Main Wavve Nathan Williams

Back Monday night from a Seattle trip. Caught Wavves Wednesday last week at Neumos. If the intensity of their album is about an 8, it was a 12 onstage. Leader Nathan Williams added Jay Reatard’s rhythm section a year ago, and these guys are all about playing loud and fast. They all seem close and gave each other lots of good-natured shit between songs. Good show…Arcade Fire is shaping up to be the band of 2010 considering the outstanding album, amazing live shows, and now the most buzzed-about online music video this side of Cee-Lo’s “Fuck You”.  Interesting that while the band rejects virtually every licensing opportunity, a Google Chrome download is required to properly view the clip. I’m not sure I blame them, but it is ironic. “The Suburbs” is the type of complex album that has been a total grower for me, and where my favorite tracks keep changing. Bottom line is that almost all of it works for me…Of “indie” bands not getting tons of mass coverage, the Black Keys and Mumford & Sons CD’s are both lurking in the top 30 after being out for a few months. Good for them, and I like seeing that a banjo-oriented group can catch on with hipsters. In some ways, Mumford strikes me as a more-accessible Fleet Foxes in terms of their appeal.  BTW, Fleet Foxes are saying their next album will be darker. That’s often a mistake for bands. I’m not sure I’d recommend that direction to them, but I’m still very interested to hear what they’re coming up with…If you haven’t seen the “official” Cee-Lo video just out this week, you must check it out. Off-beat lightening has stuck twice for him, first with “Crazy” in 2006 and now with “Fuck You”. The clean “Forget You” version sounds great on the radio.

New Ra Ra Riot album will establish them as big-leaguers

Ra Ra Riot–The Orchard…After a promising debut in 2008, this band seemed in danger of getting lost in the “short attention-span shuffle”, but they’ve emerged with a stellar sophomore outing.   It has a clean sound with pretty melodies and crisp vocals.  Classically influenced strings permeate throughout.  If you sense a Vampire Weekend influence, it’s at least somwhat due to VW’s Rostam having collaborated with RRR, and he produced the track “Do You Remember”.  I also recommend “Boy”, “The Orchard”, and “Too Dramatic”.

!!!–StrangeWeather, Isn’t It?…These Brooklyn peeps traveled to Berlin to record their fourth album.  Their mid-tempo funky vibe remains, and the focus is on consistent grooves and texture.  It isn’t too melodic, but the overall feel really works.  More accessible tracks include my favorite “AM/FM” as well as “Heart of Hearts”.

Fitz & the Tantrums–Fitz & the Tantrums…This LA band has been playing locally and gaining tastemaker approval over the past few months.  Fitz blends a punk feel with blue-eyed retro soul.  While the album leans closer to pop than to rock, this dude can sing and I’m really liking the backing tracks.  The entire album is compelling.  On “Dear Mr. President”, they have some coaching for Obama.  My faves are “Breakin’ the Chains of Love”, “MoneyGrabber”, and “Don’t Gotta Work It Out”.

Letterman: Interpol, Dead Weather

Fallon: Spoon

Kimmel: 3OH!3

John Stewart: Arcade Fire

Empire Of the Sun just might be hitting arenas in a few years

If you only know Empire Of the Sun for their studio work, you may be stunned by the band’s ambitious live show.  More than a gig, it’s a full-on production with lighting, costumes, uniquely choreographed dancers that are hard to explain in a short space, and of course music which is played to a T.  When they have more material to draw from, the band can become arena-level.  They have almost a Muse-like intensity and the visuals are brilliant.  Word is spreading, and Empire had to play 4 shows this week at the Henry Fonda. The crowd loved it and the pre-show anticipation in the club was the highest I’ve seen an awhile.  

UK buzzband The Joy Formidable rocked Silver Lake’s Bootleg Theatre. The raw guitar-oriented 3-piece is fronted by Ritzy Bryan, who handles the guitar along with her lead vocals.  She’s got the goods and the band delivers live.  They’ve got cool songs in “Whirring” and “Poppinjay” and could use a couple more to help seal the deal.  Speaking of deals, they are signed in both the UK and US.  This is a rare Brit band that is becoming established in both countries at about the same time.

