St. Vincent with Foreign Born - Wexner Center, 2/24

It would have been a colossal waste of talent if Annie Clark, who goes by the stage name St. Vincent, had been content to remain in her support roles for the Polyphonic Spree and Sufjan Stevens. On Clark’s 2007 solo debut, Marry Me, she showcased a knack for crafting orchestral pop that’s a bit too trippy for an iPod commercial--St. Vincent is perfect for those who like a chanteuse more quirky than Feist but not as operatic as My Brightest Diamond.

Not coincidentally, those two artists played the Wex recently, but Sunday night St. Vincent topped them both on the Mershon’s black box stage. It surprised me. For some reason I never gave Marry Me much more than a cursory listen last year, but hearing and seeing Ms. Clark live was mesmerizing. In a black dress that starkly contrasted her ghost-white skin, ruby lips and cherry red guitar, she was a beautifully striking presence onstage amid what she referred to as a “psychedelic forest.”

Clark’s slightly dorky sense of humor made her all the more endearing; she used adjectives like “pretty radical” and told embellished stories about blaring Chicago in a touring caravan of Chevy Camaros. Like her wide range of theatrical facial expressions, Clark’s exceptional voice took surprising twists and turns, all the while retaining its smooth overtones.

But what was most impressive about the show was Clark’s virtuosic guitar skills. She kicked off the set with an extended harmonic intro riff to “Now, Now,” and throughout the night deftly and effortlessly carried or accented the tunes with inventive six-string arrangements. She silenced the room with quiet finger-picking on the encore’s Jackson Browne cover, “These Days,” and filled the stage with distorted dirtiness on “Your Lips Are Red.”

The rest of the band--violinist, drummer and bassist/multi-instrumentalist--provided ornate landscapes that were sometimes noisy and sometimes lush but almost always worked well with each song. Programmed background loops added another layer, but for the most part the four-piece filled the sound themselves. It was all highly orchestrated yet still left plenty of room for spontaneity.

For a few tunes the rest of the band left the stage while Clark entertained the crowd on her own. Her solo version of the Beatles’ “Dig a Pony” was a surprisingly inspired choice; somehow she made the song sexy. It also gave away her love of a great pop hook, which can be heard most clearly in “Marry Me,” probably one of St. Vincent’s catchiest songs. The band extended the song live with a handbell intro that for some reason reminded me of that “Little April Shower” song from Bambi. But before I could conjure up more of my childhood, the song kicked in with sparse drums and Clark on piano. “Marry me, John, I’ll be so good to you. You won’t realize I’m gone,” she sang, then later revealed more of her intentions: “Oh, John, c’mon, we’ll do what married people do… We’ll do what Mary and Joseph did without the kid.” How very un-saintly.

The Mershon stage wasn’t nearly as full as the previous week’s Vampire Weekend show, but hopefully Clark sticks with the solo career. She was made to be a front woman.

Los Angeles band Foreign Born played the support slot pretty well, its set getting better as it went along. The sound was jittery, foot-stomping indie pop led by singer Matt Popieluch and his strummy acoustic guitar. The four bearded fellows used prerecorded loops, as well (creating a background choir to nice effect), but the most prominent part of the set, unfortunately, was a piercingly loud electric guitar. At a quieter volume it would have provided nice counter melodies to the vocals, but instead it drowned out Popieluch and repressed the bass, drums and acoustic deep into the background. Set closer “Union Hall” from the band’s ’07 debut was a highlight, as was a new song called “Vacationing People” that will hopefully find its way onto Foreign Born’s next record.

(Photo courtesy raynach)

mp3: St. Vincent - Marry Me
mp3: Foreign Born - Union Hall

Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago

After Justin Vernon split from his bandmates in DeYarmond Edison, he had a lot to think about, and like so many artists before him, he chose the route of self-imposed solitude to work out his issues. In a Thoreau-esque move, Vernon retreated to his father’s remote cabin in his home state of Wisconsin and spent the winter there.

