RADAR JAMMING

Arcade Fire vs. The Grammys

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0800

The Grammys. An event where people who don’t care about music pretend to do so, (with authority, mind you) and boast about their critical relevance to an art form they don’t even remotely understand. And I say this not in the direction of just Grammy viewers, but voters themselves. They’re the recording industry elite, those at the very top of the cloud blinded by the haze of stardom and the glare of success. Media outlets cover the awards ceremony as though it means something, that their rich broadcast deal and ejaculate-soaked red carpet somehow verify its validity as an authority in recognizing artistic achievement. In regards to “the business,” there is some truth to the claim. Awards are historically given to those who commanded the most attention or made the most money in the previous year. So, for what its worth, a Grammy is basically a gold star on the top of a tax return. Cool. But what about the music?

This year’s Grammys took an unprecedented step in the direction of actual respectability and relevance. In December, the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences announced their list of nominees and headlines naturally championed media darlings Lady Gaga, Jay-Z and most of all Eminem with his leading 10 total nominations. In the “Album of the Year” category, arguably the most “prestigious” of Grammy awards, names like Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Eminem and Lady Antebellum shined so bright they drowned out the humble, less glamorous fifth nominee. Among those stars listed was an indie band from Montreal, Quebec, Canada by the name of Arcade Fire.

In the independent music world, Arcade Fire is no underdog. They are, and have been, one of the most recognizable and well-known acts for the past decade. For people like myself who are so used to the attention the band gets from indie media outlets, its easy to become jaded and not immediately recognize their relative obscurity amongst the mainstream. They didn’t capture any headlines (yet), but their subtle mention in publications you’d never expect to utter their name was still pretty surprising.

Even more shocking was what happened at the Grammy Awards a few months later. To be honest, I haven’t watched or remotely cared about the awards since I was about 11, when I finally came to and formed my own opinions about music rather than accepting solely what the radio played for me. But this particular Grammy ceremony was different. As some of you may recall, Arcade Fire’s “The Suburbs” topped my column’s “Best Albums of 2010” list. I couldn’t help but be intrigued by the distant chance that an institution so far out of my threshold of respectability could actually, for once, agree with me.

That wasn’t enough to warrant my whole attention for the three-hour circle-jerk of an event. I had heard that Arcade Fire would be the final performer and would play coincidentally (maybe not?) right before the “Album of the Year” announcement. How convenient. So I finally tuned in to the East Coast feed about a half hour before it was scheduled to end and caught the tail end of a performance by Rihanna and Drake. If there was ever a confirmation of why I didn’t watch the entire broadcast, this was it.

Following an awkward introduction by Jason Segel, Arcade Fire broke out into an energetic rendition of “Month of May,” complete with camera-equipped BMX riders capturing the performance from a unique perspective.

The BMX bike riders were obviously suggested to supply some additional entertainment value to the performance, but they were distracting and entirely unnecessary. Even the strobe-like lighting was a bit much. But, as we’ve learned from the “Grammy people,” the music itself just isn’t enough (case in point, Lady Gaga’s egg). This is a corner of Hollywood, and there’s gotta be some showbiz glam to spice everything up, or the ever-rising expectations of the short attention spans viewing the show will be disappointed.

Immediately following the performance, Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson (talk about irrelevance) took the stage to present the award for Album of the Year. Following a suspense-building stutter, Streisand read off the last words I’d expected to hear, “The Suburbs, Arcade Fire!” It all made sense. The band was billed to close the show and perform a last song following the Album of the Year announcement, even if they didn’t win (yeah, right). I instantly found myself in a peculiar situation—I was was given a faint tickle of excitement by the Grammys.

Hilarity ensued in the aftermath of the announcement. From the reaction of the band in their “holding area” while Streisand read their name and the awkward post-show interviews to the outrage of viewers who were unfamiliar with Arcade Fire, it was a compelling time to be a fan of the band. In fact, there were so many people tweeting, blogging and generally whining about not knowing who Arcade Fire is that a hilarious tumblr page was started titled “Who Is Arcade Fire?”, aggregating the angriest social networking posts complaining about the band. The general consensus, according to the entries on the blog, toes the line of “a band is only good if they’re popular and sell millions.” I laughed my head off.

A week later, I’m still generally perplexed as to the how or why this all could have happened. I’d read up on major publications’ predictions for the award, and by their estimation Arcade Fire was not even in the running. And yet, the voters made the right decision and chose an album not on popularity or gimmicks, but on the music itself. Maybe it was an attempt to rebuild the image of The Grammys into a respectable institution that can accurately recognize good music. I’d like to think this was the case, but the fact that Arcade Fire didn’t even win the award in the more specified category “Best Alternative Album” undoubtedly left many people scratching their heads (that honor went instead to The Black Keys). How can you have the best album of the year but not the best in your own “genre?” Logic isn’t required to vote for the Grammy Awards.

The Grammys also caused a stir with the award for “Best New Artist” going to Esperanza Spalding, a jazz artist whose popularity is dramatically overshadowed by those she beat out for the award—Justin Bieber and Drake, to name a few.

Talent trumps tinsel, for the second time in one night.

Were these the first steps to putting the Grammys on the right track? Who knows. The overhyped popularity contest has a long ways to go before I give it an ounce of critical respect. It’s still an exercise of bigwigs in a dying industry patting themselves on the back in-between an embarrassing and degrading minstrel show. Nonetheless, it was a pleasant surprise to see a legitimate band that writes legitimate music receive recognition in the faces of hundreds of stars that don’t. It was a big win for the little guy, and everyone loves an underdog story. The Grammys aren’t necessarily the World Series, hell, they’re not even the local Little League game, but it was still fascinating to watch it all unfold.

Forgetters at the Echo

Tue, 15 Feb 2011 21:32:52 -0800

I squeezed in with just an inch or two between my bumper and the red paint on the curb. Score. Finding parking in Los Angeles is usually like a bad game of Russian Roulette, after a while you just wish that bullet was yours. So I get out of the car and grimace at the sight of the church that I had parked outside of. In a similar situation this past summer, I was driving around Echo Park searching for a place to park when I pulled into a conspicuously empty parking structure only steps away from the Echoplex, where I was heading for The Power of the Riff Festival. Little did I know, that parking structure was not public, but in fact belonged to the church next door. After catching a few bands, I decided to head back to my car to grab some snacks when the gate to the structure was closed and I had no way of getting in. After about an hour of pleading with Echoplex security and banging on the windows of the locked church to find someone to help me, I was finally allowed in to save my car from the depths of the concrete beast that had gobbled it up. I then settled for the overpriced Echoplex valet, but vowed I would never settle for that again. This particular night I fended off the temptations of the valet and found a great spot about a block away from The Echo (the Echoplex’s little brother upstairs).

“Have an extra ticket to the show?” a precarious-looking dude wearing a bandana and homemade tank-top asked as I walked down the rather “sketchy” street towards Sunset Boulevard.

I turned the corner onto Sunset and walked down the sidewalk, swam through a swarm of hipsters crowded outside Origami Vinyl for a Tijuana Panthers in-store, and hastily got in line outside The Echo. For once, I was actually on time to a show in LA (early, in fact). While in line, an older gentleman walked up and asked me who was playing that night, and I told him “Forgetters.”

“Oh that’s Blake Schwarzenbach’s new band huh? They got any music out yet?”

“Yeah, they put out a double seven inch last-“

“Eh!” he said as he waved his hand and cut me off. The nice couple in front of me were impressed the man even knew who the band was, but even more surprised a double seven inch wasn’t good enough for him.

