It's possibly the worst thing to ever happen to an independent music lover: When your favorite, obscure artist gets discovered and goes totally mainstream.
Yes, it is like a dagger through the heart. It kills so badly. Most relevant example: La Roux's UK hit "Bulletproof". "Bulletproof" has been released for nearly a year, and now I hear my local pop station blasting it constantly. Even worse, the guy on the radio station says something so terrible: "That was some new stuff from La Roux!". NO IT IS NOT! It's been around forever!
But La Roux's case is nothing out of the ordinary. When does this not happen? Its been happening for years, including last year with Phoenix and Kings of Leon. Granted, I still enjoy listening to them, but the fact that they have become commercial fixtures sets me on edge. In a sense, all artists start out "underground", so this is the only way for any success to be withheld. But once a band creates such a cultural change in the independent market, it kind of rains on the indie parade when Fun 107 starts jamming them.
So tell me, all three of you who read this blog, has this annoyance ever happen to you before?
After two years of the bulbs flashing, MGMT must have been planning to knock their catchy pop synth busters with shining anthem value image and try at the psychedelic rebellion.
"Congratulations" is nothing at all like their epic breakthrough album "Oracular Spectacular". "Oracular.." never strayed from a genius formula of synthesizer heartbeats and battle cry lyrics. "Congratulations" comes across greatly as the after party of all the fame. It is the riveting mountain-climb of a concept album which tells a story seemingly told through a drug addled Andrew VanWyngarden's weeping cry and humming put off into the distance."Oh Maryanne, pass me the joint." WynGarden whispers in a 12-minute dream "Siberian Breaks". From the flagship song "Flash Delirium" and an upbeat "Song for Dan Treacy", which are the most similar to Oracular's charm, to psycho-nuggets "I Found a Whistle" and the wonderful song of the same title as the album "Congratulations" sound like a '67 jam session.
"Congratulations", in a sense, is a perfect follow up. They stray from what's their boundries, and this may be their breakthrough. All I know is that the kids at Hot Topic are not going to be too happy with this new MGMT. A-
DOWNLOAD THIS: "Song for Dan Treacy" (and) "Congratulations".
It can't be too hard to make a catchy, synthpop gem, but Brooklyn jammers Yeasayer, and their new album "Odd Blood" make it look like a god damn science experiment.
Much like Animal Collective, noise wise, and Dirty Projectors experimental and harmony wise, Yeasayer deliver euphoric dance-hall supplements one after another without a break of sweat. It all goes down smoother than water. The album is so beautifully catchy and danceable, you'd think they were the second coming of Bowie.
Their thriving tour and numerous spots at festivals this Summer (Glastonbury, Lollapalooza) solidify the fact that they aren't gonna go down without swinging. And, God, I hope they do not turn into Passion Pit. So I beg you, Yeasayer, please do not make a commercial with any of the Palm phones. I beg you.
It was March the 23rd. A Tuesday. Pouring outside. My father, disabled from the night before accidentally cutting himself washing the dishes, begrudgingly takes me and my brother to Providence.
When my brother, Justin, and I got out of the car at the Providence Place mall at 5 P.M., it suddenly kicked in that when the doors opened at Lupo's at the Roxy at eight o' clock; only three hours away, I'd be seeing my idol Julian Casablancas rocking out. The feeling of anticipation was of a euphoric bliss and uber-nervousness, because this is what I wanted to become. I wanted to become that hipster indie kid listening to Felix Da Housecat in the back of my science class and seeing The Strokes' front man on a rainy school night. This night was an expected taste.
After eating 2nd-rate Chinese food from the mall (which ran me eight bucks, by the way) and walking around Border's, we decided to finally just walk over to Lupo's. It was 7 PM, and I was stoked. Only 6 college students were waiting in line; all in the rain. Luckily, I had an umbrella. Also, we also had entertainment. A production bus in front of Lupo's was for a pilot called something like " Night of Darkness". The scrambling crew was interesting enough to stop shuddering in the paralyzingly cold rain.
It's not 7 anymore, it's not 8, and the Lupo's workers are just letting us in. Of course, I got searched, and the just ran into the dance floor. There was no one, and I was right at the front row. I looked up, and saw that where I was standing was within reach of where Julian's mic would be. My stoke level was through the roof.
The opening act, a synth-dream of a band from Providence called "Triangle Forest" rocked the place. They were fantastic. I suggest you look for them on Myspace. During this, and the wait for the show, I got to do what is one of my favorite things at concerts: becoming friends with the people around you. Lets just say by the time Julian came on, I was 6 feet away from my brother and I was dancing with other people.
Okay. Here it is.
Julian came out around 10-ish. He came almost stumbling out singing one of my favorites from his new solo album, "Phrazes for the Young", "Ludlow St.". I knew every word, and Julian, a foot above my face could see it. I kinda felt special and apart of everything having that knowledge of who this was and what he represented.
