Originally published November 1, 2010 in Redefine Magazine.
Direct link to article
While movie studios compete to outdo one another with the latest in 3-D technology and even pop stars like the Jonas Brothers and Justin Bieber are getting a bite of the action with their own 3-D concert films, Austin's The Octopus Project is leaving them all in the dust by thinking in terms of eight. With the desire to expand their already kinetic, spacey sound, the band has cooked up an idea that plays with a number of dimensions and would actually be experienced in a live setting, involving eight speakers, eight video projectors, and eight video sequences synchronized to music. The concept places the band in the center of a tent with an audience encircling them and the speakers surrounding the audience. Projected images on the ceiling replaces the night sky and watches over the crowd.
Before writing a note of music, the band took the performance idea to the Whole Foods Market flagship store in Austin, proposing to perform the project in the store's parking lot during SXSW 2010, says band member Yvonne Lambert. Without knowing all the specifications, Whole Foods agreed. However, The Octopus Project was then challenged with the task of figuring out how to make the idea come to life and write music that would do justice to such a colossal endeavor.
"We had a little bit of a freak out moment after they said yes," says Lambert. "It was exciting and scary at the same time."
The band named the venture Hexadecagon and the music that was created later went on to form the latest The Octopus Project album by the same name, which was released by Peek-A-Boo Records in Fall 2010. However, making the music for the two free live performances at SXSW and recording it for the album were two different undertakings.
For the live performances, the band first got all the technical aspects down and acquired the necessary equipment. The mostly-instrumental quartet, which also includes Lambert's husband, Josh Lambert, and friends, Toto Miranda and Ryan Figg, is already known for approaching music in an unconventional manner, whether it be in the live setting, where band members switch places and jump around from instrument to instrument, or with the mixture of sounds and textures that they incorporate in their music. If any Austin band among a sea of bands at SXSW were to come up with fitting music for such a task and represent the city's status as the "Live Music Capital Of The World," it would have to be The Octopus Project.
When it came time to focus on writing songs, the technical aspects that the band hammered out served as inspiration, says Josh Lambert. Some of the things that they tinkered with included making the sounds jump across from one speaker to another and also having tones move around from speaker-to-speaker in succession. The band took about three months to put the concept together and write the music. They rehearsed some aspects at their practice space and on the roof of Whole Foods, but the first time that they ever ran through the entire Hexadecagon show from start to finish was in front of the SXSW crowd. Fan-recorded videos of Hexadecagon on YouTube show band members continuously moving around, toggling all sorts of electronics and hopping from instrument to instrument, which is not too different from any other Octopus Project performance. It is not unusual to see Miranda play drums one minute and guitar the next, or Josh Lambert doing the same, while Figg switches between guitar and bass and Yvonne Lambert swaps between keys and the theremin. However, the reactions of audience members make it evident that the Hexadecagon performances were anything but ordinary. Expressions of awe dominate people's faces as they contemplate whether they should focus their attention on the band members on stage or on the images on the ceiling.
A friend of the band, Wiley Wiggins, helped create the video sequences, which are just as colorful as the music. Animal drawings, images of classrooms, and footage of two young twin girls are interesting and eerie enough to keep audience interest. What the YouTube videos do not capture is the movement of the sounds. Yvonne Lambert says that everyone essentially had a unique experience.
"Depending on where you were standing in the crowd, it was maybe a little surprising and unexpected, in a fun way," she says.
For the album, the band had to rethink the music and come up with ways to keep that element of astonishment for the average CD and MP3 listener, who most likely would not have the luxury of listening to the album with 8-channel surround sound.
"We were so used to hearing it in our space, where we practiced with eight big PA speakers around us and wrote with that in mind," says Miranda. "It was a challenge to reduce that down to stereo and still get the feel."
The band members accepted the challenge with glee. Having been a band since 1999, The Octopus Project is good at diving into ambitious projects head on and has an admirable eagerness to learn new things. While some band members did have some type of musical training as children, they all say that they enjoyed exploring different sounds and going on offbeat paths.
Their previous bands helped them improve the way they approach music, but The Octopus Project was started with a different focus.
"This band is the first one that was sort of more about the sounds," says Miranda. "Specifically, about trying to do things with sound more than just write some songs and play the songs."
Their dedication to experimenting with sounds paid off when it comes to the new album, which they recommend listening to with a pair of headphones. While not exactly the same as having eight speakers, the sounds do bounce from ear to ear, creating a sweet web of music in the listener's head.
On top of great music and interactive listening experiences, sometimes fans even get toys, which add a visual aspect to the physical releases. For the double vinyl release of "Hexadecagon," the band designed a zoetrope with eight different slides -- one for each song of the album. Once constructed and placed on top of the record, fans can view animations similar to the video sequences at SXSW. By not specifying which slide should go with which song, The Octopus Project give fans the freedom to mix and match.
"We wanted to make the vinyl release as elaborate as we could, to make it a really exciting object you would want to have in your house beyond just the music, which is obviously available digitally without any kind of physical packaging at all," Miranda says. "So if you're going to buy something, we wanted to make it something pretty intense and cool."
While touring with Starfucker, the band had the vinyl version of Hexadecagon available before its release date. The tour gave fans a taste of the new music, and some visuals were taken from the zoetrope and SXSW performances. With limited equipment at clubs, the band had to once again reconfigure the music and visuals to fit standard sound systems and one screen.
"We had to rethink the live versions kind of in the same way we did for the record," says Josh Lambert. "[It involved] just figuring out how we can make it as awesome as can be stereo-wise and visually with the projections."
Considering how well-executed the entire Hexadecagon project has been, from the SXSW performances to the album and tour, it is surprising that the band members are not pretentious. While all the band members exude a strong creative energy, they are not the artsy-fartsy type of people. They are just genuinely talented, curious, and above all, humble. They do not embark on grandiose projects to gain praise; rather, they do it to feed their wandering minds. Although they might do it without thinking about it, they are always challenging themselves.
"I think we like to keep it tense," says Josh Lambert. "I think we like to keep a really healthy balance of, 'Ohhh, everything could fall apart at any given moment.'"
"When things get comfortable," Yvonne Lambert adds in agreement, "we add a new element that could throw everything off."
Monday, November 1, 2010
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Show Review: The Morning Benders, Twin Sister, Cults
Originally published in Redefine Magazine.
Direct link to article
The Music Box
Hollywood, CA
October 14, 2010
When a band tours to support an album as enchanting and staggering as The Morning Bender's "Big Echo," it is likely to be a challenge. In this case, the four-piece band could have either constructed a big roar of a live show or kept the beauty simple, like a brisk California breeze. The band chose the latter, and while there were a few songs that could have benefited from a bigger bang, the show at The Music Box in the heart of Hollywood was still delightful. While three out of the four band members are originally from Southern California, the Los Angeles weather somehow knew that the guys started playing music in Berkeley and welcomed them with familiar cloudy weather. The grey skies set a nice, gentle tone for the day and show.
Opening for The Morning Benders was New York's Cults, with its bright melodies and dreamy cadences. Cult's core was vocalist Madeline Follin and guitarist Brian Oblivion, and for the live show, they tripled their army to six, to include keys, drums, bass, and a second guitar. While Cult's song, "Go Outside," has been heating up the blog world all year, the live show fell a little short. The chemistry between the band members was not strong and though Follin danced like she was enjoying the performance, she had an uneasy look on her face. Oblivion provided back-up vocals on the songs, but when he took the lead, his voice sounded unpolished. Between the lovable glockenspiel on "Go Outside" and the spookier "The Curse," Cults showed a lot of potential with its range in sounds. The group just has to work on adding some spark to the live show.
Following Cults was another group from New York called Twin Sister. The band shared some of the awkward tension that Cults had, but it worked better for Twin Sister and its music. The five-piece was lead by vocalist Andrea Estella who was dressed in '80 garb--big hair, milky skin and all. Her vocals were airy and reminiscent of Bjork and the odd tone of CocoRosie. She gripped the mic and kept it close to her as if there was a reason to protect it from others. Her gaze made her seem shy, but also like she was hiding a wicked plan. Songs like "The Other Side Of Your Face" and "Milk And Honey" had a strong '80s vibes similar to those of The Cure and the Sixteen Candles soundtrack. The set ended with a fun, upbeat cover of La Bioda's "I Wanna Be Your Lover."
The anticipation for The Morning Benders was high by the time the band hit the stage at around 11 p.m. The band members must have sensed the enthusiasm in the air and teased the crowd by playing the beginning notes of "Excuses," the charming album opener off Big Echo. Just as the hearts of audience members were filled with joy at the sound of those first notes and before anyone knew it, the band smoothly started playing "Promises." The band was foreshadowing, but it was not quite time for "Excuses."
While The Morning Benders stuck to the basics and did not exaggerate its sound with additional instrumentation, there were a few small details that added a nice touch to the show. On "Hand Me Downs," drummer Julian Harmon multi-tasked between his drum kit and a drum pad, adding a well-rounded, resonating beat. Vocalist Christopher Chu kept his voice warm and not too fervent, but when the other three guys joined him on harmonies, the songs sounded tremendous. The long instrumental sections in "Mason Jar" and "Stitches" sounded nice, but were possibly too hypnotic for the especially energized crowd.
The rawness of older tracks like "Damnit Anna," "Boarded Doors" and "Waiting For A War" were more in tune with people's energy level. Before going into "Waiting for a War," Chu encouraged the audience to bounce around, and people happily complied.
One song from "Big Echo" that should have taken some energy from the former was "All Day Day Light." On the album, the song is a divine high point with fiery zeal. Had the band members magnified the emotions of the song, it would had been an epic sight, but instead they chose to slow it down, which was disappointing. Predictably the last song of the set, "Excuses" made up for the night's bumps, as time seemed to stop for its infamous "da-dums." Chu ditched the guitar for shakers and led the crowd as everyone sang along.
As an added treat, The Morning Benders performed a lovely cover of Fleetwood Mac's "Dreams" for the encore. With ease in their musicianship and harmonies, the guys of The Morning Benders proved their deep understanding and knack for California's cordial, luminous pop sound. While there were a few lulls throughout the night, The Morning Benders bode well without any Hollywood artificial flavoring.
Direct link to article
The Music Box
Hollywood, CA
October 14, 2010
When a band tours to support an album as enchanting and staggering as The Morning Bender's "Big Echo," it is likely to be a challenge. In this case, the four-piece band could have either constructed a big roar of a live show or kept the beauty simple, like a brisk California breeze. The band chose the latter, and while there were a few songs that could have benefited from a bigger bang, the show at The Music Box in the heart of Hollywood was still delightful. While three out of the four band members are originally from Southern California, the Los Angeles weather somehow knew that the guys started playing music in Berkeley and welcomed them with familiar cloudy weather. The grey skies set a nice, gentle tone for the day and show.
