Vinyl Williams album Lemniscate is epic.
I’ve been gone awhile because I’ve been caught under a boulder of work and spotify. I’m sorry.
Vinyl Williams is LA based Lionel Williams and I could summarize what he’s about however, because I’m in the middle of a proposal and I have zero brain capacity beyond watching the latest episodes of Grimm on huluplus, I let last.fm do it for me:
In the past there have been several live members, namely Bryan Lee on drums.
The music is an attempt at “sonic matrices” which are combinations of sounds that beneficially affect the body. The process is enabled at frequency intersections, when certain tones, chords, and patterns are composited to induce specific (and usually unpredictable) qualities in the human psyche. On the surface, the music sounds like a whirlpool of psyched-out rock with glowing layers of krautrock, shoegaze, and mysticism. “Spacebeat” / “Shoegroove”
I love when people do the dirty for me. This is by far my favorite 21 year old since that kid with the efficiency I “met” at my alma mater 2 yrs ago while visiting for a wedding. See Vinyl Williams shoot pictures here: http://vinylwilliams.tumblr.com/
Check out “Someone’s Daughter” off the “Lebanon, PA” soundtrack, which was released yesterday (9/6/11). If you haven’t picked up the soundtrack, you can get it on itunes.
It has little to do with the fact that I know where Lebanon, PA actually is or the fact that having seen Matt Pond play with The Wooden Birds I have legit admiration for his talent (AND BEARD!)…it has to do with new music! Woot.
Against the Wall - Young Empires
This is what their facebook page describes them as: ” Snotty Toronto twenty-somethings, in love with rhythm, but not blues.”
Well I guess it’s all hook, line, and sinker for me…I’m not gonna lie, the vocals get a little annoying for a second, but I am pretty sure if I put on my tightest of mini skirts, party tank, KEDS, and threw back a few tequilas while at the disco, I’d love the crap out of this…and it’d be all makeouts, but no bringbacks, unless of course it were these three..then it’s ALL bringbacks. (see Austin City Limits 2011 Motto…)
Me and the Devil - Gil Scott-Heron
Gil Scott-Heron is no stranger to the music world in fact, we suffered a great loss as he passed away earlier this year. Regardless of his absence, his legacy is worth carrying on, not that we need to do it. It really stands up on its own.
Known for his spoken word in the 70s and 80s, Scott-Heron was deeply influenced by Langston Hughes. His discography is extensive spanning more than two decades. The track above was released off of a remixed album called We’re New Here produced by Jamie xx. The original album, released by Scott-Heron in 2010, was entitled I’m New Here. It was his first studio recorded album in 16 years after being in and out of prison cocaine.
Gil Scott-Heron passed away after getting sick in Europe and was admittedly HIV positive. He died on May 27, 2011.
The tragedy of such a great musician haunts this song and possibly makes it less of a song and more of a diary. And if you stick through the whole song, Scott-Heron creates a haunting finish with some spoken word.
Itchin on a Photograph - GROUPLOVE
Although this is a band I waxed musical on like months ago, there’s something about frontman Christian Zucconi’s vocals that scratch my itch the right way and keeps me coming back for more. Plus hats off to them, they’re practically an extinct species being a band that’s coming out of LA…I literally thought that city was a city of angels to musicians. Good for you guys.
Let’s give a nod to Hannah Hooper, keyboardist and wicked harmony hottie, for exercising the Summer of See-Through dress code appropriately & landing Christian as her BF. I give her a 5 out of 5 for the outfit and for making me jealous.
Also, props to Grouplove as a whole for adding clapping to the song. I was told as a young child, when you add clapping to any song, it becomes better …see Jack and Diane by The Coug.
They’re at the Masquerade in the Dirty ATL October 13…get it while it’s hot.
Seaing Lions
Joey Patino (left) and Jason Travis (right)
From my initial encounter, Jason Travis and Joey Patino seemed to be very different people, so different, in fact, that you might question their compatibility as band mates, founding members, and co-writers of the year plus old band, Sealions, which includes Keith Edmiston and John Craig. Patino shared that at a young age he wasn’t really into his parents’ music while Travis said that he thought his parents had cool taste. Travis said that most of the time he can find something to like in every album he hears, while Patino tends to lean the other way. Regardless of first impressions, there’s no doubt that the duo’s vision for their music is one that took some time to find, and through that search they’ve developed a soundthey can say is “the best stuff they’ve ever done.”
“I think with Sealions, the turning point was when I started using drum machines and synthesizers and learning everything I could about electronic music. Jason sort of fed off of that and all of a sudden, we had a new voice. I think it matches his songwriting more than anything else before. I think that’s where Sealions came from,” Joey says.
