Wednesday night I hauled all the way up to one of Philly’s newer consistently quality music venues Kung Fu Necktie to see The Love Language and Headlights (I will confess to a bit of poor reviewer performace…I missed their set due to a previous obligation but I hear it was v. good). Local act The Robes opened which I was looking forward to because they are involved in a little project I have in the works with some other Philly music kids (more on that to come….). Their sound has a crust of potential that with a little more time and work could melt into a tasty glaze. They do have a really comfortable stage presence though, which made watching them kind of like have a private jam session with friends.
The Love Language set up next and considering their’s is a cast of seven it was a pleasantly quick switch. This motley crew efuses gritty lo fi rock with a touch of a southern lilt on their record so I was interested to see how it played live. Well, I can tell you it plays true and then some when you get them on stage. The Love Language is the baby of Stuart McLamb who created the group in an unusual manner, he had the name first and built out from there. Assembling an assortment of friends and family each contributing some serious chops to their unique version of an old school pop sound (and if for you that means N’sync stop reading and go buy Pet Sounds NOW thank me later). They admit to a large swath of musical influnce and touches of Buddy Holly, Jefferson Airplane, The Walkmen and even Roy Orbison are evident and despite this seemingly random amalgum they produce a very deliberate and clean sound.
In addition to being the progenator, writer and arranger for The Love Language McLamb is also the “front man” meaning the live show is where the depth of his talent is on full display. Upon first listening to their album I was immediately drawn to McLamb’s straight forward lyric’s and hearing them live truly developed the degree of sincerity. He is not one for hiding much of the emotion (both good and bad) behind his songs while on stage. While delivering the heartpanger Sparxxxx he threw himself out there singing straight from whence its inspiration is sourced teathered to the present by a simple bass line and feirce jangley percussion. This unfiltered stage presense lends authenticity and cohesion to the groups overall presentation.
While McLamb’s contribution to the success of TLL’s sucess is undeniable, so to is the deep well of musical brilliance that brings McLamb’s vision to life. Watching the group traverse the course of their album’s repetoire while fit cozily on to KFN’s smallish stage was a visual demonstration of seven people who are clearly very in tune with each other’s role and musical ability. McLamb’s brother pushes the edge of brash percussion and tight snares just the right amount so as to make his riffs on songs like Providence little modest gems. On Night Dog the keyboards and rhythm guitar did a nice little dance to a steady tambourine beat. They brought up a member of Headlights to add a squeez box touch to a song and it was pretty aparent the entire troupe was having as much fun putting on the show as we were having watching them. This shared joy peaked nicely with the rollicking and delicious Lalita to top off the set. As I savoured the last bits of their set hanging in the air it occurred to me that theirs is the kind of show you want to see outside on a humid summer evening with a cold beer and folks willing to cut loose a little. I do so hope they pass through town again soon otherwise I may have to make do with hosting a little listening party of my own.
Lalita
Manteo -The Love Language Daytrotter session
*Image courtesy of Michael Triplett
I had a moment of total brilliance today. For those of you who don’t know me personally I should disclose I am pretty much running on all cylinders at all times. On top of doing TWIAPC I am also a partner in a consulting firm so I usually have an email I should be reading, a call to return, an article to write, a blog entry to do….you get the idea. If I didn’t love it all believe me I wouldn’t do it. But I’m lucky enough to be one of the few people who gets to pursue the majority of my interests on some personal or professional level. Anyways, I am always looking for tricks and strategies to multitask without effecting the quality of the work. My iPhone and compulsive list making are the two main life and time savers I use. And as of this morning my shuffle will be added to that list. As I looked at the 30+tracks I have received in the last few days I was also loading up my shuffle for my daily run and it struck me; why not listen to the tracks I want to review while my attention is, for the most part, undisturbed. So I gave it a go and while I think it may take a little tweeking it just may be the secret to getting a little more done with my day. So here are a few quick tracks I pulled from the shuffle list.
This is a sweet respin of a Lykke Li tune that I already thoroughly enjoy. One of the few times great is made greater.
Dance Dance Dance Lykke Li remixed by Buraka Som Sistema
This remix really grabbed my ear when I first heard it a while back but when a friend sent it to me in response my love for the Dance Dance Dance remix I twittered yesterday I recalled my fondness for Britt’s take on the song.
I Feel It All Feist remixed by Britt Daniels
The Avett Brothers relaunched their web site this week and started stirring the pot a bit hinting at what to expect on the album they are releasing in August. Then I got this snip of their show at SXSW this year. I really hope they put a version of this song on said album.