Opening for The Morning Benders was New York's Cults, with its bright melodies and dreamy cadences. Cult's core was vocalist Madeline Follin and guitarist Brian Oblivion, and for the live show, they tripled their army to six, to include keys, drums, bass, and a second guitar. While Cult's song, "Go Outside," has been heating up the blog world all year, the live show fell a little short. The chemistry between the band members was not strong and though Follin danced like she was enjoying the performance, she had an uneasy look on her face. Oblivion provided back-up vocals on the songs, but when he took the lead, his voice sounded unpolished. Between the lovable glockenspiel on "Go Outside" and the spookier "The Curse," Cults showed a lot of potential with its range in sounds. The group just has to work on adding some spark to the live show.
Following Cults was another group from New York called Twin Sister. The band shared some of the awkward tension that Cults had, but it worked better for Twin Sister and its music. The five-piece was lead by vocalist Andrea Estella who was dressed in '80 garb--big hair, milky skin and all. Her vocals were airy and reminiscent of Bjork and the odd tone of CocoRosie. She gripped the mic and kept it close to her as if there was a reason to protect it from others. Her gaze made her seem shy, but also like she was hiding a wicked plan. Songs like "The Other Side Of Your Face" and "Milk And Honey" had a strong '80s vibes similar to those of The Cure and the Sixteen Candles soundtrack. The set ended with a fun, upbeat cover of La Bioda's "I Wanna Be Your Lover."
The anticipation for The Morning Benders was high by the time the band hit the stage at around 11 p.m. The band members must have sensed the enthusiasm in the air and teased the crowd by playing the beginning notes of "Excuses," the charming album opener off Big Echo. Just as the hearts of audience members were filled with joy at the sound of those first notes and before anyone knew it, the band smoothly started playing "Promises." The band was foreshadowing, but it was not quite time for "Excuses."
While The Morning Benders stuck to the basics and did not exaggerate its sound with additional instrumentation, there were a few small details that added a nice touch to the show. On "Hand Me Downs," drummer Julian Harmon multi-tasked between his drum kit and a drum pad, adding a well-rounded, resonating beat. Vocalist Christopher Chu kept his voice warm and not too fervent, but when the other three guys joined him on harmonies, the songs sounded tremendous. The long instrumental sections in "Mason Jar" and "Stitches" sounded nice, but were possibly too hypnotic for the especially energized crowd.
The rawness of older tracks like "Damnit Anna," "Boarded Doors" and "Waiting For A War" were more in tune with people's energy level. Before going into "Waiting for a War," Chu encouraged the audience to bounce around, and people happily complied.
One song from "Big Echo" that should have taken some energy from the former was "All Day Day Light." On the album, the song is a divine high point with fiery zeal. Had the band members magnified the emotions of the song, it would had been an epic sight, but instead they chose to slow it down, which was disappointing. Predictably the last song of the set, "Excuses" made up for the night's bumps, as time seemed to stop for its infamous "da-dums." Chu ditched the guitar for shakers and led the crowd as everyone sang along.
As an added treat, The Morning Benders performed a lovely cover of Fleetwood Mac's "Dreams" for the encore. With ease in their musicianship and harmonies, the guys of The Morning Benders proved their deep understanding and knack for California's cordial, luminous pop sound. While there were a few lulls throughout the night, The Morning Benders bode well without any Hollywood artificial flavoring.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Album Review: Chico Mann - Analog Drift
Originally published October 12, 2010 in Redefine Magazine.
Direct link to article
Chico Mann
Analog Drift
Wax Poetics
A
Although it may be difficult to confine the music by multi-instrumentalist Chico Mann to just one genre, it is safe to say that his sophomore release, Analog Drift, is a quintessential New York album. With a heavy Afrobeat and Cuban influences, vocals in both Spanish and English, and a number of synthesizers in hand, Chico Mann, aka Marcos Garcia, creates a melting pot of soulful and sexy sounds, much like the city that never sleeps. Previously released digitally through Garcia’s Website, Analog Drift is now expanding its audience through Wax Poetics Records and is ready to be played on the dance floors. Right from the first beat, a listener will want to put on a fedora hat and take over the town.
Considering that Garcia grew up in New York and New Jersey and that his father was the owner of a NYC Latin record label, it's easy to see the authenticity in what he is trying to do with his music. Garcia has a deep understanding of which sounds from the past, present and future can work together to induce dancing. On the first track, "Harmonia," Garcia sings, "Queremos harmonia," which translates to, "We want harmony," and harmony is exactly what Garcia accomplishes on the album. As funky bass lines and finger-picked guitar rhythms lay the foundations, synthesizers shimmer and fill out each song. All the sounds seem to respect one another, allowing each one to breathe and flourish.
On "Anima" and "All That Is Rising," the synthesizers appear to have a conversation with each other. Before any vocals kick in, the instruments follow a call-and-response pattern. "All That Is Rising" has a more dramatic beginning as percussion builds up anticipation, creating imagery of an empty warehouse or a dark alley. More movement is slowly introduced, like a city transitioning into its time for nightlife.
While there is a lot of use of electronic sounds, the songs all come off as fun and smooth, as opposed to being hyper. A sense of hipness remains consistent throughout. With a modern touch, the album incorporates all that was cool in the '70s and '80s, from roller discos to break dancing. At times, Garcia's vocals reach a higher-pitched spectrum, but remain aligned with the energetic tradition of Cuban vocalists. The lyrics are more like phrases rather than stories, and while some are memorable, the focus is more on the musical groove and getting in the zone.
With a cover of Talking Heads' "Once In A Lifetime," the album goes deep into the '80s and wraps up nicely with the slower tempos of "Metele Mano" and "This Love." Even as the album seeps into nostalgia, the good energy remains. There is no moment on the album where things clash or seem forced. Like the diverse history of New York City makes it one of the most fascinating places in the world, Analog Drift takes the classic and the new to make an invigorating experience.
Direct link to article
Chico Mann
Analog Drift
Wax Poetics
A
Although it may be difficult to confine the music by multi-instrumentalist Chico Mann to just one genre, it is safe to say that his sophomore release, Analog Drift, is a quintessential New York album. With a heavy Afrobeat and Cuban influences, vocals in both Spanish and English, and a number of synthesizers in hand, Chico Mann, aka Marcos Garcia, creates a melting pot of soulful and sexy sounds, much like the city that never sleeps. Previously released digitally through Garcia’s Website, Analog Drift is now expanding its audience through Wax Poetics Records and is ready to be played on the dance floors. Right from the first beat, a listener will want to put on a fedora hat and take over the town.Considering that Garcia grew up in New York and New Jersey and that his father was the owner of a NYC Latin record label, it's easy to see the authenticity in what he is trying to do with his music. Garcia has a deep understanding of which sounds from the past, present and future can work together to induce dancing. On the first track, "Harmonia," Garcia sings, "Queremos harmonia," which translates to, "We want harmony," and harmony is exactly what Garcia accomplishes on the album. As funky bass lines and finger-picked guitar rhythms lay the foundations, synthesizers shimmer and fill out each song. All the sounds seem to respect one another, allowing each one to breathe and flourish.
On "Anima" and "All That Is Rising," the synthesizers appear to have a conversation with each other. Before any vocals kick in, the instruments follow a call-and-response pattern. "All That Is Rising" has a more dramatic beginning as percussion builds up anticipation, creating imagery of an empty warehouse or a dark alley. More movement is slowly introduced, like a city transitioning into its time for nightlife.
While there is a lot of use of electronic sounds, the songs all come off as fun and smooth, as opposed to being hyper. A sense of hipness remains consistent throughout. With a modern touch, the album incorporates all that was cool in the '70s and '80s, from roller discos to break dancing. At times, Garcia's vocals reach a higher-pitched spectrum, but remain aligned with the energetic tradition of Cuban vocalists. The lyrics are more like phrases rather than stories, and while some are memorable, the focus is more on the musical groove and getting in the zone.
With a cover of Talking Heads' "Once In A Lifetime," the album goes deep into the '80s and wraps up nicely with the slower tempos of "Metele Mano" and "This Love." Even as the album seeps into nostalgia, the good energy remains. There is no moment on the album where things clash or seem forced. Like the diverse history of New York City makes it one of the most fascinating places in the world, Analog Drift takes the classic and the new to make an invigorating experience.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Artist Feature: The Fresh & Onlys
Originally published October 10, 2010 in Redefine Magazine.
Direct link to article
One would think that a band like The Fresh & Onlys, which has relied on a home tape machine to record material for two full-length albums, more than five 7" records, an EP, and a few cassette tapes, had found a working formula for their recordings. However, when it came time for the San Francisco band to record its third album of effervescent garage tunes, the band members were left unsatisfied with working from home, instead desiring to try something different.
"We got really concerned about being too redundant, at least sonically," says Shayde Sartin, the band's bassist. "It's kind of good to challenge yourself with a new environment."
In the hopes of expanding their spectrum and making the music sound bigger, the band--which also includes Tim Cohen on vocals, guitar, and keys, Wymond Miles on guitar, and Kyle Gibson on drums--turned to Tim Green and his San Francisco-based Louder Studios. Green is a member of the band, Fucking Champs, and also played in the renowned punk band, The Nation Of Ulysses. His work behind the recording board is just as impressive, having included clients like Tristeza and Sleater Kinney . However, it was Green's work with The Melvins and Lungfish that most impressed Sartin.
"I love how he records sonically," Sartin says. "I like how he records guitars. I like how he records vocals. So, it seemed like an obvious choice. I felt really comfortable to go work with a person who had some kind of acquaintance."
The Fresh & Onlys is still a young band, having been formed in 2008 as a project between Cohen and Sartin. So, it is nice to hear the band members already wanting to expand their horizons. For the third album, which is entitled "Play It Strange" and will be released on In the Red Recordings on October 12, the band really wanted to focus more on the production aspects, starting with recording the songs on their own, allowing Green to become familiar with the material before recording anything at Louder Studios.
"By the time we got in there, he knew the songs, and he knew that we like to work fast," Sartin says. "He likes to work fast. We had the songs figured out. We kind of wanted to get in and get the physical parts done and then work on the sonics a little more. He was really good at facilitating working on the color of the songs."
The songs were recorded in late 2009 and now, several months later, the band members are reflecting on the end result and finding themselves to still be happy with the recordings.
"There was definitely a little more [of a] confident feel as far as the performance goes on the recordings with Tim Green, as opposed to the ones we did on our own," Sartin says. "The sounds were definitely more articulate. [The album is] way more druggy than I realized it was when we were recording it, which I like. It has a certain haziness to it that is very complementary to the songs."
The Fresh & Onlys' music is known for being hazy. Taking cues from San Francisco's historic psychedelic music scene, the band layers an aura of cloudiness on top of what essentially are good ‘ole pop tunes. "Play It Strange" is poetic, but does not lose its garage rock appeal. The album is gritty, even as songs like "Summer Of Love" and "Fascinated" have a ‘60s flowery feel, and "All Shook Up" is perfect for a beach party. Cohen's vocals alternate from ghostly to that of a crooner. Simple lines like the ones in "Fascinated," where Cohen says, "Tell me what you're fascinated by," and, "You're such a pretty girl," would have made girls swoon in the ‘60s had they been sung by The Beach Boys.
