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Rollin’ With Skinny Lister

21 Jan

Skinny Lister

It may have taken until this month for Skinny Lister’s debut LP Forge and Flagon to be released in the United States, but this patriotic British Indie/Folk quintet has gone from an authentic pub band to the ‘hardest working band in the UK. And staying true to their debut album’s name, the band just continues to blow away crowds with their punky, effervescent folk hits that flow just like the everlasting quantity of wine from a metal flagon. In 2011, Skinny Lister played more festivals than ANY band in the UK, and don’t expect them to be slowed down by languor or travel hangovers. No, Skinny Lister will forge ahead with a vivaciousness unique to only the best of those perpetually touring acts. Why? Because they love it!

In 2012, Skinny Lister went from performing at SXSW to earning a spot on the Vans Warped Tour, where they played three times a day. To support their new release, the band is opening for California-spawned Celtic Punk band Flogging Molly during a 19-date tour that will traverse the States. I have the privilege to attend the NYC show, which I will do with much delight, and then with fervid enjoyment (like Skinny Lister’s musical attitude) write a review for you all. Check out the concert schedule.

Let’s get to Skinny Lister’s debut. Often bands who are constantly touring fall into the trap of ‘studio lassitude.’ It’s almost a natural katzenjammer when one considers a restive tour schedule. This is NOT the case for Skinny Lister. The music is catchy, crisp, edgy, and excellent. The music is fresh. It is bubbly and brainy, smart and sassy, powerful and…well…powerful! The music is also ubiquitous. It can be enjoyed by those that like to dance, rock out, or just sit with a cup of joe and nod at good folk music.

“Rollin’ Over” is an energetic piece fused with speedy percussion, spirited instrumentation, and fastidious harmony. From a musical standpoint it is tightly spun, a perfect example of punk-infused folk-pop, but from a pure enjoyment standpoint the music is playful and sprightly. It is almost a guarantee that large groups of audiences will repeat “roll back to your side” ad nauseam. The additional vocal harmony at the end is much appreciated. Great track.

“If the Gaff Don’t Let us Down” moves in a similar manner, but it plays more like a tame Flogging Molly or Great Big Sea track. It is an ode to England, and the lyric attests to that fact. This should be added to the British tourism board. It is a sea jig with the best of them, and it makes me want a London Pride in a pub overlooking the river Mersey.

I can’t stress this enough, drink in Skinny Lister. You will be hearing a lot more about them in the upcoming weeks and months.

Check out Skinny Lister’s website, Facebook and Twitter

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The First of the Rock Hop Era – Augustus Caesar

17 Jan

caesar

Augustus Caesar’s name suits him well. As the progenitor Augustus was the first Roman Emperor, today’s version of Augustus Caesar uses an electric guitar to reshape collaborative sound. Caesar has molded a modern form of metal and hip/hop that is a refreshing reboot of rap/rock, which hit it mainstream in the 90s.

One of the main triggers for this eclectic combination was Run D.M.C.’s collaboration with Aerosmith. The two groups reworked Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way” into a rock/rap hit. That was in 1986. This genre splice expanded to bands like the Beastie Boys (a hardcore punk band turned hip/hop experimental act) and Rage Against the Machine. As popular as the genre became in the mid-to-late 90s, when it hit the corruptible grasp of the mainstream it was compacted and commercialized and it quickly fizzled out (there are still Alt/Metal and NuMetal bands, it’s just not nearly as popular).

Now, more than a decade after the rap/rock bubble burst, Augustus Caesar has restored the collaboration into a more modern hip/hop version of rap/rock. Let’s take a listen to how it sounds.

The more modern elements are immediately heard with the effects. The song itself is drenched in heavy sound. It’s like a rainstorm of percussion-driven production where the thunder is a sick guitar riff. Yes, sick. The riff is an ode to tap-guitarists like Eddie Van Halen, and it’s sick. Augustus’ rap is also refreshing. I find that many rappers are vocally confusing, but Augustus enunciates well.

“Hope” is ostensibly lighter, but in some ways this piece hits harder. The hip/hop beat is set over a whining guitar riff that cries elegantly. The chorus follows the riff, an audible echo over the riff that is directed by the lyric. The piano riff calls out Brit/Pop, which makes the song more multi-layered. It is fun to peel back this onion and experience the song’s intricacies.

Learn more about Augustus Caesar! Visit his website, Facebook, and Twitter.

Never Seen a Marching Band Like This

16 Jan

MBhouse

After now three superior indie/pop releases, it is about damn time that more people know about the Swedish/Berlin duo Marching Band (Jacob Lind and Erik Sunbring). It is such a shame when sweet-sounding, sonorous sounds are only shouted from the snow-crested peaks of the Scandinavian Mountains or the Alps. So, America, are you listening?

Okay, maybe I am over-exaggerating a bit. It’s not like Marching Band has surreptitiously crawled out of the underground like a dulcet mole rat. After releasing their first album in 2008, Marching Band was written about by Rolling Stone’s “Hype Monitor.” They quickly earned radio support, and this continued for their second release in 2010 (check out all their music here). Because of their easily accessible, toe-tapping, psych-saturated pop sound, the band’s music has been featured on several television shows (How I Met Your Mother, Scrubs, Jersey Shore and Cougar Town).

But here is the deal. With the release of their new EP And I’ve Never Seen Anything Like That (and new album later in 2013), I want to see even more press for this Marching Band. The music is too good to pass up, and I think it deserves an even bigger listener population than it has already garnered. Let’s get to why I think this. The music, duh!

