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(12/16/14 4:58pm)
Release: November 1, 1994
Stars: 5/7
Tom Petty’s storied career spans four decades, from 1976 to 2014. In that time, he’s put out 13 albums with the Heartbreakers, a backing band so firmly entrenched in its front man’s persona that it’s hard to think of one without the other, 3 solo albums, and even teamed up with luminaries like Dylan, Harrison, Orbison, and Lynne to form the Traveling Wilburys. A Petty concert is a master class in classic rock, as he leads the Heartbreakers through hit after hit after hit.
It says something about Petty’s output that I can bypass his truly iconic works to focus on a lesser-known gem. Obviously you can’t talk about Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers without talking about their 1976 self-titled debut, 1979’s masterful Damn the Torpedoes, Petty’s 1989 solo debut Full Moon Fever, or any number of classic singles in between. The guy’s got so many truly perfect songs. I’ll list one from each of his albums.
"American Girl" -Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers (1976)
"Listen To Her Heart" - You're Gonna Get It! (1978)
"Refugee" - Damn the Torpedoes (1979)
"The Waiting" - Hard Promises (1981)
"You Got Lucky" - Long After Dark (1982)
"Don't Come Around Here No More" - Southern Accents (1985)
"Jammin' Me" - Let Me Up (I've Had Enough) (1987)
"Free Fallin' - Full Moon Fever (1989, solo)
"Learning to Fly" - Into the Great Wide Open (1991)
"You Don't Know How It Feels" - Wildflowers (1994)
Those 10 songs don't account for all the other classic songs TP & the HB's put out over that nearly 20-year period, and it also excludes Petty's solid late career output. There's no shortage of material to sort through when looking over Petty's career.
So what drew me to 1994's Wildflowers? If I were to pick a solo Petty album, why not Full Moon Fever, unarguably his commercial peak? It's got three massive singles, and another song that every Petty fan knows by heart. Jeff Lynne produced it. It sounds great. It's a masterclass in songcraft. But for some reason, the solo album that sits nearest to my heart is the oft-forgotten Wildflowers.
I can't remember exactly when I discovered this album. It was sometime in my early high school years, or maybe earlier. I remember learning "Honey Bee" and "Cabin Down Below" on my electric guitar when I was still finding my voice on that instrument. I remember hearing "You Don't Know How It Feels" on classic rock radio and wondering why they were censoring the word "joint" (I knew very little about FCC censorship laws in those days). I remember hearing "You Wreck Me" and feeling the rush of what three chords could do. I remember hearing "Wake Up Time" and being so taken by the lilting melody and piano. But most of all, I think I remember that album summing up a lot of what I thought a good album should be: easy, confident, with plenty of wide open spaces for the songs to breathe.
That sense of ease and space is apparent from the very first chords of the album opening title track. It's a simple song; it's just bright acoustic guitar chords and Petty's nasal drawl opining "You belong among the wildflowers" and things of that nature before the rest of the band steps into a light shuffle, adding sympathetic embellishments throughout. Heartbreakers keyboardist Benmont Tench, in particular, shines throughout this album, never misplacing a note.
The album only gets better from there, with "Wildflowers" transitioning into the similarly sparse anthem "You Don't Know How It Feels". It's one of Petty's signature latter-day hits, and certainly one of his most breezily confident. From the opening strains of harmonica to the simple backbeat, punctuated with electric piano and guitar flourishes. "Let's roll another joint" is one of Petty's most enduring lyrics, despite not being the subject of the song. Rather, it's about just getting some peace, cutting through the bullshit. Smoking is just one of the many mechanisms Petty uses to communicate this point, like getting to the point or turning the radio up loud.
"Time To Move On" glides along on a bittersweet shuffle before giving way to the supercharged three-chord rock and roll of "You Wreck Me", another late-career staple. Heartbreakers guitarist Mike Campbell, one of rock's most sympathetic and underrated players, rips into a short, sweet guitar solo that perfectly sums up the album: concise, confident, nothing out of place.
"It's Good To Be King" and "Only a Broken Heart" slip into a midtempo groove, both dealing with loneliness and solitude. These songs contrast perfectly with "Honey Bee", a raw, swaggering piece of bluesy machismo with a riff to match. Later on in the album, "Cabin Down Below" shares the same aesthetic.
Coming on the heels of such an amped-up song, "Don't Fade On Me" sounds positively foreign by comparison. It's just Petty and Campbell on acoustic guitar and Petty's voice. Petty's lyrics are as straightforward as the music is stripped down: "I return to find you drifting too far from the shore". It's clearly about watching someone drifting away, and being completely helpless to it. It's a sublime moment in an album full of them.
"To Find A Friend" is one of my favorites on the album, a light shuffle about a divorce and a reinvention of the man in question. It's obviously not a topic I'd know anything about: I'm only 21 and unmarried, and my parents are very happily married. And yet there's something so universal about the simple refrain of "it's hard to find a friend" that you can't help but feel something from it. Because he's right, it can be hard to find a friend. That's something that rings more true the older you get; we've all felt it. Sonically, the song is a delight too. Benmont Tench's tack piano solo sounds like something you'd hear in an old-timey saloon, and we get the added bonus of Ringo Starr drumming on the track. It is absolutely a highlight, and has a great deal of meaning to me on a personal level.
The back half of the album lags a bit compared to the first half. The album's final track more than makes up for any perceived drop-off. "Wake Up Time," for me, is one of the finest tracks Petty has ever written. Its premise is simple enough: keeping your head up and eyes open, and maybe things will pan out for you. Musically, the song is simple enough: it's just Petty's voice and a piano until the band comes in. The song is a tad overproduced, with a sweeping string section adding a degree of cheesiness to the whole thing. But at the end of the song, everything drops out except for Petty and the piano and we here this: "Well if he gets lucky, a boy finds a girl to help him to shoulder the pain in this world". Again, what makes this lyric so profound is just how truly universal it is. Everyone feels this at some point or another, that sense that someday your loneliness will be abated as long as you shake things off. "It's wake up time," Petty says in his drawl. "Time to open up your eyes. And rise. And shine." You can't help but feel a connection to that.
So this album is a masterclass in everyman-isms, a trade that Petty's been employed in his entire career. He pulls it off with his usual aplomb, and with a degree of ease and confidence that exudes from this album. I listened to this album constantly for a very long time, and taking the opportunity to revisit it has been a true joy. Petty's had a storied career, and it's unfortunate that this album gets lost in the midst of his iconic discography. But it deserves every ounce of praise it gets, and is absolutely worth your time, regardless of if you're a Tom Petty fan or not.
(11/30/14 12:33am)
It's been over two years since George Lucas announced that Disney was taking over the galaxy far, far away, and we're still over a year away from the release of Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens. What a rush it was to finally get a short glimpse of what new director J.J. Abrams has in store for us.
The teaser trailer for The Force Awakens spans just 88 seconds. To put that in perspective, the first trailer for the much-maligned (rightfully so) Episode I: The Phantom Menace was 123 seconds long, and significantly more confusing. Indeed, the Episode VII trailer is shorter than its prequel counterparts, and gives away far, far less in the way of plot or spoilers.
The response has been mixed. Many have reacted with suspicion, or even disdain, stemming from Lucas's perceived mishandling of the prequel trilogy and tampering with the original trilogy. Many are also weary of Abrams' track record as a director with little to say in terms of plot substance. Some are already giving the film (again, a year away from release) poor ratings.
But for many others (including myself), this trailer served its purpose to perfection. It gave us just enough in the way of style, showing some subtle changes while retaining some old familiar sights. It was legitimately exciting, and I'd bet that a good chunk of other views thought so too. It did exactly what a teaser trailer is supposed to do: whet our appetites in preparation for the full length trailer, and eventually the film itself.
So what exactly did we learn from the trailer? The answer is a bit complicated: a lot, and nothing at the same time. Here's what we did find out:
THERE HAS BEEN AN AWAKENING. Have you felt it?
