Mars Volta, the El Paso duo consisting of At The
Drive in Alums; Omar Rodgriguez-Lopez and Cedric Bixler-Zavala released their
final album (as The Mars Volta) on March 26th 2012. The band has a reputation for
experimental sounds that sometimes run on longer than their songs with
traditional structure. In the past
the band has gone through varying degrees of self-indulgence on their studio
albums. It seems as though they
went a slightly different route with Noctourniquet. Forsaking the shoe gaze-y acid induced noise tracks for more
strait forward song form, it feels like the bands most cohesive album yet.
There
are still the bizarre instrument tones that we have come to expect from the
band, and just as many interesting sections and “oh…WHAT?” moments as previous
albums, but more concise and to the point. It seems like The Mars Volta had something to say and came
right out and said it, rather than hiding behind the veil of guitar feedback
and reversed vocal tracks.
"It's about embracing life for
what it should be. There's a view of the elitist lifestyle - that being an
artist is unattainable. I'm trying to write this story that reminds people that
we're all artists."According to Zavala. The band says the album is based on the
children’s nursery rhyme Soloman Grundy and the Greek myth of Hyacinthus. It is this aspect of the band that has
always attracted me to their music. I think the Mars Volta would be hard
pressed to release something that wasn’t a concept album, but that isn’t a
criticism, in fact it is consistently impressive.
Listen to the album in headphones
for a special sonic treat. We can
all be heartbroken at the loss of one of the decades most interesting bands,
but we can all look back with fond memories thanks to a satisfying farewell
with Noctourniquet.
Sound City, the Dave Grohl documentary about the San
Fernando Valley recording studio that shut down in 2011 is a music nerd’s
dream. The film chronicles the
rise and fall of Sound City, as well as showcasing the Neve 8020 analog mixing
console (which is mind blowing and drool worthy). So here is what you should do. Turn off your phone, turn on your sound system, turn it to
11, and then take in the awe inspiring depth and scope this documentary covers.
“Now that everyone is empowered with these tools to
create stuff, has there been a lot more great shit coming out? Not really. You
still have to have something to do with those tools. You should really try to
have something to say.”
Longtime
indie-rockers Dr. Dog are at it again.
With a new album slated to release in October of this year, I decided it
was time to take a look at their back catalog. Upon listening to Be
The Void I got even more excited for their upcoming release. This band has history, and is always an
integral part of the engineering on their studio albums, and has a
characteristic sound that could be compared to anything off of The Flaming Lips’-Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots. The thing that has always attracted me
to Dr. Dog’s music is the way they take these dirty guitar and bass sounds and
blend them into this amalgam of sixties grunge without sounding cheesy or
dated. To me, their sound is more
modern than a lot of electronic bands, not only from a recording standpoint,
but also from a songwriting standpoint.
On the song “Warrior Man” the guitar hooks have such an impact that
despite the somewhat silly lyrics, the song shines as a testament to DIY
artists across the world. Dr. Dog
is an example of a group of musicians that have remained true to the sonic
realms they set out to explore, and pushed on past the boundaries that could
have limited their sonic growth to become something more.
Its time for barbeques, kicking it
outside, and trying to put out that grease fire that started cause you didn’t
clean the grill. We only have a
few short months to enjoy the chance to be outside, so we have made a summertime
companion of 8 songs for you to make any gathering into a real party. So put on your flip flops, stop
watching Netflix and move your sound system towards the windows cause here is
Lakeshore’s Heat Wave Playlist.
1. Tegan and Sarah – A Little Bit Closer: This little gem sparkles with fuzzy
synthesizers, huge drums and choruses that would make Katy Perry blush. With the help of Greg Kurstin (Kelly
Clarkson, Pink, Lilly Allen, The Shins) bubblegum pop makes a triumphant return
from an unlikely place. Even the
most stoic critics would be hard
pressed to not crack a smile at the larger than life melodies. You can thank Tegan and/or Sarah if
they ever show up at that late night pool-side dance party you sent them 12
invitations to.
