Archive for June, 2011
Gossip Girl’s Penn Badgley Cast As Jeff Buckley
Penn Badgley of “Gossip Girl” fame – he plays Dan Humphrey – has nabbed the role of Jeff Buckley, the late singer/songwriter. According to Indiewire, Badgley will step into the role for the film Greetings From Tim Buckley, which is not the biopic film that we previously heard reports about. Instead, this film will cover the events surrounding Jeff Buckley’s 1991 performance at his father’s tribute concert in St. Ann’s Church, the same concert that launched his career.
I know what you’re thinking – will a star on a teen guilty-pleasure show be able to handle the role? Badgley seems to be prepared, stating “To play a man who was singularly gifted as an artist, greatly misunderstood and mythologized as a human being… It’s something very special and sacred. I’m going to give all I can to this project.” We’ll see.
XOXO, Gossip Girl.
Watch Bon Iver on The Colbert Report
To promote their newly-released record, Justin Vernon-fronted Bon Iver dropped by The Colbert Report to perform two songs: the lead single “Calgary” from Bon Iver, Bon Iver and long-time fan favorite “Skinny Love” off For Emma, Forever Ago. Hit the break to check out the videos.
The new album was released yesterday in the UK and Europe via 4AD and is now available everywhere else via Jagjaguwar. They’ll be dropping by on “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon” tonight for another performance. If that’s still not enough, be sure to check out one of Jagjaguwar’s listening parties for the LP across America. You can check out those locations here.
Bon Iver – “Calgary”
Bon Iver – “Skinny Love”
Review: The Wonder Years – Suburbia I’ve Given You All and Now I’m Nothing
The Wonder Years – Suburbia I’ve Given You All and Now I’m Nothing
Released: June 14, 2011
Label: Hopeless Records
Purchase: iTunes | Insound | Amazon
Let’s face it: the pop punk movement is nowhere near its past prominence. The former progenitors have all been missing in action, and very few new bands have been able to step into their shoes and keep the movement afloat.
But all hope is not yet lost. This year may mark the resurgence of pop punk, with the return of Taking Back Sunday and Saves The Day, just to name a few – all set to release new records during the next few months. And it’s certainly hard to ignore the new Fireworks album, Gospel.
And it’s even harder to ignore The Wonder Years.
In 2010, the band hooked listeners everywhere with their second studio album, The Upsides, which was later released by their new record label Hopeless Records. In a struggling scene, The Wonder Years shone and shone brightly.
Suburbia I’ve Given You All and Now I’m Nothing is not a new take on the genre, nor is it even much different from The Upsides, but it is a refreshingly honest and raw look into the lives of the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania band. With that in mind, Suburbia is fundamentally built the same way The Upsides was, filled with relatable tales of misery, loneliness, struggle, and ultimately triumph. In essence, Suburbia could be considered The Upsides 2.0, and there’s certainly nothing wrong with that.
Opener “Came Out Swinging”, a track that is aptly titled, fades in with feedback and a muted voiceover murmuring “My mind is made up” and “There’s gonna be trouble.” The intensity of frontman Dan “Soupy” Campbell’s vocals on the opener set the tone of the album, continued with the blaring guitars and unforgiving drumming of the next two tracks – “Woke Up Older” and “Local Man Ruins Everything”.
“My Life As A Pigeon”, a song that details the struggles that accompanied the band’s recent success, is directed at the band’s fans and non-fans. On one of the album’s catchiest hooks, Soupy belts out “I won’t be afraid of making mistakes if you’re listening. Are you listening?”, straying from the outright positivity (“I’m not sad anymore”) on The Upsides and presenting the jaded nature of full-time band life. Tracks like the religion-criticizing “I Won’t Say the Lord’s Prayer” further demonstrate a lyrical maturity from Soupy, while “You Made Me Want To Be A Saint” and “Hoodie Weather” highlight the instrumental progression of the band as a whole.
Guitarists Matt Brasch, Casey Cavaliere and Nick Steinborn and bassist Josh Martin have all become much more technically capable. But the most noticeable growth is that of drummer Mike Kennedy, who delivers precise and rapid beats throughout Suburbia. As a unit, The Wonder Years have improved dramatically as songwriters, backing the raw and largely unedited vocals of Soupy. Closing track “And Now I’m Nothing” exemplifies the band’s new sound, complete with the crunch of the guitars, frantic drumming, and soaring vocals.
Suburbia I’ve Given You All And Now I’m Nothing takes all the qualities that set The Upsides apart and amplifies them, resulting in one of pop-punk’s finest releases in a long time. With Suburbia, The Wonder Years cement their place at the forefront of the scene, accomplishing the tremendous feat of topping The Upsidesand managing to do so without compromising their roots and perhaps more importantly, their authenticity.
9.0
Standout Tracks: “Came Out Swinging”, “My Life As A Pigeon”, and “And Now I’m Nothing”
Listen: Leann Grimes – “Yeah We Up”
Leann Grimes, the side-project of Now You See Them‘s Shane Conerty, has just released a new track entitled “Yeah We Up”. The track samples and remixes GIVERS‘ “Up Up Up”, which is the opening cut on the indie pop band’s new album In Light. As with his own debut album, Shane chosee to show his appreciation for music blogs and indie bands by reconstructing songs posted on blogs and adding his personal spin to them.