He did all the usual rustic, outdoorsy things during his time in the woods: chopped wood, hunted deer, ate deer, etc. But he also ended up writing and recording some songs under a new moniker: Bon Iver, which is purposefully misspelled French for “good winter.” After a while, Vernon realized he had made an album, and thus was born 2008’s best record yet, For Emma, Forever Ago. (He actually released the album on his own last year, but Jagjaguwar gave it a much-deserved wider distribution recently.)

It’s a story that seems a little too good to be true, something the PR folks cooked up to get some press. Similar back stories have helped sell albums before, too. When Ray LaMontagne’s debut came out, everyone knew that a.) He had worked in a shoe factory until he became inspired by a Stephen Stills song one morning, and b.) He lived in a self-built cabin with no electricity or running water.

But with Bon Iver, the album lives up to the story. Vernon has created a sound unlike any other singer/songwriter today, avoiding all of that genre’s pitfalls along the way. It starts with a voice and acoustic guitar, but the atmosphere created by everything in between is spooky, sorrowful and cathartic.

At the forefront of every song is Vernon’s layered falsetto. The thought of someone singing primarily in falsetto is probably a turn-off, but it’s used here with aplomb--nice and full, but sounding just brittle enough that you know it’s real, not a gimmick. On some songs, like popular single “Skinny Love,” that falsetto is affixed next to Vernon’s scraped, soulful cries.

All the accompanying gossamer noises feel like ever-present ghosts, as if the women Vernon sings about lingered insistently during the recording. “For Emma” adds another layer of depth with the addition of sparse horns. The instrumental “Team” is the only track that feels slightly out of place; the spring in its step just misses the ambience captured on the rest of the album.

Bon Iver’s lyrics are short snippets--quick, underexposed Polaroids of particular thoughts. And Vernon milks all he can out of a line with unusual and inspired phrasing. It all tells the story of a man surrounded only by the voice in his head, forced to wrestle his life to the ground. It’s unclear who wins the wrestling match, but from the sound of it, just the fact that a match occurred is cleansing enough. The last track, “re: stacks,” sums it up best when Vernon sings, “This is not the sound of a new man or crispy realization. It’s the sound of the unlocking and the lift away.”

mp3: Bon Iver - Skinny Love

U2 3D for me

I'm a U2 fanatic, so when I found out U2 3D was coming to Columbus theaters, I had to see it. My wife and I ventured out in the slush last night to Easton AMC's IMAX to check it out. Honestly, I was excited, but also a little skeptical about the film. "3D" conjures up images of blue-and-red glasses with cardboard frames from cereal boxes.

But this was nothing like that. It was truly amazing. I can now say I know what it feels like to be in the front row of a U2 concert (and the back row, on the stage, above the band, behind the band...). The 3D technology made Bono and the band seem downright touchable. Just as cool were the crowd shots that really made me feel like I was inside a stadium full of mirthful Latin Americans. And the glasses were even comfy. (FYI--the Easton IMAX isn't like IMAX theaters I remember going to as a kid. It isn't a half-globe or anything. But the giant, curved screen seemed to serve its purpose just fine.)

The performance was great, too. "Love and Peace or Else" was surprisingly moving and the rendition of "Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own" was the most powerful I've heard. If you're even a mild U2 fan, I recommend it.

The set list:

Vertigo
Beautiful Day
New Year's Day
Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own
Love and Peace or Else
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Bullet the Blue Sky
Miss Sarajevo
Pride (In the Name of Love)
Where the Streets Have No Name
One
The Fly
With or Without You
Yahweh

Vampire Weekend - Wexner Center, 2/14

Here's my Vampire Weekend live review running in The Other Paper today. I had no time to write this, so it's not my best work, but it should at least give you a taste of what the show was like. Oh, and the buzz doesn't appear to be slowing down. VP graces the cover of this month's Spin.

(Photo from the show by Kim Rottmayer of Picturethesound.com. View the full set here.)

"All the hoopla over Vampire Weekend, this year’s most talked about buzz band, is a bit baffling. While it’s not every day that a band plays Afropop-influenced, danceable indie rock in sweaters, this stuff probably won’t blow your mind. And that’s important to remember, because it’s not supposed to. Vampire Weekend just writes simple, fresh-sounding pop songs, and it does it well.