Manchester group The Answering Machine played at The Echo here in L.A.  Their “Oh Christina” got some attention a few years ago.  These guys are talented, fun, and play well.  Their new stuff has enough potential where I’d like to hear the new songs again when they become available.  The band is in that melodic, guitar-oriented, very British-sounding niche which is a tough sell right now.  As the pendulum hopefully swings back in that direction, these guys can be contenders.

I’ve been keen to see Melbourne’s Midnight Juggernauts since their Dystopia album came out in 2007.  They played a stripped-down set at The Echo. Like many indie-electro bands, they’ve moved in a softer, more-progressive direction.  Their newer stuff is cool but I’m afraid I prefer the immediacy of their earlier upbeat, house stylings.

Fitz & the Tantrums have L.A. peeps abuzz

Of bands I’ve recently interviewed The Constellations gained many Lollapolooza fans while Matt & Kim stirred up the Lolla throng as always.  The Drums were a highlight the prior weekend at Australia’s Splendour in the Grass. The three band interviews are here. I understand Rafeal Saadiq made quite an impression at the festival and of course Gogol Bordello always is a knock out..Speaking of great live bands, Titus Andronicus showed on Jimmy Fallon why people love ‘em live.  See it here...Some larger mainstream alternative stations are considering The Drums’ “Let’s Go Surfing”.  Such a radio-perfect tune.  Someone needs to give it a shot!…L.A. tastemakers are buzzing about blue-eyed soul band Fitz and the Tantrums. They’re known to be great live and their album drops later this month.  I find all of it a compelling listen, although it’s closer to pop than to rock…I’m pleased to have been Music Supervisor for the roadtrip mockumentary “Go West Happy Cow”…Scott Perry of the New Music Tipsheet sends an astute weekly email on music business marketing strategies.  It’s an interesting read for anyone wanting to learn more about the music world.  Sign up here…USA Today actually put Iron Maiden in the category of bands doing “boomer revival tours”.  Guess the paper is unaware the band completed their most successful U.S. tour to date and are in the process of headlining various European festivals.  I review their LA show on my June 21 post.  The average age of a Maiden crowd is less than the age of the band’s first album”Killers”…MTV’s first aired clip long ago was “Video Killed the Radio Star”.  The Limousines have a new song “Internet Killed the Video Star”.  Check out my fave current tracks on the front page of the Go Deep site.  You can click on any one or even better, just let ‘em play!

Hot Chip

The Constellations

Yeasayer

With Arcade Fire igniting the second half blitz, 2010 is shaping up to be a great year for music.  Here are albums released in the US during the first half of the year that stick out in my mind.  Artists are alphabetical.  The center and right-hand covers are from bands I wasn’t following before this year.  Quite a variety here.

Codeine Velvet Club–Codeine Velvet Club…This was the post-Fratellis side project for band leader John.  He added a jazz-singing female to share lead vocals.  The Fratellis type melodic hooks are there, but with a softer sound.  John will record future projects under his own name.  My lead tracks are “Hollywood”, “Little Sister”, and “Vanity Kills”.

The Constellations–Southern Gothic…They have a unique sound and blur genre lines between rock, blues, rap, pop, etc. Every track has its own feel. They’re very musical and are one of the better live bands out there. The album is written about after-hours Atlanta and as Hotlanta is their home town, it’s a subject they know lots about. The single “Felecia” has been getting strong airplay nationally. Also check out “Setback” and their superior cover of Tom Waits’ “Step Right Up”.  Waits is a big influence on singer/songwriter Elijah Jones.

Devo–Something For Everybody…Possibly their best album overall. They retained their analogue synth sound but added a 2010 production sheen to make them sound very “fresh”. There’s a need for more uptempo indie music, and this fits beautifully. They’ll make many new fans, and the album is a must for old fans. I like it all and mostly recommend “Fresh”, “Don’t Shoot”, “What We Do”, and “Please Baby Please”.

