Tag Archives for indie

Los Campesinos! – “No Blues”

(Photo Credit: Pitchfork)

Grade: C+

Key tracks: “Cemetery Gaits” “Avocado, Baby”

Do you remember being happy? Do you remember what it feels like? On “No Blues,” the Welsh (not Spanish) indie sextet Los Campesinos! seem to have remnants of happiness. The band that once sang about Spiderman and the seductive nature of envelopes in fast, poppy songs with a double-dose of cheer and enthusiasm, ended up getting very sad very quickly. I’ll put on their 2010 album “Romance is Boring” when I feel like listening to the saddest thing in my entire music collection. And while that album is perfect, their 2011 follow-up “Hello Sadness” just wallowed in it’s own misery, permanently midtempo and self-indulgent to a too abrasive point. “No Blues” seems to be a turn-around of sorts – there’s glimpses of joy, even if they feel nostalgic. There’s still no cheery twee-pop, but there’s a diversity and a more then-and-now, complete sound that was sorely lacking on “Hello Sadness.”

The first few tracks aren’t really remarkable. They’re still wandering around in a medium tempo and hazy confusion. LC! are at their best when they’re on a mission – which always results in either intense, slow songs or quick and bouncy ones. These early meddling ones, like most of “Hello Sadness,” don’t seem to know what purpose to serve. “For Flotsam,” “What Death Leaves Behind” and the misplaced acoustic track “A Portrait of the Trequartista as a Young Man” don’t exactly start the album off on the right footing. But the repetitive and engaging synth riff on “Cemetery Gaits” is hauntingly nostalgic – like a musical equivalent of looking through old photo albums. This track, more than any other on “No Blues,” portrays the album’s theme of longing nostalgia.

Not every following track lives up, but many do – “As Lucerne / The Low” displays the same sentiment. “The Time Before the Last Time” acts as a quiet and begrudging acceptance of the present, before the rousing (if not overlong) finale of “Selling Rope (Swan Dive to Estuary).” “Avocado, Baby” even borders on fun, something we haven’t gotten from the band since the morbidly entertaining “We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed” album.

The beauty of LC!’s albums is how there’s always a few stand-out tracks that can be repeated endlessly. “You! Me! Dancing!” didn’t get old before Budweiser commercials, and it still hasn’t. “Miserabilia,” “Straight In at 101,” even “By Your Hand” from “Hello Sadness” are ones that will never get old to me. This album will probably take a few more listens to get into, but I can really only see “Cemetery Gaits” and “Avocado, Baby” being songs to listen to frequently. The album still meddles, and even when it’s being thematic, it isn’t as catchy any other LC! album before it. The metaphors and honest lyrics are all still there, as is Gareth Campesinos!’s reliant vocals. It just all feels a little too introspective; a little too personal. It’s certainly an improvement over “Hello Sadness,” thematically and musically, and the tonal shifts back towards lighter times is very welcome. This is by no means a mediocre album. And with a few more (definite) listens, the grade might get bumped up. It’s just some of the magic over the first three very, very different albums seems to have gone away, and they’re only semi-trying to get it back.

-By Andrew McNally

Lorde – “Pure Heroine”

(Photo Credit: http://www.ddotomen.com)

Grade: A-

Key Tracks: “Royals,” “A World Alone”

Taylor Swift is twenty-three years old. Lorde, an up-and-coming singer from New Zealand, is seven years younger than her. But Lorde’s sound is already established and much more mature than Swift’s is. And she’s ousted Jake Bugg as 2013′s best new sixteen year old artist (sorry Jake). Lorde’s various singles and her “Love Club EP” have all been released within the last year, and have been strong enough to give her the meteoric rise to fame she’s enjoyed over the past two months. Her full-length, “Pure Heroine,” delivers on the minimalist pop her early singles have promised.

Fans of her hit “Royals” notice a medium tempo and a very relaxed attitude, and it’s consistent through the album. Opener “Tennis Court,” one of the three previously established songs on the album (the others being “Royals” and “Team”) sets the tone, with Lorde singing about arguments and iPhones over a synth drone. “400 Lux” sets a little more of a melodic tone – more rhythmic and a little faster, before transitioning into the minimalistic and extremely catchy big hit “Royals.” “Ribs” is a dreamier song, with both Lorde and the backing beat building up to a reverb climax that sounds like more of a finale. The next few tracks succumb to the minimalist idea too much and, although certainly not bad, aren’t as catchy or memorable. “White Teeth Teens” brings the tempo back up before leading into the great finale “A World Alone.”