THERE WILL BE A DESERT PLANET. It's not clear whether this is familiar old Tatooine (home to Skywalkers, Hutts, moisture farmers, and space scum), but there is sand and there are dunes and it looks hot.
THERE ARE STORMTROOPERS. Despite being set 30-40 years after the events of Episode VI, it appears as though remnants of the Galactic Empire are still active. The stormtroopers, the Empire's iconic, white-clad foot soldiers, have undergone a subtle redesign and look more menacing than ever. We see them briefly during what appears to be a landing operation, their helmets flickering in and out of sight in the darkness.
THERE ARE NEW DROIDS. This one looks like someone took R2-D2's head and attached it to a huge soccer ball. It's wacky, though perhaps not as wacky as the robots featured in Interstellar (which were nuts).
THERE ARE X-WINGS: The Rebel Alliance's old stalwart starfighter is back, although slightly redesigned. The S-foils ("lock S-foils in attack position") are a bit different; they fold together instead of atop one another. We briefly see several them skimming across a lake, kicking up water in their wakes. An amazing image.
THERE IS A NEW SITH (?????) We have no idea who/what that cloaked figure in the woods is. All we know is that he/she/it looks extremely menacing and
HOLY SHIT THAT LIGHTSABER. Is it canon? Yes, a quick check into Wookiepedia (the all-encompassing Star Wars wiki; do not go there, you will never get out) verified that "crossguard lightsabers", as they are known, are real but extremely rare. Is it practical? No idea. Is it badass? HELL YES.
THE MILLENNIUM FALCON IS BACK. In all its worn, grimy, legendary glory. Who's piloting it? Is it Han? Has he bequeathed it to someone younger and more adventurous (hard to imagine) than himself? We have no idea, and frankly we don't care. That was probably the most spine-tingling moment of the whole trailer. The Falcon, barrel-rolling over the desert, dogfighting with TIE fighters, as the Star Wars main theme plays over it. Breathtaking.
THERE IS A SCORE BY JOHN WILLIAMS. As composer of arguably the greatest (certainly the most recognizable) movie score of all time, it's comforting to know that Williams is back on board for these films.
THERE IS LENSFLARE. It's J.J. Abrams, after all.
So there are lots of little glimpses of things to come. There are, however, many things we don't see.
WE DON'T SEE LUKE, LEIA, HAN, OR ANY OTHER FAMILIAR CHARACTER. They're all on-board for this movie, but none of them are featured in the trailer. Not even C-3PO or R2-D2. That's a little refreshing; they're placing the focus on the newcomers. We see John Boyega in stormtrooper armor. We see Daisy Ridley flying across the desert on a bulky speeder. We see Oscar Isaac piloting an X-Wing, in a shot that is happily reminiscent of the starfighter scenes of the original trilogy. These are all relatively unknown actors, and it's exciting to see what they're going to do.
WE DON'T SEE ANY IDENTIFIABLE VILLAIN. Other than the guy with the insane lightsaber, but we still have no idea who or what he is. We do hear an extremely menacing voice ("there has been an awakening"), so we can assume that dude's probably a bad guy. Good call, J.J. Abrams. Not showing me who the bad guy is only makes me want to find out more.
WE DON'T SEE/KNOW/HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT HAPPENED TO THE EMPIRE OR REBELLION. We know that they both still exist in some capacity (stormtroopers=Empire remnants? X-Wings=New Republic?). It'll be extremely interesting to see what the post-Empirical galactic landscape is like.
Any Star Wars fan has probably watched the trailer far too many times to count already. There's only so much we can glean from 88 seconds. But it certainly achieved its objective of getting everyone excited for The Force Awakens.
Just over a year. That's far too much time. Hopefully, after over a decade of Lucas-helmed disappointments, Abrams can reinvigorate one of the most iconic movie franchises of all time. It's time for Star Wars to be exciting again.
THE DARK SIDE. AND THE LIGHT.
(11/18/14 6:15pm)
The very idea of the encore is a bit strange if you stop and think about it.
Why would an artist or band spend five minutes offstage when they know they’re just going to step back out to play another couple of songs? Wouldn't you want that time to play another song?
And as fans, why would you want to wait five minutes for something you know is coming? Wouldn’t you want the band to use that time to play another song?
The encore has become fully integrated into the overall concert experience over the last several decades. The encore’s intentions are good: reward an appreciate audience with more music than was initially anticipated. No one would say no to another few songs at the end of a concert, especially if the band is cooking.
But for both artists and fans, the gesture has become entirely disingenuous. When both parties expect it, it removes any degree of spontaneity the encore might have held. It turns what had once been a special moment in the band/fan dynamic into a sham, a tired, mechanical obligation. What should be a celebration of the relationship between an artist and their audience turns into a drawn-out cliché, to be repeated invariably in city after city. It’s impersonal, it’s facetious, and it’s an insult to fans as well as a burden for artists.
Some artists have begun to forego encores entirely, using the offstage time between the main set and the encore to introduce the band (especially if they’re a solo artist), tell a story, or simply play more music. The logic behind this is simple: if you’re playing the same set night after night, including the encore, why make fans sit and wait for it? And wouldn’t you, the artist, want to just finish the show and be on your way? It sounds jaded, but it’s more honest than pretending you’ve ended your show just to come back out and play the same two to three song encore set you played in the last 17 cities.
I saw Ryan Adams in Indy last week, and he completely did away with the encore. He even mused about it onstage, referencing that awkward period when you wonder “is he gonna come back on?”, only to see stagehands run onto a darkened stage to twiddle some knobs on amps or run guitars back out to their stands. He took the time to introduce his new backing band, who played an immensely powerful show and deserved their moment of recognition. And in any case, it’s not like everyone in attendance didn’t know he was going to play “Come Pick Me Up” for the encore. Adams, and a growing number of other artists, recognizes the hackneyed nature of the encore.
It’s important to note, however, that there are still bands that treat the encore with the kind of reverence it deserves. Some bands, like Pearl Jam and Phish among others, tailor their encores to reflect their own performance, audience reception, or other extraneous circumstances (location, anniversary of an event, etc.). Bruce Springsteen oftentimes comes back for multiple encores, reveling in the all-encompassing glory of rock and roll. By and large, though, bands will stick to the same script for the majority of a tour. If you’re a fan in New York City or some other major metropolis, you might get some deep cuts or an extra encore. If you live in Omaha, you might wonder why tonight’s setlist, down to the encore and stage banter, was exactly the same as the show in Cleveland three weeks ago.
So just cut them. Retire the encore. Play your set, thank your audience profusely, and let them know that yes, this really is our last song of the night, and thank you all so much for coming out and supporting us. The only time an encore is truly appropriate is if a band or artist really feels they’ve played an exceptional show, or they feel the audience has been particularly engaged. Really, it should be up to the artist (and, to a lesser extent, the audience) to decide whether or not to stage an encore.
It’s time to put an end to the ruse of the obligatory encore. It’s time to make it special again.
(11/12/14 7:50pm)
There were very few moments to catch your breath during Ryan Adams’ two-plus hour set at Indianapolis’s Murat Theater Thursday night.
From the slashing riff of opener “Gimme Something Good” to the closing harmonica strands of the Heartbreaker classic “Come Pick Me Up”, Adams delivered swooning heartbreak, rock and roll bombast, and, rather unsurprisingly, a bevy of laughs in between.
Through 14 years and 14 albums, Ryan Adams has been a lot of different things to a lot of different people. For some, he’s the abrasive rock idol wannabe from the Gold years. For others, he’s the punk who put out the wildly uneven Rock N’ Roll so his record company would put out the equally uneven Love Is Hell. But for most, he’s the alt-country superstar who’s capable of putting out Grateful Dead send-ups (Cold Roses), pure country albums (Jacksonville City Nights), or stone cold classic records (Heartbreaker).
Throughout those 14 years, Adams has also developed something of a reputation as a streaky live performer. Troubled by drugs, alcohol, his struggle with Meniere’s disease (an inner ear disorder), and occasional apathy, Adams’ concerts could shift from stunning to disappointing on a nightly basis.
