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New Release from Christoffer Øien & The Future Sounds – “Reach”

15 May

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I’ve got another great release for you all from a good friend of the Music Court, Christoffer Øien and his Future Sounds. The new single, which was released on the first of this month, is the perfect way to break away from the long winter in both Norway and New York – you see, Øien, as always, his international appeal. “Reach” is carried by a steady chord progression and a lightly plucked melody. The verse finds Øien’s sultry voice utilizing a Colin Hay-like tone that sounds analogous to a nicely steamed latte or a perfect Spring day. Øien is not afraid to bounce his voice up to a falsetto once or twice and this serves as a perfect complement to the crashing drums of the drums. Shout out also to the excellent melody in the chorus and dulcet strings. “Reach” also features a slide guitar solo interlude that fits snugly into this multifarious release.

As has been stated several times now on this blog, Christoffer Øien and the Future Sounds are an exciting band creating exciting music, and you should be listening to them!

Howling About Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats

10 Apr

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Now from the category of best album I completely missed in 2015, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats self-titled release may be one of the better releases not just last year but for some years prior. Look, as loyal readers of this blog – which is celebrating its wool/copper anniversary – may have noticed, posts have not been abundant over the past several months. If the blogosphere was a plush, verdant forest, The Music Court has turned into a desiccated wasteland with small oases (did you know that was the plural of oasis? I didn’t) in patchy areas of dirt and tumbleweed. That said, when I have a few moments to myself and when a band like Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats pops up in my music search I just need to share it.

When I first heard Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats I immediately thought about the soulful renderings of artists like Booker T, Otis Redding, and Sam & Dave: heavy soul with deep horn instrumentals featuring a powerful vocalist whose voice reverberated like an expensive scotch burnings one’s insides. Apparently my ear was as keen as the individuals over at STAX records where the aforementioned artists cut their teeth and where Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats are signed. And, boy what a great signing that was.

Let’s start out of the gate strong with the band’s single, “SOB,” which pairs a bluegrass-inspired song about the classic blues trope – alcohol – with a Blues Brothers inspired video. The song, which apparently – according to a BBC interview – was first constructed as a joke, gained immense popularity, and that has sang to the tune of more than 15 million YouTube plays on the video. If one told me that only 15 people have listened to the song but have done so 1 million times a piece, I would believe you. I’m actually not sure how one listens to the song only once. “SOB” is musical pringles, a veritable earworm that latches on with a toe-tapping spiritual hum and then eats away with Nathaniel Rateliff’s raspy croon that preaches behind an adept rhythm section. Try to not listen to this song over and over again. Just try.

“I Need Never Get Old,” which is the song that turned me on to the band, actually features a stronger rhythm, starting with percussion and a rising horn riff that leads into an echoey vocal. The staccato pace carries the rhythm to new heights and the gradual crescendo towards the end is powerful. The video, which features the band slowly losing its mind after 100s of takes of the song and then quite literally growing old at the end, is oddly fitting. The band is a little quirky, featuring a soulful sound not heard often today, and its quirkiness is due to the old sound that the band produces.

Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats is special.

Music Palace – Rival Sons, Adam Sullivan and the Trees

28 Feb

I must proclaim that I am a little late to the game with both Rival Sons and Adam Sullivan and the Trees. I first heard about both bands back in 2014, and, well, there they sat on my list of bands to write about for around two years. Since then, though, both bands have continued their drive to the top of their respective genres, creating excellent music that, if you have not heard of yet, you should have (and you will now).

 

Rival Sons

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Hard Rock is tough to come by these days. And, no, I’m not talking about the loud, “hard rock” proto-punk sound that occasionally serves as a substitute to traditional hard rock. I’m talking about Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Blue Cheer 1960s/1970s hard rock that took blues music and shaped it into a driving sound that rocked the socks off of my parent’s generation. Lucky for listeners today, Rival Sons is doing just that. Much in the vein of modern bands like The Sheepdogs and Gary Clark Jr., Rival Sons is creating old-style rock n’ roll music with a keen blues sound, driving percussion, and raspy vocals. This is not going unnoticed. The Californian band, which formed back in 2009,  was handpicked to be the main support for the entire Black Sabbath farewell world tour. That’s a high compliment from one of the originators of the genre.

Released in 2014, on the 4th studio album from the band – Great Western Valkyrie – “Open My Eyes” was a large reason why the album reached #1 on the US Heat charts as well as charting in several European countries. Hit play on that track and tell me it does not sound like you just lightly placed the needle down on an LP. The crashing percussion and satiating riff – purveyed by Mike Miley and Scott Holiday respectively – are jaw-dropping. Lead vocalist Jay Buchanan belts the vocals from the first note, calling forth comparisons to Paul Rodgers and Lou Gramm. Dave Beste provides a solid bass guitar to round out the quartet. The song even features a Bad Compary-esque acoustic interlude. This is a tremendous release from an up-and-coming band, and I cannot wait to hear more from them.

Adam Sullivan and the Trees

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After years as a solo artist, Adam Sullivan needed some more roots to shape his music career, so he recruited some NYC trees and started making music with them. The result? Adam Sullivan and the Trees, a four-piece Indie/Folk/Pop outfit whose music relies on catchy melodies, dulcet rhythms, and, according to the Facebook page, halal food and whiskey. The band, which consists of Adam Sullivan (keys, vocals), Mason Ingram (drums), Rob Ritchie (guitars), and Zack Lober (bass), formed in 2013 and since then released a self-titled LP (2014) and Live and Acoustic album (2015).

