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The Strokes Get Back Their Mojo

Published by Adam on March 26, 2011

I’ve been trying to figure out why I haven’t loved the Strokes since their debut Is This It? It wasn’t like they sounded any less talented on their 2003 and 2006 followups.

But something was missing.

After listening to The Strokes’ excellent new album Angles five years later, I think I’ve figured it out. The Strokes got negative, man.

OK, so they weren’t exactly singing about sunshine, lollipops and rainbows on Is This It? But at least their attitude toward broken relationships and total assholes was imbued with some level of self-worth. Sure, singer Julian Casablancas was pointing out a lot of BS, but he also didn’t seem to be all too affected by it. And that was cool.

Take “Hard to Explain,” for example:

I watch the TV; forget what I’m told
Well, I am too young, and they are too old
The joke is on you, this place is a zoo
“You’re right it’s true”

But by 2006’s First Impressions of Earth, the Strokes sounded very very affected, and boy was it a bummer. Take these lyrics from “On the Other Side”:

I hate them all.
I hate them all.
I hate myself for hating them,
so I’ll drink some more.
I love them all.
I’ll drink even more.
I’ll hate them even more
than I did before.

Or how about “Ask Me Anything,” featuring a chorus in which Casablancas sings “I have nothing to say” over and over…and over….and over. And if there’s something worse than hearing the guy mutilate his vocal cords on tracks like “Fear of Sleep,” well… I don’t want to hear it.

Now here comes Angles, and I’m happy to report that the Strokes have got their mojo back. Song for song it doesn’t match the brilliance of their debut, sure, and stylistically it’s definitely different. But after a five-year absence, the Strokes actually sound happy to be making music again.

You hear it instantly on opener “Machu Picchu.” It’s a track that takes the band in a new, more reggae direction, but revives the undeniably fun Strokes arrogance that’s been missing all these years.  “Taken for a Fool” is classic Strokes, but the band shows more range than songs previous. Not every song is great — “Metabolism” could have been another mediocre cut from First Impressions — but by the end of the set I felt like I had my old friends back.

Let’s hope they’re here to stay.

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Irish Band Has Sharp Claws

Published by Adam on March 13, 2011

For your listening pleasure, here’s the first single by Morning Claws, a new indie band from Northern Ireland. The slow-burning “Slack Magic” mixes electronic bleeps with intricate vocal harmonies and earnest lyrics. The effect is quite hypnotizing, demanding repeat listens. Fans of Postal Service take notice!

Play “Slack Magic” by Morning Claws (right click to save to PC)

New bands always have trouble with the first photo.

The band is looking for a U.S. label and hasn’t announced plans for a full release. But if they’ve got a few more tracks in them like this, I think they’ll do just fine. For more info, go to http://morningclaws.com/

 

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The Year’s Best Songs (2010 Mix)

Published by Adam on December 28, 2010

Every year I create a mix of my favorite songs of the year. My rules are that (1) the songs must have been released Jan. 1 or later of the current year,  (2) only one song per artist, even if the entire album was genius, and (3) the tracks must flow together.  The last rule is more of a guideline — Since it’s a mix, not a Top 10, I don’t order them by most favorite to least favorite, or vice-a-versa.

Below is my mix for 2010, which I call “Psychedelic Grooves.” I’ve tried to include links to audio or video streams where I could find them. Post your own 2010 mixes in the comment section!

  1. The Acorn — Restoration
    The swirling acoustic guitar line hypnotizes in this alluring track by the up and coming Canadian indie folk band.
  2. Old 97’s — Every Night is Friday Night (Without You)
    The Texas alt-country rock band comes out fists swinging in this punchy send off to an ex.
  3. Broken Bells — The High Road
    By far the best song by the collaboration of Shins singer James Mercer and Danger Mouse, this song will have you clapping and singing along in no time. Read my review of the album here.
  4. Crocodiles — Sleep Forever
    Psychedelic rock is back, and it’s got teeth. Read my review of the album here.
  5. Ash — Dionysian Urge
    Thrilling guitar work from the great Tim Wheeler on one of my favorite tracks from Ash’s amazing A-Z series.
  6. Jimmy Eat World — Coffee and Cigarettes
    The Arizona band best known for “The Middle” showed they still matter on this year’s Invented, and this chugging rocker finds them in top form.
  7. Nada Surf — Love and Anger
    This underrated indie group released one of the best cover albums ever by ignoring all the standards and playing hidden gems instead.  This cover of Kate Bush marks the most haunting of the set.
  8. MGMT — Flash Delirium
    This cut from Congratulations is, like the album itself, a bit of a grower. But while it might leave you scratching your head after the first spin, it’s hard to deny this band’s talent for writing compelling music.
  9. Yeasayer — Ambling Alp
    Sure it sounds like the ’80s, but Yeasayer play it with such gusto you can’t not like it. Warning: may get stuck in your head. Read my review of the full album.
  10. Gorillaz — On Melancholy Hill
    Catchy in a depressing way, this one will have you bobbing your head with a frown. But it will be a really wonderful, “I’m having an epiphany” kind of frown. Review of the album here.
  11. Pete Yorn — Precious Stone
    This straightforward rocker shows Yorn at his best. If only all of his self-titled album was this good…
  12. Two Door Cinema Club — Something Good Can Work
    Fans of Bloc Party and Death Cab for Cutie should dig this great young Irish band. How does he sing that fast, anyway? Live show also recommended.
  13. Spoon — Got Nuffin
    Rockin’ and minimalist. Nuff said.
  14. Trashcan Sinatras — I Hung My Harp Upon The Willows
    A haunting ballad from the Scottish veterans. See this band live if you can.
  15. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club — Sweet Feeling
    This melancholy tune is sure to make you stare thoughtfully out the window.
  16. Wavves — King Of The Beach
    Sounds like a surfing outing with Green Day, Blink-182, the Beach Boys and the Violent Femmes. Better than a blister in the sun.
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Shoegazers Need Polish, Have Potential

