popwreckoning updates |  |
| Remix Monday: Passion Pit’s “Sleepyhead” Posted: 16 Mar 2009 02:35 PM PDT Passion Pit is an electro band from Cambridge, Massachusetts that formed in late 2007 and put out their first EP, Chunk of Change in late 2008. The six songs were actually a Valentine's Day gift from front man Michael Angelakos to his girlfriend at the time. I classify this song as electro but I don't mean the house thumping dance floor grinders of the genre, but rather a gentle, romantic sound that sways in earnestness. Lead singer Angelakos opts to sing in falsettos, the percussion pounds to the beat of a heart, and the synths fly by in puerile joy. And to all that we have an added sample of an old Gaelic song, hand claps and perfectly matched shouty vocals. The piece of the tune that features the super sonic synths resembles the synth section of New Order's song “Krafty”. This is wide-eyed, nostalgic, dream pop, sentimentality. Bo Flex remix This remix isn’t too different from the original where, to be honest, I can’t really pick out the differences easily. But at once you feel that the Bo Flex mix is significantly fuller, in what way though is the tough part to pin down. One of my favorite parts of the original, the super sonic sounding synths, as I mentioned above, have been removed and filled with more lavish keyboards and percussion, which disperse throughout this mix. This one is also a little faster. You’ll really just have to give it a listen to get the feel for the opulence. Now here it is as clear as night and day to pinpoint the differences. To me this is an acoustic version of the song. True, it’s not ‘acoustic’ in the typical sense, but it’s stripped down quite a bit. The vocals are utterly different and raw and in being so, much more emotive. They also seem more feminine, which provides the track with a nice twist. It is less synth heavy, though synths are present, and a little more rock, with guitars noticeable. This mix is a great alternative if you’re in a mood for something lighter. Related Posts |
| Posted: 16 Mar 2009 12:45 PM PDT So what if the vocalist sounds exactly like Peter Moren (of Peter, Bjorn and John)? Austin band Golden Bear knows its way around a hook. And that's what matters. The five cuts on their Everest EP all rank as first class displays of indie power-pop mastery, even if at times elements of the band's sound are noticeably derivative. But really, at this point, power-pop is an art of derivation: pretty much a game of whoever can repackage old hooks best, wins. Of course, Golden Bear also keeps it all sounding very 2009. Messy, noisy guitars? Check. Dance drumming? Check. Ornate ornamentation of piano's, horns and all the other bells and whistles? Check. On "All The Stars", Golden Bear even engages in a little post-rock style jammery, ending the song in a climactic fashion somewhat akin to Broken Social Scene, though Golden Bear don't execute it as epically as the Toronto collective. Then in "Future Blues", Golden Bear experiments with a bit of a funk/disco arrangement. The bass maintains its sparse, two-note riff during the verse while the vocals, keys and guitars work around it. During the chorus the band again go for the epic BSS-style wash – again, managing it well enough. The EP's last two songs, "Everest" and "Miracle Mile", both give a nod to 70's influences, though each from different aspects of the decade's musical spectrum. The former is indebted to the era's southern and arena rock, with its weighty chorus and harmonic bar-band guitars. The latter, on the other hand, nabs the crunchy three-chord riff from Bachman Turner Overdrive's "Taking Care Of Business" and deftly builds other pretty segments and choruses around it. Though music critics are only too eager to berate bands for unoriginality, the smartest power-pop songwriters realize that it's a fine line between unoriginality and achieving some kind of "timeless" quality. Golden Bear may not be masters of the so-called art of derivation to the point that what they write sounds timeless yet, but Everest is proof that they're working hard on it. Everest is available now from C-Side Records. Tracklisting: Golden Bear: website | myspace  Related Posts |
| Winston Audio - The Red Rhythm Posted: 16 Mar 2009 06:45 AM PDT Though named for John Lennon’s middle name, Winston Audio’s style is definitely not British. These Atlanta guys take pride in their southern roots and resonates on their album The Red Rhythm. The Red Rhythm is laced with religious undertones, but as the changing tempos pull back and forth within a song and lyrics spiral downward, it sounds like the devil more often wins out in this story. With the vocal grovel and the guitar-heavy choruses, think of Murder by Death group sans cello. Instrumentally, this album is hands down rock, but it has some stylistic flairs. The brassy, oompah-pah of “Hey Ann” was a surprise, but still rock. “Keeping It Down” had a very punk sounding guitar introduction. I give the band props for their experimentation, but for the next effort, they might want to include a few more discernible hooks, so aside from those flairs, it doesn’t all blend or get lost in the occasionally too heavy guitar fuzz. I think this band’s real talent are in the lyrics. The band is really good about twisting the lyrics. On perhaps the most well-crafted song on the album, “Action / Reaction”, the lyrics play on pray/prey: “Pray for those who’ve left us, to prey on the ones who won’t leave us alone“. It’s the lyrical twists and themes like, “It’s the nourishment of laziness- it’s the solid food of apathy” on “Future Blues” that show the band’s true potential. Winston Audio’s The Red Rhythm is available now on Favorite Gentleman Recordings. Winston Audio - “Future Blues” Tracklisting: Winston Audio: website | myspace  Related PostsThis posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| You are subscribed to email updates from popwreckoning To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
Inbox too full?  Subscribe to the feed version of popwreckoning in a feed reader. | |
| If you prefer to unsubscribe via postal mail, write to: popwreckoning, c/o Google, 20 W Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
