Pop Culture Will Eat Itself » Spotlight

Sunday Music Spotlight - Smile Down Upon Us

Sean — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 02:05:20 +0000

On the Sunday Music Spotlight we’ve had lots of groups who use MySpace to get the word out. We’ve even had groups whose members live in different countries. But Smile Down Upon Us ups the ante a bit. Not only do they use MySpace for publicity, they actually MET on MySpace. And not only do they live in different countries, they live on opposite ends of the world, and they’ve never actually met face-to-face. Yes, that’s right, they’ve never met in person. They’re truly the epitome of the possibilities collaboration via the internet. Oh yeah, and their music is good too.

The tale of this internet-age collaboration begins in London. Keiron Phelan, part of the duo Phelan Sheppard, had a little time on his hands while his partner, David Sheppard, was off writing a book. While poking around MySpace he found Japanese artist moomLooo and was impressed enough with her work to drop her a line. She wrote him back and the two started exchanging ideas. He wrestled Sheppard away from his Brian Eno biography and into a studio in the basement of a ukulele shop. They recorded tracks in ProTools and sent them off to moomLooo in Japan. She added her parts, files went back and forth, and 14 months later an album was born.

Listening to Smile Down Upon Us you’d never guess that the musicians knew nothing about each other when they created it. You would just think it was made by an eclectic band, keen on using a wide range of instruments and musical styles. This diversity adds to the distinctive vocal work moomLooo adds to the mix. She sounds at times like Bjork, able to capture a childlike innocence in her voice. The combination is full of paradoxes: it kind of sounds like other avant-garde pop groups, but manages to remain distinctive. It makes great background music, yet holds up to close listening. And it makes you want to know more about a band that doesn’t even know each other.

“My Body Continents”

One of the more up-tempo songs on the album, “My Body Continents” showcases the layering that runs through the majority of the songs.

“Child’s Walk”

If this song was an instrumental it would be very good. The flute, guitar, organ, and drum intro is great. But then the vocals kick in about 2 minutes in and push it from very good to great.

Videos
“A Girl of Skin Couloured Blanket”

“Rayla No Lullaby”

Links
Buy Smile Down Upon Us
Official Site
Smile Down Upon Us on MySpace
Phelan and Sheppard on MySpace
moomLooo on MySpace

Sunday Music Spotlight - Wild Sweet Orange

Sean — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 03:58:33 +0000

The term “Southern Rock” brings to mind certain things: soulful guitars, blues-based riffs, and ugly dudes with long hair. Wild Sweet Orange is from Birmingham, Alabama, in the middle of the deep south, and they play rock music, but they have none of the above. What they do have is a heavily pop-infused sound, a hint of country twang, and a frontman with a fantastic rock n’ roll name: Preston Lovinggood.

Lovinggood sings, and writes most of the songs. He’s joined by bassist Garret Kelley, drummer Chip Kilpatrick, and guitarists Matt Parsons and Taylor Shaw. They formed Wild Sweet Orange after Lovinggood dropped out of college, getting the name from a brand of tea. Since then they’ve released an EP, The Whale and a full-length album, We Have Cause for Concern. The future is bright for Wild Sweet Orange. They have a very mainstream sound, and it wouldn’t surprise me a bit if they hit it big.

“Either/Or”

A great intro riff leads into a song that sounds vaguely like Howie Day interpreting Hootie and the Blowfish. And I mean that as a compliment. I really don’t understand all the Hootie haters out there. At their best they churned out catchy, though mindless, pop songs. And at their worst they were simply mediocre. So why all the hate?

“An Atlas to Follow”

This sounds like a Coldplay B-side, if they embraced their deeply-buried country influences. Sort of a “Honky Tonk Woman” thing. If Wild Sweet Orange doesn’t work out at least Lovinggood has a future as a Chris Martin impersonator.

Videos
Official Video for “Wrestle with God”

“Ten Dead Dogs”, Live on Letterman

Links
Official Site
MySpace
Buy We Have Cause to Be Uneasy

Sunday Music Spotlight - You Say Party! We Say Die!

