FIRST AID KIT-The Big Black and the Blue

Posted on September 2nd, 2010 by ekko


“In the Morning,” the first cut off of First Aid Kit‘s debut album, “The Big Black and the Blue,” kicks off with acappella harmony, showcasing the powerful voices of Klara (16) and Johanna Söderberg (19).  They may be two young, Swedish gals, but they’re about as far from ABBA as you can get.  They make traditional folkmusic, with pop-flavored accents, that surpasses just about everything else like it on the market right now.  The songs, all originals, are deep and moving, with lyrics about faith and God: “I wish I could believe in something bigger/More than these trees these winds these oceans/I wish I could believe what they tell me.”

The band has already garnered a rep for doing great covers–their take on Fleet Foxes’ “Tiger Mountain Peasant Song” as a youtube hit–but this album proves that they’re far more than that.  Check ‘em out.

Hard Believer

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LOCAL NATIVES-Gorilla Manor

Posted on August 23rd, 2010 by ekko

Wots the deal with Local Natives? Do they make catchy indie pop or are they trying to make a statement? Are they accessible weird like Of Montreal, offbeat weird like Animal Collective, pop like Fleet Foxes, good like Grizzly Bear, or great like Arcade Fire?

The answer to all these questions: Yes.

Gorilla Manor, the debut album from L.A.’s Local Natives, is one of the most interesting records I’ve had the fortune to hear this year. There are elements of a lot of indie bands you’ve heard before, but I don’t think you’ve heard them in this combination. Or with this level of versatility. This band can do wicked choruses primed for indie rock concerts or radio airplay (“Airplanes”); tribal David Byrne stuff and chant-rock (“World News”; “Sun Hands”); Beach Boys/Beach House pop (“World News”); basic rock and roll (“Camera Talk”); and far-out freakfests (“Shape Shifter”). There’s even a Talking Heads cover (“Warning Sign”) that does justice to the original. No. Dare I say it? It surpasses the original. They’ve got great lyrics, great harmonies, and the music is tightly crafted and performed with intensity and power. In fact, the harmonies and “jam sensibilities” make this album so dense and rich that it’s impossible to identify any breakout performances or bandleader here. The band is a unit–a force of music. It’s not often that one hears a group as well knit as this one.
This album gets my highest recommendation. On Frenchkiss records, home of Passion Pit, The DoDos, and The Antlers. Fast becoming one of the greatest indie labels out there.
Airplanes

Airplanes video

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POWER ANIMAL-People Songs

Posted on August 19th, 2010 by ekko

I’m not going to say that Power Animals are novel–they’re not.  But I am going to say that they’re a band worth hearing if you dig the stadium-style soaring swells of The Arcade Fire (and who doesn’t?) and the more experimental weirdness of Of Montreal or Petra Haden.

They’re an unsigned band created by 16-year-old High School dropout Keith Hampson, who wrote most of the songs.  Instrumentally, the album features a cello, two drummers, glock, kalimba, bass, synths, violins, horns, whistling and harmonies, a toy piano, sampling, and “every suitable instrument they could get their hands on other than guitar.”  The lack of guitar means there’s no traditional hooks here–the melodies have to carry the songs.  

The album is both dense and light.  It’s dense because of the variety of sounds and the lack of easily recognizable song structure.  It’s light because . . . It just feels light.  Despite having a bit of sadness to it, the music has a sense of joy and pride.  Like Cloud Cult.

And they’re as yet unsigned, so you should listen to them loud so everyone will know you’re wicked cool.

Their debut is being distributed by Waaga records.

Birds Have Worries Too!

Untitled

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HIGH FIVE REVIVAL-Grey Goose, Drug Use, and Spousal Abuse

Posted on August 16th, 2010 by ekko

And the award for most obnoxiously misleading album title of the year goes to . . . High Five Revival!  The title of this foursome’s debut, “Grey Goose, Drug Use, and Spousal Abuse,” sounds like a bad rap album that will feature lots of gold teeth and “yeeaahhhs.”  But it doesn’t.

Put away your biases and prepare to be wowed.  I mean it.  The High Five Revival are clever, musically tight, freakin’ hilarious, nonpretentious, and . . . I don’t have anything bad to say about them.  Where else will you find love songs featuring self-conscious misogynism (“in the kitchen where you belong”), too-little-too-late sympathy (“if you see her crying, give a muffin”), and blunt straight-talk (“you’re talking about your problems that are stupid/you should call back when you’re sober”).  These guys say what everyone else thinks, but doesn’t have the balls to speak of.

