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Category: Alt rock
Rewind Review: TV on the Radio – Seeds (2014)
TV on the Radio returned in 2014 after taking time to mourn the loss of their bass player, Gerard Smith, who lost his battle with lung cancer in 2011. The album they released, Seeds, is a bright affair that not only pays tribute to Smith, but also embraces life and love after loss.
The first four lines of the opener, “Quartz,” are “How much do I love you? I’ll tell you no lie. How deep is the ocean? How high the sky?” It is a beautiful track with wicked beats that get your feet tapping within seconds.
“Careful You” (a play on “care for you”) is the most direct tribute to Smith barely hidden within a love song. The opening verse, “Oui, je t’aime, oui je ta’ime, a demain, ala prochaine (Yes, I love you, yes, I love you, tomorrow, and the next), I know it’s best to say goodbye, but I can’t seem to move away.” is both heartbreaking and tender. The throbbing synths drive the song through any fog that may be surrounding your head and bring you to out of your reality, at least momentarily.
“Could You,” with its big brass horns, has lead singer Tunde Adebimpe pleading for love (“Could you love somebody? Could you strip the ego bare and let love take flight? Could you open up your heart?”). The first single, “Happy Idiot,” is a sizzler with hot drums and lyrics about a man preferring ignorance and losing his mind to thinking of a life without his former lover. “Test Pilot” is another song about lost love and heartbreak, although by the end it seems the lovers involved may be willing to work through the rough skies and come in for a safe landing after all.
“Love Stained” is an epic song with lovely lyrics about a man terrified by his feelings and seemingly the world at large, but whose lover is always there for him (“In the middle of the night, when fear comes calling singing it all dies, always scared, alone, I’m looking into your eyes to feel the call, pretty thing that catches me so strong when I fall.”). The synths in this rise and fall like waves and eventually drift out like the tide. It’s almost as haunting as opening to the follow-up track, “Ride,” in which the piano and violins sound like a funeral dirge until the drums kick in and the song bursts open to become an affirmation of moving beyond grief and embracing the future. It’s a telling statement from the band considering the loss of Smith.
“Right Now” is another song of renewal and embracing of life. It is a directive from TVOTR to live in this moment and the leave behind the “imaginary need for the silly little things.” “Winter” has blaring guitars that sound designed to reach the back of the concert hall; and, yes, it’s another love song. It has the sauciest lyrics on the album – “Can’t think of nothing better than a union in the afterglow. Let it go, all the thinking and the reason. Here we go, to the lovin’ and the pleasin’.” Meow.
If all the synths are too much for you and you’re whining about the album not having a “real” TVOTR song, don’t worry. “Lazerray” sounds like something the band might’ve put on Return to Cookie Mountain. It’s is the most straight-up rocker on the record and a strong message about the impermanence of everything (“Chop down your master plan in nanoseconds, man. I hope you understand that nothing living lasts forever.”). “Trouble” seems to be a song about a man realizing his lover’s going to break up with him and there’s nothing he can do about it, but I can’t help but think it’s also about the impending death of Smith, especially when the song ends with “Everything’s gonna be okay” repeated over and over. The title track closes out the record, bringing back the thick synths and TVOTR’s great layered vocals. It’s another beautiful love song about a man planting the seeds to build a relationship with a woman who’s been stung in the past.
Seeds might be the best collection of love songs released in 2014. It was a great return for a great band.
Keep your mind open.
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Alex Lahey to release debut album October
ALEX LAHEY ANNOUNCES DEBUT ALBUM, I LOVE YOU LIKE A BROTHER,
OUT OCTOBER 6TH ON DEAD OCEANS
WATCH VIDEO FOR “EVERY DAY’S THE WEEKEND”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
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The Orwells – Terrible Human Beings
Elmhurt, Illinois’ the Orwells (Grant Binner – bass, Henry Binner – drums, Dominic Corso – guitar, Mario Cuomo – vocals, Matt O’Keefe – guitar) have this neat blend of Chicagoland grit, snotty punk, psychedelia, and Midwestern garage rock that is riff heavy and really catchy. Their newest album, Terrible Human Beings, is a great example of it.
