Album Review: The National, "High Violet"

The National. My best friend from home got me obsessed a little more than a year ago, and they are amazing. I'll be honest, I was a little hesitant to allow myself to become obsessed, because it was one of those instances in which I received two full albums in a huge music exchange with a friend, and digging through it all seemed too overwhelming. Especially given that a lot of their tracks do sound similar, but after some time I grew to love both Alligator and Boxer. I saw them last July at Pitchfork, and they were awesome. Matt Berninger's baritone is so unique.

So, High Violet leaked, and I would like to offer my rave review of it. Every track is incredible, and each one works to create this amazing 11-track package of an album. It's not often that I say I sincerely enjoy each track that a band releases, but this is definitely one of those cases. I've already mailed two copies off to various cities in Iowa (yes, it is weird that my two best friends from home both go to Iowa state schools...)

The album opens with "Terrible Love," one of my immediate favorites of the album. It's repetitive, catchy, and definitely the right song to open with. Chill guitar riffs, pleasant beats, a slow crescendo toward the middle of the song -- sooo National-esque.

The lyrics in "Sorrow" carry the song, although I do have to admit that I'm one of those obsessive lyric types. My friend and I have defined three types of music people. 1. Lyrics: those who appreciate music for its words. 2. Tune: those who look for a melody. 3. Beat: anyone who loves a bass, a beat, some sort of rhythm. Obviously all three are necessary for a good piece of music, but I love lyrics. They are what drive a song for me, and Berninger does not disappoint.

"Little Faith" is my least favorite track of the album, but that doesn't really mean anything about its merits because like I said, there is no disappointing track on High Violet. "Bloodbuzz Ohio" is the next single of the band's, and it's obvious just from listening to the catchy lyrics and melody. "Lemonworld" is my other favorite of the album, his crooning has just never been better. "Doo doo doo doo..." it's just so beautiful. And then they end with Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks, which is the slowest, most ballad-esque track, and just makes you smile as it fades and the album ends. Sigh. It's just wonderful.

I would tell you to go out and buy the album, but obviously that is not possible yet. Wait til May 11, then buy it. Or, stream it at the NY Times (and read the article. It's great, and much better writing than this...)

Mixtape

I have a music-searching routine because I am crazy and compulsive. At any given time I have a “new playlist” that has about 1300 songs on it (1308 right now,) and I throw all “new” music there once it pours into my itunes. Some of this stuff isn’t new to the music world by any means, but it is new to me. The only way to remove these songs from said list is to hit a play count of 4, and if it makes it through 4 plays without me deleting it, the song can stay permanently in my itunes library. And for a select few that I love, I drag them onto a playlist that I then burn for my friend and mail to him in Iowa. Right now I’m working on the Spring 2010 playlist that has almost 20 songs, and then I will close it out and mail him a copy (I sent him two spring break CDs last month. Needless to say, I have a lot of playlists saved on my itunes).

So, the point of this post: I thought I would share a few of the songs that I am actually listening to on a daily basis. Here is my Spring 2010 mix.

1. The National – Terrible Love. So I realize that this album “hasn’t been released yet,” but it has for me. My friend got me into this band a little more than a year ago, and I saw them at Pitchfork last summer. Matt Berninger’s voice is just so unique. Sometimes their songs run together for me, but like my friend Andy says, it sounds like one song, but it’s definitely a song that I love.

Watch: The National -- Terrible Love

2.Vampire Weekend -- Giving up the gun
3. Xavier Rudd – Messages
4. Portugal. The Man – Shade
5. Camera Obscura – The Sweetest Thing. I got “Swans” by this band a few months back, and was just captivated by Tracyanne Campbell’s voice. So… sweet. I can’t really think of another way to describe it.
6. Paper Route – Dance on our Graves

Download: Paper Route -- Dance on our Graves

7. Little Dragon – Twice
8. Free Energy – Bang Pop. I got their single, “Free Energy” back in October, but it got lost in my mess of new music. It wasn’t until I got “Dream City” from a free mixed CD that I was prompted to download their entire album. Great upbeat band.
9. Social Studies – Live for Today

Download their Daytrotter Session.

10. Micachu & The Shapes – Just in Case
11. Yeasayer – One. One of my favorite bands. If you don’t listen to them yet, there’s something wrong with you.

