Sounds Like: Wiping dust from your mouth to make room for whiskey
Albums to Listen to: The Union Line
Songs to Listen to: "Pearls" and "Dirty Water"
Coming from San Juan Capistrano, this band is not a band that you would naturally associate with Orange County. Rather than singing about babes and sand, The Union Line seem to be working out a new life for the American "work song." For a band that wouldn't typically grow up with the tradition of this style, their use of Americana is thankfully not kitschy. They remind me a lot of the Felice Brothers, but pleasingly less dramatic. The band plays around with classic aspects of the style; simple but driving percussion, harmonicas, vocals unison and harmony, and of course sooty lyrics stained with heartbreak and hard times.
"Pearls" is the type of song that immediately pulls the listener in. The line "Money don't talk, it screams" is crooned over a powerful jungle beat and rambling guitar, starting the song off with a solid and catchy foot. Creating a sound that is perfectly sparse and authentic, the guitar drops in and out, leaving vocals and drums alone at times. The end of the song is joined by a harmonica, without sounding overly cliched.
"Dirty Water" is small in composition but big in honest emotion. "Oh my lover, underneath the bridge I saw her, in the dirty water, wouldn't dare to stand beside her. All my love is wasted" is sung by a single heartsick voice. The line "All my love is wasted" is then repeated in a kind of "call and response" between the single voice and small chorus, creating something like the sound of inner turmoil itself.
The music of The Union Line is industrious and spirited, while at other times beautifully somber. I really look forward to seeing what else this band puts out. Oh yeah, and they have toured with Local Natives and will tour with them in the upcoming months..so expect to hear more about these dudes...
What it sounds like: Nirvana meets Pixies Albums to listen to:Free Drugs and Hippies Songs to listen to: Cloud Pleaser, Three Legged Dog, and Stripper Sunset Harlem sound like what you would think a band whose album titles are Free Drugs and Hippies would sound like. Hailing from Austin, TX, Harlem is a throwback to the simple garage rock of earlier years. Michael Coomer and Curtis O'Mara trade off between songwriting, lead vocals, and lead guitar, resulting in a strange duality that benefits what is at times too comfortable and predictable. Harlem is an amalgamation of garage-pop sound, pulling from the early 90's to the 50's. This album is nostalgic yet equally fresh.
Harlem's ironic and rowdy lyrics sound like something that would come from the Black Lips, in lines like "Someday soon you'll be on fire, and you'll ask me for a glass of water, and I'll say noooo, you can just let that shit burn." They also have a song called "Cloud Pleaser," which is pretty awesome on the title tip alone, not to mention that the song is decently singable. Coomer and O'Mara slow it down for the song "Three Legged Dog," providing a swingy pop song a la Beach Boys; a nice break from the sloppy chaos heard on the majority of the album. Harlem definitely crank out some lazy arrangements. They focus on developing hooks but not much else, however, it works for their boozy image. In the song "Stripper Sunset," the guitar weaves in and out of a classic rock vibe while the lyrics stay consistently crude, successfully creating a good jam for the end of the album. The last two songs, "Pissed" and "Poolside" are way too similar, and although "Pissed" is the better of the two, both could have been forgotten. All in all, this album is fun and is the perfect thing to dance to when you are home alone.
Sounds like: Music coming from an Airstream trailer in North Carolina...hippies. Albums to listen to:Hymns for a Dark Horse and Upper Air Songs to listen to: Hooves, Teeth, and Crooked Lust
In the woods of the Carolinas, Bowerbirds' Phil Moore and Beth Tacular wrote much of their music from an airstream trailer...where they both live. Their sound is undoubtedly a wonderful product of their environment; sincere, melodic, and organic folk. Joined by friend, Dan Westerlund, their sound remains as loving and tender on Upper Air as it was on Hymns for a Dark Horse. Moore's voice beautifully teeters on the line of jazz-blues and Will Oldham, while Tacular joins in with a clear and controlled tone, sounding like a bolder Vashti Bunyan. The two voices yield a rustic sound that is both natural and romantic. Relying mostly on vocals, guitar and accordion, the songs have the potential to fall flat in their lack of percussion, however, the guitar and dynamic melodies create all the momentum Bowerbirds need.