This is college-basement indie rock (bordering on punk) at its best.  It’s unsigned bands like this that give me the will to keep on blogging. They kinda remind me a little bit of Incubus around the time of their first record.

Muffin

Ghostface Killah

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THE TALLEST MAN ON EARTH-The Wild Hunt

Posted on August 11th, 2010 by ekko

The Tallest Man on Earth is Kristian Matsson, a Swedish folk singer with a voice that falls somewhere between Shannon Hoon (Blind Melon), Josh Ostrander (Eastern Conference Champions), and Bob Dylan.  If that sounds like it has the potential to be grating, you’re right.  But if you’re familiar with those artists, you also know that it works, and works well.  “The Wild Hunt” is the man’s second record, and it’s just about as close to perfect as you can find in modern acoustic-based folk rock.

This is his first album on the independent Dead Oceans label, and it is exactly what you would expect and hope for from this artist: Powerful lyrics that fit neatly with tightly crafted guitar-based melodies that can be simple (“Burden of Tomorrow”) or as intricate and beautiful as anything off of Dylan’s best record, “Blood on the Tracks” (“Troubles Will be Gone”).  The only criticism I have of this record is that it gets a little same-y after a while–it is ten songs done in a very similar manner.  I’m hoping that for his next release, Matsson will step a little further out of his safety zone.  Until then, though, this album is a wonderful experience.

Burden of Tomorrow

Bonus!  The Graceland cover!

Graceland

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JON LANGFORD AND SKULL ORCHARD-Old Devils and Jon Langford, A to Z

Posted on August 3rd, 2010 by ekko


When Joe Strummer died, a piece of him stayed behind inside of Jon Langford. Langford, a Welsh singer-songwriter, is one of the rare examples of a drummer (as part of the seminal punk band The Mekons) who was able to transform into a guitar-playing bandleader. Like Strummer, he infused his raw, energetic, and unrehearsed punk sensibility with elements of country and folk, playing with bands like Waco Brothers and Three Johns (with John Hyatt) before forming the Skull Orchard band. There are few artists today whose albums I instantly take to as strongly as Langford, and his 2010 release, “Old Devils,” is no exception. Simple rock and roll/punk/country tunes about love, loss and pain played with a terrific band (fellow Waco Brothers Alan Doughty and Joe Camarillo on bass and drums respectively and the Zincs/Horse’s Ha dapper, finger-picking Englishman Jim Elkington on guitar).

I’ve listened to this album straight through half a dozen times already. If this isn’t one of the best albums of the year, then we’re in for a great second half of 2010.

Here’s a song from the new one:
Getting Used to Uselessness

BONUS JON LANGFORD LIVE, A to Z!

I love this dude so much, I want to pay a full tribute . . . All are direct links, so no need for a zip file. (And I know that much of the Mekons stuff is post-Langford, but I still dig it, and his fingerprints are all over that band.)

A is for American Pageant-Jon Langford and his Sadies.

B is for another cover: Big River-The Mekons.

C is for children’s music. Langford isn’t always all about the grown ups. You can find a great kids show here, featuring all kinds of classics like “I Know An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly” and “Big Rock Candy Mountain.”

D and E are forDeath of the European-John Langford (acoustic).

F is for Fantastic Voyage-The Mekons

G is for Getting Used to Uselessness, from the new album!

H is for Kelly Hogan’s appearance with Jon on Time Changes Everything.

I is for I Fought the Law (Bobby Fuller Four cover)-Waco Brothers.  Millions of people cover this song, and I don’t think I’ve ever heard a bad version.  Makes me wonder if I could do it…..

J is for Johnny Cash’s Long Black Veil-Jon Langford.

K and L are for Key Largo-Jon Langford.  No, it’s not a cover of that schmaltzy guilty pleasure by Bertie Higgins.

M is for Mekons, and N is for the Mekons anthem Never Been in a Riot.

P is for Pill Sailor-Jon Langford.  I love the image of a pill sailor.

R is for Reno, where Johnny shot a man, just to watch him die, in the classic Folsom Prison Blues-Jon Langford.

S is for Stay a Little Longer-Jon with Neko Case.