Last Saturday, Blake Schwarzenbach of the legendary Jawbreaker and almighty Jets to Brazil brought his new band, Forgetters, to the West Coast for their first tour. The sold-out show was their second in the Los Angeles-area in as many days, the first being at the Center for the Arts in Eagle Rock, which also sold out.

Sitting nearby the merch table waiting for the show to start, Schwarzenbach walked past me wearing an overstuffed black backpack and sporting a strikingly curly afro. The moment of excitement to encounter such an influential musician was tamed by the suprising haircut. Not that I care about people’s hairstyles, but it just came out of nowhere.

For those of you familiar with Jawbreaker, Forgetters takes the direction of that band’s final (and arguably best) album “Dear You” (1995) and strays from a more linear continuation, taking a slightly more complex songwriting approach while roughing it up with a dirtier recording. Its noticeably more mature, ditching the high school and adolescent themes now relegated to the stereotypical pop-punk Jawbreaker laid the groundwork for. Schwarzenbach’s vocals are much cleaner now too. Whether that was a conscious decision or a sign of aging I’m not sure, but it fits Forgetters well. You still get the familiar songs of love and break-ups, but they balance youth and experience in a way that’s neither stale nor boring. 15 years later, Schwarzenbach returned with what is likely the closest thing to a “Dear You” follow-up with Forgetters. Better late than never, I suppose.

The Hunting Accident and Street Eaters opened the show and really lowered my expectations for the whole night. Nothing like two terrible performances to prime you for one of your most anticipated shows so far this year. If anything, they helped prop up Forgetters performance even more so. Its like the attractive girl hanging out with a group of less-striking women to make herself look even better. Although it wasn’t necessary, in this case, it totally worked.

Forgetters, who also feature the former drummer of Against Me!, opened their set with “Vampire Lessons,” the opener to their aforementioned self-titled double seven-inch record released last year. At first listen, especially with the Twilight nonsense taking popular culture by storm, I couldn’t help but create a connection between the two, and that’s continued to bug me despite the fact the song is rather good. Its upbeat and shows signs of the Schwarzenbach’s past in punk, post-hardcore and classic emo while embracing some modern indie elements.

In total, they played 12 songs, only two of which anyone had heard before. Granted they’ve only released four songs to date, judging by the length of their setlist, a full-length should be on the way. It was a blunder on my part to not ask about it when I had the chance, but I’ll take my chances to assume some sort of release is on the way.

Aside from the length of the show and extensive song selection, the songs felt much more alive than they do recorded. My first impression with “Forgetters” raised some concerns about the weakness of the guitar in the recording, and I felt the songs deserved a stronger tone. It could have very well been the way they were mixed, but the songs suffered regardless. Nothing is more frustrating than when a song doesn’t connect with a listener as it should for reasons more or less out the band’s hands. Live, there was no such issue. After the show on my routine approach of the band to talk and retrieve the set-list, I noticed Blake’s impressive pedal collection. On stage, the strength of the guitar couldn’t be denied, and he knows how to put those pedals to use. I just hope on future recordings they are better incorporated.

After the show I noticed the man with the tank-top amongst the crowd leaving the venue. Walking back down the street from the venue, I saw a tow-truck parked in front of my car. I was sure I had enough space! I ran up, heart pounding and fuming out the ears at the thought of another car-related incident at the hands of this church. The tow-truck driver was standing outside and he asked me if I was leaving. Out of breath, not asking any questions, I told him I’m as good as gone. He moved the truck out of the way and I once again narrowly avoided the claws of that church from claiming my only means of getting home. I think next time I’ll just go with the valet.

American Hardcore

Tue, 08 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0800

In 2001, Steven Blush published a comprehensive history of the first wave of hardcore punk from 1980-1986, entitled “American Hardcore: A Tribal History.” Before “American Hardcore,” a thorough documentation of the extremely influential movement had not been available publicly, and the book helped to not only shed light on the often controversial or misunderstood period in music, but it introduced many people to hardcore for the first time. The book was so well-received that Blush wrote and co-produced a feature-length documentary with Sony Pictures also titled “American Hardcore” and it debuted to critical acclaim at the Sundance Film Festival. Both the book and the film predominantly feature a collage of detailed accounts from musicians and fans directly involved with hardcore, resulting in a more complete picture of the movement as opposed to just the single perspective of Blush himself.

The impact of “American Hardcore” on the perception of early hardcore punk can’t be denied. For years, questions as to when hardcore “began” and by whom were complex issues accompanied by heated debates. Now with the availability of Blush’s book, the arguments have calmed with the acceptance of his incorporation of different region’s claims to having “invented” hardcore. For those unfamiliar with the genre, the seeds of hardcore punk arose from the American suburban youth’s rejection of the first wave of British punk rock typically accredited to bands like the Sex Pistols, The Damned and Sham 69. Hardcore itself began to rear its head in 1978 by Los Angeles band Middle Class with the release of their record “Out of Vogue.” It was propelled further by The Germs and Black Flag, the latter of which is considered one of the three “godfathers of hardcore.” The other two being Washington DC’s Bad Brains, who introduced blistering speed and energy, and Minor Threat, who refined the sound with poignant ideology.

This past week, Steven Blush led two panel discussions in Los Angeles on the newly expanded second edition of “American Hardcore” with an assortment of musicians and people influential on the development of the original hardcore scene. The first, held at Vacation Vinyl and titled “The Process of Weeding Out: American Hardcore and the Rise of Stoner Rock” (named after the late-era Black Flag album) featured Brant Bjork (Kyuss), Chuck Dukowski (Black Flag), Pete Stahl (Scream), Mario Lalli (Fatso Jetson) and Greg Anderson (Southern Lord Records). Book Soup hosted the second panel titled “Kids of the Black Hole: How LA Hardcore Changed the World” (this one named after the Adolescents song), focused on the Southern California hardcore scene and provided insights on what it was like to grow up and be involved in the important developments in the hardcore epicenter. Tony Cadena (Adolescents), Lisa Fancher (Frontier Records) and photographer Edward Colver all participated in the second discussion.

By far the most fascinating part of the discussions was the genuine connection those who attended felt with history and the influential people that were sitting before us. They told stories about going to shows and seeing legendary bands those of us born too late only dream of experiencing live. Lisa Fancher talked about how much she personally disliked Darby Crash, the infamous singer of The Germs, and everyone seemed to agree that they were a terrible live band, despite their dramatic influence on hardcore. They talked about the masses of LAPD cops that would show up once they heard there was a Black Flag show in town. I would do outrageous things to see Minor Threat in their prime playing to a group of a few hundred, and yet the people on the panel had been to many of these shows 30 years earlier.

Adolescents vocalist Tony Cadena remarked how hardcore from three decades ago still connects with him as though it were recorded right here, right now and just for him. He explained that hardcore punk is so powerful that it doesn’t provide him with a sense of nostalgia, but instead continues to affect him in the same ways it did when he was a youngster.

Hardcore punk was the manifestation of youthful rebellion, a coup of music and a revolution in culture, taking art from the hands of greedy adults and putting it square in the palms of idealistic youth. Independent record labels, the straight edge movement, radical politics, honest music and positive thought all spurred from hardcore and influenced legions of young people across the world. You probably, most likely, haven’t heard of the people I’ve mentioned above, but chances are they influenced your favorite artists in one way or another.

The conclusion of the first edition of “American Hardcore” claimed that hardcore died in 1986. When I first read the book this statement outraged me and everyone I know in the current hardcore community. He left out what is now 25 years worth of outstanding hardcore punk that has taken the movement to new heights. But in the new edition, the line has been changed to “By 1986, the initial Hardcore explosion ended.” For what it is, “American Hardcore” accurately describes the establishing of hardcore punk and does it with interesting perspectives of those that had a hand in shaping it. If you are unfamiliar with the genre or are interested in learning about it, “American Hardcore” is undoubtedly the best place to start.

