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Did you miss The Post Nobles takeover on WECB last week?...

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 18:59:00 -0400

Did you miss The Post Nobles takeover on WECB last week? We’ve got you covered! Catch their interview, set, and a few of their favorite toons here!

[ALBUM REVIEW] DAVE GROHL – SOUND CITY REAL TO REEL

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 10:39:00 -0400

In a world where Devon loves both rock ‘n’ roll AND documentaries way more than the next guy, Dave Grohl’s Sound City soundtrack has completed me. A documentary on the history of LA’s Sound City Studios, the studio adorned in brown shag carpet/platinum record-ed walls housed music powerhouses like Nirvana, Fleetwood Mac, Neil Young, Rick Springfield, Tom Petty, Guns ‘n’ Roses, and Slipknot, just to name a few. The artists reunited to create thesoundtrack for the doc, and thankfully, rock showed signs of vital.

As with any good rock, the only way to really listen is on a set of great headphones and blasting it; unfortunately, I’ve recently been dealt the misfortune of breaking my quality headphones, so I had to listen on my standard iPhone buds, yet I’m still impressed. Songs like “Mantra” with Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters/Nirvana), Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age), and Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails) make something inside me wake -rock ‘n’ roll is not dead. Another track to check out is “The Man That Never Was” with Rick Springfield, Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins (Foo Fighters), Nate Mendel (Foo Fighters) & Pat Smear (Nirvana/Foo Fighters). You know the name Rick Springfield for “Jessie’s Girl” and probably only for Jessie’s Girl, but the lover boy has certainly grown up since his covet-thy-neighbor days, and rocks the eff out on this track.

My favorite track on the album is the bizarre and awesome “Your Wife Is Calling“. If it weren’t 11 o’clock and my day was still going on, I’d have rocked out to this all St. Patty’s Day because it totally knocks the socks off of the typical Dropkick Murphys music over and over all day friggin long. Infectious. Relatable. Rocks. Hard. That’s all I got for ya. Just trust me and listen.

My only complaint is that McCartney is again with the surviving members of Nirvana; yes, in terms of the idea of a supergroup, it’s a cool combination of generations and genres, but in actuality, McCartney is… just not working for me, and hasn’t been whenever they’ve performed together.

Don’t be lame and miss out on this awesome album. If you’re trying to catch the flick, your best bet might be to check it out online because the theaters in which it’s playing are limited, but the cast seems aweeeeeesome.

By Devon Ott

Sock It To Me- Colleen Green

Sun, 17 Mar 2013 17:48:00 -0400

There seems to be a small punk revival going down in SoCal with Burger Records’ surfy-punky bands or skate-punk bands like FIDLAR. But Colleen Green, an original Bostonian but new L.A. artist, is bringing popularity to minimal pop-punk. Unlike her Art Fag label-mate Bleached, another SoCal pop-punk band led by the Clavin sisters, Colleen Green is a one-woman act armed with only a drum machine and a guitar.

Even her live performances consist of those two aspects, along with vocals, when opening for acts like the Dum Dum Girls or playing showcases at SXSW. But, with her new album, Sock It To Me, Green is starting to expand her sound and still keep true to her minimal punk roots.

The mix of fuzzy, Ramones-like guitar with her light, sweet vocals and dated drum machine (that sounds like the drum beats on my Casio keyboard from the early ‘90s) is what makes up Green’s sound. Her previous “Descendents-informed” album, Milo Goes To Compton, was all guitar and drum beats with layered vocals and minimal bass and synth lines. Her songs are all constructed simply with power chords and poppy lyrics with themes reminiscent of ‘60s girl groups. Though her latest album, Sock It To Me, still incorporates all these aspects, it sounds different. All of the guitar, bass, and synth parts are more complex and noticeable and don’t really hide and blend into each other. The synth parts are more prominent such as in songs like “Time In the World” and “Close To You”. The guitar sound gets revamped and louder for its faster, high-energy songs like “Heavy Shit”.

All of her songs are written-in-a-bedroom and take-me-as-I-am like with simple themes. She sings about how she loves her boyfriend. She sings about how she wishes she was a normal girl. She sings about “heavy shit on [her] mind.” So you might question, why couldn’t anyone else do this? The truth is, you’re just not as cool and as clever as Colleen Green.