Listen to or download “Yeah We Up” below. You can check out the self-titled Leann Grimes release on his Bandcamp here.
Listen: Wild Flag – “Romance”
All-female supergroup Wild Flag debuted the first single from their upcoming self-titled debut today on WFMU’s Cherry Blossom Clinic. “Romance” will be released on Wild Flag, which is set to be released on September 13th via Merge Records.
Wild Flag is composed of former Sleater-Kinney members Carrie Brownstein and Janet Weiss, Helium‘s ex-frontgirl Mary Timony, and The Minders‘ former keyboardist Rebecca Cole. Listen to the track and check out the band’s upcoming tour dates below.
Review: Arctic Monkeys – Suck It and See
Arctic Monkeys – Suck It and See
Released: June 7, 2011
Label: Domino
Purchase: iTunes | Insound | Amazon
Once hailed as the leaders of the Next British Invasion, Arctic Monkeys have returned with Suck It and See, once again proving that the British are still enchanting all these years later. However, this album represents a departure from the Monkeys’ traditional format of quick vocals and whimsical guitar riffs. With a heavier emphasis on distortion and an attitude befit for a grizzled, veteran rocker, Suck It and See sounds less like pop-rock and more like the album The Strokes should have made.
The album begins with the dark twang of singer Alex Turner’s guitar when suddenly his vocals pierce the vibe and lead into the song’s melodic first verse. Add a triumphant chorus and sprinkle in a bass walk or two and you have “She Thunderstorms” which sets the tone for the rest of the record. You won’t hear any of Turner’s near-breathless courses, though. Suck It and See relies more on a slower melody rather than the usual Arctic Monkeys tempo. While it’s depressing that they shook what used to be their trademark sound, “She Thunderstorms” demonstrates that the new, more mature Arctic Monkeys are just as talented as the band that made “Fluorescent Adolescent “ and “I Bet That You Look Good on the Dance Floor.”
But the most interesting song by far on the album isn’t “She Thunderstorms.” Oh no, my friends, that song is rather tamed compared to “Don’t Sit Down ‘Cause I Moved Your Chair.” Someone must have cranked up Nick O’Malley’s bass because this track is the hardest and heaviest track the Monkeys’ have ever produced. As strange as it feels to write this, this song almost sounds… metal? I’m perplexed that Arctic Monkeys did a song like this, but strangely I’m okay with it. They’ve shed the punk attitude and have taken up the mantle of total badasses. On another other album I would have hated it, but Suck It and See’s darker tone allows this song to shine. Of course, the lyrics are still sarcastic and ridiculous like all Alex Turner-penned songs, especially with the heavy bass and in your face drums. This track is sure to become a fan favorite at concerts because of the audio assault it wages on your ear drums. Just listening to it makes you want to wear a leather jacket, light a cigarette, and spray paint something vaguely political on a nearby building.
The whole album personifies what it means to be a rock star and no song embodies this theme better than the title track and obvious double entendre “Suck It and See.” The song follows Turner as he tries to seduce a young women with golden pick up lines like “You’re rarer than a can of dandelion and burdock/And those other girls are just postmix lemonade.” If you are British, this line is probably hilarious. If you’re like me and are confused why flowers are in a can, the line is basically “You’re a rare soda compared to Country Time lemonade mix”. Excluding the lack quick-fired lyrics, “Suck It and See” is probably the most traditional Arctic Monkeys song on the album. Every line is full of sarcasm and the boyish charm that we all fell in love with back in 2005.
Although there are a lot of gems layered throughout the album, Suck It and See is far from perfect. It suffers from a few duds, specifically the track they teased back in March, “Brick by Brick.” Fans of classic rock might enjoy this throwback track, but in my opinion its cheesiness and overall feel doesn’t fit well with the rest of the songs. The call and response verses are really corny and derail the album after its strong start (“She Thunderstorms”, “Black Treacle”). Thankfully they’re able to pull it back together and despite a couple dull moments, Suck It and See is a great example of how a band can successfully evolve and mature. Arctic Monkeys are back and prove that the Next British Invasion isn’t dead. It’s just getting started.
8.4
Standout Tracks: “Black Treacle”, “Don’t Sit Down ‘Cause I Moved Your Chair”, and “Suck It and See”
Breathing Blue Announce Barbeque In July
Breathing Blue, a 5-piece New Jersey-grown band that seems to be exploding all over the tri-state area, is throwing a party to celebrate summer with their fans. The “Breathing Blue Barbeque,” will take place all day starting at 2p.m. on Saturday, July 9th at local venue staple The Brighton Bar.
Ever since Breathing Blue released the Breathing Blue EP in June 2010, their presence has been increasingly well known in the alternative music scene. With numerous reviews and positive feedback on the band showing up in the press in places like Absolute Punk and Alter The Press , it can be anticipated that their catchy tunes and intricate guitar work will soon be showcased on rock stations across the nation. Popular tracks like “Sparkle,” and “Chase The World” draw listeners in with vocalist Justin Sanford’s rich lyrics and sound with strong guitar, bass and drums to back it up.
