Fleet Foxes @ The Grand Ballroom at Manhattan Center, 10-5-2008

Brilliant.

I spent most of May listening to Sun Giant and then Fleet Foxes, and I thus had all the recorded songs stuck in my head before the concert even started. It's great to go to a show and be so familiar with the material that you can know the names right off and then be surprised at the subtle changes. What really made the experience was it's personable nature. Take it, I was right up in front, but the crowd was so respectful that when Robin decided to play two solo bits completely acoustically you could have and didn't hear a single cell phone in the audience. It was as if, despite their fame, I was watching them play for a group of my friends at a bar around the corner.

The vocals were pretty much perfect even during the few times when a band member decided to improvise a harmony, and without the reverb (during Robin's two solo songs) that has almost defined their style, nothing was lost. This all resounded during the a-capella sections which had me drifting off to whatever fanciful location they were mentioning at the time. The banter also had me literally laughing between songs; I'd almost forgotten how friendly a band could be. Fleet Foxes are more than suited to play live shows given their whole nature. I'll keep listening to their recordings, but I'm not sure I'll ever get the same musical bliss that I got from seeing them live.

Setlist
Sun Giant/Sun Rises
Drops in the River
English House
White Winter Hymnal
Ragged Wood
Your Protector
Crayon Angels (Judee Sill Cover)
Oliver James
Quiet Houses
He Doesn't Know Why
Mykonos
Katie Cruel (Traditional) - unplugged!
Tiger Mountain Peasant Song - unplugged!
Silver City - new song!
Blue Ridge Mountains
via madeablog

Here's my glowy picture of Robin.

And Skye played with a bow.

Psych Rock @ The Cake Shop, 10-2-2008

I came to the Cake Shop taking Free Williamsburg's suggesstion to see Evangelicals, but first I had to to see two surprisingly fun bands.

The first was Mysteries of Modern Science which uses string instrumentation to realize pop chords and themes classically. Altogether they are a bassist, mandolinist, violinist, two cellists, and a drummer. Minus the mandolin, every instrument plays a single line so there is much more of an emphasis on counterpoint rather than simple chords. It's as if each plays it's own melody. MoMS claims post rock as an influence which doesn't shock, but unlike most groups of the genre, they add lyrics. Still, though the vocals don't drown out the instruments, they are a bit of a weak point.

Second was Parenthetical Girls. The vocalist, Zac Pennington, liked banter and theatrics. He spent a bit of the time walking through the crowd and laying down beats on the floor, bar, and wall. The others stayed put and chimed in with percussion (was it a xylophone?). The major melodies lent themselves to goofy rock akin to Evangelicals but came out sounding more dreamy.

Evangelicals on the other hand were much noisier in concert than in their recordings. The overall sound was much less pure, and it came off more destructive than anything. Still, they put on a good show even if it wasn't what I expected.

Chairlift - Bruises

Because I'm seeing Chairlift live for my first time tonight, I've been playing Does You Inspire You whenever I'm at my computer. The album hooked me in right away (probably because I've been a fan of Planet Health for a few months now), and I've found Bruises to be my favorite so far.

It seems so silly and simple at first with it's casio-like drum track and bouncing bass line. Then a soft, reverberated chord set fills the background without any sort of attack. Even the lyrics appear goofy, but nothing is juxtaposed. The hint of sadness in the melody seems to want to add some gravity to the song that wouldn't be there otherwise. As I listen, I can't get myself to think that this is anything more than a lighthearted breakup song, but you can tell that it wants to be. From chorus to verse the song leans back and forth trying to decide how important it really is, and by the end it's hit a sweet spot.

Stars - A Thread Cut With A Carving Knife

I was late getting Sad Robots to download which is strange given the name rings Hitchhiker's Guide. Maybe I'm getting tired of one of my favorite bands, or it could be that It'll take some time for me to warm to the French on the title track.

Whatever the case, A Thread Cut With a Carving Knife is the track that stands out for me. The synths in beginning have a perfect corniness that recalls a Disneyish village. The rest of the song follows this trend but also makes stronger use of Campbell's voice. Then suddenly the song is soaked in loving distortion. The whole thing is almost if not completely formulaic, but I can't help but let myself drift into some form of synaesthesia when Millan's voice takes over for the final chorus.

Passion Pit @ Pianos, 8-13-2008

I got to see Passion Pit's NYC debut so I thought I'd add to the wave of hype that they're riding.

They were glorious. They got everyone dancing, which is impressive given the limited availability of their music. I'd listened to all the tracks the internet could muster beforehand, and was surprised by how cohesive the concert felt. Each song shared a Passion Pit flavor which lent itself heavily to Michael Angelakos' shouting. The songs were all at a quick, danceable tempo, and used poppy chord sets backed by steady synths. There were also some sudden, stop-and-go parts that worked better at exciting people than classic electro buildups.

