Dreaming in Central Park – M83 at Summerstage 8/8/2012

10 Aug

Let there be M83

I’ve come to a conclusion. Bands who start off their concerts with a fly monster gradually lifting his arms towards the sky while green laser beams shoot out of them towards the crowd will probably perform a good show. M83’s weeknight concert at Central Park Summerstage proved this abstruse statistic correct. The French shoegaze/synthpop foursome led by vocalist, conductor, art director, pianist, etc. Anthony Gonzalez combined forces with a full on-stage orchestra to blast ambient riffs to an excited crowd.

Okocim and I expected the crowd to be more Hipstery. I’m not entirely sure what we meant by that, but we both know collectively what we are talking about. Skinny, cigarette-puffing, open button-downs or short skin-revealing black t’s, slicked back hair, $300 ensemble, crossing their arms and nodding at the music while sipping a craft beer or, better yet, wine from the City Winery cart. Instead, the concert was attended by an eclectic group of mostly 20-somethings dancing and sweating in the inevitable cloud of weed and beer. M83 played to the crowd exceptionally well, putting together a set list that unctuated skillfully and culminated into percussion-heavy fast-paced electronic synth tracks that sparked sweaty dancing. It was certainly an intimate gathering as my sweat-soaked shirt and aching knee would suggest.

The light show (you can see a little taste above) was exceptionally well-done. It was coordinated perfectly with the music, and it was not excessive. It accentuated the tracks and provided listeners with brilliant visual stimuli.

During the concert, as drug-induced swaying mixed with hums and yells, I started thinking about the type of music that M83 creates. It is a type of electronic that is original to them. “Midnight City,” for example – their most popular song and the one that received the most cheers during the show – is pop, well synthpop. But their other material is dreamy, smooth, and almost drawn-out (giving them the shoegaze title – but one that is light on guitars). Some may call the music Indietronica, an obscure combo genre that is not used so often. I think I am going to settle on calling them M83. They are unique. A majority of their music comes from the 80’s new wave movement, but they have transformed it into something original. And it’s exciting to hear a unique band.

They are also refreshingly grateful. There perfusive thanks to the crowd was authentic. You could really tell they love playing music and performing it. I’d say my favorite song of the night was “Outro” into “Colours” in the encore. “Outro” features Gonzalez’s vocals above a gradually rising song that eventually blows up. This is followed by “Colours,” a track off of Saturdays=Youth that is equatable to an electro-dance piece. It was a great decision to close the night.

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Lower Your Eyelids at Central Park Summerstage

8 Aug

You have heard of M83 (named after the galaxy Messier 83). If you don’t think you have, you have. Trust me. If you listened to music last year, it was difficult to avoid “Midnight City,” the huge hit off of M83’s 2011 album Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming. The album was the biggest success for the French electronic band, although they have released six albums to date. Six albums and a lot of good music.

See? I told you. With more than 14 million Facebook views, it is easy to confirm that the song was/is quite popular. In a few hours I am going to the M83 show at Central Park Summerstage, and I’m not quite sure what to expect. M83 plays an infectious brand of shoegaze electronic music that combines crescendoing, heavenly melodies with Anthony Gonzalez’s smooth vocals. Because of the success of  “Midnight City” and the whole synthpop infused double album, I’m not sure what the crowd is going to look like. My guess is an overwhelmingly young crowd with a mix of true M83 devotees and recent fans. Oh, and there will certainly be costumes by the band and flashing lights. A lot of flashing lights.

I was introduced to M83 by Okocim. He will be joining me for the concert tonight. He showed me the band in college and I immediately became hooked by one song in particular, the lengthy last track of M83’s 2005 album Before the Dawn Heals Us. The song that intrigued me was “Lower Your Eyelids to Die With the Sun.” It still remains my favorite song from the band. I know that I will probably not hear the track tonight, but I can still show it to you folks.

The piece struck a chord with me mainly because of its repetitive creativity. I love how Gonzalez lays out the piece, combining rising elements until it forms a wave of sound that hits hard. It is what I would consider an epic piece (and perfect for a movie). You can just imagine something glorious happening as this plays. I know that M83 with most likely open the show with “Intro,” the first track off of their new album, but a taste of this piece would work even better (in my opinion of course). Now enjoy the song, and I will have a review up of the concert soon.

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In With the Killer Whales

7 Aug

In The Whale

 
Despite what their website – www.inthewhalesucks.com – implies, In The Whale does not suck. Quite on the contrary, the band’s aggressive blend of blues is loud but refreshing, a great example of a band that knows how and when to rock. The answer to that question is all the time. In The Whale, a Denver-based rock group, released their first EP Cake in January of 2012, and since then they have spent time rambunctiously touring the album.  The four-track album features heavy blues riffs mixed with punk elements that, at times, ventures into the Indie scene. The music is heavy and exciting. It also is melodic and catchy. It’s certainly a good combination.
 
 
“Woman” is a good example of what I was just talking about. My favorite on the album, this hard-hitting piece is slow head-banger. It pairs booming drums played effectively and recklessly by Eric Riley with a dirty riff (dirty in a good way) by Nate Valdez and Joey Barba, combined with a driving and noticeable bass manned by Tyler Rima. The verse is a raw blend of muted guitar and an edgy bluesy voice that forms harmony over heavy fills and riffs. It’s like Guess Who meets heavy metal. There is also a damn organ which shoots the song back into the early 70s temporarily.
 