I & Love & You The Avett Brothers(live at SXSW09)
And finally, this is a beautiful cover of Kings Of Leon. BFL give it their haunting touch and in doing so give it a slightly shiftier feel. It never fails to amaze me how many ways one song can be interpreted. A successful attempt this is!
Use Somebody (Kings of Leon Cover) Bat For Lashes
I took a break from the spring induced desire for all things dancey and light to appreciate the more introspective side of the musical spectrum by catching William Fitzsimmon’s show at the Tin Angel this week.
The lovely Rosi Golan started the evening off very right. If you’re not familiar with her (and haven’t already clicked the link above) by name you’d probably recognize her from the soundtrack of those TV shows you’re less than willing to openly admit to Tivo-ing every week cause it seems she’s got those folks in her pocket. For very good reason too. Her performance was a far cry from the usual cloying singer songwriter schtick. Backed by a gentleman named Jake Phillips she covered a range from pop [Been A Long Day] to cool and reflective [Think of Me] and was thoroughly enjoyable the entire set. It was one of those instances when you realize the perfect soundtrack for what’s going on in your mind has snuck up on you and for that I can’t help but appreciate what Ms Golan had to offer. I will certainly keep an eye out for her future shows and releases.
It seemed like barely enough time for a cricket to hiccup before William Fitzsimmons was taking Rosi’s place on the stage (the sweet simplicity of a singer/songwriter stage set up). Looking like a man who, as he admitted himself, is one outfit away from homeless chic with a “raccoon on (his) face,” Fitzsimmon’s demeanor immediately put me at ease. He wasted no time acknowledging his depressing subject matter (his most recent album The Sparrow and The Crow was clearly a therapeutic outlet for him to process his divorce) but he did so with a flavor of sarcasm that set a bitter sweet flow for the rest of the evening. If the music thing fell through for him I’d say he could easily test the stand-up circuit he’s that funny.
He played for an hour and a half and covered a descent amount of Sparrow but also some of his older stuff as well as a Tom Petty cover! I was really impressed with the quality of his live delivery. His recordings, especially the more recent stuff, are really well balanced so all the additional loops, instruments, vocals blend beautifully in each piece. All those extra bits were left behind, for the most part, during this show and the result was a fresh rendering of his material. Without the piano and drums to propel If You Would Come Back Home his tender voice carried it over sparse territory without loosing the weight of the lyrics. Which was true of the set on the whole giving further proof of the strength on Fitzsimmon’s effortlessly smooth voice and song writing brilliance. The does manage to touch on some of the more painful intricacies of a complicated break up but in songs like You Still Hurt Me he is wise to pep it up with a lilting banjo line an the fine accompaniment of Ms. Golan. This became the audience participation moment of the evening and a good one at that. He brought Rosi back to do their duet Hazy, which can be found on her new album. Their voices meld flawlessly and Golan’s lyric’s complemented the rest of the set nicely. He capped the night with a hauntingly simple version of Goodmorning to slowly ease us back into the night. What could have easily been a night of “woe is me” folk was a carefully assembled night of music and laughter in the hands of the very talented William Fitzsimmons.
*Image courtesy of Erin Brown
** If You Would Come Back Home kindly provided by WF’s People You should definitely buy both his and Rosi Golan’s albums!
Saturday night I had the pleasure of seeing DC’s Middle Distance Runner and Philly’s Drink Up Buttercup. The evening was slow to get going. We had to wait for three rather tedious singer songwriter acts to do their thing before these two acts stormed the stage.
Middle Distance Runner
First up was Middle Distance Runner. Riding a cheese steak / cheap booze high the five fellas plowed straight into their set. I feel compelled to point out that on this particular evening it appeared as though Keanu Reeves, Jason Mraz, Pete Wentz, your high school band teacher and that kid in your dorm who was a geo major and played ultimate Frisbee a lot had come together for a jam session. However, while each member had their own distinct style their sound was a fine example of well orchestrated chaos. They busted out their tracks hitting the older stuff I was familiar with like the great Man of the People and the bits off of their new EP The Unbeliever [which I promptly purchased]. Their sound was a little more punk than I had expected and I think their new release is really pushing that edge. They loose a little bit of their polish with this effort but not only do I think the change does them good I like what is suggests of future drops. They set the vibe perfectly for…
Drink Up Buttercup
These Philly favorites have been on my radar for a while and after hearing their next release will be mixed by the same guy who works with Animal Collective I’m guessing they’ll be on a lot of others radars as well. The evening was intended for them to flex some new songs in front of a crowd and just like MDR they dove right in. Let me tell you, any band that starts their set playing a trashcan will forever have a spot in my heart. Listening to their recorded work does not even come close to capturing the energy and character of Drink Up Buttercup. They are brash, loud, fun oh, and wickedly talented. They gave us a wee bit of the old (Mr Pie Eyes) stuff but, as promised, it was mostly the new stuff. It didn’t matter whether or not you’d heard it before you couldn’t help but groove to it. About 2/3rd’s through there was some snafu that was hardly noticeable to the crowd but threw a wrench in DUB’s set list but without missing a beat they grabbed their various noisemakers and came straight out into the audience. Instead of tripping up their momentum the impromptu audience participation session only pushed it to 11. There was singing, there was clapping, there was stomping, there was a grand moment of concert making. Even though the show was cut short I can’t imagine a better way to go out. I have a feeling its going to be a big year for Drink Up Buttercup.