That hasn’t been the case on Adams’ last two tours. In support of his latest album, 2014’s Ryan Adams, the singer-songwriter hit the road with a new backing band, the Shining. It’s Adams’ first tour with a backing band since the dissolution of the Cardinals, who backed Adams from 2005-2009.
For many fans and critics, the Cardinals were Adams’ best backing band. Despite coming into the picture five years after his first studio album, the Cardinals became almost synonymous with Ryan Adams. The Shining would certainly have their work cut out for them, especially when performing any Cardinals-specific songs.
Adams and the Shining proved more than up to the task. Known in recent years for his hilarious, often longwinded onstage banter, Adams and co. kept their heads down and powered through six songs before really addressing the audience. Included in those first songs were “Let It Ride” and the Dead-ish “Magnolia Mountain,” both Cardinals-era tunes from Cold Roses. Adams also pulled out the Love Is Hell deep track “This House Is Not For Sale”.
Following some banter, Adams unleashed another reworked version of the Gold hit “New York, New York,” one of his most popular songs. This new version spanned the middle ground between the up-tempo, spitfire version of the original with the beautiful, mournful piano rearrangement Adams unveiled a few years back. The solid, mid-tempo groove lent itself to crowd sing-alongs and a soaring harmonica solo at the end. It proved to be a highlight of the night.
Since the Cardinal days, Adams has never been afraid to stretch songs past the constraints of the album versions. Nowhere was this more apparent on Thursday than during “Shadows” off of Adams’ newest album. On the recorded version, the song simmers and threatens to boil over before Adams pulls it back at the last second. Live, the band blew the lid off the hypothetical pot, taking the song into an instrumental interlude so intense that it brought tears to more than a few people in the audience (including myself).
Following that sort of emotional roller coaster is a challenge for any band, but a slightly amped-up version of Jacksonville City Nights opener “A Kiss Before I Go,” a straight country song on record, pushed the setlist along nicely. Adams then transitioned into a full-band version of “Dear Chicago,” a song that has a lot of meaning to me personally. It was another emotional moment in a night full of them.
In direct opposition to his last tour, Adams rarely played acoustic guitar during the show. So it was a nice changeup when he stepped forward to sing “Lucky Now” unaccompanied. Later in the set, he played the Heartbreaker classic “My Winding Wheel”, making it halfway through the first verse before stopping abruptly to react to cheers from the crowd. “Did Bill Murray just walk onto the stage or something?”
“Lucky Now” was followed by Gold standout “When The Stars Go Blue”, which featured a featured a dark backdrop with blue dots scattered throughout. After a lengthy story about a run-in with a hotel concierge, Adams launched into two songs from his recent punk EP, 1984. It’s a testament to Adams’ versatility as an artist that he can veer between plaintive acoustic music and raging punk rock so naturally, and it helped keep the audience guessing all night.
Impassioned renditions of the classic “Oh My Sweet Carolina” and “La Cienega Just Smiled” led into the aforementioned “My Winding Wheel”, with new songs “Trouble” and “Kim” sandwiched in between to keep the adrenaline going. “Kim,” especially, was one of the most well-received new songs of the night, and played off the same loud-soft dynamics that Adams has used so effectively throughout his career.
Those same dynamics made for a truly spectacular ending to the main set. Adams has been closing his sets with “I See Monsters”, a bit of a forgotten song off Love Is Hell. Adams has reworked the song from the hushed, acoustic version on the album into a truly spectacular full-band tour de force. The song started much like the album version, with Adams voice and fingerpicked electric guitar. Organ flourishes flair up to build tension as Adams’ voice soars, and as the last verse ends the band explodes in an all-out sonic assault that sent chills down the spines of everyone in the audience. The emotional rollercoaster of the concert was perfectly encapsulated in six minutes.
Much to the delight of everyone in attendance, Adams decided to forego the encore cliché, instead taking the opportunity to introduce the band and bring opener Butch Walker out on stage to sing and play guitar on set closer “Come Pick Me Up”. For many, this is the most iconic song in Adams’ vast catalogue, which is especially impressive when you consider it was recorded so early in his solo career. With the crowd singing along to every word, Adams went out on a deliriously high note. The song ended, everyone applauded, Adams thanked the crowd, and the band took a bow. No waiting around for an encore that everyone knew would happen. It was a refreshing change of pace, and was the perfect cap to an incredible show.
Adams was in superb voice throughout, and his guitar playing ran the gamut from subtle fingerpicking to frenetic soloing. The Shining stepped out of the long shadow cast by the Cardinals to make their case for “Best Ryan Adams Backing Band”. The setlist flowed organically, satisfying fans of every period of Adams’ career.
It all added up to a memorable, emotionally exhausting night at the Murat. 14 years in and Ryan Adams can still leave a crowd speechless. He's not even 40 yet. There's a good chance there are plenty more shows like this to come.
(09/11/14 9:51pm)
Released: 9/9/2014
5/7 stars
Any discussion of Ryan Adams’ fourteenth (official) studio album, tentatively entitled Ryan Adams, will inevitably end up a discussion of the circumstances under which it was made, as well as a referendum on the artist’s past. Indeed, nearly every review since the album’s release has focused on the same things: the scrapped album made with producer Glyn Johns; Adams’s notorious prolificacy (14 albums in 14 years, plus several fully-formed unreleased works); his enfant terrible shtick with the press; his battle with Meniere’s disease (an inner-ear disorder); even his recent marriage to actress and singer Mandy Moore.
While there are certainly a lot of great talking points to be found in there, what everyone seems to be glancing over is the album itself. Ryan Adams is different from just about any Ryan Adams album. I don’t mean that it’s a total stylistic change, although the ‘80s pop/rock/punk influences definitely stand out when juxtaposed with his more Americana-ish work. I don’t mean that it gets too far away from or any closer to what Ryan Adams is really “about” (whatever that may mean). And I don’t mean that this is far and away the best album he’s ever put out.
What I mean is that, for seemingly the first time in a career that doesn’t span near as long as you think it would, Ryan Adams sounds like he really took his time here. This album sounds measured, and not to a fault. But when compared with albums like Rock N’ Roll (his 2003 middle finger to his record label), 29 (the final installment of his 2005 trio – yes, TRIO – of albums), or certainly 2003’s Demolition (a collection of songs from three albums – yes, THREE albums that his label refused to release), Ryan Adams feels like the work of an artist putting time into his craft. Where before it might sound like a song was written in the studio as the tapes were rolling, it now sounds like songs were put together with care and thoughtfulness.
And certainly, this album mines new sonic territory for an artist so closely associated with a particular sound and style. When Ryan Adams released his debut solo album, Heartbreaker, in 2000 following the dissolution of his critically acclaimed group Whiskeytown, he had inarguably created a modern-day classic. Critics, always quick to create hype and assign labels (see: the Strokes, Interpol, etc.), hailed Adams as the new Dylan. And why not? The songs were beautiful, full of pain and sadness and harmonica lines that make you want to weep. In a way, Adams emerged almost as fully formed as a group like the Strokes; he was so himself that it didn’t seem like there was anywhere else to go.
So when subsequent Ryan Adams albums didn’t sound like Heartbreaker, both the press and the public began to clamor for Heartbreaker: The Sequel. And even when he delivered something in a similar vein (2007’s Easy Tiger, 2011’s Ashes & Fire), it still didn’t measure up in people’s eyes. So whether or not that had any effect on his eponymous album is up for debate, but you can’t fault him for branching out from his “signature” sound.
Ryan Adams is chock full of electric guitar goodness. Reverb abounds, organ fills climb the labyrinthine walls of the arrangements (courtesy of Tom Petty keyboardist Benmont Tench), and Adams’s lyrics create an air of desperation and longing. Opener “Gimme Something Good” sums up the album’s intentions right off the bat: a choppy guitar riff, soaring organ fills, and a chorus that sounds like something off Tom Petty’s 1979 classic Damn The Torpedoes. “Kim” (which features a guitars solo from Johnny Depp) and “Trouble” continue that trend, while the plaintiff “My Wrecking Ball,” written for his recently deceased grandmother, is arguably the most Ryan Adams-y track on the record. “I wish I could call you, I wish you were still around,” he sings over a gently strummed acoustic guitar. It’s as overtly intimate as the album gets, and is truly a high point.