Watch their awesome 90s-infused music video: Yeasayer -- One

12. LCD Soundsystem – Dance Yrself Clean
13. The Dead Weather – I cut like a buffalo

Download: The Dead Weather -- I cut like a buffalo

14. Local Natives – Shape Shifter. It’s really a toss up every day over which Local Natives song is my favorite. Amazing band. Every single track is worth the “new playlist” status.
15. Silversun Pickups – Substitution. Old, I know, but I love it now.
16. Beach House – Walk in the Park
17. The Rocketboys – Sights and Sounds.
 
Great Daytrotter session.

18. The Rosewood Thieves – Los Angeles
19. The Dutchess and the Duke – Hands

Download two Daytrotter Sessions

20. Jenslekman – Kanske Ar Jagkar I Pig

The Flaming Lips Concert Review: Friday, April 23

The Flaming Lips. Epic, legendary, amazing... and Wayne Coyne knows it. This was the third time I've seen the band since July (at Pitchfork, and their huge New Years show in Oklahoma City,) but this was by far the best show of their shows I've seen. It was less crowded than Pitchfork, so I was able to get really close, and New Years was amazing and a lengthy set, but it was in a large arena (which just always blows).

Coyne did his usual rolling around on the crowd thing like a hamster, except this time when he rolled over me and my friends, he took most of us out. Thankfully a man graciously reached his hands out and pulled me back to my feet, so I didn't get trampled by the crowd.

If there's one thing I can say about Coyne after seeing the Lips a few times, is he really really loves himself. He talks (almost excessively,) throughout the show, which allows him to play a realllly short set. They played most of what you would expect, "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots," "The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song," "Vaseline" and "The W.A.N.D." I am upset that they have never played "Free Radicals" when I've been there, but whatever, it was still an amazing show.

The great thing about the Flaming Lips is you will never be bored at their show. Even if you don't really enjoy their music, lasers, fog, dancers, large blow-up animals and a mess of confetti will help maintain your interest. The degree that Coyne loves himself gets a little obnoxious, as he preaches to the crowd about his opinions for approximately 30 minutes, but at least he's using his music to help the causes he believes in (mainly peace and Bush-bashing). The band played a few covers of Pink Floyd for the first encore (yes, he demanded that the crowd cheer for 5 minutes not once, but twice,) and then "Do You Realize" for the final song of the set. Coyne then awkwardly came out as everyone was leaving for about 10 minutes and just bowed, which no one seemed too interested in, as that exit was far less exciting than the confetti bombs that came during the last track.

The Dead Weather Concert Review: Friday, April 23

The Dead Weather, Jack White's latest band endeavor, opened for the Flaming Lips in KC last night. This review will be shorter, because I am really excited to move on to the Flaming Lips, but they were pretty great.

I haven't been a fan of the band for long, and honestly tried to get more into them after I heard they were opening for the Lips, but their 2009 album, Horehound is great. If you're expecting a White Stripes sound-a-like, it's not going to happen, as they are much heavier and Alison Mosshart, the lead singer, has much harsher vocals than White. They started playing around 8 before it got dark out, and the crowd wasn't incredibly large, but as it got later and later into the evening the crowd got more hyped (and drunk) and the show became exponentially better.

They played basically all of Horehound with a few of their newer singles. Mosshart thrashed about in her skinny jeans and tight shirt, and occasionally White would stumble to the front of the stage to appease the crowd and drunkenly sing a few songs. It was a little too much of a love fest for White after people finally realized that he was the drummer sitting in the back, so I'd love to see them actually headline a show.

Watch: The Dead Weather -- Hang You from the Heavens

Album Review: LCD Soundsystem "This is Happening"

So I promised album reviews, and I have failed thus far at that aspect of this blog. I thought it would be appropriate for the first album review to be of LCD Soundsystem's newest album, This is Happening, because I did hate on them in my recap of the Pitchfork lineup (Yes, I realize this album leaked and the official release date isn't until May 18. But, the tracks are on LCD's Web site and I've had the album for quite some time, so... there it is).

I am ashamed of that post in which I spoke not necessarily poorly of LCD, but I was definitely not as stoked about them as I should've been. Unfortunately, this album makes me want to run far away from my family reunion and attend the Pitchfork Music Festival, but alas, I don't have the money anyway.