At one point, The Fresh & Onlys had a female band member who sang and played percussion. Heidi Alexander, who is also a member of the San Francisco band The Sandwitches, added an even more spirited touch to songs on The Fresh & Onlys' self-tilted debut. Her Sandwitches comrade, Grace Cooper, also contributed harmonies. One of the highlights from the debut is the song "Peacock And Wing," where male and female vocals are sung in unison. With the band's sophomore release, "Grey-Eyed Girls," the female vocals were a little less prominent, and this is even more noticeable on the new album. Alexander does sing back-up vocals on "Play It Strange," but she is no longer able to tour with The Fresh & Onlys because of her time commitment with The Sandwitches.
Like any developing band, the songwriting is expected to change a little bit from album to album. In fact, Sartin claims, his involvement in The Fresh & Onlys is the first time that he has been able to evolve as a musician and songwriter. Sartin has played with a large number of other artists including Kelley Stoltz, The Skygreen Leopards and Ty Segall, but this is the first time that he has had creative input in a band. Being a member of The Fresh & Onlys has enabled him to feed off the energy and ideas of the other group members, and vice versa.
"If you are writing songs in a room and you don't have much confidence in what you're doing, you never allow yourself to evolve. But if you're getting encouragement, you're getting feedback and you're collaborating with people, then you start trying new things."
Typically, Sartin and Cohen initiate the structure of a song. Sartin comes up with a chord structure or other musical idea and Cohen will create floating vocals on top. Miles and Gibson also help articulate ideas in new ways, with Miles focusing counter melodies . Regardless of who does what, the band members attempt to flesh out every idea without putting any of them down. The process is always positive and productive.
"I'm hitting Tim with ideas musically that he normally wouldn't come up with and vice versa, so it naturally works out in the end because he's freed up some time thinking about chord structure or thinking about a rhythm, and I'm free of thinking of lyrics and melody," says Sartin.
Not only do the band members keep an open mind when writing songs, but that quality is something they look for when deciding the labels that will release its albums. Having already worked with a handful of labels, The Fresh & Onlys decided to go with Los Angeles' In the Red Records this time around--both for the people that work there, as well as its reputation for pushing boundaries.
"It's one of those labels I've always had a lot of intrigue with, because despite their [reputation] as a garage label, they've actually done a lot of things that aren't," Sartin says, "especially in the last few years with The Vivian Girls, Blank Dogs and The Ponys. They've kind of stretched out beyond being a sort of punk label, and the owner Larry Hardy is an amazing person. He has a very eccentric taste in music and it seemed like a good fit because we weren't the typical garage band."
The Fresh & Onlys' eagerness to work with a bunch of different people has resulted in many good opportunities. The band has already toured with King Khan & The Shrines in the US and Deerhunter in Europe, and they have two tours lined up for this year, beginning with a US tour with Royal Baths and finishing off the year with one with Clinic.
According to Sartin, when the two fall tours were booked, The Fresh & Onlys were originally planning to focus on songs from "Play It Strange." However, as the band members are always thinking ahead, they will introduce new songs they have written recently as well.
Though the band has been on the road a lot in the past two years and has a constant flow of new releases, its members have not lost any of the excitement when it comes to releasing new material. Every release is a step up, and the excitement only grows.
"If we do an LP and the next thing is a 7", I'm more excited for that 7" than I was for that LP before it," says Sartin. "You take every one just as seriously and you try just as hard, if not harder. To me, [with] every release--no matter how small or big--there should be a growth. There should be a sort of marker of growth."
Direct link to article
One would think that a band like The Fresh & Onlys, which has relied on a home tape machine to record material for two full-length albums, more than five 7" records, an EP, and a few cassette tapes, had found a working formula for their recordings. However, when it came time for the San Francisco band to record its third album of effervescent garage tunes, the band members were left unsatisfied with working from home, instead desiring to try something different.
"We got really concerned about being too redundant, at least sonically," says Shayde Sartin, the band's bassist. "It's kind of good to challenge yourself with a new environment."
In the hopes of expanding their spectrum and making the music sound bigger, the band--which also includes Tim Cohen on vocals, guitar, and keys, Wymond Miles on guitar, and Kyle Gibson on drums--turned to Tim Green and his San Francisco-based Louder Studios. Green is a member of the band, Fucking Champs, and also played in the renowned punk band, The Nation Of Ulysses. His work behind the recording board is just as impressive, having included clients like Tristeza and Sleater Kinney . However, it was Green's work with The Melvins and Lungfish that most impressed Sartin.
"I love how he records sonically," Sartin says. "I like how he records guitars. I like how he records vocals. So, it seemed like an obvious choice. I felt really comfortable to go work with a person who had some kind of acquaintance."
The Fresh & Onlys is still a young band, having been formed in 2008 as a project between Cohen and Sartin. So, it is nice to hear the band members already wanting to expand their horizons. For the third album, which is entitled "Play It Strange" and will be released on In the Red Recordings on October 12, the band really wanted to focus more on the production aspects, starting with recording the songs on their own, allowing Green to become familiar with the material before recording anything at Louder Studios.
"By the time we got in there, he knew the songs, and he knew that we like to work fast," Sartin says. "He likes to work fast. We had the songs figured out. We kind of wanted to get in and get the physical parts done and then work on the sonics a little more. He was really good at facilitating working on the color of the songs."
The songs were recorded in late 2009 and now, several months later, the band members are reflecting on the end result and finding themselves to still be happy with the recordings.
"There was definitely a little more [of a] confident feel as far as the performance goes on the recordings with Tim Green, as opposed to the ones we did on our own," Sartin says. "The sounds were definitely more articulate. [The album is] way more druggy than I realized it was when we were recording it, which I like. It has a certain haziness to it that is very complementary to the songs."
The Fresh & Onlys' music is known for being hazy. Taking cues from San Francisco's historic psychedelic music scene, the band layers an aura of cloudiness on top of what essentially are good ‘ole pop tunes. "Play It Strange" is poetic, but does not lose its garage rock appeal. The album is gritty, even as songs like "Summer Of Love" and "Fascinated" have a ‘60s flowery feel, and "All Shook Up" is perfect for a beach party. Cohen's vocals alternate from ghostly to that of a crooner. Simple lines like the ones in "Fascinated," where Cohen says, "Tell me what you're fascinated by," and, "You're such a pretty girl," would have made girls swoon in the ‘60s had they been sung by The Beach Boys.
At one point, The Fresh & Onlys had a female band member who sang and played percussion. Heidi Alexander, who is also a member of the San Francisco band The Sandwitches, added an even more spirited touch to songs on The Fresh & Onlys' self-tilted debut. Her Sandwitches comrade, Grace Cooper, also contributed harmonies. One of the highlights from the debut is the song "Peacock And Wing," where male and female vocals are sung in unison. With the band's sophomore release, "Grey-Eyed Girls," the female vocals were a little less prominent, and this is even more noticeable on the new album. Alexander does sing back-up vocals on "Play It Strange," but she is no longer able to tour with The Fresh & Onlys because of her time commitment with The Sandwitches.
Like any developing band, the songwriting is expected to change a little bit from album to album. In fact, Sartin claims, his involvement in The Fresh & Onlys is the first time that he has been able to evolve as a musician and songwriter. Sartin has played with a large number of other artists including Kelley Stoltz, The Skygreen Leopards and Ty Segall, but this is the first time that he has had creative input in a band. Being a member of The Fresh & Onlys has enabled him to feed off the energy and ideas of the other group members, and vice versa.
"If you are writing songs in a room and you don't have much confidence in what you're doing, you never allow yourself to evolve. But if you're getting encouragement, you're getting feedback and you're collaborating with people, then you start trying new things."
Typically, Sartin and Cohen initiate the structure of a song. Sartin comes up with a chord structure or other musical idea and Cohen will create floating vocals on top. Miles and Gibson also help articulate ideas in new ways, with Miles focusing counter melodies . Regardless of who does what, the band members attempt to flesh out every idea without putting any of them down. The process is always positive and productive.
"I'm hitting Tim with ideas musically that he normally wouldn't come up with and vice versa, so it naturally works out in the end because he's freed up some time thinking about chord structure or thinking about a rhythm, and I'm free of thinking of lyrics and melody," says Sartin.
Not only do the band members keep an open mind when writing songs, but that quality is something they look for when deciding the labels that will release its albums. Having already worked with a handful of labels, The Fresh & Onlys decided to go with Los Angeles' In the Red Records this time around--both for the people that work there, as well as its reputation for pushing boundaries.
"It's one of those labels I've always had a lot of intrigue with, because despite their [reputation] as a garage label, they've actually done a lot of things that aren't," Sartin says, "especially in the last few years with The Vivian Girls, Blank Dogs and The Ponys. They've kind of stretched out beyond being a sort of punk label, and the owner Larry Hardy is an amazing person. He has a very eccentric taste in music and it seemed like a good fit because we weren't the typical garage band."
The Fresh & Onlys' eagerness to work with a bunch of different people has resulted in many good opportunities. The band has already toured with King Khan & The Shrines in the US and Deerhunter in Europe, and they have two tours lined up for this year, beginning with a US tour with Royal Baths and finishing off the year with one with Clinic.
According to Sartin, when the two fall tours were booked, The Fresh & Onlys were originally planning to focus on songs from "Play It Strange." However, as the band members are always thinking ahead, they will introduce new songs they have written recently as well.
Though the band has been on the road a lot in the past two years and has a constant flow of new releases, its members have not lost any of the excitement when it comes to releasing new material. Every release is a step up, and the excitement only grows.
"If we do an LP and the next thing is a 7", I'm more excited for that 7" than I was for that LP before it," says Sartin. "You take every one just as seriously and you try just as hard, if not harder. To me, [with] every release--no matter how small or big--there should be a growth. There should be a sort of marker of growth."
Monday, September 20, 2010
Album Review: WOMEN - Public Strain
Originally published September 20, 2010 in Redefine Magazine.
Direct link to article
WOMEN
Public Strain
Jagjaguwar
B
The opening track to Public Strain, the sophomore release from the Alberta, Canada band WOMEN, may sound like it is straight out of a slasher film, but there is nothing frightening about this band. Instead of pounding beats that could lead up to a blood-gushing scene, the song "Can't You See," creates the tension of a desolate night with intricate distortion and calming vocals, in tune with sophisticated thrillers like those directed by Christopher Nolan. Much like Nolan's films, especially this summer's Inception, WOMEN plays with the idea of reality and mazes, making the listener fall into a dream-like state. Yes, the vocals are ghostly, but underneath that, there is beauty and complex guitar work. Hearing this album may put listeners in a haze, but it's all part of the experience.
WOMEN shows its ability to editorialize on this album. There is not as much clatter as there was on the band's 2008 self-titled debut. The group shows restraint and good judgment as to where in a song it is appropriate to add fuzzy elements. For example, "Penal Colony" is a track that begins with melancholy vocals, a straight-forward guitar strum and steady kick drum. There is some fogginess in the background, but the noise moves so harmoniously with the rest of the song that it is hardly noticeable. Rather than the noise weaving through the song and feeling like an annoyance, it adds warmth and it is not until the tail end of the song that the static grows and becomes solitary feedback.
