A couple weeks ago, I saw pop culture writer Rob Sheffield
speak at NYU. One of the topics he discussed was the absurd pace of music
criticism these days. We’re all in such a rush to post our opinion that we
don’t get a chance to truly soak in the record first.I’m guilty of this too. While I may not be writing for
Rolling Stone, I often judge an album after one or two listens, and if I’m
disappointed, I’ll dismiss it and move on to something else. Rob decided to
shake this trend by writing his review of the new My Bloody Valentine after
listening to it 100 times. And I decided to give his method a try.
As anyone who reads this blog already knows, I absolutely adore
The Airborne Toxic Event. But for some reason, their albums always take a while
to click with me. Eventually I come to love the songs so much that I can’t understand
what took me so long to appreciate them. But there’s always that initial listen
where I feel mildly disappointed.
So when their new album, Such Hot Blood, came out two weeks
ago, I expected to be a little wary at first. And that’s exactly what happened.
I liked it—but I wasn’t wild about it. Not yet. But I was inspired by Rob’s talk, and I was determined to love this album, damn it. So all
week, I’ve had it on repeat, waiting for the magical instant when everything
becomes clear. And it’s finally starting to pay off. Yesterday at work, I found
myself pausing to enjoy “This Is London.” On the train, I started craving yet
another listen to “Bride & Groom.” And today I’m listening to the whole
album on repeat because I actually want to. This album and I are still getting
acquainted, but I think things just got a whole lot friendlier.
Well, here it is: my first post of 2013. To be honest, I can’t really think of many albums coming out this year that I’m excited about—at least not yet. That said, this week alone I have fallen in love with two new songs off of albums coming out within the next few months. So I guess I can’t complain too much.
This first is from one of my all-time favorites, The Airborne Toxic Event. I saw them yet again at Webster Hall this past Tuesday (with opener The Chevin, another favorite!) I’ve blogged about both bands a bunch, so I will save the rambling praise for another day. Let’s just say that the show was incredible as always, and I am so excited for TATE’s new album, Such Hot Blood, dropping this spring. They released an epically anthemic new single, “Timeless,” and while it’s a different sound for them, I am a big fan.
And the second song comes from Ivan & Alyosha, who I’d never heard before. They’re labelmates to The Lumineers though, and I am really diggin the folksy vibe. The new album comes out on February 26, so it looks like I may have new music to look forward to sooner than I thought.
What new music are you looking forward to this year?
Every spring, I start assembling playlists of music that feels perfect for the upcoming warm weather. Some music just feels like it was meant for a sunny day. Last year, the best example was All At Once by The Airborne Toxic Event - it came out right when the weather was starting to get nice, and I listened to it quite often in the beginning of the summer. In fact, it began to embody summer so much in my mind that when I tried to listen to it this winter, it just made me want to burrow up under a comforter and bawl because spring was still months away. But that's a story for another time.
A lot of the music that is going to make up my summer playlists hasn't been released yet, but I already know what it's going to be. There are three particular albums coming out in the next few weeks that I am psyched about.
Kids In The Street - The All-American Rejects
So I won't get any street cred for this one, but I just really love AAR. They are one of the only bands that I love all of their albums pretty much equally - usually one of them at least has to be a flop. Not these guys. They are masters of catchy, feel-good pop-rock, and they know it. Plus, just check out that trailer above. Early reviews are saying this is their best and most ambitious album yet. And besides, few acts make music as perfect for summer as AAR. I can't wait and I have no shame.
The Lumineers - The Lumineers
Okay, I confess: I watch some embarrassing TV shows. But the thing is, some of them have such great soundtracks (that's the only reason I watch, I swear.) I found The Lumineers through one of these shows that will remain nameless. I immediately loved the song (the stomping, folky first single "Ho Hey") but could not find any other recorded songs from the band. Thankfully, that's all about to change on April 3rd, when the band's debut comes out. You can stream the whole album now though here.
My Head Is An Animal - Of Monsters and Men
I already raved about this album a few months ago, and now it is officially being released in the U.S. (on the same day as The Lumineers as well!) I'm psyched. I love this band and I cannot wait to see them in April.
There you have it. I'm sure once these come out, I'll be posting full-length reviews/rambling about how much I love them.
Honorable mention: this will cost me even more scene points (like I had any to begin with, c'mon) but that new Flo Rida song featuring Sia, "Wild Ones," is just so CATCHY. Anyone who enjoys a summery pop song should check it out.
Now that I'm actually recommending Flo Rida songs on my blog, I think it's time to end the post. Happy spring, everyone!
