Hopscotch Announces Full 2012 Schedule

July 11, Hopscotch Music Festival released its entire schedule featuring over 15 venues and 175 bands in downtown Raleigh. In light of the announcement, Adam Kincaid, host of the Local Beat, and Michael Jones sat down to discuss the schedule, band conflicts, festival expectations, and their general excitement at what the festival has to offer this year. To view the entire lineup check out it out here.

 

Hopscotch Schedule 2012

Lower Dens Mesmerize at Kings

Lower Dens have had a good year. With the release of "Nootropics" in early May and overwhelmingly positive reviews afterwards, they have had one of the greatest stretches in their still young career. On top of this recent success recording, I took the trip to see how it would translate live at Kings during their show on Thursday June 21.

The evening kicked off with a non-musical act, something not expected and pretty entertaining. Alan Resnick took the stage as a man who has created the perfect digital copy of himself. His set continued as the comfortably awkward, passive-aggressive comedian interacted with his computer generated likeness albeit somewhat unsuccessfully, all as a part of the joke. It was a new and pleasing experience, as his set was fast enough to keep things moving and different and entertaining enough to keep the experience fresh.

Next it was time for No Joy to shine, a band I had only the minimal amount of experience with before. Their mid-tempo rock could range everywhere from slower hazy surfer rock to faster paced, mid-tempo Yuck-esque drone. If anything, their show demonstrated the growing sense of potential that the band has moving forward, something altogether exciting to look forward to.

However, the highlight of the night was clearly to be expected in Lower Dens' performance. It was a fairly even mixture of tracks from their new album "Nootropics" and "Twin-Hand Movements." The sound, which was once again excellent in Kings, proved to be one of the key factors in the success of the show. Their tracks came across as clearly as the record would have intended, and their precision was so spot on that you could tell there was a real sense of chemistry between each of the members. There was a consistently dreamy atmosphere surrounding Kings, as constantly changing patterns reflected on the band and the back of the stage complimented the beautiful shoe-gaze tracks that Lower Dens played. For a show that was not particularly long, it felt as if the show had been going on for days. However, this was the kind of show where you would not mind. One beautiful track after another accumulated for a hypnotizing performance and an amazing night for music in downtown Raleigh.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GafB7NQvQWg&feature=player_embedded

Andrew Bird's "Break it Yourself"

While performing an incomplete version of what would become “Eyeoneye,” Andrew Bird remarked to the TED audience, “Songwriters can sort of get away with murder. You can throw out crazy theories and not have to back it up with data or graphs or research.” Although Bird only occasionally touches in the theories of the absurd, he would not need an alibi to get away with his sixth studio album Break it Yourself.

In the TED speech and in music as well Bird has become a master of addressing his audience.  Much of the power within Break it Yourself is based on how he speaks to the listener, and the message that he delivers is made all the more significant because he knows how to take the listener wherever he would like.

What makes Break it Yourself so powerful is the strength in making music that feels personal. This is not simply an interaction between the musician and some far off idea or some other individual; throughout the album, you feel as if you are the agent around which his songs revolve. Through making an album that feels to its very core personal, Bird can make the most relatable of human emotions more significant and engaging for the listener.

The agent of the nostalgia that Bird will reflect on in songs like “Danse Caribe” exemplifies how he can turn the metaphorical camera on the audience away from him. When singing, “You were a shameless child…” he clearly focuses on the listener as the agent, not himself. In doing this early in the album there is always this feeling of intimacy in the songs. Although he does not intend to tell the story of the listener, it is hard to come away from the song without having recalled your own childhood.

This is accompanied by the fact that Bird has become an expert at the craft of conveying emotion through instrumentals. Controlling tones, pace, and precise layers of construction, Bird is able to guide the song exactly where he always intended. This on top of his prowess as a personal yet fictional storyteller makes the message of the songs take on more meaning.