Sock It To Me will be available on March 19 on Hardly Art.

-Niki Current

How To Dress Well “Total Loss” Review

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 00:49:00 -0400

Top Tracks: Cold Nites; Say My Name Or Say Whatever; & It Was U

Tom Krell, or recognized by his stage name How To Dress Well, has successfully mutated the R&B genre with his experimental sound. Having strayed off a traditional R&B path, he has added electronic and ambient sounding twists to recognizable soulful tunes. Though typically grouped with artists like The Weeknd, Krell distinguishes himself from other alternative R&B artists because of his approach to the central theme of loss, which is beautifully illustrated throughout his sophomore album, “Total Lost.” His breathy vocals are lucidly lost amongst haunting electronic waves, and it’s up to us to make sense of it all.
“Say My Name Or Say Whatever” is the third song off How To Dress Well’s sophomore album. The song begins with a soundbite from Streetwise, a1984 documentary about homeless teenagers in Seattle.

I love to fly.
It’s just you alone, peace and quiet.
Nothing around you except clear blue skies
No one to hassle you.
No one to tell you where to go or what to do
The only bad part about flying is
having to come back down to the fucking world.

The opening dialogue resonates with a former teenage self. The boy’s monologue voices a common theme that listeners can recognize: freedom. With this in mind, it’s also interesting to note that the boy, who goes by Rat, lives an uncommon life, having raised himself on the streets of Seattle. The sound that follows the child’s monologue is a body crashing into the water. And with that splash, listeners are completely submerged into “Total Loss.”
It’s easy to invest yourself because each songs sounds so different. He tackles experimental ambient sound in “Say My Name or Say Whatever,” and then somehow transitions into a steady bass and snap combo with “Running Back,” a sound associated more with R&B artists like Blackstreet. By the sixth track, he puts together a entirely instrumental song in “World I Need You, Won’t Be Without You.” All these different songs can be categorized differently and this works in Krell’s favor. The ear is forced to follow the sound.
The lyrics nicely tie the album together, making it a cohesive body of work, because of the reoccurring theme of loss. Loss is looked in a broad and personal perspective. In “How Many,” Krell unites those who have experienced loss by repeating over and over “how many lives are not that right.” But with “& It Was U,” he speaks of a specific situation- love.
Tom Krell said in an interview with Pitchfork TV that as an artists he strives to “balance between wordless singing and signify lyrics.” I would say that he successfully does this. Everything from the beats he chooses to the words he puts together exude raw emotion. But putting them together in a song doesn’t become overwhelming. He did say he is one to be sentimental and depressing; and boy, he wasn’t kidding. I feel it. But hey, at least I’m feeling something.

Thom Yorke Outdoes Himself Again with New Project Amok

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 00:46:00 -0400

Today’s generation of music is so expansive and shifty that it’s difficult for an artist to stay in the spotlight for a long time and still provide adequate work. This rule has never applied to Thom Yorke. Despite the scarce amount of interviews he does these days and long breaks between his releases, the Radiohead member has managed to release a groundbreaking LP under the name of his new project, Atoms for Peace.

Consisting of the sounds recorded during a three day jamming session in Los Angeles with bassist Flea of Red Hot Chili Peppers fame, percussionist Mauro Refosco, and drummer Joey Waronker in addition to computer-generated melodies from Yorke and long-time Radiohead producer/pal Nigel Godrich, Amok flows out of your speakers like an intense yet refreshing waterfall of noise. His most electronic record yet, Amok sounds nothing like the notorious Kid A but will still have the same effect of isolation and awe among Yorke fans who think they have the English musician figured out. Having combined samples of intricate drumbeats, crushing basslines, and swarms of synthy goodness, this new effort from one of this music era’s biggest pioneers presents a challenge in terms of understanding and interpretation.

The music itself is like a melting pot of every instrument imaginable, akin to the styles of Fela Kuti and Miles Davis, two big influences on this release. The rhythms and beats flow together seamlessly despite the assault of ever-increasing layers that they endure, and the electronic twinge provided by Yorke and Godrich is there to provide blissful confusion for anyone looking for something new – figuring out what was made by actual instruments or a computer is half the fun in itself.