The Columbia grads perform the songs pretty well, too, as they showed the sold-out Valentine’s Day crowd at the Wexner Center last Thursday. For the women who were without dates that night, singer Ezra Koenig seemed to fill the void in a pinch; the girls were swooning. Must be the sweaters. Koenig also flattered the crowd with compliments about Columbus, particularly its impressive but under-appreciated population, and it came off as genuine rather than pandering.

The show didn’t reveal a whole lot more about the band than its self-titled debut has already shown. Most of the renditions were faithful to the album, without many surprising flourishes. And since Vampire Weekend only has one full-length record that clocks in at 34 minutes, the show was less than an hour with no encore. So in typical Vampire Weekend fashion, this wasn’t a knock-your-socks-off performance, but it was good enough that I caught myself with a goofy grin on my face several times. They’re just so darn likable.

Drummer Christopher Tomson carried the show with his contagious enthusiasm and mix of rock and world rhythms. On some songs the beats themselves served as the hooks. Each hit was nice and high in mix, too. Keonig’s clean, sprightly guitar playing with lots of tremolo was a nice counterpoint. All four members were politely energetic, which is more than I can say for the crowd. There were a few people on the Mershon stage’s black box going nuts the whole set, but most everyone was hesitant to move around too much until the last song, “Walcott.”

The band threw in two non-album tracks that bode well for Vampire Weekend’s future. “Boston,” a demo song the band has now dubbed “Ladies of Cambridge,” was more punky and frenetic than any other tune--like “A-Punk” with more balls. (It’s relative, though, in the context of Vampire Weekend. The up-tempo track still didn’t have a hint of fuzz or distortion.) Hopefully it finds its way onto a b-side or the next album. Another untitled new track was also surprisingly upbeat, and Koenig attempted to squeeze as many words as possible into the song. Breaking it down to half-time later in the tune was a nice touch.

Vampire Weekend didn’t phone it in for any song. “A-Punk,” “Oxford Comma” and “I Stand Corrected” all rang true, and the live arrangements left the songs courteously uncomplicated. For Vampire Weekend, simple really is better.

Sam Rosen kept things simple as well, but with a muddy, distorted, percussive guitar carrying each song, though not very well. None of the songs had much of a hook; whenever I anticipated a welcome change-up coming, it usually devolved into more banal guitar licks. The lyrics similarly felt like streams of consciousness haphazardly set to the music. Rosen’s stage banter also was particularly awkward, especially when he laughed loudly after most of his comments as the crowd stayed silent.

Vampire Weekend has a stint coming up with the Walkmen in March--now that would have been a better lineup."

The Mountain Goats - Heretic Pride

In the mid ’90s the Mountain Goats released a series of lo-fi boom-box recordings on cassettes. Many of the songs featured only singer/guitarist John Darnielle, who became known for his highly literate lyrics, prominent ultra-nasal vocals and frantic guitar strumming.

Some things have changed drastically since Darnielle’s days of tape hiss. The passion, the anger, the heartbreak and the cinematic storytelling with larger-than-life characters are all still there. But along the way, starting with Tallahassee in 2002, he abandoned the homemade aesthetic and started making studio-grade headphone albums filled with subtle layers of sparse instrumentation that compel you to invade a song’s personal space. The production has the effect of forcing the listener to hear every word, whether solemnly or vigorously delivered. The songs are rarely packaged in bright wrapping paper with a big bow, but the gifts reveal themselves after closer inspection. For me, a particular phrase usually latches onto my brain, and from there the discovery process begins.

