Aztlan Blvd: The Sounds of Greater Mexico
Daniel Alberto Pozos Garay y su equipo
Semana 1: primera visita
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“When does why start” is a very confusing text message to wake up to, unless you are familiar with the verbal confusion that accompanies having a favorite band whose name is one of the “five W’s.”
I’ve written about WHY? a time or two in the past and I have introduced their unique and eccentric sound to nearly all of my closest friends. I greatly admire Yoni Wolf’s poetic prowess and the ability of his brother, Josiah Wolf, to play a drum kit that includes a xylophone. WHY?’s live show never ceases to amaze me.
The most recent WHY? show that I attended took place at The Loft at UCSD last Thursday. I assumed that The Loft would be a very small coffee shop type of place and that maybe 20 or 30 people would attend and it would be a pretty easy-going night – buy my assumptions were far from the reality of the situation at hand.
The line to see WHY? was about four people wide and went all the way to the end of the hall, at which point it began to snake around to the front. I was shocked, solely because I didn’t know the band had such a big fan base in San Diego. I mean, nobody ever knows who I’m talking about when I name WHY? as my favorite band, so why should I assume that the line at The Loft would be so long as to cause the show to start about an hour and a half late?
After my friends and I finally made it inside The Loft, I was impressed by the modernity of it’s architectural and interior design, as well as it’s size, the presence of a bar and it’s abundance of seating (though, who really wants to sit at a live show like WHY?’s).
The band began their set around midnight with “January Twenty Something,” a track from their new album, “Eskimo Snow.” The sparkling notes coming from the xylophone and keyboard, eventually accented by the deep boom of the drums, was an effective way to start a set that began so late. The speed at which they played and Yoni Wolf’s movements, reminiscent of a crazy maestro, shook me out of the “long line daze” I was stuck in.
What I found most interesting about the show was that WHY? played only four songs from their new album. Most of the set consisted of songs from the older counterpart to “Eskimo Snow,” “Alopecia,” which, in my opinion, has the best songs WHY? has ever created.
The live version of “By Torpedo or Crohn’s” differed slightly from the album version. It sounded as though it were in a higher key, yet Yoni Wolf’s voice remaimed the same and he delivered his lyrics both honestly and flawlessly. I was pleasantly surprised when, towards the end of the show, they jumped right into the extremely short yet impressive track, “Twenty Eight.” Thought it is only about a minute long, it’s a standout track on “Alopecia” and hits listeners hard when it’s played at a very loud volume.
To many longtime fans’ amusement, the band played two of their most popular songs from albums much older than “Alopecia” and “Eskimo Snow.” The tracks “Gemini (Birthday Song)” and “Sanddollars” had the audience singing along with even more fervor than they already had been.
The show was sprinkled with a variety of rude comments from members of the crowd, which bordered on being too much. But there were a few other members of the crowd that made me extremely happy. There was a guy directly across from me on the other side of the stage that moved to the beat in the way one might move at a Jay-Z show. He was a little intense. Then there was the girl next to me who was dancing uncontrollably throughout the duration of the show. I’ve never seen a bubblier concert-goer.
WHY? have proved themselves to be one of the coolest and most promising up-and-coming bands of today. I’m excited to see what big name festivals they will play in the next few years because, in my opinion, they have Coachella potential.
Where: The Loft at UCSD
When: Thursday, November 12, 2009 / 8:00 PM
The Loft presents the Elements of Hip Hop: Masters of Ceremony, UCSD’s 1st student freestyle battle. Aspiring student freestylers will be competing in a 1 on 1 battle in which each performer will be freestlying their way to the title of being the best freestyler at UCSD. It’s going down on November the 12th so be there to experience a competition and display of lyrical mastery that UCSD has never before seen. Come out on the 12th and support your fellow UCSD students in their quests to become UCSD’s finest!