Yorke alternates between traditionally vague lyrics and striking attention-grabbers. “Look out at the window at what’s passing you by,” remarks the singer at the album’s start during the track, “Before Your Very Eyes,” implying the recurrent presence of transportation, movement, and the anxiety that comes with those things, all three of which are recurrent themes within his prose. “If you really want this, then know,” follows his initial statement, suggesting that he does have an audience in mind which he intends to educate, a brilliant way of getting listeners to pay close attention to the rest of the melancholy accusations and declarations he makes throughout the course of the music. “I couldn’t care less,” he repeats on the fifth track “Unless” before losing himself to a pounding bass, demonstrating his knowledge of current trends in the dubstep-heavy electronic scene while showcasing his own unique take on where this music can go as well as the fact that he doesn’t really give a shit and will do whatever he wants.

His independent yet influential nature further exemplifies itself in the album closer “Amok,” when he states, “I’m sending out choirs of angels,” followed by loops of, “to run amok,” which continue to the album’s sweeping, overwhelming finish in which every aspect of the album’s sound comes together to effectively drown itself out. He’s released his primal energy like he never has before and achieved that state of artistic freedom so desired in the music community, making the metaphor of “to run amok” a reality for himself and any musically inclined person who wants to make a difference in the world.

When combined with the album cover’s depiction of Los Angeles being bombarded with comets and tidal waves, Yorke’s intentions are clearer than ever before. His obvious supremacy in music innovation is one that’s meant to be shared by those who wish to join his mission, giving Amok the grandiose nature of a near prophecy for what’s to come in the music world. If things work out the right way, then Amok is only the beginning of a new, long awaited age of exploration and discovery, and one whose results I’m eager to see and endlessly mull over.

-Kaare Eriksen

Bring Me The Horizon

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 15:11:00 -0500

WARNING - EXPLICIT

Already having released a new music video for the track “Shadow Moses” last month, British Metal band Bring Me The Horizon set loose new single “Antivist” on February 19th to anxious headbangers everywhere. An obvious condemnation of this generation’s boisterous words yet contradictory unwillingness to act, “Antivist” is an angry bull on the loose; a constant blast of raw energy. The song is unforgiving and relentless, from its scathing lyrics to its addicting rhythms. It is a powerful combination of instrumentals that are straightforward but not spare, and passionate vocals that frontman Oli Sykes never fails to use to rip out our hearts. Blunt to the point of irony, there is something in the rage that is deeply honest. Championing the call “Middle fingers UP!”, BMTH expresses their frustration with the mindset of the majority and proves once again that music is the only thing that seems to make sense in this world of chaos.

The band is set to release their new album Sempiternal in North America on April 30, 2013.

By Taylor Markarian

Enter to win!

Tue, 08 Jan 2013 15:34:00 -0500

Didn’t get what you wanted for Christmas? Redemption issweet. Like Gary Clark Jr? Like his new album Blak and Blu? Enter to win a new Crosley turntable and his album on vinyl!

Winners will be drawn on Friday, February 1st. While you wait, be sure to read staffer Devon Ott’s review of Blak and Blu here.

Enter to win here!

Motionless in White: More ‘Infamous’ Than Before

Fri, 04 Jan 2013 13:52:00 -0500

Motionless In White has long been making themselves infamous through the creepy, the cinematic, and the hard to swallow. They’ve made a name for themselves as being the band that’s pissed off and likes to piss other people off, with their blunt and honest lyrics and unrelenting desire to represent what mainstream society views as the obscene. With their latest album Infamous hitting stores this past November, the band takes their dedication to a new kind of metal to another level. Everything has been amped up for this record—more intricate guitar solos, more electronic and industrial beats, and a heavier sound. As always, Motionless In White balances unforgiving screams with melodious choruses. “Infamous” delivers both songs to bang our heads to and songs to sing along to.

Although, some tracks like “Burning the Candle at Both Ends” and “The Divine Infection” have us wondering if this is in fact the same band that released their first full-length album, “Creatures”. It is certain that for this record the band drew more heavily from their influences—Marilyn Manson, Bleeding Through—than before. Seeing this inspiration so clearly makes some listeners see this album as a cop-out. The fact that “Infamous” splits ways so decisively with “Creatures” gives some fans an unexpected jolt, making them question the band and it’s intentions. There’s no doubt, for those who are used to the band’s previous sound, it might take a few listens for this album to make sense. But it is in songs like “Puppets 2 (The Rain)” that those fans can have something to hold onto. A sequel to the song “Puppets (The First Snow)” on the previous record, it repeats the basic structure and sentiment of its predecessor with a new spin, showing both the band’s roots and evolution.

