Unfortunately, summer has not been a time of music festivals and rock concerts for this little Floridian. But between jobs and trips I’ve been racing to my local Best Buy to purchase some tunes. Here’s what I think.
This CD is amazing. All around one of the best sophomore albums I’ve heard. It felt like it took a while for this little group to put out something new, and there are only ten songs, but I feel like they didn’t force anything. Each track is great.
One of my biggest complaints with bands is that they try to overcompensate for their inability to follow up previous hits (ct. Infinity On High). Eisley does add a chorus for “Come Clean,” but they keep their simple piano parts, and even their beloved toy piano at times. You can really feel the band’s growth in this track; the words and melodies are still enchanting and simple, but Eisley’s not afraid to rock out, either. A+.
I can hardly bring myself to say anything negative about this band. It hurts, it really does. But I have yet to feel the need to listen to The Needles The Space over and over. I love Straylight Run’s originality—and of course you know about my thing with piano-driven music. Sadly, though, this CD’s success will surely fall short of its predecessor, except perhaps with the band’s more loyal following.
That said, this is not a bad CD. It’s got some catchy tracks, my favorite being “The Miracle That Never Came.”
One thumbs up.
Ah, The Starting Line. Feels like just yesterday I was a middle-school kid listening to “The Best of Me,” which will probably forever be these guys’ best (and only?) hit.
I’ve heard friends say this album is a return to the “good stuff,” as if Based on a True Story was straying from all that was decent TSL music. I hear it as a combination of the past two CDs, and additional maturation at the same time. It’s kind of like watching a little kid grow up: after they’ve grown, it makes sense that they look and act the way they do, but at the same time, you never could’ve predicted it years ago.
Ken, the lead singer, has finally gained full control of his voice. The lyrics are also slightly more mature (i.e. less bitter/full of angst). What amazed me most, though, was the quality of the accompaniment parts, which often take a melody all their own, sometimes better than the vocal line.
One smiley face.
I know you saw this one coming. Yes, Paramore’s sophomore album is out, and in my opinion, a bit misnomer-ed. These guys aren’t trying to start a riot. If anything, they’re consoling emo kids with tracks like, “We Are Broken.”
So now they’re all over MTV and the covers of magazines like Alternative Press. Why? First, their first CD developed a good fan base, and touring with the right bands (see above review) helps, too. In addition, however, this album is much more commercial. The songs are notably more catchy, and I’ve already covered the teen-angst anthem “We Are Broken,” so I won’t say anything more.
More commercial doesn’t necessarily mean bad. I was quite impressed at this young band’s ability to come up with a second CD of such good quality so quickly. Besides, you can’t blame them for knowing their audience.
Last Thursday I took the bus up to NYC for my personal event of the summer, the Daft Punk show at Keypspan park in Coney Island.
Keyspan park is the stadium for the minor league Brooklyn Cyclones, and ended up being a great venue for this show. As we got onto the field, we caught most of the opening act, Kavinsky, an awesome DJ duo that were the surprise of the show. They didn't play on the stage, they had a little area to the right where they were DJing. This made the transition to the next act easier.
They finished abruptly, and second opener the Rapture started playing immediately after a brief introduction. I guess they were okay, but they didn't fit with the show at all, especially after the awesome-ness of Kavinsky. They finished their set and the crew put up a huge curtain in front of the set as the trailer for Daft Punk's new movie Electroma played. Then Kavinsky reappeared at their station at the side and DJed some more while the extensive light show Daft Punk is famous for was constructed. This took a little too long, and the crowd started becoming antsy. Kavinsky countered this by unexpectedly playing "Killing in the Name Of" followed by "99 Problems" then bizarrely "Holding Out For a Hero."