There are a handful of tracks where the commotion is more apparent, and the group shines there as well. "Heat Distraction" and "China Steps" are livelier tracks with grating dissonance. The vocals remain muffled, but the guitar parts are interesting to follow. The obscure guitar playing stirs up psychedelic images of strings that are out of control as they are pulled and released, while their vibrations are magnified. In that same manner, the instrumental layers on "Locust Valley" create a maze that takes listeners on a journey through lush scenery. There are moments in the song where it drops down to a simple strum and the listener is whipped out of a dream state, but there are still hints of awe.
While there are some dark moods found in "Cant You See" and "Bells" -- an instrumental track resembling a dark church hymn -- the album leaves off on a nice bright note. "Eyesore" is a folky beach tune with amiable vocals and a sweet melody. The song leaves a cozy feeling, but it is still undeniable that the journey to feeling comfortable with WOMEN's sound was a long and perplexing trek. The band's music is comparable to other groups such as Thee Oh Sees, Wavves, and Vivian Girls, but WOMEN go deeper into a listener's head. The music seeps into more inner thoughts and turmoil, which will eventually leave a satisfactory feeling, but may be harder to appreciate.
Direct link to article
WOMEN
Public Strain
Jagjaguwar
B
The opening track to Public Strain, the sophomore release from the Alberta, Canada band WOMEN, may sound like it is straight out of a slasher film, but there is nothing frightening about this band. Instead of pounding beats that could lead up to a blood-gushing scene, the song "Can't You See," creates the tension of a desolate night with intricate distortion and calming vocals, in tune with sophisticated thrillers like those directed by Christopher Nolan. Much like Nolan's films, especially this summer's Inception, WOMEN plays with the idea of reality and mazes, making the listener fall into a dream-like state. Yes, the vocals are ghostly, but underneath that, there is beauty and complex guitar work. Hearing this album may put listeners in a haze, but it's all part of the experience.WOMEN shows its ability to editorialize on this album. There is not as much clatter as there was on the band's 2008 self-titled debut. The group shows restraint and good judgment as to where in a song it is appropriate to add fuzzy elements. For example, "Penal Colony" is a track that begins with melancholy vocals, a straight-forward guitar strum and steady kick drum. There is some fogginess in the background, but the noise moves so harmoniously with the rest of the song that it is hardly noticeable. Rather than the noise weaving through the song and feeling like an annoyance, it adds warmth and it is not until the tail end of the song that the static grows and becomes solitary feedback.
There are a handful of tracks where the commotion is more apparent, and the group shines there as well. "Heat Distraction" and "China Steps" are livelier tracks with grating dissonance. The vocals remain muffled, but the guitar parts are interesting to follow. The obscure guitar playing stirs up psychedelic images of strings that are out of control as they are pulled and released, while their vibrations are magnified. In that same manner, the instrumental layers on "Locust Valley" create a maze that takes listeners on a journey through lush scenery. There are moments in the song where it drops down to a simple strum and the listener is whipped out of a dream state, but there are still hints of awe.
While there are some dark moods found in "Cant You See" and "Bells" -- an instrumental track resembling a dark church hymn -- the album leaves off on a nice bright note. "Eyesore" is a folky beach tune with amiable vocals and a sweet melody. The song leaves a cozy feeling, but it is still undeniable that the journey to feeling comfortable with WOMEN's sound was a long and perplexing trek. The band's music is comparable to other groups such as Thee Oh Sees, Wavves, and Vivian Girls, but WOMEN go deeper into a listener's head. The music seeps into more inner thoughts and turmoil, which will eventually leave a satisfactory feeling, but may be harder to appreciate.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Artist Feature: YACHT
Originally published March 1, 2010 in Redefine Magazine.
Direct link to article
For two months in early 2008, Portland-based electropop duo YACHT set up camp in a small town located in the desert of West Texas, away from the city lights, but at the threshold of a completely different type of lights. Known as the Marfa Lights, the inexplicable dashes of lights that appear every night in the sky of Marfa, Texas, impacted Jona Bechtolt and Claire L. Evans, the two members of YACHT, in a profound way. On many occasions during their two-month stay in Marfa, the pair would grab a blanket, sit on the roof of their car, and observe the lights in the open desert. Not only did the lights go on to become the biggest inspiration for YACHT's latest album, See Mystery Lights, but they also changed Bechtolt and Evans' view of the world.
"We'd seen something truly rare, truly magic, truly unexplained, and yet evidently real," the pair explain. "Coming face-to-face with something like that changes you. It humbles you. It puts our microscopic human relevance in the grand scheme of this cavernous universe into perspective. We had long conversations about the lights and their implications to us as people. Although we're very different from one another, they affected us identically."
Bechtolt was the first out of the two to see the Marfa lights. In 2004, some people in Austin recommended that he make a stop to see the lights in Marfa while on his way to California. After seeing the lights, he drove to Los Angeles to play a show and met Evans for the first time; her band was also on the bill. Later on, while traveling together, they decided to check out the Marfa lights together.
The lights made such a lasting impression on the two that in 2008, they decided to rent a house in Marfa in hopes of producing some type of tribute to their experience. At the time, they were not sure if it would be in the form of music.
"We didn't entirely know why we had come to Marfa, except that we wanted to know what it was like to live alongside the phenomenon," they say.
The first thing that they came up with was an 8-minute compilation of mantras. Bechtolt and Evans decided to create the tribute around their own belief system after becoming interested in human rituals of esotericism and mysticism. Given pop music's tendency to feature repetitive elements, it was only natural for Bechtolt and Evans to mold the mantras into the tracks that make up See Mystery Lights.
While the songs do contain Bechtolt and Evans' thoughts on topics such as heaven, hell, darkness, and light, they do not come off as commanding. YACHT do not go off on rants; instead, they hone in on catchy one-liners , such as "It's not a place you go/ It's a place that comes to you," on the song "The Afterlife." The subtlety of YACHT's messages continue on in songs like "I'm In Love With A Ripper" and "Summer Song," where their mantras are concealed within hyper beats, metallic-sounding claps and clicks, and playful male/female vocal exchanges.
Bechtolt and Evans drew amazing energy out of the desert and Marfa lights. Whether it is the spiritual influence of the Marfa lights or the music's radiant, electronic characteristics, listening to the album is like watching the sky shift from night to morning and witnessing seasons race through time.
Considering that Bechtolt and Evans have a deep understanding of how to make a great dance song, it is no wonder they feel at home with being a new addition to DFA Records. Even before See Mystery Lights was released, YACHT toured with DFA Records' flagship band, LCD Soundsystem. While on that tour, Bechtolt wrote "Summer Song" as a love letter and salute to LCD Soundsystem.
"For us, DFA is like a golden key," Bechtolt and Evans say. "They have a kind of global recognition for being a label with excellent taste, and that vote of good confidence has given us access to all the tape decks, bedrooms, dance floors and parties of the world. People who never would have sought out YACHT have been presented with us, and have accepted us as part of the family."
In 2009 YACHT traveled all over the world in support of See Mystery Lights, including a U.S. tour with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and shows in South Korea, China, Brazil, Australia and Europe.
Being the type of people who embrace evolution, YACHT will undergo a new tour under the moniker of YACHT And The Straight Gaze; this time, they will tour as a 5-piece group. The Straight Gaze will be formed by three reputable musicians from their hometown: Rob Kieswetter of Bobby Birdman, Jeff Brodsky of Jeffrey Jerusalem, and D. Reuben Snyder of Rob Walmart.
Bechtolt and Evans have stated that they feel it is necessary to present YACHT in new forms about every six months, and this is not the first time that YACHT has presented a new incarnation of themselves. YACHT, which started in 2002 as Y.A.C.H.T. -- an acronym for Young Americans Challenging High Technology -- was Bechtolt's solo project. The now 29-year-old grew up in Astoria, Oregon and played drums in punk bands as a teenager. He became a member of another Portland electropop duo called The Blow in 2004, and for a few years was doing double-duty with YACHT. In 2007, Bechtolt began focusing solely on YACHT.
Evans, who was born in the UK and attended college in Los Angeles, contributed to a previous YACHT album, I Believe in You, Your Magic is Real, and officially became a member in 2008. Previously, she had played in various noise bands in Los Angeles and made a name for herself as a science writer, the latter of which she still does.
Bechtolt and Evans say that the transition from YACHT as a solo project into a duo was not a conscious choice, but also not totally easy.
"Collaboration is always difficult, as it requires some level of ego sacrifice -- we're no exception," they say. "However, we were lucky to have shared many powerful experiences together, most importantly the 'mystery lights.' Everything in the end has to come together, and when it does, it becomes larger than each of our personal egos or identities. It becomes YACHT."
Through their live performances, YACHT have become known as musicians who are more than just high-energy infectious music and dancing; the performances of their music also encompass visual elements. In hopes that their fans never see the same show twice, Bechtolt and Evans play around with video elements, song arrangements, and interaction with the crowd with every show.
"The visual elements are absolutely essential to our quest to radically shake people out of the preconception that the YACHT show is going to be like a 'regular' concert," Bechtolt and Evans say.
Likewise, YACHT can hardly be considered a regular band. Bechtolt and Evans see YACHT as a band, a belief system, and a business. One of the most eye- catching things on YACHT's websites and profiles on social networks is the text that reads, "YACHT is not a cult." Bechtolt and Evans find it necessary to repeatedly point out that YACHT is not a cult, as some people are quick to associate the term 'cult' with any group that expresses a belief system. But like the lyrics on See Mystery Lights, the band's websites also include statements about darkness, light, free thought, afterlife, and extraterrestrial intelligence. Bechtolt and Evans promote free expression and invite anyone to become a member of YACHT.
"There is something richly American and powerfully human about people who strike off to create their own religious or cultural identities, everywhere from starting hippie communes to having religious visions, and we really respect that tradition," the pair say . "We find it distasteful how the conservative religious mainstream condemns this kind of behavior, as we see it as true spirituality."
Despite what their detractors might say about them, YACHT have managed to take their powerful experiences with the Marfa lights and channeled them into dynamic dance music.
"We suppose that YACHT is attempting to forge connections between underground musical culture and underground spiritual culture," they say. "After all, both are motivated by the desire to create something more real, special, and rare than what is being presented by conventional organizations."
Direct link to article
For two months in early 2008, Portland-based electropop duo YACHT set up camp in a small town located in the desert of West Texas, away from the city lights, but at the threshold of a completely different type of lights. Known as the Marfa Lights, the inexplicable dashes of lights that appear every night in the sky of Marfa, Texas, impacted Jona Bechtolt and Claire L. Evans, the two members of YACHT, in a profound way. On many occasions during their two-month stay in Marfa, the pair would grab a blanket, sit on the roof of their car, and observe the lights in the open desert. Not only did the lights go on to become the biggest inspiration for YACHT's latest album, See Mystery Lights, but they also changed Bechtolt and Evans' view of the world.
