Tag Archives: Rock

Top 10 Songs of 2015 – #7: “Get It” by Matt & Kim

19 Dec

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Matt & Kim are a deliciously weird due from Brooklyn, NY whose eccentricity is a story in and of itself; however, like all eccentric music groups, if the music doesn’t hold up, then the band won’t last. Since 2006, however, this duo has created nothing but genre-bending, effervescent music that has not changed with the release of their latest album in 2015, New Glow. We go way back to the beginning of the year for the #7 song on the countdown, “Get It,” the first single released off the new album. Those of you who have stared at a television this past year might recognize this one from the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line commercials.

If anything, this song is deliciously Matt & Kim, engaging listeners in the same zeal as songs like “Daylight” and “Let’s Go.” Matt & Kim creates such unique Indie/Dance music that it is tough to compare them with any other band; just when you start thinking they sound like somebody in the business, the band modifies its sound; for this specific song they implemented some odd synth noises that mixed with percussion spark immediate movement in the listeners; it’s inevitable; you might as well succumb to it. It’s tough to describe what the “drop” of the song is; it almost sounds like a breathless frog – and, yes, that does sound negative, but it’s pretty darn cool. The song is driven by synth sounds just like that one, and these breakdowns make the song desirable. The song, which is about partying (in case you couldn’t guess), models a party; it is driven by constant dance beats and repetition of lines like “we don’t want to go home.” One desires to be part of the crowds displayed in the music video, which is wild.

If I had to summarize this review and quickly describe why I think it deserves a spot on the top songs of the year list, I would only need one word: fun. There are not many songs that can be described as simply fun, and Matt & Kim encompass that idea in almost all of their songs, but, on their 2015 album, especially “Get It.”

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Ben Folds and yMusic Rocked That Paramount

2 Nov

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One of the reasons why Ben Folds has found consistent success over his now quarter-of-a-century-old music career is his musical malleability. Folds has now done everything from releasing successful albums with Ben Folds Five to collaborating with musicians like Regina Spektor and Weird Al Yankovich. He has created experimental literature/music compilations with writers like Nick Hornby and has even starred as an erudite judge in the NBC a cappella show “The Sing Off,” where he was able to show off his musical knowledge and pipes. Yes, Ben Folds has seemingly done it all. His next endeavor: combining forces with a classical music troupe with a penchant for modernizing orchestral music.

So There, released this past September, features several pieces with yMusic Ensemble, and might just be his best collaboration yet. Folds’ music, specifically his solo material, is adorned with elegant instrumentals that sparkle like bedizened clothing, but do not touch rococo overemphasis, instead including just the correct amount of tasteful musical goodness. In celebration of his new album, Folds just embarked on a tour with yMusic, and I had the opportunity to see them at the Paramount in Huntington, a beautiful club venue that is spacious and modern. The concert, like all Folds’ concerts, was conversational and effervescent; Folds is himself – like him or not – and this candor finds its way into his verbal ramblings and music theory rants.

Folds always garners a knowledgeable crowd and almost everyone in the audience was aware of Folds’ on-stage antics, which did not change – if anything they were highlighted – despite the appearance of yMusic, who created a U around Folds’ piano, which was set a little back on stage adjacent to the drums. Folds mused on stories that formed songs and the dangers of sleep deprivation, all while nailing every note and assuring that all members were held accountable, including himself – at one point he stopped the beginning of a song because he did not like his opening note. When improvising his always topical “Rock This Bitch,” he seemed to have fun challenging his panel of accomplished musicians with complex scales and pauses.

The highlights of the night were the band’s energetic performances of “Jesusland,” “Steven’s Last Night in Town,” “You Don’t Know Me,” and, of course, the crowd-aided, encore song about a LSD trip turned born-again Christian conversion, “Not the Same.” Each song was played with such eager ardor; Ben Folds loves what he does.

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Monks of Mellonwah – Disconnect EP Review

9 Sep

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Following the release of their debut LP last year and accompanying U.S. support tour, exciting Australian band Monks of Mellonwah are back with a brand new EP and Stateside trip to boot.

The alternative quartet has just released ‘Disconnect’ with seven new tunes. It follows a stunning few years for the band, as they took home awards in 2012, for International Rock Band of the Year and Best Indie Rock Band at the LA Music Awards and AIM Awards, respectively. Now though, with Grammy-nominated involved in the production alongside band member Joseph de la Hoyde and A&R Worldwide’s Monte Malone and Sat Bisla producing, they have bigger goals to achieve in the upcoming 12 months.

While 2014 album ‘Turn the People’ was an eagerly-anticipated release after years of promise, ‘Disconnect’ seems them aim to step up through the gears ever so slightly. Opener to the EP, “Never Been Good”, is a bouncy pop tune with a crunchy drum beat in the background built for the live arena and getting audience members to clap along. It’s a strong start and a good pre-cursor of what is to come.

Lead single “Even When It Burns”, is the highlight of the new collection of songs, it has an electrifying guitar riff that accompanies some haunting vocals; as electro-pop goes it’s catchy and has that haunting quality to it. Having listened to it a few times now, it has that essential ‘sticking’ factor, hours after listening to it, you’ll remember its familiar melodies and the chorus of ‘Even when it burns/ the simple things that I know I have learnt’, will be going round and round in your head!