2011 was truly a great year for my music collection. A bunch of my favorite bands released new material, and almost all of it actually lived up to my ridiculously high expectations. I also fell in love with some new acts that I stumbled across. Last year, I couldn't even come up with a top ten list; this year, I can't keep it to ten, so I had to expand to twelve. Here they are, along with links to any reviews I wrote earlier.
Incubus - If Not Now, When?: If I had to
choose a favorite album of the year, it would probably be this one. So many critics and fans disliked this album, leaving me to
wonder if the rest of the world is crazy. This album is just gorgeous.
It reawakened my obsession with Incubus and I ended up spending a
combined total of approximately four months listening only to their
music. The Airborne Toxic Event - All At Once: I was originally disappointed in this album, but turns out I just needed some time to let it grow on me. TATE has to be one of the most hard-working bands I listen to, and also one of the most fun to see live. Hard-Fi - Killer Sounds: I dare you to resist busting a move while listening to this. Florence and the Machine - Ceremonials: I do still find a few songs to be a little boring, but when these songs are good, they are great. Florence Welch is a goddess. Midnight Youth - World Comes Calling: My only complaint about this album is that it is too short. These songs are so epic and catchy that I simply am not satisfied with only ten. City and Colour - Little Hell: City and Colour always puts out staggeringly beautiful music, and this latest effort is no exception. The Black Keys - El Camino: This band blew up for a reason. The album just came out so I'm still getting acquainted with it, but I knew on the first spin that this one would be constantly on repeat.
Jack's Mannequin - People and Things: This album makes me both desperately sad and insanely happy. Damn you Andrew McMahon for manipulating my emotions. Movits! - Ut Ur Min Skalle (Out Of My Head): If you're looking for a Swedish hip-hop swing jazz band that will make you dance like you're in an old school iPod commercial, Movits! is the band for you. Foo Fighters - Wasting Light: You know, I never really listened to the Foo Fighters before this year, despite my great admiration for Dave Grohl. So I can't claim to be a loyal fan, but I do love this album. U.S. Royalty - Mirrors: This was my soundtrack to summer this year. The Chevin - Champion EP: This band, formerly known as Your Vegas, did not make it easy to get this EP. Thankfully, it was worth the wait.
Last week, I actually got to interview Mikel Jollett, the lead singer for one of my favorite bands, The Airborne Toxic Event. Mikel regaled me with tales of being raised by wolves and blowing up pianos. Great interview or GREATEST interview?
Here's a little sample of the completed article, and you can follow the link to read the entire piece.
Interview: Airborne Toxic Event frontman Mikel Jollett By Chrisanne Grise
After touring almost non-stop for the past few
years, the members of
The Airborne Toxic Event are understandably worn out, but that does not
stop frontman Mikel Jollett from goofing around during interviews.
“Wouldn’t it be great if I gave you a bunch of misinformation and
stuck with it?” he said, before launching into an epic (and made up)
tale of bonding over music in Bangladesh with drummer Daren Taylor.
Then, with barely a beat in-between, he switches angles: “I was raised
by wolves. We would ritualistically and tribally chant every night
before bed as a way of trying to further stay in touch with our roots.
My introduction to rock ‘n roll – it makes sense if you think about it.”
The Los Angeles-based quintet is in the middle of yet another tour
promoting their second full-length album, “All At Once,” and there is no
rest in sight. As one of the hardest working groups in the current rock
scene, fans have gotten used to seeing Jollett and his band mates roll
through town every few months. But despite being away from home so
often, the group still manages to retain that sense of humor and passion
for music, no matter what. Read more
Last week, The Airborne Toxic Event put out their second full-length, All At Once. Obviously I purchased the album on release day, but I haven't written about it until now because I'm a little disappointed. (Finally typing "disappointed" makes it seem so official. I just died a little inside). Don't get me wrong, I like the album. I just don't love it. At least not yet.
I'm not even entirely sure why I don't like All At Once as much as I wanted to. Mikel Jollet's beautiful poetic lyrics are still there. The songs are musically ambitious, far more so than on the band's self-titled debut album. The dark and stomping "Welcome To Your Wedding Day"sits comfortably alongside mellow heartwrenchers like "The Graveyard Near The House" and "The Kids Are Ready To Die." TATE may have gained a devoted fanbase after just one album, but they're not going to stay stuck in one type of sound. All At Once feels more experimental, like they are just dipping their toes into many different genres, and we're only just beginning to see how much they are capable of.