*Image courtesy of Brian Reguera
There has been an unexpected mad influx of demos and promos in my in-box over the last week. Even more unexpectedly there are some very solid offerings in the bunch. I am still working through all the emails and songs but these are three that have floated to the top early…
The guys of Lemonwilde are some of the nicest guys I’ve encountered in the self promo game that is a big part of music blogging so when I first listened to Red Room I was a little surprised at how heavy it was but I didn’t let that stop me from hearing them out. The tracks are cohesive and the sound consistent this is the work of deep feeling song writers and smart instrumentalists. There are some interesting percussive tricks on Finding Jesus In The Math which counter’s lead singer Joe’s mellow pop vocals rather nicely. Of the songs offered on this EP I found myself drawn most to two in particular. Just This Ashtray (admittedly the title, from one of the greatest movie scenes from The Jerk, got me first) which hearkens back to some of the darker goth pop of the late nineties but smartened up. Inspired Painter is a montage worthy love gone wrong track that would be perfect for a CW melodrama. These guys have a firm grip on their sound and the EP shows that in spades. I’d like to see how the sound matures, perhaps consider polishing off a little of the moodiness in favor of flexing their talents on a wider ranger of sound. I’m guessing though they really sell when seen live, an opportunity I look forward to in the future.
Just This Ashtray
Inspired Painter
This guy is a tough one to peg. He says he’s electro-pop but I feel as though that’s too easy. The electronic leanings are more experimental than what I associate with that simplified classification. Yes, there is a heavy synth component but the way he loops it with his lyrics is more complicated than any handy label can adequately cover. There is almost a ballad element on many of the songs off of his album From Pillar To Post. He really plays with a hollow chambery sound on songs like Burning Your Glory which struck me as an alien love song that whizz, pops and buzzes to compliment the sweet lyrics. The strongest element of this album is he keeps you wanting to hear more without being repetitive or weighty. Feed Me To The Wolves has stuck in my head more than once since I first listened. Its tightly woven and builds then backs off then builds again and keeps driving towards the end. I really hope you give him a listen and put it on your calendar to buy From Pillar To Post when it drops this fall. [Don't worry I'll remind you] To tide you over Logan was kind enough to pass along these two tracks.
Feed Me To The Wolves
Burning Your Glory
*Image courtesy of Ray Gordon
Jasmyn is still rocking a bit of a coffeehouse sound on these practice reels but I couldn’t help but enjoy the earnest playfulness of her songs. A whole lot less twee then Moldy Peaches her lyrics are similarly simple and straight forward. Get her in a full production studio and I can see great things coming out of this lady’s mouth.
Hungry Flowers
Fruitfly
Spring is in the air and the number of quality shows passing through town are once again picking up. The concert calendar got a surge of energy on Thursday with Bishop Allen’s show at the First Unitarian Church. I missed the first opener but arrived just in time to see Mt St. Helen’s Vietnam Band take the stage. I had streamed their new album earlier in the week before realizing that they were opening the BA show. To be honest the album seemed a little disjointed as a whole but has some very strong singles (Albatross, Albatross, Albatross & El Fuego). Once I figured out that I would be seeing them I did a little research to figure out their story. Thanks to another excellent interview on Pop Tarts Suck Toasted I got their back story. I’ll let you go there to read it yourself but the key take away is the fact that the drummer is a 14 year old kid whose adoptive parents are also in the band. Intriguing? Yes. A schtick? Perhaps. But let me tell you half way through the first song it was very clear Marshall is a wicked talent. The group has a very distinct sound. Heavily influenced by hard core punk but drawn over the slower paces often found in recent indie rock bands. What is most remarkable are the percussion’s syncopation’s. They stop, drop, twitch,trip you up and break your groove. But in a good way. You have to be on top of you game to keep rhythms like this moving and coordinated with the rest of the gang. They powered their way through a thoroughly awesome set again with Albatross, Albatross, Albatross & El Fuego as the stand outs. I would easily pay to see MSHVB play again and see how their sound develops as their central member pulls down a few more years.