Gorillaz–Plastic Beach…More hip-hop than I’d prefer, but musically stellar.  Fave tracks are “To Binge”, “On Melancholy Hill” and “Plastic Beach”.

Hot Chip–One Life Stand…I really like this one pretty much beginning to end.  They became slightly mellower and more progressive this time around.  The album remains in top iPod rotation a half year later.  “One Life Stand”, “Take It In”, “Keep Quiet”.

LCD Soundsystem–This is Happening…Every track has a different vibe and they all work. James Murphy is saying this will be their last album, as they want to go out on top. Hope it ain’t so but if it is, they will have exited in style. In addition to their “Drunk Girls” single, recommended tracks are “I Can Change”, “All I Want”, and “Pow Pow”.

The Soft Pack–The Soft Pack…The garage sound hasn’t penetrated well as of late, but these guys blasted through the barriers with lots of undeniable tracks, especially “C’mon”, “Mexico”, and “Pull Out”.

Stone Temple Pilots–Stone Temple Pilots…I wasn’t their biggest fan back in the 90′s and it surprises me they’d be under consideration for my year-end list.  This is my fave album of theirs, as their focus is relentless and the songs consistent.  Recommended tracks besides their hit “Between the Lines” single are “Cinamon”, and “Huckleberry Crumble”.

Vampire Weekend–Contra…These dudes have entered the mainstream and that’s good news to me.  Their original fans might not want to share them, but I feel the mainstream needs an upgrade.  “Cousins”, “California English”, “Holiday”.

Yeasayer–Odd Blood…What a difference between their first and second albums!  A good friend attended raves in the 90′s, and he said this was the first album in ages that gave him that same feeling.  “ONE”, “Rome”, “Mondegreen”.

Arcade Fire will brighten the rest of 2010

Arcade Fire - The Suburbs…Detailed reviews are sprouting up everywhere, so let me simply say I feel this is damn good and that I’m liking it better all the time. It’s easily the most anticipated album of summer and might hold that crown for all of 2010.  People really root for these guys. No band has influenced more musicians over the past decade than Arcade Fire.  I’ve written about the immense pressure these guys probably felt while writing and recording.  The Suburbs might not quite match Funeral or Neon Bible, but it gives Arcade Fire an iconic trio of releases.  As they are one of the world’s finest live bands, their tour will be a titanic success.  Many of these new songs will sound amazing in concert.  When a journalist wrote after a recent gig that the new stuff didn’t sound like the band’s imitators, I wasn’t sure that was a good thing.  Three of the first four leaked songs were more straight forward and didn’t feature much of the AF uniqueness we know and love.  “We Used to Wait’” was the most inventive, and I found it interesting that song became the UK single while basic rocker “Ready to Start” was selected here in the USA.  Had the band become solid but uninspired?  The full-length contains more formula-sounding music than I’d wished for, but it’s a relief to know they didn’t fully desert the astonishing instrumentation that makes them special.  I wonder if advancing the more formula songs was an effort to mess with us, or if it just happened that way.  I’m really liking “We Used to Wait”, “Swamp II”, and “Rococo”.

Best Coast–Crazy For You and Wavves–King of the Beach…Not only are these two of the most buzzed-about new albums, but they feature LA-based artists who share a lo-fi 60′s vibe.  Best Coast(BC) leader Bethany Cosentino and Wavves king Nathan Williams are also a romantic pair, and I would have loved to have been in on their early chats about 60′s artists they love.  Interesting that Pitchfork gave both albums an 8.4.  How’s that for neutrality?  BC has a real girl group feel while Wavves has a harder party band sound that also hits on Green Day-type 90′s surf punk.  Both albums exude the concept of endless summer, and I’m all for anything new that keeps the 60′s sound fresh and current.  Check-out BC tracks “Boyfriend”, “Crazy For You” and “Our Deal”.  I recommend Wavves’ “Idiot”, “King of the Beach”, and “Baby Say Goodbye”.