But for some reason, few of these songs really stick out to me. I loved the poppy first single, "Changing," the second I heard it. The opener, "All At Once," kicks off the album with a warm and building momentum, much like "Wishing Well," the opener to the first album. "All For A Woman" was my standout favorite upon first listen, and although I prefer the live version of "All I Ever Wanted," this new version is still solid. But then there are less memorable songs in between, like "Strange Girl" and "It Doesn't Mean A Thing." One of my favorite bands just put out songs that literally made me think "mehhhhh" after I first hear them. Hence the mild disappointment.
The band, hopefully plotting ways to make this up to me.
In fairness, TATE is one of my absolute favorite live bands. In fact, my favorite album they've put out is actually All I Ever Wanted, which was recorded live at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. I will be seeing the band yet again in a few weeks, and I'm sure that hearing some of the new songs live will help me warm up to them. I'm sure Mikel and friends will wow me at the House of Blues in Boston, so I'll forgive them this time.
Phew, life has been keeping me busy lately. Thankfully, I've had plenty of multimedia to entertain myself with, and some of it is so good, I need to recommend it to the world (a.k.a. all of you fine people). Here are some books, a movie and the music that has been helping me get through my long commutes and my first real business trip to Portland, Oregon.
1. "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass" by Lewis Carroll
Right now I'm checking out a lot of classic authors in the hope that by the time I'm retired, I might actually be sort-of well-read. (There are just way too many must-read books out there). Anyway, "Alice" was one of the first ones I took on, and I absolutely adored it. Lewis Carroll was much wittier than I ever expected. I even bought a special edition with lots of footnotes and explanations, so I could understand the cultural jokes that I never would have picked up on on my own (plus, as you can see above, the cover is just really pretty). A special shout out goes to the Borders cashier who assured me I would enjoy this book. He was so right.
2. The Lady Killer by Cee Lo Green
I wrote about this in my last post, but I am really loving this album. One night I came back to my fancy-schmancy hotel room in Oregon to find that housekeeping had turned down my bed and turned on some Cee Lo for me to come home to. (Another shout out goes to the Nines Hotel, because that place is ridiculously awesome. If any of you have tons of money to blow and happen to be headed to Portland, stay there for sure).
3. "Changing" by The Airborne Toxic Event
That's right, they're baaaaaack! After announcing that their second album will be released in April of this year, the band released their brand new single, "Changing." It feels louder than any of the tracks off of the band's self-titled debut, but don't let the name fool you - they haven't changed that much. This song is so catchy, I have to have a mini-dance party every time it comes on my iPod.
4. Blue Valentine
I finally saw this movie, and it seriously drained me emotionally. It felt like Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams were ripping my heart out of my chest and stomping all over it, yet somehow I still enjoyed myself. Also, as a sidenote, whoever did Gosling's hair, make-up and wardrobe deserves awards, because I did not realize it was possible to make such a beautiful man look that gross. Well done. (Just please, don't do it again for us ladies' sakes).
5. "Talking to Girls About Duran Duran: One Young Man's Quest For True Love and A Cooler Haircut" by Rob Sheffield
I've always enjoyed Rob Sheffield's columns in Rolling Stone, and I also celebrate National Duran Duran Appreciation Day every year (August 10th - Google it, I didn't make this up). So naturally, I had to read this book. It's all about 80s music and culture and made me laugh out loud every few pages. Sheffield makes many interesting points about music - one of my favorite quotes: "All summer long, the songs were the only souvenir from the night I could hold on to the next day - remembering all those sensations was overwhelming in sunlight, so I would hum the tunes to myself." I love the idea of songs as souvenirs. You so smart, Rob Sheffield.
Finally, while I'm on the topic of books, I just started a GoodReads account. If anyone also uses the site, add me as a friend so we can talk about books even when I don't have time to blog.
Pretty much every other post I write these days is about The Airborne Toxic Event, but bear with me, because here comes another brief one.
A couple weeks ago, they released a live CD/DVD combo called All I Ever Wanted and it is SO GOOD. It was recorded on one magical night this winter at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. I was expecting just a basic recording of a live concert with maybe a little commentary thrown in, but this is so much more. It's a full-out documentary with backstage footage, interviews and other goodies. Plus, the band performed several new songs, so now we have high-quality recordings of them. And they are beautiful! Seriously, "Duet" makes me want to weep like a little girl.
Here's the trailer:
This concert must have been so epic. There is the Calder Quartet (who were part of the show I attended last month) along with a children's chorus, a high school marching band, a handful of extra musicians and even some crazy Spanish dancers with a name I can't pronounce. To say that I am mad jealous that I missed out on this show is an understatement.
