Archive for May, 2010


CD Review: Rolling Stones

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May 31, 2010

Rolling Stones
Exile on Main St.: Deluxe Edition
Rolling Stones/UME
By David Chiu

It’s not often that an album from 1972 is currently enjoying a commercial renaissance in 2010. But when that record is the Rolling Stones’ immortal double-album Exile on Main St., the attention is much deserved now coming in the wake of a highly-touted reissue. What more can be said about Exile, considered a masterpiece following such triumphs as Beggars Banquet, Let It Bleed and Sticky Fingers? The album, whose recording history has been the stuff of lore, represents the embodiment of what made the Stones’ music so legendary: the devil-may-care rockers (“Rip This Joint” “All Down the Line”), ballads (“Let It Loose”), country (“Sweet Virginia,” “Torn and Frayed” ) pure blues (“Turd on the Run”) and soul (“Shine a Light,” “Loving Cup”). But the album’s two songs have since become beloved anthems: the great “Tumbling Dice” and the wonderful Keith Richards showcase “Happy.” The 10 previously unreleased tracks on this special edition offer some interesting gems, particularly the angsty “Plundered My Soul,” (featuring a terrific Mick Jagger vocal performance), the lovely and moving “Following the River,” and the funky “Pass the Wine (Sophia Loren),” Even without the extras, Exile on Main St. is exciting, top-to-bottom pure Stones at their hedonistic and magnificent prime.

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Free Download: Cat Martino’s “Jennie’s Gone Down”

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May 31, 2010

(photo provided by Cat Martino)

Cat Martino, a Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter, recorded a single called “Jennie’s Gone Down,” for this Memorial Day, inspired by a story that aired on National Public Radio last year. It’s about the fascinating life of Jennie Hodgers, a woman who enlisted in the Union Army’s 95th Illinois as a man, Albert D.J. Cashier, during the Civil War. After the conflict, she continued to live as Albert and his/her secret identity was later discovered. He/she died in 1915.

Performed with a romantic vocal by Martino, the folk song evokes old-fashioned Americana befitting of the period. You can download the tune, which is currently free, below.

Martino, who is originally from Long Island, has shared stages with the likes of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and Rufus Wainwright; she has also played with another Brooklyn musician, Sharon Van Etten. Martino will be performing at the Northside Festival in Williamsburg June 25-26.

Free MP3 of “Jennie’s Gone Down” here.

Watch a video of Cat Martino performing “Jennie’ Gone Down”:

Cat Martino: Jenni’s Gone Down from Foglight Films on Vimeo.

Read and hear the NPR story that inspired “Jennie’s Gone Down.”

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CD Review: Sleigh Bells

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May 24, 2010


Sleigh Bells
Treats
Mom and Pop Music
By David Chiu

To say that this act has exploded literally and figuratively would be an understatement. The Brooklyn duo of Derek Miller and Alexis Krauss has recently made a tremendous splash in the press as the hottest indie rock act of the moment. And it’s easy to hear why from their audacious electro-rock music debut with its ear-pounding rap beats, distorted riffs and rhythms, and Krauss’s elegantly detached yet tough vocals. “Tell Em” pretty launches the album adrenaline; “Riot Rhythm” lives up to its name, blending metallic hard rock and hip-hop; “Infinity Guitars” the brutal “Straight A’s” and “Crown to the Ground” are simply ear-splitting rock; the dazzling “Run the Heart” comes closest to a conventional pop song on the record as well as “Rill Rill,” which has this folksy, soulful hippie ‘60s vibe all over it. If anything, Sleigh Bells’ Treats have made a very loud and indelible impression.

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CD Review: The National

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May 24, 2010

The National
High Violet
4AD
by David Chiu

This is the first ever National album I’ve heard in its entirety and it’s made a great impression on me. It’s easy to hear why High Violet has garnered such amazing reviews since its recent release. The music is both dark and turbulent yet poetic and uplifting at the same time. Naturally a song like “Sorrow” is melancholic but it’s treated with also such eloquence; “Anyone’s Ghost” is haunting and poppy; “Afraid of Everyone” recalls Bowie lyrically and perhaps is the album’s most accessible track; “Conversation 16″ is as cinematic-sounding as it is beautiful; and the last song “Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks” (with its chorus of “All the very best of us string ourselves up for love”) is a lullaby of sorts. Equally adding to the songs’ heavy-hearted tone musically and lyrical abstractness is Matt Berninger deep,world-weary voice especially on the driving “Bloodbuzz Ohio.” Sonically the album borders on extremees from the minimalist and charming-sounding “Lemonworld” to the grand and symphonic “England.” If this is the National’s excellent work to date, then I now want to dig in on the earlier stuff.

