Review: The Thing About Rivals - Sabrina

So once in a while when I'm bored I go to bandcamp, put in random tags and click on album covers that catch my eye.  To be honest, it's almost always a total waste of time.  But...BUT... once in a while I stumble onto a total gem that makes it all worthwhile.  Yesterday I found one of those gems. 

The Thing About Rivals hail from Los Angeles, and according to their bandcamp page they play beach indie-rock summer surf music - that's pretty much all I know about them.  Serendipity (and the "newness" sort option) led me to their Sabrina EP on the very day it was released and it was love on first listen.

The title cut "Sabrina" starts with a strummed acoustic guitar and folky harmonies before a tremolo-y guitar line enters, painting an unmistakably sunny picture.  "Oh Well" picks up the pace, with a steady backbeat providing a base for cascading lead guitar and a repeated chorus of "Oh well / I don't like it any more than you do".  Lush and vaguely shoegazey but still maintaining a sunny disposition.  "Concrete Waves", the most upbeat of the 4 songs, as clean guitar arpeggios and frenetic drum fills create a bed for Emir Abdo's slurry croon.  Replace a bit of The Walkmen's dreary east coast grit with some west coast hazy sunshine and you should have a pretty good idea what The Thing About Rivals sound like - and that's most true of the closing track "Water Stone".  Gently-picked electric guitar, organ and a woozy vocals build to an epic, bombastic climax of drums, guitar and vocals that recedes as quickly as it swelled.

One of the best unexpected discoveries I've had in a long time.  I guarantee this will be getting lots of spins over the coming weeks and months.  If you're not sold, you can get the entire EP for FREE at the band's bandcamp page!  No excuse not to get this now.

The Thing About Rivals - Water Stone

Bonus: video for "Tangering Dream", outtake from Sabrina

Review: Yarn Owl - Montaña Y Caballo

If you like your indie rock as majestic as the Cascades, as life-giving as a strong cup of coffee (black) and as lush as the towering pines along Puget Sound - well, you'll want to check out Seattle's Yarn Owl. Montaña Y Caballo, the band's impressive debut, shares soaring bombast (and a band member) with vintage Band of Horses, plus the pastoral earthiness of Fleet Foxes.  Suffice it to say that if you're a fan of either of those bands, you'll find something to like here.

Album opener "Go" starts on the folkier end of that spectrum with a brightly plucked mandolin.  The song finds its climax as call-and-response vocals build to a dramatic peak.  "Seashell Wind Chime" is next, a powerhouse of a song propelled by a steady beat, crashing waves of electric guitar and reverb-drenched vocals - it's been on constant loop for days.

Yarn Owl - Seashell Wind Chime

The album is packed with lush sounds - swaths of guitar, rich multi-part harmonies and towering choruses.  It's a dynamic sound and a rewarding listen that isn't getting old after countless spins, even if a few of the tracks do tend to run together.  There is nothing here that breaks new ground, the band seems fully content to synthesize current trends.  But that isn't necessarily a bad thing - in my mind there's always room for a band that fills a comfortable sonic niche.  As long as the songs are good enough to pull it off, that is - and these are.  If you miss It Still Moves-era MMJ, or find Fleet Foxes a bit too sedate for your tastes, this just could be your favorite new band.

Review: Hey Rosetta! - Seeds

By Todd Harrington

Listening to a band for the first time can be as scary as it can be fun. Then, factor in a "review" of the record and it gets even more fun. The good news for Canadian based six piece band Hey Rosetta! is they hit the wow (and repeat) button right out of the gate.

On the bands 11 song, third full length release they blend the instruments you expect in a rock band but then toss in piano, strings and other percussive instruments and that all results in a very pleasant and rewarding listen.

Lead vocalist Tim Baker soars over the music at times, and at others is so hushed you want to give him a hug and tell him it is going to be okay. The urgency is there more often than not and drummer Phil Maloney must have a vendetta out on his drum kit the way he hits the kit.

Baker and Maloney can't do it alone though. Tracks like "Yer Spring" which starts quiet but throws you for a loop when an odd time signature grabs your ears and before you know it violinist Kinley Dowling and cellist Romesh Thavanathan make the song so full you'd swear there are 15 members in the band.

Hey Rosetta! - Yer Spring

Never to be outdone bassist Josh Ward (who really shines on the opening track "Seeds") and lead guitarist Adam Hogan offer the right amount of flash, but a constant amount of "just right" playing.  A "guitar solo" is hardly ever heard in the common rock sense. Over the eleven tracks the first real time the guitar seemed to stand out is when Hogan got a little crunchy with it on "Parson Brown" but that could also be due to the fact the song is a very laid back, string filled track from the start, only bursting when Hogan comes in.

