quickcrit - music reviews

5. Owen Pallett
   The sole member of the former Final Fantasy is totally blowing my mind with his Andrew Bird-meets-Brian Eno-doing-a-film score-together sounds. Here's the best live music clip you'll see all year.
   
   
   
   
4. Sleigh Bells - "Rill Rill"
   Pretty polarizing band, you love 'em or hate 'em. I can see both sides, but am firmly rooted in the "love 'em" camp. "Rill Rill" miht be my jam of the year. I usually try to work it so it's the last song I hear before I arrive at work at 7:00 each morning. Really compliments the last few sips of coffee.
   
   
   
   
3. Wye Oak
   Solid song writing, Spot on execution. Last year's excellent premiere "The Knot" slipped by most of us, but the new EP "My Neighbor/My Creator" should garner some attention. Except for the last track, which is awful.
   
   Tiny Desk Concert
   
   
2. Cute Bands
   Every couple of years, I get wooed back into the land of the cute bands....the Postal Service, Belle and Sebastian, the Moldy Peaches....they've all gotten me at some point. This year has thus far had a pretty solid batch, the likes of which include:
   
   Freelance Whales
   
   
   Stars
   
   
   And, for old times sake, plus in anticipation of a new album this fall, Ra Ra Riot
   
   
   
1. The National
   I dare say I'm not the only 30+ year old single man who can put back a bottle of wine and find comfort and solace in the National. Amazing new album. Like you haven't heard it.
   
   
   

Mark you calendars, Friday, May 21st at the Regency Ballroom The Morning Benders will be rolling into town to open for Broken Bells. I'm not sure which is more of a treat: Two stellar "groups" playing one show or The Morning Benders' new album Big Echo. The Berkeley to Brooklyn based band nails it on the head on this one. I was originally turned onto these guys because of their similarities to Ra Ra Riot, but I feel like they have taken great leaps forward with this release and established not just a sound, but a level of independence from defining comparisons. Although, there are some elements of Ra Ra Riot and Elvis Perkins mixed in with Beach Boy harmonies, I think it is fair to say that The Morning Benders have come to the party to stay by their own right. "Excuses" is the type of single that connects with you immediately and kicks off the album in a way that draws you in real close with its indie pop catchiness. Once "Excuses" sets the table for the rest of the album, you can enjoy the layered instrumentation and vocals that can be both relaxing and invigorating, depending on the mood - I could both fall asleep and prep for a night out to this album. This is a great album that I highly recommend. In addition to "Excuses," check out "Cold War" and "Hand Me Downs."

Who knew that the cello could be the make-or-break instrument for a band? I certainly didn't (unless the band is actually a symphony led by Yo-Yo Ma); however, that was what Ra Ra Riot proved when they called a scheduled hour-long, early morning set after just two songs on a foggy morning at the Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park. It was an inspiring and ambitious idea: Coffee, bagels, and donuts segueing into a 9-10AM set before the band hit the road on their way from San Francisco to Reno, but after just one song, the group announced that they would play only one more song due to a malfunctioning cello to the chuckling amusement of the unbelieving crowd. So, after acoustic, un-miked renditions of "Each Year" and "Dying Is Fine," the crowd of about 30 onlookers, the band, and the Spin Earth TV video crew packed up and wandered off into the fog. Although I highly respect their willingness to get up early and perform in a picnic like atmosphere, the execution of set was just a little awkward. Nevertheless, it was fun and here's a taste of the performance...

5. Copying dance moves from this kid and using them to make friends.


4. Discovery - I'm not a particularly huge fan of either Ra Ra Riot or Vampire Weekend, but a member of each got together to form Discovery and it's, frankly, wonderful. Especially this "Orange Shirt" song.


3. Supernova - "Mr. Hudson" ft. Kanye West
Don't tease. This song makes me want to party.


2. The Antlers - Hospice
When I'm done with all the partying to Supernova, I like to slow it down with this album.






1. Because really, there is no time like summer time to be on a boat. I really wish I was friends with T. Pain.

Don't get excited, guys. This was the most boring live experience I've attended in some time, especially for a final tour stop? Yikes. There's been a shift in lineup, ushering in not just a new keyboardist but a drummer who took the place of Jesse Sandoval who seems to have now found his calling serving up indie tacos in Portland. After last night's unmoving set, I'm quick to say Upgrade.

Whatever is left of The Shins played to a packed house and there were some genuine cheers from a crowd that demonstrated the confusingly wide range of their fan base. There were the older-looking hip VH1 kind of people, the very young and barely legal, and then these two inebriated Lady Gaga look-alike chicks next to us who insisted on posing in pictures with each other, complete with tousled hair and exaggerated pouts perhaps intended for potential future Facebook profile photos. Much of my malaise may have been due to my looming bad mood but also the fact that I hate Terminal 5, a venue that a Brooklyn Vegan reader recently opined "needs to accidentally burn down." It's too big for any kind of intimacy, the sound quality isn't that great, and it's not designed for shorter indie rock fans. I can never see anything so I end up watching the show from the monitors while trying hard to avoid the inevitable elbowing to the boob, or boobs if the show gods are really hating me that evening.

There was no on-stage banter, no tomfoolery, vulgarity, anecdotes, nothing. They did share a "new song" that was upbeat and promising, but they didn't even play any of my favorite songs off Chutes Too Narrow ("Kissing The Lipless" or "Pink Bullets"). Perhaps one point of interest was when they played "Saint Simon" and I recognized the violinist who appeared as being Rebecca Zeller from Ra Ra Riot, only to think "That's cool, whatever." They're a solid band and their music sounds great live, it was just... boring. All of this mystifies me considering I saw them my one and only other time in 2004 at Webster Hall and left feeling invigorated and excited as well as satisfied and relaxed. Que paso? They closed their two-song encore with "New Slang" and instead of getting excited, we left mid-song to avoid the rush. This humors me considering I saw Wolf Parade here last summer and refused to move several minutes after their last song because I was still reeling. At one point I actually whispered into my friend's ear, "I think I could have stayed home lounging on my bed blasting their records and had a better time." The feeling was mutual.

Ra Ra Riot’s 2008 release, The Rhumb Line, will sound mightily familiar to any of you who are acquainted with their 2007 self-titled EP. Four tracks are featured on both releases, arguably the best songs on the album, and only one or two of the additions really stand out. The best of the repeated tracks, “Ghost Under Rocks” and “Dying Is Fine,” have noticeably improved recording & production—less lo-fi garage band promo tape, more studio filtered cleanliness. The interesting additions are the Kate Bush cover "Suspended in Gaffa,” and “Oh, La,” which for a brief second I thought was an alternate lyrics cover of The Kook’s 2006 track “Ooh La” (notice the subtle difference… clever). If you enjoyed the 2007 EP release, which I did, I would definitely recommend this polished extension; however, be prepared for similarities throughout.