It is the realm of relationships where this craft of making songs feel personal and sincere shines the brightest. In “Eyeoneye” Bird says that when we try to get back to the realm of fixation on oneself we become the agents of our own destruction. And although this does seem a bit hokey in many respects, Bird makes it feel natural. He takes the listener through this journey that describes “you” as someone who has become intensely fixated on attempting to fix “yourself” that it took “you” way too long to eventually recognize that "you" need help. It is the most personal of relationships: the relationship we have with ourselves.

Bird moves this focus onto the relationships people have with one another, onto the “you and I” aspect. This makes you feel as if you are the agent in the song with Bird and reemphasizes the personal nature of the entire album.

In “Lazy Projector” Bird shows how this feeling can be grounded in the reality of relationships, particularly their sometimes-ugly aftermath. The theme of the song revolving around how we become the editors of our own stories, especially in hindsight of what happened. As a coping mechanism we skew the sense of what actually happened with our own story, and in frustration Bird sings, “I can’t see the sense in us breaking up at all.”

“Sifters” provides one of the most powerful moments in the entire album when Bird takes this personal interaction between two individuals and speculates, “What if?” Bird sings, “What if we hadn’t been born at the same time? Would you tell me all the stories from when you were young and in your prime?” This scratches the surface of what becomes a beautiful and touching moment in the record and certainly not one to be forgotten.

The album finishes with that feeling left over. This is simply not an album that will be forgotten. Its personal and relatable nature, masterful instruments, paces, and imagery makes Break it Yourself one of the best albums of the year.

Danny Brown, Sunn O))) to play Hopscotch

Although the full lineup has yet to be revealed, the fine folks at Hopscotch Music Festival have announced two artists that will play in September. Danny Brown, coming off of the successful release of his 2011 album XXX was announced to play the festival March 29.

Two days earlier Sunn O))) were put on the bill. This will mark the first show for the doom metal rockers in North America since 2010. They will play Saturday, Sept. 8, in the Memorial Auditorium, showing how one of the festival's latest venues will be put to work.

The full lineup will be announced April 18. For more information about Danny Brown and Sunn O))) check out Hopscotch Music Festival's site here and here, respectively.

Bowerbirds release video for Tuck the Darkness In

[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/38026796[/vimeo]

The excellent new album from Bowerbirds which is out March 6 via Dead Oceans now has a video to accompany one of the standout tracks, "Tuck the Darkness In." The video for the track from The Clearing features an inquisitive child's journey with fish. Although that sounds silly, the video might have you in tears by the end.



 

Mickey Mouse-Joy Division shirt is great and risky at the same time

Joy Division's Unknown Pleasures has one of the most iconic album covers of all time, and throughout the years individuals of all merchandising types have been able to capitalize on Peter Saville's design. However, with the release of the new Mickey Mouse shirt that takes inspiration from the iconic album cover, one can't help but ask, "Why?"

Firstly, it's easy to see why this is such a great idea. Working on the pure novelty of it, music nerds of all shapes and sizes might be brought into the idea of having the altered album cover on their chest. It's subtle enough to show Mickey's legendary profile yet still have the essence of that original cover. Combine the love of Joy Division with Mickey Mouse and it's easy to see why one could fall for this in a heartbeat.

Indeed it might be the sheer impulse buy that Disney is seeking, however, from looking at such a limited market, production could be seen as incredibly confusing. The market necessary for Disney to see this as a worthwhile investment is incredibly limited. Your average Joe won't be shelling out the money for such a silly purchase. This is also going on the assumption that people who like Joy Division are Disney shoppers or would be willing to pay for some Disney-based product. Personally I couldn't see the two matching up in perfect harmony. That's not to say it won't work, but the odds that this thing is successful seems incredibly low. Like most things, it will be the dollar vote of the consumer that decides the ultimate failure or success of this perplexing item.

Friendly Fires channeling "The Shining" for third album

It hasn't taken too long for the boys from England to start working on their next album. The follow-up to last year's Pala has already begun, and the trio is looking for inspiration in different places.