Isis

Tue, 01 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0800

I always find it hard to describe a band that so vehemently rejects any sort of label or description. Especially when its not just the band’s members that abstain from titles, but the music itself. For bands like Isis, genres or aural descriptors don’t exactly spill from the songs, in fact, they’re rather hard to find. It makes things especially difficult for writers attempting to convey a sense of sonic coherence through diction. But because I’m feeling ambitious, here goes nothing…

Isis, named after the Ancient Egyptian goddess, is a god-like band in its own right. They established their own unique atmospheric and metallic sound that in turn influenced legions of peers including Pelican and Russian Circles. Building upon the framework laid out for them by bands like Neurosis and Melvins, Isis made the most of what they were given and crafted a new breed of “thinking man’s metal” that steps comfortably out of the hair-whipping satanic metal stereotype and squarely into a corner of a genre they masterfully crafted themselves.

Their early years were characterized by harder, drone influenced metal, but they drifted wayward as the years passed. Their second full-length “Oceanic,” often considered their landmark recording, first introduced a lighter, more progressive and melodic approach that would grow to define their later work. The dichotomy between fierce metallic crunch and atmospheric echo, sometimes even bordering on ambient, allowed the band to explore distant realms of emotion and depth. Vocalist/guitarist Aaron Turner switches from a deep growl to clean singing appropriately when the music shifts, showcasing an impressive range that further enhances the musical experience.

There is a peculiar mystique to the band that is for the most part intentional, to further the band’s production of not just music, but art. For instance, each of their albums have had clear themes, typically alluded to in their titles. I refrain from using the term “concept album,” because that implies some sort of story arc or coherent message, of which there is none in Isis’ catalog. Instead, there is an idea or aesthetic tie that wraps around a particular album, further propelling each record apart from one another by establishing distinct identities for each. 2002’s “Oceanic” revolves around themes of water and a failed relationship. “Panopticon” (2004) incorporates Jeremy Bentham’s disciplinary philosophy (from which it gets its name) with concepts of power and surveillance, creating an almost political atmosphere. “Wavering Radiant” (2009) focuses heavily on metaphysics, appropriate for what would be their final album.

Propelling the mystique even further, Isis does not include lyrics with their albums. Opting for listeners to experience the songs uninhibited by reading along, they refused to release the lyrics until the album had been out for at least a year.

My two standout albums of theirs are “Oceanic” and “Wavering Radiant.” On “Oceanic,” the theme is clear and resonates with the music perfectly, illustrating what it would feel like to be set adrift in the sea, scared and alone. Isis’ last album “Wavering Radiant” is probably their most accessible, with more clear melodies and less straightforward metal, but its still far from a pop album. Many critics have attached the term “post-rock” or “post-metal” to Isis, referring to their abandonment of the typical rock or metal structures and taking them in experimental or even avant-garde directions. You won’t find catchy hooks or sing-along choruses here, but I argue this is for the better. What you lose in instant recognizability or radio-rock simplicity you gain in a work of art with the ability to move you the way a great film or painting would.

In what was a fitting way to go out, they released arguably their best song as their last. “The Pliable Foe” led the Isis side of their split with Melvins, an almost eight-minute epic that incorporates each corner of their musical past and basically provides a crash course on the band in one terrific song. Released on their final tour, the split features one of their biggest influences on one side, and the culmination of their growth as a band over 13 years on the other.

This past June I got to catch Isis’ farewell tour at their last show in Los Angeles, their surrogate home since leaving Chicago in 2003. It was one of those shows you just don’t forget. Emotions were flying throughout the room, and you could tell the band had intense feelings about the stage they were on and the songs they were playing, on one of the last nights they would play them. There was little need for theatrics or fancy lighting because the music did its job so well, with each member hitting their notes with precision and passion.

It may be too late to see them live, but you can still go check out there fantastic music, as I’m sure people will for a very, very long time.

Songs: “The Pliable Foe” “Carry” “Ghost Key” “Swarm Reigns (Down)” “The Beginning and the End”

Spring Music Festival Announcements

Tue, 25 Jan 2011 21:47:00 -0800

January is an interesting time of year for music fans. The release schedule is a bit slow after the holidays and touring tends to be a bit tamer than the rest of the year. One area of consolation though is the lineup announcements for the upcoming spring music festivals. After months of speculation, rumors are finally laid to rest and we get to feast our eyes on the long awaited list of performing artists. What follows is either an outburst of excitement or a calm curse of disappointment. Running to the credit card or calling friends to call off travel plans. Its a make-or-break pivotal moment that can determine what for many people is the highlight of their year.

Last week, Coachella organizers Goldenvoice announed the lineup for this year’s installment of the popular festival. The headliners include Kanye West, Arcade Fire, Kings of Leon and The Strokes. Unlike years past, the supporting spots this year are more homogeneous and cater to a smaller palette of tastes, leaving many to criticize this year’s selections. I for one am not blown away by the lineup but I feel it has the potential to still make for a great fest, especially if you’re interested in checking out new bands. And while this may be a “final” announcement, there are typically cancellations which can lead to some interesting wild card selections.

Many of the artists rumored to make an appearance, like Daft Punk, Radiohead and a reunion of The Smiths (I can only dream), were not listed as many had hoped. With such huge rumored headliners, it’s understandable that many people would be disappointed with the confirmed bill, but speculated lists tend to be little more than slightly-realistic wish lists rather than actual, practical possibilities. As outstanding as a reunion of The Smiths would have been, I pity those who could have expected or anticipated such an announcement. I prefer to stay away from rumor buzz like this, though I’d, of course, welcome the surprise.

A couple weeks ago I discussed car manufacturer and Toyota subsidiary Scion and their ever-expanding involvement in music. With convenient timing, they recently announced the location and lineup of their third annual Scion Rock Fest, which will be in nearby Pomona. The festival has previously been held in Columbus, OH and Atlanta, GA and comes to four Southern California venues: The Glasshouse, Fox Theater as well as two additional stages which will be built in the surrounding Pomona Arts Colony area. Headlining the Scion Rock Fest will be legendary death metal band Morbid Angel, whose performance will be their first stateside in six years. Obituary, Municipal Waste and Floor rank amongst the other notable acts, along with Integrity, Nails, Black Breath and Kvelertak (all of whom had spots on my Best Albums of 2010 list). The free festival requires an online RSVP for admittance and the allotted spots filled up quickly, closing registration early (though a waiting list has been set up for those who missed out).

Speaking of aggressive music festivals, the seventh annual Chaos in Tejas released their lineup last week and sent waves of excitement through the underground music world. The fest will take place in June in Austin, Texas and boasts an impressive amount of international bands and exclusive performances. Recently reunited hardcore punk pioneers Youth of Today and death metal band Autopsy are set to headline a surprising yet satisfyingly diverse bill that also features artists like Dillinger Four, Tragedy and hip-hop artist Curren$y. A dream fest for hardcore punk and metal enthusiasts, the announcement undoubtedly led people across the country hurrying to make airfare and hotel arrangements for the event, myself included.

Sticking close to home, be sure to keep a look out this week for the lineup announcement for this year’s Heat Music Festival here at UCR. Taking Back Sunday and The Crystal Method headlined the event last year, and from what I hear, this year should be even better—especially if you used to be a teenage anarchist or enjoy “reinventing Axl Rose.”

Lemuria

Tue, 18 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0800

I couldn’t have picked a better time for the release of Lemuria’s latest album “Pebble.” The Riverside sun is shining and the cool breeze can lead one to forget its the middle of January. Perfect walking weather. Its also perfect indie rock weather. Lemuria is one of those bands that one minute makes you want to run around and embrace nature, then isolate yourself and retreat from reality the next.

