She and Him and A Packed House at Central Park Summerstage

9 Jul
Photo: Dana Yavin

Photo: Dana Yavin

A quick glance at the sold-out crowd at Central Park Summerstage during last Saturday’s scorcher might have suggested something ranging from slightly eerie to downright strange – there was a sea of smiling Zooey Deschanel’s baking in the New York City sun. Draped in diaphanous sun dresses, hair adornments, and soft makeup, a quirky army of fans sat on the faux green lawn of Summerstage and dined on Asiadogs and craft beer through Camera Obscura’s upbeat opening set. And then, as the sun started setting over the skyscrapers in the distance, the one and only new girl fluttered out on stage with her rock partner in crime, M. Ward, and sang “I Was Made for You” to the true sold out crowd of cute impersonators.

Let’s back up a second to answer the immediate question sparked by this opening passage. Zooey Deschanel sings? Most know the rising star from “500 Days of Summer,” “Elf,” or the hit Fox show “New Girl,” but she is also an accomplished Jazz singer with a penchant for keyboards, percussion, banjo and ukulele.

After meeting on the set of the 2007 movie “The Go-Getter,” Deschanel and M. Ward, an accomplished Indie/Folk/Rock singer-songwriter, formed a collaboration that has since released four studio albums, the most recent released in May of this year.

The skill of both musicians was apparent during the sweltering show at Summerstage. Why am I belaboring the heat? It was HOT. Hot, humid, sticky, sweaty, and sunny. But, despite the heat – both generated from the sun and by the close grouping of attendees – the 28-song set captured the ears of the concert goers, and the vast majority of listeners were hanging on every note played by She & Him’s talented band.

I was most stricken with two elements of the show. It is no surprise that Deschanel can attract an audience – she is an actress – so the large crowd of wild-eyed lookalikes was expected, but her proficiency with the vast instrumentation on stage was intriguing. M. Ward and she swapped instruments and bounced around the stage effervescently. The extensive set list mixed She & Him originals with classics like “You Really Got a Hold on Me” and “Stars Fell on Alabama.” Deschanel and her backup singer duo The Chapin Sisters also performed an airy cover of “Unchained Melody.” During the encore M. Ward rocked a cover of “Roll Over Beethoven” and Deschanel and M. Ward closed the show with a sultry version of “I Put a Spell on You.”

Overall, despite the grueling heat, She & Him and Camera Obscura were pretty darn cool. I was impressed by the talent that oozed from She & Him, and considering the engagement of the audience, I think a full crowd at Summerstage agreed with that sentiment.

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Album Preview – AM by Arctic Monkeys

5 Jul

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Sometimes a band just seizes the moment by the scruff of its neck and everyone knows, for better or worse, that it’s theirs. This is one of those times, and Arctic Monkeys are undeniably that band. After opening the Olympics last summer and headlining Glastonbury for the second time, they have built up such momentum that their new album, AM, is going to be a Very Big Event. It may not be out until 9th September, but here are five reasons you should be very excited about it right now.

 

They owned Glastonbury

The Rolling Stones were the most anticipated; the Mumford and Sons had the biggest sing-alongs, but the Arctic Monkeys owned the weekend. From acoustic versions of Mardy Bum to making everyone dance to When the Sun Goes Down, frontman Alex Turner had the crowd in the pocket of his sparkly blazer. They had all of the confidence they lacked the first time around, telling the crowd: “See you next time.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEYo0ea7HF8

They’re one of the most consistent bands about

Every album by the Arctic Monkeys has been very good, despite their constant changes in musical styles. Even Alex Turner’s side projects have been excellent – from the crooning, wistful soundtrack to Submarine to the 60’s-influenced Last Shadow Puppets album. Everything he does comes with a seal of guaranteed quality. The only divisive thing in his back catalogue is their third album Humbug;, which is generally considered a brave experiment that wasn’t wholly successful.

R U Mine? is on there!

Back when R U Mine? was released in the distant past of February 2012, most people assumed it was a one-off single, to keep us content until the next album arrived. Which was fine by us – it contained some their most aggressive musical swagger so far, full of garage rock and cryptic lyrics that Alex specialises in. According to interviews, the band “discovered something in that record we thought was worth exploring”, influencing the rest of the album.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJD-HEAHHg8

Josh Homme is involved

The Queens of the Stone Age frontman has been producing brilliant records like clockwork for over 20 years now. He produced the band’s third album and is set to appear on their new one. He is one of the most gifted guitarists of his generation and his influence always helps to push the band in a heavier direction.

Alex has become the rockstar he was always meant to be

Like the main character in a coming of age novel, Alex has matured from an awkward teenager to an indie rock god. With each album and image makeover, his confidence has grown – just witness the suave crooning on Suck it and See. It’s difficult to remember how he once sung about romantic problems with such believability. Now he is rarely seen without a leather jacket, sunglasses and a quiff. The time has never been better to see them live.

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The High Wire and the Last Night on Earth

30 Jun

The High Wire

In advance of its third release, The High Wire is previewing “LNOE,” a warm, string-laden piece that packs a punch. The song will officially be released on July 29.

Originally the outlet of singer/songwriter Tim Crompton, The High Wire expanded to include West coast Canadian Alexia Hagen and UK native Ross Forrest. Citing Motown and the Gorillaz as influences, the band creates a melting pot of pop-sensitive pieces that utilize modern psychedelia and folk influences.