Friendly Fires is channeling the atmosphere of Stanley Kubrick's classic The Shining for their next album.  In a recent interview with 6Music, guitarist Edd Gibson stated, "I think we are trying to force on an element of the film The Shining, or the book The Shining, as a cultured gentleman who reads and doesn't just watch films… We're trying to alienate ourselves into a world of music alone and see what we come up with."

The group is changing their location to Sweden, where a log cabin will provide a setting all too familiar among the musicians. Although their time will be short-lived, as their stay will be under two weeks, the group is trying to make the most of their time in their frozen living quarters.

What could this all possibly mean for the group? They won't be trying to pull off any Bon Iver tricks any time soon, and any attempts to do so will be interesting. Despite the implication of channeling The Shining I highly doubt their next release would be able to pull off a longer, slow-paced sound. Hopefully, the next album won't leave us wanting to murder our families. Additionally, listening to it won't be able to make us communicate with each other telepathically (unfortunately). If the band can develop the telepathy The Shining gives its name to, the band will be able to craft an album more refreshing than Pala and if lucky, one better than their debut as well.

Arcade Fire Helps Holiday Donations to Haiti

In keeping with the holiday spirit, Arcade Fire has set out to help raise money for Kanpe, an organization helping to rebuild Haiti. The band has promised to match donations up to $300,000. Along with helping raise money for Haiti, band members Régine Chassagne and Win Butler have stated that they will send a personally signed postcard to each individual that donates.

On their website lead singer Butler wrote:

Hi Guys,
This is Win from Arcade Fire. If you are having a hard time deciding what to get your friends and family for gifts this year, give them our money! For any donation you make to Kanpe this holiday season, the band will match it. We will also send a nifty little post card, signed by Regine and I, to put under the tree, or wherever you put your gifts (it’s not our business). For any silicone valley jerks who might try to bankrupt us, let’s put the upper limit at 300,000$… Have a great holiday!
Luv, Win

For those interested in donating you can visit Arcade Fire's website here.

Bon Iver, Decemberists, others nominated for 2012 Grammys

 



This year's Grammy Award nominations have been announced, and among those in the independent circle, Bon Iver came away with four nominations: Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best New Artist, and Best Alternative Music Album. His song "Holocene" receives the nod for both record and song of the year.

A handful of nominations for other independent artists were also included in the list of Grammy candidates. Alongside Bon Iver, The Decemberists picked up nominations for Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song for their track "Down By the Water." Wilco's album The Whole Love was nominated for Best Rock Album.

 

To view the full list of nominees you can check out the entire shortlist here.

Sleigh Bells Give New Album Trailer

Sleigh Bells are scarce on details these days about the follow-up to their excellent 2010 album Treats. However, they recently announced that their new album will be titled Reign of Terror.

Although the date is not set in stone for the release of their sophomore album, they do have a trailer for  it. You can watch it below.


 

Azealia Banks tops NME's 2011 Cool List

 



Azealia Banks may be a name unfamiliar to most listeners out there, and that's because she hasn't recorded her debut yet and her touring history has been rather scarce compared to most artists. But this isn't stopping Banks from being one of the most heralded up and coming artists; among those singing her praises, NME decided to put her atop their Cool List for 2011.

The list itself seeks each year to organize a handful of artists that NME has deemed cool for that year. What exactly that means is still quite vague. Regardless, NME has the task each year of sorting out which music makers go where, and each year it seems as if NME has to dip into a pool of artists that don’t seem as repetitive. However, this year features the return of several artists who seem to garner a large amount of NME press as it is.

With all this in mind it doesn't surprise me that NME would change their focus in terms of who makes the list. Although they seem to regurgitate a lot of individuals each year (Jarvis Cocker, Arctic Monkeys, Kasabian, and so on to a ridiculous extent), this year seems to highlight some of the biggest up and comers. This includes the likes of Lana Del Rey, and Ellery Roberts (of Wu Lyf). With the desire not to keep chucking out the same handful of artists each year it makes sense that Banks would reach the top. This is not to say that NME has forgotten their old favorites as they still dominate the list. They are back and in great force as expected, but I digress.

