I don't believe in perfect, but I believe in pretty close. The last M83 show I saw was damn near perfect. To this day, I still feel like grabbing people and yelling, "you need to see them!" when they come on. Since I don't want to be considered a loon undiscovered, I usually opt for a more polite version of this interaction that includes less touching and more pitch control. That seems to lead to social harmony but it doesn't cool the feelings inside, dammit. What do I do with those?! The answer was clear: I [...]
Thibaut Berland aka Breakbot cracked open the night with a smooth, funky mix of house and disco. The French DJ/producer has remixed Justice’s “Let There Be Light” and shares space with the megastars on Ed Banger Records. The crowd was eager to get their dance on for him, and didn’t hesitate for a second when the speakers leaked their very first peep of the night; peeps that bloomed into bass-y growls, soulful croons, compressed piano melodies, and ambient background sounds like ocean waves and crickets. Despite Berland's lack of expression, through his music he splashed smiles onto every [...]
Say you’d love Regina Spektor without the irritating glottal trickery. Add violins and folky, upbeat guitar and you’ve got Robin Bacior . Reminiscent of many chanteuses who preceded her, she brings distinct and luscious vocals to this album. With minimalist lyrics, it’s good background music that doesn’t demand too much concentration. Reminds us of: Ingrid Michaelson | the Weepies | Feist Rating: 6.5
Anticipation bubbles in the pre-show chatter at Mississippi Studios. The crowd is buzzing loudly, waiting impatiently for Dr. Lonnie Smith and his band mates. Once the performers appear, the din comes to an abrupt halt. A hush falls over the room. For all the excitement of the moments preceding this one, the Doctor is markedly calm. His performance is all soul, marked with funk and exploration. From his frequent interactions with the fans to his elegant mastery of the organ, it’s clear this experienced Doctor still has the magic. DOWNLOAD: Dr. [...]
Three kinds of soul for a single ticket is a hell of a deal, and these acts deliver. Worth fosters a sense of community in the crowd, captivating audience members much more than is common for first openers. Members have fun onstage, playing street music with heavy strumming and sultry vocals. The drummer plays like a hyperactive spider, keeping a solid soul rhythm to complement the saxophonist’s jazzy calm. Worth performs like buskers determined to gain and retain the crowd’s favor – a feat that comes easily to them. Cool blue lights [...]
From the first throaty bar of "I Am Under No Disguise" to the last note of their finale, School of Seven Bells delivered a luscious wall of sound to the blissed-out crowd at the Doug Fir. "Wall of sound" isn't exactly accurate, though; it was more of a curtain of sound - one that flowed over and through the fans, as though someone had left the window open. DOWNLOAD: School of Seven Bells - (MP3)
Should The Lumineers have asked that this show be moved to a larger venue? Could The Lumineers have asked that this show be moved to larger venue? Arguably, the answer to both of those questions is yes. But they didn't. That might say a lot about the Denver-based outfit. And it may even bode well for their sophomore effort. Am I crazy to be talking about The Lumineers second album when their debut album was released less than a month ago? I might be. Maybe I'm becoming a bitter old [...]
Should The Lumineers have asked that this show be moved to a larger venue? Could The Lumineers have asked that this show be moved to larger venue? Arguably, the answer to both of those questions is yes. But they didn't. That might say a lot about the Denver-based outfit. And it may even bode well for their sophomore effort. Am I crazy to be talking about The Lumineers second album when their debut album was released less than a month ago? I might be. Maybe I'm becoming a bitter old [...]
You know that odd, reverent feeling when you’re about to experience something important? The preamble, when your mind turns to static and you know you’re about to have one of those stories you retell for years. That’s what it’s like to wait for Wanda Jackson . When the evening begins, several bearded men appear onstage. They are clutching banjos and a stand bass, and several of them bear belt buckles that say “Larry.” Without introduction, Larry and His Flask dive into some serious quick-paced bluegrass perfection. The Roseland Theater erupts [...]
The Genius, GZA , spoke at the ReThink Music conference hosted by Berklee College on the topic of adaptation--how he has managed to stay relevant in hip hop for a full two decades of Wu Tang and solo efforts, even as internet marketing has replaced "1000 miles per week on a street team van." We sat down with GZA after his speech, and wanted to know a little more about his recent speaking engagements. Ian Doreian for melophobe: Impressive touring schedule in Boston: Harvard, MIT, and now [...]
