Gogol Bordello at The Mayan(LA)
Posted by Justin Hoyt
As the lights dimmed over the anxious crowd at The Mayan theater in downtown Los Angeles on Monday night, many who knew what I was about to find out roared their welcome for what would turn out to be one of the most engaging live bands I have ever witnessed. Fronted by the enigmatic, Ukrainian-born Eugene Hütz, Gogol Bordello seized the all-ages crowd's attention and energy from the opening bell. Following a brief intro with "Ultimate" the audience was coaxed into mayhem and seemed to be thrilled and captivated by the gypsy punk outfit which has proved as somewhat of a renaissance for Roma music. The group formed around 2000 in New York but is comprised of a global conglomerate of artists. With a total of eight people on stage constantly altering their locations in an almost choreographed fashion, Gogol Bordello's on stage energy was transfered and received by the dedicated and tireless audience. Percussionist and mc Pedro Erazo was anywhere from all the way in back on the congas to seemingly in the crowd igniting one of the signature chants of the night (Hey! Hey! Hey!). With Hütz's thick accent and the amount of languages seemingly being sung throughout Gogol Bordello's music, the chants of "Hey!" became universal to the audience allowing those who either didn't know or understand most of the lyrics to still pound their fist and be a part of the madness.
Violinist Sergey Ryabtsev carved through melodies, at times emulating the place and sounds traditionally held by guitar solos in most punk. Yuri Lemeshev's accordion extended the group's sound into a certain sense of melancholy profoundness occasionally, such as the soul-striking "When Universes Collide", but just as quickly was the catalyst for the madness which swept over the crowd like the waves of shores mere miles from The Mayan. Backup vocalist Elizabeth Sun paraded across the stage interacting at some point or another with every band member as well as perching herself upon the stacks of speakers in order to engage the crowd in yet another anthem inducing chant.
Ending with the hit "Start Wearing Purple" (an ode to spilling red wine) which lead into the reprise of "Break the Spell", before returning with a 20-25 minute encore including "Sun is on my Side" and "Baro Foro", the entire band performed like a well oiled rig and proved to the Los Angeles crowd why they are considered among the elite live performers in the industry. Unfortunately for those in the Northwest looking to partake in the Gogol Bordello experience patience or travel might be required, the group rarely gets any closer than San Francisco. The ever-touring group have not been to ether Seattle or Portland since 2008.
Below is a clip of "Ultimate". The camera is a bit shaky but gives a good feel of the Gogol Bordello experience.
Guilty Simpson/Madlib-OJ Simpson
Posted by Justin Hoyt
There's very little question that the gulliest rap music coming out today is coming from Detroit. A city whose identity has long been fore-fronted as the capital of the financial downturn and whose crime and poverty seem to overshadow what has long been known to many as one of the countries greatest musical hotbeds.
Out of the rubble we are brought Guilty Simpson. The veteran MC is a master of more one-liners and shit talk than you're likely to hear in front of any corner store or backyard cookout this Summer. Simpson, who reminds me at times of the legend Kool G Rap (a major influence of Simpson's), is chock full of sport references and nostalgic tales of life in his city. His debut Ode to the Ghetto, was a solid effort chronicling his life in the slums of Detroit.
What he and collaborator Madlib (our review of Medicine Show No. 3... Beat Konducta in Africa can be found here)concoct on OJ Simpson however transcends the foundation he built for himself on Ode to the Ghetto. The sophomore album is a truly cohesive album centered around Madlib's always percussion focused sound and Simpson's formative, grimey flow. Championed by the late, legendary J Dilla, Simpson's greatest attribute takes a few times through the album to hear. At first listen Simpson's cadence seems unpolished, and you feel like any bar could slip off the rails and falter over Madlib's notoriously choppy patterns. Instead he follows the choppiness, mirroring in a sense the same appeal we have toward Madlib's beats. To a novice ear both seem unrefined but after further listens you realize every snare, high-hat, and word is right where it was intended. Simpson might never outshine many of his contemporary counterparts bar-for-bar, but he can do what many of them can't, make a complete song and a faultless album.