Elsewhere, songs like “Am I Safe” and “Stay With Me” perpetuate an air of uncertainty that permeates the album. “Shadows” simmers for five and a half minutes, threatening to boil over before Adams pulls it back. “I Just Might” really does sound like a Springsteen song that was left off of The River. “Tired of Giving Up” and “Let Go” close the album on a bittersweet note, as Adams is wont to do. They’re beautiful songs that sum up what so many of us feel; we all know something is wrong, but we never know what it is or how to fix it. Those are the kinds of themes that Adams has excelled in his whole career, and the two songs provide a tremendous end to the album.
Ryan Adams isn’t even 40 yet. He’s already released more music than many artists release in a lifetime (not including his unreleased work). Give him a pen, paper, and a guitar and he will have you weeping within five minutes. He’s certainly the most prolific singer-songwriter of the last 20 years. He’s arguably the most talented, and the one most easily consumed by his own zeitgeist. But on Ryan Adams, he sounds – dare I say – mature. Less frantic. More at ease. Whatever it is, it makes his fourteenth album his most measured and well-crafted yet.
(07/29/14 3:20pm)
“I feel like it’s one of those Kentucky nights… anything could happen.”
That was Beck near the end of his Sunday night headlining set at Forecastle Festival in Louisville. And, after three days and nights of near-nonstop music and memories that will inarguably last a lifetime, I was certainly inclined to agree with him. What’s strange is that, as late as Friday afternoon, I wasn’t so sure that would be the case.
I got in to Louisville Thursday evening with my roommate in tow. We were staying at his fraternity brother’s apartment, a mere 15-minute walk away from the Waterfront festival grounds. The three of us went to dinner, then spent about 30 minutes walking around the city. Louisville as a city is pretty nice. It’s not huge, not a lot of tall buildings, most of the old facades are well-preserved. We passed through Louisville’s well-known 4th Street Live! party plaza, which was, as expected, filled to the brim with all manner of partygoers. It was a curious place. We also saw an inordinate amount of middle school girls doing cartwheels across city intersections. I later learned that there was a gymnastics convention in town. In fact, according to our host, Louisville plays host to a number of conventions throughout the summer. An interesting fact, I suppose. But what struck me as most odd was the overall atmosphere of the city: I expected the air in Louisville to be positively cracking with excitement, everyone waiting in anticipation for the magic that would emanate from the Waterfront like an electrostatic charge from a Van de Graaff generator.
But that didn’t seem to be the case. And I had that same feeling when I woke up on Friday morning after a night of fitful sleep (even if it seemed like the city wasn’t excited, I felt like a kid on Christmas eve). I decided to masquerade as a journalist and walk around the city for a bit to again gauge the excitement level. Again, everything felt flat. Maybe it was the weather; both Friday and Saturday were cloudy, dreary days. Maybe it was the fact that it was Friday and people were still at work and had yet to arrive for the festival. Maybe it was the fact that it was still before the first day of the festival. Or maybe it was all the gymnasts running around doing flips on the sidewalks. Whatever it was, the whole atmosphere seemed off to me. I was hopeful that the feeling would be right by the time the music started.
So around 1:30, we finally made the short walk over to the Waterfront to catch our first act. What will follow is a day-by-day, act-by-act account of my first Forecastle experience.
FRIDAY, JULY 18th
Benjamin Booker (1:45, Mast Stage)
The first act we caught was Benjamin Booker, the leader of a young rock and roll power trio. I was fairly unfamiliar with his work, having only heard his Letterman performance of “Violent Shiver”. The band was extremely energetic, Booker’s raspy voice adding a degree of danger to the songs. Booker’s guitar tone was murky and fairly undefined, and it seemed as though the sound engineers were still working the kinks out of the overall sound. All-in-all, it was a fun set, if not enormously memorable. Still, we had arrived, and that sense of excitement heightened our perception of this young up-and-comer. Definitely someone to watch in the future.
MiM0SA (3:00, Ocean Stage)
We walked over to the southeastern corner of the festival to see MiM0SA, an electronic DJ. I decided that it wasn’t really my bag, so I decided to take a walk around the festival grounds and get a better idea of what was going on. I walked to the northwest corner to check out the WFPK Port stage, which was empty and very quiet (it was between acts). I then moved across the periphery of the Mast Stage lawn and over to the Boom Stage, where the Black Lips were wrapping up their set. I turned towards the southwestern corner of the festival where several art vendors had set up tents, displaying and selling their collection of concert posters and prints. It was a cool little enclave, and I ended up purchasing a Ray LaMontagne poster from one of the vendors.
It was around this time that I came across the Forecastle Media tent where, despite my status as “Media” (made evident by my yellow wristband), I felt completely out of place. Amongst the media personnel from various journalistic enterprises, and their cameras and microphones, I realized just how tenuous my claim to “press privileges” was and how incredibly fortunate I was to be at Forecastle as, more than anything else, an observer.
With that revelation, I made my way back over to find my friends and catch the last 30ish minutes of MiM0SA, who seems to specialize in getting crowds hype and taking swigs from an oversized bottle of Grey Goose. While that kind of music certainly isn’t my scene, I found that everyone, including myself, was having a very fun time, and I left that stage with a smile on my face.
This is starting to feel right.
Gary Clark Jr. (5:15, Mast Stage)
Gary was the first act of the festival that I really wanted to see. Since I discovered his music back in 2012, I’ve missed seeing him at the Vogue in Indy (because I’m not 21) and at the Bluebird in Bloomington (again, because I’m not 21). I was raised on classic rock and blues, guitar heroes and histrionics, musicians pulling something meaningful out of their instruments. Gary Clark Jr. embodies all of these things while managing to put a fresh, youthful spin on it. He walked onto the Mast Stage and came out swinging. I’ve never heard his voice sound so smooth and soulful, or his band sound so tight, or his guitar playing sound so fluid and expressive. It was a masterful performance, culminating in a barnburning version of his signature song “Bright Lights” that featured the hottest and brightest guitar pyrotechnics of the set. I found myself wishing he would just play for the rest of the evening.
Then I remembered what was to come.
Outkast (9:20, Mast Stage)
After retreating back to the apartment to recharge our phones and stomachs, we made our way back to the Waterfront. We missed Twenty One Pilots at the Mast Stage, and ended up having to miss Spoon at the Boom Stage. Missing Spoon was particularly disappointing; I’m a big fan. We knew that was a possibility. Festivals always feature heartbreaking decisions. “Do we see this act or this act? If we see this act, will we be able to get good spots for this other act?” and so on. It takes strategy, and at the heart of our Friday night strategy was Outkast. Reunited this summer after nearly a decade of silence, the pioneering hip-hop duo made Forecastle the latest stop on their summer-long festival blowout and they certainly delivered. Emerging from a huge transparent cube in the middle of the stage, Big Boi and Andre 3000 kicked off their set with a searing rendition of “Bombs Over Baghdad” and proceeded to charge through an electrifying, crowd-pleasing set. Any animosity that may remain between the two melted away onstage. They were having fun, as much fun as the enormous crowd that had gathered to see them. With the closing strains of “The Whole World” lingering in the air, it seemed as though Forecastle was living up to the skyscraping expectations I had created. And after very little sleep the night before, I passed out immediately while wondering what Saturday would have to offer.
Saturday, July 19th
Boy & Bear (2:45, Boom Stage)
Despite a later-than-desired start to the day, we were still able to catch a smaller act we were very anxious to see. We managed to get a good spot for Boy & Bear’s set, which found the Australian group running through the highlights of their first two albums. More Shins and My Morning Jacket than Mumford & Sons (as many critics have suggested), the band’s early-afternoon set was well-performed and energetic, and served as the perfect beginning to our second day of the festival.