Chill Wave artist Washed Out has the pretty song "You and I"

I arrived in Chicago the day after Pitchfork concluded.  It seems the biggest buzz was on LCD Soundsystem, Local Natives, Surfer Blood, and Sleigh Bells. I’ve seen the first three and would definitely agree.

People are writing and raving about the latest subgenre Chill Wave and wondering how long it will last. Leading bands include Washed Out, Memory Tapes, and Neon Indian.  I’m now hearing Panda Bear all over the place.  Chill Wave is very low-key as the title would suggest.  In my mind, it’s related to lo-fi and shoegaze, where the indie trend has been leaning away from bright, up-tempo sounds.  Most indie-electro has become quieter and darker as well.  I usually go for the more upbeat stuff as my regulars know.  By nature, laid-back lower-fi music has a tougher chance of crossing over to larger audiences, but that’s usually fine with artists and fans loving the music.  As for how long these trends will last, it will be the same as every other style such as garage rock and “new rave”.   Most artists won’t be around for more than a few years.   Those with the best songs, freshest sounds, and best live shows will usually survive the longest.  At that point, the term Chill Wave may be past-tense but long-term artists don’t require categorization anyway.

At 35, this is the longest-running conference of its kind.

The Conclave just completed its 35th annual conference.  It’s more of a radio programming forum than a music discussion, and the subject matter usually covers all formats in general.  Lots of midwest radio peeps attend, along with a number of national-level execs and personalities.  Egos are checked at the door and the sense of community is high.  Scholarships are awarded to deserving students, and many college students are in attendance.

A few points of interest.  The latest ratings research shows that average time spent per listen is a mere ten minutes, which explains why songs are repeated so frequently.  Current large market ratings methodology created an increasing fear among programmers regarding potential damage of playing much new music.  The good news is that some of that fear seems to be abating, assuming the newer tunes are of high quality and presented correctly.  Saturday afternoon was devoted to Kurt Hanson’s RAIN Summit Midwest, which covered internet radio.  Of the online-specific music radio outlets, Pandora leads the ratings pack by far.   Thanks to the internet, Kurt states that radio in general may be heading towards a golden age the way FM broadened radio’s reach a generation ago.  Greatly increased radio streaming availability in cars will make a big difference, and that isn’t too far away.  A RAIN panelist said that with it comes to online approaches, “one must either be quick or be dead”.  In general, radio revenues are up a bit this year following a terrible 2009 so that’s encouraging.

Ariel Pink and group are worth keeping an eye on.

Last Friday night began with Harlem at The Echo. I like these guys.  Their “Friendly Ghost” was a fave track earlier this year but I’d heard their live shows don’t match their studio output.  I’m afraid that was the case for me.  They probably wanted to emulate major influences Nirvana in that band’s loud punk early stages, but it was hard to hear anything and the vocals seemed way off.  To be fair, they said they were enduring major technical issues, so I might have gotten them on an extremely bad night.

Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti were playing downstairs at the sold-out Echoplex. This was a hot ticket and the band has a developed a newfound buzz on their current album.  Ariel’s response to their growing fame?  “If this is your first time seeing us, shame on you!”  This band has traditionally been lo-fi, and that was certainly the sound of their set.  They’ve got some great musical ideas, and Pink has the potential to become a star over time.  The fans were into the show, but I expected a little more excitement in the air.  Definitely a band to keep an eye and ear on.

Philadelphia Grand Jury moved to London from Sydney following their blowout Musexpo LA performance in April.  They’re heading back to Australia for some major gigs.  The band is doing well down under, and their positive vibes appeal to everyone from metalheads to art rockers.  They absolutely deliver live and have a number of strong tunes in the arsenal.  Last night’s show was at the Silverlake Lounge, which is a funky club without much of a stage.  These guys need to be elevated higher so that their energy projects over the crowd.  Still, a good time was had by all.