Lemuria’s a band with two faces. Not literally, but they’re a binary entity in every aspect. They have two consistent members, guitarist/vocalist Sheena Ozella and drummer/vocalist Alex Kerns, completed by a revolving bassist spot. Between their two full-length albums, their songs are either depressingly dark or almost joyous, occasionally incorporating aspects of both. Equal portions of upbeat and downtempo songs compliment the rise and fall both melodies and emotional weight. When it comes to singing, Sheena’s cute and light vocals contrast with Alex’s deeper and more monotonous voice, but they blend well in harmony.

If I had to describe Lemuria through a lens of comparable bands of the past, more than a few come to mind. Perhaps a slower, cleaner Dinosaur Jr. or a “Dear You” -era Jawbreaker. Contrastingly, American Football with a more punk-influenced punch, accompanied by unenthusiastic vocals akin to a less noisy, later-period Sonic Youth. (Take a minute to let that sink in.) So when I first heard J. Robbins would be producing their next album “Pebble” (released last week), I was pleased they made such an appropriate choice. His production credits include some of the most noteworthy 90’s indie classics like The Promise Ring’s “Nothing Feels Good” and Jets to Brazil’s “Orange Rhyming Dictionary.” The Lemuria/Robbins combo proved to be a fitting one, with “Pebble” being their most inspired release to date.

“Pebble” opens with the line “You’re good at breaking hearts.” The song, “Gravity,” teases a climax that never comes, a resolution to the sluggish pace, but it instead stays grounded, as it should. This is a case where the music fits perfectly with the lyrics, never letting either one outpace the other. Similarly, “Dog” and “Dogs,” the back-to-back songs on “Get Better” (2008) work together to tell a tale of loss that leaves you like a “dog with it’s tail between it’s legs.”

My personal favorite of theirs, “Expert Herder,” the b-side to the “Ozzy” single released in 2009, is one of their most unique and ambitious. A collage of rises and falls held together by an identifiable riff and topped with an impressively dynamic vocal melody— its a satisfying cocktail of great songwriting.

Back in June Lemuria came to Southern California for a few dates with Polar Bear Club and played a headlining show at Back to the Grind in Downtown Riverside. Before seeing them live, I was a bit skeptical about whether or not they’re songs would translate well from record to stage. It turned out that they’re simple style worked really well in person, and their neither flashy nor boring, straightforward performance enhanced their already charming sound.

For most people, “Get Better” was their “first date” with Lemuria. It was the beginning of a fascinating musical relationship. In the same vein, “Pebble” takes the next step, the “engagement” if you will. I myself cannot wait for what they do in the future. Although they’ve already accomplished a great deal, Lemuria still has a ton of potential and I can’t wait for them to reach it.

Songs: “Expert Herder” “Pants” “Buzz” “Pleaser” “Bloomer”

Presented By (Corporation A)

Tue, 11 Jan 2011 14:23:00 -0800

One of the central tenets of independent music is the inherent sense of freedom that arises from a lack of corporate or market influence in the creation of music. Over the past 30 years, the liberating aspects of DIY or independent labels have made a profound impact on the way in which musicians are able to produce and play their work. Even world-famous bands like Radiohead have taken notice and abandoned their corporate label in favor of handling their music themselves. But with popular culture continuing to disseminate into various subcultures and the pop music industry collapsing, corporations too have acknowledged the trend and have begun testing different ways to reshape their businesses around the changing music environment.

With the emergence of the Internet and the ever-increasing accessibility of music, people are no longer forced to settle for music featured on older media like radio or magazines. Because of this, the playing field has been leveled and independent musicians now have the same opportunities for exposure that major label artists do. This has encouraged the significant rise in popularity of bands that would otherwise struggle for recognition. Gone are the days of bands like The Beatles commanding a dominant majority of music listeners. Now, if you were to ask 100 people on the street who their favorite band is, you’re likely to get 100 different answers. Tastes have diversified and this has opened the door for significantly more musicians to garner attention from music fans, ultimately contributing to the enhancement of music as a whole.

Despite all of this progression, things are about to come full circle. Independent and underground music is showing signs of a subtle infiltration by corporations looking to turn a profit, using music as the tool to do so. It’s happening in a number of ways: sponsored shows and festivals, free sponsored mixtapes and even records funded and distributed by these companies. One of the most prominent companies taking advantage of this new style of marketing is Scion, the youth-oriented subsidiary of Toyota Motors.

I first noticed Scion’s involvement in music a few years ago at the California Auto Show, where they passed out samplers featuring underground D.J.’s. Soon after, they began to involve themselves in independent garage rock and, most recently, metal and hardcore punk. The latter has spurred a great deal of heated discussion, if not controversy, about the corporation’s increasing hand in a subculture that was founded on shunning such influence. What started as a few sponsored free shows has grown to the recent release of Magrudergrind’s “Crusher” record, completely financed by Scion.

From my experience, the sponsored shows have not felt any different than your typical ones, other than the fact they were free. I noticed no advertising in or around the venue and the only time I saw the mention of the company’s name was on the flyer and wristband for the event, typically reading “this is a (company) event.” Harmless right? I think it would be hard to find too many people who would abstain from a free show with such unobtrusive advertising. Getting to see bands for free while they still get paid seems to make everyone happy. But this isn’t where the corporate involvement ends.

Outsider companies like Scion, Converse and others have launched efforts to directly involve themselves with the actual production of music. Lifestyle brands that have no connection to music other than sharing a demographic are quickly becoming the 21st Century’s major labels, the Goliath to independent music’s David. And this isn’t a good sign.

These corporations see these labels as a way to market their products to the young generation that’s involved in these underground genres. In theory, offering bands the opportunity to record and release a record for free, without the debt and red tape that typically comes along with working with a label, in exchange for some logos on the packaging or for using the product doesn’t seem that harmful. But I’ve identified two areas where these relationships could detrimentally damage music as a whole.

With corporations offering free recording opportunities for artists, especially targeted towards independent artists, a dramatic competition will be created between said corporations and independent labels to function and continue to work with musicians. Part of what has encouraged such a flourishing of music of a variety of genres has been the downsizing of major label dominance and the accessibility of independent artists by more casual fans. The growth of corporate-sponsored labels will in effect reverse the progress that has been made within the past ten years and could dramatically shrink the landscape of quality music.

Another scary possibility is the extent to which advertising and product placement will play in regards to the music. On Magrudergrind’s “Crusher,” advertising was limited to pure aesthetics. The Scion logo can be found on the cover and all over the artwork, in addition to a legal message from Toyota on the center labels. Despite the sole visual involvement, how long will it be before these companies require acknowledgement within the songs themselves? I don’t think it would be too far fetched to hear advertisements in between songs on future sponsored records. Even the required involvement of products within songs doesn’t sound too far off.

To be clear, this is not an attempt at fear-mongering, but instead a legitimate concern for the integrity of an art form as it approaches a new era. There is no fine line between the innocuous shows put on by corporate sponsors and their potentially harmful involvement in record production. I simply encourage both fans and musicians alike to remain aware of the possible dangers these relationships can lead to and be cautious when/if problems arise.

There is no quick remedy for the situation. One can only hope artists maintain their integrity and don’t submit to the enticing offers of these corporations. It’s understandable as to why a young artist would agree to these deals, but they carry the potential to damage music by both eliminating independent labels while watering down the music itself with advertisements and product placement. For now, I’ll continue to attend free shows and enjoy my music in its intended, untainted state.