Spanish Gold/Lord Huron (3:30, Mast/Boom Stage)
After Boy & Bear, we made our way over to the edge of the Mast Stage crowd to watch Spanish Gold, a group comprising MMJ drummer Patrick Hallahan, amongst others. Playing songs from their debut album, Spanish Gold’s tight, blues and R&B-influenced brand of rock proved captivating and enjoyable. It was a shame we didn’t have better spots, and because of that we decided to walk back over to the Boom Stage to catch a small portion of Lord Huron’s set. None of us really knew their music that well, but Lord Huron’s energy and enthusiasm more than made up for that. Again, despite my lack of familiarity with them, I caught notes of bands like Of Monsters & Men and the Lumineers in their uptempo indie-folk sound. Definitely a group to watch out for in the future.
Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings (5:15, Mast Stage)
We made our way BACK over towards the Mast Stage around 5pm in order to get good spots for R&B dynamo Sharon Jones. A member of the Daptone Records family (Charles Bradley, Menahan Street Band, etc.), Jones has been delivering lively, period-correct soul and R&B records for over a decade. Her career was nearly cut short when in 2013 she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Chemotherapy followed, and kept her out of music for several months before a triumphant return to the scene with 2014’s terrific Give the People What They Want. Sharon Jones live is something to see. She moved and danced with the energy of a woman half her age, her timeless voice at once soaring and gritty. When she soul-sang her way through her tale of cancer diagnosis and subsequent recovery, the crowd roared and applauded with a kind of appreciation and respect I’d yet to hear at Forecastle. It was truly a magical moment, and Sharon and the band put on a hell of a show.
Band of Horses (7:00, Mast Stage)
I managed to worm my way further into the crowd after Sharon Jones (there’s always a mass exodus after every act) and found myself four rows back of the center of the stage. Turns out Ciaran and a couple of her friends had gotten there for Sharon Jones and were determined to retain their spots throughout the night. So we waited the 45 minutes between Sharon and BoH, missing out on Jason Isbell over at the Boom Stage. Again, the heartbreaking tradeoffs of the festival scene. Finally 7 p.m. rolled around and lead singer Ben Bridwell came out with an acoustic guitar to open with “St. Augustine” from the band’s debut album. Slowly, over the course of the next couple songs, the rest of the band emerged and exploded with a showstopping performance of “The First Song”. The band then roared through a career-spanning set that had the whole crowd in awe. I’ve wanted to see this band for years, and it was certainly something akin to a religious experience. When the band left the stage after closing their set with the immortal “The Funeral,” I felt like I was completely spent. I’d been standing for several hours (not even including the day before) and my knees (always an issue for me) were sore and locking up on me. I didn't know how much more I’d be able to take that night. But I steeled myself and tried to find ways to pass the time before Saturday’s headliner.
There is no way I’m missing what's about to come next.
Jack White (9:30)
A week later and I still can't believe what I saw. All I know for sure is that Jack White was like nothing I’ve ever seen before. It was so aggressive, so angry. His band was ultra-tight, turning songs inside-out on Jack’s every whim. And it was LOUD. Three songs in and my brain just shut down. I’ll let Ciaran take the lead on this segment of the festival, she’s got a great article on it. Let me put it this way: Jack White was more than just incredible. His performance was face-melting, brain-frying, heart-stopping, and shell-shocking. When it ended, I was shaking. I was delirious. I wasn’t really sure what had happened. All I knew is that it was one of the most unbelievable things I have ever seen, and proved to be the ultimate capper to a day full of unbelievable moments.
Sunday, July 20th
Trampled By Turtles (4:45)
We got a much later start Sunday than we wanted, mostly due to how extraordinarily draining Saturday had been. We made our way into the Waterfront right as Sharon Von Etten was finishing up her set on the Boom Stage and took up our spots to watch Trampled By Turtles. Sunday definitely had more of a bluegrass, Americana vibe to it than Friday or Saturday, and TbT certainly kicked that theme off the right way. The five-piece group featured as many virtuosos, who all traded off hot solos while singing in close harmonies. Unfortunately, the sun had come out for the first time all festival and we had to retreat into the shade before the set was finished. Most of my group went back to the apartment, leaving me to hydrate and plan the rest of my Sunday on my own.
Nickel Creek (6:30)
6 p.m. rolled around and I got hungry. So I walked over to the southwest corner of the Waterfront to check out this taco truck I’d heard so much about. Ended up taking me 45 minutes to get my tacos. They were good, but not 45 minutes good. I’m telling you this because it cut into Nickel Creek’s set on the Ocean Stage and I found that frustrating. Following the bluegrass precedent set by Trampled By Turtles before them, Nickel Creek specialized in the kind of pleasant, rootsy sort of Americana that wouldn’t have sounded out of place on O Brother, Where Art Though? Led by violinist Sara Watkins and mandolin player Chris Thile, the group set the Boom Stage ablaze into a frenzied hoedown, featuring plenty of close harmonies and several bursts of virtuosity. More importantly, it was during their set that I was able to creep closer to the stage to help secure my spot for the final Boom Stage act of the festival.
Ray LaMontagne (8:30)
As the crowd dispersed and opened up after Nickel Creek, I found myself three rows back from the stage for Ray’s set. Ray LaMontagne’s importance and influence on my life cannot be overstated. His music has helped me through some of the more difficult times of my late-adolescence and early-adulthood. It’s all there: the singular, smoky, soulful voice, the truly heartwrenching songs, a sense of intimacy with his music and his audience. Many of Ray’s songs feel like the person you care most about is ripping your heart out of your chest. However, in the wake of his most recent album Supernova, Ray came to rock. He played several songs I never thought I’d hear live (“Gossip in the Grain,” “God Willin’ & the Creek Don’t Rise”) and roared through several songs from the new album. It was only during a brief two-song interlude that his band left the stage to leave Ray with his acoustic guitar and bass player (a true virtuoso with a villain mustache that gave him constant bass-face) to play “Jolene” and “Trouble” from his debut album. I was enthralled by his performance. It was probably the most emotional set of the festival for me. I had to miss a portion of that night’s headliner, but it was all worth it. Ray treated the crowd by having Nickel Creek’s Chris Thile come onstage to play mandolin on set-close “Hey Me, Hey Mama,” and just as quickly as he came on, the set was over, so I bolted from the crowd and ran as fast as I could to the mast stage to try and get a good spot for Forecastle’s closing act.
Beck (9:45)
I made it into the crowd right as “Think I’m In Love” was starting. I’ll admit, I am not as familiar with Beck’s material as I should be. But, having seen 30+ concerts in my time, I like to think I can tell when an act is bringing their A game. And Beck brought it. After showstopping performances from fellow headliners Outkast and Jack White, Beck was merely himself; and that was more than enough to satisfy the Forecastle crowd. Beck ripped through “Loser” in the middle of the set and closed with a ripping version of “E-Pro,” even sectioning off the stage with yellow DO NOT CROSS tape as he walked off. The night wasn’t over, though. Shortly thereafter, the band came back out to perform “Sexx Laws,” “Debra” (about a three-way), and an epic 10-minute version of “Where It’s At” which featured a heavy dose of psychedelic lights and band introductions, all while driving along on its heavy groove. Finally, after the last chord had drifted away across the river, we made our way back to the apartment, and from there back to Bloomington. It was hard to really assess what all had transpired that weekend, but I’m going to give it my best.
The Final Say
Every bit of doubt I might’ve had walking into Forecastle on Friday had been completely obliterated by the time I left Louisville on Sunday. That buzz I was searching for, that kind of electrifying atmosphere that I had expected hit me all at once, for three consecutive days. It was magical. There was a spirit that existed on every stage, in every act, in every member of the audience that was unspoken yet completely shared.
That spirit was there when Outkast brought a bunch of girls from the audience up onstage to dance around during “Hey Ya!”