"We'd seen something truly rare, truly magic, truly unexplained, and yet evidently real," the pair explain. "Coming face-to-face with something like that changes you. It humbles you. It puts our microscopic human relevance in the grand scheme of this cavernous universe into perspective. We had long conversations about the lights and their implications to us as people. Although we're very different from one another, they affected us identically."
Bechtolt was the first out of the two to see the Marfa lights. In 2004, some people in Austin recommended that he make a stop to see the lights in Marfa while on his way to California. After seeing the lights, he drove to Los Angeles to play a show and met Evans for the first time; her band was also on the bill. Later on, while traveling together, they decided to check out the Marfa lights together.
The lights made such a lasting impression on the two that in 2008, they decided to rent a house in Marfa in hopes of producing some type of tribute to their experience. At the time, they were not sure if it would be in the form of music.
"We didn't entirely know why we had come to Marfa, except that we wanted to know what it was like to live alongside the phenomenon," they say.
The first thing that they came up with was an 8-minute compilation of mantras. Bechtolt and Evans decided to create the tribute around their own belief system after becoming interested in human rituals of esotericism and mysticism. Given pop music's tendency to feature repetitive elements, it was only natural for Bechtolt and Evans to mold the mantras into the tracks that make up See Mystery Lights.
While the songs do contain Bechtolt and Evans' thoughts on topics such as heaven, hell, darkness, and light, they do not come off as commanding. YACHT do not go off on rants; instead, they hone in on catchy one-liners , such as "It's not a place you go/ It's a place that comes to you," on the song "The Afterlife." The subtlety of YACHT's messages continue on in songs like "I'm In Love With A Ripper" and "Summer Song," where their mantras are concealed within hyper beats, metallic-sounding claps and clicks, and playful male/female vocal exchanges.
Bechtolt and Evans drew amazing energy out of the desert and Marfa lights. Whether it is the spiritual influence of the Marfa lights or the music's radiant, electronic characteristics, listening to the album is like watching the sky shift from night to morning and witnessing seasons race through time.
Considering that Bechtolt and Evans have a deep understanding of how to make a great dance song, it is no wonder they feel at home with being a new addition to DFA Records. Even before See Mystery Lights was released, YACHT toured with DFA Records' flagship band, LCD Soundsystem. While on that tour, Bechtolt wrote "Summer Song" as a love letter and salute to LCD Soundsystem.
"For us, DFA is like a golden key," Bechtolt and Evans say. "They have a kind of global recognition for being a label with excellent taste, and that vote of good confidence has given us access to all the tape decks, bedrooms, dance floors and parties of the world. People who never would have sought out YACHT have been presented with us, and have accepted us as part of the family."
In 2009 YACHT traveled all over the world in support of See Mystery Lights, including a U.S. tour with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and shows in South Korea, China, Brazil, Australia and Europe.
Being the type of people who embrace evolution, YACHT will undergo a new tour under the moniker of YACHT And The Straight Gaze; this time, they will tour as a 5-piece group. The Straight Gaze will be formed by three reputable musicians from their hometown: Rob Kieswetter of Bobby Birdman, Jeff Brodsky of Jeffrey Jerusalem, and D. Reuben Snyder of Rob Walmart.
Bechtolt and Evans have stated that they feel it is necessary to present YACHT in new forms about every six months, and this is not the first time that YACHT has presented a new incarnation of themselves. YACHT, which started in 2002 as Y.A.C.H.T. -- an acronym for Young Americans Challenging High Technology -- was Bechtolt's solo project. The now 29-year-old grew up in Astoria, Oregon and played drums in punk bands as a teenager. He became a member of another Portland electropop duo called The Blow in 2004, and for a few years was doing double-duty with YACHT. In 2007, Bechtolt began focusing solely on YACHT.
Evans, who was born in the UK and attended college in Los Angeles, contributed to a previous YACHT album, I Believe in You, Your Magic is Real, and officially became a member in 2008. Previously, she had played in various noise bands in Los Angeles and made a name for herself as a science writer, the latter of which she still does.
Bechtolt and Evans say that the transition from YACHT as a solo project into a duo was not a conscious choice, but also not totally easy.
"Collaboration is always difficult, as it requires some level of ego sacrifice -- we're no exception," they say. "However, we were lucky to have shared many powerful experiences together, most importantly the 'mystery lights.' Everything in the end has to come together, and when it does, it becomes larger than each of our personal egos or identities. It becomes YACHT."
Through their live performances, YACHT have become known as musicians who are more than just high-energy infectious music and dancing; the performances of their music also encompass visual elements. In hopes that their fans never see the same show twice, Bechtolt and Evans play around with video elements, song arrangements, and interaction with the crowd with every show.
"The visual elements are absolutely essential to our quest to radically shake people out of the preconception that the YACHT show is going to be like a 'regular' concert," Bechtolt and Evans say.
Likewise, YACHT can hardly be considered a regular band. Bechtolt and Evans see YACHT as a band, a belief system, and a business. One of the most eye- catching things on YACHT's websites and profiles on social networks is the text that reads, "YACHT is not a cult." Bechtolt and Evans find it necessary to repeatedly point out that YACHT is not a cult, as some people are quick to associate the term 'cult' with any group that expresses a belief system. But like the lyrics on See Mystery Lights, the band's websites also include statements about darkness, light, free thought, afterlife, and extraterrestrial intelligence. Bechtolt and Evans promote free expression and invite anyone to become a member of YACHT.
"There is something richly American and powerfully human about people who strike off to create their own religious or cultural identities, everywhere from starting hippie communes to having religious visions, and we really respect that tradition," the pair say . "We find it distasteful how the conservative religious mainstream condemns this kind of behavior, as we see it as true spirituality."
Despite what their detractors might say about them, YACHT have managed to take their powerful experiences with the Marfa lights and channeled them into dynamic dance music.
"We suppose that YACHT is attempting to forge connections between underground musical culture and underground spiritual culture," they say. "After all, both are motivated by the desire to create something more real, special, and rare than what is being presented by conventional organizations."
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Show Review: Starfucker, Deelay Ceelay, Strength
Originally published in Redefine Magazine.
Direct link to article
Bottom of the Hill
San Francisco, CA
October 7, 2009
Whoever decided to send Starfucker on tour with supporting bands Deelay Ceelay and Strength must have had a secret desire to increase the population of Portland, Oregon. After experiencing a night of fun and high-energy music from the three Portland bands, even music fans that already live in a city like San Francisco, which has its own rich and legendary music scenes, could have easily been convinced to pack up their things and move to the city in the Pacific Northwest.
With funky beats and alluring vocals, Strength turned the venue into a disco. The music encouraged audience members to get their blood flowing and dive into a night full of dancing. The three-piece had a vintage rock aesthetic similar to MGMT, but it was much more vibrant. The night had just started, but the band created an atmosphere fitting for a wicked and sultry after-party. Even though the hustle would have been an appropriate dance to accompany each song, the music was in no way tacky. Strength utilized a shimmering synthesizer and drum machine with full force and made "Metal" and "Wilderness" delightfully hip dance tracks.
While Strength got the energy circulating in the room, Deelay Ceelay heightened the audience's senses even further. A fog machine made the venue hazy and the lights were lowered as the two members of Deelay Ceelay sat at their drum kits. A kaleidoscope of images, lines, and colors moved along to the music on a white backdrop on stage. Without vocals, the duo told a beautiful story that was more than just the fast, loud drums on stage. The darting images on the backdrop and the thoughtfully timed drumming gave a dramatic feel, as if the Earth's time as an existing planet was running out. However, looping piano lines added a peaceful tone, and songs such as "Tea Drinker" and "The Deelay Ceelay Natural Anthem" were calming and stimulating at the same time, making it hard for one to decide whether to dance or just stare at the pretty images. Either way, the absolute consciousness was revived as Deelay Ceelay closed out with a drum performance over T.I.'s hit "Whatever You Like."
Despite the fact that Starfucker are in the process of changing their name to PYRAMIDDD, the band showed no signs of an identity crisis. Three of the four male members did step on the stage wearing dresses and pearls, but it was all in good fun. Neither the band nor the crowd needed time to warm up. Without hesitation, Starfucker jumped right into the dreamy and zesty "Boy Toy," and the audience members happily danced around. The vocals were a bit fuzzy, but also full of joy, which allowed the song to move along swiftly.
"Rawnald Gregory Erickson the Second" best showcased the band's dynamics and set-up. The instrumentation consisted of Josh Hodges on keyboard, guitar, and vocals, Ryan Biornstad on lead vocals, guitar, turntables, and laptop, Shawn Glassford on bass and keyboard, and Keil Corcoran on drums and vocals. Similar to "Boy Toy," the song was lo-fi, but the assortment of instruments and electronic elements made it danceable. Also, scattered drums, which Hodges and Glassford played, increased the excitement and left a more lasting impression than the song in its recorded form.
The majority of the set was made up of songs from Starfucker's latest release, Jupiter, including the cover of Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Want To Have Fun." Also off that album was "Dance Face 2000," a mostly all-instrumental track with a thumping beat. During the more jolting tracks, Biornstad fervidly bounced up and down. At other times, he stood still playing his guitar and singing with a blank stare. His subdued state looked a little creepy, but made sense with some of the songs' contours.
Starfucker ended with a two-song encore, but even after the band members left the stage, the venue was buzzing with energy. Collectively, all three bands proved that the people of Portland know how to throw a spectacular dance party.
Direct link to article
Bottom of the Hill
San Francisco, CA
October 7, 2009
Whoever decided to send Starfucker on tour with supporting bands Deelay Ceelay and Strength must have had a secret desire to increase the population of Portland, Oregon. After experiencing a night of fun and high-energy music from the three Portland bands, even music fans that already live in a city like San Francisco, which has its own rich and legendary music scenes, could have easily been convinced to pack up their things and move to the city in the Pacific Northwest.
With funky beats and alluring vocals, Strength turned the venue into a disco. The music encouraged audience members to get their blood flowing and dive into a night full of dancing. The three-piece had a vintage rock aesthetic similar to MGMT, but it was much more vibrant. The night had just started, but the band created an atmosphere fitting for a wicked and sultry after-party. Even though the hustle would have been an appropriate dance to accompany each song, the music was in no way tacky. Strength utilized a shimmering synthesizer and drum machine with full force and made "Metal" and "Wilderness" delightfully hip dance tracks.
While Strength got the energy circulating in the room, Deelay Ceelay heightened the audience's senses even further. A fog machine made the venue hazy and the lights were lowered as the two members of Deelay Ceelay sat at their drum kits. A kaleidoscope of images, lines, and colors moved along to the music on a white backdrop on stage. Without vocals, the duo told a beautiful story that was more than just the fast, loud drums on stage. The darting images on the backdrop and the thoughtfully timed drumming gave a dramatic feel, as if the Earth's time as an existing planet was running out. However, looping piano lines added a peaceful tone, and songs such as "Tea Drinker" and "The Deelay Ceelay Natural Anthem" were calming and stimulating at the same time, making it hard for one to decide whether to dance or just stare at the pretty images. Either way, the absolute consciousness was revived as Deelay Ceelay closed out with a drum performance over T.I.'s hit "Whatever You Like."