The whole night turned into a blur of me screaming out to him and him walking around the stage singing these blissful songs of random long-notes. I swear I almost shit myself when the baseline for "Hard to Explain"--one of The Strokes' finest songs. And when this night couldn't get any better, I shot my hand out and yelled "Julian! You're my idol!". He did the best thing I could ever ask for: a nod and a genuine handshake. I was in heaven. How often do you get to shake one of your idols hands? "Yeah, I wrote that shit, I can play it" he said when he was through with the anthem.
Other covers from the Strokes and all his new, original solo stuff were absolutely terrific. With a sticker and a shirt from merchchandise, and that nod and my hand in which I went home and sprawled all over my "Is This It" record, I will always remember my night with Mr. Casablancas.
At the very end of the video, you see him nod and shake someones hand. That hand then shoots up into the air. Yeah, that's mine.
"Yes, yes you are" probably says the one person (I'm guessing a J.K. Rowling look alike grading my life) who actually visits this blog, but I mean in the sense of the fact that I have seen nearly no Oscar Bait movies this year.
Yeah, I did see 'The Hurt Locker' back in August, along with 'Precious', 'Up in the Air' and 'Avatar' in the past few weeks, but compared to last year, I am doing terribly. By this time last year, I had seen Slumdog thrice, Milk, Frost/Nixon, and even, wait for it, Man on Wire (also many, many others). I feel like I am uber deceptive to last-January Adam.
This year just feels so off. It's like this year is even more indie than any other year. Has anybody really seen 'An Education' yet? It hasn't even played anywhere is the 100 mile radius of my home. It's sad when Boston even denies playing it. It's 'funny because they probably won't even be played until after the Oscars. Hell, whats the point then? I would enjoy to actually watch the movies before the Oscars so I can even appear relevant; not when Toy Story 3 takes over the whole damn world.
When I took my biweekly venture to my local Newbury Comics a few days ago, I wasn't expecting my possibly Jewish (I'm so stingy with my cash, I seriously wouldn't be THAT surprised I had that much in common with Woody Allen) self to just drop cash on just anything. I had no CD or cult horror movie in mind to get; I was just browsing around to waste a Saturday. But when I found out that Vampire Weekend's long awaited disk "Contra" was the 'Wicked cheap deal of the week' at only $6.99, I really couldn't say no to that.
What I didn't realized until I got into my 2004 Honda Accord was that It also came with a special, 3 track disk of remixes, by Toy Selectah.
"Contra" expresses high and low of the Cape Cod-y band's style while staying true to their breakthrough, self-titled 2008 CD debut. The first released single, 'Cousins' is great fun with it's poppy overload of African-influenced guitar. The rest of the album seems to stray to less eventful, yet enjoyable soft melodies and tunes. The closing song 'I Think Ur a Contra' is a quiet hum of a beat and the best of the album.
Staying true (and even living up to) their epic debut is a tall order, but Contra seems to get the job done. B+
10. Bat For Lashes "Daniel" A beautiful talent in Natasha Kahn, and an even more haunting song and video to match.
9. Kid Cudi Ft. MGMT and Ratatat "Pursuit of Happiness" The song that didn't leave my mind for 3 straight weeks that is too awesome with the coolest rapper ever, an Indie superstar duo and a New York guitarist.
8. Grizzly Bear "Two Weeks" By far the best Ivy-league acapella themed songof the year by far.
7. St. Vincent "Marrow" Annie Clark's, also known by her stage name St. Vincent, brings her mellow-ly roaring guitarwith her fantastic voice to make an all around drug of a song.
6. Julian Casablancas "11th Dimension" The former Strokes lead man, and always too-cool-for-school rocker came back into the spotlight this year with this electro/rock debut for his solo career that is one of the best dance songs in the past few years.
5. Passion Pit "The Reeling" Shouts and synth bliss is all in the Massachusetts natives first song from their debut album Manners is certain to get you onto the dance floor.
4. Lily Allen "Not Fair" Certainly Lily Allen's best song brings out the best of her range and great backup synth.
3. Dirty Projectors "Stillness is the Move" Sideways harmonies and melodies clash in this odd, yet precious song by the experimental New York band.
2. Phoenix "Rome" Though the only song on the list never released, it is surely the shining joy from the French bands breakthrough album Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix that brings out the best of all of Phoenix's qualities that make them so damn addictive.
1. Yeah Yeah Yeahs "Zero" The best song of the year is by far the Yeah Yeah Yeahs sweeping, almost epic dance theme. Karen O's cries; "climb, climb, climb, Higher!" are in paralyzing Studio 54 dance fashion while Nick Zinner trades in his Stratocaster guitar for a synth machine that seems to fit him just as well, if not more. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs' anthem is simply outstanding.