They ended their second extended set and the lights went out. The curtain opened and the duo was barely visible with fog streaming around them in their robot suits. They started with a ROBOT vs HUMAN argument that went into Robot Rock. It was an unbelievable light show. It started out fairly basic, just using white lights and strobes, then the pyramid with solid colors. As the show went on the complexity of the displays continued to increase until full high resolution images were flashing on the pyramid during "Human After All". When they came out for their last encore the pyramid was kept dark while HUMAN and TOGETHER flashed on the back wall. Then two orange lines slowly worked their way through the triangle lights until it got to where Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter were. Once this happened, the lights dropped and neon orange tubing around their suits glowed while they DJed the last song before once again stepping down from their pyramid to reveal the neon orange DAFT PUNK logo on the back of their jackets.
Setlist (taken from another blog): Robot Rock / Oh Yeah -> Touch It -> Voyager / Technologic / Television Rules The Nation / Crescendolls -> Steam Machine -> Around the World -> Harder Better Faster Stronger / Burnin' / Too Long / Face to Face / One More Time / Aerodynamic / Forget About the World? / The Brainwasher / Prime Time of Your Life / Rollin' and Scratchin' / The Brainwasher -> Da Funk -> Daftendirekt -> Superheroes // Human After All // Together -> Music Sounds Better With You -> One More Time (reprise)
Crappy video I shot of the encore, check youtube for more:
Two other things: Daft Punk enlisted people with video camera and gave them film in order to use their videos to create a live DVD of this show. In addition, they are going to be releasing a CD from when they performed in France as well. So if my weak descriptions aren't enough, check these out. Read more!
Never has sitting down felt so good. That was a good sit.
The final four hours of the second day of Lollapalooza turned my legs to wax, standing, jumping, pushing, and fistpumping to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Muse.
But before we get to that, my day started with an impressive performance from Tapes 'n' Tapes, one of three scheduled Twin Cities bands on the day (c'mon Hold Steady, you're not really from New York--yet). Playing a satisfying set of tunes from The Loon and a handful of new, unidentifiable tracks, they blew away a strong showing at the Myspace stage, the third biggest stage at the festival.
Afterwards, lunch was in order, and I urged Kelly and Riley to hurry back for Cold War Kids.
Most disappointing performance of the day and probably most disappointing showing of the whole event.
The set was really mellow for a hyped up-and-coming rock band. They were scheduled on far too small of a stage, causing the crowd to block walkways and hang from trees. But the worst part was it wasn't even worth it. Sound quality was really weak, as the guitar had virtually no color to it, and the vocals were nowhere near as loud as they ought to have been.
They played "Hang Me Up to Dry" second to last and then complained when people left. Dude, most of the people watching you were only there to hear that song. Deal with it. Considering it was the highlight of their set, it wasn't even that great. It's two notes back and forth, they could have jammed it up a little, improv-ed, done something different. For a band that has been lucky thus far and had at least 2000-3000 people watching them, they failed. The rest of the set was really unimpressive, and the seemed like a band that didn't even belong there.
It didn't ruin the day though. After CWC, I saw a few tunes from the Roots--a pleasant contrast to the Cold Bore Kids set. Probably the best instrumental performances of the day and one of the most fun atmospheres, even though we hung out towards the back for what we saw. But they definitely convinced me I should catch them another time. The highlight was a hip hop medley (with a subtle dig at Nas for his latest declaration that hip hop is dead) with tunes from Salt 'n' Pepa, Sugar Hill Gang, ODB, Vanilla Ice (debatable), Nas, and about four more I can't remember.
From there, it was time for Hold Steady to rock from the same stage Tapes 'n' Tapes worked it. Craig Finn sported a Twins jersey, and they played a fair amount of material from both Boys and Girls in America and Separation Sunday, as expected. But I didn't see much of it because Kelly, Riley, and I planned to get in position for a good spot for Muse three hours in advance. It paid off, but wait two more paragraphs for me to get there.