The band’s music has been described as everything from “Delirious shoegaze” (Artrocker) to “a narcoleptic wonderland” (NME), but “LNOE,” represents a different approach.

The rhythm is almost exclusively driven by an orchestra of strings, and this creates an ethereal sound that bounces off the listener. The persistent chorus is one part Coldplay, one part MGMT – an eclectic blend that utilizes hard-hitting British pop/rock and American psychedelia. While the harmony is strong and the song is certainly potent, the melody lulls the listener, almost inebriating them with the rich sound. Excellent release. We are looking forward to hearing the rest of the album.

Check out more of The High Wire on the band’s Website, Facebook or Twitter

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Let’s Go Safari teach the art of breaking bad news

28 Jun

There’s a saying that you should break bad news with cake. (Or, according the current Internet trend, cute animals.) Even if they are devastated by the news, it is scientifically impossible to stay down for long with cake. Dorset-based band Let’s Go Safari have taken this method to the logical extreme by delivering almost hilariously bleak messages to summery indie pop.

Let's Go Safari

Ignore their depressing promises: the five piece band have definitely been having a good year. In the last twelve months, they have signed to Red Dragon Records, released their first EP ‘Curiosity Killed… Let’s Go Safari’ and recruited two new members to their guitar pop family. Their aim is to create ‘meticulously messy’ songs which they seem to have achieved; each song bounces from verse to chorus in unexpected ways. If you are a fan of the Shins, you will feel in familiar territory with them, despite the South Coast accents.

The most downcast song on the EP (Curiosity Kills…) is the ‘Glad to Be a Grad’, which explores the journey from optimistic University student to jaded graduate. “Take it from me, the job market’s crashed,” lead singer Ryan Woods chirps happily to an unbearably sweet pop riff. Fortunately, The simple, music-box like riff prevents it from being too depressing.

Let’s Go Safari also get a chance to show their more romantic side on ‘Down in the Basement’, although it’s filled with the same painfully honest Arctic Monkeys-like social commentary. The singer explains he doesn’t care if he a girl doesn’t ‘put out’ on the second date, despite lusting after a romance straight from the movies. Like all of their songs, it has a catchy chorus that crowds could easily pick up and sing to at a festival, as well as enough hidden depths to keep dedicated fans interested.

Check out their website, and follow the band through their Facebook.

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Through It All with Kye Alfred Hillig

24 Jun

Kye Alfred Hillig

Kye Alfred Hillig has recorded 18 full length albums of original material and has written more than 1,000 songs. He has been the primary songwriter for four bands, been on multiple regional and national tours, and performed many shows in the Pacific Northwest before going solo in 2012. He is the quintessential troubadour; his granular croon and unique brand of folk combine to create original pieces that fill each album with full-blown hits.

So, why do we not know more about Hillig? Perhaps it is because he first went solo last year. Well, if his first two solo efforts are indicators of success, Hillig will soon be a household name for folk lovers. Put simply, this man can sing, write, and play. His twangy croon has elements of Josh Ritter and Conor Oberst, and his lyric balances metaphors, axioms, and personal anecdotes.

While different in voice and lyrical content, Hillig, in his sheer productivity, reminds me of John Darnielle of the Mountain Goats. Similarly, each song of his is original and listenable – a tremendous quality and feat for a musician.

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Together Through it All was written during Hillig’s first months of employment at a funeral home in the Puyallup Valley of Washington State. He gathered several songs for the new album, and, even though it had only been four months since the release of his debut album solo album Aurora (Darnielle-esque!), Hillig is a songwriter and felt the itch to get in the studio and lay down the new tracks for his second release. The album was released in February of 2013.

This song plays right into my weakness. Introductory staccato piano chords and accordion (seriously, I cannot help from being lured by Parisian folk!) So, immediately “An Unedited Presentation of Souls” sent me back to Jardin du Luxembourg. Hillig’s apt vocal, well-placed harmonies, and rapid-plucked acoustic guitar do not hurt. With the fused style of Joe Purdy and the Counting Crows, Hillig allows the song to flourish with rich instrumentals and soothing vocals.

“You & Me & Time” emits a different feel; a folk ballad that moves like calm waves undulating in the ocean. Hillig’s versatility is striking. This song also has some of Hillig’s most inspired lyrics on the album – simple and beautiful:

“And I don’t care if they think we’re wrong
And I don’t care if they hate this song
Let them paint the world so black and white
I’ll take the colors that make up our lives, and baby we’ll paint the night”

When asked about his inspiration, Hillig said:

“The thing that inspires me most in music is the continual investigation of difficult subject matter, the areas and ideas that make most of us uncomfortable. I’ve found that these places are gold mines for creating work that feels meaningful to me. It wasn’t until going solo that I really found my voice in music. Since then it feels like I’ve really discovered who I am as a songwriter. I believe strongly in going to work for my music. Making myself available for songs to happen is a vital part of the process now. I don’t sit around waiting for songs to fall in my lap. I start fiddling with instruments daily like an archeologist trying to unearth something, waiting for something to show itself. Some days I find something worth keeping. Some days I don’t.”

Doesn’t this excellently describe the writing process (songwriting/prose/poetry)? It is like an archeologist trying to unearth something. Luckily for Hillig, he rarely digs without finding precious metals.

Check out the rest of Together Through It All. Follow Hillig on his Facebook and Website

 

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