The Builders and The Butchers
On last Tuesday and Wednesday night, Brand New, Manchester Orchestra, and The Builders and The Butchers played at the House of Blues. I will admit that I bought my ticket to the show based on the two headliners but left taking more from the opening band, The Builders and The Butchers.
Perhaps the best way to describe Portland based band is as gothic Americana. Yet, while the band does have a folk concentrated sound that at times seems obsessed with the fear of death, the music itself doesn’t come across as dark. The songs tell stories that relate to suffering and struggle but don’t overtly make the listener feel sad. They use traditional Pacific Northwest storytelling to present situations that, when taken literally, are so far from something one might experience that the hurt and agony isn’t really felt by the listener. However, underneath it all, I found myself being able to identify with situations presented and draw life parallels. The songs have movement and, in many ways, live to flow through the listener while drawing them further along the road of life toward an ultimate demise.
After the show, I spent some time talking to Ryan Solle, the frontman, guitarist, and songwriter for the band and talked about the band’s success and unique approach to music. The past few years have been busy ones for the band. They’ve moved from Alaska to Portland, signed to Gigantic Records (The Walkmen, The Rumble Strips), and recorded a new album with Chris Funk of the Decembrists as the producer. Ryan talked about the support from fellow Portland based bands that has helped the band get to where they are today. But beyond all, it seems like The Builders and The Butchers are unique in their intense desire to go beyond the crowd clap as means of getting the crowd involved. At times, the crowd is asked to sing background vocals while at other times a simple rhythm clap will suffice. However, during their last song, band members emerged with a treasure chest of rhythm instruments, throwing maracas, tambourines, and more out into the crowd, tossing toys to both levels of the House of Blues. This element of fun is something that breaks the traditional concert experience in order to involve the crowd into the performance. It’s something that Ryan has said adds fun for both the band and the fans and it can be traced back to their days playing street corners in Portland.
If you’re a fan of the Decembrists or New Pornographers, like storytelling based music, or are at all interested in the Pacific Northwest music scene, I encourage you to check out The Butchers and The Builders. They’ve certainly become one of my most recent favorite bands and based upon their continued growth and popularity, we’ll likely be seeing a lot more from these guys down the road.
Check them out at the links below:
Vampire Lake by B&B
Live on a Street Corner in Portland
“This week Rebel Rebel brings you, DiscoStep, another banging hour of continuously funky wobbly and brain tingly dance music with everything from disco to dubstep”
Tracklist
1. Duck Sauce – aNYway
2. Calvin harris – Ready For The Weekend (Fake Blood Remix)
3. B. Rich – Make Me Dance feat Reese
4. Dragonette – Fixing To Thrill (Villains Remix)
5. Alexander Robotnick – Disco Sick (Tensnake Remix)
6. Gucci Vump – Sha! Shtil! (L-Vis 1990 Remix)
7. Noob & Brodinski – Cajou Club
8. Drop The Lime – Set Me Free (Harvard Bass Remix)
9. Armand Van Helden – Je T’aime (Riva Starr ACID 80 Mix)
10. Spencer And Hill – Cool (Afrojack Remix)
11. Round Table Knights – Belly Dance (Mowgli Remix)
12. Zinc – Jekyll & Hyde (feat. Angela Hunte)
13. Magik Johnson – Move (Jesse Rose’s Made To Play Edit)
14. Riva Starr – Bubble
15. Joachim Garraud – Are U Ready (Roman Salzger Mix)
16. Hostage – The Slave
17. Emalkay – When I Look At You
18. MSTRKRFT – Heartbreaker (12th Planet Remix)
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Blind Pilot
Lo-fi, indie folk pop band Blind Pilot stopped at the Casbah Oct. 24 for a show with openers The Low Anthem. After the soundcheck, drummer Ryan Dobrowski gave us an interview to share insight on bike tours down the West Coast, playing in English beach towns and recording along the Columbia river.
