So many bits of news have crossed my path in the last few days regarding items, people and projects I feel need a little of your attention.
To bring season 2 to a close the folks behind LMM relaunched their website. Now, to keep yourself busy while they take a hiatus from bringing you some very fresh material, you can easily sort through the archives and sample tracks from the various monthly themes. This is a project dedicated to reconsidering the many facets of music from album art to instruments. Well worth the price of subscription for season 3 which will kick off May 1.
Yessssss Mr Wilkis is back in action; working his magic to reimagine the Yeasayer’s Ambling Alp. He gives it a fresh spit’n polish choosing to slough off the excess and crack open the essential beats. It is, as always, a spectacularly well done remix.
Ambling Alp (Alan Wilkis remix)
Team Teamwork
Mash ups are a total guilty pleasure. The pleasure I take from effortlessly identifying samples that have been chopped up and reconfigured is fairly well know among my friends. Which is why this edition of Team Teamwork’s Vinyl Fantasy landed in my in box multiple times in the last week or so. Overflowing with dope-tastic tracks it was just the fix I didn’t know I was jonesin for. While there has been a spot of controversy around this little project I still thought it worth sharing with you all. So click the link
White Panda
This Cali-cago duo have been incredibly busy smashing all sorts of business together crafting some fairly delicious mash ups. Recently they completed their Versus Mixtape; 33 tracks of assorted musical rearrangements, all of them fantastic. This mixtape will be my gym soundtrack as I try to snap myself out of the standard midwinter sloth status. They have even tackled that ridiculous Owl City song and manage to make it rather enjoyable, a sign of a true skill.
Fireflies Going Down
Almost Everything I Wish I’d Said The Last Time I Saw You… is the long awaited first full studio album from Brooklyn’s Mike Grubbs a.k.a. Wakey!Wakey! After cutting his teeth with a free covers album (something that I have parsed and spread through numerous mixes and playlists), a live album and an EP –not to mention a slew of gigs and a spot on One Tree Hill–Grubbs has really refined his sound achieving stellar status on my indie pop scale. Numerous times, while listening to the album, I found myself paused by his lyrical prowess. Often anchored by his piano playing on previous recordings the introduction of more complicated arrangements on AEIWISTLTISY only serve to build the emotion in each song. The Oh Song mans up with the addition of a burly male chorus while Take It Like A Man weaves in the shrill of the violin to push it off the starting block. It is a great “beginning” for Wakey!Wakey! one that is sure to be followed by even more touring so be sure to catch him when he pass through your surrounds.
Some folks with musical chops interpret the burden of such talent as a calling to fuss and refine until every element of their product is perfect. Tom McRae is no such artist. He is the kind of musical talent that takes great delight in the process; prefers to bask in the experimentation and possibility. On his fifth studio album Alphabet Of Hurricanes his product is the direct outcome of quite a bit of play and shaped by a lot a bit of craft. It’s a mixed bag — as one might expect — Me & Stetson representing his pop sensibilities whereas American Spirit is a little more alt country. Despite the scatter the assortment is enjoyable as a whole mostly due to the thread of joy in the creation that is found in every track.
Out Of The Wall
There is a steady cool to Fink’s music that plays off so cleanly you feel as though you’re listening to lead man Fin Greenall’s private musings. Without hiding behind all the wit and wile of many of today’s artists he plays it as it lays. Having spent a number of years as a DJ dabbling in trip hop and acid jazz it isn’t surprising his recent work tends towards the understated. With Fink he has been focusing on a slightly more traditional approach to songwriting. The spectacular Distance And Time has a folkier waft while last year’s Sort Of Revolution marks a happy medium between folk and acid jazz. The tracks maintain the cool Fink has come to be known for but there is an touch of soul that cannot be ignored. The title track from Sort Of Revolution spreads smooth crooning vocals over a minimal, but propelling, arrangement. The rest of the album plays out in a similarly chill manner making this the perfect soundtrack for your wind down time.
Sort Of Revolution
A chat with Chris Wood is a whirl wind tour of his musical career; first, his gig as drummer for Downtown Harvest; then, the spacey trip-hop side project Grimace Federation; finally, to his main focus right now Orbit To Leslie. Taking on a new role as frontman Wood has high expectations for Orbit, as well he should. The five piece first began a few years ago when Wood returned to Philly after a stint in LA and wanted a few fresh faces for some jam sessions. He called on a childhood friend, some other well respected local players slapped on a phrase he once saw on an organ effect button and Orbit To Leslie was born. What has come of those jam sessions and a grip of well received gigs is a well rounded and worldly dream rock group. Defined by intriguing percussions and steady vocals the band just released The World Was Saved With Chocolate Cake. The album, initially intended to be an EP, is a direct reflection of the fella’s assorted styles. Dipping into a few different pools of influence from afro-pop to echoey garage rock it plays well as a whole with some weaker spots but tracks like Chocolate Cake shine bright enough to pull the weight. The further refinement of their sound that is sure to come from supporting this record will only push Orbit To Leslie closer to their full potential.
I am spending my evening catching up on some of the movies expected to get Oscar nods which put my in a visual frame of mind. Coincidentally, there have been a few cool videos to cross my path recently so I thought I’d share them with you real quick. Enjoy!
The XX -VCR
Shy Child – Disconnected
Shy Child // Disconnected from Stay Loose on Vimeo.