Though everyone seemed to agree with me about their amazingness, thoughts were mixed about Agelakos' mentioned voice. For me, the way he flailed around high pitches gave a delightful harshness to the music, but this same trait bothered others. Still, I don't see this stopping them. A crowd that size doesn't go crazy for a band that hasn't released anything labeled unless something's up.

Visit them at myspace and last.fm to get all the tracks.

Soundtracks

I've always been huge fan of filmscore. It was the gateway that lead me to find all that I love so dearly now. If you were impressed by Johnny Greenwood's excellent step into genre, then it would be in your best interest to at least check one of these out. In fact, if you are the kind of music listener that hates instrumental music, it might still be interesting for you to know who sets the mood for some of your favorite movies, and if you are a fan of filmscore, you probably already own all of these.

No particular order

• Clint Mansell - The Fountain
  After making Requiem for a Dream, Aronofsky set out on creating this film and released it to a bit of disappointment. Despite the fact that the movie recieved mixed reviews, the score is a brilliant piece of sorrowful strings. Without having seen the movie, you get a sense of the futility of the main character's pursuit. Mansell, as he did for Aranofsky's previous film, has much of the music performed by the Kronos Quartet, which has a history of bridging classical and experimental sounds. A theme echos throughout the soundtrack but in different tempos and styles to follow the similarities of each story in the film.
  
  
• Cliff Martinez - Solaris
  Martinez's scores are less popular than the others on this list (despite his time spent drumming for the Chili Peppers), but the Solaris soundtrack is probably my favorite. It conveys a euphoric, yet poignant coma through a unique use of steel drums. The open space is filled with soft strings that provide a base on which melodies are built. The chords are common, but they are manipulated creatively through the instrumentation and the apreggiation.
  
  
• John Murphy - 28 Days Later
  I've heard that Boyle was influenced by Godspeed You! Black Emperor when conceiving the film, and it's true that a bit of the film makes use of their music. Still, it's Murphy's work that dominates the movie. Scores can often sound tacky when making use of electric guitars and power chords (300), but 28 Days Later depicts destruction in a post-apocalyptic landscape with perfect fury. It's the song, In the House - In a Heartbeat, that stands apart and has since been given replay on current commercials and trailers.
  
  
• Johnny Greenwood - There Will Be Blood
  This score is reminiscent at times of Richard Strauss who's music is commonly associated with 2001: A Space Odyssey and Arvo Pärt who is also included in the soundtrack. It's hard to imagine the movie without Greenwood's score which sets the mood before the viewer even understands anything about it's main characters.
  
  
• Jon Brion - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
  Brion's score is a bit overshadowed by some of Gondry's other choices on the album, but the actual film hears only the goofy, but melancholic piano that the composer chose as his main instrument. It's hard to listen to it and not imagine Jim Carey's almost silent voice over, but this is because of the inherent human quality it holds. Overall, it is soothing and minimal. The main melody seems uninterested in itself, and sounds as if it were on a slow walk.
  
  
• Yann Tierson - Goodbye Lenin
  Tierson doesn't move very far from his earlier works such as Emelie. Piano and strings get full use like in Brion's mentioned work, but the tempo is quicker. The notes bounce along while the violins provide emotional stability. At the end of the album, the theme is given vocals which veer from the common design of the genre, but like the rest of the music, it stays true to the film. The whole compilation conveys dramatic thought and emotional stress.

El Ten Eleven - These Promises Are Being Videotaped

Here comes another pay-what-you-want-for-me album, and this time it's the third LP from one of my all-time favorite bands. El Ten Eleven is a simply a drummer (Tim Fogarty), a bassist (Kristian Dunn), and a lot of pedals, and before now their sound was technical but heavily melodic. Each song, though sometimes involving quick tapping and low power chords, was pleasantly dreamy and used looping to build on soothing harmonics and bass lines.

These Promises Are Being Videotaped is a dance album, but still maintains the instrumentation and virtuosity. Fogarty's beats are hastier and provide the constant thump omnipresent in the modern club, and Dunn's playing comes out more as a square wave than a sine. It all comes together brilliantly but keeps a bit of ground from territory already ruled by groups like Ratatat and MSTRKFT. Unlike the latter two, El Ten Eleven performs and records all the layers of its tracks.

But sometimes the new formula is forgotten. Fat Gym Riot is reminiscent of the described past, and on such a short album, it's surprising to find a cover of Paranoid Android that emulates with a few intentionally missed pitches. What El Ten Eleven has done is evolve, which is extremely pleasing. I would have treasured another Every Direction is North, but now I'm genuinely impressed. These Promises isn't an easily accessible piece of electronic pop, but it's destined to be enjoyed by fans of post rock and will probably garner a few remixes (Boys Noize?).