Joel Little produced the album and is listed as a co-writer on six of the album’s ten songs, but Lorde still contributes enough of her own self to be a surprise for a sixteen year old. Her voice is impeccable, sometimes melodically beautiful, sometimes just a little gritty. And her lyrics are very poetic and mature, especially given what our other teen stars have given us lately. Lorde has been very influenced by royalty, and her mature look at the world is refreshingly original (and probably honest, “Royals” was written in 30 minutes). Musically, she took influence from Lana Del Ray, and that’s a little too apparent at times. But for the most part, pop, R&B, even doo-wop gets mixed together and watered down into some great minimal art pop. It’s tough to say whether Lorde will become huge, or if her music will eventually disconnect from audiences, but for now she’s given us a pretty solid and memorable debut.

-By Andrew McNally

Yuck – “Glow and Behold”

(Photo Credit: Pitchfork)

Grade: D

Key Tracks: “Middle Sea,” “Rebirth”

I have to praise Yuck for sticking around and even releasing a follow-up to their fuzz-drenched 2011 debut. Daniel Blumberg, the frontman for the band, left earlier this year. So the remaining members promoted Max Bloom to lead vocals, but the magic of their debut just isn’t here. They sound more conventional, and for a throwback band, that isn’t at all a good thing.

2011 was a good year for 90’s throwbacks – Cage The Elephant’s “Thank You Happy Birthday” channeled the Pixies and the Meat Puppets, and Yuck’s debut channeled Dinosaur Jr. and Pavement. Their debut was so drenched in feedback and reverb that it resembled shoegaze, even though the songs were too rhythmic and catchy. “Get Away” has always and will always be in my personal top 20. “Glow and Behold” turns down the reverb and fuzz. It doesn’t completely do away with it, but the focus here is much more on the songs themselves. What we get is some largely unremarkable indie-rock with a touch of distortion. The opening track, “Sunrise in Maple Shade” is a lighter instrumental track that sounds like a calm before a storm – but the storm never really comes. Only “Middle Sea,” at the album’s midpoint, can match volume with distortion properly.

Blumberg was a great frontman, because he brought a certain magic to the band. The songs seem uninspired now. Titles like “Out of Time” and “Somewhere” just sound so much more dull than 2011’s “Suicide Policeman” and “Holing Out.” And Bloom’s vocals don’t seem to fit the band’s sound. This is unfortunate, because of the circumstances (and I think promoting within shows a real sense of unity and confidence amongst members), but Blumberg’s nasally snare sounded far better in 90’s jams than Bloom’s lower, clearer vocals do. They’re channeling some more unremarkable 90’s bands now. The intentions are there, but “Glow and Behold” is both musically and vocally a disappointment to their legendary debut.

-By Andrew McNally

Kira Velella – “Daughter”

(Photo credit: bandcamp.com)

Grade: A-

Singer-songwriter Kira Velella’s debut EP finds her among the likes of Eleanor Friedburger, Laura Marling, and Waxahatchee, all relatively interchangeable but impeccable musicians. Velella’s soothing acoustic guitar matches her sweet, high voice in a mix that easily could’ve been bland but is pretty and catchy enough to be a very pleasing listen.

“Lover, Move” starts after a couple seconds of silence with a quiet and rhythmic guitar line. The EP’s longest song, it is just Velella, singing and playing guitar. It’s a pretty folk song – they all are. “Come Down” and “Blood Moon” are the same (although “Come Down” has a very effective moment towards the end when Velella dubs over herself vocally). “Act Your Age” and “Barn Swallow” have subtle electric guitar behind Velella, breaking up the solely acoustic sound. And the finale, “Found Her, Found Her” benefits from hand clapping and Velella’s washboard playing, which sounds as percussive as it does rhythmic.

Velella’s voice is vulnerable and beautiful. The soprano pitch of her singing complements the clean sound of her guitar. Velella wisely went for a polished production, instead of a lo-fi, fuzzy sound. It is as nostalgic for 70’s folk as it is current indie-folk, and it’s refreshing, as many indie-folk singer-songwriters have been branching a little too far out lately. It’s simple while being complex, catchy, and it all works, so it succeeds as a folk album. It’s a promising debut, and Velella’s music could fit right in alongside her established contemporaries.

The album is available here.

If you like this, try: Waxahatchee. Her all-acoustic debut, “American Weekend,” is more related to Velella, but her sophomore album, “Cerulean Salt,” is better overall.

