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| Lily Allen “It’s Not Me, It’s You” video interview Posted: 21 Apr 2009 02:28 PM PDT Listen to Lily Allen as she talks about possibly writing a musical in the future, her writing process and her trademark of making positive, bouncy music with dark undertones.  Related Posts |
| The Photo Atlas - To Silently Provoke the Ghost Posted: 21 Apr 2009 12:38 PM PDT On occasion things in the music industry just gel. Sometimes those doors that often remain locked open rather quickly and everything the industry has to offer simply flops into a band’s lap. Dreams do come true. Sometimes, those dreams are too good to be true. This is the case with The Photo Atlas. Aimed at gold after landing a deal with Island Records, their debut full length No, Not Me, Never failed to be promoted as promised when subsidiary record label Stolen Transmission folded, leaving the band without a home and starring back a square one. Frustrated by the situation, The Photo Atlas decided to forgo shopping for a new label to distribute their album, opting instead to write, record and release new material. The result of that decision was their self-released EP titled To Silently Provoke the Ghost. Produced by the American hardcore punk staple J. Robbins, To Silently Provoke the the Ghost balances its punk rock vibes with its indie dance hall tendencies. Alan Andrews‘ crafty guitar abilities and infectious vocals help the instant hits of this album, like “Class of 2012″ sneak its way into the same collections as owners of The Faint, The Matches or Against Me. Equally as impressive is the manner in which drummer Nick Miles‘ hands can go lick for lick with the best of the business. His driving beats are irresistible.
The constant driving of the guitar and the never ending beat of the drums only add to the explosive vocals in a song such as “It’s Always About the Money”. The harmonies that they add to the vocals throughout this song and in the chorus gives the song a little more of a punch. In the song “Paper Trail”, The Photo Atlas bust out the strings for the intro to capture the listeners and reel them into the song. Once they have you right where they want you, they bring back the stings to finish you off. This song has more of a electric-rock ballad going on with it that I can really dig. I get that same vibe in the song “You Haven’t Read Enough”, which is my favorite song on the whole EP. The lyrics of the song are quite inspiring. The song is about overcoming doubts about everything and being unable to quit after “looking backwards.” It is nearly impossible to listen to this album without nodding your head or tapping your foot. However, chances are you’ll end up shaking your ass instead. Over all, I would recommend this band to all those who are into electronic-rock bands. You should check out The Photo Atlas, “Come on, come on. before it drops!” on April 21, 2009. Tracklisting: The Photo Atlas: website | myspace in collaboration with Joshua Hammond Related Posts |
| Manchester Orchestra - Mean Everything to Nothing Posted: 21 Apr 2009 09:00 AM PDT I don’t get excited about albums anymore. Honestly, there is very little reason. It has become rather difficult to keep myself from assuming that projects as a whole are going to be worth my time. I think this is due to an extreme shift in the priorities of a struggling music industry. Staggering record sells have placed an overwhelming focus on the quality of radio singles rather than complete albums. No one makes albums worth listening to from from beginning to end anymore. They make discs packed with filler tracks. Without sounding like a condescending asshole, I simply have no time for filler. This is why Mean Everything to Nothing, the second album from Manchester Orchestra absolutely caught me by surprise. Beating the odds by dodging the pressures of major label status and the dreaded sophomore slump, the Atlanta based band released an album so strong that it left me wanting more by the time that it had finished. Honestly, I have a hard time believing anything in 2009 will clear the standard that Mean Everything to Nothing has set for album of the year. To date nothing has come close. Sorry Colin Meloy, Lily Allen and Andrew Bird, your albums have nothing on this. Opening with “The Only One”, Andy Hull bluntly states, ” I am the only one who thinks I am going crazy, and I don’t know what to do.” Lyrically, the songs gathers momentum, kick-starting the fifty-three minute autobiography. Detailing aspects of alienation and family struggle, the songs lyrics reveal traces of honesty most artist lack on their best days. Sliding guitar and complex drum structures lead the first verse into a distortion heavy second verse, before the song finds its way to a curving guitar breakdown and the Doors-like synthesizer structure. As an opening track, songs simply don’t get any strong than this. “Shake It Out”, the album’s second cut, as well as “Pride” and title track “Everything to Nothing” show the harder side of Manchester Orchestra. The punctuated breakdowns and shrieks of lyrical aggression sway closer to the sounds of