Sean — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 03:21:03 +0000

It’s a story you’ve heard a thousand times before: a group of friends forms a bicycle gang, only to have the weather force them indoors. Stuck together, away from their bikes, they decide to form a band. When one of them overhears a woman singing to herself and convinces her to join them, the band is ready to take over the world. Ok, so you’ve never heard a story quite like this before, but be glad you have now. Because without it we wouldn’t have You Say Party! We Say Die!

YSP! WSD! practices a type of musical alchemy they refer to as dance-punk. On the surface that term doesn’t seem to work, conjuring images of Donna Summer singing with The Ramones. But somehow this band manages to pull it out, producing music that has punk sensibilities yet makes you want to get up and shake it. A big part of that is the vocal work of lead singer Becky Ninkovic, who’s raw enough to be punk but has enough polish to be believable as a dance icon.

The band first broke onto the Vancouver music scene with their 2004 EP dansk wad . The EP was named as a tribute to their fans, who the band referred to as their “Dance Squad”. They set off on tours of Canada, North America, and Europe before finally finding time to release a full album in 2005. The album was Hit the Floor, and the critical response pushed the band into the public eye. The followup came in 2007 with Lose All Time, and YSP! WSD! shows no signs of letting up.

“Teenage Hit Wonder”

“You said you wanted me, but I don’t want you”. Yep, that pretty much sums up what being a teenager means to many people. This track really highlights Ninkovic’s vocals and the band’s overal tight arrangements.

“Downtown Mayors Goodnight, Alley Kids Rule!”

The intro of this song perfectly sets the tone for the rest of the track. Pay close attention to the masterful drumming on throughout. Overall this is a song that’s guaranteed to make you want to move.

Videos
“The Gap”

“Opportunity”, live

(you can watch the whole concert at FabChannel)

Links
Buy Lose All Time
Official Site
MySpace

Sunday Music Spotlight - The Avett Brothers

Sean — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 03:23:03 +0000

They’re not bluegrassy enough to be a real bluegrass band. They’re not rockin’ enough to be a real rock band. They’ve got too much bluegrass and rock to be a folk band. So what kind of band is The Avett Brothers? Doesn’t matter. Their music will work its way into your head and setup camp.

So who are these unclassifiable musical siblings? Well the name isn’t just for show. Two of the three full-time members of the band are actually Avett brothers. Seth and Scott Avett’s first attempt at a band was Nemo, and it was more of the punk persuasion. When that didn’t work out they recruited upright bass player Bob Crawford and started playing something a little rootsier. A little more harmonic. With a little more banjo.

Once the Avett Brothers got their old-timey band together they didn’t waste any time getting to work. In 2002 they released their first EP, Country Was. The next year they released a live album called Live at the Double Door Inn. 2004 brought Mignonette, their first full-length album. Another live album, Live, Vol 2 came in 2005. Four Thieves Gone: The Robbinsville Sessions, their second full album, and The Gleam, an EP, came in 2006. Last year saw them release Emotionalism, their best album to date. And this month they’ve released yet another EP, The Second Gleam. That’s eight releases in 6 years. Not bad work at all.

Not content to sit on their laurels, The Avett Brothers have signed with American/Columbia Records and gone into the studio with Rick Rubin, the label and the man who helped revive Johnny Cash’s career. Can’t wait to see what he does with this talented group.

“Murder in the City”

“If I get murdered in the city don’t go revenging in my name”. That’s a really good opening line. Especially since I think getting murdered is a possibility every time I go into Baltimore city…

“Matrimony” (from Four Thieves Gone: The Robbinsville Sessions)

This uptempo number is a tale of a relationship gone wrong at a very bad time. Despite the sad subject matter, the rhythmic guitar, vocal harmonies, and well-placed handclaps make this a very catchy tune.

Videos
“Die Die Die”, live

“Paranoia in Bb Major”

“Distraction #74″ on North Carolina television, with an interview

Links
Buy The Second Gleam
Official Site
MySpace

Sunday Music Spotlight - The Asteroid No. 4

Sean — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 03:45:18 +0000

Turn up the tremolo, turn on the black light, and turn up your headphones, because it’s time to get psychedelic. The Asteroid No. 4 is a modern day throwback to both the 60s and early 90s, mixing the spaced out psychedelia of the flower children with the introspective navel gazing of Morrissey-spawn. Around in some incarnation for over a decade, Philly’s favorite space rock is getting stronger as it ages.

