Three in Three: The Indie Pop Stylings of The Royal Bear

24 Apr

Today was an uplifting day in New York. My Dad and I took advantage of a perfect Sunday sunny afternoon and went to a New York Mets game. We sat in incredible seats and, while we were both scorched by the unexpected sun, we enjoyed a Mets victory. A beautiful day results in some brand spankin’ new pop music, and part two of The Music Court’s “Three in Three” section. The band is an Indie Pop foursome named The Royal Bear from Seattle that recorded their debut full-length album Attack at Bear Creek Studios, the well-known farm studio that housed Fleet Foxes. The Royal Bear actually entered Bear Creek right after Fleet Foxes left, so they recorded their debut album when the vibes were flowing in the studio.

What came of their 10-day session? A fresh take on indie pop that moves skillfully with head-bopping rhythms, punky guitar tablature and light melodies. The Royal Bear wants their music to be fun and because of the bubbly and driving rhythm it maintains it’s fluffy pop characteristics even with its post-punk sentiments. And, this results in exciting music that is enjoyable and catchy. Listen to “Keeping Secrets” on the band’s website.

http://sarathanonlineservices.com/theroyalbear/

The song fulfills its pop test in the first few notes. Some of looked at the band as 80’s because of its focus on “heavy pop,” but the rhythm suggests indie pop with a hint of punk. This genre combination allows The Royal Bear to effortlessly mix the airy simplicity of pop with easy-going punk elements. The result is fun music which is the exact intention of The Royal Bear.

Tags: , , , ,

Three in Three: The Mad Pride

23 Apr

Five-Pointed Star inside a Peace Sign with the Vitruvian Man (Pentacle Da Vinci Peace). I think this is trying to say something!

Welcome to a special installment at the Music Court. Yes, we tend to have many special sections, but it’s all the better to keep you readers on your toes. Three in Three is a fancy way of saying that I will profile three bands in three days. Three exciting bands that are making some fantastic music. Let’s start with The Mad Pride.

The Mad Pride, named after the same-name term of the movement of mental health services users and their allies, definitely targets the mind with their music. The brain-child of singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Rowan Galagher, The Mad Pride hail from Wollongong, New South Wales Australia. This is a good example of why I love the Internet. The Mad Pride is from Australia. I am from New York. For those unsure about geographical differences and distances, Australia is far far away from New York. Yet, I can listen to music from this band because of the wonders of the Web. That’s pretty sweet, especially because The Mad Pride is making great music.

The Mad Pride has released three albums during the span of 2009-now. And, during this album catharsis, there has been an attempt to label the band in a certain genre. For some reason, we, the music public, feel the need to genre-specify every band we hear. We need to link them to other acts as well, in an obvious attempt to make our listen more comfortable. It is an odd necessity, but not surprising when you look at the human need for specificity. The Mad Pride does not fit neatly into a genre and because of this, the band has been labeled many different sub-genres. I will admit it, I always fall into the trap of searching for correct genre placement. Because of my commonality, let me try.

The Mad Pride focuses on dark, folk melodies that set a deep melodic picture. This, like a background on a portrait, allows for rich, experimental sounds to be added like fresh brush strokes, and, of course a voice. Galagher’s voice can be best described as theatrically quiet. It is a tender whisper that projects, a rare ability that soothes the listener while sending them into a near mental state of somber wonder.

In saying that, I believe the Mad Pride is a good example of Folk Noir (“dark folk”) that also plays with some late 60’s dark psychedelic folk melodies. Galagher has been compared to Syd Barrett and the comparison is apt. While Galagher has less of a psychedelic concentration, his music takes on a similar feel to post-Floyd Barrett. Galagher’s voice also reminds me of a toned down Roger Waters and Thom Yorke (to a lesser extent).

Follow this link: http://soundcloud.com/the-mad-pride and listen to “Virus With a Violin” and “Lion in a Cage,” my two favorite songs, and listen to vocal complexities paired with the caliginous melodies.

Interested in being featured on the Music Court? Send your information to musiccourt@gmail.com and I’ll be happy to take a listen.

National Grateful Dead Cover – Pre-Fleet Pecknold – Happy Birthday John Weider

21 Apr

The National Want to Cover The Dead

The National’s Matt Berninger commands hipster respect with his deep croon. Can you imagine that voice tackling Grateful Dead hits? Well, according to bassist Scott Devendorf, The National is planning a Grateful Dead cover album for charity. Devendorf shared this information with Spinner at Coachella. According to Devendorf, the band has not decided on songs yet, but “Box of Rain” is a practical choice because Berninger’s voice needs to fit the song. I’m not sure how Berninger’s voice is going to fit. Proceeds from the album will go to charity, and, apparently other bands like Fleet Foxes are interested. But, don’t expect a run-of-the-mill cover album.

“It’s not going to be like jam bands cover the Dead,” said Devendorf. “There are so many cover bands. I think half of the record will be reinterpreting it,” he says.