-By Andrew McNally

Why? – “Golden Tickets”

(Photo Credit: thelineofbestfit.com)

Grade: D

This is a really frustrating one, because any review should be based solely on the music. The concept behind this EP is brilliant and unique, but the actual execution is mediocre. The concept behind this album is that the indie-folk-rap group “stalked” their superfans online to learn information about them, and write songs about them. It’s a little creepy, but the odes are nice. Each fan gets the “golden ticket” of having a song based off them, and the band in turn sold each song online individually, proceeds going to various disaster reliefs. It was all for a good cause, and Why?’s big fans get songs written about them. In most of the seven tracks, frontman Yoni Wolf takes on the personae of the fans.

Beyond the concept, though, everything feels largely phoned in. There’s no indication that there is a concept behind the album, I only came across it when looking up information on the EP. What it sounds like instead is Wolf adopting random identities for the sake of poetry – something he has done on previous Why? songs. The first three tracks all have either “Me name is” or “I am” as introductory lines. He barely raps, often doing a more melodic talking that sounds pretty disinterested. And musically, the band has traditionally written interesting pieces of music – often filled with tempo changes and genre melding. But on “Golden Tickets,” they largely just create simple structures and stand by them, doing nothing to complement Wolf.

“Dropjaw” is the worst offender, and was based off the best concept. A fan sent the band a video of him mouthing a wordless monologue, and Wolf wrote lyrics to what he imagined him saying. Again, it’s a great concept – but Wolf’s rhythmless, medioce Jamaican accent that he adopts is off-putting. The final song, “Peta Godfrey,” is the album’s only real good point. Wolf sings at points, actually sounding interested, and the band has crafted what feels like a good old Why? song.

As a very big fan of Why?, this felt like a weird misstep. It’s great that they’re doing something like this for their fans, but the execution felt very flawed. I’ve enjoyed everything they’ve done up to now, so a little misstep is fine, but “Golden Tickets” is really a missed opportunity. For someone looking on getting into the band, this is not the best place to start.

-By Andrew McNally

Grouplove – “Spreading Rumors”

(Photo Credit: grouplovemusic.com)

Grade: A-

Key Tracks: “Ways To Go,” “Shark Attack”

When Grouplove’s first three hits – “Colours,” “Itchin’ on a Photograph” and “Tongue Tied” – emerged two years ago, they were getting fairly graded as another folksy indie band, one that added enough outside elements to be separated from bands like Mumford & Sons and Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes, but didn’t add enough to be overly interesting. I, for one, expected their sophomore album to be focused on diversifying a couple of potential singles that are cemented amongst some average folk tunes. This was generally what their debut, “Never Trust A Happy Song,” was. But this album is radically different, embracing as many influences as possible. The band shifts away from folk, adding synths and volume. For the most part, it all blends well.

Christian Zucconi, the primary singer for the band, has always seemed to have a little grit or edge to his voice, that other indie-folk singers try not to have. It’s what made their early hits sound unique (plus “Tongue Tied”‘s rapping), and it’s one of the driving forces behind this album’s welcome diversity. His voice is strong, and the very unique sound of it never really gets tiring. Fellow singer Hannah Hooper gets some more moments, too. “Didn’t Have to Go” gives her a whole electro-ballad to shine as Christian takes a backseat.

Musically, the album is far more diverse than expected, and it rarely wallows in its ideas. The band wasn’t experimenting for the sake of it, these are carefully planned songs. The opener, “I’m With You,” is a mid-tempo song that’s got enough to stand on its own, but is really there to reinforce the loud and electric follow-up, “Borderlines and Aliens.” This is the song where the band really shows it’s change from their first album, with a fast and heavy song. Lead single “Ways to Go” features a prominent synth rhythm, which sounds unexpected at first until the next track, “Shark Attack,” goes into full EDM mode. Luckily, the band keeps up the diversity instead of letting the album’s first half carry the second.

There are some weak spots, some less than memorable songs and one track made uncomfortable by some awkward profanity. But overall, “Spreading Rumours” is a delight, and a fulfilling listen. It’s better than their debut, though it’s tough to compare the two. Grouplove seems even more like an anomaly in the indie-folk world, gleefully going to places other bands have vowed never to go to. That is, if we can still refer to Grouplove as “indie-folk.” It’ll be interesting to see where the band goes next, but for now, we can enjoy “Spreading Rumours.”

If you like this, try: The Bravery. The band was overshadowed by the meteoric rise of the Killers and unfairly forgotten. Through three albums, they drastically changed their sound and approach, like Grouplove does here.

