Mark McAdam has been in the music making game for quite a while – since 7th grade to be exact – including a stint with Dermot Mulroney’s band Cranky George during his years in LA. Now McAdam has settled in Brooklyn and into a new phases of solo music making. The start of his lastest effort coincided with beginning of development for his friend Keiran Mulroney’s (Dermot’s screen writing brother) movie Paper Man. Inspired by the quirky movie’s characters and plot he began to create an album around them. The result is magnificent.
The eleven tracks on Paper Man Songs stand alone with their own stories and character. “Adderall” offers an ironically calm homage to the ADD remedy, just one of the calmer more reflective pieces on the album. “Around The Bend (Or, The Optimist)” is a poppier ode to the search for El Dorado. The instrumental tracks written for the score are unpretentious but effective; easily evoking the emotions reflected in the Paper Man story line. McAdam’s years of song writing experience have given him a well developed sense of the ways music can tap into emotion. This album is a stellar reflection of that skill.
Chicago’s The Damn Choir was born out of moment of kismet when Katy Myers happened upon a recently broken hearted Gordon Robertson in a bar. Initially Katy deflected his musical advances but eventually Gordon won her over. In the year and a half-ish since that fateful day the two have acquired two more musicians – Chelsea Heck (vox) and Miguel White (drums) – and developed their own folky sound.
Myers’ steady luscious cello lines provide a rich backdrop for Robertson’s perfectly imperfect voice; the relationship between the two gives distinct character to the group’s songs. The addition of Heck’s supporting vocals gives the material a middle dimension and rounds out the arrangements. Lyrically The Damn Choir explore relationships from all sorts of angles; tender reflection, longing rhetoricals and simple missives. It is a promising start for the relatively new four piece; I can only imagine, as they become more comfortable with each other’s abilities and start getting more musically curious, their sound will only improve.
These six dudes from Sioux City, South Dakota are making really really really good music. There is a lot of banging percussion along side some shouty vocals and, of course, bizzy driving guitars but, it never gets messy instead it becomes a high energy symphony of fun. We All Have Hooks For Hands is capable of taming the beast that is their collective sound but don’t forfeit any of their allure when they do so. Letting a simple piano line or a steady drum beat take center stage and allowing the group vocals and additional instruments spiral out from there -as they do on “Hold On C’mon”- is a welcome counter to the full-steam-ahead pace of other tracks.
They’re tucking back into the studio this summer and I cannot wait to hear what they have when they emerge. I unflinchingly predict great things. Get on the bus early.
A little over a year ago a friend of mine asked me to create a playlist for his workouts. He knew I used a carefully assembled tracklist to blast me through my workouts and he wanted something similar to give his routine some new drive. I had spent hours finding the right assortment of remixes, catchy pop songs and familiar classics to provide the right ebb and flow for my hour long gym session. The task requires a lot of tweaking and personal adjustment and I told my friend as much. He wasn’t hearing any of it so, I pointed him in the direction of Girl Talk’s Feed The Animals and told him to start there. Well, it seems to have lasted him nearly 18 months because a few weeks ago I got another email request for a fresh workout soundtrack. I wasn’t sure what direction to point him in this time until I got this new epic mix from Moshi Beats. There are a few familiar pairings and segues from the Girl Talk’s efforts but, if you’re in need of 42 minutes of easily consumable bumpin grooves then here you go. It is chalk full of familiar tracks chopped and blended in a workout friendly mashup. I sent this along to my friend yesterday and got a text this morning with his full approval. Hopefully, it will do you equally right.
Take one of my favorite songs, give it to one of my favorite remix artists and what do you get? Brilliance! It’s got just the right amount of funkiness mixed in Sarah Barthel’s seductive vocals. It’s perfectly imperfect.