The opener, and first single, “They Put the Body in the Bayou,” is a powerhouse of a tune and one of the best rock singles of 2017. It starts out slow at first, but then bursts out with psychedelic reverb and funky bass. The song is about the pitfalls of the music industry (“All right, make it quick. Good songs make you rich.”) and our culture’s love of sharing others’ misery with our friends (“I came by to see. I just had to know who put the body in the bayou.”).
“Fry” has sizzling guitar throughout it as Cuomo sings about people addiction to television and frying their minds on empty pop culture. “Creatures” depicts us as people “fading, creating, losing all control. Spinning and grinning, looking for a soul. Rollin’ and flowin’, tryin’ to find a role. Before you know it, you’re livin’ in a hole.” A “Vacation” should be a good time, but the Orwells know that often you need a vacation from your vacation.
I’m not sure if “Black Francis” is a takedown on the Pixies’ lead singer, or a what the Orwells think the Pixies (who do seem to be an influence) would think of them: “Have you heard that band? / Yeah, I think they’re shit. / And the way they dress? / Yeah, they think they’re hip. / And the things they say? / Yeah, it’s all a bluff. / And where they’re from? / Yeah, it ain’t that rough. / Black Franky’s got my world in his hands.” It’s really catchy and I’d love to know the story behind it. “M.A.D.” has a nice surf sound to it. The sharp bass of “Buddy” is some of Grant Binner’s best work on the record, and I like how the guitars soar around it at all times. “Hippie Soldier” and “Heavy Head” have great rock hooks throughout them. Both sing about different generations and the faults of each, with “Heavy Head” (a takedown of their own Millennial generation) being the most searing.
The guitars on “Ring Pop” shred as Cuomo sings about things in plain sight being “not quite right.” “Last Call (Go Home)” is a salute to barflies seeking romance. “Double Feature” has Cuomo singing about how he could’ve had any other career than a rock singer, but he “came from the wrong side of the tracks” and was doomed to a rock and roll life. It becomes a wild, cosmic freak-out by the end.
The running theme of Terrible Human Beings is that we are our own worst enemy. We constantly put limits on ourselves or continue behaviors we know are detrimental. We like to point the finger at anyone else, but we forget about all the other fingers pointing back at us. The Orwells’ new album is an examination of conscience, a Zen story, a therapy session, hidden in a smart, sharp rock record.
Keep your mind open.
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Melkbelly’s debut album due October 13th.
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Rewind Review: Big Audio Dynamite – Megatop Phoenix (1989)
Big Audio Dynamite (Dan Donovan – keyboards and vocals, Mick Jones – guitar and vocals, Don Letts – effects and vocals, Greg Roberts – drums and vocals, Leo “E-Zee Kill” Williams – bass and vocals) were a big part of my high school years, and their final album, Megatop Phoenix, was a great way to go out on top. I had it on a mix tape for years, so it was high time I bought a proper copy of it. Recorded not long after Mick Jones nearly died of pneumonia (special thanks are given to his doctors and nurses in the album’s liner notes), the album is a reflection on the band’s history and a look to the future.
“Rewind” is a battle cry to all of us to stay strong in the face of adversity and to never count out the underdog. The kick-in of Williams’ bass after the first verse still gives me chills. It’s a great blend of their raga / post-punk / new wave / electro mix that made them so innovative. “Union, Jack” is Jones, Letts, and Williams’ call to British people to get back up on their feet in the Reagan / Thatcher years that were grinding them down into complacency. It opens with a sample of the British national anthem and then kicks in some of the slickest beats by Roberts. Lyrics like “Now in the classroom I was told about the Empire, how you were bold. A pint of beer, life passes by, your spirit’s squashed just like a fly.” continue to resonate today.
“Contact” is a song about Jones’ inner struggle to express himself to perhaps a lovely lady or even his own band mates. This was B.A.D.’s last album, after all. His guitar has nice heaviness to it when it comes in during the chorus. “Dragon Town” has Jones expressing the band’s wonder at being lost in a Chinatown while looking for an exotic woman.
“Baby, Don’t Apologize” is, on its surface, about Jones telling a lover not to be sorry things didn’t work out because he can’t or won’t change. It’s probably a veiled reference to the end of the band, however. Jones had a life-changing experience with his pneumonia, Don Letts was becoming a producer and DJ, and the other band members were also involved in other projects. Jones was worried about how he might be perceived (“My head is in the stock. It rains refuse, some shout abuse, and others throwing rocks.”), but as he puts it, “What I am is loud and clear for all to see, for all to hear.”