Hailing from LA, Madlib continues on OJ Simpson to prove why he is possibly the best producer in any genre. The drums sway through the headphones (the best way to listen to this, and any of Madlib's music) creating a psychedelic experience along with the random snippets of stand-up comedy, skits, and shouts all intertwined over Madlib's gritty version of funk. The interludes of this album are absolutely crucial to its totality and evoke an array of emotions from laughter, sadness, introspection, and the rarely found fear (not just anybody can give you the creeps through the speakers). It's a incredibly cerebral album, one worth getting blunted and listening to from front to back in the headphones in a secluded spot. But, it also contains the type of bangers, like "Scratch Warning", that beg to be turned up full blast in the car with the windows down and released into the streets.
The album is due out everywhere May 18, but is currently available over at Stones Throw.
"Cali Hills"-An ode to J Dilla:
Grynch- “My Volvo” Video
Posted by Justin Hoyt
Ballard's finest has dropped a new video to support the single "My Volvo" off of the incredibly solid Chemistry Ep available for free at getgrynch.com. The video is well shot, matching the songs message of dealing with a beloved beater perfectly; and on top of that, I'm pretty much bound to support whole-heartedly anything that takes place in my home neighborhood. Grynch is a hard working type of dude and has the material to back it up. "My Volvo" isn't the best song off of Chemistry but it's accessible and catchy, and is a well concieved showcase of Grynch's ever improving lyrical talent. The video features cameo's by local mainstays such as Macklemore, Sol, DJ Nphared and El Mizell of Mash Hall fame.
Crystal Castles – Celestica EP
Posted by Justin Hoyt
Ethan Kath(L) Alice Glass(R)
As exciting as any pop-electronic group working right now, Crystal Castles bum-rushed the scene in 2008 with a self-titled debut LP that refused to be ignored by critics and audiences alike. If you aren't familiar with this album it is a relentless, aggressive piece of work; full of sharp, incessant tones, drastic tempo changes, and drums (all provided by Ethan Kath) that could make your ears bleed. Singer Alice Glass, who comes from a punk background, provided shrill and intensely powerful vocals to the project. All the while the album remained beautifully melodic and a catalyst for, I'm sure, buttloads of dance party riots. To make a point, Crystal Castles are NOT background music in the least. It is an album you are forced to confront and as quickly as they lull you in and have you thinking everything is gorgeous and lucid; they smash your face into the pavement. Listen to the album loudly in the headphones or in your car and see what I mean. (Try this one or this one for example)
Now they're back with the Celestica Ep (although it features only one new song), gearing up for the release of their highly anticipated follow-up LP, also self titled. The Ep is only five songs, two of them being an album mix and a single mix of "Celestica", which will be featured on the upcoming album. The former of which is here:
The song is far from perfect and seems to be leaning more toward Swedish electro-pop influences than their somewhat signature electro-punk/glitch sound. The tones of "Celestica" are more gentle and at times soothing when combined with Glass's serene vocals, a style Glass has yet to show until now. While I don't mind the song it was far from the arrogant, brash, elbow throwing conducive tracks of their debut.
Luckily, the other three songs on the Ep are as RAW as it gets. All three are original guitar recordings of songs I believe are unreleased, and they all go incredibly hard. At the beginning they are a bit difficult to listen to, in part because our ears have been so trained to appreciate the clean mix of a song; these contain none of that, so the first couple times through underlying melodies are missed while our (my) ears adjust to the rough mix. These middle tracks seem to point toward the direction the band is heading in as much as "Celestica" does, considering the first single "Doe Deer" is also a thrashing, turbulent headbanger; which I guarantee will not appeal to the mainstream audience (or even to many electronic fans). My favorite of the three guitar demos off the Ep is "Insectica":
Besides "Doe Deer" and "Celestica", two other songs off the upcoming LP have been released and are available for your listening pleasure over at Some Kind of Awesome. The Celestica Ep is only available in the UK so far, but those with an interest and the smallest bit of savvy should be able to find it pretty quickly. The sophomore LP from Crystal Castles was supposed to be released stateside on June 7. However, due to the album's premature leak on the web, it will now be released April 23 in Europe and May 25 here in the states.
