There is not a finer, more fun, exercise in pop-hop than Drake 's Club Paradise tour. The level of crowd interaction and adoration, the precision of lighting and staging, the catchment of all that is "rap" (the gamut of Nicki to Rozay), reaches an apex under the well-orchestrated grin of the game's most earnest ambassador. But before hitting some heights, suffer with me this cast of opening characters: French Montana - My hope is that at least one kid, somewhere, now knows that Morocco is a [...]
Sometimes a touring band shows signs of exhaustion. Road-weariness and weeks of blurred hotel rooms crack their voices, weaken their guitar strings, and deplete their energy. Not the Temper Trap . Buoyed by a few dozen pulsing strobe lights in a rainbow of colors, the band dives into “London’s Burning” from their recently-released sophomore album. Their performance is tight and polished from the start, without a hint of sloppiness. Vocalist Dougy Mandagi really does sing that high, unassisted by Auto-Tune or other robotic trickery. Hearing the opening notes of “Love Lost,” the crowd becomes [...]
An unholy alliance of electroclash and rap, Death Grips spits fire, mostly about its supposed greatness. Constant gruff yelling, staticky beats, and shrill oscillations dominate the sound. The music gets attention, sure, just like the sloppy drunk in the club who’s wearing the diamond grill, throwing out signs—and being avoided. Reminds you of: El-P / Fischerspooner / N.W.A. Death Grips: Official / Facebook
Echo effects and grainy keyboards obscure the faux-British vocals, lending Bear in Heaven the aura of raincoat weather. The production washes over everything like a quiet summer shower. Rainfall, while pretty, unfortunately tends to make everything look the same. At least the muscular, danceable drums come in strong, like thunder. Reminds you of: VHS or Beta / Tanlines / Spiritualized, with shorter songs Bear in Heaven: Official / Facebook / Soundcloud
There are many things that follow A Place to Bury Strangers - accolades, fuzz, smoke - but the most prominent has always been a warning: bring earplugs. Like My Bloody Valentine, their show is a place where unprotected eardrums go to die. Sunday's show at the Doug Fir was no different. This mix of power and energy released itself as a wall of sound into a happy bunch of believers, who began calm but left animated. Though an electrical disturbance took the band's set-up down for a short stint, the crowd was unfazed, and spent their downtime joking [...]
In support of their forthcoming self-titled album, Australia's the Temper Trap are coming to Portland. Those who remember "Sweet Disposition" featuring prominently in the beloved (500) Days of Summer may be surprised by the trajectory of the new record. Their sophomore effort marks the band's movement in a direction that is simultaneously different and excellent. Its decidedly stronger, more solidly-rooted indie rock tunes portend a splendid night of live music. Come see the Temper Trap with us on Sunday, June 17th at the Roseland Theater . It's well worth the trip [...]
Man moves to Cali for adventure and conquest. Folk and shenanigans ensue, sometimes softly, sometimes with a nutty swagger that finds the heart of a life lived via Gonzo experiences. The exploratory 70s have returned and brought a lot of soul pieces back with them. Reminds us of : Fleet Foxes | Hunter S. Thompson reflecting on a bender | Let It Be -era Beatles Rating : 8.5 Father John Misty : ( Official / Facebook )
Santigold filters rap, dancehall and R&B through a militaristic sound. Like the military, individuality (songs) gives way to communal ideals (the album). The mechanized whole gradually reveals a glistening, organic voice. Santigold perhaps plagiarizes M.I.A.’s tactics, sure. For women artists searching for useful formations, though, there are worse role models. Reminds you of: M.I.A. / The Yeah Yeah Yeahs / Devo Santigold: Official / Facebook / YouTube
In the midst of all the hoopla that is Sasquatch, photographer Troy Dunham started to feel an urge to break from the pack for awhile to see what he could find. One such trip resulted in these Shabazz Palaces pictures. DOWNLOAD: Shabazz Palaces - (MP3)
With the Main Stage cloaked in a cool shade of black, the king of ‘90s cool came waltzing out and began singing a coolly slowed-down “Black Tambourine.” It seemed a moment of accomplishment for Mr. Beck Hansen , who has now given us 11 albums in 20 years. He’s never lost that sense of eccentric cool about him, and it’s helped establish him as a true icon of his generation. His set did not disappoint his fans, as he played hits from almost every album he ever made. Many of the tunes were [...]