In the song "Teeth," Tacular's voice appears like a brilliant revelation when she first comes in to join Moore with the lyrics "Oh, through the teeth of life, a brilliant flame in a dark time." At the end of the song, the instruments drop out to leave Moore and Tacular's voices alone together, showing the command they have over harmony but also their intimacy. The delicate melodies in "Hooves," which is the first song on Hymns for a Dark Horse, sing the words "Back to when I was born on a full moon, I nearly split my mama in two, While she held me proud I had the thought: Well, there's no one more beautiful than you." It's lyrics like these, so personal and emotional, that are hard to pull off without sounding overzealous or even creepy. Bowerbirds embrace their sensual relationship to both human and nature, and somehow do it without sounding like dogmatic hippies. In the song "Crooked Lust" Moore and Tacular play around with a more adventurous beat, which becomes quite moving when paired with the almost desperate and pushed vocals that Moore sings with on this track.
Although the similarity of the two albums do not provide progression and songs like "This Day" are too bare, Bowerbirds present some beautiful things to hear. If any band benefits from sleeping with each other, its this one.
What it sounds like: Crystal Stilts with a Black Angels vibe Albums to listen to: Self-Titeld Songs to listen to: I am Alive, The Creek, Junkyard
Meh...Im pretty sick of this strung out lo-fi psych-pop stuff...but I guess I'm writing about this because I can see other people being into it? Nerve City sounds a lot like Crystal Stilts, a band whose shows give you the opportunity to drink a bit too much and sway back and forth like a strung out youth. For me, bands like this serve a specific purpose. There are some bands that I listen to because I specifically want to hear their "sound," songs, etc., and then there are the type of bands that I listen to because the genre fits a mood or moment, not mattering whether its lo-fi band A or lo-fi band D. Nerve City is one of these bands. I like it, I really do, but I would never find myself thinking "Oh man I really want to hear that song '"Junkyard'" like I do with songs by genuine favorites. I think this is the case with most lo-fi bands for me. I find that the filtered and monotonous vocals create a uniform sound that bleeds into one band to the next. Compared to other genres, lo-fi bands can sound irritatingly similar. On a positive note there are some interesting things going on in this album, like tambourine, rather than drum lead percussion, or that the song "I am Alive" makes me think of a paired down Velvet Underground song "Venus in Furs." If any of this sounds appealing to you, then Nerve City might strike your fancy, especially if you are wearing all black and feeling "aloof."
Sounds like: Gently being sung to sleep by the grim reaper Albums to Listen to:Cedar Shakes and Timber Timbre Songs to Listen to:Home:
And everything including this (Demon Host) on self-titled album
Right now Taylor Kirk is saving me from drowning in surf rock. Kirk, a fellow Canadian, is the singer-songwriter behind the blues-folk-rock sounds of Timber Timbre. Timber Timbre's music is cinematic and it's lyric's astoundingly tactile. Kirk has achieved a sound that is at once swampy and ragged, while remaining soft and beautiful throughout. On Timber Timbre's first album, Cedar Shakes, Kirk had yet to find the voice that makes the latest self-titled album so stirring. However, Cedar Shakes is not only the sound of something great in the making, but stands alone as a dynamic album. Cedar Shakes begins with "So Much," an instrumental piece that effectively establishes the setting for the rest of the album. As "So Much" smoothly gives way to the song "Home," the listener becomes surrounded by the rawboned rural landscape of Kirk's Ontario farmland.
As I mentioned, Kirk's voice definitely went through an amazing transformation in the latest album. In Cedar Shakes, Kirk sings a lot like Jerry Garcia, and the whole album actually has a Greatful Dead vibe, not a bad thing by any means, however, on Timber Timbre, Kirk's voice is nothing but his own. What I find so impressive about the vocals on this album is that they are haunting without being cliche. Kirk doesn't rely filters to achieve his ominous sound, rather, his voice is pure and clear, but there is an innate gloom in his tone.
I saw Timber Timbre play in the Fall at Joe's Pub in Manhattan. The dark candle lit lounge was the perfect setting for this band for obvious (spooky) reasons, however, seated at tables, people were able to really listen and experience the filmic quality of Kirk's music.
Although the overriding feel of this band is dusky and even phantasmal, there is never a lifeless moment. Timber Timbre is as eerie as it is exquisite.