-By Andrew McNally

Said the Whale – “hawaiii”

(Photo Credit: ridethetempo.com)

Grade: B

Key Tracks: “I Love You,” “Mother”

For the most part, Said the Whale is a fun indie band, not setting their sights on doing anything revolutionary or changing music at all. Their single “I Love You” is one of my favorite songs of the year, because it’s a bouncy little number with some oomph that gets stuck in your head. It’s nothing more than that, yet it’s great because of it. “I Love You” has more energy than most of the rest of the album, but it all still acts as a fun little reprieve from life.

Musically, the band keeps it simple. Most of the songs are quick and upbeat, not overstaying their welcome while staying different from each other. Think Two Door Cinema Club’s first album. Unfortunately, there’s something kind of inherently forgettable about music like this. The lack of complexity makes it fun, but doesn’t necessarily make a stand-out.

Vocally, the singer almost sounds like he’s emulating Vampire Weekend’s Ezra Koenig at times. The vocals are clear and the lyrics are often honest and entertaining. The production is crisp, but allows for a little distortion when it’s needed. And the album is over nearly as soon as it starts, probably a good quality for a fun listen like this one. It stops before it gets too repetitive.

With a band resembling Two Door Cinema Club and a singer resembling Ezra Koenig, it’s pretty certain that their album is going to be a decent one. “hawaiii” isn’t anything special, but it’s a good listen, and a nice break from complex indie bands. Chances are, fans picking up this album know exactly what they’re looking for, and won’t be disappointed.

If you like this, try: 2005’s “With Love and Squalor,” or really any album by We Are Scientists. Another fun, catchy but not totally forgettable indie band.

-By Andrew McNally

MGMT – “MGMT”

(Photo Credit: thelineofbestfit.com)

Grade: C

Key Tracks: “Your Life Is a Lie,” “Plenty of Girls in the Sea”

With their 2007 debut, “Oracular Spectacular,” MGMT burst onto the scene with mainstream experimentation that hadn’t been seen since the Talking Heads. More conventional than Animal Collective and giddier than Radiohead, MGMT showed the world that experimental pop could be popular while still being ‘weird.’ What the band struggled with after, though, was following it up. Refusing to make an album as catchy as their debut, they released 2010′s confusing and inconsistent “Congratulations.” And now, in 2013, we have a self-titled album that regrettably fits in between the two. “MGMT” has the more conventional natures of their debut without the catchiness, and the abstract qualities of “Congratulations” without any of the fun tonal shifts.

“MGMT” is the band’s first structured and consistent record, and it works nicely as a whole listen. Their first two albums were designed around enjoying tracks individually, while “MGMT” is almost only listenable as a full album. The transitions between songs aren’t as rough as their previous albums, as songs more represent differing pieces of a whole instead of standalone tracks. Individually, though, the songs lack the goofiness and urgency that their other albums enjoy. “Congratulations” was too confusing and too messy, but the energetic “Flash Delirium” is still one of the most fun four and a half minute songs out there. There’s no energy on “MGMT,” evidenced by the frustratingly mid-tempo opener, “Alien Days.” Every song wallows in synth-heavy rhythms, without actually having catchy hooks. The far and away catchiest track is “Plenty of Girls in the Sea,” which doesn’t come until the penultimate spot. There are certain spots, like the nearly six minute “I Love You Too, Death” where the band takes some time to actually develop something musically, but they’re few and far between.

One of the strongest points of both “Oracular Spectacular” and “Congratulations” was the clarity of the vocals, no matter what crazy melodies were happening behind it. Here, the vocals are intentionally buried behind distortion, taking more inspiration from Lightning Bolt than Elvis Costello. It’s very easy to ignore the vocals and take your focus away from the often interesting lyrics.

“MGMT” would have been the logical transition between the band’s first two albums, had it come out earlier. Now, it just sounds like a weird conglomerate that takes the faults of both albums. It’s not a bad record, but it just feels rushed and distant. The individual songs all sound a little too similar, and none of them are catchy enough to be hits nor experimental enough to be worthy of the MGMT name. The band should be praised for constantly experimenting off what their last record was, but nearly every part of “MGMT” just feels dull and underprepared.

