'Tis the season for Summer Festivals, and while most people in South Jersey are still bummed about the Vineland Music Festival going defunct (could have been happening next month) there are some particularly good festivals happening this summer in the area. I've already posted info about the much improved XPoNential Fest in Camden, and the quantity over quality All Points West happening just this side of NYC; but now there is the Southern Shore Music Festival! Way smaller and more rootsy than those other guys, the SSMF has done a great job bringing in some of the most prestigious singer/songwriters (Richie Havens, David Bromberg, Ani Di Franco) and budding talents in the past.
This year is no exception as Arlo Guthrie, second only to Pete Seeger in terms of being steeped in American Folk Music, will headline with great supporting acts like Hoots & Hellmouth (also at XPoNential) and Grace Potter & the Nocturnals. Arlo is of course the son of folk music icon Woody Guthrie, the single biggest influence on a young Bob Dylan, and unlike his black-listed father reached a more broad audience by juggling the role of protest singer with less divisive folk structures, such as childrens songs and talkin' blues.
Tickets are $25 in advance, and folks that is a steal to see just Arlo, let alone the host of other great bands.
Everyone's favorite Philly-based-member-supported -adult-alternative radio station, WXPN 88.5 FM, is putting on their annual XPoNential Music Festival this July 24-26. I have volunteered for this event years past, and I must say this line-up blows away any of the previous years. I remember one year the friday night headliner was Tower of Power and their "hip new artist" was Ryan Shaw. Yea, it was all alittle too "family" oriented.
And yea, there are some family duds this year (Los Straightjackets, Robert Cray, Steve Forbert) but there is also a lot of really good stuff. Headliners Aimee Mann, Annuals, and Peter Bjorn & John are all pretty legit, and the rest of the line-up reads like a who's who of Philly -related talent (Matt Duke, Hoots & Hellmouth, Good Old War, Andrew Lipke, etc.) I'm gonna try to be there, and preferably not as a volunteer....
My favorite music review magazine, Under the Radar, just launched a brand new website! The design is really sleek, and it sort of reminds me of Stereogum's layout, but none the less you can access music news, their great reviews, and stream new songs and whatnot. I've added it to the list on the right....
When she was 20 years old and residing with her parents in Ängelholm, Sweden, Josefin Fundin made a list of all the things she wanted to accomplish in her life. One of the items was "go to an American College", and in turn explore the country responsible for so much cultural brilliance and political blunder first hand. In fall of 2007 that goal became a reality when Josefin moved to Oneonta, NY to attend SUNY Oneonta. For two semesters she studied the business of music, the art of audio engineering, and was inspired by the backwoods, homegrown nature of upstate NY.
This February, Josefin made her first official release, a five song EP entitled Silly Lamb, Never Learns which she wrote, recorded, produced, and released entirely by herself. The songs, mostly just acoustic guitar and vocals, sound something like high quality demos as Josefin obviously applied what she learned at Oneonta for a smooth, clean sound with a good balance between all the musical elements.
The EP opens with the title track, and instantly Josefin's charming and versatile voice is introduced. Along with a slight accent (well, she does speak two Swedish dialects) there is an effortlessness to her vocals, moving easily from a strong bravado to a breathy, nasal toned whisper. Supplying her own backing vocals, Josefin uses a doubling technique to reinforce her more impacting lines and oddly structured choruses.
Perhaps the most exciting use of this is on the standout track "When Life Is On The Line," a song which finds Josefin at her most focused lyrically, and most creative in song structure. Opening with a Macy Gray neo-soul vocal, the song moves quickly and forcefully to a Grace Slick sized crescendo: "Spread the word/If no one listens/How will they be heard?" Josefin says the song's topic of rape and mass poverty came from a particular article she read concerning the Republic of Congo, but her words apply to an unfortunate nature that is present in more than just Congo. Darfur, Rwanda; Josefin's word are wisely self-imposed before being accusing, giving the song greater scope and inherently a deeper resonance. "We are living through the lens of a lie/Passively watching people die" she proclaims, recalling the same spirits that haunted "Give Peace A Chance." Coming from a girl who's original punk rock band, Efface, released an EP titled "Bush is Another Word For Cunt" (Remember him?), the presentation here is considerably more mature and accessible, two traits that will give this song legs well past any current political administration.
While "When Life Is On The Line" stands strong, other tracks such as "Acid Rain" and closer "Half & Half" only get by on their potential. They lack a lasting impression, and more specifically proper instrumentation. Josefin's songs beg to be accompanied by a full on rock group (think Rilo Kiley), hence my disposition of them as high class demos. Regardless, Josefin is an ambitious individual and the excitement of her personality translates cleanly into her music. Silly Lamb, Never Learns is a fitting introduction to an artist just starting to figure out where she fits in sonically, and amidst these sketches there are some particularly stunning moments. Fundin is now living and performing in NYC, so anyone in that area should head over to her MySpace and try to show her some support at her next performance. The Silly Lamb EP is available for download at Amazon and iTunes.