“Around the Girl in 80 Ways” is a straight-up love song from Jones and Letts as they teach how to woo the lady of your choice. They suggest everything from “a bunch of flowers” to playing it cool. “James Brown” was written after the Godfather of Soul was involved in a domestic violence case and a police pursuit that landed him in jail. Jones and Letts tell the story from Brown’s perspective, paying tribute to him and calling him out on his bad behavior at the same time. The beats are wicked, as is the verbal takedown of American celebrity culture (which is just as bad in Britain nowadays).
“Everybody Needs a Holiday” sounds better than ever in this world that has only gotten smaller, busier, and less personal since 1989. “House Arrest” is a tale of partying on Saturday night until six in the morning when the cops show up. It’s a floor-bumper with heavy bass and kick ass drum licks. Letts gets to take lead vocals on it as he sings about “bouncers, bimbos, lager louts” and “cops and dogs in transit vans.”
“The Green Lady” is a clever and slightly bittersweet song (with great guitar work by Jones) about a man who falls in love with a Chinese woman in a mass-produced photograph hanging in his flat. “London Bridge” is about the Americanization of London, but Jones professes his love for his town with catchy hooks. “Stalag 123” is about Jones and crew being stuck in the studio working on a record while the building’s basement is flooded and they have to deal with “no windows, no air, and secondhand gear.”
B.A.D. didn’t sound like anything that came before them, and no one has really matched their mix of genres since. They had a successful reunion tour a few years ago, and we can always hope for another. If not, there’s always their excellent catalog and this fine end to it.
Keep your mind open.
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Omni’s new album due out Sept. 22nd, but you can hear the first single now.
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Jane’s Addiction to release live version of “Ritual De Lo Habitual” this August.
Alt-rock legends Jane’s Addiction recently announced they’ll release a live version of their classic album Ritual De Lo Habitual on August 25, 2017. This was recorded on their 2016 tour and features all the original members of the band. They play the album in its entirety and include four encore tracks (“Mountain Song,” “Just Because,” “Ted, Just Admit It,” and, of course, “Jane Says”).
The album will be available for download (for a mere nine bucks) and on red or blue vinyl. Get it while it’s hot.
Keep your mind open.
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Midnight Sister’s debut album, “Saturn Over Sunset,” due out this September.
Midnight Sister Announce Debut Album, Saturn Over Sunset,
Out September 8th On JagjaguwarWatch The Video For New Single, “Blue Cigar”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Catch Them On Tour This Fall With D.D Dumbo
Out September 8th On JagjaguwarWatch The Video For New Single, “Blue Cigar”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Catch Them On Tour This Fall With D.D Dumbo
“Sounding at times like early Perfume Genius, L.A. band Midnight Sister shows off a knack for blending orchestral pop and psychedelia…” – The FADER
“alluring and wonderfully timeless” – Gorilla vs. Bear
Midnight Sister are pleased to announce their debut album, Saturn Over Sunset, out September 8th on Jagjaguwar. Along with the announcement, they’re sharing the official video for their new single, “Blue Cigar.” Curious smoke curls across your face as some terrifying, glamorous woman whisper-sings into your ear over jumpy keys and squawking, oddly charming horns. You can’t quite remember how you ended up here with these questionable characters. But you can’t get out of the booth, not now. It’s too late for you, I’m afraid.Midnight Sister — the project of intense creatives Juliana Giraffe and Ari Balouzian — is brought to you by the isolating landscape of the San Fernando Valley — its colors, its diners, its lunatics, its neon lights. Both lifelong residents of this storied valley, Giraffe and Balouzian have only become more inspired by the area’s mythology over the years, it’s two-faced magical wonderland and tragic circus. And Saturn Over Sunset works almost as an album version of Robert Altman’s Short Cuts, each song a character study of the valley’s odd personae.