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CD Review: The Hold Steady

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May 24, 2010


The Hold Steady
Heaven Is Whenever
Vagrant
By David chiu

Indie rockers the Hold Steady return with another strong album with Heaven Is Whenever. Though by no means does this new album break any major stylistic ground, it is full of the driving and earnest rootsy rock music this group has been known for by now. It begins with the somewhat bluesy and reflective “The Sweet Part of the City” before delving into some stirring rockers such as “Soft in the Center” (with a lyrical, stadium-inspired guitar solo and “The Weekenders.” There are also a few interesting diversions from the rockers such as the jazzy and poppy Barely Breathing and the lush, ethereal “We Can Together.” The latter song and the energetic “Rock Problems’ make cool references to Utopia, Husker Du and especially Cheap Trick: “Didn’t want to go out but it felt really right when someone put on Heaven Tonight/Had a moment in the middle of “In Color” and “In Black and White/”Sing along to the “Southern Girls.” (Nice!) The album ends on a grand fashion with the seven minute-plus title track. Lyrically the album touches on the abstract and the identifiable (i.e. the protagonist telling his wildfire girlfriend to mature on “Hurricane J”; the live-for-the-moment sentiment on “Our Whole Lives”). Heaven Is Whenever is an overall rewarding from this Brooklyn band.

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Feature Archive: A Fine Frenzy

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May 24, 2010


A Fine Frenzy (a.k.a. singer Alison Sudol) will be performing a couple of shows in Washington state and California in July for the Lilith Fair. From the NewBeats archives, here is a interview with Sudol from 2007.

Alison Sudol of A Fine Frenzy
By David Chiu

“I guess if you went out into the wilderness, fell in love, got lost, got your heart broken and emerged to tell the tale, this album could be your own personal soundtrack.”

So said 22-year-old singer/pianist/songwriter Alison Sudol, the driving force behind the collective A Fine Frenzy, about the music on their Virgin Records debut One Cell In the Sea.Her description about her music is fitting because it covers a wide range of emotions—from melancholy to hope to yearning—complemented by distinctive piano playing and Sudol’s airy, soulful voice. It has drew enough strong notices for this newcomer to land a record deal; to have her songs played on television; and to perform on stages all over the country.

“It’s pretty spectacular,” Sudol said in an e-mail interview. “Getting to play for people that have never heard us before and getting a raw reaction. We’ve been getting such incredible responses from the shows… it’s a wonderful feeling.”

The songs on One Cell In the Sea, which was released this past July, have a very dreamy quality to them. “I try to collect words, images, stories, etc. on a daily basis,” she said of her songwriting, “and when my head starts feeling full I sit down at the piano and try to make sense of things. Writing is my greatest joy, it’s a constant friend and sometimes the only thing that will make me feel like I have a place in the world.” View full article »

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CD Review: The New Pornographers and Broken Social Scene

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May 20, 2010

The New Pornographers
Together
Matador

Broken Social Scene
Forgiveness Rock Record
Arts & Crafts

by David Chiu

Fans of Canadian indie rock recently got a double-whammy of new albums by The New Pornographers and Broken Social Scene. While the approach of both bands may differ in certain areas, the result is the same: completely remarkable music from the Great White North.


“Moves,” the catchy, ebullient opening track on Together, pretty much sets the tone for the latest by The New Pornographers. It’s full of wonderful pop melodies and witty lyrics, yet the music still sounds cool and hip. There are nods to Brit pop (the very Mod-ish “Silver Jenny Dollar” and “If You Can’t See My Mirrors”) folk (“Valkyrie in the Roller Disco”) and some groovy-sounding soul (“A Bite Out of My Bed”). It’s not all sunshine when the band flexes its musical muscle such as the metal-ish guitars of “Your Hands (Together)” and the uplifting rock of “Up in the Dark.” The closing “We End up Together” ends the album on a high note. Together is a sheer joy to listen to.

In contrast, Broken Social Scene’s latest album is perhaps more eclectic stylistically, but like the Pornographers’ effort, equally pleasing. Fronted by founders Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning, BSS churn out one unpredictable tune after another on Forgiveness Rock Record: from the sweeping rocker “World Sick,” to the Southern Gothic “Highway Slipper Jam,” and to the soulful, ’60s vibe of “Water in Hell.” Featuring guests Pavement’s Spiral Stairs, Feist, Amy Millan and Metric’s Emily Haines, the album highlights includes the the driving “Meet Me in the Basement” and the very lovely electropop-quasi-ballad “All to All.” Despite the everything but the kitchen sink approach of the music, it all seems to come together into one solid collection of heartfelt and passionate rock.