Best Albums of 2010

Tue, 04 Jan 2011 15:06:00 -0800

It happens every year. December rolls around and I start to think about all the great music that’s been released over the past year. Each time I can’t help but think the next year couldn’t possibly live up to the last. But each year I gladly find that those skepticisms were ill founded and it was in fact a great year for music. 2009 was a stellar year and I was sure that 2010 couldn’t match it, but then Arcade Fire released The Suburbs, Ceremony recorded Rohnert Park, and so on. This time of year always restores my faith in music and the direction its headed in, appreciating the quality releases and ignoring the garbage.

The top two spots on this year’s list both carry the same familiar theme in intriguingly different ways. Having been raised in the sprawl of Inland Southern California, the suburban frustration heard on The Suburbs and Rohnert Park resonated especially well with me, as I’m sure it did with many others. Arcade Fire’s attempt to tackle the subject is especially nuanced and at times, ironically celebratory, whether tongue-in-cheek or in frustrated submission, like Rohnert Park’s approach.

2010 didn’t let me down. Fantastic records by some familiar faces as well as surprising newcomers made the year satisfyingly consistent. Here’s to 2011, may it live up to the bar set so high by 2010.

20. Envy - Recitation
19. Bitter End - Guilty As Charged
18. The Carrier - Blind to What is Right
17. Make Do And Mend - End Measured Mile
16. Kylesa - Spiral Shadow
15. The Gaslight Anthem - American Slang
14. Leatherface - The Stormy Petrel
13. Tigers Jaw - Two Worlds
12. The National - High Violet
11. The Menzingers - Chamberlain Waits

10. THREE WAY TIE:

Black Breath - Heavy Breathing
Black Breath’s lineup of hardcore all-stars delivers on their first full-length Heavy Breathing. Their intense thrash metal riffage has been melting faces all year, and heavy music fans like myself couldn’t be happier about it.

Integrity - The Blackest Curse
Who would have thought after 20 years Integrity would still be releasing killer records? I did, and The Blackest Curse confirmed these sentiments. TBC has some of their best material since the Melnick days.

Nails -Unsilent Death
Probably one of the most talked about bands of 2010, Nails has impressed both punk and metal fans alike with their debut LP Unsilent Death. Heavy, dark, loud and fast, just how I like it.

9. No Age - Everything In Between
Everything In Between sees No Age clean up their sound and embrace a more straightforward approach to songwriting. Much less noisy and a lot more melodic, Everything In Between is a growing up album and I must admit, I love grown-up No Age.

8. Thou - Summit
Thou’s reputation has grown slowly and steadily over the years, much like their doomy, hardcore-tinged metal. In 2010 the band finally gained widespread recognition for Summit. Its their most monumental work yet, and the best album of its kind this year.

7. End of a Year - You Are Beneath Me
Not much more needs to be said about this album that isn’t already in the album’s outstanding introduction “Composite Character.” The honest humanity of this record is impressive and the music channels both melodic indie rock and hardcore. The lyrics are where this record truly shines, so get your reading glasses on and follow along.

6. Hostage Calm - Hostage Calm
Ever wanted to hear what The Smiths would have sounded like had they played melodic hardcore/pop punk? Well Hostage Calm does something eerily similar on their second full-length Hostage Calm. These are some of the most creative songs released in 2010.

5. Kvelertak - Kvelertak
Brace yourself, because I’m about to invent a genre. Kvelertak’s phenomenally catchy “Norwegian Party Metal” was the best surprise of 2010. The songs are so powerful and well-composed that it doesn’t matter that I can’t understand the lyrics.

4. The Tallest Man on Earth - The Wild Hunt
Readers of this column know how I feel about this record. Modern folk at its finest, Kristian Matsson croons his way through a solid and emotional album, intricately plucking at both guitar strings and heartstrings.

3. Best Coast - Crazy For You
Best Coast has really come out of nowhere. In 2009, rumblings seemed to begin about this little surfy garage pop band out of LA that had a ton of potential. The potential that was heard on 7”s like “Sun Was High (So Was I)” was realized with the release of Crazy For You. Extremely simple yet extremely catchy, Crazy For You was the soundtrack to 2010’s summer, and will be for many summers to come.

2. Ceremony - Rohnert Park
On Rohnert Park, Ceremony ditches their nihilistic aggression and slows things down for a more old school 80’s hardcore approach that takes aim at their frustration with suburbia. Its their best yet and likely their defining record.

1. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
I cannot say enough about this record. Its diverse and powerful and catchy and complex—its an already accomplished band’s magnum opus. Their subtle digs at suburban culture combined with the best songs Arcade Fire has ever written makes The Suburbs a shoe-in for the best album of the year. And they’re not bad live either.

Best EPs/Singles of 2010

Tue, 04 Jan 2011 14:52:00 -0800

So much great music comes from formats other than full-length albums, so I decided to give EPs and singles their own category. Here are the best released in 2010:

10. Melvins / Isis - Split

9. Tigers Jaw / Balance & Composure - Split

8. Torche - Songs For Singles

7. Converge - On My Shield

6. Killing The Dream - Lucky Me

5. Fucked Up - Year of the Ox

4. Japandroids - Younger Us

3. OFF! - First Four EPs

2. All Pigs Must Die - All Pigs Must Die

1. United Nations - Never Mind the Bombings, Here’s Your Six Figures

Biggest Disappointments of 2010

Tue, 04 Jan 2011 14:37:00 -0800

I’m not one to complain or go out of my way to trash a band or record I don’t necessarily like, but when an artist I respect produces mediocre work, I’ll acknowledge it. There were a few records released this year that especially disappointed me, these are them:

Crime In Stereo - I Was Trying To Describe You To Someone
I could speak ad nauseum about the atrocious album artwork, but I’m sure what you’re feeling in your stomach upon seeing it will suffice. The music, although a valiant effort to branch out, fails. Miserably. Crime In Stereo’s previous two full-lengths, “Is Dead” and “The Troubled Stateside” are solid through and through, with “Stateside” being damn near perfect, but IWTTDYTS (oof take a look at that acronym) takes the most experimental parts of “Is Dead” and milks them for all they’re worth. Well, guess what. They aren’t worth much.

Trash Talk - Eyes & Nines
Trash Talk has built a reputation on consistency. They’ve set a standard for live show intensity, their visual aesthetic is stark but identifiable (you’ve seen the shirts), and their records to this point have been raw and pummeling. Following their terrific single East of Eden (2009) featuring guest vocals from Keith Morris (Black Flag/Circle Jerks/OFF!), one would think their second LP would once again deliver on the grinding brutality. Eyes & Nines isn’t a bad record, but it doesn’t quite live up to their other work, and it even comes in lower than what I’d previously considered their weakest release, 2008’s Trash Talk. This album just feels hollow. As short as their songs (appropriately) are, I would suggest they keep the same formula for formats: stick to 7”s.

Band of Horses - Infinite Arms
Band of Horses’ follow up to the outstanding Cease To Begin could replace the Websters’ definition of “anticlimactic.” Their major label debut tries too hard to nudge its way into the soft pop rock garbage market and leaves behind the energy and creativity that earned them the contract to begin with. Its always depressing to see great indie bands take the major label plunge and fail miserably. Reminds me of the bitter unraveling of the once great Interpol only a few years prior. When will bands learn?

[On a related note, take a look at producer legend Steve Albini’s essay on major labels and their method of exploiting young bands. A bit dated but an informative read.]

Weezer - Hurley
Seriously, Weezer should have called it quits halfway though the Green Album. It’s just pathetic at this point. The fact they still exist and I have to hear their nonsense every time I walk into a record store is just plain annoying. I’m fairly certain the world will end on December 21, 2012. Not because of some Mayan voodoo BS, but because Weezer will release another album and the world will have had enough. Dear Weezer: end it, for the sake of humanity.