Trust me when the lack of a guitar solo is okay to mention. The band is just "so full" you lean in at times to hear the plucking of the cello strings ("New Sum") to the odd tempo, almost "math rock" feel of the track. The band swells at the right time. The band is cautious to let the songs grow at the right time. Only the track "Welcome" seems to bust out of the gate, it mellows some, but finishes with the same urgency.

As stated at the start of this review I knew nothing about the band going in to this, but their live reviews
are glowing and if they can bring tracks from this album to the stage I can only imagine. See you in the
front row.

Review: Eureka Gold - Land of Imaginary Suffering

By Lily Linquata

Nashville's Eureka Gold -- namely Buddy Hughen, Jordan Lehning, Adam Gold, Adam White, and Eli Beaird -- couldn't have asked for a better time, place, or social circle to incubate their career as a band. Though unsigned, they're hardly unfamiliar with the industry and have, instead, shared the stage as backing musicians with some of Tennessee's most up-and-coming acts. Buddy plays [a potentially Johnny Corndog strapped] guitar with the evermore endearing Tristen, while Jordan dabbles with a talented-when-scorned Caitlin Rose.

The debut album, Land of Imaginary Suffering, self-released on April 14th, is -- in a word -- inspired. Nearly each of the eleven tracks suggests a different era or artist, all while owning a unique and full sound. With an inexplicably haunting aura, the tracks saunter through moments which call to mind artists like Dr. Dog,  The Shins, Telekinesis, and -- of course -- Tristen. "Fever Dream" features the latter's leading lady's unmistakable voice and stylized songwriting nuances in the vexing chorus. Perhaps most impressively, "65 Wives" is reminiscent of The Beatles. Lilting vocals in the tip-top of their collective range carries the song along at a cozy canter.

And yet, despite the momentary comparisons, nothing feels misplaced, contrived, or tired about Land. On the contrary. The album is laced with subtle, distinct intricacies that establish EG as a cohesive, tightly branded batch. "Wayward," the second track, showcases a big, bouncy, and layered sound while neither shattering nor challenging any already conventional notions of how to write a great song. "Holly" offers a pleasant chord progression which is familiar -- you'll be humming along, on key, before the first chorus is out -- but not trite.

Eureka Gold - Wayward

In fact, Land is one of those albums with which one day, miraculously, without trying, and before you know it, you'll be singing along; inflecting every word, steering-wheeling every last drum beat. Though that's not to say there isn't something significant happening with the songwriting. Catchy? Yes, absolutely. But well thought-out and -- if by association only -- musically valid. Lyrics, not always discernible or straightforward, are nostalgic, if not melancholy. The two vocalists of the group have clear, interesting tones which blend together in awesome harmony, making any song about how the day forgets the night sound far less ominous or sad.

It's apparent that Eureka Gold is comprised of a very busy group of gents. Even their MySpace page isn't up-to-date with the latest tracks and so you'll have to head over to iTunes to preview Land of Imaginary Suffering. A fun album for the very-much-here Spring.

Review: The Acre - "Cerca Trova" + CD Release Show TONIGHT

The Acre's latest, Cerca Trova, starts with a single, jarring piano chord, a clearing of the throat that ensures that listeners are paying full attention; and this is an album that deserves listeners full attention.  Opening track "Stereo" is propelled by rich piano and a thumping bass drum, a perfect opening track that highlights the strengths of the band.  They paint sonic landscapes that envelope the listener with subtleties and nuances.  That vision manifests itself in the songwriting, arrangements and the record as a whole.

These ten songs inhabit the well worn path between folk and rock traditions.  "The Singer" is a soft ballad that features Nick Murphy and Courtney Cavanaugh's dual male/female vocals that pop up throughout the album.  At the other end of the spectrum is "A Dagger & The Cane" which trades acoustic guitars for crunchy distortion.  One highlight, "Guilty Soul" finds a soulful middle ground with shared vocals, singalong chorus and a bouncy rhythm.

The Acre - Guilty Soul

Another standout is "Build", a moody burner that features evocative piano fills and shimmering atmospherics before building to a crescendo and devolving into swirling, effects-laden guitar noise.  The band is at their best when they let themselves experiment and explore sonic textures, and they close the album in just that way with the sprawling "Hemingway".  The epic, eight minute track starts fairly simply - open-chord electric strums over subtle noise and confessional lyrics.  At the two-minute mark the song ebbs and begins to reform.  Simple bass, guitar arpeggios build and explode in a wall of guitar and feedback before fading again.  It's stunning.