First thing’s first; this album was entirely self-produced. The EP (and future album) was recorded by the duo in their own studio. Thus, it features a commodious, hospitable sound, as if a mini version of the band is performing each song live on the listener’s desk. “And I’ve Never Seen,” the first track on the EP, begins with an infectious opening beat followed immediately by a satiating guitar riff. The well-harmonized vocals lay over the melody like a pillow. Marching Band features an almost Arcade Fire-like wall-of-sound-esque approach to the chorus of “And I’ve Never Seen” (and several of their chorus’). The culmination of sped-up instrumentals mix with pop paraphernalia. It makes for a great effect.

“Breaking is Fun” may be my favorite track from the EP. It is far more stripped down and folksy. The vocals are market fresh and pastoral. The song moves with a pop pace, though, and this amalgamation is excellent. The song also transforms seamlessly. A folk rhythm turns into a sort-of Irish jig to a rock breakdown into 90’s indie back to the Irish jig. Just awesome.

So, if after listening to the music you agree that Marching Band should be better known, go check out their website, Facebook, and Twitter

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Bike Thief Lives Up to Their Name

7 Jan

Bike Thief - Providence

It took more than a bike for Febian Perez, lead vocalist/guitar/bass/piano of new Indie/Rock band Bike Thief, to end up in Portland, Oregon, where he formed the subject of today’s Music Court post, but after creating an open triangle with his musical travels (Rhode Island to Texas to Portland) he has settled nicely into a sprawling Indie act reminiscent of the ornate sound of bands like Arcade Fire.

Bike Thief was named for the famous Italian film of a similar name – “The Bicycle Thieves” – and, in a sense, the opening track of Bike Thief’s incipient EP Ghost of Providence, which was released last week on River Jones Music label, is reminiscent of some of the expansive compositions of Italian composers.

“Battles” begins with a Western-style progression styled like “Rocky Raccoon” by The Beatles, and flows into a duskily dulcet collection of voices. The beginning triggers thoughts of Danger Mouse and Italian composer Daniele Luppi’s Spaghetti-Western inspired album Rome, and it is because of this that I find the initial Italian connection defensible. The song continues with the twang of the lead guitar and moaning strings (nice work by Greg Allen). Perez’s airy croon snuggly fits the piece. His voice is made for his music – go figure! The song culminates into an instrumental medley. It’s a refreshing opening track, one that travels quickly and leaves the listener wanting more.

“Ghost of Providence Pt. 1” is the more, and it is also the best track on the debut EP. This track beings more like a traditional Indie/Pop song (like that of Mumford and Sons), but it grows into something more elaborate. An acoustic riff and well-formed drum track (by Jim Cuda) leads into staccato strings. The strength of the song is in the repetitive lyric. I applaud the decision to pair the vocals with the strings. Equal credit here to the rest of the band: Charlie Barker – Vocals/guitar and Erica Shafer-Bass.

You can check out the rest of the EP on Bike Thief’s Bandcamp. Make sure to Like them on Facebook and Twitter.

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Gaining Transmission – The Creative Pop of Jon Samuel

3 Jan
Jon Samuel

Jon Samuel

Jon Samuel understands the key to creating mellifluous pop music. It doesn’t involve overused synthesizers, vocal effects, or complex sound. That would be too easy. Da Vinci wrote, “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication,” and this quotation accurately describes Samuel’s ability as a singer/songwriter. Don’t get me wrong, some bands are able to find an electronic balance and create elegant music, but stripped-down pop music requires a certain level of simplicity that is, well, sophisticated. Such artists are handed the arduous task of creating easy, inventive pop that is not pablum. Artists must be subtle in a completely unsubtle way. The greatest artists/writers (like Da Vinci and Shakespeare – who wrote “Brevity is the soul of wit”) will stand by the belief that conciseness and guilelessness is difficult to achieve but ultimately effective. Clearly, Samuel agrees, and his debut solo release First Transmission plays to that sentiment.

Some may know Samuel as one of the musicians in the 2008 Juno Award-winning band Wintersleep. Samuel acted as a composer for Wintersleep’s new album Hello Hum, which was released in June of 2012. Samuel’s solo album followed two months later. The album was recorded in the Spring/Summer of 2011 with Wintersleep bandmates Tim D’Eon and Loel Campbell. Rah Rah’s Erin Passmore provides vocals to two tracks.

“First Transmission,” the album’s title track, is an effervescent ode to SETI scientists who search for signs of intelligent life in space. First off, awesome concept for a song. I just want to get that important note out of the way before I discuss the music. Samuel’s clean and composed vocal is a delight. His voice is soothing, and, to stick with the space theme, is equatable to an astronaut experiencing a weak gravitational force; it floats, but with composure. Underneath Samuel’s airy vocal is an elementary drum beat and few chords. The song, though, does not come off as jejune despite its absence of complication. It is aided by its bubbly simplicity. Some well-placed harmony and call-and-response parts help carry the song even further.

“To Love” similarly starts with an easy riff. Samuel’s vocal follows the chords in rhythm. It’s a pleasure to listen to. Like in “First Transmission,” Samuel’s effortless vocal shines. The song also features atmospherical strings and creative harmonies that add to its cherubic effect.

The entire album is worth a listen, and I urge you to check it out.

You can learn more about Jon Samuel and buy his album at his website. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter

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