There is a lot more to Banks' topping of the 2011 NME Cool List. Her initial touchdown as a proper recording artist is based heavily in England. Banks recently finished up one of her first small tours in the United Kingdom with dates earlier in November in Glasgow and London. Banks will also be soon moving to London to record her debut alongside Paul Epworth.

With this type of visibility and promise, alongside the growing need for NME to introduce some new artists to their list and Banks' critical start within the UK, it makes sense that the magazine would put her atop their list this year.

Top 10 2011 NME Cool List:

1. Azealia Banks
2. Jarvis Cocker (Pulp)
3. Honor Titus (Cerebral Ballzy)
4.+5. Tom Meighan and Serge Pizzorno (Kasabian)
6. Lana Del Rey
7. Rhys Webb (The Horrors)
8. Theo Hutchcraft (Hurts)
9. Matt Helders (Arctic Monkeys)
10. Ellery Roberts (WU LYF)

Reflections on a Winter 2011 Playlist

[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/22958631[/vimeo]

Let me start by saying I had no intention of creating a definitive, all-encompassing Winter 2011 playlist. A feat like that should be left only to the people who can spend all of their hours sorting through thousands of albums, identifying the standouts, and only then would they be able to define what they believe a Winter 2011 playlist should consist of.

Knowing that my capacity as a human to waste away my days listening to music is limited, I instead turned to a modest sum of tracks that embody what I would describe as making for a pretty good Winter playlist that consist of songs released in 2011.

The problem for every individual's list is that it means something unique or holds a special attribute to them, and I am no different when it came to my formula for selecting songs. For me it meant that this playlist would encapsulate a few things: some of the best tracks of the year, and those that would send off vibes for what I would describe as being that of a "winter nature."

What exactly do I mean by something having a winter nature? It's pretty simple. I looked for tracks that would be incredibly rewarding to listen to while trudging through the rough winter weather or those which would be pleasant to warm up to after a day filled with having to deal with the growing loss of daylight.

Either way, after limiting myself to only tracks that came out this year, I think I came up with a pretty decent set of songs to listen to for the next couple of months on those days where you feel as if the season may have gotten the best or worst of you. Is it subject to change? Absolutely, and your feedback is always welcome as to what should be added to the playlist. And I have a way to share it with everyone that has Spotify; you can open it up here and listen to the playlist.

For everyone else the current tracklist is below:

01 The Dodos- Companions
02 Chad VanGaalen- Do Not Fear
03 Future Islands- On the Water
04 The Drums- Days
05 Youth Lagoon- July
06 Bon Iver- Wash.
07 The Antlers- I Don't Want Love
08 Atlas Sound- Te Amo
09 I Break Horses- Winter Beats
10 The Raveonettes- Recharge & Revolt
11 Deleted Scenes- Bedbedbedbedbed
12 Wye Oak- Fish
13 Wild Beasts- Deeper
14 Bombadil- Short Side of the Wall
15 Megafaun- Hope You Know
16 Fleet Foxes- Bedouin Dress
17 Real Estate- All the Same

 

What do you want to see on the Winter 2011 playlist? Leave your suggestions below.

St. Vincent Amazes at the Brudenell

Let me start by saying that on Wednesday, Nov. 16, a tiny woman in massive heels brought a packed venue to its knees. As one of my English pals so articulately put it, "She makes that guitar her bitch."

St. Vincent brought out the largest crowd that I have seen at the Brudenell Social Club (although I haven’t been to that many), and rightly so. She has come off of one of her most successful and critically acclaimed releases, Strange Mercy. With anticipations high, the tension was palpable as the stage crew tuned the guitars, adjusted the lights, and kicked the fog machines into full gear, after a wait that seemed like an eternity.

When she did come out, the tiny Annie Clark in her high heels showed that big surprises come in small packages. Playing mostly off of the excellent Strange Mercy, the powerful sound of St. Vincent demonstrated the best of the recent album. Despite the amazingly forceful performance of many of her excellent new tracks, Clark came across as incredibly modest throughout those brief moments in between songs where she gave the audience a brief glimpse into everything from her music video for "Cruel" to her recent cover of The Pop Group's "She Is Beyond Good and Evil."