Heretic Pride follows in the same vein. It’s filled with engaging stories about an imaginary cult (“New Zion”), Prince Far I (“Sept. 15 1983”) and a persecution fantasy (“Heretic Pride”). As usual, Darnielle is not one to use common metaphors or analogies in his songs. “Autoclave,” a reference to the gadget used to sterilize surgical instruments, came about after Darnielle learned of a bacteria that can not only resist an autoclave, but thrives in the high temperatures. “This got me thinking about people whose hearts involuntarily pulverize any good feelings that come within a city block of them,” Darnielle says in an illustrated companion to the album. The song’s hook explains further: “I am this great, unstable mass of blood and foam. And no one in her right mind would make my home her home. My heart’s an autoclave.” Like most of the album, it’s an upbeat song--a stark contrast to last year’s hushed Get Lonely.

Heretic Pride takes more than a casual listen to fully appreciate, as do most Mountain Goats releases, but there are some weaknesses that place it below The Sunset Tree and Tallahassee, two of the band’s strongest records that also follow Darnielle’s trend of writing concept albums. Sunset Tree focused on an abusive stepfather, Tallahassee explored a couple’s misfortunes in Florida and Get Lonely was a somber coming-to-grips breakup album. After a few listens to Heretic Pride, a strong interconnecting theme never emerges. It’s purposeful for sure, but there’s not as much payoff for the investigative listener as there was in previous albums.

The Mountain Goats’ sound is also becoming predictable. While the subject matter varies wildly, the instrumentation, subtle production, vocal phrasing, etc. has stayed fairly constant between the last few albums. It’s so familiar, in fact, that it doesn’t have quite the impact that it used to. Part of me relishes the band’s oeuvre and never wants Darnielle to change, but it has also reached the point where I think I’ve had too much of a good thing, and it’s time for the Mountain Goats to branch out and experiment more.

Still, even if Heretic Pride doesn’t come together in a nice, tidy package, the crackpot characters Darnielle cooks up still hold enough interest individually to make the album a worthy addition to the Mountain Goats catalog.

Heretic Pride is out now on 4AD.

mp3: The Mountain Goats - Sax Rohmer #1

Feb. 14

I've never cared too much about Valentine's Day, and my wife doesn't take it too seriously, either, which works out well for me since I'll be spending the evening with Vampire Weekend at the Wexner Center. Hopefully it's not one of those situations where she says she doesn't mind, but in reality has visions of roses and dinner by candlelight.

For those who do embrace the day of candy hearts, here's a fitting V-Day track from the Drive By Truckers' 2006 album A Blessing and a Curse.

mp3: Drive By Truckers - Feb. 14

British Sea Power - Do You Like Rock Music?

So I listened to this album again, thought about it some more, then listened some more. Here's the "official" review I came up with, which will be in the The Other Paper on Thursday:

Arcade Fire is the elephant in the iPod when you listen to British Sea Power’s Do You Like Rock Music?, so we might as well talk about it. It’s so impossible to avoid that on the first few listens I had a hard time giving the band much credit. After all, since Arcade Fire released Funeral in 2004, its influence is felt more and more every year. Some bands take inspiration from the Canadians and merely pay homage, while others all of a sudden want every song they write to be “epic.” And even though British Sea Power was around before Win Butler’s group, Arcade Fire is now so pervasive and glorified that it’s hard not to think of it the other way around.

British Sea Power does sound more like Arcade Fire now than Arcade Fire has ever sounded like British Sea Power. (It’s probably not coincidental that one of the album’s producers, Howard Bilerman, has worked with Arcade Fire.) But after acknowledging that fact, I realized that endlessly playing the influence game with Do You Like Rock Music? would do a disservice to the band. Because, in answer to the album title’s query--yes, yes I do like rock music, and this is pretty good rock music, no matter who came first or who influenced whom.

For this disc, British Sea Power abandoned most of its post-punk leanings. You’d be hard-pressed to liken this album to anything by Joy Division. This is also the band’s most melodic and therefore its most accessible showing yet. Though there’s an eight-minute closer, you won’t find much similar to the meandering 14-minute track “Lately” from the band’s 2003 Rough Trade debut. Some of the melodic quirkiness and surprising turns are gone, which in theory might be something to mourn, but fortunately they’re replaced by well-constructed pop tunes. “Open the Door” could even be a James song. And yes, it all feels brazenly epic, especially “Waving Flags,” which is supposedly a tribute to Polish plumbers. The album even kicks off with a two-minute, swelling chant of, “We’re all in it and we close our eyes.”

