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| Remix Monday, Mashup style: Dave Wrangler Posted: 06 Apr 2009 02:35 PM PDT Remixes and mashups fall into the same genre of music; like brother and sister. Remixes consist of songs that have parts pulled away and/or added on by another musician, whereas mashups consist of combining two separate songs to make one cohesive unit. Dave Wrangler is one of the latest in making mashups and remixes and he has put together three stunning tracks that use Ghostland Observatory as the base. I had a chance to e-mail with Dave, discussing his technique in putting songs together and he says, “For all of the remixes I do, I actually create the instrumentals from the tracks with lots of intricate editing as there are no instrumentals available. In essence, not as simple as laying words on top of an original instrumental: a “blend.” The process requires a moderate knowledge of music theory, a really good ear for musical format/structure and other fundamental variables.” Sounds pretty difficult to me, which all the more depicts the effort and talent that goes into creating such sounds. Pharcyde vs. Ghostland Observatory (Dave Wrangler Remix) This is by far my favorite working of Wrangler’s. He uses the lyrics of hip-hop group, Pharcyde, from their track “Passin Me By”, and the music from Ghostland Observatory’s “Midnight Voyage”. Now I am not a fan of hip-hop, never enjoyed it, save for the early incarnation of the genre. But Wrangler does an excellent blending of two genres here. He combines hip-hop and rock to create a really unique track, that’ll surely cater to fans of both fields of music. Though Ghostland Obsevatory is an electronic group, “Midnight Voyage” has an amazing electro-guitar riff that pulverizes the track as a rock n’ roll number. That riff is the best part of the song, as well as the slow thudded electro-drum that Wrangler takes and spills over the Pharcyde lyrics. Michael Jackson vs. Ghostland Observatory (Dave Wrangler Remix) Here Wrangler fuses together the Michael & Janet Jackson duet “Scream” with Observatory’s “Club Soda”. The song has an initially strong build up but at points feels slightly forced with the mashup not sounding completely synced. Though unique and enjoyable at points, it feels as if the vocals are just slapped onto the music without a proper melding; it’s pretty noisy. Notorious B.I.G. vs. Ghostland Observatory (Dave Wrangler Remix) Here we have Biggie’s track “Nasty Boy” married off to Observatory's “Heavy Heart”, which works much better than the Michael Jackson tune. It follows a similar pattern to the Pharcyde mix, combining hip-hop lyrics with more dancey, rocky and electronic tunes, that create a interesting and enjoyable contrast that fit together well. The song is slow but works with a heavy beat and bass provided by Observatory’s track. The beat meshes in perfect conjunction with the beaty delivery of Biggie’s lyrics. Dave Wrangler: website | myspace Related Posts |
| Cut Copy @ 9:30 Club, Washington DC Posted: 06 Apr 2009 02:19 PM PDT “OK Washington… This is it… Go!” And with that, Cut Copy’s Dan Whitford got a DC crowd to do something I’d never seen them do before — pogo en masse! He managed to repeat that trick more than once, but what was even more astounding was when the crowd started jumping up and down without even being asked! What was going on here? Why wasn’t everyone standing still like they usually do?? When I’d heard Cut Copy on record I wondered if they really meant it — the 80s and 90s electronics, the monotone voice, the pop sheen — was it for real or was it all tongue-in-cheek? Plenty of bands have gone back to the dancey sounds of the late 70s and early 80s for inspiration, but most have done so with an ironic wink, the message seeming to be “yeah, we know this is a bit cheesy, that’s the point… Hey aren’t my acid-wash jeans really cool?” But after seeing them live at a sold out show last week, I’d have to say Cut Copy is different — their pop messages and twinkling electric sounds are for real, and their sincerity makes them more likable. I mean, have you tried dancing ironically? Not easy. But dancing because you really feel it, that’s far easier, and that’s what Cut Copy got the 9:30 Club crowd doing. An amazing light sight up helped, as did the morphing of the songs into electronic stompers! The whole band jumped along, and Whitford let the crowd know how happy they were to be in DC again. The sunny cheese that is “Feel the Love” started the mass pogoing, while “Out There On the Ice” displayed Cut Copy’s ability to start a mini-rave. Filtered disco, late 80s jack-your-body, hands in the air moments during “Lights & Music”, Cut Copy do it all, and would be great on a beach somewhere hot at 3am. If anything, Cut Copy are a party band — they make you feel good and they’re good to dance to. But being not-American, they approach partying differently — it’s not about the rocking get-drunk-and-sing-a-long vibe. Instead it’s 80s synth and 90s house with Hi-NRG and piano bits added on for good measure. The lyrics may have those melancholy touches that indie fans the world over adore, but that doesn’t take away from the sparkle of the music. It’s a bit like deciding that emo-gloom is kind of sad, so why not be optimistic and trancey instead; rock machismo is not cool, so let’s wear day-glo colours and dance. And it works! DC’ers love it! Makes you wonder why stodgy bands like Nickelback get anywhere at all — it’s time for us to embrace the sweetness of dancey pop music and be happy!         Related Posts |
