Columbus garage-pop band The Candescents have released their first single, entitled “Back of Your Hand,” from their debut EP Bedheads. The track is a short, catchy, mid-tempo power trip, with loud guitars and a synth-bass that’ll shake your brain. Catch the Candescents in Columbus in the fall, while Bedheads will be released on July 10th.
A new Death Cab for Cutie Song has been released! The song is titled “Black Sun” and it is the leading single for the alternative/indie/emo guys’ new record after 4 years, named Kintsugi. Although founding member Chris Walla has left the band, Death Cab does not seem to have lost its stride. “Black Sun” chuggs along over a steady drum beat, tight guitar melody, and some synths all throughout. The production is extremely clean and fresh, with electronic elements and panned melodies flowing craftily. Lyricist Ben Gibbard writes in the usual style; his words are introspective, moody, and thought-provoking. “How could something so fair, be so cruel, when this black sun revolved, around you?” We hope Ben will someday put away his laments, but for now, we’ll continue to enjoy the band’s output.
Today’s post features Alex Kandel of Sleeper Agent. At 21 years old, Alex has toured with band for 3-4 years now, releasing two albums and winning awards such as a finalist spot in Rolling Stone’s “Women Who Rock” contest. I recently saw Alex and the rest of the band perform at the Vans Warped Tour in Cleveland, Ohio, where they played a kick-ass 30-minute set. Running through cuts including “Get it Daddy,” “Get Burned,” and Alt-Nation’s top 40 hit “Waves,” (the group’s latest single), the band ferociously churned out garage-like poppy punk sounds that were mixed perfectly for the audience’s listening pleasure. Despite being younger than all the other members in the band, Alex commanded the stage and made sure she had your full attention for the whole show. She danced around, making sure the audience got into the show as much as possible; although the crowd did not seem as enthusiastic as she, I thought their set was the most energetic performance I had seen all day on Warped Tour. If you’re looking for some good summer musical vibes, I would definitely check out either one of the band’s albums entitled Celebrasion and About Last Night.
Hey guys so I know it’s late, but if anyone is reading this then just be aware that Fashion Meets Music Festival is holding a live press conference tomorrow morning, 6/25, at 10:30 A.M. During this conference, (which you can watch online via the link from their twitter page @FFMFestival), a large announcement of free artists will be announced, as well as some new details about the festival. If you can’t tune in tomorrow, I’ll be posting a summary of what the press conference was about and which bands were announced! Thanks.
In honor of Soundgarden’s 1994 album “Superunknown” turning twenty, I chose this song for Throwback Thursday. One of the band’s most popular songs, “Spoonman” is a heavier song written about a street performer in California named Artis the Spoonman. Written with a characteristically strange rhythm, the song features a spoon solo from Artis himself. This song, along with “Fell on Black Days” and “Black Hole Sun,” was important because it helped bring the band mainstream success. Twenty years later, “Spoonman” still has power waiting to be unleashed during every listen. Enjoy, and listen to the whole album “Superunknown” if you’re interested!
Since I have been finishing up finals, traveling around London with some wonderful people, watching the best sporting event on earth (Stanley Cup Finals), and lazily easing into summer, I haven’t posted anything recently. This is going to change right now.
After taking a British Invasion class and traveling to London and Liverpool to learn about the cultural and historical impact of the Beatles, I decided this post should definitely pertain to that trip. I picked an easygoing Beatles tune from their first truly ground breaking album “Rubber Soul.” This late evening pleaser, “Norwegian Wood,” was revolutionary in itself because it contains the first use of the sitar in popular music. It’s a short one, but very nice to listen to. If you don’t think this song has much merit, just remember that it was one of Kurt Cobain’s favorite songs by the Beatles. If you don’t know who Kurt Cobain is, I have nothing for you.
Anyways, enjoy the folky track for tonight, and I will be back on soon with more musical history, festival updates, album reviews, and recommendations.
Peace.
Back in 1996, Radiohead was wondering how they could follow up their classic second album, “The Bends.” What they created in 1997 was a musical masterpiece, “OK Computer,” which became Radiohead’s most universally acclaimed album. The 12 tracks portrayed a look into 21st century life before the 21st century even began, and “Karma Police” is probably the best known of these tracks. It is a very unconventional song, with no real chorus and two distinct parts that make it unique. Incredible music, catchy lyrical melodies, and innovative sounds make this song one of the best of the 90s, and one that every Radiohead fan respects.