Full Interview Audio
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Ryan Dobrowski’s roots trace back to Portland, Oregon where he picked up the sticks very early in life. “My parents got me my first set of drums when I was seven or eight, then put me into drum lessons. I did that for a number of years, in school bands and everything like that–full kid jazz bands. As nerdy as it was at the time, it was pretty good to learn how to play with other people,” said Ryan.
After parting ways with the elementary musical education, Ryan ventured off to get a collegiate learning in art. “When it came time for college, I was torn between going with the music degree and the art degree because I was really into painting. I decided to go with the art degree. And just play in bands. I was more interested in playing in bands then being a real academic player. I am the only one in Blind Pilot that didn’t go to music school. The rest of them are all music school drop outs. I don’t think anyone of them finished. They all made it about three years and left.”
Later down the road, Ryan met guitarist and lead vocalist Israel Nebeker in Eugene, Oregon–home of the University of Oregon. Shortly after, the two departed Oregon to cross to Atlantic. “ We spent a summer in England playing on street corners and things like that. We played on the South west coast in Newquay, which is kind of a touristy surf town. So there was people from all over Europe. It was a good party scene. It was great fun at the time. When we started Blind Pilot a number of years later after floating around with other musical projects that didn’t seem as rewarding, we were trying to get back to that energy when it was just the two of us, some songs, street corners and an open guitar case.”
After returning stateside, the duo took up the moniker Blind Pilot and began a pair of now famous tours in which they biked down the West Coast, beginning in Northern Washington. The first tour ended tragically, when Ryan’s bike was stolen in San Francisco. “ It was pretty unfortunate. You get really attached to your bike after living with it for so long. But it was alright, Israel ended up actually getting his bike back. He found it on Craig’s List, someone was selling it. We had friends living in San Francisco so they confronted the person and got the bike back for them. My bike was never found. It’s gone forever, at least to me. But I got another bike, and I love that one. It was just a thing. It actually made getting home quite a bit easier, we didn’t have to pack up the bikes or anything.”
Shortly after, Blind Pilot retreated to the town of Astoria, Oregon. The town sits where the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean, and for the record, Goonies was filmed there. “It’s a beautiful area. It’s really inspiring. We’re all from that sort of area, not specifically Astoria except for Luke our Bass player The building we were staying in sat on top of the water, so it would sort of sway when the tide would rise. It really affects you in everything you’re doing, to be out there like that. It’s a gorgeous area to be in. And it’s nice to get out of the city, not as many distractions and you can focus on your work.”
While Israel worked out the melodies and vocals, Ryan got a chance to put his art degree to the test. “We were working on a handful of songs out there. So we would work together, but then once the basic idea for the song was there then Israel would spend a lot of time working on the lyrics. So in that time I got quite a bit of painting done. I started doing a lot of paintings out there, and that one became the cover of the album. [The 3 Rounds and a Sound album cover] is almost the exactly the size as it is on the CD cover, about five and a half inches.”
Since the seaside recording, Blind Pilot’s “Go On, Say It” was the iTunes Song of the Week with over 2 million downloads and 3 Rounds and a Sound reached #13 on the Billboard Top Digital Album chart. “Its definitely been a change. It was a bit of a tough transition at first, because we were used to being outside, and just exercising all day feels pretty good compared to sitting in a van or a bus all day and then eating at highway fast food stops. You don’t sleep very well and all sorts of things are hard about touring. On the flip side, we’re getting to go to a lot more places in a lot shorter amount of time. It’s not the same, but we’re meeting a lot of people out on the road and that’s great. Every time we go to a city we haven’t played, there’s people that have connected with the album and are singing along.”
Blind Pilot has been featured in major festivals such as Sasquatch, Lollapalooza and Outside Lands. “The festival scene is strange. Festivals are fun and have giant headliners on the final nights. They have this real presence as aspiring musicians. In actuality though, they’re a little overwhelming with the amount of people there. It can be a little frustrating, there are so many bands. At the same time, its great to play these festivals we’ve either been to growing up to see bands we loved. Or just heard a lot about and wanted to see the workings of it all. Its been great in that way. The gorge is amazing. It’s such a beautiful place. That was a particularly nice festival. We saw some really great shows. The backdrop of the Gorge is amazing on the main stage.”