The star track on this album, which has already been released as a music video, is unquestionably “Devil’s Night”. It is a call to arms anthem for all who hear it to stand strong against conformity and hurtful judgement. This song forces us into a wonderful adrenaline rush filled with anger and solidarity, reminding us exactly why we fell for Motionless In White in the first place. If there is one thing that fans can still trust the band to deliver, it is their explicit content. In the new track “If It’s Dead, We’ll Kill It”, Motionless In White forcefully and eloquently delivers their message to the hypocrites they so love to hate: “You are not fucking angels, and much less fucking kings”. This is definitely not a band that is afraid to shove the truth in our faces.

It is that exact combination of raw talent and passion mixed with thoughtfulness and hate that makes not only Infamous, but the band itself so worth while. Go listen. Go get pissed off. Go love it.

By Taylor Markarian

Looking for something to do this Friday in Boston?

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 20:37:34 -0500

Check out the Facebook event here!

Haven’t heard of them yet? Listen here.

Like Lightning, Matt & Kim Concert Review

Sun, 02 Dec 2012 18:29:24 -0500

Like a two and a half hour explosion, a Matt & Kim concert is not a safe thing. Somehow, mosh pits to “Daylight” brewed and expect not only an elbow to the face and to be forced by the sheer momentum of the crowd into jumping, but to be misted with sweat propelled from a girl’s wind-milling hair. Kim doesn’t curse to be funny or to emphasize her point-she’s just fucking filthy. She’d steal Matt’s beer and stick it down her pants so her crotch bulged and then air hump his keyboard. She crawled into the center of the audience like a rock climber, supported by fans’ hands, and standing above us, booty-shook her heart out. Apparently, this is a tradition.

Matt & Kim were packed onto a tight, looming black box. The box was wheeled almost to the edge of the stage; it was as close as possible to the audience. Matt & Kim didn’t underestimate the power of old favorites; they pulled from Grand with favorites like “Lessons Learned”, “Don’t Slow Down” and “Good Ol’ Fashion Nightmare” and dabbled in Sidewalks’ with “Northeast”. Of course, Lightning was featured heavily as well, and the house went just as nuts over these songs. The lighting was simple but varied. A single, alternating color would shine down. Sometimes between songs, random club music would play and Matt and Kim would dance around the stage. At one point, Matt broke out a huge cardboard box. It held hundreds of balloons that he and Kim threw into the crowd to be blown up. Then, every shade of balloon bounced above the audience and confetti rained down.

At each concert on their tour was a raffle costing one dollar to have a chance at winning the shirt Kim wore during the specific performance. All proceeds go to local animal shelters so the money is dispersed across the country, depending on wherever Matt & Kim were preforming. This feels right; Kim’s perpetual, open-mouthed grin and Matt’s obvious joy almost morphs the two into pure energy; like music-making animals.

By Rachel Crowe

Are you tuned in? Turn us on...

Thu, 29 Nov 2012 16:15:31 -0500

Are you tuned in? Turn us on...

Maia Vidal's God Is My Bike

Tue, 13 Nov 2012 12:24:53 -0500

God Is My Bike by Maia Vidal

Released October 30, 2012

God Is My Bike is a witty lullaby. But Maia Vidal’s gentle voice and mellow music do not lull listeners away from her; her creative approach to every song, and her clever, even funny lyrics, seduce the audience into a magical forest of sound. The combination of European magic (the album was recorded in Barcelona and Vidal is bilingual, with occasional tracks being recorded in French) and Vidal’s own playfulness unfolds in a precocious, daring debut. She has the confidence and acumen of more experienced artists, sometimes sounding like the Sia Furler’s kid sister. An eclectic range of instruments are interwoven, from standard percussions to accordions and children’s xylophones. Yeah, there’s definitely a lot going on in Vidal’s head. The title of “The Alphabet of my Phobias” is not false advertising; the song is a sweet, neurotic list of all kinds of fearful things. Animal abuse and climate change and a fear of flying, among others, are all “the words I live without/The words I cannot say/In hopes they go away”. “Love Song” is a glib misnomer; “This is my love song/because I thought I should have one”. Vidal doesn’t limit her focus to just silly, self-effacing subjects. She infrequently reveals her own maturity. “God is my Bike” is a mournful, thoughtful example of this. Her voice is haunting as she shares, “I used to ride my bike/to get closer to God/now I cry at night/because they stole my bike/my feet don’t carry me very far or very fast”. Vidal seems to build her music to insulate herself from the frantic chaos of the world, but she’s too sensitive and curious to ever not be acutely aware of her crazy surroundings.

