Tag Archives: Folk

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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Merry Fitz.mas and Happy Caves

6 Dec
Fitz

Fitz

 “Twas the advent of Christmas,  And all through the land,  Not a creature was stirring,  but one festive band” – Fitz.mas

Fitz, a London-based collective of musicians led by Singer/Songwriter Sam Fitzpatrick, has brought new meaning to the Christmas advent calendar. Instead of a little pieces of candy, Fitz is providing listeners with a variety of song nuggets from popular Christmas movies. FOLLOW THE CALENDAR. The audio/visual tidbits are released every other day, with the other days of the month devoted to giving visual clues of the song that will be released next. It’s creative, different, and fun. It also just demonstrates the talent of Fitz.

Yes, Fitz is far more than an advent calendar. He is an uber-talented singer/songwriter with a penchant for sweet vocals and skillful acoustic melodies. His talent is only outweighed by his subtlety. Fitz’ music creeps up on you. It’s soft, even pastoral, and it is vast – a wide-open field of wonder and tenderness, like the bright green field depicted in the video for his song “Caves,” which was released back in October.

Fitz’ British Americana style – yes, I understand the contradiction in that sentiment – is that of a folk troubadour. The music is comfortable, low-key, and relaxing. But, at the same time, there is a vivacity in his tunes, a strength in his voice that calls out to listeners. Fitz understands how to mold a song, and he does so with wonderful precision.

The video of “Caves” tells the story of a young boy who leaves home to explore a verdant world. It is a true coming-of-age video, as the characters suggest. The boy in the video takes a picture of the “tallest tree” and then tosses it in a stream after he sees an even taller tree. In his exploration, he grows. It is a story of adventure and aging – with the universal color for growth, green, as a backdrop.

I want to provide you with one video from the advent calendar. Here is an enthusiastic, albeit self-deprecating version of “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”

Merry Fitz.mas!

Check out more about Fitz at the website, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube

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Follow the Wheel

19 Nov

Johnny5thWheel&thecowards

Where do I begin with Johnny5thWheel&thecowards? Well, first off, I guess I should alert you that the lack of spaces in the name is intentional. Beyond that, I’m not sure that words can describe their blend of music. I’m making it seem like the band combines bodily grunts with kitchen appliance percussion. It’s not that their instrumentation is completely unconventional. Johnny5thWheel&thecowards captures the ears of listeners by employing a unique style that can best be described as eccentric folk. And, I’m going to let you in on a little secret. They are damn good at it.

Johnny5thWheel&thecowards was formed in 2009 by two friends looking to shake the usual out of folk music. They found a consortium of individuals who shared a similar goal. After releasing their succesful debut EP in 2010, the band was signed by Sotones Records. They released their second album, Music To Shake’n’Shuffle To, in October of this year.

Perhaps my favorite part of the 12-track release is its unexpectedness. Most bands have a sound and their albums reflect that sound. While track one, seven, and nine will obviously be different songs, they do operate under the same genre. Not many bands tinker with smooth jazz and then transition to hardcore head-banging metal. While the difference between Johnny5thWheel&thecowards’s songs may not be so pronounced, the songs are different. The music doesn’t operate under any boundaries, and I applaud the band’s creativity and fearlessness.

It is also safe to say that you will be on your heels for the entire album. You simply will not know what is going to hit you next. Will it be macabre folk, jazz-infused pop, or a light-hearted sing-along. The versatility of the vocals, lyrics, and melody is striking. One minute you are listening to Arthur Brown and then you transition to Modest Mouse. The music is fun.

“Happy Clappy/Doom Jazz” is one of my favorite tracks off the release. It depicts a wide variety of styles in less than three minutes. Impressive. We begin with a taste of twangy surf guitar followed by a folksy riff (guitar and harmonica – nice job Ollie Mason). Try not to enjoy the chorus of this song. I did. It’s impossible. The kid-like string of sayings fly off the tongue as Biff Roxby – trombone and Garreth Knott – trumpet/tenor horn provide an upbeat staccato brass section.

“Spike” may be my favorite song from the album. I’m not sure if it is Frank Beaver’s piano, Richard Lomax’s infectious vocal, Andy Lyth’s talented drumming, or the semi-call-and-response background vocals. By the end of the song, I was singing:

“Don’t be mad with me Spike
If you knew what I was really like
You’d know I’m just messing around
Thinking about that smile”

I’m sure you will be to.

In order to get a full grasp of the album, you need to check out the entire thing here (obviously!)

You can also keep track of the band by following their Facebook, Twitter, or offficial Website.

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The Dunwells are Doing Just Fine

3 Oct

The Dunwells

Every band goes through a point early in their career when they must make a decision on whether or not their music is worth being pursued. It’s a dreaded decision.