“Show Me Something” has a building quality to it too, that drives the pace slowly but surely with a piano and drum kit. It has a dance music vibe to it too, with echoes of Chris Martin of Coldplay’s falsetto vocals on show too. It probably epitomises what the band are about perfectly in a three-minute pop song- with impressive vocals, catchy drumming and crisp production sound.

And that’s one half down, “Interlude” connects us through to the title track, “Disconnect”, in a Muse-style of theatrics. I’m instantly reminded of The Fray when the song kicks in, but the song develops into more of a love-lorn ballad with a pulsing electronic riff beneath it. It’s a warm, emotive song that strips back a lot of the bouncy tunes before it, and shows the lyrical warmth of the Monks song-writing.

In stark contrast, “Look At Me” opens with a Nile Rodgers-esque spiky guitar riff, throws in some ska drumming and the vocals of British band Don Broco, and a perfect song is made. It feels as though it is a song to be listened to only when the sun is blazing in the afternoon, cloudless sky, and an ice-cold beverage is in hand. It could be argued the song is a bit stagnant in how it really doesn’t develop and maintains that riff throughout, but when a song is this catchy (and yes that’s a word that has been used throughout this review, for good reason!), can you blame it for not going anywhere else?

And that’s almost the end of the road, with closer “Feel It Coming” signalling the end of a short dash of an EP. It is another familiar tale of a journey that sees the band build and build and build to a satisfying musical climax. This sounds as close to an emo-pop-punk as the band manage, with drums that belong to a heavier band during the breakdown late on. But it leaves food for thought, as that’s a possible direction the Monks could eventually take their music perhaps?

All in all, it’ll be interesting to see whether or not “Disconnect” can help the Monks of Mellonwah make that jump up to the top step in terms of musical quality or not. It sounds exceptionally well produced and is diverse enough to suggest that there’s something in the Australians. I’ll certainly be keeping an eye out in the future for this promising collective.

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Josh Ritter is Ready to Get Down

5 Aug

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When I saw Josh Ritter several months ago (just after he finished recording his new album Sermon on the Rocks, which will be released on Oct. 16.) he introduced his newest ditty off the upcoming release, “Getting Ready to Get Down.” It was a crowd mover, a bubbly track much in the style of “To the Dogs or Whoever” with rapid lyric spitting and a funky bass riff mixed with a hip drum beat. Ritter recently released it to the public (July 31), and it has shot up the iTunes ranks, so much so that it appeared on the front page of Hot Tracks today.

So, of course I need to share the track. Josh Ritter is one of my favorite artists creating music today. He blends several styles of folk/rock with intelligent lyrics. It’s easy to sing-a-long to most of his songs, and he carries the title of almost universally creating highly listenable tracks. “Getting Ready to Get Down” is that type of song.

I particularly enjoy the country guitar stylings featured in the middle of the song; it’s a bit different, and it may signal an intriguing dynamic on the new album. But, like always, Ritter’s most endearing quality is his lyric, and this song has a killer verse that I need to share.

“They said your soul needed savin’ so they sent you off to bible school
But you know a little more than they were sure was in the golden rule
Be good to everybody, be a strength to the weak
A joy to the joyful, the laughter in the grief
And give your love freely to whoever that you please
Don’t let nobody tell you ’bout who you oughta be
And when you get damned in the popular opinion
It’s just another damn of the damns you’re not giving”

Talk about bible puns and satirical paradoxes. Ritter tells a message with a punch, a socially liberal sermon from his own personal mount, and I am an eager myrmidon to Ritter’s church of great music.

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Highly Fascinated with Motorama

31 Jul

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Readers of the Music Court might remember me writing about a young band named High Fascination a few years ago. Well, I like keeping track of the young bands I write about a few years after their incipient posts, and this is a good time to update you a bit on the maturation of a band I called “crisp” and “perspicacious” a few years back. Has High Fascination maintained its perspicaciousness? Oh yeah. If anything, the last two years has made the band’s musical adroitness even more defined, and I am happy to present High Fascination’s new album – released today – called Miss Motorama.

Just a little review, for those who have not heard of this NYC Indie/Rock band. The band was founded as a solo project from Andrew Weiss, a Long Islander with a penchant for melodic tunes and inspiration from all the right bands. Since its inception, the band has now released five albums: Objections To Reality (April 2011), Sudden Movements (September 2011), A Time And Place (June 2013), How Do You Do? (February 2014), and now Miss Motorama. In 2012 the solo project developed into a band; Weiss added bassist Dan Hemerlein and drummer/vocalist Noah Rauchwerk to his coterie, and since then the band has combined to create a sound that is both mellifluous and adept.

“Queen Anne” features a staccato guitar and rhythms that remind me so much of the British Pop/Rock that was engendered by the Beatles and perpetuated by bands like Oasis. The song has a wonderful chorus with horns and catchy vocals. It is blithe and bright, a good summer track that sounds like it should be listened to at a park with a summer shandy near by. It’s an album staple, for sure.

“Change My Mind” takes a different approach, trading bubbly pop for a more reserved piano approach. The song reminds me a bit of Augustana. It features elegant call and response melodies with a nice lead vocal. The song’s calm melody is not so much mournful; it rather powers through with a soft strength that is quite refreshing.

All in all, great release by High Fascination. The band has matured over two years, and it is so exciting to track its progress; keep an eye out for even more great releases in the future!

Check out more information about High Fascination on its Facebook andTwitter.

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