It wasn't all constrained to the new work, as Clark and company provided some of the greatest moments performing older hits, including an excellent cover of "She Is Beyond Good and Evil." It was St. Vincent's performance of "Marrow" that they were able to give a much more intense life to, which cannot be given complete justice when listened to recorded. It was the encore that stole the show with an amazing rendition of "Your Lips Are Red." It featured Clark jumping into the audience at the most intense moments of the track, and within seconds doing a complete turnaround and calming down the song to what was the end of one of the greatest performances I have seen in recent memory.

And on that night Clark certainly made that guitar her bitch.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Itt0rALeHE8

Constellations Festival Brings Some of Indie's Best to Leeds

I think I picked the right place to study abroad.

Constellations Festival is relatively young, but that doesn't keep the event from bringing in some of Indie's finest acts. 2010's festival included the likes of Broken Social Scene, Sleigh Bells, Local Natives, The Vaccines, and many other fantastic acts. With hopes high for this year, the festival returned to the University of Leeds Student Union on Nov. 12, and it brought acts including Yuck, Braids, The Big Pink, The Antlers, and Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks.

One building, five different proper music venues, and nine hours of cramming in as much music as possible is a daunting task to say the least, and thankfully the folks planning this event allowed for seeing the majority of the largest names with ease. They could have easily planned the event in a way that makes more sense musically. This would include The Antlers opening for Wild Beasts, Yuck opening for Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, and Summer Camp opening for The Big Pink. Thankfully the large acts played back to back in the same venue with the periods in between sets long enough to pop over to another venue and catch the majority of another band's show.

The culmination of these elements made for one hell of an afternoon and night filled with music, and below are some of the highlights.

Summer Camp

This was by far the biggest surprise of the night. I was amused by the sound of Summer Camp after my initial listen of their debut album Welcome to Condale, but I felt as if there was still much to be desired. Although I had my reservations about the group, they put on one of the most delightful performances of the festival. Their love of 80s nostalgia, although they are probably too young to remember the 80s, brought about a charm to the performance. Famous dance scenes from 80s films projected to a screen on stage alongside the upbeat pop duets with some real swing left me wanting to reevaluate my initial stance on their debut.

 

Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks

One of the most anticipated acts of the festival did exactly what they needed to do. Consistent throughout, Malkmus and company brought their a-game during their hour-long set. Playing mostly new tracks off of Mirror Traffic, they also revisited some of the earlier solo work from Malkmus. The act left me feeling satisfied and lived up to many of expectations I had.

Yuck

If you are a fan of Yuck's self-titled debut, you need to see this band live. There are certain things that recorded songs cannot convey, and the sense of raw, distorted power is definitely one of them. The band had some initial technical hiccups after the mics cut out on them toward the end of their last song, and walked off as the stage crew came back on to get everything working properly. The band took it in stride. After walking back on stage frontman Daniel Blumber jokingly announced, "This is our longest encore ever." The band mixed up their tracks much like in their album, going from one faster paced harder sound to one a bit more reserved. It was the track "Rubber" that stole the show. The 7-minute song provided a visceral listening experience that shook the ears and body to its distorted 90s rock core, something much better understood when experienced instead of described.

 

The Antlers

This band is easily one of the best in filling the room with their atmospheric sound, regardless of size. That's exactly what they did on this night. Playing the best from their debut and their second album, The Antlers demonstrated how they are able to beautifully construct songs that in some moments lack vocals yet sound structured, and when the vocals kick in it provides a fine compliment to their rest of their truly gorgeous sound.