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Feature: Saltlands: A Recording Studio in Brooklyn’s DUMBO

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May 17, 2010

Dawn Landes at Saltlands (photo by David Chiu)

By David Chiu

At first glance 68 Jay St. in Brooklyn’s DUMBO neighborhood doesn’t look like a place where the magic happens. The building’s facade is very nondescript, and two large elevators and a worn out-looking vending machine mark its minimalist-looking lobby area.

The commercial building’s sparse interior gives no indication that in one of its spaces is Saltlands, a professional recording studio. Founded in 2008 Saltlands has been used by various artists for their projects such as the Soft Pack, Alexi Murdoch and Josh. Several songs from the Away We Go movie soundtrack were produced at the studio, and Wilco’s DVD Ashes of American Flags was mixed there.

A cavernous hallway, which is reminiscent of being in an indoor parking lot, leads into the studio’s entrance. Inside is a relatively cozy relaxing space that houses the usual fixtures such as the studio per se and the control room that features large mixing desk.

“We’re not really competing with Avatar or Sear Sound, which are these amazing studios in New York that charge thousands of dollars a day,” says Saltlands’ owner and co-founder Steve Salett. “So we don’t try. I think we have very good equipment and we try to focus on the performance. View full article »

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CD Review: Tift Merritt

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May 17, 2010

Tift Merritt
See You on the Moon
Concord
by David Chiu

See You on the Moon may be Tift Merritt’s most artistically ambitious and personal work to date. It’s somewhat a sonic departure from her last album, the brilliant Another Country, in that the mood is more subdued and the production (helmed by My Morning Jacket/Decemberists associate Tucker Martine) is atmospheric. That is evident on a number of the album’s tracks including the the lush and melancholy-tinged Never Talk About It, the title song and the shimmering Feel of the World. However, there are moments that break the ethereal and understated mood such as the soulful “Mixtape,” which equates romance with music, not to mention name checks Mazzy Star; the Memphis-sounding “Live Till You Die,” and the catchy country rock of “Engine To Turn”; she even does a pretty acoustic version of Loggins and Messina’s “Danny Song.” On uptempo tracks or ballads, Merritt’s lyrics read like impressionistic short stories tackling themes of self-examination and relationships (i.e. “All The Reason We Don’t Have to Fight”). See You on the Moon is a worthy follow-up to Another Country– it’s a lovely, elegant and hopeful album.

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News: Indie rock duo WOOM does 2 NYC shows

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May 12, 2010

(from Ba Da Bing! Records)

WOOM is the New York/Massachusetts duo of Eben Portnoy and Sara Magenheimer, whose previous credit was the group Fertile Crescent. Their music could be described as angular, experimental and minimalist indie rock with a touch of melodies. WOOM’s new album “Muu’s Way” is scheduled for release July 6.

Here’s a brief performance video of “Quetzalcoatl’s Ship”:

The group will be playing next week in New York before heading off for some tour dates with Xiu Xiu in Europe.

5/18 @ Cake Shop, NYC
5/19 @ Death by Audio, NYC
5/23 @ Dal Verme, Rome, Italy
5/24 @ Fanfulla 101, Rome, Italy
5/28 @ San Martino Spino Festival, Italy
6/01 @ Brtfabrik, Frankfurt, Germany w/ Xiu Xiu
6/02 @ Steinbruch, Duisburg, Germany w/ Xiu Xiu
6/03 @ Ekko, Utrecht, Germany w/ Xiu Xiu
6/04 @ Exhaus, Trier, Germany w/ Xiu Xiu
6/05 @ King George, Koln, Germany w/ Xiu Xiu
6/06 @ Plan B, London, England w/ Xiu Xiu
6/07 @ Cave Aux Poetes, Roubaix, France w/ Xiu Xiu
6/09 @ Pop In, Paris, France
6/10 @ Le Motel, Paris, France
6/12 @ Ker Boui Boui, Rennes, France
6/13 @ Cafe Violon Dingue, Nantes, France
6/15 @ Fialho’s Hideaway, Bordeaux, France
6/16 @ El Boqueron, Bordeaux, France
6/23 @ ZDB, Lisbon, Portugal
6/25 @ NORTHSIDE FEST, NYC
6/26 @ NORTHSIDE FEST, NYC

For more info and music, check out WOOM’s MySpace page.

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