Published by Adam on November 6, 2010

Has this ever happened to you? You’re at a rock show and astonishingly find yourself rocking out to the opening band. So you buy the record, but when you get home and put it on, it’s just not the same. Abby Gogo, a band that plays something between garage and shoe-gaze rock, shows potential but their self-titled debut, available Nov. 30, leaves room for improvement.

The mixing seems off on several tracks, and better production could go a long way to showcasing the band’s talent. If you listen closely, you can hear a strong garage-rock riff underlying opener “Louder than Dreams,” but it’s nearly drowned out by the high-ringing lead guitar. One can’t help but wonder if the track would be stronger if that core riff was better featured. On several other tracks, the vocals are turned down so low you can’t tell what brothers Bon and Jon Allinson are singing.

Band stares at shoes, rocks out

Abby Gogo’s debut also fluctuates wildly in terms of track length.  “Louder than Dreams” is about two-and-a-half minutes, while two later songs are more than seven minutes.  This is a band that loves atmosphere, tense buildup and shattering climaxes, so a few of the longer songs are compelling from start to finish.  “Torpedo,” for example, alternates between hushed chanting and towering walls of sound to awesome effect. Other songs, however, probably would have been more effective with a little editing.

In the end, the album leaves one with the feeling that Abby Gogo is a band that’s probably pretty rocking live. But the lack of production and quality control on their first LP makes the recorded Abby Gogo hard to recommend.  If you’re into bands like The Verve or Interpol, put Abby Gogo on your radar. If they stick together, this is a band that could be great.

Click here for a free MP3 of “Louder than Dreams.”

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Downtown Guitarist Seeks Own Path

Published by Adam on October 12, 2010

Six years ago, I wrote a glowing review in The Eagle of a band called Downtown. Backed by all-star rock producers Flood, Alan Moulder and Toni Halladay, and featuring a melancholy sound that recalled some of the best alternative rock from the late 20th century, Downtown seemed destined for success.

But we didn’t hear much about them after that.

Now Eric Brendo, the band’s guitarist and co-songwriter, is striking out on his own. A debut EP, Over the Dunes and Into the Cave, was released this summer, and Brendo tells me a long-player is due next year. He is in the midst of an October tour and plans to tour again once the LP is released.

This month’s run of shows “has been great,”  and “creatively is stronger than the last tour,” says Brendo. “I’ve met some incredibly talented musicians and filmakers along the way and [am] staying really busy.”

The chances of another Downtown collaboration are “pretty slim,” says Brendo. “We toured for a bit after the Downtown release and I was doing some solo shows on the side and trying to expand as a songwriter.” Initial Brendo gigs took place mainly in New York City, but “then the touring addiction kept haunting me,” he says.  So Brendo, originally from Detroit, hit the road.  He spent “a year or two in L.A. and wound up living in Austin somehow, which has been beneficial in many ways so far.”

On Over the Dunes, Brendo continues to show a knack for the kind of moody, bass-laden grooves that were so core to Downtown’s 2004 debut. He wrote the songs and plays most of the instruments, though co-producer Howard Wulkan played as well. Catchy opener “Hazy Love” could have been a Downtown song, while closer “Ashes” surprises with a rootsy, acoustic twist.

If there’s one thing that’s missing from the EP, it’s a clear single — that one sparkling number guaranteed to bring down the house. On his upcoming full length, fans “can expect a little more [beats per minute] on the tracks and I’ll just be sorting out whether to fit in some of the stripped down open-feel stuff and go for what serves the album,” says Brendo. He plans to issue “a wide variety of albums over the next 5 years” and also hopes to contribute work to films.

For more info on Eric Brendo’s record and tour, click here.

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Adam Bender | adambenderwrites.com | watchadam.blog