Best Albums of 2010 (Preview)

Fri, 31 Dec 2010 19:28:00 -0800

Because there are only a few more hours left of 2010, I thought I’d share some of my list now. This is only the Top 10 (actually Top 12, but whatever). On Tuesday I’ll post #11-20 as well as the top EPs and my disappointments of 2010, along with write-ups for the Top 10 (which will also be published in the Highlander). Feel free to let me know if you agree or disagree. Have a happy New Year.

10. TIE: Black Breath - Heavy Breathing / Integrity - The Blackest Curse / Nails - Unsilent Death
9. No Age - Everything In Between
8. Thou - Summit
7. End of a Year - You Are Beneath Me
6. Hostage Calm - Hostage Calm
5. Kvelertak - Kvelertak
4. The Tallest Man on Earth - The Wild Hunt
3. Best Coast - Crazy For You
2. Ceremony - Rohnert Park
1. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

Tigers Jaw

Tue, 30 Nov 2010 00:08:00 -0800

A few weeks ago I mentioned this past summer’s Sound and Fury Festival when discussing the band Make Do and Mend. What I didn’t tell you about was the “riot” that broke out only a couple hours later (which would take a page or so just to explain) that subsequently ended the festival, or so we thought.

In true DIY spirit, one especially generous young man offered to relocate the fest to his house in nearby Ventura. An entire fest. Moved to a house (think about it). Posts on Twitter, Facebook, message boards and even by the archaic word of mouth spread the news of the show to the festival’s attendees. Within two hours, a thousand people swamped the streets of a tiny, crowded suburban neighborhood. Remarkably, the local Ventura newspaper estimated roughly 500 people were able to squeeze into his modest backyard and onto his roof, both completely filled to the brim, still with enough room for the bands to play. There were about eight or so bands that were billed to play the last day of the fest that weren’t able to because it was cut short, but this show allowed a few to make the trek to So Cal worth it.

What happened in this tiny yard was spectacular to say the least. I’ve been to plenty of house shows over the years, with bands playing anywhere from garages to living rooms to makeshift backyard stages, but this one in particular bested them all. Bunched up on a small patio tightly surrounded by fans and myself (who was pulled to the front by the owner to hold the crowd back and away from the band), the gathering was more than a show. The fact that we could organize in a civil manner following a wild event that almost ended Sound & Fury as a festival altogether was a testament to the strength of the scene. Everyone in that backyard was so happy to be there experiencing the music and having a good time.

As the show progressed and more “mosh-appropriate” bands played, a tiny pit opened up and there were “roof-dives” left and right. And for the second straight Sound & Fury, Lee of Trash Talk leapt off a roof and onto my head.

The bands that got to play that night were Bracewar, Foundation and Tigers Jaw. The first two I had seen a few times, but this was the first time Tigers Jaw had made it to the West Coast. I had first heard them about a year before when a friend showed me their self-titled record and I instantly fell in love. It took me about a week before I decided I was going to collect every single variant of their records (a decision not made lightly in the record collecting world).

Pressed for time, knowing full well the cops would show up at any minute, the bands limited their sets to about 15 minutes. Tigers Jaw got to play three songs: “The Sun,” “Plane vs. Tank vs. Submarine,” and “I Saw Water,” the first three tracks from “Tigers Jaw” (2008). After the show, you could hear random people walking out remarking things along the lines of “I’d never heard Tigers Jaw before, but that was amazing.” The band members themselves later admitted that it was the most insane show they’d ever played.

Their mix of nineties indie rock and post-hardcore with extremely catchy tunes and depressingly relatable lyrics sucks you in from the first note. I couldn’t quite believe it when I first heard it, but their first full length “Tigers Jaw” is completely flawless. When I say that, I mean it; there is not one skippable track on the entire record. I love it so much I own six different variants of the vinyl release (I’m not kidding people, its that good.)

Naturally, when Run For Cover Records announced their new LP would be released this year, I got pretty excited. Last week, “Two Worlds” finally arrived. Its a solid record that doesn’t overshadow their first, but instead compliments it well as a satisfying continuation of what they started two years prior. The band didn’t branch out too much, sticking with their already distinct approach to songwriting. A lot of the record is slower and reflective compared to some of the more upbeat and hard hitting tracks from their first record. The title track “Two Worlds” and the acoustic “I Saw The Wolf” are great examples of this shift. Conversely, the most fast paced song they’ve written, “Windmills,” rhythmically resembles a punk song but maintains their standard melodic overplays and sing-alongs.

As upbeat and catchy as their songs tend to be, the lyrics painstakingly work against that current. They are moody and somber, settling in darker depths that the music never tends to reach. The songs seem to fit the band, made up of four scrawny dudes and a girl, with an identity that’s charming with a faint dark side. A sense of ambiguity joins the often straightforward lyrics that makes them distinctly youthful and poignantly pained. When Tigers Jaw played “The Sun” at the house show, there was something eerily appropriate about 500 people passionately singing along to the chorus, “what about your friends / do they make you happy?”

If there was a special ingredient that secretly gives Tigers Jaw that extra push, its their subtle but extremely powerful use of the keyboard. Not overwhelming and not washed out, it accents the melodies in a similar role to that of the bass guitar. From the onset of “Test Pattern,” you can hear the keyboard floating above the other instruments filling all the gaps, then a minute and a half later, it ominously leads into a mid-tempo outro that’s soon accompanied by the rest of the band.

The best place to start listening to Tigers Jaw would be their first full length and from there move through their catalog chronologically. I’d be thoroughly surprised if you weren’t hooked by the third or fourth song. Sound off on Tigers Jaw in the comments section at highlandernews.org.

Songs: “The Sun” “I Was Never Your Boyfriend” “Meet Me At The Corner” “Return” “Test Pattern”

Have Heart

Wed, 24 Nov 2010 16:45:00 -0800

The past few weeks I’ve covered artists that are alive and kicking, releasing new records and touring the country. Unfortunately, they don’t last forever and at some point, bands break up. Some trudge on for a decade or two if they’re lucky, others continue on even when most members look as though they could star as an undead in a zombie film (Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, etc…). In the case of hardcore punk bands, the average lifespan falls somewhere in the vicinity of 4-5 years. When you don’t have corporations propping you up and when playing music is solely a labor of love, life can get in the way. People get burned out, start families, start careers, get sick of one another, the list goes on.

Boston hardcore band Have Heart defied the odds and managed to stay together for a lengthy 7 years. They were the last of their kind, singing the swan song of the straight edge and “posi” movement that has dramatically weakened in recent years. But if there ever was a band to send off a dying breed, it was Have Heart. On October 17, 2009, the unofficial Edge Day, they played their last show in Boston to a sold out 2000+ crowd, completely unheard of for a hardcore show.

The band has a special place in my heart. Having seen them nearly 10 times over the years, I got used to the remarkably consistent live sets and camaraderie around venues every time they’d stop by SoCal. It was almost like a family reunion; everyone came out for consistently sold out shows that were both wild and passionate. They toured relentlessly, hitting SoCal two, three, even four times in a year, despite a complicated relationship with the gig life. The song “Pave Paradise” tackles this dilemma head on, weighing isolation at home and smothering on the road, juxtaposing lines like “how many miles until I get out of this rectangular box of hell?” and “two weeks home cripple me.”

A few years ago, Have Heart played a secret show here in downtown Riverside, next door to coffee shop Back to the Grind in the now defunct Pharaoh’s Den. The day before an appearance at the Bamboozle festival in Orange County, Have Heart and peers Trash Talk organized a “real” show in Riverside, without the barriers, huge stage and other festival attributes not suited for a hardcore show.