Karen O was terrific. I was a little nervous she wouldn't put on as much of a show because this wasn't a club gig, but she came out in a big silver gown, a strange leather zip-up half-sleeve corset, and black stockings. Jumping around for every song, singing with the microphone in her mouth, and screaming her brains out, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs rocked it.
They mostly played tunes from their latest EP and Show Your Bones, but they made room for the hits from Fever to Tell: Maps, Pin, and they closed with Date With the Night. Not sure if they performed any of their pre-Fever material.
Then came the big push forward to get to the front for Muse. Even though they weren't starting for at least another 60 minutes, there were easily 1000 people at the front of the lawn ready to go. Interpol was playing at the same time, and manipulation of all types came into play. Fans at the front spread rumors that Muse cancelled and this was Interpol's stage, all in an effort to get rid of some of the people. But to be honest, I don't think I would have wanted it any less crowded. Crowd surfing almost every song, jumping around, screaming, and the audience was louder than Bellamy on stage for most of the set. Easily the best experience of the festival so far. Hands down. Multiple balloon presentations, a light show probably more advanced than Daft Punk (which is saying a lot), and really great song selection and order. The set is from memory, so let me know of any inaccuracies.
JFK Intro/Take a Bow Map of the Problematique Hysteria Supermassive Black Hole Time Is Running Out Butterflies and Hurricanes Feelin' Good Sunburn Invincible New Born Starlight Apocalypse Please Stockholm Syndrome
Encore: Plug-In Baby Knights of Cydonia
The new songs sounded terrific live, and some mechanical problems between songs didn't hurt the experience at all. I even got to hear Dominic Howard's voice for the first time after seeing the band play several times.
I can't see Sunday topping this, but anything is possible with My Morning Jacket, Pearl Jam, and plenty more on the horizon.
P.S. For those of you who like the tune, Knights of Cydonia, I want to plug my friend's film project. If you like the song and have decent film taste, you'll enjoy this: Read more!
After a volunteer shift of "standing" from 9:30-1:50, I headed out to see some shows with fellow MINDsetters Kelly and Riley.
Ted Leo kicked off my lineup, and after taking an early spill in his set (not sure which song it happened during), he rocked a set consisting of mostly Living material. While Ted has a tendency to speed up even his faster songs live, some of the tempos increased ridiculously in the Chicago heat--notably "Timorous Me," perhaps the only song in every set I've seen him play.
early but unknown order (any help welcome): Me and Mia, Bomb Repeat Bomb, Where Have All the Rude Boys Gone?, Army Bound, Sons of Cain
6. Colleen. 7. Unwanted Things 8. Heart Problems 9. Timorous Me 10. C.I.A.
The big disappointment was that Ted ended the set 15 minutes early. Not sure if there was a misunderstanding in the schedule or if there was another factor. But 2-3 more songs were what the crowd wanted to hear, and instead he just ended with C.I.A. "Rappaport's Testament?" "High Party?" "Under the Hedge?" "Dial Up?" Bueller? Bueller?
After Ted and a lunch at the Billy Goat Tavern, Riley and I caught the tail end of Against Me!'s set on a sidestage. The crowd was way more into Against Me! at 3:30 on a sunny and humid day. Crowdsurfing and moshing in the front, anarchy onstage, and fans of all ages climbing to get a glimpse of Gainesville, Florida's finest. Really rough on the setlist, but I know for certain they played "Pints of Guinness Make You Strong" and plenty of stuff from their latest album, New Wave.
After a short break from the punkest show of the day, we met up with Kelly to catch a spot for The Rapture. I had seen them at Curiosa Festival a few years ago and was really unimpressed. Guitar effects and vocals were weak, and they didn't have much stage presence the first time around. First things first:
1. Down For So Long 2. Get Myself Into It 3. Sister Saviour 4. The Devil 5. Pieces of the People We Love 6. Killing 7. Whoo! Alright Yeah Uh Huh 8. House of Jealous Lovers 9. Don Gon Do It 10. First Gear 11. Olio
Opened with "Down For So Long?" They would have been more successful just skipping that and going straight to "Get Myself Into It." Maybe the sax wasn't ready. But there was a strong faction of shirtless Filipino men tearing it up next to me. Then a series of crowd surfers toward the middle of the set.