[MP3] Mouthful Of Diamonds (Alan Wilkis Remix) – Phantogram
Keepaway has had it’s way with Fol Chen’s new single In Ruins and oh what a way it is. Starting with the uptempo track they add some electro twitches and video game beats; popping out the catchier roots of the song. The subtle distortion works with the song rather than trying to tear it apart. Much love for both versions.
[MP3] In Ruins (Keepaway Remix) – Fol Chen
Ok, ok, this track is technically not a remix; it’s just a wee weirdo electro gypsy romp that perfectly complements my current silly mood. The Swedish artist has been featured on TWIAPC before for his rockin mash up work but this track is nothing but the product of his musical mind. I’m in a generous mood so I’m tossing in his rad Rihanna remix he gave his zip to (care of Sheenabeaston).
[MP3] Rude Boy (Passporte Royale Remix)
The Amplifetes – Whizz Kid from THE AMPLIFETES on Vimeo.
The artistry of this video really grabbed me. Anders Hellman’s animation is way cool; the simple black and white cut out images popped 3-D with scribbles to top it all complement the Swedish groups fuzzy pop music. The Amplifete’s consider themselves a mix of psychedelia, classic rock and electro and their tunes solidly support the claim. Another Nordic band to love.
The Mary Onettes “The Night Before The Funeral” from Labrador Records on Vimeo.
Recent TWIAPC fav The Mary Onettes sent this video along this week and man oh man do I heart it. The song “The Night Before The Funeral” is a solitary reflection on a young love that has run its course. The video nails that feeling of solitude perfectly. Directed by the group’s Philip Ekstrom it follow his brother Henrik as he wanders through a series of locations the brothers have a sentimental attachment to from their childhood. The flat lighting and slightly quirky character match the song to a T. Another Nordic win!
[MP3] The Night Before The Funeral
Sebastian Blanck “I Blame Baltimore” from Rare Book Room Records on Vimeo.
The fantastical space odyssey captured in Sebastian Blanck’s new video was just the kind of playful narrative I’ve been in the mood for lately. It’s sentimental and off beat much like the music on his new LP Alibi Coast. The imagery is simple and sweet not needing to be a big production or totally silly. It is just delightful. A wonderful way to float into the work of Sebastian Blanck.
Oh, Florence how do I love thy gingery ways. This video from the last single off of her spectacular album Lungs is all sorts of saturated color yumminess. The woman knows how to work the camera and almost as well as she knows how to stop you in your tracks with her voice. If you haven’t already purchased Lung get to it if for no other reason than to blast as the soundtrack for a dance party of one. I highly recommend it for the good of your soul.
I had the pleasure of sitting down for a chat with this Philly band a few weeks ago and found a trio with some major musical ambition. They’ve got their eyes on capturing a share of the indie pop rock market and the work ethic to make it happen. At the beginning of their journey they’ve already got a lock on Spoon-ish piano riffs and catchy singable lyrics; and yes, they are aware of the strong Spoon influence on their early work. Those comparisons though have driven them back to the studio and the new material is equally catchy but entirely of The Fleeting Ends conception. The piano cuts a tidy pop swatch across the jangley guitars to great toe tapping effect. Lead singer Matt Vantine has a voice made for pop; a little bit pleading a little bit crooning. As the young group continues to rack up live show experience and defining their strongest sound I wouldn’t be surprised to see them steadily achieve their musical ambitions.
When I first heard Lay Low I was taken by the tenderness of her voice. Her new single “By And By” is a simple sweet morsel of pop reflection that she delivers with a coy coo. It was enough to draw me under the spell of Lovísa Elísabet Sigrúnardóttir – the lady behind the stage moniker – and into her new album, Farewell Good Night’s Sleep, I dove. She calls it country music and she has certainly done her research as she manages to capture the essence of the rich history of female country crooners. The native Icelander has a fascinating command of her vocals tuning the notes and the delivery style to set the mood for each track. Accompanied by the requisite smooth steel guitar her soft voice spreads over the arrangements with authentic twang. The album’s 12 tracks each have enough variation to carry your attention but also run with a relaxing continuity. A delightful new artist for your consideration.