former tour mates Brand New than Kevin Devine. This edgier sound, which had been promised to us by Chris Freeman in a previous Popwreckoning interview, sets a new level of energy which will no doubt knock fans on their ass when brought from the studio to the venue. When he said to expect “for it to be fucking loud,” he wasn’t kidding. Radio gem “I’ve Got Friends” could not have packed more hooks into a five-minute track if it tried. From the songs first notes, the group’s gutsy guitar riffs and piano progressions cling to each other, creating a honestly flawless single. Topped only by the previously released “I Can Feel a Hot One”, “I’ve Got Friends” sits above all other tracks on the album, clearly leading the way down the path of perfection and holding up signs that read, “That’s right Bitches: Album of the Year.” Expect Manchester Orchestra’s crowds to start snowballing towards bigger and bigger venues on the wings of this song. Moral: If you want to see this band, catch them now. Short of two fairly ignorable tracks in “In My Teeth” and “Tony The Tiger”, Mean Everything to Nothing borders as close to being a clear cut winner as any album that has crossed my desk during my two year stint with Popwreckoning. Because of the manner in which it was recorded, as a collective effort to insure its transition to the stage is effective, I wholeheartedly look forward to catching these songs in a live setting. If there’s one thing about Manchester Orchestra that people should know, it’s that they’re worth the cost no matter what situation you’ve got them in. Be it on stage, on album, or just hanging out with them in the back of a bar, you’re going to have the time of your life. Look for Mean Everything to Nothing in stores on April 21st, 2009. You can also check them out on tour in a city near you soon. Check out their myspace or website for more information. Manchester Orchestra: website | myspace  Related Posts |
| Great Lake Swimmers @ Johnny Brendas, Philadelphia Posted: 21 Apr 2009 07:45 AM PDT To me, the music of Toronto-based Great Lake Swimmers was love at first listen. I stumbled upon them when a friend took me to a random show at World Cafe Live! for my birthday back in 2007. Almost 2 whole years later, they once again brought their amazing and beautiful music to our Philly ears. Mixing a healthy mixture of older and new material, front man Tony Dekker serenaded the crowd with his spacious melodies while his talented, ever changing backing band pulled in the reinforcements. All in all a great show, I just hope I don’t have to wait another 2 years to see them again.
Great Lake Swimmers: website | myspace  Related Posts |
| An Horse @ Mercury Lounge, NYC Posted: 21 Apr 2009 06:45 AM PDT An Horse is all about juxtaposition. From the titanic sound coming from Kate Cooper's tiny vessel to the simultaneously sweet and vexing lyrics that meticulously detail the trauma of a failed relationship, powering their way through Kate's fuzzy riffs and the thrash of Damon Cox's tenacious, resolute beats, An Horse disarms it's audience with both intimacy and grit. More than juxtaposition, this, in my opinion, denotes the authenticity and skill of a truly great band. I had the opportunity to catch An Horse for the second time this year, at the tail end of a 19-city tour at Mercury Lounge in New York on Saturday night. This Brisbane duo, with their grungy, alt-rock, indie-pop anthems and gutsy broken-hearted confessions is most certainly the best thing you're not listening to. While their album is flawlessly crafted, An Horse's prowess is even more apparent on stage as Damon and Kate make the intricacy of their music appear effortless and cool. The band played almost all of the songs off of their debut album, Rearrange Beds, which is out now on Mom & Pop Records. As a self-admitted nostalgia junkie, I fell even more in love with this band the second time around as Kate and Damon played songs that felt like someone had just cracked open a time capsule and we were rummaging through the relics at high speed. A highlight of the show was the waxing, "Little Lungs" where Kate repeatedly cried out, "with little lungs we breathe" culminating in an extended, hypnotic mash up at the end. I have to admit I was a little sad when I heard that the extraordinary Kaki King had joined the band on stage for this song during the earlier show that night. By the look of things via YouTube, it appeared to be an inspired collaboration. During the final encore, tour mates, The Appleseed Cast, joined the band on stage for "Shoes Watch". Bringing with them all sorts of extra percussion, they turned the last song into a driving drum circle and gave An Horse a curiously funky send-off that had the band trying hard not to laugh out loud. When the set was over, everyone seemed to linger for a moment in a fog of distortion and reverb. Kate and Damon politely thanked us for listening and left the stage as if they hadn't just completely ripped their hearts out and implored us to do the same, leaving them on the stage, like the remains of our messy love.       Related Posts |
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