The Asteroid No. 4’s newest album, These Flowers of Ours: A Treasury of Witchcraft & Devilry, comes out September 16th, but you can stream it now.

“She’s All I Need”

Reverb, reverb, and more reverb. 60s psychedelia meets 90s shoegazing.

“I Look Around”

If a lava lamp were music, it would sound like this…

Videos
“Here We Go”

“My Love” - live

Links
MySpace
Official Site
The Committee to Keep Music Evil
Stream These Flowers of Ours: A Treasury of Witchcraft and Devilry

Sunday Music Spotlight - Speedmarket Avenue

Sean — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 03:34:37 +0000

One of these days I’m going to have to go to Sweden. The women are hot. Ikea rocks. And they seem to crank out an almost endless stream of good pop bands (ABBA excluded…). My latest Swedish discovery is a band from Norrkoping called Speedmarket Avenue.

Speedmarket Avenue was formed in 2001 when a group of friends who had been playing music together for a while decided to get serious, and tracked down the last piece missing to make them a real band. They quickly got to work and released their first single the following year.

Over the next few years they toured all over Europe, honing their chops and working on material. In 2004 they released their first full album, I´m Going To Let My New Swiss Army Knife Answer To That. It met with both critical and popular success throughout Europe.

This year the band has released their followup, Way Better Now. It’s a well-crafted pop album, with layers of sound and catchy melodies. Sibille Attar and Isak Klasson trade vocal duties, giving the band a powerful female/male one-two punch. Wind instruments balance with guitars and keyboards to give the band their own unique sound.

“Less Than OK”

“No Drama”

Videos
“Way Better Now”

“Don’t Fall in Love”

Links
Buy Way Better Now
Official Site
MySpace

Sunday Music Spotlight - Stoney Clove Lane

Sean — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 03:33:51 +0000

They must put something in the water in Woodstock. The tiny little hamlet just keeps churning out bands rooted in classic Americana. The latest to cross my path is Stoney Clove Lane.

Jeremy Bernstein and Adam Widoff form the basis of Stoney Clove Lane, and they bring an interesting mix of styles to the band. The end result is a mash of rock, folk, and funk that sounds familiar, but not in any way you can put your finger on. It’s kind of like what you would get if Bootsy Collins replaced Rick Danko in The Band. Or put banjos into P-Funk. Or something like that.

Earlier this year the band released their third album, Stay With Me on Woodstock Music Works. It’s a lean and mean offering, trimmed of all unnecessary ornamentation.

“Crawl”

The opener from Stay With Me shows some of the funk in Stoney Clove Lane.

“Chasing Rainbows”
This song epitomizes Stoney Clove Lane’s ability to sound familiar, yet with no obvious reference point. I’ve listened to this song about 10 times now, and while I like it, it’s driving me a little crazy that I can’t figure out who it sounds like.

Videos
Believe it or not I couldn’t find a single Stoney Clove Lane video. If anyone has one please leave a link in the comments or drop me a line.

Links
Buy Stay With Me
Official Site
MySpace
Woodstock Music Works

Sunday Music Spotlight - Dr. Dog

Sean — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 02:26:39 +0000

Contrary to what the name may evoke, Dr. Dog is not the unholy love child of Dr. Dre and his protege Snoop Dogg. Nor is it the latest fad in children’s television programming. So what is it? It’s a band built on the idea that they are the only band that ever was, and therefore gets to make up their own rules as they go along.

The genesis of what would become Dr. Dog started in Philly in the late 90s. Their first album, the basement-recorded The Psychedelic Swamp, was full of reverb-drenched guitars and lots of delay. At that point, the only two “official” members of the band were Toby Leaman and Scott McMicken. The two handled whatever songwriting, vocals, and instrumentation were necessary. For their next effort, Toothbrush, they filled out the band and started to get serious.

The band started to gain popularity after My Morning Jacket invited them to open on an East Coast tour. Since then they’ve appeared on Conan, Letterman, and The Late, Late Show. They’ve played Bonnaroo. And they’ve had a song on a major motion picture soundtrack.

Fate, the band’s fifth release, is due out July 22nd on Park the Van Records.