Just prior to playing at Sasquatch in George, Washington, Blind Pilot went on a European tour featuring dates with Counting Crows and the Hold Steady. “We had just come back from Europe the night before and then left first thing in the morning to get to Sasquatch. We didn’t know too much about either one of those bands. But like most bands, we wanted to get over to tour Europe and it was a great opportunity to go. The Counting Crows have been around a long time. I don’t think they’ve had a real hit since the mid nineties, but they have so many fans over in Europe. You know, playing to five to ten thousands people a night in arenas, it was wild. The arena scene is interesting. It was a good experience, though its not necessarily the best musical experience. A lot of the sound gets lost. And were more interested in having a connection with the audience then selling as many tickets as we possibly can.”
Blind Pilot’s current tour is the last for the 3 Rounds and a Sound album, which wraps up at the Wonder Ballroom in Portland. “We’re done with this tour in December. We’ll probably see friends and family for the rest of December. But this is what we’re doing now, so we don’t want to take too much time off. We’re pretty eager to keep going and get back into the studio. It’s what we love to do. Even though touring is hard I almost prefer it because I am not quite sure what to do with myself in the down time. I’m excited for the next album– to just be creating again. Israel and I really feed off each other creatively in that way. It will be good to be focused on that instead of focused on getting onto the next city, which we’ve been doing for some time You get ideas, but there’s never really time to flush out the ideas into complete songs. Or complete paintings.”
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www.myspace.com/blindpilot
Official Blind Pilot site
(A Small in a Dragon Suit b/c it’s glorious)
Halloween is around the corner so let’s all start preparing ourselves by getting in the mood. I personally like to think of my younger years, when Halloween was the ish, candy was abundant, and my costumes were off the chizarts. My thoughts drift back to these days and the enjoyable treats I enjoyed. For instance, mother flipping Dunkaroos. Most likely the best personal cookie package one could find in their lunchbox at any given time (that is not a opinion, it’s fact). Dunkaroos were so dankskity that trading such a package could warrant such things as entire bags of candy or even two snack packs. Yes two. Crazy yes but rad sauce as well. Anyways Dunkaroos were my jam back in the day and I miss them. Enjoy these tunes, eat serious candy, dress goofy, get weird, and carve some pumpkins and such.
Stay fresh kids, stay fresh.
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Dunkaroo-afied Songs on This Show:
Forever Yours,
The Constable
Floating on a mesmerizing stream of eccentric beats and fresh rhythms, Zero 7’s fourth album Yeah Ghost, sounds like it would be the perfect background music for one of those dreams that you strive desperately to remember. The innovative sounds that come streaming into the listeners ears seem to take him or her into a stratosphere not normally visited in everyday interactions, but are undoubtedly still there residing somewhere deep within the subconscious.
Their lyrics, when decipherable, meditate upon the enticing thoughts one might have when attracted to another, or the motivations behind acting kindly to others. Should someone let the music take over their body many of their tracks would invoke a very unique dance out of them. The beats seem so unconventional and bizarre independent of each other, but as they are meshed together strategically they flow perfectly as one, “Everything Up” is a perfect example of this. Sam Hardaker and Henry Binns, the electronic duo from London, have delved into a deeper sound that hasn’t quite been penetrated before. Singer/songwriter Eksa Mtungwazi also helped to put a fresh spin on the album by lending her vocals to songs like “Medicine Man.” Other artists featured include Sia and Jose Gonzalez.
Some tracks like “Mr McGee” fill the listener with charisma and energy, while others like “The Road” take the listener into a rather melancholy state of mind. Zero 7 has captured the art of evoking emotion through music, and they use it most skillfully. If you really allow yourself to embrace the music, it will make you smile, and perhaps even cry. Just as the album draws you into this curious region of thought at the beginning, it delivers you from it in the end as well. The final song, “All of Us,” releases the listener from the trance-like state they may have found themselves in while enveloped in the music. Nonetheless, the listener is left wanting more.