 
“Heels,” which accurately follows “Woman” initially plays more like a 90’s metal song, with fast rhythm and organized vocals. The riff, like “Woman” is gritty. The chorus hits quickly with effective melodies. The fill featuring hand claps followed by the song’s solo which manipulates the rhythm is awesome. Actually sounds Judas Priest like. Great job, In The Whale.
 
Buy the EP at the band’s Bandcamp, Facebook, and Twitter.

Coldplay Colors the IZOD Center – August 3, 2012

6 Aug

The Glow at the IZOD Center

Every concert emits a certain aura, whether it is a laid-back coffe-shop jazz quartet or a head-banging arena show. For more than a decade, Coldplay has colored crowds with concerts that near reckless joy, leaving sold-out audiences with permanent grin marks. The current Mylo Xyloto tour is more of the same, and for a Coldplay concert virgin, I must say I wasn’t wrong in my effusive confidence that I wouldn’t be disappointed.

I was blown away by Coldplay’s ability to perform a concert with tremendous production value that does not take away from the music (but rather adds to the songs). In calculated moments, props were added to songs (beach balls, glowing blown-up shapes, confetti), and these elements added color to the rainbow rays of laser light that shot around the IZOD center in New Jersey on Friday. The true bulk of the entire production was colored remote-controlled bracelets that were electronically lit up at certain points of the show, creating a multi-colored graffiti of light that brightened the dark and flashed collectively as the sold out arena aided lead singer Chris Martin with every lyric.

Graffiti, the theme of Coldplay’s Mylo Xyloto and their current tour, is generally considered disorganized and splotchy. But when you look through the lines of sprayed color and chalky pictures, it is not difficult to see a hint of togetherness in the art. This is what was perhaps most striking about the concert. There was an incredible element of family and togetherness, and the band played to this successfully.

It is Coldplay’s comfort on the stage that has most likely influenced their staying power. While they may not be flawless performers, they are damn near close. Martin’s voice is unchanged from recordings to stage, and I always respect a vocalist who is actually a damn good vocalist. The music was tremendous throughout the 21-song set. The acoustics of the IZOD center are a little better than decent. The sound can get a little absorbed by the stadium creating a slight echo that drowns out some of the bass. It was obviously best when, in the encore, the band, who had now moved to a mock side stage in the right stands (lucky people who had seats there), slowly added instruments.

Of the entire set, “The Scientist” stood out to me. It was not only because of my absolute enjoyment of that song, but also the loud sing-along that overcame Martin at times. But, who am I kidding, the entire show was pretty much a joint sing-along. “The Scientist” was followed by an acoustic performance of “Yellow.” Did you know “Yellow” is more than a decade old. Wow. I realized that during the show as I sang it with reckless abandon of my vocal chords. My chops took further shots during “Clocks” and “Fix You,” and, heck, I’ll admit it, “Viva La Vida” and the concert finale “Every Teardrop is a Waterfall.”  

Say what you want. Say the band sold out from its Brit-piano-pop roots. I wouldn’t call what Coldplay did selling out. They evolved. And this was quite evident by the diverse crowd at the show. 30-40-year-olds mixed with 14-15-year-olds singing past and present songs like they were part of a church choir. Coldplay’s electro-pop Mylo Xyloto was just one more notch in Coldplay’s belt. The next album and tour will certainly be even more creative, and I am looking forward to attending.

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Coldplay Plays the Izod Tonight – August 3 – Great Cover of Fix You

3 Aug

Why does Coldplay get such a bad rap? It’s an odd phenomenon. I’ve heard a lot of “old” Coldplay fans say that current albums have become loud, mainstream messes, and thus they have been turned off by the band. You see, I actually see it differently. I think Coldplay is a perfect example of a band that can bend mainstream music to fit their own brand of piano-infused spacious rock. I think they have found a way to be mainstream relevant (duets with Jay Z and Rhianna, for example), and still extraordinarily talented. Since 1996, Coldplay has been creating infectious pop/rock tunes, and they have gained a growing following that mixes young and old listeners. Their music is enjoyable and marketable. We should be commending them, not censuring them.

I will be making the traffic-fueled trip from Long Island to New Jersey tonight to see Coldplay on night one of their two-day sojourn at the Izod center. I have peeked at the set-lists of recent performances, and they perform a mix of material from their new album Mylo Xyloto and some staples like “Fix You,” “The Scientist,” and “Clocks.” I wonder if they might change it up a little bit since they are performing two nights. As long as they play my favorite Coldplay song, “The Scientist,” I will be happy.

To prepare myself for the concert tonight, I’ve been listening to some Coldplay songs (even though it does seem rather ridiculous because I am going to hear them all again later). As I was listening to “Fix You,” I came across an excellent cover performed by Boyce Avenue, a band of three multi-instrumentalist brothers from Florida. They play this cover of “Fix You” with Tyler Ward, and demonstrate excellent vocal harmonies. And, damn, it doesn’t matter who performs it, that climaxing guitar riff in the middle of the song is so incredible. It was really a strike of genius from Coldplay. Chris Martin, lead vocalist of Coldplay, wrote this lyric for his wife, actress Gwyneth Paltrow, when her father died.  He has called the song, “the most important song we’ve ever written.”

Here is the cover by Boyce Avenue. Enjoy.

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