There is much power in understatement and unconventional style. Nicholas Dellfs of Death Songs does both beautifully (as do a few other affiliated bands like Castanets, Shaky Hands, and Lonesome Radio Heart). The assumption that mellow albums will yield mellow live performances is not the case with Death Songs; at least not at this show. They stepped it up considerably, rendering solemn and ruminant songs jovial, upbeat, and surprisingly loud. The three-piece outfit consisting of Dellfs on keyboard, guitar, and vocals, Justin Power on drums, and Ali Clarys on backup vocals. All of the pounding on floors, keys, [...]
Ever wonder what music helped set the mood for your conception? Not me, but this great Spotify hack by Mark Stoughton (@echonest) lets you listen in on that special night. Give it a try, and if you're bold slyly slip on the playlist at your next family function to see if there are any smirks exchanged across the table. The Byrds and The Bee(Gee)s
[Editor's Note: We were asked by the band to not take pictures] It’s pronounced “subtract,” as in subtract the vowels from any English word to see how important they are for pronunciation. If the act of subtracting is a comment on DJ and producer Aaron Jerome’s sound, then I applaud him for taking the ‘less is more’ approach in more ways than one. The idea here is modification. Take something familiar; inflate it, remove “critical” elements, misspell it, and mask its maker. The end result will take some decoding, but isn’t glory more satisfying after a [...]
When a band sounds as slick in the studio as Porcelain Raft does, there is a real danger that the live performance will fail to live up to expectations. Studios can produce some magic results, and the temptation to attempt to recreate that experience onstage can be almost as precarious as the decision to blow off the polish and play with a raw immediacy at odds with the band’s recorded sound. Mauro Remiddi, the principal personage of Porcelain Raft, evidently has enough experience under his belt to know how to walk that line. At a sparsely attended Sunday [...]
We're huge fans of Daniel Martin Moore , so we've been following the start of his label Ol Kentuck Recordings very closely. In Moore's words, he founded the label in 2001, "to help release some of the beautiful projects that I saw happening all around me." The label's fifth release, slated for May 8th, is a collaboration between Moore and Joan Shelley , titled Farthest Field . Here's the first track, "First of August," and if it's any indication, Farthest Field will certainly be a "beautiful project."
We're huge fans of Daniel Martin Moore , so we've been following the start of his label Ol Kentuck Recordings very closely. In Moore's words, he founded the label in 2001, "to help release some of the beautiful projects that I saw happening all around me." The label's fifth release, slated for May 8th, is a collaboration between Moore and Joan Shelley , titled Farthest Field . Here's the first track, "First of August," and if it's any indication, Farthest Field will certainly be a "beautiful project."
“Legend” may be one of the most overused words in the music industry’s lexicon. It gets attached, undeservedly, to sixteen-year-old pop divas and autotuned has-beens, to hateful shock-rockers and talentless crooners who have never written a single note. When discussing Ms. Wanda Jackson , though, it’s the only term that will do. If you think you don’t know who she is, think again. Jackson’s catchy tunes have been featured in movies from But I’m a Cheerleader to Bridesmaids , and covered by more musicians than there’s room to count. Her most [...]
“Legend” may be one of the most overused words in the music industry’s lexicon. It gets attached, undeservedly, to sixteen-year-old pop divas and autotuned has-beens, to hateful shock-rockers and talentless crooners who have never written a single note. When discussing Ms. Wanda Jackson , though, it’s the only term that will do. If you think you don’t know who she is, think again. Jackson’s catchy tunes have been featured in movies from But I’m a Cheerleader to Bridesmaids , and covered by more musicians than there’s room to count. Her most [...]
Surprise. Complete and utter surprise is how I felt after seeing of the first song of the Bear in Heaven set last night. A great new album doesn't automatically translate into a live show worth waking people up out of their work night slumbers to go off about. We want to find things like that, but often we just get a performance that merits the so-so hand gesture we reserve for unremarkable things. Well get ready to disturb some REM cycles; this is a band that has elevated themselves to the must see list. You will dance. You [...]
When you have 2 disks worth of material crunched into one album, it's time to celebrate. And celebrate she did: Nicki Minaj filled up a Miami club for the release of Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded . Is this a vision of post-feminist empowerment, a radical re-framing of the birthday cake trope, or just hella fun to watch lots of rich folks wild out? Be sure to catch tunechi with lasers shooting off his head at the 5:00 mark. Also, a Young Money "Fred Durst" shout out, cause there ain't no party like a Limp Bizkit [...]
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