 

Wild Beasts

It was a bit of a homecoming for the band currently based in Leeds, and their set brought out the largest crowd of the entire night. The large room was packed to the ceiling as the band covered tracks from their entire discography, and the songs both slow and upbeat highlighted the best of the band. Like Yuck, Wild Beasts live proved just how incredibly powerful their vocals are. It felt like a somewhat surreal experience to hear these regular guys produce such operatic and captivating voices. All in all, they gave one of the best performance of the night ending what was already a fantastic day.

First Listen: The Black Keys' "Lonely Boy"

The single for The Black Keys' next album El Camino has been released online by the band. The video features a very enthusiastic listener dancing along to the lyrics to the song, not unlike how many of us DJs at WKNC dance in the studio. El Camino is set for release Dec. 6.

Neon Indian makes weird coherent with their sophomore album

"This in no way a return to basics; it is an example of how to successfully tackle the complex."

If there was one thing Alan Palomo would have to answer to with his second album as Neon Indian, it would be the huge amount of hype and acclaim from his 2009 debut Psychic Chasms. The Texas-based musician, coming off of rave reviews and praise, also had the distinct problem of being grouped among a handful of musicians making similar, yet compelling music. All this combined did not necessarily make it easier for Palomo and company to make a successful second album.

With labeling and comparisons easy to make in a market of music that includes a wide range of rising musicians including Toro y Moi, Washed Out, and well-established artists like Caribou, they had to make an album that was different from an ever-growing crowd of talented musicians and grounded favorites, yet true to the essence of their sound.

In the face of this diversity, Neon Indian was able to answer with one of the most compelling synthpop albums of the year in Era Extraña.

The art of mixing layers of synthesizers is one of the distinguishing factors of this album. Delicately placed and perfectly timed, the ability that Neon Indian has in execution in an area that could have easily been cluttered is one of the more admirable qualities of the record. The expertise of placement lays in the fact that Neon Indian is able to get these really poppy, intricate patterns of synthesizer without being cluttered or ruining their sound.

The best example of how this execution works so masterfully comes within the track “Polish Girl.” The track is able to build upon itself, adding diversity and spouting with moments of colorful synthesizer that shoot from the heart of the track itself. On top of this includes subtle moments that add rhythmically and effectively to the overall track.

With all this in mind it’s also necessary to point out the amount of variation that Neon Indian goes through from track to track. From glittery synth tracks like “Polish Girl” to grittier, harder sounds like “The Blindside Kiss,” Neon Indian demonstrates how they are able to change up their sound while keeping the essence of their synthpop intact.

Much of the credit of this album is in response to how Palomo’s harmonic arrangements hold this collection of wild songs together. It is his effort as a singer that has the impact of charging this coherent sound forward.

Coherence is a big part of the story of this album. Though it is able to change, the album still holds onto its original focus. This not only keeps it compelling to listen to, but it gives the listener a sense of anticipation on how Neon Indian will go about making the next track different.

This in no way a return to basics; it is an example of how to successfully tackle the complex. At its core, it’s a rewarding, fun, electro-pop record that leaves much to the imagination, and demands its listeners to hold on for what is coming up next.

At 23 years of age, Palomo is creating complex musical arrangements at a level that seem way beyond his years. Throughout Neon Indian’s sophomore release, they are able to tackle the hype of their previous success, and leave the listener wondering what the boundaries of such a young act are.

-DJ Ones

Phoenix Documentary Available to Stream

Out of all of the bands that had an excellent 2009, French songsters Phoenix had a breakout year with their album Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. Now their 2009-10 world tour has become the subject of a new documentary chronicling the band's trip across the globe. That documentary, which is titled From a Mess to the Masses, is directed by Antione Wagner, who was also responsible for the music video of the single "Lisztomania." You can watch the entire documentary below.

[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/30586903[/vimeo]

Black Keys Announce New LP

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_Q9fskIosM

The Black Keys are set to follow up their Grammy-winning album Brothers with El Camino, which will be released Dec. 6 in the United States.

However, their announcement was not without some hijinks. As originally posted by Rock it Out!, the Ohio duo released a video showcasing a van salesman; at the end of the video the release date, a website, and The Black Keys are all connected.