I recently saw another band of really young guys at SXSW who I genuinely thought were terrible. In their case, they hid behind being "lo-fi," which really meant that they played boring garbage, are bad at their instruments...but they totally look like a band, so it works. I asked my friend, "What if we hate them because we secretly think that they are 17 and way cooler than us?" He reassured me that "No," although they were quite possibly cooler than us, and absolutely cooler than we were in high school, they were just bad. So, when I first heard about "how young" Avi Buffalo were, I had similar feelings.
Fortunately, age is not a problem for Avi Buffalo, and maybe even an advantage. They write good songs, and their lyrics are perfectly reflective of being just a little bit younger, making for pleasantly nostalgic stuff. Lyrics like "Jessica, why do you always make it so hard. You know I'm kidding, but sometimes I feel like you're all I've got," hits on how big everything used to feel, a feeling, I must admit, that was quite spectacular. In the song "What's In It For" they sing the line; "You are tiny, and your lips are like little pieces of bacon," which, hate as much as you want, is kind of amazing. Avi's vocals are layered and thick, his lyrics are simple but the arrangements are complex, making for perfectly inviting music.
Sounds like: The Bay Area, like they heart Rod Argent, and if a young Brian Wilson fronted a band like Grizzly Bear. Album to listen to: Big Echo Songs to listen to:Excuses, Hand Me Downs, Wet Cement
The Morning Benders are another band that I really enjoyed from SXSW. Originally from Berkley, CA, these boys fit right into the sounds that seem to be continuously pouring out of SF right now. Cool toned and laid back, these songs transport you to their sunnier and seemingly happier coast. This is a great example of what I'm loving in music right now. Their sound is perfectly poppy but is still thoughtful in texture and instrumentation. They also hit on another trend: vocal harmony. From bands like Grizzly Bear, Fleet Foxes, and the more recent Local Natives; this is a trend that I hope to not tire of anytime soon, especially because it is being done incredibly well.
A perfect example of all of this is the song Excuses. The song begins with a soft and tranquil guitar lick while the piano tinkers quietly in the background. Starting out perfect in it's simplicity, the sound quickly builds to some sort of majestic score for a sunny day. The strings stream throughout dreamy harmonies, popping in and out like beams of sunlight. The bridge, in all its catchy glory, showcases the bands grasp on vocal harmonies, as well as nods to Beach Boy style oohs and ahs. However, The Morning Benders don't rely solely on smooth beach-y sounds, as the feel gets a bit more aggressive in songs like Hand Me Downs, which boasts a playful jungle beat and I cant help but mention, an almost Vampire Weekend-y feel. Another reason to appreciate this band is for humorous lyrics like "Stuck in the mason jar, where I sealed up my heart. I take it out once a week, to donate to charity," which make me think of something artist, David Shrigley, would have written.
Although The Morning Benders can come off as a band of capricious too-cool youths to some, I stick by their ability to write some really great pop jams. As for their live performance, they seemed a bit reserved in front of an audience at times, but I have to admit...they also seem pretty cool.
Appropriately named after a character in the 1976 hyper-sexual movie Logan's Run, the music of Jessica 6, is nothing short of sultry. The band is fronted by Nomi Ruiz, formerly of Hercules and the Love Affair. Nomi met band-mates Andrew Raposo and Morgan Wiley (both of the former Automato) while touring with Hercules and the Love Affair. Antony Hegarty from Antony and the Johnsons has also collaborated with Hercules and the Love Affair, most notably on the song "Blind" which was awarded Pitchfork's Best Song of 2008.
Jessica 6 play eerily mesmerizing disco; nostalgic for the seedy dance underground of the 70's while remaining totally current and that much more intriguing. While Hercules and the Love Affair boasted a more electro-disco sound, Jessica 6 plays around with a psychedelic feel and a Blues tonality which when paired with their disco beats, makes for a dizzyingly clever aftermath.
I was lucky to catch their SXSW show at Malverde, which was incredible. So much of this bands live presence is Nomi. She has a pungent sexuality, making it impossible to not stay glued to her as she moves across stage. Her femininity is intense and intoxicating. Drawing inspirations from Debby Harry, Mary J Blige and Lauren Hill, Nomi's voice is as complex and rich as they get. In songs like "Not Anymore," Nomi's R&B vocals pour languidly over the simple yet spooky piano until a perfectly placed break, and then come back in accompanied by the piano and a twangy guitar lick, sounding like the arrival of a Tarantino heroine out for revenge. The song is emotional and fierce, far from a gushy ballad. Then there is the disco-goth feel of the song Fun Girl, which showcases some good range in Nomi's vocals. The song starts with Nomi singing trance-y moans in a much higher register and then dips down into a lower more breathy tone for the lyrics. What I like most about Jessica 6 is that it evokes the New York that once was, and makes you wish that it still was.