Despite the fact that Starfucker are in the process of changing their name to PYRAMIDDD, the band showed no signs of an identity crisis. Three of the four male members did step on the stage wearing dresses and pearls, but it was all in good fun. Neither the band nor the crowd needed time to warm up. Without hesitation, Starfucker jumped right into the dreamy and zesty "Boy Toy," and the audience members happily danced around. The vocals were a bit fuzzy, but also full of joy, which allowed the song to move along swiftly.
"Rawnald Gregory Erickson the Second" best showcased the band's dynamics and set-up. The instrumentation consisted of Josh Hodges on keyboard, guitar, and vocals, Ryan Biornstad on lead vocals, guitar, turntables, and laptop, Shawn Glassford on bass and keyboard, and Keil Corcoran on drums and vocals. Similar to "Boy Toy," the song was lo-fi, but the assortment of instruments and electronic elements made it danceable. Also, scattered drums, which Hodges and Glassford played, increased the excitement and left a more lasting impression than the song in its recorded form.
The majority of the set was made up of songs from Starfucker's latest release, Jupiter, including the cover of Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Want To Have Fun." Also off that album was "Dance Face 2000," a mostly all-instrumental track with a thumping beat. During the more jolting tracks, Biornstad fervidly bounced up and down. At other times, he stood still playing his guitar and singing with a blank stare. His subdued state looked a little creepy, but made sense with some of the songs' contours.
Starfucker ended with a two-song encore, but even after the band members left the stage, the venue was buzzing with energy. Collectively, all three bands proved that the people of Portland know how to throw a spectacular dance party.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Show Review: Arctic Monkeys, The Like
Originally published in Redefine Magazine.
Direct link to article
The Fox Theater
Oakland, CA
September 16, 2009
With songs like "Still Take You Home," which break the ice by stating, "Well it's ever so funny/ 'Cause I don't think you're special/ I don't think you're cool/ You're just probably alright/ But under these lights you look beautiful," one would get the impression that England's Arctic Monkeys are either fun, witty guys or complete jerks. Those familiar with the band's repertoire know that the former is true, and the countless number of wily remarks they make plays a big part in the equation that make their albums memorable. Likewise, performing as a five-piece, the Arctic Monkeys neither showed cockiness nor obnoxious behavior. There was some of the English lad-aloofness, but mostly, the band members were gracious, well-rehearsed, and simply confident.
Before the Arctic Monkeys presented the audience with a collection of songs off their latest album, Humbug, and fan favorites from their two other releases, Los Angeles' The Like launched into the night with a 30-minute set of sweet harmonies and sweltering swagger. The all-female band, dressed in '70s mod dresses, was an impressive balance of The Cardigans' pop sound and the edginess of Emily's Sassy Lime. However, "He's Not a Boy" and "Narcissus in a Red Dress" recalled the sounds of earlier times. The former encouraged the audience to clap along to the dreamy aesthetics of a '60s beach party, while the latter created an aura of mystery inspired by spy movie narratives.
Following The Like's set of delightful, danceable songs, the members of the Arctic Monkeys subtly walked on stage to a modest song intro and went straight into Humbug's "Dance Little Liar." It was a deceiving start, and while the song title suggests dancing, it demonstrated the more reflective moods on their new album. Much like England's gloomy weather, as well as the typical weather in the San Francisco Bay Area, the band appeared melancholy. About halfway through the song, the energy picked up, and without pause, the band followed with the more known and engaging "Brianstorm." Strobe lights also helped accelerate the pace, and the audience in the crowded theater enthusiastically started to move.
Before taking a break to address their fans, the band played two more songs off the new album -- "Crying Lightning" and "Potion Approaching." With snappy opening chords, the latter played with the emotions of those who were expecting to hear something from the band's first album, Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not. However, as soon as the pounding drums started sounding like a death march, the somber sound made it evident that it was not yet time for the real dancing to commence.
For the first time of the night, lead singer and guitarist Alex Turner thanked Oakland and lightened the mood with his accent. "I've never been here in me life," he said playfully.
Throughout the show a few fans waved a British flag and the moment that every fan was waiting for arrived with a segment that included "This House is a Circus," "Still Take You Home" and "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor." Fans began crowdsurfing, and Turner provided some laughs by picking up a jacket from the pit and declaring that it was a gift for him to keep.
The biggest surprise was dropped with the performance of a Humbug B-side, "Sketchead." Turner said that it was the band's first time performing the song live, but it was not certain if that was in fact true. Nonetheless, the song was much like the post-punk, tongue-and-cheek tracks from Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not, which were performed previously. It was slightly dark in a vampire manner, but fun, fast, and catchy. The way Turner spitted out the word "sketchead" seemed as if it were a nice way of calling out somebody who he would normally describe using more profane words.
Another notable moment was the band's cover of the Nick Cave song, "Red Right Hand." In true Arctic Monkeys spirit, the interpretation was more intense and rushed than the original.
Whether a song was quick and fervent like "The View From the Afternoon" or calm and romantic, such as, "Only Ones Who Know," the band was always on point. The band members communicated well with each other, and it is obvious that they posses genuine passion and work ethic. On every song, they built up tension, leaving the audience hanging for a few moments, and then delivered with loud interludes before going back to a chorus.
The hour-and-a-half-set worked in the same suspense as each individual song. The band left the stage after "Do Me a Favour," as fans wondered if the encore would include the favorites "Fluorescent Adolescent" or "Fake Tales of San Francisco." Even though the show was in Oakland, "Fake Tales of San Francisco" would have still been appropriate, but it was not included in the set. Instead, the encore was composed of "Secret Door," "Fluorescent Adolescent" and "505." The crowd welcomed "Fluorescent Adolescent" with cheers and open arms. Always keeping fans on their toes, the Arctic Monkeys included a new section in the song, which seemed to stop time as Turner sang with a gentle croon. Leading into the nostalgic "505," the band delicately and humbly parted ways with an audience that would not have minded hours more of music.
Direct link to article
The Fox Theater
Oakland, CA
September 16, 2009
With songs like "Still Take You Home," which break the ice by stating, "Well it's ever so funny/ 'Cause I don't think you're special/ I don't think you're cool/ You're just probably alright/ But under these lights you look beautiful," one would get the impression that England's Arctic Monkeys are either fun, witty guys or complete jerks. Those familiar with the band's repertoire know that the former is true, and the countless number of wily remarks they make plays a big part in the equation that make their albums memorable. Likewise, performing as a five-piece, the Arctic Monkeys neither showed cockiness nor obnoxious behavior. There was some of the English lad-aloofness, but mostly, the band members were gracious, well-rehearsed, and simply confident.
Before the Arctic Monkeys presented the audience with a collection of songs off their latest album, Humbug, and fan favorites from their two other releases, Los Angeles' The Like launched into the night with a 30-minute set of sweet harmonies and sweltering swagger. The all-female band, dressed in '70s mod dresses, was an impressive balance of The Cardigans' pop sound and the edginess of Emily's Sassy Lime. However, "He's Not a Boy" and "Narcissus in a Red Dress" recalled the sounds of earlier times. The former encouraged the audience to clap along to the dreamy aesthetics of a '60s beach party, while the latter created an aura of mystery inspired by spy movie narratives.
Following The Like's set of delightful, danceable songs, the members of the Arctic Monkeys subtly walked on stage to a modest song intro and went straight into Humbug's "Dance Little Liar." It was a deceiving start, and while the song title suggests dancing, it demonstrated the more reflective moods on their new album. Much like England's gloomy weather, as well as the typical weather in the San Francisco Bay Area, the band appeared melancholy. About halfway through the song, the energy picked up, and without pause, the band followed with the more known and engaging "Brianstorm." Strobe lights also helped accelerate the pace, and the audience in the crowded theater enthusiastically started to move.
Before taking a break to address their fans, the band played two more songs off the new album -- "Crying Lightning" and "Potion Approaching." With snappy opening chords, the latter played with the emotions of those who were expecting to hear something from the band's first album, Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not. However, as soon as the pounding drums started sounding like a death march, the somber sound made it evident that it was not yet time for the real dancing to commence.
For the first time of the night, lead singer and guitarist Alex Turner thanked Oakland and lightened the mood with his accent. "I've never been here in me life," he said playfully.
Throughout the show a few fans waved a British flag and the moment that every fan was waiting for arrived with a segment that included "This House is a Circus," "Still Take You Home" and "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor." Fans began crowdsurfing, and Turner provided some laughs by picking up a jacket from the pit and declaring that it was a gift for him to keep.
The biggest surprise was dropped with the performance of a Humbug B-side, "Sketchead." Turner said that it was the band's first time performing the song live, but it was not certain if that was in fact true. Nonetheless, the song was much like the post-punk, tongue-and-cheek tracks from Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not, which were performed previously. It was slightly dark in a vampire manner, but fun, fast, and catchy. The way Turner spitted out the word "sketchead" seemed as if it were a nice way of calling out somebody who he would normally describe using more profane words.
Another notable moment was the band's cover of the Nick Cave song, "Red Right Hand." In true Arctic Monkeys spirit, the interpretation was more intense and rushed than the original.
Whether a song was quick and fervent like "The View From the Afternoon" or calm and romantic, such as, "Only Ones Who Know," the band was always on point. The band members communicated well with each other, and it is obvious that they posses genuine passion and work ethic. On every song, they built up tension, leaving the audience hanging for a few moments, and then delivered with loud interludes before going back to a chorus.
The hour-and-a-half-set worked in the same suspense as each individual song. The band left the stage after "Do Me a Favour," as fans wondered if the encore would include the favorites "Fluorescent Adolescent" or "Fake Tales of San Francisco." Even though the show was in Oakland, "Fake Tales of San Francisco" would have still been appropriate, but it was not included in the set. Instead, the encore was composed of "Secret Door," "Fluorescent Adolescent" and "505." The crowd welcomed "Fluorescent Adolescent" with cheers and open arms. Always keeping fans on their toes, the Arctic Monkeys included a new section in the song, which seemed to stop time as Turner sang with a gentle croon. Leading into the nostalgic "505," the band delicately and humbly parted ways with an audience that would not have minded hours more of music.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Artist Feature: Nite Club
Originally published July 31, 2009 in Redefine Magazine.
Direct link to article
At the turn of the millennium, in a liberal arts school 45 minutes outside of Manhattan, there was a group of young, imaginative musicians which included artists like Regina Spektor and Dan Deacon, who were studying orchestral arrangements, modern composition and studio production while brewing shining careers in the indie and electronic music worlds. Also part of the all-star cast at the New York State University, known as SUNY Purchase, was Richard Spitzer, an Orthodox Jewish schoolboy with Cuban heritage, turned electronic music aficionado.
