If you follow the Music Court on Twitter, you probably already know that I attended a concert on Monday night.* It was fun, and the crowd was very much alive and rocking with Alex Clare and his talented band.
Top 10 Songs of 2014 – #9: “Beware the Dog” by The Griswolds
4 Dec
Formed in 2012 and signed to Wind-up Records in 2013, The Griswolds continued its meteoric rise to Indie stardom in 2014 with the release of its first album Be Impressive in August. And impressive it was. Tremendously impressive. The Sydney-based band’s infectious style of sticky pop tunes that beat around your mind like a maniacal drum circle is simply unavoidable. Unavoidable. This might be the best one-word description I can give to the #9 song on the Music Court’s top 10 countdown: “Beware the Dog”
The first song vocalist Chris Whitehall and lead guitarist Daniel Duque-Perez wrote together, “Beware the Dog” combines an odd lyric with a Spanish-style beat carried by an unavoidable guitar riff; there is that word again. Seriously, though, just listen to that riff: simple, clean, and catchy as heck! The song moves with creative percussion and island synth, but perhaps most impressive is the choral call and response that peaks with the wonderful line:
“We used to walk where the wild things grow
But now you’re f**king crazy.”
The song continues with chants at the bridge and a culmination of all instrumentation and vocals that wraps up the song wonderfully. It’s a ditty in every sense of the word, but one that drips with true melodic weight and a mixture of lyrical sarcasm and seriousness. Put simply, the song is enjoyable and as catchy as the cold, but it is a cold you just want to keep getting. If this is what 2014 held for the Griswolds, I for one cannot wait for the upcoming years!
For more information on the Griswolds visit the band’s Facebook, Twitter, or Website
Top 10 Songs of 2014 – #10: “Something Had to Give” by COMPNY
2 Dec
To kick off our Top Ten Singles of 2014, I present you with a catchy, hymn-like tune from British newcomers, COMPNY.
Selfishly, this takes a spot in my top songs solely due to those first few piano notes; every time I hear them, I think of “Falling,” the theme song of David Lynch’s masterful Twin Peaks. That is to say, I was immediately pulled in by the prospect of mystery and darkness. The song is much brighter than this though, which is what held my attention. The choir of voices that chant the track’s chorus is too pleasing to ignore. Turn this track up, leave it on repeat for a few hours, and you’ll come back world-weary, full of melancholy. But that’s where we thrive.
You can buy COMPNY’s debut AA-side single, “Begging Me to Come Back”/“Something Had To Give” here. Connect with COMPNY via Facebook, Twitter, Soundcloud, and YouTube.
Top 10 Songs and Albums of 2014 – Are You Ready?
30 Nov
There is much truth to the musical pendulum of “Sunrise, Sunset” from Fiddler on the Roof; time, like the gold attachment on a grandfather clock, swings back and forth and back and forth and suddenly 2011 turns to 2012 to 2013 to 2014 and now, in one month, 2015. With the perpetual swing of the pendulum is the many moments that make up one’s year. And, within those moments, tucked away like a child in bed, is the music that has stuck with you from the year, nestled comfortably in your mind.
So we have reached the almost-end to another year, and, to stay on the topic of the Music Court, we have seen some transformations. Our kick-ass new writer Zoe Brown has taken an active posting role, and she is doing a tremendous job. Stand up and clap for her; yes, get out of your chairs wherever you are and clap! She has helped establish the Music Court as your source for new, eccentric tunes. Many of those songs might be those nestled in your mind as you reminisce on another year in music. Before we officially kick off the annual top 10 countdown, I thought it might be fun to look back on the winners of year’s past and read a little clip from each post (no 2012).
2010
#1 “The King of Spain” by The Tallest Man on Earth
Before the song ends, Matsson holds out the word “the” in this vocal climax that is shattering. It is also a perfect way for me to end this countdown. There is an animation in Matsson’s croon that is warm, inviting and aggressive. This is a true strength in his music. He is a folk musician who can provide the erupting emotion that Spector’s “wall of sound” does, but with only himself and a guitar. He is a one-man-band who is significantly stronger then mostly all of his five or more band counterparts. That is an impressive feat. Heck, he might actually be the “King of Spain”
2011:
#1 “The Afterlife” by Paul Simon
… A hypothetical heaven, though, one scribbled down by the consummate raconteur who knows the meaning of excellent music. “The Afterlife” is a keen, hilarious, zany, unexpected, metempirical, almost practical (I cannot list enough adjectives to describe the song’s utter beauty), take on heaven and dying.
2013:
#1 – “Pompeii” by Bastille
“The song begins with a Blue Swede-like vocal rhythm. This rhythmic chanting sets an almost allegorical tone, meaning the melody is representative of intense Roman religiosity. One can almost hear this dark chanting in a temple of worship – overwhelmingly spiritual and subtly lugubrious … While the song is quite literally representative of the destruction of Pompeii, it is difficult not to take it as a metaphorical look at when any unwelcome change occurs in life. Sometimes it is difficult to be “an optimist” and you must “close your eyes” and dream of better days.”
Who will hold the top spot in 2014? You will just have to wait to find out. And, this year, at the behest of Ms. Brown, the Music Court will feature a Top 10 Albums of 2014 list as well, which will directly follow the Top 10 Songs of 2014. Get ready! The list begins tomorrow, and will continue almost every day for the majority of December. You better have your eyes ready for some quality music-related reading. We are counting on you!
Lyon to San Francisco, All the Girls, My Casiotone
26 Nov
In today’s society of instant gratification, it can be hard to branch out your musical taste. Instead of giving new music a chance, we tend to just skip to the next track that is better aligned with a genre or style that we have connected with in the past. Lose that mindset right now, because unless you already operate on a hearty diet of chiptune and toy instruments, you won’t recognize the greatness of Odessey & Oracle and the Casiotone Orchestra.
This album is a little weird, but in the absolute best way. The first track,”2016,” is dripping with psychedelia and ambience, held up only be the melody of the vocals. That is only the beginning, though; what follows is a collection of endearing and occasionally somber songs, making good use of drones and casiotones. It can at times sound like Rennaissance fair music, but there is something deeper happening beneath the flutes and tambourines. The lyrics, though cohesive and organized, are sometimes spat out in run-on sentences. There is a strategy here, but it depends on every aspect of the music converging to make this vision come to fruition.
Taking their name from an album by The Zombies, this French trio is intent on emulating ‘60s psychedelia. Odessey & Oracle currently have a five song EP up on their Soundcloud, which is representative of the strongest tracks to be released on their full length effort with the Casiotone Orchestra. Once you buy the record, though, give your attention to the series of Inventions that weave between the other tracks. They are not the most staggering songs among the other gems, but I do feel the Inventions provide some much needed grounding for the album. This is a testament to a well-structured album.
Odessey & Oracle and the Casiotone Orchestra will be out 12/12 on Carton Records. You can pre-order the album here. Find more information on Odessey and Oracle on their website.
P.S. The title of this article is a nod to Crystal Fighters’ “Solar System.”
The Music Court 