In the midst of all the hoopla that is Sasquatch, photographer Troy Dunham started to feel an urge to break from the pack for awhile to see what he could find. One such trip resulted in these Shabazz Palaces pictures. DOWNLOAD: Shabazz Palaces - (MP3)
On sojourn no. 2 into the tundra of Sasquatch, photographer Troy Dunham discovered a band of misfits recently reunited. They went by the name of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! and he took their picture for good luck. DOWNLOAD: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - (MP3)
Leave it to Jack Black and Kyle Gass to have provided the best stage prop of Sasquatch! 2012. In honor of their recent album “Rize of the Fenix,” and a symbol of the duo’s return to musical comedy rising back up from the ashes, a gigantic phoenix was positioned at center stage. But we all could see the use of a phoenix (particularly its neck and body) was really just an exceptionally clever way to place what looked like an enormous cock and balls in the middle of their performance. [...]
The end of Sasquatch! is always the most bittersweet. 2012 had seen some flat-out phenomenal performances, and it felt more difficult than ever to trudge back to the campground after Beck closed up the festival. Apparently there had been some outstanding shows missed this day, as well, including that which competed with Beck's time slot. Mogwai had been expected to play at this hour, but visa issues kept them out of the U.S., at the last minute. It was somewhat devastating to learn Deer Tick had stepped [...]
Something I didn’t see enough of this weekend was the heavy collection of electronic DJs in the lineup. But while I didn’t have a chance to catch very many of them, I can almost guarantee they all crafted a different kind of set than their peers, whenever their work in the spotlight. One I’m very happy to have witnessed was LA Riots , someone I was completely clueless on ‘til I found myself dancing like a madwoman in front of his stand. He distributed fantastic party music to the crowd, even though the sun was [...]
Writing a massively popular song – one that gets your band its first real attention – can put you in a pretty precarious situation. It obviously puts the pressure on, as fans and critics alike start to ponder, “Is this all they’ve got? Do we have nothing more than a one-hit-wonder on our hands, or will they come back with hits equally as good as this one?” It’s easy to consider this with fun ., and their gigantic hit “We Are Young,” a track that’s likely been played a record number of times at proms and graduations this [...]
Gary Clark, Jr. was on fire Monday afternoon, jammin’ the blues out of his guitar like the devil was chasing him down to sign a contract. His strumming would alternate between lightning fast and sultry slow, and each style made for some badass guitar work. Vocals-wise, Clark was all over the place – at times howlin’ as a good bluesman should, he’d occasionally shift into a Stevie Wonder voice, and then suddenly would start to sound remarkably like a teenaged male singer of the ‘50s. He maintained an untouchable cool in his performance that was rightfully [...]
Can I admire Killer Mike and El-P’s abrasive technique while wanting more melody? Can I wish Mike’s gender politics were as complex as his racial ones? Could there be more wit and less swagger? Would Mike call me just another buppie hypnotized by American “democracy”? Yes, yes, yes, probably. Reminds you of: OutKast / El-P / Missy Elliott Killer Mike: Label / Facebook
Sunday was a mostly slow and laid-back affair for Sasquatch! , and didn’t quite have as many big names and exciting acts as the other days did. This did not deter Little Dragon from putting on a wildly fantastic set, however, and their hour of futuristic, synthesized grooves positioned them as the band to beat. A confusing piece to this year’s line-up was the advertising of a DJ set by James Murphy, of the late LCD Soundsystem , who was then not on the schedule handed out at festival [...]
For years I’ve struggled to understand why Bon Iver is so acclaimed, but I’ve finally come to terms with the fact his music is just not for me. Going into his set this night, however, I decided to keep a completely open mind. Although it was hilariously ironic to hear several people around me say, “I’m only sticking around until he does "Skinny Love," then I'm leaving.” As the show began, it truly did sound beautiful as the band’s violin echoed throughout The Gorge. There was a strong backup band playing behind lead [...]
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Kanye West Pushing Will Smith To Record, Release New Music
[MP3 Playlist] Indie Dojo (May 2013 Round #5)
Dimmed lights on the Sunset Strip