Villagers is the brainchild of Irish wunderkind Conor J. O’Brien who, with the encouragement of his parents has been pursuing his creative muse from the early age of 12. Getting lost in the works of Roald Dahl and Jim Henson fed his imagination which, over the years, has bled into O’Brien’s work. Clearly he enjoys the role of storyteller – in particularly when it requires taking on a bit of a character- and the majority of his songs do spin an interesting tale. The instrumentals, mostly played by O’Brien on the record, are rooted in folk influence but branch out into pop and rock territory as the direction of the lyrics require. Those lyrics are as charming as they come and wear the polish of a man who isn’t afraid to indulge a little fantasy. The few tracks I’ve been able to get my hands on have been lyrically and instrumentally satiating in their wit and intention. Leaving me eager to hear more, much more.
Villagers’ debut album Becoming A Jackal comes out in the US on June 8th and they’ll be doing a brief tour through the North East later in June, including a stop in Philly on the 22nd.
I had the hottest ticket in Philly last Friday for the Beach House + Washed Out show in the sanctuary of The First Unitarian Church. To be totally honest I was not amongst the masses to worship at the altar of Beach House. That isn’t to say I don’t appreciate their music I just think their are other acts out there that are more exciting. When given the opportunity to see them live though I figured I should check them out; see if the secret is in the set.
To get the evening started Washed Out, much buzzed about electronic artist out of Georgia, was tasked with getting people at the packed Sanctuary show in the Beach House spirit. It is rare that I find an one man electro act something worth watching – usually I’m most happy dancing like a crazy person to their music – however, Ernest Greene dancing around his keyboards, laptop and other odds and ends was plenty intriguing. He mentioned it was his first seated show and it was immediately apparent why. Washed Out makes music that requires dancing; to not move to his effect laden loops would be almost disrespectful.
Starting with luring base beats Greene slowly builds a dense series of loops and effects. It took a mere two minutes before kids were on their feet tranced out his work. It was a brief set but he successfully revved up the crowd in preparation of Beach House’s pending arrival.
Under the shimmery diamonds hanging from the ceiling Beach House – Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally – claimed their spot on a dimly lit stage. The set up was basic; Scally and his guitar, Legrand on keys and a live drummer as was the stage banter. The group kept their focus on their music channeling a mesmerizing amount of energy into putting on one transfixing show.
Legrand’s voice was raspy and seductive commanding the attention of everyone in the room. She has a voice reminiscent of some of the great pop female vocalists Grace Slick’s howl, Stevie Nick’s ethereal hum even a bit of Dusty Springfield’s twang. Watching her produce the words live give the lyrics a richness and sincerity missing from their records. When not singing she is pulsating over her keyboards keying out lush synths and providing a visual expression of the energy her voice usually carries.
Countering the richness of Legrand’s voice and instrumentals Scally weedles his way deftly through the intricate guitar lines. I noticed that there are a few parts that I had previously credited to the keyboards but are actually his careful picking on an effected guitar. His fingers effortlessly made quick work of the clean rhythm lines it was incredible to watch him at work. The few moments when he wielded a slide were complete bliss.
The set list flowed beautifully, punctuated with the occasional “thank you.” Where I had been expecting to hear wave after wave of fuzzed out rock I actually got a well framed and potent live show. I am still not the biggest fan of their recorded material but, having heard the music live, I now better understand the skill behind their sound. Beach House’s real magic is in their astounding live performances and that is more than enough to make me a champion of their cause.
I dropped by World Cafe Live last week to catch Bear Hands’ set opening for As Tall As Lions. Their music has intrigued me for a while and I was curious to see how it translated live. The group’s recorded material is a hyper combo of surf guitars, tight drums and sing/speak lyrics which is pretty much what you get in their live show. While the four members of the band don’t have a whole lot to offer in terms of stage presence, they do a nice job of bringing some added flair to the live presentation.