Mr McGee
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Everything Up (Zizou)
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So the cool kids already know this, but Hard Haunted Mansion is back this year for one of the best two nights of techno and electro. We’ve already posted the preview for Friday’s headliners, and Saturday’s lineup is just as amazing.
Justice: The French duo is back for their second year in a row at Hard Haunted Mansion. Justice has a solid reputation for putting on amazing shows that keep the beat bumping and the kids dancing. If you didn’t see them before at Street Scene ’08 or last year’s Hard Haunted Mansion, then they should no doubt be the set to see on Saturday night.
“Phantom II (Boys Noize Remix)
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Crookers: The Crookers are one of the many acts that were unable to play at the recent Hard Summer disaster. Nevertheless, these Italian DJs will be there this Saturday to light up the dance floors with their crazy mixes and fuzzy beats. These guys are definitely worth seeing so don’t miss out!
“Wassup (Crookers Remix)”
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Major Lazer: This collaboration between DJs Diplo and Switch has been making lots of waves with their electro/dub/hip-hop style. They played at the Electric Daisy Carnival early this past summer and have been spreading their unique sound. Be sure to see them this Saturday and, based on Diplo’s past shows, expect some “guest appearances.”
“Pon de Floor (Feat VYBZ Kartel)”
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Steve Aoki: Another amazing DJ who was unable to play at Hard Summer. Steve Aoki is one of LA’s best DJs and even owns DIM MAK Records, the record label that promotes the Bloody Beetroots. Steve Aoki is famous worldwide and after you hear him live, there won’t be any question as to who he is.
“I’m in the House (Feat. Zuper Blahq/Dub Instrumental Mix)”
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Basement Jaxx: This British duo has been pumping out dance floor hits since 1994. The distinct soul of 90′s dance music clashed together with the modern fuzz and blips of electro recently came together in their latest album Scars. They sure to bring the party vibe to their set so don’t miss them!
“Twerk”
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The Avett Brothers, allknowingforce.com
Every so often, a band comes along that seems to pour its heart and soul into every track. The Avett Brothers seem to be one of those bands.
From the first pained piano chords of the title track off of The Avett Brothers newly released EP I and Love and You, the listener is placed into a state of sorrow. By the time the soothing caress of the cello enters, the listener is swept away, placed into a state of of sorrow and hope simultaneously.
The North Carolina group seems to show a softer side on this album, and this is saying something. Prior to I and Love and You, The Avett Brothers had over fourteen songs with the name “pretty girl” in the title. While at times the songs might sound slightly sappy, it is crucial that the listener slowly considers the complexity of the songs. From a steady bass to slow banjo strumming, a relaxed guitar, and a quiet drum that seems to tie it all together, there are a lot going on in these tracks.
Beyond the actual tune, quite possibly the most unique facet of The Avett Brothers are their lyrics. This album seems to intensify their lyrics while slowly down their tempos. The track “Laundry Room” describes love in quite a unique way stating, “I woke with a head full of songs/I spent the whole day/I wrote ‘em down but its a shame/Tonight i’ll burn the lyrics, ‘cause every chorus was your name.” This expressive way of stating a deep infatuation shows the unique creativity of Seth Avett.
Critics of this album might say that The Avett Brothers are leaving their unique style behind for a more mainstream sound, I beg to argue the exact opposite. While perhaps some of the tunes might at time sound generic, the beautiful tangents of guitar picking and banjo lines will comfort any fan of the classic Avett Brothers sound.
The Avett Brothers begin an extensive tour of the East Coast and the Midwest starting October 29, 2009. Be sure to look out for The Avett Brothers to head out to the West Coast this spring. More information can be found at www.theavettbrothers.com .