It was there when Sharon Jones shared her story of survival with an appreciative crowd while the Dap-Kings vamped like hell.
It was there when Band of Horses took the audience into a sense of pure nirvana.
It was there when Jack White played “Blue Moon of Kentucky”.
“You know a thing or two about a fiddle down here in Kentucky” –Jack White
It was there when Jack White covered “You Know That I Know” by Hank Williams.
It was there when Jack White covered Jay-Z’s “99 Problems” AND Dick Dale’s “Miserlou” during a crackling rendition of “Icky Thump”.
It was in the close harmonies and frontporch appeal of Tramped By Turtles and Nickel Creek.
It was there when Ray LaMontagne transformed from unassuming, heartbreaking singer-songwriter to full-on rock n’ roller before our very eyes.
And it was certainly there when Beck played snippets of MJ’s “Billie Jean” and the Stones’ “Miss You” while generally holding the crowd in the palm of his hand.
All that being said, Forecastle 2014 was a resounding success. It was something I will surely never forget, a memory I will cherish for the rest of my life. I cannot begin to express how grateful I am to both Forecastle and WIUX for allowing me the opportunity to attend such an incredible event. We’ll have pictures up, and hopefully this account gives readers some semblance of an idea of what happened in Louisville, Kentucky on one summer weekend in July. I entered Forecastle with a lot of unanswered questions. I left Forecastle with a Jack White t-shirt, a Ray LaMontagne poster, and memories that will last a lifetime.
It certainly was one of those Kentucky nights. Three of them, in fact.
(07/09/14 10:47pm)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NW7fJxXxkk
July 18th-20th
If you were asked to name the most popular American music festivals, it's likely you'd be tempted to throw out the obvious names: Bonnaroo in Tennessee, Coachella in California, Lollapalooza in Chicago, maybe even Hangout Fest down in Gulf Shores, Alabama (what a scene that is).
But what about Louisville? Yes, perhaps it's time we gave the largest city in Kentucky the attention it deserves. It's only been twelve years since their inaugural Forecastle Festival, a 75,000-fan affair that has featured the likes of the Black Crowes, the Black Keys, Wilco, and local legends My Morning Jacket, amongst many others. Those are big name acts, artists and bands that draw huge crowds not only on their own gigs but on the festival circuit as well. So why hasn't the Forecastle name caught on amongst the giants of the American music festival scene?
If My Morning Jacket's epic two and a half hour set back in 2012 wasn't enough to elevate Forecastle from "Top 15 in the Country" (per Outside Magazine) to the big leagues (meaning Top 5), then maybe this year's lineup is. The 2014 headliners are particularly interesting when considered alongside the rest of the lineup. Highlights are as follows.
The Hip Hop Heavyweights: Outkast (Friday, July 18th)
When Andre 3000 and Big Boi announced their tour of the 2014 festival circuit- their first shows together in the better part of a decade- many pundits and fans began speculating about the likelihood of a new Outkast album. While this has proven increasingly unlikely, it is important to note that any fans attending Forecastle are in for a real treat. Since their initial disappointment at Coachella, the hip hop duo have honed their live show into a well-oiled machine; setlists have been rearranged, stage banter has been adjusted, and energy and excitement have gone through the roof. Fans can obviously expect to hear the hits ("Hey Ya" and "Ms. Jackson"), as well as a variety of deeper album cuts. Outkast have the headline on the festival's opening Friday night slot; it's going to be some kind of party.
The Rock God: Jack White (Saturday, July 19th)
Jack White is something of a polarizing figure: you either love him or hate him, and both camps are likely to cite the same reasons. What you cannot deny, however, is his influence over the rock music scene these last 15 years. The White Stripes, The Raconteurs, Dead Weather, solo, or as a producer, Jack White's fingerprints are all over the place. His idiosyncratic guitar style, his unique vocal style (which can really only be described as a crazed, manic yelp), his undeniable songwriting prowess; they're all there to back up his off-putting persona, which is nothing less than a molotov cocktail of neuroses and madness (perhaps even a dash of genius). His two solo albums, 2012's Blunderbuss and his most recent Lazaretto, figure to play a prominent role in his headlining slot on Saturday, and if his towering, face-melting Bonnaroo set is any indication, Forecastle-goers are certainly going to get their rocks off.
The Shapeshifter: Beck (Sunday, July 20th)
It's always been hard to peg Beck down. Is he the ironic, almost lazy artist that seemingly pioneered the niche folk-rap genre with his 1993 smash hit "Loser"? Is he the genius, sample-heavy artist that released the classic Odelay in 1997? Or is he perhaps the quintessential, heart on his sleeve, acoustic singer-songwriter that appeared on 2002's Sea Change and again on 2014's gorgeous Morning Phase? Beck has proven something of a stylistic chameleon, and it's likely that fans will see a bit of all of his personas throughout the course of his Sunday night headlining set. Be prepared to expect anything and everything from one of the most prolific, interesting songwriters of the last 20 years.
Other Highlights: Friday (July 18th)
Spoon
Critical darlings for the better part of a decade, Spoon have long existed on the fringe of commercial success: their sound is essentially guitar pop, but with a twist and flourish that jettisons it outside the general consciousness of pop music. With a new album (They Want My Soul) due out later this year, fans should expect an energetic set balancing the band's old standbys with some new material.
Gary Clark Jr.
Rolling Stone did Gary Clark Jr. a disservice by labeling him "The Next Hendrix." In reality, the two have very little in common. Sure, they both play electrified blues guitar. Sure, they're both black. But the similarities largely stop there. And to try and put Clark in that sort of box is shortchanging his versatility as an artist (in addition to setting him up for failure; there will never be another Henrdrix). He's got a sultry, smooth voice, and a raw, guttural guitar style to back up his strong songwriting talent, which runs the gamut from pseudo-hip hop ("The Life") to pretty soul ("Please Come Home") to rock n' roll ("Travis County") to thick, aggressive blues ("Bright Lights" "Numb"). That kind of versatility is welcome in his live show, in which fans will be treated to some sublime guitar work and a very tight band.
Local Natives
Action Bronson
Other Highlights: Saturday (July 19th)
Band of Horses
After several lineup changes, BoH have settled into a groove that can only come with familiarity. The band's last two albums, 2010's Grammy-winning Infinite Arms and 2012's Mirage Rock took some flak from longtime fans, but the band's reverential live show has long astonished, and having only four albums worth of material means that there should be a heavy dose of songs from the band's stellar first two albums.
Dwight Yoakam
Jason Isbell
Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings
Other Highlights: Sunday (July 20th)
Ray LaMontagne
Arguably one of the greatest singer-songwriters of the 21st century, Ray's music usually took a somber, muted route straight to your heartstrings. And there are very few artists that can pull them as well as Ray LaMontagne. But on his newest album, 2014's Supernova, Ray seems to actually enjoy the process of music making. Expect to see Ray smiling a lot more than usual, electric guitar in hand.
Tune-Yards
Trampled By Turtles
So there's a lot to see and hear this year at Forecastle. And a lot of big-name acts. Let's give this festival the recognition it rightfully deserves. Here's to Forecastle Festival, and here's to Louisville!
(03/25/14 4:23am)
Released 3/11/2014
5/7 stars
Elbow has always occupied a sort of musicians’ no-man’s land. They’re the kind of band who's commercial performance does not necessarily align with the high critical praise that is heaped upon them. They’re the kind of band who is perhaps a tad overqualified for the late-afternoon/early-evening slot at Glastonbury yet still isn’t fit to headline. They’re an album band, a group whose best music has never been presented in the form of radio-ready singles. Elbow’s sixth studio album, The Taking Off & Landing of Everything, won’t, for better or worse, do anything to change that dichotomy.
Elbow’s prior work has always focused on sweeping, symphonic pieces of music punctuated by the vocals of singer and lyricist Guy Garvey, a style that is happily retained on Taking Off. Album opener “This Blue World” and the late-album title track exemplify this perfectly, as dynamics shift and rhythms push and pull and Garvey’s voice runs the gamut from warm and inviting to gruff and soaring. “This Blue World,” in particular, is a beautiful piece of music, its chiming guitars and organ flourishes perfectly, framing Garvey’s lovely voice as he takes us through the course of a relationship.