T is for a three-song medley: Take This Hammer/Goodnight Irene/I Got Stripes-Jon Langford (acoustic).

V is for that comely vixen in the Tom Jones cover Delilah-Jon Langford (acoustic).

W is for the classic country cover What a Good Year for the Roses-Mekons.  I know Elvis Costello had the balls to cover this song first.  Elvis’ “Almost Blue” record is one I played the crap out of.

Y is for You Ain’t Going Nowhere, a song made famous by The Byrds.

Z is for Big Zombie-Mekons.

If you’re not a fan of Jon’s after downloading these tunes, you’re hopeless.

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THE NATIONAL RIFLE-Vanity Press (EP)

Posted on August 2nd, 2010 by ekko

The National Rifle’s fourth EP, Vanity Press is due out Aug. 31. One wonders how they can run a band-business on EPs, but this probably sums it up:

“We’re doing this because we don’t give a shit if we’re a hundred years old and still have to work day jobs to drive 18 hours to New Orleans for a show over the weekend. We’re investing our lives in this because it’s the only thing we care about.” – Hugh (the band’s frontman).

She’s a Waste

Tour dates:

  • 08.06 – 08.08 Hannah Fest Newton, NJ
  • 08.19.10 Pet Cemetary Baltimore, MD
  • 08.28.10 Kung Fu Necktie Philadelphia, PA
  • 09.19.10 Restuarant Festival West Chester, PA
  • 11.13.10 Johnny Brenda’s Philadelphia, PA

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THE BLACK RABBITS-The Black Rabbits EP

Posted on July 25th, 2010 by ekko

The worst thing–and the only bad thing–about The Black Rabbits is their name.  It sounds so common, so plain, so much like so many other bands out there.  In fact, it sounds a lot like a band that The Black Rabbits sound a lot like: The White Rabbits.  It almost made me toss this EP out without even listening to it.

That would have been a mistake.

The Black Rabbits are from the rhythm and blues school of indie rock–think Spoon–that stresses funk and beat and hook.  It’s purist indie rock–no tinges of Americana or wildly experimental navel gazing–just straight-up solid songs designed for dancing and long drives and Zooey Deschannel movies.  The result is a kick-ass EP that sucks you in with “Hurry Hurry” and never lets go.  Lead singer/songwriter Jetson Black has just enough gravel and oomph to push every song past the ordinary baseline, and they’re well-supported by the pitch-perfect supporting vocals of keyboardist Kim Drake (think Emily Haines).  At least, I think that’s Ms. Drake–it could be bassist Natalie Smallish.  Whatever.  Ms. Smallish deserves a mention anyway, since her basslines and Skyler Black’s drumming are the engine that gives the band its turbo power.   Trying to figure out which song to tease you with is almost impossible, because they’re all perfect.  Yes, perfect.

This is a truly amazing debut.  I can’t wait to hear what comes next.

For fans of: Spoon, The White Rabbits, The Pixies, The Raconteurs.

Hurry Hurry

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DEAD HEART BLOOM-Strange Waves

Posted on July 23rd, 2010 by ekko

Dead Heart Bloom are understated. That’s their biggest problem. Their songs, almost all of them, start with a slow quiet roll, burst into chorus, and then roll back. It’s the format pioneered by the Pixies, but without the punk energy. Instead, the choruses are poppy, almost sunny. Almost. There’s an undercurrent of sadness that permeates all of the band’s latest full length, Strange Waves.

Why is this a problem? Because it’s misleading. There’s elements of The Beatles, Roxy Music, and other classic rockers here, and there’s a lot of depth and detail to their work. But it’s also tempting to write them off as depressing, artsy, derrivative indie rockers at first listen. You have to stick with them. Trust me. There’s a big payoff. Strange Waves is quite good.

They’re also generous. Their entire EP catalog is available on line, for free, at their website. Actually, not totally free. It’ll cost you an e-mail addy.

Strange Waves is coming at you on August 31.  You can actually download it for free on their public relations’ team site, which is odd and unusual.

Meet Me (from Strange Waves)

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NEW JON LANGFORD

Posted on July 20th, 2010 by ekko

I almost never post links to single tunes.

But for my man Langford, I make an exception.  Homie is the last living channel to Joe Strummer.

Check out “Getting Used to Uselessness,” the first MP3 off Old Devils, the forthcoming record from Jon Langford and Skull Orchard. (Out this August.)

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