Of course, finding voice is an essential step to developing, but beyond that, the guys really spoke about their music, their writing, and their appreciation to Atlanta’s music and art scene with a strict professionalism that would tell any listener that these guys aren’t interested in making this a hobby. Joey continues,
“I think our attitude was music was a part-time job whereas now it’s a full time job. You have to at some point realize you have to spend just as much time on this as anything else you want to do. You can immediately see who isn’t committed to this thing.”
Yes, Patino and Travis were a good sell as is their album Strange Veins, but the true test of words is action, am I right? Anyone can say they’re serious, but nothing proves more than a good old fashioned live show.
So off I went to see Sealions at The Earl, and for good measure I brought a two of my friends and Sealions virgins to get some solid, objective feedback based on the show itself. What I saw solidified that Travis and Patino were not all talk and very honed in on what Travis said of their sound,
“We have a vintage, retro feel, but we try to stay really modern with our pop sensibilities and our music. We are a guitar band. We love keyboards as much as we love guitars.”
Well yes, yes they do, and clearly, they love to satisfy their crowd with a show that connects. Between me and my two comrades, we worked up enough sweat dancing to come to the conclusion that it’s not just their music; it’s their energy and compatibility on stage. No wonder they opened for Metric and Miami Horror. Phew, and I was worried those two dudes lied. Trust issues, leave me alone.
They say opposites attract and never judge a book by it’s cover (guilty), but regardless of first impressions, Jason Travis and Joey Patino clearly have something right that goes a lot deeper than what they listened to as kids or who they chose to listen to now. If you don’t believe me, just ask them yourself. Plus, I’ve never heard two guys more adamantly exclaim, “We’re not lo-fi.”
Upcoming Sealions shows:
Jack of Hearts Album Release at The Basement, Aug 26 - $5
Headlining with Machines are People Too and WIC at The Star Bar, Sept 9 - $7
Photo by Dan Depew
This is the album from The Answer Page entitled Orca.
I love this because of the uncanny similarity of Nate McKee’s vocals to The Smiths, but is that a sin to say such a thing? I mean can we possibly replicate the androgynous sex god that is Morrissey?
Well, I can’t say that McKee is a copycat because does imbibe his own unique take with Orca. It’s a little grittier with The Two Trees and of course, being a total lyric whore, my detection of emotion per song can’t go unrecognized.
Beyond the “oh wow this is new” alert I’m giving you, the standout thing beyond all other deets is that McKee is a one man production machine. He not only learned every instrument on this album, he mastered it (and I mean that both figuratively and literally). If this doesn’t prove that you can do anything you set your mind to, and do it well, then I don’t know what does.
As McKee’s first album, you have to take hats, shoes, and jackets off for a solid effort and a personal sound, all the while maintaining the essence of shoegazing.
To think, if this is a creation of “learning as you go”, McKee might be living up to his namesake.
Orono Park - The Wilderness of Manitoba
This song reminds me of a day I had once years ago. We were driving down long roads in Bucks County, PA leaf watching. Yes, there is such a thing. It’s actually a commonplace thing during the Fall in PA. It was probably the most perfect day I ever had with a person who didn’t mean much to me, but I’m glad I had that day and I’m glad this song reminds me of it.
The Wildnerness of Manitoba is in fact a folk group from Canada and their power comes from their voices. It’s driven more by vocals than by any other instrument in the band and why not? Voices are more powerful than any other instrument out there. They play on my penchant for wistful Fall days like above and give another good argument to why folk ensembles are not a dying trend.
I’m going to avoid denial that Summer is slipping away. We all know Fall is around the corner and although I’ll miss naps in the pool, I can’t wait til I can spend another Fall day with an unimportant person making important memories with a good solid soundtrack like this playing in the background.
Coming to Atlanta and some other points Southeast along with Carbon Leaf this Sunday…
Fireflies - Mother Falcon
I’ve had a tumultuous week filled with stress, confusion, and sweat. In times when things feel mixed up, I make a mixtape. It tends to, at least, represent a musical snapshot in my life that I can look back on and go, I remember that…even if sometimes, I’d rather remember the peaks rather than the valleys.
Mother Falcon was one of the key ingredients to my mixtape of mixed emotions and for good reason. Listening to not only “Fireflies”, but also “Alligator Teeth” is an experience that leaves you wondering what happened and where can you get more. Because it’s nothing I’ve ever heard, I tend to bounce from tugged heart strings to agressive passion to melancholic confusion. This is all thanks to the ever changing group of classically trained musicians on strings, brass, and drums led by Nick Gregg on vocals. Let’s face it, you add strings into any song and The Emotion Advisory System threat level will go from yellow to orange.
So whatever you’re searching for in new music (even if it’s not emotive), I think a good bet would be a long hard listen to Mother Falcon. Where indie music tends to draw the line at either synth-drone-beach-wave or Americana-folk-rock… Mother Falcon truly spreads their wings into a completely new musical direction.
This speaks for itself…Happy Humpin’