The Pharaoh’s Den had heart (no pun intended). Local artists were often allowed to leave their marks on the walls, and the constantly changing murals gave the space its character. Notorious for its long and steep staircase leading up to a modest sized room with an even more modest stage, the Den could only hold a few hundred people at most. Bands dreaded lugging their amps and drum sets up the seemingly endless flight of stairs. It was painfully comical to see their faces each and every time a new band encountered it, because they were all thinking the same thing.

Typically, I shy away from live records because they almost never live up to their studio recorded brethren and never to the real live thing. There are exceptions, and Have Heart’s “10.17.09” is definitely one of them. An audio and video recording of their last show, much like Champion’s similar last show record, Bridge 9 Records has put together a package that allows fans to “see” Have Heart play for one last time.

The recording is raw and untouched, no studio overdubs or clean ups like those of many other live albums, just a straight translation of the mics at the show. Vocalist Pat Flynn’s voice can only be heard about half the time, the other half filled in by the random voices of those in the crowd. Missed notes and pitch issues are a nonissue, because the aggression and emotion fill in all the gaps. The opening line to “Hard Bark on the Family Tree” sung by all 2000 voices in the room opens one of the most emotionally pummeling recordings I’ve ever heard. Their voices can be heard reverberating every lyric of every song throughout the show, creating an echo that creates a depth to the recording that can’t be achieved in the studio.

Flynn emotionally introduced “The Unbreakable” by announcing “the greatest man who ever lived is here tonight, I call him dad.” In what was the most fitting send off I can think of, the band closed with “Watch Me Rise,” the chant of “I’d rather die on my feet” grew steadily until the entire room sang the powerful line together.

I wouldn’t recommend “10.17.09” to listeners new to the band. Its a messy recording that is only partially about the music, and more of a lasting eulogy for a band that touched the lives of countless kids across the globe. Their first album “The Things We Carry” though, is a contemporary classic and is the perfect destination for people looking to acquaint themselves with Have Heart.

Sound off on Have Heart in the comment section on highlandernews.org.

Songs: “The Unbreakable” “Watch Me Rise” “No Roses, No Skies” “Hard Bark on the Family Tree”

The Tallest Man on Earth

Tue, 16 Nov 2010 20:27:00 -0800

Way back in April, The Tallest Man on Earth released what is arguably the best folk album this year, “The Wild Hunt.” My first impression with The Tallest Man was impressed but intrigued by the unique, high pitched and scratchy voice that, in its dynamic and mobile nature, evokes a peculiar and elderly wisdom. Who I pictured singing and strumming the guitar was entirely different than who it turned out to be. The voice of the wrinkled old man sitting in a rocking chair on a midwestern porch in actuality belonged to 27 year old Swede Kristian Matsson.

The majority of Matsson’s songs consist of solely his voice and guitar. Remarkably, he’s able to completely fill a track with his thin but puncturing voice and subtly technical guitarwork. The lack of percussion or bass or any other supportive instruments doesn’t leave anything to be desired, because they just wouldn’t belong. The simplicity of the structure and songwriting gets lost with additional unnecessary instrumentation and can take away from the soul of the music, which in the case of The Tallest Man on Earth, rests solely in the relationship between the vocals and guitar. They both carry their respective melodies that could on their own make for a decent song, but strengthen one another when together.

Crooning amidst the traditional territory of deep Americana, Matsson succeeds in finding a voice with his own European touch. Packed with imagery synonymous with folk, he sings lines like “And sometimes I’m just a tangle in this trampled wheat / Shirk a-like a losing dog” with a hopeful despair thats both charming and comforting. If there was a song that so summed up the heart of The Tallest Man on Earth, its the title track of “The Wild Hunt.” In it is the chorus, “I left my heart to the wild hunt a-comin / I live until the call / And I plan to be forgotten when I’m gone / Yes I’ll be leavin’ in the fall.”

Mixed into The Tallest Man’s catalog are a few valiant attempts at branching out. “Kids on the Run” ditches the acoustic guitar for a piano, in turn accentuating the huge role his guitar plays in The Tallest Man on Earth. Although not a bad song, “Kids on the Run” lacks the character of other Tallest Man songs and reminds me more of an 80’s pop ballad. This past September saw the release of “Sometimes the Blues Is Just a Passing Bird” EP, a small collection of songs that trek Matsson’s well worn path as well as some that take their own. “The Dreamer,” the second song on the EP, is a blues song reminiscent of the 1960’s, accompanied by a fuzzed electric guitar with its treble turned down. Although not quite as successful as this typical work, its an interesting look into Matsson’s capabilities outside straightforward folk.

Matsson is a young man on a hunt for identity and a place in the world. A nomad on the trip of a lifetime, The Tallest Man on Earth embarks on the perpetual journey each individual begins and ends their own way. For Matsson, he stops along the way, appreciating and romanticizing the natural and spiritual, using them to propel him further on his pilgrimage to find the self. This perspective is a large part of what makes The Tallest Man on Earth so unique and fascinating.

Don’t just take my word for it. Go for a walk and listen to The Tallest Man on Earth. Sound off on what you think in the comments section below.

Songs: “The Wild Hunt” “Burden of Tomorrow” “You’re Going Back” “Tangled In This Trampled Wheat”

Make Do and Mend

Tue, 09 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0800

As I do every year around April, I anxiously wait and eventually rejoice at the selections for the annual Sound & Fury Festival in Santa Barbara. I had never seen Make Do and Mend, but their EP “Bodies of Water” had gotten quite a bit of rotation that winter and I anticipated their set in hopes it would live up to their recorded output. Fast forward to late July in Santa Barbara, its the last day of Sound & Fury and Make Do and Mend are due up. Looking past their goofy matching shirts, the band played a passionate set to a room largely made up of moshcore dudes in mesh shorts confused by the lack of breakdowns. In a crowd not quite thick enough for a stagedive attempt but not thin enough to keep the ballsier folks from still trying, amongst those who sang along with every word, the set became one of the best of the weekend.

Make Do And Mend have easily set themselves apart from their Small Brown Bike and Hot Water Music adoring bearded brethren that graduated from the No Idea Records school of melodic punk to saturate Gainesville’s annual Fest. At times a bit poppy, but rough when they need to be, their songs are accommodating to different topics like an unwelcoming college experience and a difficult relationship with a father.

A few weeks ago the band released their first full-length “End Measured Mile” on Panic and Paper+Plastick Records. Admittedly, I didn’t know what to expect. The post-hardcore waters are muddy and its quite difficult to trek them without getting a bit dirty. But then again, I wouldn’t be writing this had I not been impressed. If their previous EP “Bodies of Water” is a winter record, then “End Measured Mile” suits the summer. A little less emotionally powerful and cold than “Bodies of Water,” “End Measured Mile” makes up for it with better songwriting and more dynamic arrangements. From the opening track “Unknowingly Strong,” the band already sounds more triumphant and energetic than their darker previous effort.

“Thanks” may be the best song they’ve written yet. Opening with a sole clean guitar and pleading vocals, the band mixes things up sonically, which ends up working well to legitimize the song’s lyrics. Lines like “I’m throwing darts at a map / trying to remember where I left my heart last” are charming representations of a love lost, impressive regarding the growing difficulty to verbalize the feeling of a broken heart without sounding hackneyed.

There are a few instances on “End Measured Mile” where Make Do and Mend try something different and even a little risky. In a subtle attempt at branching out, a violin makes an appearance on “Firewater.” “Stand Stagger” carries a much more angry tone resembling a straightforward melodic hardcore song that wouldn’t sound out of place on a record by peers Defeater.