I've said it a million times before and I'll probably say it at least a million more, but the Airborne Toxic Event is one of the best live bands. They bring so much enthusiasm and energy to the stage.
Ah, The Airborne Toxic Event. I have been fortunate enough to see them live five times now in the last two years or so. They only have one album, so this means I've heard the same songs over and over but TATE are such a great live band, I still haven't gotten tired of them.
TATE is quite possibly better live than recorded. I really liked them before I ever saw them perform - then I saw them open for Franz Ferdinand and fell head over heels in love. And every time that I've seen them since, they continue to amaze me.
Anyway, on to Wednesday night's show. The venue was the Somerville Theatre, which is an actual movie theater. I hope people weren't seriously trying to watch movies in there during the show, because the band blew the roof off that place. I actually liked being in the theater though, because it felt classy in a strange way AND you could eat popcorn during the performance. There was no opening band to sit through; the show just got right to the point. But the fanciest aspect of the night award goes to the Calder Quartet, which joined the band onstage to complement TATE's Anna Bulbrook and her viola (her brother is actually a member of the quartet). The added instrumentation sounded gorgeous, making the music sound fuller.
Check out TATE with the Calder Quartet in this clip from the band's upcoming live DVD:
The band played two "sets" with an intermission between (yeah, that's right. An intermission. I told you this joint was classy). The first set consisted of calmer songs like "Wishing Well," and the standard cover of "The Book of Love" originally by the Magnetic Fields. After the fifteen minute break, TATE came back out ready to rock though, and quickly had the crowd up on their feet dancing to gems like "Happiness is Overrated," "Gasoline" and "Papillon."
Personally, my favorite thing about TATE shows is just watching the band members, because they genuinely seem to love performing. Lead singer Mikel Jollett is one of the most personable frontmen I've ever seen; as soon as he walks on stage, he starts cracking jokes and chatting with the audience between each song. I wrote more about this back in April when I last saw them. At one point during Wednesday's show, he even made the comment that all the songs he writes are so angry and sad but then the band performs onstage and it all just feels like a celebration. True dat.
Watch him joke around with the audience (and eventually play "Happiness is Overrated") in someone else's video from the Somerville show:
My only complaint about the show is that it went by way too fast. They played for about 80 minutes (ish) but it felt like 40 instead (I blame the intermission). But otherwise, it was an amazing performance by an extremely talented group of musicians. I just adore this band.
TATE's live CD/DVD will be coming out on September 28, and they just finished recording a new album. www.theairbornetoxicevent.com
On Wednesday night, I saw the Airborne Toxic Event for free at the Royale (which used to be the Roxy, which used to be Epic). Oh man, what a fantastic evening. The last time ATE played Boston, it was at the House of Blues, which is a much larger venue. But I’m always so impressed with the band’s ability to make any venue seem intimate, no matter what size it is.
Lead singer Mikel Jollett is easily one of my favorite front men to watch. He’s always cracking jokes and interacting with the crowd. Too often, great live bands put on an amazing performance but don’t say anything to the audience other than to announce the band’s name and to say thank you at the end of the night. They burn through the setlist and then everyone goes home. But Jollett is better than that. Between every song, he’d make fans laugh, by doing things like teasing the girls drinking off by the bar (“Yeah, we’re just the lounge band. Don’t mind us.”) or poking fun at his own music (“This is a song about my aunt.”) In fact, he talked so much at one point that the rest of the band actually signaled to him to shut up and let them play the next song.
But Jollett’s chattiness is precisely why ATE can make even the biggest venues seem intimate. Even as ATE gains momentum and popularity, all five members continue to interact with fans. Jollett even announced what bar they’d be at afterwards (Ames Hotel, second floor bar) and invited everyone to show up. Unfortunately, I had to rely on the subway, which closes at 12:30 a.m. Bummer.
Oh, and did I mention how good they sound live? Here’s someone else’s video from a different show, because I didn’t have my camera. But you can still get a good sense of their show and stage presence. (And whoa, they have practically a whole orchestra at this one. Anna usually has to play the viola by herself).
And now, to wrap up, I’ll leave you with one of my personal favorite moments of the show. Obviously, I’m going by memory so the dialogue is not 100 percent accurate, but you can get the main idea.
Jollett, joking: “I always try to write songs about political figures, but then I just end up writing about some dumb girl.” Girl in the front row: “Alexander Hamilton!” Jollett, laughing: “Alexander Hamilton? How about James Monroe? Only in Boston would you get an answer like that. In L.A., they’d be like ‘Jersey Shore!’ Do you guys know who Alexander Hamilton dueled with?” Guy in the crowd: “Aaron Burr!” Jollett: “See, the guy with the beard knows! In L.A., they’d yell ‘The Situation?!?’ But not here in Boston.”
