll in the instrumentals of the song - it becomes apart of the harmonious beat that ties together with the melody.
In short: Arcade Fire has done it again. Suburbs is another great album that you definitely don't need a gate code for.
...but that's just my opinion.
The band makes all of the right moves in the album, picking the perfect moments to lead the listener on and never succumbs to the temptations of premature climaxes [haha]. For example in "Modern Man", the listener is repeatedly teased with faulty bridges and a chorus that never really peaks correctly until the end of the song. The anticipation that forms is the same force that keeps the listener captivated throughout the duration of the song, making the last 1:30 beautiful and the clapping that overcomes the snare back beat much more complex. It's all about timing and makes this Suburb anything but Stepford Wives.
This album contains tracks that feature components so saturated in simplicity, the listener becomes enthralled in a different kind of complexity - the eyes closed head bobbing type. "Rococo" is a song that repeats the same lyric multiple times throughout the majority of the song. This lyric just happens to be the title of the song [creativity at it's finest?]. Instead of becoming a monotonous annoyance, "rococo" takes on it's own roll in the instrumentals of the song - it becomes apart of the harmonious beat that ties together with the melody.
In short: Arcade Fire has done it again. Suburbs is another great album that you definitely don't need a gate code for.
...but that's just my opinion.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Infinite Loops
I always think it such a shame when a band that distinguishes itself through unique elements succumbs to the overwhelming push of the mainstream. A great example of this, Band of Horses: Infinite Arms. The band released it's new album in May of this year and made sure to rid of almost every folky component of their work and replace them with excessively boring loops and tonal monotony.
The beginning of "Factory", the first track of the CD, gives the listener false hope concerning the entirety of the album. We're first reacquainted with Brooke's familiar vocals that cover the listener in that same folky twang prominent in previous albums. However, as the track progresses, it becomes clear that the only thing that seems to change is the lyrics. Besides that, the listener is forced to listen to the same orchestral riffs and snare-bass simplicity loop over, and over, and over, and over again.
Unfortunately, the monotony "Factory" exposes the listener to seems like a creative godsend when compared to "Evening Kitchen". If this really were a kitchen, the only thing to be made in it would be rice cakes. Sure all the crunch is there, but they succeed in lacking any desirable flavor... At least they're only 35 calories and thank God "Evening Kitchen" is only 3:57 minutes.
"Laredo," unlike Factory and "Evening Kitchen," takes on an upbeat personality and the listener is taken back when the guitarist plays more than two notes. However, amongst the upbeat drums and changing guitar chords, Mat Brooke looses his unique sounds and the listener is suddenly forced to check to make sure that they're still listening to Band of Horses and not just another struggling alternative band.
Hopefully, this album is nothing more than an awkward, pubescent stage of growth.
...but that's just my opinion.
The beginning of "Factory", the first track of the CD, gives the listener false hope concerning the entirety of the album. We're first reacquainted with Brooke's familiar vocals that cover the listener in that same folky twang prominent in previous albums. However, as the track progresses, it becomes clear that the only thing that seems to change is the lyrics. Besides that, the listener is forced to listen to the same orchestral riffs and snare-bass simplicity loop over, and over, and over, and over again.
Unfortunately, the monotony "Factory" exposes the listener to seems like a creative godsend when compared to "Evening Kitchen". If this really were a kitchen, the only thing to be made in it would be rice cakes. Sure all the crunch is there, but they succeed in lacking any desirable flavor... At least they're only 35 calories and thank God "Evening Kitchen" is only 3:57 minutes.
"Laredo," unlike Factory and "Evening Kitchen," takes on an upbeat personality and the listener is taken back when the guitarist plays more than two notes. However, amongst the upbeat drums and changing guitar chords, Mat Brooke looses his unique sounds and the listener is suddenly forced to check to make sure that they're still listening to Band of Horses and not just another struggling alternative band.
Hopefully, this album is nothing more than an awkward, pubescent stage of growth.
...but that's just my opinion.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Oh, hey...
Consider this our awkward introduction. The kind where you're introduced to someone knowing that you will most likely never speak or run into them again. However, in this case, (though we may not ever meet) I hope that you'll stick around and find my opinions not only insightful but entertaining as well.
With that said, I'm Jordan. Hi.
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