The xx at The Crystal Ballroom
Posted by Justin Hoyt
Sims(L) Madley-Croft(C) Smith(R)
In a day that began with a hangover, a near fist-fight, a funeral, and a four hour drive through traffic from Seattle to Portland, the one thing I kept saying to myself was "xx will make it better". Having had tickets to see the young British trio play at The Crystal Ballroom since they came on sale I knew this had become one of the Portland's most anticipated concerts in some time.
Now while the album was an instant success, and has lead the group from nearly unknown to full fledge pop sensations in just about a year, they are young (20 and 21 year olds) and could have been timid or apprehensive on their first headlining tour. Not the case. The trio took the stage beginning with the unbelievably melodic and mysterious opening guitar licks of "Intro" with Romy Madley-Croft helming the guitar duties. Soon Oliver Sims' bone marrow-jiggling bass dropped in all while gigantic spotlights silhouetted the pair. Then the star of the show in my opinion, the multi-talented yet under-recognized Jamie Smith, dropped what have now become the very defining kick drums which complete the xx sound. These kick drums combined with Sims' bass continued to reverberate The Crystal as I have never felt it before throughout the whole night.
What struck me most was how entertaining and dance inducing the show was considering much of their music can be slightly down-tempo and coy. Recognition needs to go to the light guy and whoever conceptualized what was a wonderfully aesthetic show. The highlight for me was the outro which they had been creeping toward, building tempo over the final twos songs. Sims pummeled the cymbal as Madley-Croft looped one of her signature "hair on the back of your neck raising" riffs, all while Smith tapped meticulously away at his drum machine creating the perfect crescendo to an illuminating evening. Not a single person in the audience was docile and the crowd cohesively swayed and shook creating a simultaneous movement between the audience and the music.
The trio emerged again after an apparent earthquake of choreographed stomps from the audience, not asking, but demanding an encore. The result was "Stars", the final song on their self-titled debut album. The back drop of the stage lit up in stars silhouetting the gigantic black X which stood in front of it and the trio walked earnestly thanking the devoted crowd. Watching a band you conceive of as really good turn into greatness is rare but I'm pretty sure those at The Crystal on Wednesday night witnessed just that. Hell of a day.
MGMT – Flash Delirium Video
Posted by Justin Hoyt
Being weird for the sake of being weird rarely appeals to my senses. Too many bands take this approach as a way to get attention and overshadow the fact they lack the chops to let the music stand on its own. However, there are times when done right an over the top, weird, gross out video is perfectly in order. Take for example MGMT's freak-fest of a new video for their mind bending new single "Flash Delirium":
The images of a soldier returning to a surreal, bourgeois household with his apprehensive companion seem to have very little to do with the song but I think that's the point. There are some truly hysterical moments in the video; for instance the elderly woman handling flute solo duties or the spaghetti filled iron lung which destroys the monster living inside MGMT's Ben Goldwasser. The single itself rivals anything off of 2008's Oracula Spectacular and is relentless in its refusal to get stale. There is a chorus but it only becomes recognizable after a few listens allowing the song to shape-shift and progress through multiple genres without the urge to drive back into a hook every 16 bars. I can tell you that Congratulations, which comes out April 13 and is streaming now at the band's website, contains much of the same lucidity and unconventional format as "Flash Delirium".
Goldwasser(L) VanWyngarden(R)
I gotta admit I was expecting very little out of Goldwasser and band-mate Andrew VanWyngarden on their follow up to the hugely successful Oracular Spectacular, but they did not disappoint. The album is a singular entity combining electro/surf/indie/alternative music seamlessly throughout. And while there is no "Kids" or "Electric Feel" on Congratulations, which will probably cost them a couple of bandwagon fans, there is an overwhelming sense of a band living up to their immense potential instead of caving to the pressure's to repeat a proven winning formula.