I saw AFI again last night at the House of Blues. It was definitely one of the best shows I'd been to in a long, long time (excluding AFI at Hampton Beach a week ago, of course). I got to hold Davey Havok up while he walked on the crowd. He also did a flip into the audience and I helped catch him then too. Now my left arm is sore, but I can't think of a better reason to be in pain.
In honor of these two absolutely incredible shows, here's a list of my top 10 most memorable concerts, in no particular order. (NOTE: None of the videos belong to me, except for the Sugarcult one).
1. Third Eye Blind (Babson College, 4/21/07 AND Bamboozle 2009). Honestly, I have seen this band so many times that it's hard to narrow it down to one show. But Babson was the first time I was in the front row, and the first time I met the band afterwards. (It was completely accidental too. We were lost and managed to end up right behind the guys in some parking lot). And Bamboozle was just plain awesome.
(Not the best quality, and possibly one of the band's worst songs, but this video really captures the fun of Bamboozle
2. AFI (Hampton Beach, 10/17/09 and House of Blues Boston, 10/25/09). See my last entry and the paragraph above. AFI is seriously one of the best live bands around.
3. A Fine Frenzy (The Paradise, March 2008). I adore Alison Sudol, the voice and mastermind behind A Fine Frenzy. She is one of the sweetest, most talented individuals in music today. She is so grateful and appreciative of her fans. She's on tour right now, so go see her if you get a chance. (www.afinefrenzy.com)
4. The Airborne Toxic Event (The Paradise, 3/7/09). Well first of all, during the encore, they threw out cheap tamborines into the audience. I got to go up onstage with my tamborine and a handful of other fans to dance around during "Missy." This band is so tight live, and they sound awesome every time I see them. It's also refreshing to see a group of musicians who can play so many instruments well. This isn't just a bunch of guys who decided they wanted to be rockstars so they picked up guitars. Rather, The Airborne Toxic Event are trained many instruments including the viola and the cello. Another must-see live band.
5. Good Charlotte with Something Corporate and Mest, (UMass Amherst, October 10, 2003) Yes, this was my first concert. I went with one of my best friends, Veronika, and we had an absolute ball. At the time, I was completely obsessed with Good Charlotte (and even now, I will defend them, so don't mess with me!). I counted down to this concert for months. It feels like a dream now, it was so long ago, but I was always treasure the memories from this show.
6. Sugarcult (Framingham, MA Community Center, sometime in winter or spring of 2008, I think). This was the most punk-rock show I have ever been to. I know, SUGARCULT?!? Punk rock? They were label-less and playing at this deserted community center full of local high school kids. The atmosphere was so laidback and intimate though. Sugarcult interacts with the crowd anyway, but at a show that size, lead singer Tim Pagnotta spent half his time joking with fans. Then, at 11 pm, the cops showed up and said it was curfew time. Sugarcult was not even half way done their set, and they refused to stop. They kept playing until the sound was cut off, and afterwards, they hung out in the lobby to talk to fans and apologize for the short set.
7. Green Day (Verizon Wireless Arenain Manchester, NH. Spring 2004). Green Day is without a doubt the greatest live band I have ever seen. It's not a "show," it's a masterpiece. There is no way to put into words just how mindblowing a Green Day show is. I know several people who don't even care about the band's new songs, but will still go to see them just for the epic performance. So seriously, drop what you're doing and go see them right now.
(This video is from their Bullet in a Bible DVD, not my show. But it really captures how completely awesome Green Day is live).
8. Blaqk Audio (The Roxy, 9/10/07) The first time I got to see and meet my idol, Davey Havok. He and fellow AFI member Jade Puget were on tour promoting their side project. I shook Davey's hand after the show and was in shock for the next week.
9. Jimmy Eat World (The Orpheum, October 2007, I think). Yet another one of the best live bands I've ever seen. The music is even more perfect and beautiful live. And the fans are pretty chill and normal, so it's nice not to have to deal with screaming teenyboppers all night. 10. Fiona Apple (Bank of America Pavilion, July 21, 2006). Fiona is a little kooky to begin with, and when you put her on stage, she becomes even more insane. She flails around like she's possessed, but boy, has she got some pipes. Her music sounds amazing live. 'Nuff said.
So there are my top 10 concerts. What are yours? What bands do I need to see still?