Spitzer, who graduated from SUNY Purchase in 2002 with a degree in Studio Composition and refers to French composer Claude Debussy as his "musical hero," not only studied alongside Spektor and Deacon, but was also involved in a number of impressive projects, including a drum and bass group called Flight Crew that opened up for The Roots. The school's strong do-it-yourself ethic enabled Spitzer to create cutting-edge electronic music one day and build classical piano arrangements the next.
"Our school was very diverse artistically, and eclectic," Spitzer says. "We had all walks of art there. It was very free."
Spitzer is now adding to his alma mater's prestigious reputation with My Tronic, his first full-length release in the United States, under the name Nite Club. The album, out on New York-based Tape Theory, is a beautiful culmination of Spitzer's history and love of electronic, indie rock, and hip hop music. The album's dance landscapes and moods are just as complex and compelling as Spitzer's background.
Before heading to SUNY Purchase, where he was surrounded by an array of artists who were all experimenting with the sounds of hip hop, electronic, rock, classical, jazz and pop music, a young Spitzer was exposed to a diverse world of music in his own home and neighborhood.
Spitzer grew up in Bayside, a suburban neighborhood in Queens, New York, in a home where music was always present. His mother, who was born in Cuba and lived there until she was 20 years old, and father, who Spitzer describes as a "Bronx boy," raised him in a strict Jewish setting where spiritual prayer and singing were common practice. Spitzer attended an Orthodox Jewish school, and while his mother, who was a music teacher, played Yiddish music on the family piano, she also introduced him to the vibrant music of Cuba.
"There was always dancing going on in my house," he says. "If someone would turn on the radio, it would turn into a party, like a cha-cha line for some reason."
While music was a big part of Spitzer's childhood, and he was encouraged to play piano by his mother, it wasn't until he was 13 or 14 that he actually started playing music.
"When I was a little baby, she would chase me around the house to try to get me to take lessons, but I finally learned on my own," Spitzer says. "My family was cool enough to embrace my playing at odd hours. I'd play in the middle of the night. I'd talk on the phone with people and play piano to them. And they kind of put up with it, so I have to thank them."
However, around the same time he was taking up the piano, Spitzer says his more rebellious exploration of music caused trouble with his parents. Behind his parents' back and against religious traditions, Spitzer listened to the brash and subversive sounds of Guns N' Roses and Dr. Dre. Upon finding the albums, his parents kicked him out of the house. Ironically, Spitzer's brother, who was a rabbi, also opened his eyes to contemporary music -- to bands such as New Order and Depeche Mode.
Unlike today, where a music fan can have trouble choosing what to listen to out of the millions of bands on the Internet, Spitzer recalls seeking out bands like Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd simply because they had built-up reputations of being legendary. His loyalty to those bands grew quickly because his focus was not pulled in countless directions by over-saturated music scenes.
As a teenager, Spitzer was also drawn to the electronic sounds of old school jungle, house, and techno that were played on college radio. By the time he was 16 years old, Spitzer was not only attending raves, but performing at them. He had a band that started out playing a fusion of jazz and prog rock, but then transformed into a band that played live jungle at both illegal and legal raves. It was not unusual to see a 16-year-old at the illegal parties where there were no bouncers, but it was a bit surprising to see someone so young getting booked to play the legal events.
As Spitzer continued to DJ raves through college, the influence of electronic music embedded itself into many of his projects, including Nite Club. Following a 2006 EP released in the U.S. and a full-length album only released in Japan on Tokyo's Blackbudget Records, My Tronic was recorded in 2008 in Spitzer's home studio in Brooklyn. With strong pulses and fast dance rhythms, Nite Club stays true to Spitzer's days of performing live jungle. However, the soft vocals and reflective background moods are also likely to appeal to fans of bands like the Album Leaf, Mogwai, and Explosions in the Sky.
Whether it was the inherent hands-on atmosphere of living in a converted hardware store or just Spitzer's strong musicianship, the process of making My Tronic included more than just the click of a mouse and the drag and drop feature of a computer program. Spitzer mainly used an assortment of synthesizers to create the fuzzy melodies and beaming waves, but he also played guitar, drums, bass and xylophone.
By mixing in guitar and live percussion with more electronic aspects, Nite Club sounds more fitting for a dance party than for a video game. The music is fun and energetic, but doesn't take on the high-pitched tendencies of some synth-pop bands. "Change Your Love" and "Left Right" are examples of songs that provoke dancing, but are cinematic and carry a sense of sophistication. It is easy to tell that Spitzer has fun creating music, but is also very thoughtful about the songwriting process and delicate in creating the layers.
"I usually start with an atmosphere," Spitzer says. "I try to create a place or color where I can go. I try to stay focused and try to see how far I can manipulate things inside there. I always try to keep a balance... the whole goal of an album is trying to have a good proportion of sentiment and then release an energy at the same time."
While the album includes older songs from Nite Club's Japanese full-length, there is no point in the music were Spitzer's diverse influences clash. Everything flows smoothly. "National" and "BK Nights" conjure up images of old school breakdancing with their tenacious beats and short vocal segments that seem to stop time, but only serve to up the energy more. The vocals are kept fairly low-key and there are no MC chants, but Spitzer's timing is impeccable. His voice is lush, soothing, and seamlessly moves from relaxed tones to quick and sharp ones.
Also on My Tronic is a cover of "Good Life" by Kayne West, which Spitzer says he was inspired to do after listening incessantly to the album Graduation. Spitzer has received positive feedback from both non-West and fanatical West fans.
"What I want is just to be able to turn people on who wouldn't normally be into it," he says. "I was interested to see if I could take my passion that I had for the music and try to reinterpret it in my own way. It was kind of an experiment, but it was fun."
While My Tronic was released in April, Spitzer has yet to formally tour in support of the album. There have been a few Nite Club shows in the New York area and East Coast, but he hopes to tour the U.S. in the fall and Japan in the winter.
For live shows, Nite Club turns into a duo, with Steve Bryant -- also known as Cru Jonez -- on drums. Spitzer met Bryant while attending SUNY Purchase, where Bryant was also a member of the group Flight Crew. Spitzer handles the vocals, synthesizers, and computer, while Bryant keeps it bare bones with just a drum kit and no electronics.
Spitzer may be waiting until fall to tour, but he has been keeping busy with various other projects, including solo DJ sets, which he says are distinctly different from his Nite Club performances.
"I think there are different art forms," he says. "I feel like I'm learning when I DJ. When I play, it's more of an internalized thing. DJing [is] more like a dialog between me and the music that I love."
Spitzer has also been working with college friends as a member of a group called Vinyl Life, of which Phil Moffa, who did programming on one of the tracks on the new Nite Club album, is also a member. The members use a lot of analog equipment and draw inspiration from '70s music, freestyle, Chicago house, and the history of club sounds. The group will be releasing its debut full-length album on Tape Theory in August and will also be touring later in the year.
On top of that, thanks to past trips to Japan, Spitzer has had the opportunity to collaborate with Japanese electronic artists such as, Shigeo, a member of SBK and the Samos. Spitzer contributed vocals on tracks by Shigeo's newest band called Mold, and the band remixed Spitzer's song "Cape Navril," which can be found on My Tronic in its original form. Spitzer plans to work on more music when he visits Japan in the winter.
Being able to work with artists in Japan is not the only great aspect about visiting the country. During his live shows, Spitzer has noticed the fans' enthusiasm to learn about American music.
"They're so hip, and they've got their ear to the street as if they were here in America," Spitzer says. "They really do their research on artists, and they study the artists' influences. They're very well-schooled listeners."
Spitzer's tireless efforts to be involved in so many music projects seems to go back to his time at SUNY Purchase and the clash of cultures that he experience as a kid. It is surprising to hear that someone who wanted to follow in the footsteps of Claude Debussy was also involved in raves at the age of sixteen. But attending SUNY Purchase taught Spitzer how to approach music using his varied influences as well as looking at music more scientifically, he says. He also values being able to learn from his peers.
"I worked with so many great producers," he says. "I felt like I was always trying to get them to rub off on me somehow."
Spitzer's eagerness to learn and find new ways to mix genres and composing techniques has paid off, and it shows through the memorable songs on My Tronic. Around the release date, the album charted on the College Music Journal's Top 200 and broke into the top 20 of its RPM album charts.
"What I want to have is different people to come together -- [to have] different styles and fashions to come together and feel the music itself," Spitzer says. "I kind of think that there's this beauty in every style. That's my ultimate happiness."
Direct link to article
At the turn of the millennium, in a liberal arts school 45 minutes outside of Manhattan, there was a group of young, imaginative musicians which included artists like Regina Spektor and Dan Deacon, who were studying orchestral arrangements, modern composition and studio production while brewing shining careers in the indie and electronic music worlds. Also part of the all-star cast at the New York State University, known as SUNY Purchase, was Richard Spitzer, an Orthodox Jewish schoolboy with Cuban heritage, turned electronic music aficionado.
Spitzer, who graduated from SUNY Purchase in 2002 with a degree in Studio Composition and refers to French composer Claude Debussy as his "musical hero," not only studied alongside Spektor and Deacon, but was also involved in a number of impressive projects, including a drum and bass group called Flight Crew that opened up for The Roots. The school's strong do-it-yourself ethic enabled Spitzer to create cutting-edge electronic music one day and build classical piano arrangements the next.
"Our school was very diverse artistically, and eclectic," Spitzer says. "We had all walks of art there. It was very free."
Spitzer is now adding to his alma mater's prestigious reputation with My Tronic, his first full-length release in the United States, under the name Nite Club. The album, out on New York-based Tape Theory, is a beautiful culmination of Spitzer's history and love of electronic, indie rock, and hip hop music. The album's dance landscapes and moods are just as complex and compelling as Spitzer's background.
Before heading to SUNY Purchase, where he was surrounded by an array of artists who were all experimenting with the sounds of hip hop, electronic, rock, classical, jazz and pop music, a young Spitzer was exposed to a diverse world of music in his own home and neighborhood.
Spitzer grew up in Bayside, a suburban neighborhood in Queens, New York, in a home where music was always present. His mother, who was born in Cuba and lived there until she was 20 years old, and father, who Spitzer describes as a "Bronx boy," raised him in a strict Jewish setting where spiritual prayer and singing were common practice. Spitzer attended an Orthodox Jewish school, and while his mother, who was a music teacher, played Yiddish music on the family piano, she also introduced him to the vibrant music of Cuba.
"There was always dancing going on in my house," he says. "If someone would turn on the radio, it would turn into a party, like a cha-cha line for some reason."
While music was a big part of Spitzer's childhood, and he was encouraged to play piano by his mother, it wasn't until he was 13 or 14 that he actually started playing music.
"When I was a little baby, she would chase me around the house to try to get me to take lessons, but I finally learned on my own," Spitzer says. "My family was cool enough to embrace my playing at odd hours. I'd play in the middle of the night. I'd talk on the phone with people and play piano to them. And they kind of put up with it, so I have to thank them."
However, around the same time he was taking up the piano, Spitzer says his more rebellious exploration of music caused trouble with his parents. Behind his parents' back and against religious traditions, Spitzer listened to the brash and subversive sounds of Guns N' Roses and Dr. Dre. Upon finding the albums, his parents kicked him out of the house. Ironically, Spitzer's brother, who was a rabbi, also opened his eyes to contemporary music -- to bands such as New Order and Depeche Mode.