It does not stop there. The website wannabuyavan.com instructs you to call (330) 510-1206, which ultimately leads you to message recorded by drummer Pat Carney about the van he is trying to sell. Unfortunately, this line is almost always busy.

Update: Since this morning's original information was released, more details have come out about the new album including the cover art and the track listing, which is below. The first single of the new album is titled "Lonely Boy," and will be released on Oct. 26.

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

El Camino:

01 Lonely Boy
02 Dead and Gone
03 Gold on the Ceiling
04 Little Black Submarines
05 Money Maker
06 Run Right Back
07 Sister
08 Hell of a Season
09 Stop Stop
10 Nova Baby
11 Mind Eraser

 

Male Bonding rock the Brudenell Social Club

Consider this an introduction, partly because many of you may have never visited nor even heard of the lovely Brudenell Social Club. The main reason for this is because it is in Leeds, England, where I, DJ Ones, am currently stationed for my year on exchange. I found myself looking for great music clubs in this fine city and stumbled across the Brudenell Social Club, where I learned that KNC favorite  Megafaun had played a handful of days before my arrival in the U.K. When I heard that Male Bonding would be playing a couple of days later on Oct. 1, I grabbed a new friend with a funny accent and headed over to the Brudenell.

After the doors opened at 7:30 p.m. and four local bands played with mixed reactions from the crowd, Male Bonding finally took the stage in this modestly-sized baseball field-shaped club.

Coming off of the release of their new, cleaner sounding album Endless Now I wondered how their new material would translate to the scruffy sound of their live shows. The show itself highlighted the best of this relatively new band's already impressive two albums. A mixture of sounds from their previous two records leaned towards the fulfilling and more abrasive rock sound of their debut Nothing Hurts. This combined with the scrappy tracks of their debut produced a cohesive and enjoyable rock experience.

About halfway through the set I realized what was at the heart of some of their best material: the percussion section. From the visceral bass introduction to songs like "Weird Feelings" to the faster drums of "Year's Not Long," the sound came across with both style and substance. Fast-paced, upbeat, and to the point, Male Bonding put on one hell of a live show filled with few breaks and constant excitement.

It was with the last song, "Year's Not Long," that ended the night on a high note. Male Bonding provided a set full of controlled chaos: a fine balance of frantic instrumentals and cohesive songwriting. The sound in the Brudenell was great, Male Bonding was a bottle of energy, and their set was satisfying and memorable as a first for myself in the U.K.

[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/12024458[/vimeo]

 

Artists Join Forces for Woodie Guthrie Tribute

July 2012 would mark the 100th birthday of one of music's greatest and most influential artists, Woodie Guthrie. Unfortunately, Guthrie would not be able to mark this occasion himself, as he passed away in 1967. However, the Guthrie estate has some big things planned for the would-be 100 year birthday of the artist. 429 Records will be publishing "Note of Hope: A Celebration of Woodie Guthrie." Featuring artists from Tom Morello to Lou Reed to Jackson Browne, the compilation will feature songs which have been interpreted from archival writings of Guthrie. It will be released September 27. For a full track listing look below.

Al0ngside all of this Mermaid Avenue will be released as a box-set featuring outtakes and a documentary showcasing the making of the album. Mermaid Avenue was a collaboration where artists including Wilco's Billy Bragg. This is set for a release some time next year.

Note of Hope track listing:

1 “The Note Of Hope” – Van Dyke Parks
2 “Wild Card In The Hole” – Madeleine Peyroux
3 “Ease My Revolutionary Mind” – Tom Morello
4 “The Debt I Owe” – Lou Reed
5 “Union Love Juice” – Michael Franti
6 “Peace Pin Boogie” – Kurt Elling
7 “Voice” – Ani DiFranco
8 “I Heard A Man Talking” – Studs Terkel
9 “Old Folks” – Nellie Mckay
10 “On The High Lonesome” – Chris Whitley
11 “There’s A Feeling In Music” – Pete Seeger & Tony Trischka
12 “You Know The Night” – Jackson Browne