| Scott Ryan - The Coldest Room in the House Posted: 06 Apr 2009 11:36 AM PDT It's been quite a while since I've been able to review an artist who is a definite crooner and Scott Ryan happens to be just that. His eloquent word choice and sophisticated blend of genres (mostly indie, folk, and pop) come together brilliantly in his first full-length album, The Coldest Room in the House. His musical exploits began in Salem, Oregon where he played in several bands and peddled around the local music scene. Similar to many aspiring musicians, he relocated to Los Angeles with the arrival of adulthood, and began developing himself as a solo artist. Ryan got his first big break scoring for the short film, Punky. The Coldest Room in the House is essentially a mellow album dominated by acoustic/folk melodies and breathy, beautifully-worded love ballads. His vocals resonate well with the instruments involved, giving his voice power and precedence over the instrumental foundations that accompany him. The tracks on this album have a slow, lilting feel that fits well with the album's title. His band, which consists of four members who all play multiple instruments a piece (quite a talented bunch I would say), include a variety of instruments on the album including the usual: guitar; bass; keyboards; drums; and the not so usual: banjo and a beat box programming. His album is available on CDbaby.com. Tracklisting: Scott Ryan: myspace Most Commented Posts |
| The Builders and the Butchers @ Mississippi Studios, Portland Posted: 06 Apr 2009 10:11 AM PDT I walked into the newly renovated and expanded Mississippi Studios just as the Builders and the Butchers finished setting up. The floor was packed. Of course, even expanded, the Portland venue is still intimate and the space fills up quickly. I caught the first of two concerts that evening. Apparently, the Builders and the Butchers were playing entirely different sets and recording the results. I am not sure what they could have played for the late set because I heard almost all my favorites in the first.
I had heard great things about their live performances, but was a little worried that they wouldn’t pull out all the stops for the early show, knowing that they had a whole second show to do. However, the band sounded great as they ripped through an hour’s worth of their Gothic (in a literary sense, think Flannery O’Conner, not the Cure) roots rock. Ryan Solle held his guitar high and strummed frantically, belting out his grim tales of murder, doom, and watery deaths. For as dark as the lyrics were, the vocals and music rarely were anything less than spirited. Two drummers, splitting a drum kit and a handful of other percussion pieces, established a casual front porch beat. A rotating rock and roll banjo and mandolin filled out their sound and were passed back and forth between practically every other song. The Builders and the Butchers started early with the audience participation, passing out shakers on their second song and then later passing out toy drums and throwing out more shakers to the people up in the balcony for a wild version of “Red Hands”. Solle stepped down into the audience after directing the crowd to shout along with the a chorus of whoa-oo’s the “Bottom of the Lake”. Towards the end of their set they were joined on stage by a friend from another local band, Federale. He added trumpet to a the “Sun Goes Down on Barcelona”, a song that I hadn’t heard before, but will definitely have to track down now. The set wound down with the gospel flavored “Find Me In The Air”. If I didn’t have places to go, I would have definitely caught their second set. I guess I’ll have to save that for another night. The Builders and the Butchers can next be seen at Washington State’s Sasquatch Music Festival over Memorial Day weekend. The Builders and the Butchers: myspace  Photo: Mel Brown Related Posts |
| Driver F @ The Blind Pig, SXSW, Austin TX Posted: 06 Apr 2009 07:41 AM PDT Music can be a tricky beast. As an industry, the hype and smoke of music can be so misleading that it can become somewhat difficult to decipher the cogs in the wheel from the working class heroes. But sometimes, you just know. From the first glimpse I got of Driver F, I sensed that these six Austin transplants had more to offer than your average collection of musicians. These boys are for real. Packing an excitement similar to that of kids waking up on Christmas morning, Driver F approaches their music with a energy and passion that reveals an unquestionable desire to be doing exactly what they are. There’s no denying that they love their jobs. With every note, word and gyration they make in time with their catchy as fuck constructions, the unique product of their raw emotion, which overflows and pours from them through every second of their live show, not only defines what makes them addicting, but sets them apart from most bands. Now, if you take that raw energy and throw in the adrenaline of South by Southwest, you’ve got a stand out performance by the artists formerly known as Driver Friendly. Opening the evening at The Blind Pig the boys swung for the fences, pulling out all the stops to leave the festival listeners beside themselves and looking for more. “Congratulations. You have found the secret Metallica show,” the band joked. However, what the audience saw on that tiny rooftop from this fresh band was a far better deal.           Related Posts |
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