Last week English songwriter Bat For Lashes (né Natasha Khan) made her second official release, Two Suns. Though it did not crack the Billboard 200 here in the states, she continues to have immense popularity and success (it debuted top 5 in most of Europe) overseas. Anyone who has heard Khan, however, knows why this is a significant observation as her sound is built upon all of the elements of successful indie acts of the last five years. Two Suns, and its ensuing US Tour, seem poised to bring Khan some mediocre praise ("The greatest female vocal indie record since The Reminder!"), but enthusiasts should feel uncomfortable with the fine line between artistic homage and high-brow song parody that Khan repeatedly toes.
Normally, I try to avoid name dropping other artists when reviewing an album, but with Khan it is nearly impossible to discuss her music without pointing out the frighteningly obvious influences she displays throughout Two Suns. There is the Cat Power neo-gospel of "Peace of Mind," the mid-90s Portishead of "Sleep Alone," the early Tori Amos piano ballad of "Moon and Moon," and the Scott Walker duet "The Big Sleep" which is eerily similar to that Bjork/Antony duet. The list goes on and on, and proves to yield the only, and I mean only, major issue with this album: If you are aware of those other artists then you have already heard this album!
To Khan's defense it is extremely difficult to create anything truly "new" these days, and to her credit she finds a way to connect the dots between her influences in a smooth, organic style. Perhaps the best example of this is the excellent first single, "Daniel." This track, which lays a cushion of atmosphere beneath Khan's distant but breathy vocal, suddenly starts to pulsate with a Kate Bush style kick and snare beat and finally ends up at the strongest, most endearing chorus of the album. And really, "Daniel" is the type of amalgamation of style and inspiration that the rest of the album lacks. She is close to crossing that barrier, the one where an artist becomes a contributor rather than an imitator. Fortunately, the distinction between the two is only as staggering as the listener wants it to be. For me, it's the difference between Coldplay and Radiohead, Santogold and M.I.A., and (sorry Natasha) Scott Walker and Antony Hegarty.
Well, if you didn't catch on a few weeks ago when I posted Sad Steve, I am all about getting music for free, sifting through the crap, and then spending some dough on the acts you really love, and of course (cough cough) your local favorites.
So here is another great outlet for that, the Free Music Archive, a new platform for downloading tracks for free. If they don't have what your looking for, wait a few weeks they are adding more! Oh, and definitely check out their featured artist section!
Rating - 7.7 It's Blitz!, along with its just add water artwork, would have been a more appropriate introduction for the Yeah Yeah Yeah's 2003 breakthrough album Fever To Tell. That album, which featured Karen O squealing and moaning like a nympho and Nick Zinner's unforgiving guitar attack, was a welcomed take on NYC's revived punk-art scene. And just when you thought they were a bunch of brats making a big noise, Karen put on her Chrissie Hynde pants and delivered one of the most achingly beautiful tracks of the last decade, "Maps." While the YYYs will probably never reach another moment as serendipitous, the good news is they're not even trying.
From the opening moments of It's Blitz!, the difference is noticeable. The usual wall of buzz and feedback is replaced on "Zero" with a ping-ponging synth- the type of sound a fire alarm might make 50 years from now. And that seems to be their new direction, less late-70's underground punk and more studio pysch-pop ala MGMT. Karen O still sounds as sensual as ever, albeit more contained, and has finally found lyrics to coincide with her post-glam persona. "Dripping with alchemy/Shiver stop shivering/The glitter's all wet/You're all chrome" she sings on "Heads Will Roll," and you can almost see the drag(on) queens dancing.
Granted, even at their most raucous, the distance between the punk and rave scenes is not nearly as far as it once was; they're both about exclusion and identity, and it isn't hard to imagine Karen O spending equal time in dance clubs and rock halls. So perhaps more than a conscious decision, this album was made on the notion of the moment. It's not going to become an "instant classic," but it does just about sum up what it means to be a band fighting for attention, space, and credibility in 2009. Equal parts M83, Cat Power, and The Raconteurs, It's Blitz is an avatar for greater things, and it has a couple great songs to boot.
A friend recently sent me this site! Basically there is a little search engine at the top, and you can search for bands or song titles and download them free. Apparently the downloads are totally untracable! There is also a neat little player where you can hear the songs before downloading them. One downside is that you can't download albums, which is ironic because they have an essay posted on their site bashing iTunes for encouraging a "singles" market. Also, the search engine searches the web for MP3s that have been posted (illegally or not) by others, so you can't expect to find everything you may be looking for. But over time, as they incorporate more content that should improve. Give it a try! Its quick and easy (thats what she said)
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