On a sidenote, if someone crowd surfed at a festival, would they mind sharing what happened when they reached security? If they got booted or just sent back in?
Anyway, the guitars were off (intentionally or not) for "House of Jealous Lovers," but everything else was really strong, and probably the best crowd on the day. The bass was exceptional, especially on "The Devil" and "House of Jealous Lovers."
That's it for now. Totally exhausted. Reviews and discussion of LCD Soundsystem and Daft Punk will follow. For now, here is Murphy's set:
1. Us v Them 2. Daft Punk Is Playing At My House 3. Time to Get Away 4. North American Scum 5. All My Friends 6. Tribulations 7. Movement 8. Yeah (extended, non-crass version) 9. wtf? not sure if this was a recorded song or not, any help welcome
Goodnight!
Tomorrow's picks: Matt & Kim, Ludo, Sam Roberts Band, Cold War Kids, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Hold Steady, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, wait there (I'll see Spoon when they play a longer set), MUSE Read more!
1. Pioneer to the Falls - opens their latest album, opens their set. I get it. 2. Slow Hands - definitely the biggest crowd reaction of the whole night. 3. Narc - what else would they play after Slow Hands? 4. C'Mere 5. Rest My Chemistry - eh 6. Mammoth (maybe) 7. Hands Away - interesting TOTBL choice, not a song I would expect to make the set... at least it hints that they'll play more from their best album later 8. No I in Threesome - obviously about how when you play golf with two other people, it's a team effort, even if it isn't a scramble 9. Heinrich Maneuver - not as big a reaction as I would have expected. 10. Evil 11. Not Even Jail 12. wtf interlude? - impromptu? sure seemed like it; just guitar and drums, lasted about 3 minutes. 13. PDA - please don't be the last song before the encore
3 minute break (main set = 55 minutes)
14. Leif Erikson - awesome 15. Obstacle 1 - boom goes the dynamite. 16. Stella Was a Diver and She Was Always Down - again, not about sex, about swimming
Overall, the show was way better than their appearance at Curiosa. Of course they didn't play as much from "Turn on the Bright Lights" as I would have hoped, but I'll take 5 tracks out of 16 when the last two albums were what made them rich. Cigarette count? Carlos D-2, Daniel-1.
The light show featured more professional looking lite-brites on stands that displayed monochromes for various songs. Appropriate since each Interpol doesn't display a whole lot of personality, but (for the most part) you can still tell them apart.
The crowd was pretty solid. The floor was a heavy mix of older teens, about as packed as it gets. Higher up you found more people in their late 20's, 30's. Overall way more men than women, maybe even 2-to-1, yet not much aggression or moving around (except to Slow Hands).
The big disappointment was how short the set was - 75 minutes for $30. I expected closer to 20, 22 tracks, maybe "Wrecking Ball," "Say Hello to the Angels," or their latest closer - "The Lighthouse."
Seriously though, how can a guitarist only strum down and never palm mute? I know it's their trademark sound, and it's really cool how every note rings with the dual guitars, but when is he going to break his right wrist? (Strumming up is for those Rastafarian types!) Carlos' bass was so smooth. He never plays fast, and he never gets fancy, but it's flawlessly done.
Opener Calla started out strong, performing some of their shorter, upbeat tracks. But then... not so much. No setlist, and I didn't take any notes. If Riley and I would have been stuck at will call waiting for the Pageant staff to figure out our situation another 20 minutes, I wouldn't have been heartbroken.
Interpol vs. Muse at Lollapalooza? I still recommend Muse for the festival setting. Riley and Kelly second and third that opinion. Read more!