MGMT will be hitting the pavement to promote Congratulations including festival stops at Coachella and Sasquatch before heading to the UK for a lengthy visit. My assumption is they will return for an extended American tour soon after though no dates have yet been announced, but if the video is any kind of precursor for the live show this will be one not to miss.
Cults
Brian Oblivion(L) Madeline Follin(R)
Posted by Justin Hoyt
For a band with no Myspace and what was a few months ago no name recognition outside of their group of friends, New York by way of San Diego duo Cults have made quite an impression on the musical blogosphere. Having first heard of them via the almighty Fork, I became infatuated the moment I heard the single "Go Outside", a soulful and haunting expression of what lies beyond our own welcome mats. The two members, Brian Oblivion and Madeline Follin (each only 21), have managed to create a realization of what Neo-Soul should be. Available on their Band Camp page, Cults 7" is a three song sampling of what will probably become one of the years best albums as soon as they release it.
What strikes me the most about Cults is their ability at 21 years old to have created a truly unforced representation of 1960's era soul, and doo-wop without replicating it. The haunting organ strolls that illuminate "The Curse" are pure nostalgia, as is Follin's "teenage girl that just had her heart broken" voice on the same song. But unlike popular British contemporaries such as Duffy, Amy Winehouse, or Joss Stone, the sound Cults have manifested is not a replica of what made 60's pop music so great. Nor do they sound like many of the American soul revisionists of the late nineties, early 2000's including Erykah Badu or Jill Scott, who while amazing, surrounded their music with an atmosphere of modern R n'B that pulled away from the Americana I so desired from Neo-Soul.
Cults bring a subtle touch to soul music, combining it with hints of early eighties and current pop melodies all while maintaining a sense of both surf music and Motown at the same time. Cults music is not overly complicated or overproduced. The instrumentation is gritty and raw but every switch-up, drop, and note is right where it should be. Follin's vocals are breathy and convey a sense of weightlessness as they glide over the track. She does not try to sing beyond her range or prove that she can hit the highest or lowest notes; rather she masters the middle ground, creating an ambiance not generally associated with the (at times) overpowering female vocalists of soul music. What Cults end up providing us with is an enigmatic, airy, fun template for what could come, leading me to buy their stock before they've even gone public.
"Go Outside"
"Most Wanted"
"The Curse"
Fresh Espresso Acapellas
Posted by Justin Hoyt
P Smoov(Left) Rik Rude(Right) Photo by Rabid Child Images
It's impossible to knock P Smoov's hustle. Hate him all you want (and his haters have plenty of justified reasons to) but this dude knows how to market a product. The Mad Rad, Fresh Espresso producer/mc has created a hell of a name for himself around the Northwest, much of this done by well publicized incidents involving Neumo's and their security, rowdy ass shows, and an aesthetic image more commonly associated with indie rock than bass heavy hip-hop. The facts are the facts though, and Smoov has got skills. I had listened to a little bit of Mad Rad in the past (not for me), really enjoyed the Fresh Espresso album Glamour, but it wasn't until P Smoov dropped the Face Scrunchers EP that I remember being sold on the hype. The one track, almost fully instrumental beat tape fuses hard-hitting drums, electro bass, synths, and some well chosen and flipped samples to create what I feel like is a showcasing of what's in store for Smoov.