Breathing Blue is known for their unique style in thinking outside-of-the-box when it comes to self-representation. Any band can play a show, but they always stand out above the rest and take it to a new level, especially for this show by inviting other vendors like award-winning Bullfrog’s BBQ to provide tasty cuisine for the crowd during the show, serving more than your average backyard burgers and hotdogs. They’ve invited at least half a dozen other special guests to share the outdoor stage with them to rock this all day event, and when nighttime falls, the party will continue inside The Brighton Bar. Admission is $10; it is a rain-or-shine event, and is all ages to enter, 21+ to drink.
Breathing Blue’s EP can be purchased over at Amazon
Contest: Rise Against T-Shirt and Signed Album
To foster charity work in the community, Rise Against is holding a contest to find out what their fans doing to help out. The band will be selecting 50 of their favorite entries and donating a t-shirt to the Los Angeles Youth Network under each winners name. The winners will also receive a free t-shirt and signed copy of Endgame from the entire band.
To enter, visit our contest page here and fill out the information near the bottom of the page. The band will be selecting winners on June 23.
Free Download of The Kooks’ “The Saboteur”
The Kooks, who are returning with their third studio album Junk Of The Heart, announced earlier this week that they would be offering fans a chance to unlock a brand new song. Each tweet that contained the Twitter hashtag #junkoftheheart unlocked an additional 0.01 seconds of the song. Within hours, the new song, “The Saboteur”, was already unlocked.
You can listen to and download the new song now via The Kooks’ website here.
Review: Arrange – Plantation
Arrange – Plantation
Released: May 17, 2011
Label: N/A
Purchase: Insound | 
Some albums are truly a cinematic experience. While perhaps this descriptor is most often relegated to concept albums, Arrange‘s Plantation proves such should not always be the case. For Plantation, created by Floridian Malcom Lacey, unfolds itself song by song much like a film does scene by scene. And also much like a movie, the listener discovers something previously unnoticed (and therefore unappreciated) with each replay. Thus, Lacey has achieved with Plantation what most artists cannot in a career: to create an album that betters itself with each listen.
It is the subtleties which ultimately set Plantation apart from any other album released thus far this year. One need only listen to the first track, “In Old Theaters”, to notice Lacey’s meticulous attention to detail. The song commences with a gradually building wave of white noise, soon awash in buried piano lines, that crashes into electronic, and later piano, melodies bolstered by prominent percussion. It’s incredibly full; if anything more were added, it would only serve to inundate the track, detracting from its quality. Yet it’s also an understated musical gesture; it’s dramatic but not melodramatic. And that’s precisely why it’s such a beautiful moment.
It’s also not an isolated one. Throughout Plantation, Lacey weaves melodic hooks in and out of the proverbial fabric of each song. Whether it be the synthesized horn entrance in the closing refrain of “Turnpike” or the catchy guitar riff that concludes “When’d You Find Me?”, each added theme contributes a new layer of texture to the track. But these layers aren’t simply stacked upon one another; instead, they intermingle. This counter-melodic interaction showcases Lacey’s songwriting ingenuity; it’s incredible how natural each song sounds considering the complexity.
What strikes the listener first, though, aren’t the musical intricacies of Plantation, but the raw emotion that so pervades the album. “Tearing Up Old Asphalt”, with its haunting piano and heart-wrenching lyrics, is a shining example of this. Lacey intones,”We were young/Kept runnin’ our mouths ’til he tore out our tongues/Didn’t hurt like anything”, his voice shaking as he narrates the story. “Melancholy” isn’t a strong enough adjective to describe the song. It’s tear-inducing.
“Medicine Man” infuses this sadness with fury. Because of this combination, it’s undoubtedly the most affecting track on an album overflowing with feeling. Lyrically, Lacey is devastating, promising, “I am a medicine man/Bring me your colors just to fix them for you”. Yet the narrator, perhaps Lacey himself, has a revelation, realizing that he cannot heal the subject without hurting himself and declares, “I’m not a medicine man/Don’t bring me your colors just to fix them…/I’ll fucking tear you up”. The contrasting sentiment here is profoundly moving, almost frightening. One must wonder exactly what occurred to cause the narrator’s change of heart, but perhaps the brilliance of the lyric lies in that uncertainty.
As the final strains of instrumental closer “Orange Glow (Thank You For the Night)” ring out, one cannot help but picture the credits scrolling down a blank movie screen. Lacey’s — who amounts to the album’s entire crew, acting as writer, producer, and director — final track seems to express gratitude to the listener for givingPlantation their time. It’s an appreciation revealed by both the title and the warmth of the song. The subtle irony here is that anyone who has the pleasure of listening to Plantation has witnessed something incredible and potentially life-changing. Really, it’s Lacey who should be thanked, rather than the listener, for introducing something so indescribably important to music itself.
9.7
Standout Tracks: “When’d You Find Me?”, “Turnpike”, “Tearing Up Old Asphalt”, and “Medicine Man”
You can download the album for free or purchase a physical copy on his Bandcamp page here.
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