British Sea Power certainly hasn’t lost its quirkiness lyrically. The boys from Brighton, England, are known for their diverse and bizarre subject matter. “Atom” tackles physics: “When you get down, down to the subatomic part of it, that’s when it breaks you know, that’s when it falls apart. Oh caveat emptor, open the atom’s core.” Offbeat lyrics make British Sea Power more interesting in some ways, but it’s probably also why Do You Like Rock Music? doesn’t make quite as much of an emotional impact as Funeral or Neon Bible, both of which have a specific theme and mood. The opening track, “All In It,” does come full circle with the last one, “We Close Our Eyes,” but Rock Music could use a little more thematic glue to hold together all its anthems in between.

It would be tough to find tracks more epic than these, and who doesn’t like epic rock music? But even if you like it, the next question becomes, do you care about it? For me, it was a resounding, “Usually.”

mp3: British Sea Power - Waving Flags

Heads up

The Daytrotter folks will be hosting Times New Viking and A.A. Bondy in their studio this week, so be on the lookout for four free tracks from each. Nice.

A.A. Bondy will also be in Columbus Sunday at the Basement with Kevin Devine and the Jealous Girlfriends. If you still haven't checked out Bondy's underrated 2007 album, American Hearts, do it. It's good.

mp3: A.A. Bondy - There's a Reason

Winter soldier

It's getting to be that time of year when I'm sick of wearing layers and bracing myself every time I go outside. It's nice to finally have some sunshine today, but the high tomorrow is 16. Boo.

Today also happens to be the day I gave Jason Collett's Here's to Being Here its first spin, and there's a bonus track called "Winter Soldier," which is exactly what I need to be for the next month. Or maybe two months here in Columbus. Judging from the lyrics, Collett probably didn't write the song with this in mind, but its peppy Americana stylings and warm recording tones give me hope for sunny days with summery temps.

And if you're lucky enough to be in warmer climes, you'll still find some good stuff about love, death and letting go of the war.

mp3: Jason Collett - Winter Soldier

Oh, and I like this album better than Prodigals so far. Check it out.

Year Long Disaster, The Suede Brothers, Sounds Under Radio - Ravari Room

Few things get under my skin more than aging music fans who claim that rock music hit its peak in the ’60s and ’70s and has been going downhill ever since. I certainly don’t deny the influence classic rock has had on music today, but when someone maintains that Zeppelin, Hendrix, etc. are the last rock bands worth listening to, I think of this as more of a character flaw than a difference of opinion. Chances are, we just won’t get along.

But Monday night’s show at the Ravari Room just might have been the perfect sanctuary for this hypothetical person and I to coexist peacefully, and maybe, just maybe, throw up a rawk fist together.

Headliner Year Long Disaster is the type of band that has appeal for bitter baby boomers, ironic collegiates and impressionable high schoolers alike. First off, the three-piece is led by singer/guitarist Daniel Davies, the son of the Kinks’ Dave Davies. Plus, bassist Rich Mullins founded Karma to Burn and drummer Brad Hargreaves comes from Third Eye Blind. The band released its debut on Volcom last fall, but the recording didn’t quite capture Year Long Disaster’s big sound. Live, however, these guys are a testament to the fact that sometimes all you need is a distortion-drenched guitar, bass and a steady beat to put on a good rock show.

It’s impossible not to mention Led Zeppelin and Wolfmother when describing YLD’s sound, but keep in mind they’re just guidelines. There will never be another Zeppelin. (I know, I’m sounding like my aforementioned nemesis, but it’s true.) Zeppelin’s tunes were built around big blues riffs, but Page and Plant also knew a thing or two about spicing up tunes with enough dynamic ranges that the songs weren’t (usually) nonstop guitar onslaughts. Year Long Disaster only played one tune that mixed it up stylistically, or at least had a quieter interlude.