Mumford & Sons – The Cave
Little Lion Man
Last week brought Animal Tropical & Freelance Whales, two very fresh groups, to Kungfu Necktie for a rollicking good time. Going in I knew very little about Animal Tropical – for example, that it’s Ah-nee-Mal Tro-pee-Kal - so I was unprepared for the frenzied punkish energy this Miami quartet unleashes during their set. The abstract psych vibe of the music was punctuated by the most fabulous hand gestures by any performer I’ve seen, quite possibly ever. Despite a broken keyboard the lead singer kept the show going; delivering a unique vocal style I can only describe as a mix of scat and slam poetry. While that description denotes a degree of chaos Animal Tropical’s brilliance lies is in their ability to put it out there and still maintain a sense of control. The full package melds a lot of influences and techniques together to create a very distinct sound and an incredibly pleasing live show. I’m eager for them to return so I can get another Tropical fix.
Freelance Whales, one of the rapidly trending bands on the east coast indie scene, brought their plucky troupe to the stage next. Playing pretty much anything they can get their hands on to create a hodgepodge symphony that, when layered under their dexterous lyrical stylings puts forth on hell of a mesmerizing show. As the groups members float around the numerous instruments on stage – changing location with every song – they maintained a consistant thread of tautly harmonized vocals. Hearing Freelance Whales perform live really brought a new weight to their stellar lyrics. While the music doddles between sweet and romantic to playful they manage to steer clear of the precious “twee” territory by keeping things simple and grounded. All five group members were having a good time with each other, which quickly spread into the crowd loosening a few hip shakes from the packed house. Working through most of the tracks on the new album Weathervane during their set Freelance Whales proved they are worth every bit of their buzz. They will be back on March 5th with Cymbals Eat Guitars and Bear In Heaven, get your tickets now.
Hannah
Philly is jumping on the good will bandwagon with the announcement today by WXPN, Philadelphia Folksong Society and the Trocadero that they will be presenting Philly Rocks For Haiti on February 4th. The funds raised will go to Haitian Professionals of Philly who will buy and ship supplies to Haiti. The line-up has some major players from Philly’s musical community:
This is an excellent chance to get out for a night of fabulous local music while supporting those in much greater need in Haiti.
Get Tickets here or at the Troc box office.
If you can’t make it but still like the idea of getting some music for your donation go check out Paste’s Songs For Haiti offer
First, tricky riffs grab you. Then, horns swell around you and before you know it you’re full sucked into the funky sway of King Expressers. This Brooklyn group originally came together in Accra, Ghana and have drawn influence from soukouss – a melding of afro-pop and caribbean rhythms – to bring us this feel good brand of music. The smooth vocals roll over the up beat horns and dare you not to hit repeat. This is the kind of music you play to turn a sour day around.
Real True Story
In need of a little raspy southern dive bar rock? Then get a dose of State Champion. Wearing the whiskey dampened traits of classic alt country they fill Stale Champagne with tracks reflecting their gritty roots and proudly imperfect sound. The group’s southern fried enthusiasm marks every note on this record. Lyrically they do a fine job cutting a swath through expected territory; family, love & drinking. Building phrases like “tattoo the words forget her where my feather used to be,” that intrigue and drwan you in. I have a sense their live show wears much of the rowdiness captured on this homemade record and I hope to catch it soon. Until then I’ll be keeping Stale Champagne on my playlist.
Come See What I Have Done
Savoir Adore & Circadian Rhythms took the stage at Kung Fu Necktie this week to mark and early start to my weekend. Circadian Rhythms has been on my list for some time now so I was pleased to finally be able to catch them. Unfortunately, their set left me a little underwhelmed. While I definitely heard the potential for greater things down the road they are still in need of a little refinement. Each song dabbled in a new genre from blues tinged alt country to psych pop and each had its strengths – a brave approach to percussive rhythms that would really shine if played with a little more confidence, for example; however, there lack a cohesiveness that suggests a sense of direction. Their instrumentals were complex and well thought out which made heavy leaning on Beach Boys phrasing and Ary Barroso’s Brazil a little disappointing. CR certainly has the musical ability to create something distinct but they need to sit down and decide what that “sound” should be then build their music around that. With a little more focus and work I can see Circadian Rhythms really carving out their spot but right now they are in need of some tightening
Savoir Adore, a band that has received much love from TWIAPC, took the stage next and put on what was probably the best show I’ve seen them do. Playing songs primarily from their fall release In The Wooded Forest, they won over the crowd and pulled folks in from the bar. Sav Adore’s fronters Paul & Deirdre have undeniable sonic chemistry. Her smokey vocals play well with his plaintive indie tuned croon, providing an allure to their pairing that is particularly noticeable in the live show. Their orchestral pop sound is built of deliberately placed synth effects and tight instrumentals. Hearing it live really makes the arrangements pop and the playfulness of the group’s stage presence adds a true sheen to the full package. In the previous shows I’ve seen their only stumble was the flow of their set choices. On Thursday night each song melded well with the next and by the time they reached their final song, an extended version of Bodies, it seemed as if they had just begun. They’re going to be out on the road quite a bit in the next few months please do make an effort to see them. Both live and recorded they are a superb use of your hard earned dollar.
Weathervane released this trailer for Sharon Van Etten’s session recorded in December. Pairing such a fantastic artist with this incredible project can lead to nothing but brilliance.
Shaking Through: Sharon Van Etten – Coming Jan.26, 2010 from Weathervane Music on Vimeo.
In addition, Weathervane announced a partnership with WXPN on Shaking Through an extension of the Project Series bringing independent artists from around the world in to the Weathervane studios and recording the magic that happens. This is a great new phase for the ambitious Weathervane crew, and I couldn’t be more excited to see what is yet to come.