The master of innovative garage rock/blues guitar is back with a new track off of his second solo album, “Lazaretto.” The first peek we have of the new album is the eccentric four minute instrumental “High Ball Stepper,” which channels some bad-ass guitar playing with a unequally haunting sound over it. An off-tempo piano also adds to the weirdness of the instrumental. Although this isn’t the first single off of the album, it serves as a look into what the next album will contain. It seems like it will be pretty typical Jack White, which isn’t very typical at all. “Lazaretto” will be released on June 10th, and White has added some tour dates in support. Check out the dates below (tickets go on sale at 10am Friday, April 11th), and until the single is released, enjoy the blistering “High Ball Stepper.”
May 29: Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa, OK
(with Kelley Stoltz)
May 30: Wild West in Lubbock, TX
(with Kelley Stoltz)
June 2: Municipal Auditorium in Shreveport, LA
(with Kelley Stoltz)
June 3: Saenger Theatre in New Orleans, LA
(with Kelley Stoltz)
June 5: The Fillmore Charlotte in Charlotte, NC
(with Kelley Stoltz)
June 26: Royal Hospital Kilmainham in Dublin, Ireland
June 29: L’Olympia in Paris, France
June 30: L’Olympia in Paris, France
July 3: Heineken Music Hall in Amsterdam, Netherlands
July 5: Eventim Apollo in London, England
July 20: Fox Theatre in St. Louis, MO
(with Benjamin Booker)
July 21: Eagles Ballroom in Milwaukee, WI
(with Benjamin Booker)
July 23: Chicago Theatre in Chicago, IL
(with Benjamin Booker)
July 24: Auditorium Theatre in Chicago, IL
(with Benjamin Booker)
July 27: Stage AE Outdoors in Pittsburgh, PA
(with Benjamin Booker)
July 28: Fox Theatre in Detroit, MI
(with Benjamin Booker)
July 30: Masonic Temple Theatre in Detroit, MI
(with Benjamin Booker)
July 31: Air Canada Centre in Toronto, ON
(with Benjamin Booker)
8/10
For their third record, Cloud Nothings have struck excellence: eight grueling songs laced with beauty and memorable, sing-along choruses. But it would be a disservice to sum up the album this quickly. Having grown up in Westlake, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland, I am a little biased towards the group from my hometown; nevertheless Here and Nowhere Else has been on repeat on my Ipod for the last week (yes I still own and use an Ipod Classic).
“Now Here In” begins the album with a disenchanting yet somewhat accepting theme possibly dealing with a recent breakup, with lead singer/guitarist Dylan Baldi repeating the line “I can feel your pain and I feel alright ‘bout it.” The album is laced with repetition lyrically, partly due to the fact that 22 year old Baldi writes lyrics as somewhat of a last thought, and partly because Baldi wants to hammer his point across. Comparisons can undoubtedly be drawn to the style of Kurt Cobain (if I may be so bold) in two ways. Firstly, Kurt always believed that music was the most important part of a song, not lyrics. Secondly, Baldi’s delivery is as unrelenting as Kurt’s at times; his melodies turn into yells, and even screams, at the climax of the songs. Nevertheless, the delivery compliments the lyrical content nicely, with lines like “You don’t even seem to care and I don’t even talk about it now” (“No Thoughts”) describing disillusionment, heartbreak, and carelessness all at the same time. For the album’s finale, “I’m not Part of Me,” Baldi finally seems to come to grips with the present: “I’m learning how to be here and nowhere else, I focus on what I can think myself.” At last, the main Cloud Nothing has put the demons of Attack on Memory behind him and has learned to cope with his past.
Musically, Here and Nowhere Else is fast-paced and never lets up. Bassist TJ Duke provides a more-than solid foundation over which Baldi layers multiple, crunchy guitars. The real wonder here, however, is the incredible drum playing by Jayson Gerycz. He unleashes energy that many could only dream of harnessing in a live setting. He is the driving force on the album, keeping insane tempos and also changing them on the dot. The drum mix on this album is definitely louder than it was on Attack on Memory; this could be due to the change in producer from Steve Albini to John Congleton. It could also be due to the fact that backup guitarist Joe Boyer did not play on the album due to legal trouble. Whatever the reason, Gerycz adds a live element to the songs that has not been seen on a Cloud Nothings record before.