2. Daft Punk – Get Lucky: Maybe the catchiest song of the year, Daft Punk is back and
better than ever. The duo put
together the record “Random Access Memories” (released in May 2013) and say it
is heavily influenced by the sounds of the 1970’s and 80’s. "Get Lucky"
is the second song on the album to feature Pharrell, who clarified that the
title phrase does not simply refer to a sexual act, but to achieving chemistry
with someone else. When he had first heard the song, Pharrell said it evoked
the image of a "peachy color[ed]" sunrise on an exotic island. Bottoms up Daft Punk.
3. LCD Soundsystem – Daft Punk Is Playing At My House: “Daft Punk is playing at my house…my
house!” James Murphy may have been
fantasizing about a personal concert from the men with space helmets and
vococders, but what he got was a well crafted song of preparation for a night
of partying hard and paying off the neighbors. “There's a freak out brewing in my house, my house.” Here’s hoping there is a freak out
brewing in your backyard and that LCD Soundsystem will show up at your house
and you can write your own party preparation song.
4. Prince – Literally ANYTHING off Purple Rain: Prince
may be an enigma (rumored to have only granted interviews extremely
infrequently on the rare occasions he did, he didn’t allow the use of a note
pad or tape recorder) but why should he have to explain himself when he can MAKE
you dance?! Listening to Purple
Rain all the way through on Vinyl was an experience I should have had years
ago, and if you haven’t had the pleasure yet, get out that dusty receiver, wire
up the ground lift, and put the needle down on Purple Rain. Seriously, if any guests are too cool
for Purple Rain, they aren’t cool
enough to be drinking your beer. Prince
says “I would die 4 you!” Luckily he doesn’t have to, he just has to be in your
record collection.
5. Phoenix – S.O.S In Bel Air: On their fifth studio album Phoenix delivers. It is European disco throwback, in the
most positive sense. Feel good indie pop that makes you move, so get that second wind, power down
another PBR put on your sunglasses cause Phoenix sparkles on Bankrupt.
6. Bloc Party – Ares: Feel like you could benefit from an army of 808’s in your
backyard? Put on Intimacy and immediately feel the raw
power of sub bass. Don’t worry,
your neighbors won’t be mad, maybe that McDonalds commercial where the two
dudes want to have band practice and pay off their neighbors with dollar menu
items could work for you too. If
it doesn’t, or maybe that’s just not in the budget for them, get them a copy of
this record to blast in their car when they’re stuck in traffic…They’ll thank
you.
7. Vampire Weekend – Diane Young: A mixture of Vampire Weekends own brand of quasi surf rock,
old school guitar riffs, and new vocal treatment, Diane Young is immediately
infectious and perfect for the drive to the beach for a midnight bonfire. “Baby,
baby baby, baby, baby right on time.”
8. Michael Jackson – Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough: The king of pop may have passed, but
that doesn’t mean you can’t honor his memory with this gem off of Off The Wall. The first song to be WRITTEN by Jackson it shows that
he was more than just a performer, but a truly talented artist. If you somehow missed out on this (I’m
pointing at you children of the mid 90’s) then stop “tweeting”, “instagramming”
and “socializing” on your phone, listen to this song with good friends and the
bass cranked. After that you can
return to your interwebs. The King
is dead…Long live the King.
For a while, Foals was a band I was
reluctant to listen to because of how much they had been talked up to me. Whenever I listen to a record for the
first time I want to go into it with very limited expectations so that I can
form my own opinions about the experience. I am lucky to be in a position where I can sit down and
listen to an album from start to finish, reflect and let the album digest, then
pop it on in the car and catch nuances or subtleties I missed the first time
around.
I finally got around to listening
to Foals, Holy Fire, their 3rd studio full length (released February
11th 2013). Holy Fire is
filled with infectious Minus the Bear-ish guitar riffs and plenty of low
grooving bass. A sonic watercolor
painting full of ambient textures layered underneath Yannis Philippakis’ smooth,
rhythmic vocals, complete with big roomy drums that give the record an honest
feel.
The songwriting is strong and the
songs sound confident on their own and as a part of the whole record. Sonically you can hear a touch of Fleet
Foxes in the vocal tone, and the presentation of the lyrics. The guitars sound fantastic, and have
their own character. It is clear a
lot of time was spent making sure the layers were tasteful and with purpose.
