The Morning Benders

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.

Jessica 6

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.

Local Natives

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.

SXSW Recap

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.