Watching them – guitars(2), keyboard, bass & drums- create their music you get a much better sense of bass and percussion presence. The roots of their tracks are maintained but they really punched up the weight the bass lines carry in establishing the rhythm and the percussion was what added most of the draw.
With the ubiquitous extra floor tom, played by basist Val Loper, front and center it was hardtoignore the contribution the percussion makes to Bear Hand’s intensity. While there were the occasional aggressive guitar riff the wealth of their energy cam from drummer TJ Orscher’s side of the stage. As the set went on I noticed there is an interesting call and response relationship between TJ and Val that I never noticed on the recordings, perhaps because I assumed it was all one percussionist. On the whole, it was a good set and if their future works show signs of evolution then they have a good chance at growing their following. The group has been on the road for a long time and I’m guessing they’re gonna take some time to rest and regroup now that they’re back in Brooklyn. I look forward to hearing what directions they explore in their new work.
The evening began with Los Angeles’ Sea Wolf who seemed to have been the draw for a great many of the folks packed into the sanctuary. Due to some inclement weather I missed most of Sea Wolf’s performance but I did catch the last half-ish of their set from the back of the Church. I say this because where I sat wasn’t the best acoustical position so I don’t feel as though I got the best impression of what Sea Wolf has to offer. That being said, I can share these few observations; the cello was extraordinary, claiming an effortless spot amongst the rest of the band as though it were a female vocal line; the group needs to improve their general stage presence as they looked rather bored; their songs volleyed nicely between catchy pop and carefully built ambitious arrangements. All in all, I’d say Sea Wolf has a rightful claim on their place in the hearts of the indie masses.
The transition between sets was smooth as The Album Leaf, touring with a full band plus a string quartet quickly organized themselves and began playing. The ambient rock group, helmed by Jimmy Lavalle, is totally at home in the sanctuary of a church where their music can stretch and sore as the arrangement dictates. As the multiple instruments contributed their share to an astoundingly dense sonic whole a choreographed series of images were dancing on a scrim behind them as lights scattered around the stage pulsed in time.
The visual component working in tandem with the beautifully orchestrated music accentuated it’s cinematic quality. Lavalle creates music that takes your imagination places; he doesn’t hold your hand and walk you through the song instead he provides the catalyst – and soundtrack- to let your mind wander.
While many, including myself, associate The Album Leaf with electronic music the live show is actually a well balanced combination of synths, keys, guitars, strings and bass. The quartet that had accompanied them gave the music a lusciousness absent from strictly synthesized material. Lavalle’s greatness is intricately tied to his awareness of the boundaries of traditional and electro music making. A yin and yang relationship that was on its finest display last Sunday. After experiencing The Album Leaf live I’m not sure whether their records will be enough to satiate me. Of course, I’ll keep on listening until the next opportunity to see them arrives.
Saturday, May 22nd
AKA Music , 27 N 3rd St Philadelphia
5pm- 9pm
Beyonce embraces the retro trend in her new video and I like it. Remaining honest and avoiding kitschy she gives life to another memorable music video lady lead. This woman can do no wrong.
[MP3] Single Ladies – Pomplamoose
This video came to my attention via the fellas at Stark who nail their description of the song as a straight forward expression of emotion, in this case about long distance love. I really really like lead singer Emma Kulp’s voice which is always as straight forward as it is on “Philadelphia.” I love it when a video brings a new act to my attention.
Apparently I am in a girl vocals kind of mood and who better to scratch that itch than the wonderful ladies of The Like. This retro video is perfect for their vibe and the spirit of the song. They are releasing their new album Release Me on June 15th but will be in Philly, hopefully playing some of the new tunes, on June 2nd with the Futureheads.
Finally, this Glee flashmob made me long for my college days when the was the time and energy to organize such events. Watch and enjoy!