Bishop Allen got their business set up with impressive speed and dove head first into Rooftop Brawl a romping track off of their new release Grrr… BA’s two founding members Christian Rudder and Justin Rice each exude their own degree of enthusiasm on stage [Rudder displays a modest Ben Lee like joy while Rice tends towards children's performer pep] that together got even the too-cool-to-dance high schooler hipster crowd moving.
Bishop Allen’s lyrics have always nibbled at my ear whether they be ballad-y (Rooftop Brawl or Flight 180) or precise collections of witty musings (Click,Click,Click or The Ancient Commonsense of Things). Seeing them perform live gave their lyrics a sheen not captured in their recordings. There is an sincere degree of performance Rudder and Rice infuse in the delivery of every song, not surprising since they both dabble in the actor thing, which draws you in to the swing or bop of their sound.
The songs off Grrr… definitely lean a little more towards the absurd than previous albums featuring a circus of animal references with a smattering of food allusions. And its hard to ignore the influence of Pet Sounds and the peppiest of 80′s new wave in BA’s collective work; but when being sung by Rudder with Rice cajoling him with his guitar or, at the most sublime moments a ukulele, it doesn’t seem hoaky at all. Rather, it becomes clear this music is at its zenith when seen live because it is meant to be experienced.
The supporting cast of characters on this tour are Darbie Nowatka who did the beautiful Butterfly Nets and rocked dem wooden mallet percussion instruments as well as the mouth keyboard. Michael Tapper grounding all the playfulness on drums. And the fantastic Keith Poulson on bass. Here I will admit to having an affinity for bassists as I once was one but Poulson’s contribution to the evening deserves a little call out. He laid out the bass lines with that hint of shyness I fully appreciate but with a much more noticeable glisten of joy from being on stage doing what he obviously loves. This incarnation of Bishop Allen absolutely nails the perfect combination of playful performance and excellent musical delivery. Even if you don’t like the new record you should still make an effort to see Bishop Allen live to fully appreciate the sound the group as whole has crafted.
Thanks to the crew at Crawdaddy for filling in the missing Keith_____ piece.
Last night I had the pleasure of seeing Minneapolis band Tapes n’ Tapes. Beyond simply sharing a hometown my connection to T n’ T goes back to my college days when I watched lead singer Josh Grier rock out with Tape’s original line up at the Cave, our on campus bar. While ironically the runner up two years in a row in Carleton’s battle of the bands Josh has certainly shown them.
When The Loon dropped in 2005 I saw all of their local Minneapolis shows which were basically mini reunions and always a lot of fun. But I was really curious what a show would be like outside the hometown crowd and admittedly a wee surprised that they sold out JB’s.
Openers were The Subjects - who were excellent (enough so to warrant a little additional TWIPC love in a eminent post)- and WildLight who weren’t horrible but not notable (beyond mentioning their skin grafted jeans).
The band line up has settled into Josh, Jeremy (insanely good drummer) Matt (ambidextrous trumpeter & keyboardist) and Eric (beautiful bassist). It is this quartet that released last years Walk It Off, which thankfully suffered not from the dreaded sophomore slump and who graced the stage last night.
The set list was a mix of old, new and unreleased. It was really awesome to see how they have embraced their rock side with a little more confidence. I had noticed it when I heard Walk it Off and I guess I passed it off as exploring a harder sound but after seeing them perform I think it is simply the result of touring and finding their comfort zone. Older songs like Ten Gallon Ascot and Manitoba were given new life by funkier and more aggressive guitars. The pure rock out on new songs like Hang Them All and Say Back Something was totally felt by the many many plaid clad college boys busting a move in the crowd.
The fella’s of Tapes n’ Tapes were wickedly talented in their own right to begin with but I got a sense of complete togetherness last night that made their show much tighter and entertaining than I was expecting. Erik’s delight was visible, seeing someone who clearly enjoys what they do contributes greatly to a live show and his head boppin grin inducing bass playing pushed the rhythm while adding some depth on the slow building jazzy Ten Gallon Ascot. Jeremy’s drumming is the product of someone who obviously appreciates the little things. He breaks apart the typical percussive riff and infuses a little jazz pattern or simply his own little touch. Hearing his style develop floors me considering he is still quite young. Matt seemed to be adding a touch of playfulness to the trumpet and keyboard action. I can hardly walk and text so seeing someone so comfortable playing two totally different instruments flawlessly is something I can’t help but respect. And Josh, what an artist and showman he has become. His voice has aged well (despite his claims that his throat was weak) allowing him to nail some pretty authentic rock vocals. Its cool to see someone develop like he has and I really look forward to seeing what is yet to come.