“My
Number” moves with delayed guitars that could make The Edge jealous, and hooks
that put Foster the People to shame.
Rather than rely on gimmicks, these songs stand out as well thought out,
well written, well played and well recorded. Holy Fire is worth 50 minutes of your undivided attention.
As their 12th studio
album “Electric” hits US shelves today, it is hard to imagine the Pet Shop Boys
not sounding current, since bands like the XX and Beach House sound
suspiciously like Pet Shop Boy’s 1990 album “Behavior”. The now 23 year old album has the wash
of synthesizer pads, thick bass and staccato funk guitar riffs that one comes
to associate with the (current) post new wave genre. Even the choruses are doubled in the soaring falsetto that
draws a comparison to bands like Passion Pit and Empire of the Sun. So, why all the current
comparisons? Because Pet Shop Boy’s
new album takes the band to a more current place where saw-tooth synths rip
through the stratosphere and the noise oscillators are turned up to 11. The new hard-hitting production
comes courtesy of Stuart Price (New Order, Madonna, Lady Gaga, Kylie Minogue,
Take That, Missy Elliott, Scissor Sisters, The Killers, Brandon Flowers, Gwen
Stefani and his own solo projects) who shared the sonic reigns with Neil
Tennant and Chris Lowe. Not to say
that the new production style detracts from The Pet Shop Boys signature
sound. At the core of the album,
they are still the same band that released “West End Girl” and “It’s a Sin”,
but with a touch more edge. Employing a variety of new sounds ranging from the
now infamous frequency modulated overdriven bass (thanks a lot for ruining it
for everyone, Skrillex), and the radio favorite synth-swoops into big
choruses. The band is none the
worse off with its new sonic palette, if anything it shows a willingness to
experiment and compete amongst a new generation.
“Electric” really puts the new
sonic structure to work for the band, with the builds lasting just long enough
to keep you interested, and enough give and take to not get boring. A pleasant mix of what we’ve come
to expect from Pet Shop Boys, and experimentation on the part of the band and
the producer, its is clear that they aren’t fighting to stay relevant, rather
just reminding everyone that they can do new wave, and they can do it well. “Who will be the last to die for our
mistake?” asks Tennant right before the melodic hook in the aptly named “Last
to Die”. Its safe to say
they won’t be dying out soon, after almost 3 decades of making music, they can
still experiment, and there is no mistake in taking chances.
In the wake of a recent explosion
of “nu-folk” artists like the Lumineers and Mumford and Sons, it is easy to get
swept away by the overwhelming volume of bands that have tried surfing that
wave.That being said, I
felt a small spring of joy well up inside me when I listened to Light Heat’s
new self-titled record.Rather
than join the ranks of bandwagon acts trying to capitalize on the latest trend,
Light Heat does straight-up feel-good indie, and they do it well.Reminiscent of Clap Your Hands Say
Yeah’s 2005 (self-titled) release in terms of song structure, and sonically
similar to Wilco’s “The Whole Love” and The Dodo’s “Black and White”, Light
Heat takes you to a place where you can put the hood down on the convertible
and cruise with no particular destination in mind…but that’s okay.The destination doesn’t matter when
cruising feels so awesome.
Light
Heat dispenses solid rhythms without sacrificing melodic stability, and even
when singer Quentin Stoltzfus gets kind of quiet and Thom York-ish, the songs
retain a sense of purpose, and make the larger parts stand out.“Dance the Cosmos Light”, the album’s
first track, immediately tells you with its wash of reverb-heavy guitars and
subtle horn melodies “Don’t worry about where we’re going, cause its going to
be pretty cool”.There is a pseudo
Beach Boys feel to the production, filled with organ arrangements, verb-y
tacked pianos and plenty of telecaster jangle without feeling contrived.
If you’re craving a summertime
fling with songs to make us New Yorkers feel good about the few months of light
and heat we have, Light Heat will be that summer love you don’t forget about,
and visit when the air gets to cold.
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