By Rachel Crowe

Mess with the Toro, Get the Details

Sat, 10 Nov 2012 13:56:00 -0500

So you were thinking about checking out the new Toro Y Moi single, but you weren’t sure if it was worth your time. Let me make this simple: do it.

In typical Toro fashion, “So Many Details” is kickass. The lyrics are totally relatable for anyone (especially college students) that have been through the typical back-and-forth bullshit in a relationship; the beat is unlike anything you’ve ever heard before; and of course his voice is beyond soothing.

But then… The remix with Odd Future’s Hodgy Beats happens… How bizarre. It totally takes away from the nostalgic bitter-sweetness of the on/off relationship and turns in into bitches doin they thang… Not cool. Honestly I probably wouldn’t hate this remix as much if I hadn’t heard the original song first, because why take something great and make it good?

Unfortunately, this single is just a tease, and we have to wait until January 22, 2013 (I feel like that seems so0o0o0o painfully far away) for Anything in Return to come out. If this little taste has me thirstin’ for some more Toro, I can only imagine what’s to come. Don’t forget to check out his tour schedule and see if he’ll be rollin through near you in the coming months. (Hint: Hewill be at the Paradise Rock Club in Allston in February. You’re welcome.)

By Devon Ott

Bridging Genres: An Interview with Beacon

Sun, 04 Nov 2012 21:07:00 -0500

I meet Thomas Mullarney and Jacob Gossett in a side room of Cambridge venue TT The Bears amongst piles of instruments and equipment. In an attempt to escape the deafening soundcheck before their show with Michna and El Ten Eleven, they lead me into the billiard room near the bar where we start to discuss For Now, Beacon’s latest five track EP. It is what the two young musicians call a ‘follow up’ to the band’s previous release and an introduction to their next full-length that they hope to put out sometime in 2013.

“It continues themes from our last album,” says Gossett. “We pull in our interests of different genres and set them to electronic, ambient tones.” As the drum soundcheck booms on in steady increments, Mullarney adds, “This EP foreshadows dance elements in the next full-length and opens up to faster material.”

Beacon sees the electronic genre as an outlet for organic experimentation and transformation. It is not so much an independent genre, as it is a mingling of many different ones.

“Guitar was my first instrument,” says Gossett, “so I’ve been playing around with that; trying to make guitar sound like anything but guitar. We also take a lot of cues from romance elements in R&B.”

“But we don’t set out with any particular messages. It’s never that direct,” Mullarney adds.

So, is it all spontaneous? Or is there a sizable amount of deliberation that goes into the writing process.

“There’s spontaneity in the writing process that’s there,” says Mullarney. “It always has to be there. But it’s been six or seven years since we’ve known each other, so something’s also growing over time.”

Naturally, I become curious as to what artistic direction they see themselves heading towards in the coming years. How can they get more inventive and take their aptitude for creative experimentation to new heights?

“For the future we hope to just keep recording and putting out new material. In our live shows we want to include projections and other visual accompaniments,” says Gossett, calling on his roots in the visual arts. “Music isn’t something I always thought about doing,” he confesses, “but I always knew I wanted to do something in the arts.

The Brooklyn based duo met during their time at the Pratt Institute, where they each studied art and played live shows all around the New York area.

“We started doing live shows before we started recording,” Mullarney says. “Writing is really rewarding but it’s a lot of time and energy. Shows are where we really started and they are, for me, my favorite part. For the future, we definitely want to play more, travel more. There are still places we haven’t been, like the West Coast and Europe.”