“Cool Kids” – the live version – is off of the band’s most recent 2015 release. It is a ditty in every traditional sense. The band describes its genre as happy/sad music, and this song encompasses that genre perfectly. Ostensibly, it is a melodic acoustic track with pleasant vocals and cheery instrumentation; the lyrics, though, are about trying to fit in with the cool kids and are, well, sad; however, the lyrics fit perfectly with the track and in that are successful.

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New Music Palace – Popfilter, Brother Moses, Mark Hole

21 Feb

There is a plenitude of excellent new music that exists in the vast music hemisphere today; unfortunately, there also exists a time limitation that prevents me from covering all of these new tunes. Thus, today, and for weekends in the future, I bring you a New Music Palace breakdown of some of the more exciting artists creating tracks today. My promise to you is simple: excellent new music that you should listen to immediately. Today I feature tracks from bands Popfilter, Brother Moses, and Mark Hole.

“Empire” by Popfilter

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Popfilter comes to us from Denver, CO, a brand new three-piece Indie Pop band who just released its first single “Empire.” The track has been featured on the New & Notable section of Noisetrade (a great site for new music) and has found some local play in the Denver area. And, for reasons that will be clear once you click play below, the song should soon propel itself beyond local play and into the ears of significantly more listeners. “Empire” features crashing drums, bright keys, and a bubbly, upbeat sound that is carried by Mason Maxwell’s classic Indie croon. For a newer band, this is an impressive, mature release, both canorous and edgy – a little Keane/Coldplay, a little Jesse Morrow.  The band has a few more singles in the works and will be releasing them in the upcoming months.

 

“Crazy Eyes” by Brother Moses

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Let’s travel to Arkansas and meet a cohesive 4-piece that has been “making music” since the band were “babies.” “Crazy Eyes,” the band’s new single, is a track from the forthcoming EP, Legends, which will be released in April. The piece features a building sound, starting with strung-out keys that culminate in a repetitive drum and guitar riff that form a melodic instrumentations that is carried by solid vocals. The song features some excellent call-and-response instrument/vocal harmonies and an excellent bass guitar that pairs with the drums to form a wonderful rhythm section.

 

“Don’t Be Silly” by Mark Hole

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Mark Hole is an interesting story. Son of a the CEO of Universal Music Group International, Hole, presumably, has been around music for quite a while, and his expansive talent and fascinating style demonstrates that. Hole is uber-prolific and has recently embarked on his “The Hole Story” campaign where he will release 27 tracks with corresponding videos. I’m featuring track #2 “Don’t Be Silly,” which I think is an elegant portrayal of Mark’s skill. The song features a unique, staccato piano rhythm that bounces with Hole’s vocals. The song is like a mix between Indie/Pop, 70s Disco/Soul, 90s retro 50’s throwbacks, and probably a whole slew of other influences. It is tight and effervescent. Great track.

Musicians on Tour – Great Concerts in 2016

31 Jan

Are you available to see a concert in the year 2016? You are? Excellent. This post will have some applicability for you. A great concert is ineffable. From the purchase of the tickets to the anticipation to the moment when the band/artist comes out on stage to the tinny sound of ringing ears as you are pouring out the venue, live shows have a special place in the musical muscles of melody seekers. To help you in the quest to find that perfect concert this year, here are a few tours that might be coming to your backyard in 2016.

Note: Billy Joel is not on this list, even though he has almost taken a permanent residence in Madison Square Garden – much like a Broadway play or Las Vegas residence.

Black Sabbath – The End Tour

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Although Ozzy had to postpone some recent dates because of a bout of sinusitis, Black Sabbath – as current constituted with Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, and Geezer Butler – started its goodbye tour in Omaha to be completed in September. The pioneers of heavy metal music are technically touring their recent release The End. This is the last time you will be able to see the band that brought the music world “Iron Man,” “Paranoid,” and, well, Ozzy Osbourne.

Tour Dates

Fall Out Boy – Wintour is Coming

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Fall out Boy has made an impressive comeback after a 4-year hiatus (which ended in 2013) with songs like “Uma Thurman” and “Centuries,” which line its new album American Beauty/American Psycho. Now, the band is touring, and if the Game of Thrones pun is any indication the tour will be quite engaging. What’s even better is FOB wisely chose AWOLNATION (and Pvris) to open for the show; AWOLNATION is one of the most exciting bands out there. This should be an awesome show.

Tour Dates

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band – The River Tour

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BRUCE!!! To celebrate the release of The Ties that Bind: The River Collection, a 52-track, 4-hour video collection celebrating the 35th anniversary of The River, Bruce has once again set out on a massive tour that will seem him traversing the continental U.S.; he will also be heading to Portugal for a date in May. The show has been typical Bruce, fit with 30+ songs from his extensive collection.

Tour Dates

Florence + The Machine – How Beautiful Tour

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Florence Welch, who my sister widely regards as “The Goddess,” is an unbelievably talented musician who, with her tremendous Machine, recently released How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful, which features songs like “What Kind of Man,”  and “Queen of Peace” and has been widely regarded as a mature, strong release. The tour, which starts in May, is well worth seeing if you have the ability to do so.

Tour Dates

Coldplay – A Head full of Dreams Tour

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Oh, Coldplay. You have to give the Britpop band some major credit; Coldplay has been around since 1996 and is still creating unique music. The band is a true chameleon; it is constantly transforming its sound, not necessarily to create mass-market sounds, but, instead, to constantly recreate its music. This strategy is clearly working as the band is gearing up for another tremendous world tour that will include a stop in San Francisco next week for the Superbowl. Go to a Coldplay show if you can; the band is awesome live.

Tour Dates

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