Elsewhere on the album, songs like “Honey Sun” and “Colour Fields” both provide a welcome change of pace from the grandeur of the majority of the album. On these songs, the band employs a subtler touch to the rhythm section, even including something akin to a drum machine in places. “Colour Fields,” in particular, is a tremendous song, its slightly off-kilter organ and bass line blending with the light, propulsive beat of the drums to craft a surprisingly catchy tune.
It’s no secret that Elbow’s most identifying feature is Garvey’s voice and lyrics. His gruff, everyman drawl soars in much the same way as Coldplay’s Chris Martin, albeit with a more workmanlike spirit. Look no further than the flowing double-tracked harmonies on “Real Life (Angel),” which ebb and flow in step with the music. Lyrically, Garvey has always been one for a good story, and on Taking Off he’s decided to look to his recent breakup with his longtime girlfriend to gain inspiration. When given this context, the lyrics begin to reflect the sort of swooning, melancholic music featured on the album. “This Blue World” doesn’t just chronicle a relationship, it chronicles his relationship. The breathtaking “New York Morning” is a near-verbatim adaptation of a diary entry he made while visiting New York City with his girlfriend. The epic title track features lyrics like “Every living thing needs watering/ I miss loving you/ Actually loving you.” There’s real pain here, and it’s that melancholy that reveals the album's true beauty.
The Taking Off & Landing of Everything won’t break the band into the mainstream. It won’t spawn any hit singles. It might not even convert any new fans. What it will do is exactly what Elbow albums have always done: Envelop you in a warm, shimmering hug of sweeping melancholy and comfort. And six albums in, maybe that’s enough for Elbow.
(03/24/14 9:20pm)
Charlie Patton’s War will be performing at the Bishop on March 25 at 9:30 p.m.
The Bloomington four-piece will be bringing their brand of amped-up delta blues boogie back to the Bishop this week. Since forming in 2010, the band has developed a devoted following in the Bloomington area, opening for artists like The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band and collaborating with WIUX to perform at Culture Shock in 2013.
The band’s self-titled debut was released in 2013 and features 11 hard-hitting, blues-rock tracks that run the gamut of influences from the Black Keys to John Lee Hooker. Fans of blues, rock and loud guitar will surely not want to miss Charlie Patton’s War at the Bishop this Tuesday night.
Tickets are $7 and the show is 18+ .
(11/05/13 1:44am)
Released: 10/15/2013
5/7 stars
Second albums are hard. Particularly when your debut album was as successful as the Head and the Heart’s. By now, we’ve all heard their story: a small Seattle indie-folk band self-releasing their album, touring relentlessly behind it, finally getting picked up by major indie label Sub Pop, and becoming a national sensation. So where does a band that got real big real fast go for their second album? Do they do more of the same and face diminishing returns (a la the Strokes) or should they attempt something completely different and risk alienating their fan base? The Head and the Heart chose to do a bit of both, making Let’s Be Still an enjoyable listen.
THATH’s opener “Homecoming Heroes” could have been on their debut album. This song is a perfect example of the benefits real studio time and production values provide. The drum rolls are cavernous, the background vocals shimmer, the acoustic guitars pristine. Singer Jon Russell’s voice is fantastically gruff. The band’s songwriting acumen has expanded, exemplified by the major-to-minor transitions found throughout the song. This track is foreshadows the awesomeness of the rest of Let’s Be Still.
The second single, “Another Story,” is absolutely gorgeous. It features a finger-picked guitar line, underscored by subtle electric guitar counterpoints. The band said this song is about the recent Newtown, Connecticut shootings. When Russell combines with singers Charity Thielen and Josiah Johnson to croon “Can we go on like it once was?”, the result is simultaneously desolating and uplifting. It is an album highlight.
Fan-favorite Thielen is featured as lead vocalist on “Springtime/Summertime” and “These Days Are Numbered.” It’s a welcome change to hear her leading some songs. “Springtime/Summertime” is undoubtedly the biggest musical departure the band took. Thielen’s distinct voice bounces over a synthpop groove, while strangely 80s synthesizers add texture and a decidedly “WTF” factor to the song. This song’s departure from THATH’s original sound is jarring, but this variety and experimentation is nice to see from them. “These Days” is a meditation on the fleeting nature of life. It features nothing but Thielen’s vocals, a sole acoustic guitar, and a devastating harmonica line to end the song.
Josiah Johnson takes the lead on “Josh McBride” and “Fire/Fear.” The latter is a strange, atmospheric song that, despite its decidedly mellow feel, seems more out of context than Thielen’s “Summertime.” The looping electric guitar line sounds dated, and the song is only saved by Johnson’s strong delivery. “McBride” is a slow-burning acoustic ballad that slowly spills over into its beautiful harmonic chorus. This is where Johnson excels; his vocals are weathered and confident on this track.
Let’s Be Still’s first single, “Shake,” is another a departure for the band. It’s a barnstorming, foot-stomping lead single that features Russell’s take on adultery. “You won’t forget the one who’s making you shake,” he cries before the song climaxes with the band’s harmonies soar over the driving rhythm. “Shake” is one of the album’s gems.
The title track (“Let’s Be Still”), “My Friends”, and “10,000 Weight in Gold” are a solid trio of songs. A steel guitar line punctuates the title track and gives it a countrified vibe, creating a interesting sound. “My Friends” begins with an overdramatic line (“There’s no such thing as love, there’s no such thing as God”) before redeeming itself in a fun sing-a-long chorus. “10,000 Weight in Gold” is great, but gets lost this far into the record.
Album closer “Gone” is Let’s Be Still’s perfect finale. A sprawling, epic six-and-a-half minute song about lost love, the song crescendos along, hitting different points along the way. Russell’s impassioned vocals plead, “Don’t send me no postcards, tell me you miss me/cause I’m trying” as harmonies build. When the song climaxes at the end it’s difficult not to get completely swept away in it.
Let’s Be Still is the sound of a band reacting against all that normally goes wrong with a second album. There’s more of what made them big on their first album, and there’s some stuff you wouldn’t necessarily expect from a band like The Head and the Heart. It makes for a satisfying listening experience while simultaneously stating that THATH will not be a one-album band.
—Sam Velaquez
Reach Sam at sjvelazq@indiana.edu or follow him on twitter @SammyVMan
(10/19/13 1:06am)
Released: 10/15/2012
5/7 stars
It’s not the 70’s. Led Zeppelin and Chicago are not putting out their first three albums in the first two years of their recording career. Today, artists take their time producing and recording albums, sometimes taking years to do so. That makes the Avett Brothers’ release of their newest album, only thirteen months removed from the release of The Carpenter, all the more impressive.
That being said, perhaps it is of equal importance to note that the songs on Magpie and the Dandelion were largely written and recorded during the Rick Rubin-produced sessions for The Carpenter. Looking at Magpie as a companion piece to Carpenter, it is easy to view this as an album of castoffs, songs that weren’t good enough to make Carpenter. But taken on its own, Magpie is a satisfying album, though perhaps not as satisfying as 2007’s Emotionalism, largely considered the band’s apex.
Magpie continues the Avett’s relationship with famed producer Rick Rubin, who began working with the band prior to the release of their breakout 2009 album I and Love and You. It also continues the band’s progression from the ragged, energetic, backwoods bluegrass band of their early albums to the more melodic, somber, piano-ballad driven songs that have shaped their their past three records.