On the whole the crowd was feeling them. Towards the end of their set their sound got much richer and the slow walking jazz-flavor carried us right to the edge of their raunchier rock side. They capped it strong and left me looking forward to my next chance to catchem live, as you should too.
some sounds for your pleasure
Omaha
Ten Gallon Ascot
Hang Them All
I have had a true appreciation for the musical stylings of Jason Isbell ever since I first heard The Drive By Truckers (Outfit in partic). When he left the group to travel the solo road I was curious to hear what kind of sound he would own. I was beyond delighted when the first album turned out as well as it did and the delight, I’m happy to report, has only increased with the release of Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit. The album pushes the sweetness of Isbell’s distinct bluesy/alt country voice. Sweetness is a word I use with caution for it can imply a degree of saccharine not at all appropriate in this case. Jason Isbell’s “sweetness” is a raspy, sincere delivery of beautifully written lyrics in the tradition of country ballads and bluesy heartaches. I could really wax poetic on the quality of the 400 Unit’s contribution or the tightly crafted production of the album as a whole but when it comes to story telling this good its best to let it do the talking…
The Last Song That I Write For You
The Blue
No Choice In The Matter
The folks at The Red Hot Organization (with a little producing support from the National’s Dessner brothers) have released the 20th compilation to raise funds and awareness for HIV and AIDS. Dark Was The Night is a two disc release with 31 tracks showcasing some of today’s best acts.The tracks cover a smattering of delicious sounds from the up tempo Knotty Pine put forth by Dirty Projectors and David Byrne to the steady and playful So far Around the Bend by The National to the title track Dark Was The Night by the Kronos Quartet. In an interview posted on Pop Tarts Suck Toasted Bryce Dessner says they had to turn away offers of B-sides and rarities from some acts and I have to say the editorial decision was a wise one. Perhaps the most compelling aspect of this album are the interesting pairings that came together in support of this fantastic cause. The interweaving sounds of Justin Vernon and Aaron Dessner on Big Red Machine are so natural its pauses you. And Feist’s double duty contributions simply reaffirm her talent and creativity. Particularly on Train Song where she turns up her twang to parlay with Mr. Gibbard. I’m only posting this track in hopes you will go and buy the whole collection. Opportunities to put your money out for such a great endeavor and in return get an amazing bit of music are rare so don’t let it pas you by. If fund raising always sounded this good I’d be broke.
Pop Tarts Suck Toasted Interview with Bryce Dessner
Train Song - Feist & Ben Gibbard
Buy Dark Was The Night Here
But, folks the performer audience dynamic that followed was one of those I will not soon forget.
At the outset Scott (the lead singer) mentioned they weren’t accustomed to sold out audiences and they would do their best to repay our attendance. As with the show I saw last fall their stage presence was very natural and there timing and rhythm incredibly tight. As they worked their way through the majority of their published tracks — The Twist, Old Old Fashioned, Good Arms vs Bad Arms– there was no sense of boredom or routine. They rocked the entire time, genuinely and with true f
I was totally delighted to hear them play Backwards Walk amongst the rest. Its one of my favorite songs and they gave a bit pared down spin. Playing up the guitar to match the hollowness of the organ without diminishing it. It was exceptional. The fellas even threw in a few of their older unreleased bits and while its obvious they have grown a lot its was nice to see them playing around with their set list. After an hour of rollicking good fun they left gradually left the stage one by one leaving the drummer (Billy I believe his name is) to take them out with a bang. Had it ended their I would have been plenty pleased but the crowd wasn’t about to let them leave without an encore.
Scott came back on stage alone, guitar in hand, and played a solo version of Poke. Standing in front of the amps and mics it was a breath takingly gorgeous rendition. So simple yet filled with the emotion the lyrics convey. Its rare to have such an intimate moment at a rock show but is perhaps one of the reasons I like FR so much, they’re emotional while still managing to be fun and catchy. I cannot wait for their next stop in town and to hear what they will have to offer on their next release.
Frightened Rabbit MySpace
Drop.io Links
Behave
Good Arms vs Bad Arms
Poke