Unlike today, where a music fan can have trouble choosing what to listen to out of the millions of bands on the Internet, Spitzer recalls seeking out bands like Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd simply because they had built-up reputations of being legendary. His loyalty to those bands grew quickly because his focus was not pulled in countless directions by over-saturated music scenes.
As a teenager, Spitzer was also drawn to the electronic sounds of old school jungle, house, and techno that were played on college radio. By the time he was 16 years old, Spitzer was not only attending raves, but performing at them. He had a band that started out playing a fusion of jazz and prog rock, but then transformed into a band that played live jungle at both illegal and legal raves. It was not unusual to see a 16-year-old at the illegal parties where there were no bouncers, but it was a bit surprising to see someone so young getting booked to play the legal events.
As Spitzer continued to DJ raves through college, the influence of electronic music embedded itself into many of his projects, including Nite Club. Following a 2006 EP released in the U.S. and a full-length album only released in Japan on Tokyo's Blackbudget Records, My Tronic was recorded in 2008 in Spitzer's home studio in Brooklyn. With strong pulses and fast dance rhythms, Nite Club stays true to Spitzer's days of performing live jungle. However, the soft vocals and reflective background moods are also likely to appeal to fans of bands like the Album Leaf, Mogwai, and Explosions in the Sky.
Whether it was the inherent hands-on atmosphere of living in a converted hardware store or just Spitzer's strong musicianship, the process of making My Tronic included more than just the click of a mouse and the drag and drop feature of a computer program. Spitzer mainly used an assortment of synthesizers to create the fuzzy melodies and beaming waves, but he also played guitar, drums, bass and xylophone.
By mixing in guitar and live percussion with more electronic aspects, Nite Club sounds more fitting for a dance party than for a video game. The music is fun and energetic, but doesn't take on the high-pitched tendencies of some synth-pop bands. "Change Your Love" and "Left Right" are examples of songs that provoke dancing, but are cinematic and carry a sense of sophistication. It is easy to tell that Spitzer has fun creating music, but is also very thoughtful about the songwriting process and delicate in creating the layers.
"I usually start with an atmosphere," Spitzer says. "I try to create a place or color where I can go. I try to stay focused and try to see how far I can manipulate things inside there. I always try to keep a balance... the whole goal of an album is trying to have a good proportion of sentiment and then release an energy at the same time."
While the album includes older songs from Nite Club's Japanese full-length, there is no point in the music were Spitzer's diverse influences clash. Everything flows smoothly. "National" and "BK Nights" conjure up images of old school breakdancing with their tenacious beats and short vocal segments that seem to stop time, but only serve to up the energy more. The vocals are kept fairly low-key and there are no MC chants, but Spitzer's timing is impeccable. His voice is lush, soothing, and seamlessly moves from relaxed tones to quick and sharp ones.
Also on My Tronic is a cover of "Good Life" by Kayne West, which Spitzer says he was inspired to do after listening incessantly to the album Graduation. Spitzer has received positive feedback from both non-West and fanatical West fans.
"What I want is just to be able to turn people on who wouldn't normally be into it," he says. "I was interested to see if I could take my passion that I had for the music and try to reinterpret it in my own way. It was kind of an experiment, but it was fun."
While My Tronic was released in April, Spitzer has yet to formally tour in support of the album. There have been a few Nite Club shows in the New York area and East Coast, but he hopes to tour the U.S. in the fall and Japan in the winter.
For live shows, Nite Club turns into a duo, with Steve Bryant -- also known as Cru Jonez -- on drums. Spitzer met Bryant while attending SUNY Purchase, where Bryant was also a member of the group Flight Crew. Spitzer handles the vocals, synthesizers, and computer, while Bryant keeps it bare bones with just a drum kit and no electronics.
Spitzer may be waiting until fall to tour, but he has been keeping busy with various other projects, including solo DJ sets, which he says are distinctly different from his Nite Club performances.
"I think there are different art forms," he says. "I feel like I'm learning when I DJ. When I play, it's more of an internalized thing. DJing [is] more like a dialog between me and the music that I love."
Spitzer has also been working with college friends as a member of a group called Vinyl Life, of which Phil Moffa, who did programming on one of the tracks on the new Nite Club album, is also a member. The members use a lot of analog equipment and draw inspiration from '70s music, freestyle, Chicago house, and the history of club sounds. The group will be releasing its debut full-length album on Tape Theory in August and will also be touring later in the year.
On top of that, thanks to past trips to Japan, Spitzer has had the opportunity to collaborate with Japanese electronic artists such as, Shigeo, a member of SBK and the Samos. Spitzer contributed vocals on tracks by Shigeo's newest band called Mold, and the band remixed Spitzer's song "Cape Navril," which can be found on My Tronic in its original form. Spitzer plans to work on more music when he visits Japan in the winter.
Being able to work with artists in Japan is not the only great aspect about visiting the country. During his live shows, Spitzer has noticed the fans' enthusiasm to learn about American music.
"They're so hip, and they've got their ear to the street as if they were here in America," Spitzer says. "They really do their research on artists, and they study the artists' influences. They're very well-schooled listeners."
Spitzer's tireless efforts to be involved in so many music projects seems to go back to his time at SUNY Purchase and the clash of cultures that he experience as a kid. It is surprising to hear that someone who wanted to follow in the footsteps of Claude Debussy was also involved in raves at the age of sixteen. But attending SUNY Purchase taught Spitzer how to approach music using his varied influences as well as looking at music more scientifically, he says. He also values being able to learn from his peers.
"I worked with so many great producers," he says. "I felt like I was always trying to get them to rub off on me somehow."
Spitzer's eagerness to learn and find new ways to mix genres and composing techniques has paid off, and it shows through the memorable songs on My Tronic. Around the release date, the album charted on the College Music Journal's Top 200 and broke into the top 20 of its RPM album charts.
"What I want to have is different people to come together -- [to have] different styles and fashions to come together and feel the music itself," Spitzer says. "I kind of think that there's this beauty in every style. That's my ultimate happiness."
Friday, July 10, 2009
Album Review: Tea Cozies - Hot Probs
Originally published July 10, 2009 in Redefine Magazine.
Direct link to article
Tea Cozies
Hot Probs
So Hard
A-
If the sound of blistering guitars on the opening track, "Boys at the Metro," doesn't get a listener's attention, the "hey!" shouts will make it clearly known that Seattle's Tea Cozies are not willing to go unnoticed. Following a 5-song EP, which received airplay on Seattle's KEXP and numerous Internet radio stations, Tea Cozies continue to deliver an enticing mix of '60s girl pop and swirling garage rock on their full-length debut, Hot Probs.
With sweet harmonies and 3/4ths of the band being female, Tea Cozies possess the raw sound similar to that of bands like Vivian Girls, but the energy is at a much higher level and more likely to provoke people to dancing. While there are plenty of angelic seesaw rhythms and cute lyrics, such as, "I had a boy and he had a bike and we got along real nice," vocalists Jessi Reed and Brady Harvey are also witty and sharp-tongued. Pop culture icons Steven Spielberg, Oscar Wilde, Fred Astaire and Mary Shelley find their way into songs among words of wisdom, which reveal, "Even pretty pages crack in old books/ You can't rely on your good looks."
The music arrangements are just as interesting to listen to as the lyrics. Tea Cozies have a standard rock set-up -- with two guitars, bass, drums, and the occasional organ -- but they manage to incorporate unexpected twists and turns into songs. "Like Luca Brasi" switches back and forth from an upbeat pace to a dreamy stride, which happens a bit sudden but still sounds seamless. The song, which is about a girl who is hesitant to go swimming while on a trip with friends, but is convinced to do so and ends up drowning, summarizes the band pretty well. However, unlike the girl in the story who did not listen to her instincts, Tea Cozies are very instinctive. The band members are loud and forceful when they feel the need and slow it down if they get the urge, which adds a lot of diversity to the album.
For every straightforward pop track on Hot Probs, there is one rocking garage or soothing psychedelic track to counteract the sugary goodness. "Corner Store Girls" can be best described as bibbity bop as images of bunnies hopping in meadows, bees buzzing in gardens, and couples rollerskating at the boardwalk come to mind. The song is followed by "The South Turned Him Sour," which contains rich and gritty sounds of roller derbies and hot rod racing.
Toward the end of the album, the music loses a bit of momentum as songs become slower and more psychedelic. There are some instances where the vocalists sound bored, but that could be mistaken with bravado. Even as the songs slow down, there is a strong aura of confidence, but it is never pretentious.
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Tea Cozies
Hot Probs
So Hard
A-
If the sound of blistering guitars on the opening track, "Boys at the Metro," doesn't get a listener's attention, the "hey!" shouts will make it clearly known that Seattle's Tea Cozies are not willing to go unnoticed. Following a 5-song EP, which received airplay on Seattle's KEXP and numerous Internet radio stations, Tea Cozies continue to deliver an enticing mix of '60s girl pop and swirling garage rock on their full-length debut, Hot Probs.With sweet harmonies and 3/4ths of the band being female, Tea Cozies possess the raw sound similar to that of bands like Vivian Girls, but the energy is at a much higher level and more likely to provoke people to dancing. While there are plenty of angelic seesaw rhythms and cute lyrics, such as, "I had a boy and he had a bike and we got along real nice," vocalists Jessi Reed and Brady Harvey are also witty and sharp-tongued. Pop culture icons Steven Spielberg, Oscar Wilde, Fred Astaire and Mary Shelley find their way into songs among words of wisdom, which reveal, "Even pretty pages crack in old books/ You can't rely on your good looks."
The music arrangements are just as interesting to listen to as the lyrics. Tea Cozies have a standard rock set-up -- with two guitars, bass, drums, and the occasional organ -- but they manage to incorporate unexpected twists and turns into songs. "Like Luca Brasi" switches back and forth from an upbeat pace to a dreamy stride, which happens a bit sudden but still sounds seamless. The song, which is about a girl who is hesitant to go swimming while on a trip with friends, but is convinced to do so and ends up drowning, summarizes the band pretty well. However, unlike the girl in the story who did not listen to her instincts, Tea Cozies are very instinctive. The band members are loud and forceful when they feel the need and slow it down if they get the urge, which adds a lot of diversity to the album.
For every straightforward pop track on Hot Probs, there is one rocking garage or soothing psychedelic track to counteract the sugary goodness. "Corner Store Girls" can be best described as bibbity bop as images of bunnies hopping in meadows, bees buzzing in gardens, and couples rollerskating at the boardwalk come to mind. The song is followed by "The South Turned Him Sour," which contains rich and gritty sounds of roller derbies and hot rod racing.
Toward the end of the album, the music loses a bit of momentum as songs become slower and more psychedelic. There are some instances where the vocalists sound bored, but that could be mistaken with bravado. Even as the songs slow down, there is a strong aura of confidence, but it is never pretentious.
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