When all instruments are put together, the result is driving melodies that mainly stay at one tempo (fast) and only slow down during the beginning section of “Psychic Trauma.” The penultimate gem “Pattern Walks” starts off like the rest of the songs, but about halfway through its 7 minutes and 23 seconds, a change occurs. After some built up feedback, a lofted, beautiful melody is reached while Baldi’s lyric “I thought” is repeated and distorted. It is an excellent way to lead into the albums closer and arguably the band’s greatest song “I’m Not Part of Me.”
The once small project by Dylan Baldi has turned into a noteworthy band, gaining national and international recognition for honest indie-rock music. Whether you consider their style punk, rock, indie, garage, lo-fi, or a combination of these genres, I believe Cloud Nothings are a great up-and-coming band worthy of praise.
Arriving at the LC Pavillion in downtown Columbus around 7:30 last night, Skaters was soon to hit the stage. We stood in the freezing sleet waiting for a bus, but once we were inside the LC, it was completely worth it. We were in for a fun but interesting night at CD 102.5 Day Side A.
The crowd inside was much different than expected. Many adults were scattered throughout the pit and the surrounding area, while college students tried to get as close as possible to the stage. Last time Grouplove came to town (this past fall), the crowd was much younger and lively. This time, the crowd was less into the music in general, which was somewhat disappointing. During the sets there were a few obnoxious women trying to talk over the bands playing, which made me wonder if they were really there for the music or if they were merely treating it as a social event. This was potentially due to the fact that tickets were only $5, so people that might not have known much about Grouplove, Ms Mr, Skaters, or the Orwells were in attendance.
The hosts from CD 102.5 came on stage as we walked into the pit, announcing that Skaters would come on soon. The lights went off, and the young band from New York City took the stage. Although the crowd didn’t seem too into them, they played an excellent set made up of tunes from their recent debut album Manhattan. Drinking Budweisers heavily during the set, the band exuded relaxed vibes as they tore through fast, dancy garage rock. The band played for about 35 minutes and seemed to be having fun at their first show ever in Columbus.
Next up, after another CD 102.5 host announced MS MR. I had not heard any music by this band before, but I was pleasantly astounded at how powerful they sounded live. The first couple songs were decent, but the show really picked up at the third. The band rendered a version of Arctic Monkey’s current radio smash “Do I Wanna Know?” and got the crowd involved in the show by encouraging vocal help. After this, they played three excellent songs. The first, “Think of You,” including part of LCD Soundsystem’s “Dance Yrself Clean,” where the band showed versatility in a jammed-out version of the classic track. The second was “Ash Tree Lane,” and they played their most popular tune, “Hurricane,” to close out the set. Overall, the band was confident, having fun while still maintaining a mysterious air on stage to compliment their soaring music.
This is where the night was cut short in a strange turn of events that left the crowd in a state of disbelief. After about 15 minutes of watching the crew tear down MS MR’s set, I wondered why Grouplove’s s equipment was not being set up. It was almost ten o ‘clock, and the band would need to start playing soon in order to end the show at a decent hour. As soon as I started to become suspicious that something was wrong, the hosts of the show came on stage again, this time with bad news. They explained that Christian, the lead singer of Grouplove, had been ill in bed all day and was physically unable to perform. They unfortunately informed the crowd that Grouplove would not play as scheduled, so the show was over. However, they assured everyone that the band would be back in the fall, and every person with a ticket to tonight’s show would be able to get in for free. At first, no one moved; they seemed to think this was some sort of joke. As the house lights came on, however, the crowd realized that the band was not coming back on, and with a few scattered “boos” they left the venue. After we walked out of the pit, we met the Skaters singer at the merch table, and he was even more laid back than he was on stage. We talked for a couple minutes and then left to find a taxi home. Obviously the fact that Grouplove didn’t play was frustrating, but the two bands we saw were excellent and totally worth the $16 we spent on tickets the day of the show. CD 102.5 did a great job with the event in general despite the fact that the headliner was unable to perform, which was beyond their control.
Side Note: The Orwells and a local Columbus singer/songwriter Mary Lynn also performed, but we got to the show after they had already played.
Mavdey's Music 