As Mullarney wraps up his thoughts on their future aspirations, fans start filing in through the door and wait excitedly before the stage and around the bar. The duo gets called away for some last minute preparations before showtime and end up performing to a full room of toes tapping, heads nodding, and bodies swaying to the trance-like beats and haunting melodies of Beacon.

by Taylor Markarian

@WECBmusicstaff

Mon, 29 Oct 2012 19:58:00 -0400

are you following us? WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

Smoke & Jackal's EP No. 1

Mon, 29 Oct 2012 12:34:00 -0400

Artist & Album: Smoke & Jackal, EP No. 1

Release Date: October 12, 2012

Top Tracks: “Ok Ok”, “No Tell”, “Roadside”

I have loved Kings of Leon since I became a sophomore in high school, somewhat socially comfortable, and began conversing with boys without my face turning the color of a firetruck. Today when I picked up a copy of Smoke & Jackal’s EP No. 1, you can obviously understand my initial excitement.

Smoke & Jackal is the brainchild of KOL bassist Jared Followhill (ooh baby!) and wannabe-KOL band Mona’s lead singer Nick Brown (don’t worry, I had never heard of Mona until today either). Here’s the dilemma I’m having right now, folks; every music review I’ve read for EP No. 1 has shit on Smoke & Jackal to no end… But I don’t really hate them.

I think the first problem lies in the fact that these reviewers call S&J a “rock supergroup,” which is an absolutely ridiculous title to give out. Rock supergroup? I think that’s supposed to be endearing, though it just comes out antiquated. This is a collaboration and should be addressed as so. For those of you who think I’m being nit picky with language, these are things that can subliminally alter an opinion before even giving the EP a first listen.

Moving on to the actual music, I can dig it (antiquated, see?!). I think the biggest problem with reviewing the collab is that right off the bat, people are going to compare the sound to Kings of Leon, a group that found international fame (and lost it quickly afterwards due to overexposure and pressure. Don’t get me wrong, I love the boys, and they will always have a place in my heart, but Kings fan are slowly waning as the guys have been out of the spotlight for some time now after disappointing fans with canceled tour dates and rehab visits).

As a group unrelated to Kings, however, Smoke & Jackal can stand on their own quite well, thank you very much. ”Ok Ok” is my favorite song (and arguably the strongest) on the album as it is catchy both in the lyrical and instrumental respects without being a made-for-radio type song. Love love love.

My other favorite would have to be the openly dirty “No Tell,” the most controversial song on the album. Lyrics like “I guess she really came to give some head/ Now the sheets are red/ We’re going down in the motel” have created quite a stir in the music world with anyone who has heard the song, but this song actually reminds me of Kings’ “I Want You” (“The night vision shows, she was only duckin’ the truth/ It’s heavy I know, the black guy with the gift down below/ A choke and a gag, she spit up ‘n came back for more) in the respect that it’s raw and real and unapologetic. Despite the disgust many reviewers have expressed at the “vulgarity” of the song, the lyrics are written in a way that I’m not offended, just intrigued by their boldness.

The problem with the album, in my humble opinion, is the fact that a lot of the lead vocals were altered and over-synthesized, making a lot of the tracks sound like a strung out Muse and indistinguishable from each other (I dare you to genuinely like “You’re Lost” or “Save Face”). This gets old reeeeal fast, especially with the repetitive lyrics that a good number of the songs feature.

Overall, I think this is a great side project, but Mr Followhill should not be so quick to give up on KOL if there is even a slight sign of vitals for the band. (Nick Brown, I don’t particularly care what you do after this EP if you continue to use the synthesizer and take your vocal stylings from other bands. BE YOURSELF, MY MAN.) Followhill is great at what he does, and can do so in different environments as he has shown with Smoke & Jackal, but I can’t see the duo rising to superstardom because it is not nearly strong enough. I can definitely appreciate a number of the songs that they’ve released, and I don’t think they deserve the horrendous reviews that they’ve received, but the album in its entirety is a little less than what I was expecting.

By Devon Ott

Diluvia by Freelance Whales

Sun, 28 Oct 2012 17:10:00 -0400

Diluvia by Freelance Whales

Released Oct 9, 2012

Freelance Whales creates their own suspended world safe from the threats of reality in Diluvia. Their lyrics do not dwell on anything so messy as human relationships or mundane problems. Diluvia tells stories of little adventures and absurd combinations like the “little bits of diamond crushed up/for all the animals to eat on Sunday” in “Aeolous” and an aversion for falling from giant super novas. This near-sighted naiveté isn’t frustrating or obnoxious; it’s the logical partner to their synths and dreamy vocals. But Diluvia doesn’t disintegrate into unending songs that are identically monotonous. “Land Features” opens with tightly weaved banjo playing and diffuses into Freelance Whales’ more characteristic electronic sound. The tension between Freelance Whales’ quirky electronic sound and the melancholy vocals captures this energy. Diluvia feels like the band has been caught in the process of waking up. There isn’t an established destination and not everything they emit is totally coherent but their sound is unfettered; there’s none of the self-efficacy of having fully awoken and gone out into public. Diluvia is happy and despite being constructed of high-tech sounds, it belongs to a simple kind of fun.