Giraffe, 23, a daughter of an LA disc jockey, was raised almost exclusively on disco and Bowie. Her lyrics and lyrical melodies, informed very much by her filmmaking background, were composed gazing out from a tiny retail window on Sunset Boulevard. Her “Rear Window”-like longing allowed her imagination to run wild and cook up the wild narratives that would fill Balouzian’s compositions. Balouzian, 27, classically trained and already a go-to arranger for odd-pop names like Tobias Jesso Jr. and Alex Izenberg. Midnight Sister represents a first for both of them. It’s Giraffe’s first time writing and performing music. And it’s Balouzian’s first foray into playing true pop music.
Saturn Over Sunset is a shared musical vision of Hollywood’s oddest corners. It is the baroque, eldritch alley you must pass through to find the speakeasy night of your life. You’ll come out bleary-eyed and the sunrise will be pouring all pink and orange through the smog and palm trees.
Watch Midnight Sister’s “Blue Cigar” Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Watch “Leave You” Video:
https://youtu.be/Jot8NY3wq1k
Midnight Sister Tour Dates:
9/8 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom (w/ D.D Dumbo)
9/9 – San Diego, CA @ Casbah (w/ D.D Dumbo)
9/11 – Santa Cruz, CA @ Atrium at The Catalyst (w/ D.D Dumbo)
9/12 – San Francisco, CA @ Independent (w/ D.D Dumbo)
9/14 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir (w/ D.D Dumbo)
9/15 – Seattle, WA @ Barboza (w/ D.D Dumbo)
9/16 – Vancouver, BC @ The Biltmore Cabaret (w/ D.D Dumbo)
9/19 – St Paul, MN @ Turf Club (w/ D.D Dumbo)
9/20 – Chicago, IL @ Schubas (w/ D.D Dumbo)
9/22 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brendas (w/ D.D Dumbo)
9/23 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom (w/ D.D Dumbo)Saturn Over Sunset Tracklist:
1. Canary
2. Leave You
3. Blue Cigar
4. Showgirl
5. The Drought
6. The Crow
7. Daddy Long Legs
8. Neon
9. Shimmy
10. So Young
11. The View From Gilligan’s Island
12. Hitman
13. Clown
14. Their Eyes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Watch “Leave You” Video:
https://youtu.be/Jot8NY3wq1k
Midnight Sister Tour Dates:
9/8 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom (w/ D.D Dumbo)
9/9 – San Diego, CA @ Casbah (w/ D.D Dumbo)
9/11 – Santa Cruz, CA @ Atrium at The Catalyst (w/ D.D Dumbo)
9/12 – San Francisco, CA @ Independent (w/ D.D Dumbo)
9/14 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir (w/ D.D Dumbo)
9/15 – Seattle, WA @ Barboza (w/ D.D Dumbo)
9/16 – Vancouver, BC @ The Biltmore Cabaret (w/ D.D Dumbo)
9/19 – St Paul, MN @ Turf Club (w/ D.D Dumbo)
9/20 – Chicago, IL @ Schubas (w/ D.D Dumbo)
9/22 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brendas (w/ D.D Dumbo)
9/23 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom (w/ D.D Dumbo)Saturn Over Sunset Tracklist:
1. Canary
2. Leave You
3. Blue Cigar
4. Showgirl
5. The Drought
6. The Crow
7. Daddy Long Legs
8. Neon
9. Shimmy
10. So Young
11. The View From Gilligan’s Island
12. Hitman
13. Clown
14. Their Eyes
Pre-order Saturn Over Sunset – https://midnightsister.lnk.to/
Midnight Sister online:
https://www.facebook.com/
https://twitter.com/_
https://midnightsister.
http://jagjaguwar.com/
http://billions.com/
http://pitchperfectpr.com/
Midnight Sister online:
https://www.facebook.com/
https://twitter.com/_
https://midnightsister.
http://jagjaguwar.com/
http://billions.com/
http://pitchperfectpr.com/
Pitchfork Music Festival artist spotlight: NE-HI
Chicago’s NE-HI formed to score a friend’s film and ended up becoming indie rock darlings. I’m guessing they took their name from the mostly forgotten brand of soda, but perhaps I’m wrong. I do know that their catchy psychedelic rock hooks are good and I’m confident a lot of their hometown fans will be at their Pitchfork Music Festival set on July 16th to cheer them.
Keep your mind open.
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