That point in the Dunwells’ young career came when the well ran dry and they were without consistent shows. A fortuitous UK tour, an invite to perform at the Folk Alliance Conference in Memphis (which they took advantage of and flew in across the pond for despite their lack of funds), and the subsequent winning of the ‘break-out band’ title at the conference, turned around the favor of the British folk band, and since then, dare I say, they are doing quite well.

The Dunwells are one of the more intriguing bands I have profiled in a while. They display an authentic brand of organic Americana (despite their Leeds roots) and their powerful harmonies trump folk contemporaries like Mumford and Sons. The band also demonstrates a keen interest in creating variety in their music. Acoustic ballads much akin to Justin Nozuka or even Eric Hutchinson are followed by toe-tapping, riff-smashing Tom Petty-like songs. If I have one criticism with several folk bands today, it is with their lack of variety. The Dunwells crush that convention and then let their skillful harmonies do the rest of the talking.

The band was formed by Joseph and David Dunwell, two brothers and former solo performers, in October of 2009. They recruited friends and local musicians to complete their band, eventually ending up with a lineup that consisted of them, Jonny Lamb (drums), David Hanson (lead guitar), and Jonny Lamb’s cousin Rob Clayton (bass). They released their debut single (“Elizabeth” – below) in 2010 and it achieved moderate chart success. Eventually, they were recognized for all the skills mentioned above. It just so happened it came by way of former Cutting Crew keyboardist Tony Moore, who spotted the band and invited them to the folk festival in the United States which then led to them being signed by Austin, Texas-based label, Traffic Records.

The Dunwells released their sweet debut Blind Sighted Faith on February 14, 2012. They are now making their rounds touring, and recently were showcased on the Jay Leno Show (their television debut) in August of this year.

This is a great sample of why I am so high on this band. This is one of those acoustic ballads I mentioned before. At first listen, I was blown away by the Backstreet Boys harmonies. Seriously, they are that smooth. But do you know what’s scary? There are no effects added to this piece. This is purely acoustic. They are naturally this talented. The song itself is soothing and constructed well. The vocal interplay later in the song is fresh and skillful. It is actually difficult to not like this song.

And then BOOM. You are hit square in the face by a song that you could swear is by another band (until you hear the harmonies). The blues-saturated, powerful folk/rock song features instrumental breakdowns, vocal repetition, and a damn effect-driven electric guitar solo. It is an example of a band that knows hard work, exasperation, and, well, good music. No, great music. The inter-connectedness and fortitude supporting the band is refreshing, and I am excited to hear more from them in the future. This is most certainly a band to watch.

Find out more about the band by following their Facebook or Twitter. You can also check out their website

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The Mountain Goats Talk Growing Up in “Cry for Judas”

29 Aug

Transcendental Youth

John Darnielle and his band of Mountain Goats will release their 14th studio album, Transcendental Youth, on October 2. I know I mentioned this before on the Music Court, but I feel like I have a duty to mention it again. The album is sure to be awesome – like all of Darnielle releases – and it would surely be a shame if you missed out.

As a commenter on Darnielle’s tunes said recently, “nobody is better than Darnielle at writing such happy songs about utter hopelessness.” I agree and disagree. You see, this comment is true a lot of the time. Heck, if there is any hope in “No Children,” well, I haven’t found it yet. Still looking, though! But in Transcendental Youth, at least in the first song released from the album, there is a subtle hint of growth under the lyric. Darnielle paints a messy portrait of an adolescent teen struggling with growing up in the society he is surrounded by, a candid autobiographical depiction of Darnielle. And, to assist in my description of the song, here is a segment from The Mountain Goats’ website about the song – in Darnielle’s words.

“Cry for Judas,” it is about survival but that’s kind of an oversimplification, it’s also about building a vehicle from the defeated pieces of the thing you survived and piloting that vehicle through the cosmos, it’s kind of complicated but people who know what I’m talking about will kind of intuitively get the idea and the rest of you will I hope be able to get a sense of it through the song.

When people talk about surviving adolescence, they are not joking. There is innate passion, awkwardness, struggle, all inherent in the process of growing. And in the end you are you, and you survived as you. Time to pilot the vehicle. The lyric repeats the couplet (Long black night, morning frost, I’m still here, but all is lost). The important part is our protagonist is still there. It was a long black night, but despite the feeling that all is lost I can’t help but thinking that the character is just growing up. Look at the album title.

The Mountain Goats are also growing, somehow still maturing and falling into new sounds. The horns give the acoustic guitar a full sound, and then there is the bass guitar which provides an almost funky rhythm. The song itself is excellent. But, I mean, I wasn’t expecting any different.

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