By Rachel Crowe

Gary Clark Jr.'s "Blak and Blu"

Tue, 23 Oct 2012 15:11:00 -0400

Get lost in the city tryin’ to find myself

Woke up with different versions, came down someone else

Artist & Album: Gary Clark Jr., “Blak and Blu”

Release Date: October 16, 2012

Top Tracks: 1, 13, 8, 4

When I saw the album come in to WECB this week, I kept asking myself why I knew the name Gary Clark Jr as I was well aware that I didn’t have any of his music, but it has since occurred to me that Gary is a social butterfly. He’s been at music events and has hung with many a celeb throughout the past decade without having put out his own album. And then there was Blak and Blu.

Unbelievably talented, I am totally digging Mr Clark. This seems to be his experimental album, an album filled with different vibes in an attempt to figure out his sound and find his specific niche. Nothing sounds the same so you can’t get bored, but this also means that there’s no real season of unity amongst the tracks. There’s “Next Door Neighbor Blues” which is absolutely my favorite and by far the strongest track on this entire album as it’s reminiscent of the ever talented Robert Johnson; in totally different vein, there are the radio ready “Glitter Ain’t Gold” and “The Life”, both of which I’ve even managed to take a liking to because they’re so catchy and upbeat.

Honestly, once he’s filtered his sound more towards the blues and rock that have influenced a large portion of this album, he will find success and the specific audience that will appreciate him and sing his praises like he deserves. Right now, his album is a whole lot of different things, while he should be focusing on a whole lot of one thing in order to establish himself. The grit that you hear on tracks like “Bright Lights” and “Third Stone From the Sun” is what will make him in the coming years, should he decide to follow the path that I have (mentally) set for him. Good luck, Mr Clark, I see you going brilliant places.

By Devon Ott

Three Days Grace: Transit Of Venus

Sun, 21 Oct 2012 19:04:00 -0400

Three Days Grace: Transit Of Venus

A Track by Track Review

Three Days Grace’s latest album, Transit Of Venus, is a head scratcher. Half of the album is an energetic, revamped reincarnation of the post-grunge rock band that listeners and fans have come to know. We get those similar kinds of power chords and blunt lyrics making for a simplistic yet resonating sound that we’ve learned and loved to expect from the band. However, the other half of the album sounds generic. There is a sense that the band has hit a creative wall in their near decade long career and. Half of the songs on the album sound like re-hashings of other bands, with cliche lyrics and expected chord progressions.

The first track on the album, “Sign Of The Times”, is a bit weird. It’s a calm beginning—already strange for Three Days Grace—that seems to hop from genre to genre in the course of a few minutes. It almost sounds like the band is trying to go for a MUSE-like sound, which doesn’t work well with their sound. The next two tracks, however, are great representatives of how Three Days Grace manages to evolve in their own classic sound. “Chalk Outline” and “The High Road”, two of the best tracks on the album, are catchy yet chilling, with lyrics that discuss the pitfalls and disappointments of human and romantic relationships. They are relatable, and that is the quality that continues to make Three Days Grace successful.

“Operate”, track 4 on the album, is another one of those songs that just falls short. There’s nothing about it that really sticks out as something new or striking, and the chorus sounds especially cliche. The following track, “Anonymous”, is kind of the inverse of “Operate”, where the chorus is what makes it likable and the verses lack any impressive originality. “Anonymous” is not a bad song by any means, but plateaus in its excitement. Track 6, “Misery Loves My Company”, follows the same lines. “Give In To Me” takes some obvious cues from classic rock, with its extensive guitar solos and the way that the vocals mimic the melody of the lead guitar. It’s a weird take on Three Days Grace’s normal post-grunge sound, but it works. “Happiness” amps up the energy with fast-paced instrumentals and lyrics about alcohol abuse.