I'll start these next few posts on SXSW with a band that really blew me away: Local Natives. I first heard of this band in October when my friend Andy told me to give them a listen. Unfortunately for me, I never did. I saw that they had done a cover of The Talking Heads song Warning Signs, and although I liked their choice, was put off by the idea. I blame it on pretension, which I really try to acknowledge and avoid, but sometimes it can't help but come out. Not knowing anything about this band, except that they were, of course, from Silver Lake (the Williamsburg of LA,) and that they had very "hip" graphics on their myspace, I assumed that they were a catchy hipster band covering a song from a band that they, and everyone else, loves. The Talking Heads seem to occupy that space in music that someone like Basquiat has in visual art. It's the type of stuff that, no matter how great it actually is, has been so over represented as "indie" or "alternative" that it's a turn off and steeped in cliche. Not only did I let music snobbery get the best of me; I must add that I love The Talking Heads and live in Williamsburg (the Silverlake of NY.) Touche Local Natives, I should have listened to your band months ago.
So I first listened to Local Natives at their SXSW NPR showcase, and was genuinely blown away. I came away feeling like I had just witnessed something really important happen in music. It is gratifying to watch musicians understand and use their instruments to their highest potential. This is especially true at a place like SXSW, where short sets and poor organization often lead to underwhelming or over-done performances. This is what set the Local Natives aside from a lot of the other bands. They came across great live, and totally flipped my initial judgments, which is something that excites me so much in a band. During their set they alternated playing each others' instruments while simultaneously creating impeccably controlled three part harmonies. A sign of an incredibly talented live band; they had instrumentation and vocals down, while still having fun with their own music; keeping it light and inviting. The NPR show was their first in the US after touring abroad and the release of their first and only album; Gorilla Manor. It had to feel pretty great to return home and have people singing along to your new record.
A favorite of mine is "Airplanes," an incredibly moving song that makes your heart hurt each time Rice, Ayer, and Hahn, croon the line "I want you back, back, back, you back." Another favorite is Cubism Dream, a song with smooth guitar licks paired with fearlessly pretty vocals. It is a refreshingly delicate song coming from a band who's album title, Gorilla Manor, totes the line of sounding like a real bro-down.
Another favorite of course, ended up being their cover of Warning Signs. They didn't mess with the arrangement of the song too much, which seemed to be a successful attempt to duly appreciate and pay respects to the original. More importantly, what they did add to the song, was equally as great. While they kept a really similar drum beat, they layered the vocals perfectly and cleverly took the guitar lick from The Talking Heads' version and seamlessly folded it into their bass line, allowing for a more playful guitar part which switches back and forth from playing with the bass line and going off on its own, resulting in a full and boisterous song. I am not surprised that their May shows in NYC, Chicago, and Washington are all sold out after their infectious run at SXSW. This is a band that you should be happy to see blow up, because they are deservedly good. I have high hopes for what they will bring to a full set and a bigger venue.
For me, SXSW is both a blessing and curse. The idea of devoting an entire week to the pursuit of amazing live shows, the (for the most part) lovely weather of Austin, and breakfast tacos, all sound like the makings of an overwhelmingly incredible sensory experience. Unfortunately, this can be the pitfall of SXSW all the same. By the end of the 4 days, you have caught so many shows that the sounds of truly great bands begin to dribble down into the dregs of your $2 Lonestar beer and you almost long to be back in the cold of New York. Regardless of how tiring the week can be, I was so pumped on the lineups at SXSW this year. Highlights from my list were undoubtedly Local Natives, The Morning Benders, Jessica Six, Dr. Dog, Brooklyn Rider, Warpaint, Broken Bells, and Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings. Other SXSW bands I enjoyed were; Fanfarlo, Real Estate, Black Angels, Surfer Blood, Washed Out, The Soft Pack, The Very Best, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, and Black Keys.
I am a writer living in Brooklyn, NY, interested mostly in music, but also books, art, and things that are funny. I currently freelance for Arcade44.tv as a Contributing Writer and Talent Management/Booker for Arcade44's live events. I also work full time at Saatchi & Saatchi NYC.