Life in a touring underground band is difficult to say the least. Many musicians, if not most, have day jobs to sustain themselves when home. Make Do and Mend is no stranger to this lifestyle, having toured extensively throughout 2010, with undoubtedly more plans for the future. In “Oak Square,” weighing priorities and life decisions against the typical lifestyle of most other twenty-somethings, they ruminate on lacking opportunities to support one’s self in a touring punk band; an appropriate theme for this column in particular. “…Getting in the van isn’t paying rent. / And now my older friends are all getting married with kids, / And I’m just stoked to play a basement.”

Make Do and Mend are a generally accessible band for those into any form of punk, and they play their particular brand of it exceedingly well. Sound off on Make Do and Mend in the comments section below.

Songs: “Thanks” “Father” “Winter Wasteland” “Oak Square”

Pelican

Tue, 02 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Patience is a virtue, and it comes in handy when listening to instrumental metal band Pelican. Rather than hitting listeners over the head with a hook right off the bat, they prefer to take their time to develop each aspect of their songs, devoid of arbitrary fills and overplays. For those that don’t mind the delayed gratification, Pelican is an interesting and thought-provoking listen, an especially unique quality for an instrumental band.

Having built upon their contemporaries, less dark and pummeling than Neurosis but more upbeat than Isis, Pelican has managed to create an identifiable and unique musical mask that wouldn’t fit on anyone else. Their often jazzy yet sludgy feel characterizes emotion without ever singing a word. “Embedding the Moss” is a great example of the kinds of feeling and unspoken narrative Pelican pumps into their music entirely through the structure and sound of their songs.

Celebrating their tenth anniversary in October, Pelican played special commemorative shows in their shared hometowns, Chicago and Los Angeles. This past Saturday they performed at the Troubadour in West Hollywood to a crowd of dedicated fans and independent metal peers. Supporting them was hardcore buzz-band Nails and doom metal stalwarts Goatsnake.

Opening their set with “Ephemeral,” Pelican sucked the energy from the room and effectively spat it back out into the crowd. From the crunch of the guitars to the delayed and atmospheric overplays layering melody upon melody, their physically involving live experience trumps the band’s recordings downright, despite their excellent sound on record. The band even played a few of their earlier tracks, notably “Drought” from 2003’s “Australasia.” On 2001’s self-titled EP and their debut full-length “Australasia,” you can hear copious amounts of doomy guitars and slow, sludgy pacing that would evolve into their more complex and melodic sound today, which incorporates aspects of punk and hardcore.

One of the most fascinating aspects of Pelican is their varying song structures. Completely abandoning the “verse-chorus-verse” standard building blocks of songwriting, they take a more adventurous approach that moves in unexpected directions and mixes up tempos. Building up from a foundation of solid rhythm, melodies are stacked on one another, each one building from the last and taking a song in unpredictable directions. By the end of the track, listeners find themselves in an altogether different place than from where it began.

“I think there are limitations that come with having a vocalist,” bassist Brian Herweg told the Ottawa Sun. “If we had some big burly man in front screaming, we’d be classified as metal. If we had some scrawny guy we’d be emo. As it is, no one can pin us down.”

In a 2007 interview with Drowned in Sound, Pelican guitarist Trevor de Brauw addressed the band’s ambiguous genre saying, “while it’s easy to classify us with instrumental bands, we’re not instrumental by design. We just didn’t know how to put vocals in our music and for it to sound right.” Simply put and right to the point, there really is no place for vocals in their songs while still maintaining the integrity of Pelican. In their history as a band, only one song has featured actual singing, on the track “Final Breath” off 2009’s “What We All Come to Need.”

What initially drew me to Pelican was their ability to blend a variety of styles of aggressive music seamlessly. The first track of theirs I heard was “Lost in the Headlights,” upon the release of 2007’s album “City of Echoes.” This song especially showcases their masterful craftsmanship in combing sludge metal and up-tempo melodic hardcore which culminates in a passage reminiscent of 1990’s screamo instrumental breakdowns in the vein of Majority Rule or Neil Perry.

The only way you’ll get a true sense of Pelican’s music is to give them a listen. Check out the songs listed below and if you enjoy them then give one of their albums a try. Sound off on what you think of Pelican in this column’s comments section on highlandernews.org.

Songs: “Lost in the Headlights” “Ephemeral” “The Creeper” “Drought”

First Impressions

Mon, 25 Oct 2010 00:52:00 -0700

As I walked out of the Four Seasons hotel in Beverly Hills this past Saturday following a press conference for an upcoming film, a large, well-dressed man walked past me pushing a wardrobe lined with elaborate costumes and multi-colored garb. What caught my attention was a large box resting on a shelf in the center of the wardrobe framed by feathers and glittered scarves.

Scrawled across the box in giant block letters were the words “Lady Gaga’s Wigs.”

Believe it or not, there are scenes and communities across the globe that embrace musicians for simple talent and the gift of songwriting. Artists are signed not on the basis of mass-appeal or attractiveness, but love for the craft of music.

They don’t have to come up with flashy or risque gimmicks to catch (and keep) their audience’s attention and they certainly don’t have to dress or look a certain way. They travel from venue to venue in vans and do not barricade themselves from their fans behind a wall of celebrity.

There’s something gratifying about the ability to see a band you love and approach them after a show for a conversation not just as a fan, but as a fellow human being. For the 98% of musicians out there without major label contracts, this is a way of life.

So much of the mainstream music industry is made up of businesspeople who know a lot about marketing but a little about music and even less about talent. Formulaic song structure and cliché littered lyrics are not condemned but embraced, packaged up and shelved in department stores, one size fits all.

Nowadays, whether you can even sing or not has become a nonissue with the popularization of the Roland TR-808, the autotune tool behind the otherwise tone-deaf vocal performances so prevalent in popular music the last few years. Its a contest to see who can hold a guitar and look cooler doing it.

Despite the fact most artists are not played on radio stations or jocked on music video programs, the minority that do are the only ones most people hear. Just the other day I was talking with my barber about music and he just couldn’t grasp the concept of an “underground.”

Like so many others I meet, this “underground” is veiled by a sheet of obscurity that takes too much trouble to find and keep track of. It took me years to become well acquainted with the canon of but one underground genre and I continue to explore others on a daily basis; its a continuous and wholly enjoyable process that never ends.

Through this column I hope to encourage music lovers to engage in the exploration and discovery of new and exciting independent music. From punk and metal to indie, folk and hip-hop, I’ll discuss artists I feel deserve recognition. Maybe they have a new album coming out and they’re playing a show nearby, or the leaves outside could simply be changing colors and a particular band’s music fits the season well. My goal is to provide those who are interested the means to acquaint themselves with diverse artists they otherwise would not have heard.

One week I’ll cover a sludge metal band and the next an indie folk band. Hopefully you’ll come in with an open mind and the curiosity to approach an artist’s music objectively, as that is the only way to really grow as a fan of any art form.

Beware, I will likely provide absurd yet occasionally useful subgenre titles for the sole purpose creating a superficial idea of sound or musical aesthetic. Just don’t become disenchanted because I label a band as post-prog pop metal (which I just made up), because in the end these titles have no official bearing on the music and are just vague and often humorous descriptors.

Although I advocate listening to entire releases to gain a complete understanding of an artists’ capabilities (i.e. an album front to back), I will list a few standout or representative tracks because I understand that some people prefer to dip their toes in before taking the leap, which is fine.

Next week I’ll discuss the instrumental (and arguably unclassifiable) post-metal band Pelican on the heels of their 10th anniversary show at the Troubadour on October 30th. Celebrating their decade as a band, they will be playing a retrospective set that should mine the core of the band’s mysterious and genre-defying identity.

Just don’t expect any colorful wigs.