The band slows down the album with track 9 entitled “Give Me A Reason”. This track introduces a very different sound not only for the band but for the album. For a band whose slower songs tend to be on the depressing side, this song is more thought-provoking. The percussion plays a bigger role in this track than in most of the others and the lyrics are honest without coming across as whiny. Again, as with all great Three Days Grace songs, this song succeeds because it is simple. “Time That Remains” carries on the quieter, more contemplative mood, but sounds utterly generic and like a different band altogether. It sounds like someone got confused while they were making the album and mixed them up with a different recording artist. It almost sounds like Three Days Grace is trying to harken back to the time of The Beatles with this one, which does not work for their identity at all. There’s a difference between pushing the envelope and becoming someone else, and with “Time That Remains”, Three Days Grace unfortunately does the latter.

The pace picks back up again with “Expectations”, a song about the seedy and contemptible aspects of today’s society. The rhythm is an odd one and the near a-melodic vocals create a striking, tension building effect. It’s the weirdest song on the album, but it succeeds. “Broken Glass” is another good one; it’s catchy and progressive for the band but still remains within character. It’s also one of the only songs on the album that has a distinguishable bridge. The album concludes with a slower song, “Unbreakable Heart”. Reminiscent of older songs like “Gone Forever” off of their album One-X, they lose the heavy amp effect for half the song for a more acoustic sounding guitar. It’s a nice balance between softer and heavier sounds that they failed to fully accomplish with the first track on the album. The song also leaves the listener with a good message, “You’re the one, you’re the unbreakable”, which is a commendable technique seeing as how most of the album deals with negative experiences.

All in all, the album is alright; not amazing, but not bad. The band tries to evolve in different directions with this album, and there are some hits and some misses, but it’s definitely worth listening to if you’re already a fan.

By Taylor Markarian

Shields by Grizzly Bear

Sun, 21 Oct 2012 18:20:57 -0400

Shields by Grizzly Bear

Released Sept 18, 2012

If you were one those people who was emotionally scarred for life (in a good way) from Grizzly Bear’s Veckatimest then you definitely understand the long awaited anticipation for a follow up album. The band released their sixth official full length album last month, Shields, and I assure you it is nothing short of a masterpiece. The band has continued to grow with every album and just when you think Grizzly Bear could not possibly manage to top themselves they manage to do it again, treating the indie folk world with another album filled with exoctic instrumental variants and melancholic undertones.

After touring endlessly throughout 2009 and ’10 the band took a year off in 2011 to do a couple of side projects such as Chris Taylor’s release of Dreams Come True with Cant and Daniel Rossen’s solo EP Silent Hour/Golden Mile (check it out it’s epic) which was released earlier this March. In listening to Dan’s solo EP you can easily tell he has his hand heavily dipped in both Department of Eagles and Grizzly Bear, which makes you truly appreciate a man like him with such creative genius.
Shields by far stands out as continuing the band’s sound which is mostly a fusion of folk and rock that is blended in such a unique way that one is nearly transferred into an alternate state of being instantly after listening to the first track. Like Veckatemist each track off the album could stand on its own; however, the transition from ‘Speak in Rounds’ to ‘Adelma’ then to ‘Yet Again’ is a melancholic, purely instrumental, break from two explosive songs creating a live event experience to where I strongly encourage you to listen to the album in full from start to finish. Then you have the powerful ballads that only Ed can create with his operatic voice accompanied by piano and strings in ‘The Hunt’. Dan really takes his chance in ‘A Simple Answer’, a six minute uplift that just makes you want to sway from side to side as his voice carries on, which is also a treat to see performed live as he masters the task of skillfully switching from guitar to piano while maintaining his lead vocals. The album concludes with ‘Sun In Your Eyes’ which mostly features Dan’s cryptic lyrics and a grand piano; however, it is such a powerful way to end the album that you will just be left in a stupor not really being able to comprehend all the beauty you just heard.

Listening to Shields is more than just music; it is an experience unlike any other that only a band like Grizzly Bear can create. If you’re already Grizzly Bear fans then you already know what it’s like to have a band like this completely change your life simply through creating music. I strongly encourage you to either buy their album or check them out live because you will definitely get more than what your money’s worth in supporting this band.

By Ellie Gomez