If you like this, try: Animal Collective’s superb 2012 album, “Centipede Hz”

Okkervil River – “The Silver Gymnasium”

(Photo Credit: Paste Magazine)

Grade: B-

Key Tracks:”It Was My Season,” “Lido Pier Suicide Car”

The easiest thing to say about “The Silver Gymnasium” is that it does it’s job. A folk album that’s loosely based around the nostalgic concept of leaving one’s hometown comes in, has a number of varied tracks, and finishes. It’s unfortunate that this is being said of Okkervil River, because place this album a decade in the past and it would have been something really great. But Okkervil River might be a victim of their own creation. The band formed in 1998, long before the recent alt-folk revolution gave us Mumford & Sons, Laura Marling, Of Monsters and Men and what feels like two hundred other, largely great bands. Okkervil River used to be at the forefront of alt-folk, among the likes of fellow hold-outs Neko Case and pre-steriod addiction Wilco. The sounds conveyed on “The Silver Gymnasium” was a folk sound popular in the late ’90s. But with bands like Fleet Foxes now challenging the basic connotations of folk, this old sound is just a little outdated and a little boring.

But time should not be the main critique of quality, and there are some great songs on the album. Will Sheff’s voice is soothingly melodic, and matches the nostalgic tone perfectly. Opening track “It Was My Season” is so engagingly beautiful that almost anything that follows is set up for disappointment. Fellow stand-out “Lido Pier Suicide Car” serves as the album’s second-longest song, staying down tempo for long enough that its seconds away from becoming belaboring before kicking up the pace. And “Black Nemo” stands as a beautiful finale. These tracks, and a few others, are enough to still make the album a worthwhile listen, but there are a number of formulaic tracks. A fair amount of the album doesn’t quite feel original enough to exist in 2013, and a majority of the tracks aren’t really that memorable.

Okkervil River fans, and fans of late 90′s alt-folk will surely enjoy the album. Its nostalgic feel should connect with the band’s audience, many of whom can probably relate to leaving their hometowns. And in fact, the nostalgic tone might be why the album sounds a little tired. It could all be part of the concept. But even if it is, it isn’t an album for fans of the recent folk uprising. The concept works, and the never-indulgent personality Sheff displays works, it just isn’t easy to imagine revisiting the album after the first listen.

If you like this, try: the Neko Case album that’s reviewed directly underneath this!

-By Andrew McNally

Franz Ferdinand – “Right Thoughts Right Words Right Action”

(Photo Credit: Wikipedia)

Grade: B+

Key Tracks: “Right Action,” “Love Illumination”

The easy way out is to say “This is another Franz Ferdinand album,” because it is. It’s a collection of short, fun blasts of alt-rock that meddle between catchy beats and artsy lyrics. But, like their previous “Tonight: Franz Ferdinand,” it does it’s part to separate itself from their less aimed first two albums. “Tonight: Franz Ferdinand” was a slight concept album, one that chronicled a successful one-night stand, in the typical glitzy and suave Franz Ferdinand fashion. “Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action” relies more on the music than the lyrics to stand out. The album goes above the bands that influenced it – something many European alternative bands seem to struggle to do. Early British alternative bands like the Cure and Joy Division had a huge impact on the genre, and bands still model themselves to sound like their predecessors. This album sees the band still embracing them, but branching out and expanding their sound with consistently great results.

Some tracks, like “Bullet” and leadoff single “Right Action” still capture the energy of their previous albums. The tracks are catchy and fast, almost resembling a friendlier version of the Hives (with equally nice suits). “Right Action”‘s speedy guitar is interspersed with some bass bumps, giving the song a truly catchy feel. But the band experiments more with tempo and structure. There’s nothing close to the experimental, synth freak-out of 2009’s “Lucid Dreams,” but there are distinct points of growth. “Treason! Animals.” resembles an epic, based around a central character. “Fresh Strawberries” sees Alex Kapranos get his most cynical yet, comparing us all to a fruit that will soon go bad. The brilliant finale of “Goodbye Lovers and Friends” is a final statement; “This is really the end” Kapranos sings. But it’s doubtful that this is the final Franz Ferdinand record, it’s probably just their snark peering out one last time.

The only real fault of this record is it’s length. After waiting four years for a new record, it’s a little disappointing to only get 35 minutes of music. It’s a lot of fun, though, and it’s a memorable record. It’ll probably take a few listens to get to really know, and it deserves them. Franz Ferdinand have, yet again, made a fun and danceable album of bouncy, alt-pop with some real hidden complexity. Let’s hope this trend continues.

If you like this, try: This is the third album this year from a popular, catchy indie band that branches out from what we’re used to. The other two – which don’t need a plug – are among my favorites of the year: Phoenix’s “Bankrupt!” and Vampire Weekend’s “Modern Vampires of the City”

-By Andrew McNally