Alright, I'm going to do this my own way. I have a harder time writing album reviews for legit publications because I have sort of a rubric I need to follow, and if there's something you should know about my writing, I hate rubrics.

This album is very LCD typical. Heavy beats, weird percussion, a mess of vocals -- and I just want to go to a flash rave and dance to these tracks immediately (well, not all of them, but majority, at least). I have a feeling that "Drunk Girls" will be the pop-classic, with lyrics that describe a variety of situations involving very drunk girls, and boys, which they repeat over and over throughout the song. I can hear this already at hipster-esque parties in basements with strobe lights and skinny jeans.

"Dance Yrself Clean" is my favorite. For sure. Of course they had to misspell one of the words to make themselves more "alt" but whatever, it's a great track. It's the opening track for the album, following LCD's trend of lengthy tracks at 8:58, and starts off slow, and eases into a heavier beat and more of a dance track. I love the transitions that LCD is able to always pull off seamlessly, especially in this track.

"All I Want" is one of their first singles, but it's nothing too noteworthy, I don't think. It's good, but too sing-songy. Too melodic. "One Touch" is definitely the track for those rolling and losing their minds in some random club, with bizarre vocals and echoing voices. Interesting, but a little too LCD-weird for me.

Oh, and "Pow Pow"... Not so good. Just weird.

Listen: LCD Soundsystem -- All I Want (from Pitchfork)

The Dogs.

It's about time for the obligatory, here-are-my-friends-who-have-a-band post. I went to high school with these boys, and their band is actually legitimately good. I wouldn't be saying that if it weren't true, too.

The Dogs are a band of like 10 people, but really just consist of James Krivchenia, Matt Bachman, Pete Walters and Rivkah Gevinson. They're an indie-alternative-rock type, I don't really know how to explain them, but go to their blog and listen to some of their songs. You can even download their newest album for free. And if you like them, vote for them at The Chicago Deli as the new Chicago artists of the month.

DO IT.

Pitcfork Music Festival 2010

Pitchfork just announced more acts at it's annual music festival in Chicago, Union Park, July 16-18. I went last year, and it was a nice change of pace from Lollapalooza. Exponentially more Hipster, but that's another story altogether. (Whole Foods is one of the sponsors. Organic food, chain smoking, wheat beer and plaid are everywhere).

BUT the main angst in this post is going to center around the fact that I CANNOT GO THIS YEAR. My family reunion is the same weekend, and although I would usually miss it, my aunt isn't doing well and I need to go to be with her.

So, instead, I need to live vicariously through someone. Anyone. Buy tickets.The three-day passes sold out in like a week, but you can still buy one-days. Here is the lineup (with my intelligent commentary, of course). Get the full lineup, here.

Friday:
Modest Mouse and Broken Social Scene are both playing on Friday. Granted, I've seen both of them in concert, (Modest Mouse more than once,) but they're just amazing bands.


Watch: Broken Social Scene -- 7/4 Shoreline


Saturday:
LCD Soundsystem, Raekwon, Free Energy, jj and Wolf Parade are all playing. I'm most upset about missing Wolf Parade, although I know that's ridiculous because LCD is legendary. I saw Wolf Parade in concert like two years ago, and they just had so much energy. 

Watch: Wolf Parade -- I'll Believe in Anything

Free Energy is a band I got into a couple of months ago after I got their single, "Free Energy" for free somewhere. I don't remember where, to be honest. It happens frequently. 

jj is a reallllly low-key band. I'm not that into them, just because none of their songs really catch me, but they're talented. I should spend more time with their CD, but I feel like they'd do cool things live.


Sunday:
Pavement. Everyone is losing it over Pavement's reunion after disappearing for 10 years, but I'm not, really. I feel like an awful music person for saying that, but, I just don't get it as much as I should, I guess. They'd be fun live, though.


Download: Pavement (four songs. It's from a blog I found that has a ton of more heavy indie music, freeindie.com, coincidentally. Not easy to forget).


Sunday is the best day. St. Vincent, Beach House, Girls, Surfer Blood, Local Natives... gahhh so many amazing acts. I'm seeing Local Natives in May, so I'm not really too distraught, but I'm upset about Beach House. I hear they put on an amaziing show. I've acquired like six tracks from various free sites, but here's my favorite for you.

Download: Beach House -- Walk in the Park