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Pecknold Covers Simon and Garfunkel Before Fleet Foxes

While we are on the subject of Fleet Foxes joining the Grateful Dead cover album, here is a video of Robin Pecknold (of Fleet Foxes) covering a Simon and Garfunkel song with fellow Seattle-based musician Aaron Mannino. The catch? Just watch the video.

Where is all of his hair? Pecknold is only 17 years old in this video, but still wildly talented (as you all can hear).

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

A Very Family-Oriented Birthday for an Animal

Pun intended. Stupid puns, but band-name puns are inevitable. John Weider is in the category of musician’s that no one has ever heard of, but all have heard. Oh that pesky “of.” Weider, a talented guitarist, bassist and violinist, played with Steve Marriott (before Marriott formed Small Faces) in a band called Steve Marriott and the Moments, before he himself moved on to big bands like The Animals and Family.

Here is John Weider playing guitar on The Animals’ cover of “Shake Rattle and Roll” live in Australia.


“The Afterlife” by Paul Simon – A Memorable Song off of So Beautiful or So What

20 Apr

Elvis Costello wrote a laudatory review of Paul Simon’s new release So Beautiful or So What for The Huffington Post. In the review he commented that, “Throughout the record, I kept coming up against what I can only call, rock and roll surprises; not some orthodox formula but indelible, hypnotic guitar motifs and swinging, off-center rhythms tipping your expectations into a new kind of thrill.” Costello concluded that So Beautiful or So What, “rejects the allure of fashionable darkness and the hypnosis of ignorance – better to contemplate and celebrate the endurance of the spirit and the persistence of love.”

I find Costello’s review to be apt. He, a fantastic musician himself, targets two constant musical traits that Paul Simon explores. One, a propensity for zany guitar swings and lyrical fearlessness, and two, an immutable driving “spirit.” Both of these attributes find their way into the tracks of So Beautiful or So What, and Simon’s 12th studio album and first release since 2006 enters listeners and serenades them with creative music. Paul Simon is a consummate musician who has been honing his skill for over 40 years, only now to have reached the zenith of his talent.

“The Afterlife,” track two on the album, is a great example of Costello’s praise. The guitar riff is “hypnotic” and “swinging.” Let me add a few adjectives. The riff is also effervescent, sweet and toe-tapping. It’s strong rhythm sticks to listeners like a lollipop, fruity and inviting. The beat persists through the 3:39 piece and compliments Simon’s folk croon well.

In the song, Simon sing:

“Buddah and Moses and all the noses from narrow to flat, had to stand in the line, just to glimpse the divine, what you think about that?
Well it seems like our fate to suffer and wait for the knowledge we seek. It’s all his design, no one cuts in the line, no one here likes a sneak”

This, the third verse, is followed by the chorus, “You got to fill out a form first, and then you wait in the line,” which is repeated throughout the song.

The verse/chorus is my favorite lyric in Simon’s “Afterlife” lyric. It is candid religious commentary from Simon, and it is not polemic or argumentative, like some religious thought is. Simon sings that everyone must wait, no matter who you are. It is our “fate” to wait in line for the “knowledge we seek.” In the next verse, when Simon’s narrator finally meets god, he is so awe-struck that all that comes out is, “Lord is it, Be Bop A Lu La or Ooh Poppa Do.” And, if I had to guess, Simon would probably pose this question to god if he meant the omniscient being.

Tags: , ,

A Somnolent Song?

19 Apr

The last time I did a SWOD was July, 2010. SWOD (song/word of the day) is a category that I started to profile vocabulary words and corresponding songs. On the way back to my house today, “Sleep” by The Dandy Warhols lulled me into a state of musical bliss, and somewhere in the repetitive riff I thought today would be a good day to bring back the SWOD. Thank the Dandy Warhols for their help!

Word: Somnolent (adj)- sleepy; drowsy

The Dandy Warhols formed in Portland, Oregon back in 1994 and they have released 10 albums to this date, spreading their alt/indie rock sound and apt pun band name. It is fitting that one of the band’s main inspirations is the Velvet Underground. In 2000 they released arguably their best album Thirteen Tales from Urban Bohemia, and today’s somnolent hit resides on track eight. Is “sleep” a drowsy song?

In one word, yes, “Sleep” fits neatly into the term somnolent. The song is carried by a repetitive guitar riff that mixes with Courtney Taylor-Taylor‘s whispered croon. The band also uses drawn-out studio effects that mesh with melodic chanting. The Dandy Warhols also use a neat song technique in “Sleep” that contributes to the soporific quality of the music. In a melodic move most similar to turning the volume knob on a stereo system down and up, the band slowly drops the studio-effects to highlight the chanting and then gradually works them back into the song. This “lulling” works to achieve a dreamy piece, and this works for the song because of the constant riff in the background.

Tags: , ,

← Older Entries
Newer Entries →