For many fans, this is a shame, and maybe it would be if so many of the songs weren’t crafted so well. Magpie’s opener, the kinetic “Open Ended Life”, begins with ringing electric guitar chords, something that the band has been slowly incorporating into its sound, before turning into a rousing country hoedown (or hootenanny?), complete with harmonica and a fiddle solo. It’s an album highlight. That energy is also present on the album’s first single, “Another Is Waiting’, in which brother Seth and Scott Avett trade off vocals in their signature fashion. Their harmonies, long a feature of their albums, are as present as ever here, and in fine form. “Morning Song” and “Apart From Me” sound like they would have been right at home on the band’s 2008 The Second Gleam EP. The delicate acoustic guitar lines and vocal harmonies on these tracks are gorgeous. For fans worried that Scott’s banjo would become less-featured as the band has “matured,” “Skin and Bones” features a very prominent banjo part that contrasts nicely with the shimmering, gorgeous organ line that lifts the second half of the song.
In addition,“Good to You” seems to be a special song for the band; it features bass player Bob Crawford on vocals for a verse and the song is about being on the road and missing out on family life. Crawford’s role in the song is significantly enhanced when you remember that his daughter was diagnosed with a brain tumor. The song, another saccharine piano ballad, is sort of cheesy, but it’s a sweet sentiment that just simply doesn’t (or rather, can’t) resonate with me, a 20-year old. Given the context, the song works.
However, not everything on this album works. “Vanity” starts nicely enough, with Seth’s voice soaring over piano chords before Scott comes crashing in over drums. The song soon gives way to a strange fuzzed-out guitar riff before returning to the original form of the song. It’s nice to see the band stepping out of their comfort zone, but as with “Paul Newman vs. the Demons” on The Carpenter, this one feels a little misguided.
Many fans were excited to hear about the inclusion of “Souls Like the Wheels”, a beautiful Seth Avett solo piece from The Second Gleam EP, but the band chose to include a live version as opposed to a reworked studio cut. It’s quite jarring to hear whoops and hollers and “We love you, Seth!” in between a gorgeously-produced studio album. Not the best decision by the band, regardless of how good the song is.
It’s quite easy view this album as a companion to The Carpenter: the songs came from the same sessions, but whereas The Carpenter was a somber meditation on life and death, Magpie is much more celebratory and upbeat. The album locks into a midtempo piano groove for difficult lengths at a time, but the songs are mostly quality, well-produced, and extremely well-performed. And while the clamor to part ways with Rick Rubin surely exists, it’s hard to deny the results he’s gotten from a band that definitely deserves all the critical and commercial accolades they’ve garnered over the past few years. If Magpie is the end of the Rubin era for the Avetts, then it’s a good bookend to it.
—Sam Velaquez
Reach Sam at sjvelazq@indiana.edu or follow him on twitter @SammyVMan
(10/03/13 1:10am)
Released 9/17/2013
5/7 stars
Let’s put this out there right now before we get into this album: Jack Johnson is not trying to reinvent the wheel. Jack Johnson is not trying to craft the Next Great American album. He’s not going to pull a total 180 and put out a hard-bop jazz record. And that’s fine. In fact, it’s more than fine. For years, Johnson has been pumping out album after solid album of mellow, agreeable acoustic-based music. He’s a straight shooter, and you always know what you’re going to get from him.
On his newest album, From Here to Now to You, Johnson delivers exactly what you’d expect. We get the laid-back acoustic shuffles, the breezy melodies, the signature double-tracked Jack Johnson harmonies, and lyricisms that are simple and sweet. There are some particularly strong songs on this record, songs that wouldn’t feel out of place on his most well known album In Between Dreams (you know, the one with “Banana Pancakes”, “Better Together”, and “Good People”, among others).
The album starts with the single “I Got You”, and already Johnson has laid out what the rest of the album will hold. A combination of slide guitar and whistling sets the melody before Johnson sings about contentment over a pretty acoustic guitar pattern. The light, airy melody is an earworm, and there’s a good chance you’ll have this one stuck in your head for a while.
“Washing Dishes” is a great song and one of Johnson’s best. Featuring full instrumentation (drums, bass, even some organ flourishes), Johnson’s smooth voice sings about the days that lie ahead of his hard work that he’s doing for you (“One day I’ll be running this place”). It’s a tremendous song whose impact is dulled by the following “Shot Reverse Shot”. Its lazy melody (or lack thereof) never seems to pay off. There are some pretty slide guitar lines, something that occurs many times throughout the album.
“Don’t Believe a Thing I Say” and “You Remind Me of You,” a beautiful ode to his daughter, are both stunning moments on the album. One often forgets Johnson’s talent as a guitarist, and the delicate lines that form these songs only serve to remind us of that. The album’s highlight, “Radiate,” would sound right at home on 2010’s To the Sea. It’s got a funky groove and some tasteful guitar work and is just a fun track. That contrasts greatly with “Change,” a gorgeous ballad punctuated with slide guitar. The lyrics aren’t groundbreaking, but Johnson’s delivery is the key here. It’s a great example of the album’s production too; everything is so pristine and detailed, it’s a tremendous-sounding album.
Jack Johnson often gets unfairly labeled as an untalented commercial hack, but there’s an art to crafting the kind of music he does. It’s hard to make music that strikes a chord with so many different people, and Johnson has been doing it his whole career. With a keen sense of melody and a knack for writing a great, simple song, Johnson delivers again with this pleasingly familiar album.
—Sam Velazquez
reach Sam at sjvelazq@indiana.edu or follow him on twitter @SammyVMan
(10/01/13 1:14am)
Released 9/9/2013
6/7 stars
“We’re Arctic Monkeys, this is ‘I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor.’ Don’t believe the hype.”
That was Alex Turner eight years ago, youthful and possibly inebriated, imploring potential listeners to not buy into the media frenzy surrounding his Arctic Monkeys before launching into an explosive version of their first hit. Eight years and four critically-acclaimed albums later, it’s time to start believing the hype.
AM, the Monkeys’ fifth album, finds the band once again venturing off into unexplored territories, similar to 2009’s Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age) produced Humbug. However, where that album sometimes buckled under the weight of its own expansiveness, on AM, the band finds a near-perfect balance of songcraft and experimentation, proving that experimentation doesn’t necessarily equate to a drop-off in quality.
Nowhere on the album is this more apparent than on the opening salvo of “Do I Wanna Know?”, with its stomping beat and Herculean guitar riff, and “RU Mine?”, which finds the band firing into overdrive while Turner finds himself mired in the mind games his woman likes to play. Personally, I have yet to hear a better opening one-two punch this year; these are definite album highlights.
Prior to the album’s release, Turner, frontman and lyricist, was quick to identify hip hop as a major influence on the record. “I want it to sound like a Dr. Dre beat, but we’ve given it an Ike Turner haircut and sent it galloping across the desert on a Stratocaster.” The hip hip influence is everywhere on the album, from the sinewy rhythm on third single “Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High?” to early album highlights “Arabella” and “One For the Road.” “Arabella” also features some deft wordplay from Turner, who has proven himself to be one of the greatest alt-rock lyricists of the past decade. “Arabella’s got some interstellagator skin boots.” Who thinks of that stuff?
The Monkeys have always been good at wit and irony, so it should be no surprise that “No. 1 Party Anthem” is not a companion piece to “Dancefloor”. Rather, it is a gorgeous ballad that deals with Turner’s desire to go out and get hurt: “It’s not like I’m falling in love, I just want you to do me no good/And you look like you could.” Coupled with “Mad Sounds”, an apparent send-up of the Velvet Underground’s “Pale Blue Eyes”, these songs mark the midpoint of the album beautifully.
AM ends with “I Wanna Be Yours” continues the Monkeys’ penchant for stunning album closers. Turner sets poet John Cooper Clarke’s lyrics to a haunting melody, his honeyed croon making the phrase “I wanna be your vacuum cleaner breathing in your dust” the most romantic personification of a vacuum cleaner that there ever was. It is truly a stunning end to the record.
AM brilliantly marks another point in the band’s already illustrious career: they have established themselves as true artists. Their next album will undoubtedly be markedly different from this one; revealing why they have never wavered from making quality music. The listener never knows what they are going to get, but they always know it’s going to be good.
—Sam Velazquez
reach Sam by email at sjvelazq@indiana.edu or follow him on twitter @SammyVMan