But that's all a preface to what I feel is one of the more ingenious marketing tactics I have seen by a local artist in a long while. I first caught wind of a "Diamond Pistols" (off Glamour) remix by Seattle's own File Jerks a couple weeks ago via MOM. I damn near tore my room apart like an angry eight grader listening to this cut. Heavy base, epic drops, rapid hi-hats, and enough elements from the original to keep the essence, I'm pretty sure I played it six or seven times in a row upon hearing it. So I'm thinking cool, Smoov and the File Jerks probably ran into eachother somewhere talked about doing this and a week after there's a really solid remix on the internet, no big deal. Then a couple weeks later I head over to one of my favorite time-kill sites 206proof to see: this. Smoov had put the whole album up as acapellas in order for any producer to remix. The brilliance behind this is just as soon as Fresh Espresso begins to creep out of people's minds, P Smoov put's it right back in. Not only that, but he does it in such a way that allows producers to interact with the material themselves all while Smoov takes a listen. Producers around the Northwest are being allowed to showcase their skills for one of the areas imminent producers, all while he gets free marketing for his group. Like I said before I definitely listened to Glamour when it came out but have myself reenergized toward the material through these remixes. It's got me excited for new Fresh Espresso all without Smoov taking more than a few minutes out of his day. Hats off on this one, I'm impressed.
Oh, yeah! The music! I'm posting a few of my favorites below, including Sebino's brilliant reworking of "Diamond Pistols", but make sure and check out this link for future updates. Also check out Seattle producer OC Notes website to download his reworking of the entire album (too much heat).
Sebino
Fresh Espresso - Diamond Pistols (Sebino Remix) by FreshEspresso
File Jerks
Fresh Espresso - Diamond Pistols (FileJerks remix) by outforstardom
Baked Beats
Fresh Espresso - Girls and fast cars (Baked Beatz remix) by bakedbeatz
Bear Hands-They Got Next?
Posted by Justin Hoyt
I so want to champion Brooklyn band Bear Hands as that next shit, if nothing else just to have it in print that I knew about it before you did (I am a music blogger now after-all). The problem for me is that they sound to much like one of their major influences, Modest Mouse, for me to buy the hype. They'll find success I'm sure, they're talented and make genuinely good, catchy, pop songs. I just can't help but feel by the time they release their forthcoming LP (no title or release date) they will have missed the window that was opened by MGMT, of whom they also sound familiar with.
What I will say though is that this danceable, indie-rock, gotta be from Brooklyn group makes music I would like to see live, which I'll have a chance to when they play The Doug Fir Lounge in Portland on March 3. Seattle residents can catch them on March 2 at Neumo's. From what I hear they kill live having been together for around three years and having 150 shows under their belt, however this is their first trip to the west coast so expect them to be especially eager to showcase their sound. Hopefully they'll change my mind, this is definitely not a band I would be upset hearing more of if they can find a way to define their sound.
What a Drag
Beach House-Teen Dream
Posted by Justin Hoyt
With the Release of their third album Baltimore duo Beach House have created one of the most awe-inspiring musical balancing acts in recent memory. 2008's Devotion, which was one of the years best albums turns out to be nothing but an appetizer to this melodic feast. Alex Scally's guitar provides the backdrop for this opus, while singer/keyboardist Victoria Legrand's vocals prove as powerful as any singer's in the business. What is most noticeable about this band is they have mastered a level of constraint with their music. Scally's guitars could easily could have been pushed to the forefront showcasing his brilliant chord progression's but overtaking the organ's hum or Legrand's voice. Legrand has proven she has the pipes to hit any note but does not feel the need to. Rather, her voice accompanies the instrumentation leaving the album truly sounding like a group effort instead of a Victoria Legrand solo album (which far too many female vocalists do).
The tempo on Teen Dream will be surprising to Beach House listeners. I was floored to hear the drums kick in with the fervor they did on the albums opening track "Zebra", and while I expected the tempo to drop the intensity remains throughout the album. The group has mastered the art of making high tempo slow jams, sexy and sultry without becoming monotonous. There is a duality that lies in this album and even track by track. I could see myself listening to this after a bad breakup but just as well during a new romance. I could drive fast as hell or at a slow motion creep to this album, in fact I think a dark highway drive might just be in order with this one. Let this album creep into your head, it is not background music as much as the band might fool you into believing it is.
"Silver Soul"
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- Complete 2010 Capitol Hill Block Party Rundown–Bam!!
- Oceansize – SuperImposer (leak)
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