As for Wolfmother, the fellow stoner metal band’s singer/guitarist Andrew Stockdale doesn’t have half the chops that Davies has, though Stockdale probably does have the better voice. Davies mixes just a bit too much phlegm into his glammy howl. But YLD showed a sense of authenticity that Wolfmother has yet to capture. I like this band; I don't like Wolfmother.

Davies also could use a few lessons on pop hooks from his dad, but Year Long Disaster was that rare combination of seasoned, ultra-skilled musicians who could still communicate something raw and powerful. Davies coaxed just the right gorgeously overdrived notes and squeaks and squeals out of his guitar, and his solos were impressively restrained. Oh yeah, and it was really, really loud.


Cleveland’s The Suede Brothers could be Year Long Disaster’s kid brothers--stylistically and literally. Singer/guitarist Dylan Francis is 20, bassist Kevin Naughton is 19 and drummer Mick Varga is 16. The band includes former members of the Black Diamonds, but in its current form, the Suede Brothers have been playing together for less than a year. So imagine my surprise when they opened the show with a terrific set. In fact, I think I enjoyed The Suede Brothers more than Year Long Disaster.

Francis is a downright nasty guitarist. He’s obviously taken lessons from the Jimmy Page handbook, but he dredges it with a little Soundgarden sludge, resulting in seismic riffage tailor-made for Guitar Hero. Plus, the kid has some vocal chords. He can hit those high notes, and he doesn’t shy away from them, either.

Like YLD, the tradeoff for these monster tunes was little diversity, but they’ll have plenty of time to develop that. I’m just a sucker for youthful rock-and-roll exuberance, and I expect to hear much, much more from this band in the coming year.

Sandwiched between these two trios was Austin’s Sounds Under Radio, who recently landed a song on the Spiderman 3 soundtrack and subsequently signed to Epic. Apparently this has made them take themselves quite seriously, because they had tons of gear (including lights), were endlessly unsatisfied with the monitor volume and obsessively re-tuned their guitars between every song. They also enjoy dramatically raising their arms at the beginning of songs.

This band was the odd man out on the bill. Alongside the other two ballsy performances, Sounds Under Radio felt like wuss-rock. Pointless samples, singer Lang Freeman’s excessive falsetto and an overenthusiastic but unimpressive bassist all made for an utterly forgettable performance. Not surprisingly, the band played to mostly an empty room. It wasn’t for a lack of effort, but as is the case with so many newly signed major-label bands, Sounds Under Radio tried so hard to be loved they forgot to be compelling.

More photos.

mp3: The Suede Brothers - Shotgun Philly
mp3: Year Long Disaster - Per Qualche Dollaro in Piu

Arcade Power

With all the praise heaped upon Arcade Fire since the debut of Funeral, it only makes sense that the band's trademark epics are influencing the current crop of indie rockers. Last year, I thought Okkervil River's Will Sheff matched Win Butler's emotional-without-being-emo intensity on The Stage Names, and check out Josh Ritter's "Empty Hearts" (from The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter) at around the two-minute mark to hear a melody copied note for note from Funeral's "Neigborhood #2 (Laika)."

Fortunately, I'd argue that both those releases were tastefully influenced by Butler's Canadian crew rather than being carbon copies. My skepto-meter, though, hits higher on British Sea Power's upcoming Do You Like Rock Music?. Granted, I've only given it a couple cursory listens, but these Brits seem to have completely abandoned their post-punk leanings for the purpose of aping Arcade Fire's grandeur, especially on "Waving Flags." The strings, the rhythm... even the background vocals could be mistaken for a bunch of Regine Chassagnes bathed in echo.

I don't really dislike the tune, but it does rub me the wrong way, tripping over that quivery line between influence and mimic. Perhaps the tune and the album as a whole should be listened to as a work set apart from all those preconceptions, but I can't help thinking about BSP's intentions. What about you?

Do You Like Rock Music? is out in the U.S. Feb. 12 on Rough Trade, and British Sea Power will be at The Basement 3/27.

mp3: British Sea Power - Waving Flags