Dr Dog - The Old Days
The first single from Fate has a classic sing-along chorus and vocals reminiscent of a young Perry Ferrell.

Dr Dog - Aint It Strange

A cut from last year’s We All Belong, “Ain’t it Strange” definitely shows a Paul McCartney influence.

Videos
Official Video for “My Old Ways Again”

“Say Something”, live

Links
Pre-Order Fate
Official Site
MySpace
Park The Van Records

Sunday Music Spotlight - The Burning Hell

Sean — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 00:09:33 +0000

Before listening to the latest album from The Burning Hell here’s what I knew about the band: they sometimes feature an electric ukulele. That was really all the motivation I needed to give them a shot.

I only needed that one fact, but it turns out there’s a lot that’s interesting about The Burning Hell. “They” are really a “he” and a group of rotating others. “He” is Matias Kom, a ukuleleist, songwriter, and occasional history teacher from Peterborough, Ont. “They” are whatever friends he can get to join him on any given night. “They” play instruments ranging from guitar and piano to banjolele and omnichord. Collectively they play music that’s difficult to categorize.

Their second album, Happy Birthday, is out now on (weewerk) Records. They describe it thusly:

The latest Burning Hell album, ‘Happy Birthday’, celebrates the beauty of age, the joys of decay, the possibility of dating after death, and the inevitable repetition of mistakes. Combining happy little melodies and depressing Old World fatalism, the music of The Burning Hell is sure to make you smile and want to give up.

Well that’s awfully ambitious. Why don’t you just listen and figure out for yourself whether it lives up to that ambition?

The Burning Hell - The Second Cigarette

Kom’s deep gravely voice is the star of this song, evoking thoughts of Jonathan Richman. Tell me you can’t imagine this song in There’s Something About Mary. Ultimately this is a lament about diminishing returns, as the second cigarette will never be as good as the first.

The Burning Hell - Everything You Believe Is A Lie

Hmm. What IF everything I believe is a lie? Then my belief that this song sounds like Marseilles Figs is wrong. As is my belief that, despite being a slow ballad, this is a fun song.

Videos
“Grave Situation, pt. 1″ live

Covering Bowie’s “China Girl”

Links
Buy Happy Birthday
Official Site
MySpace

Sunday Music Spotlight - Fleet Foxes

Sean — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 03:56:32 +0000

If I tell you that a band out of Seattle gets signed to Sub Pop Records, you’ve probably got a pretty good idea of the type of music the band plays, right? They probably wear flannel, turn their guitars up to eleven, and sing heavy songs of angst and pain. Well Fleet Foxes is from Seattle, and they’re signed to Sub Pop, but they couldn’t be further from the cliche. They’re less Nirvana than Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young. Less Pearl Jam than Buffalo Springfield. And less Soundgarden than The Byrds. In other words, they’re less grunge, more hippie. And all about the music.

Fleet Foxes frontman Robin Pecknold started playing guitar as a teenager. Like many aspiring musicians he started by covering the songs of artists he admired. His sister recalls one especially memorable time when he played Dylan’s “Boots of Spanish Leather” for her. But Pecknold wasn’t content to play other people’s songs. He quickly began writing his own songs, and along with friend Skye Skjelset began to flesh them out. After escaping high school the pair decided to form a proper band, so they rounded up local musicians and started practicing.

The newly-formed band played all around the Seattle music scene before rounding up all available funds to go into the studio. The resulting demo made its way into the hands of local legends Sub Pop Records, who snatched the band up. Under the label the band recorded their first EP, Sun Giant, and their first full album, Fleet Foxes.

Fleet Foxes - Ragged Wood

The first thing you hear in this song is the dominant element throughout most Fleet Foxes songs: lush, tight vocal harmonies. After that you get rustic-sounding accompaniment and catchy melodies. It all adds up to a great package of old techniques blended with solid songwriting.

Fleet Foxes - Tiger Mountain Peasant Song

This downtempo song features a simple acoustic guitar and melodic vocals. Pecknold’s voice dips and soars through what almost sounds like a medieval madrigal, updated for the 21st century.

Videos
“Mykonos”, live

“Oliver James”, solo by lead singer Robin Pecknold

Links
Buy Fleet Foxes
MySpace
SubPop Records