Get Cerca Trova from the band's bandcamp page, or come out to their CD release show TONIGHT at TTs in Cambridge.  Tickets here.  Tonight's show is fully VV-endorsed and is guaranteed to to be an amazing time.  The Acre will share the bill with the fantastic Pearl and the Beard and hometown favorites Kingsley Flood.  Speaking of which, watch this amazing video of Kingsley Flood playing a new track "Mannequin Man"

Vikesh Kapoor - Sherene, Don't Be Alone

Vikesh Kapoor has been quiet over the last few months, but that doesn't mean he hasn't been busy.  The singer-songwriter moved from Boston to Portland OR and has been working on a follow-up to last year's promising Newspress Scare 7".  No details yet on when we'll hear that follow-up, but a new track has surfaced as part of The Sights Of Sounds video series.  Fans of Kapoor's carefully-spun folk songs will enjoy "Sherene, Don't Be Alone", a sweetly melancholy song to an estranged lover.

Stream Cass McCombs' new album WIT'S END

Los Angeles troubadour Cass McCombs releases his excellent new album WIT'S END today.  Needless to say, it's gorgeous.  Stream the entire album below, then get tickets for his May 10 show in Boston at Cafe 939 here.

Lady Lamb The Beekeeper Live at Brighton Music Hall 4.14.11

As I tend to do from time to time, I've kinda slept on Lady Lamb The Beekeeper (aka Aly Spaltro).  I heard the praise, listened to the music but never really took the time to let it all take root.  However, over the past couple months that's started to change.  While researching and selecting songs for the Spring Mix, I started giving Mammoth Swoon some serious play.  While I didn't ultimately select a Lady Lamb track for that mix, that was the tipping point...I guess that's when I finally got it.  Now, Mammoth Swoon is a collection of outtakes and demos, but what it lacks in cohesiveness it more than makes up for with heart and glimpses of limitless potential.  Scathing and visceral songs, sketches of pain cut with a youthful sweetness.  Raw in all the best ways.

So, this brings us to Thursday night and a sold out Brighon Music Hall.  There is simply no better pairing for Lady Lamb's angst-driven tales of romantic disappointment than Sharon Van Etten's less-angsty tales of romantic disappointment.  As described by the night's headliner, it truly was a "night of strong women".  The diminutive songwriter took the stage by herself and quieted the chattering crowd with the breathtaking acapella "Up In The Rafters".  Breathtaking would actually be an apt description of the entire set.  As Aly Spaltro bared her soul to a room full of strangers, we exchanged knowing glances and eyebrow raises - we were witnessing something pretty special.  A dynamic vocalist, Spaltro whispers, croons and screams, on-key and off, all to great effect.  Her voice is her weapon and she weilds it with deadly precision, or lack of precision...whichever the song or moment dictates.  A jawdropping set from a rising star.

The entire set is available for stream or download below in incredible sound.  As with the Sharon Van Etten recording, huge thanks goes to Dan Seiders on sound.  Not to mention big thanks to Lady Lamb The Beekeeper and Brighton Music Hall.  Enjoy!

Lady Lamb The Beekeeper
Brighton Music Hall - Boston, MA
April 14, 2011

Up In The Rafters
Bird Balloons
Aubergine
Between Two Trees
Little Brother 
The Secret
Hair To The Ferris Wheel
Crane Your Neck

Full set download:  mp3 zip 

Review: The Cults at The Independent, San Francisco CA 4.14.11

It's with great pleasure that I introduce Melissa, our first west coast contributor all the way from San Francisco.  Visible Voice is, and will always be, all about local live music - "local" just now extends beyond Boston and New England!

By Melissa Blaustein

How can you describe a live concert with psychedelic dream pop duo The Cults?  Well, to quote the band in question - "Oh. My. God".

A friend of mine once told me his sister puts on their debut single,“Go Outside” every morning before she gets into the shower. Ya, they’re just that kind of band.  The kind of music that you can not only wake up to, but that will wake you up.  Their combination of 50’s teen pop infused with 80’s retro makes it hard to not sing along, or at the very least crack a smile.

Cults - Go Outside

The pair is made up of two kids from San Diego California, Madeline Folli and Brian Oblivion, who were just messing around making music in their garage when they put some of it on band camp and realized a lot of people, (myself included) liked it.

When the friend I’d been planning to meet at the show bailed on me at the last minute, I considered skipping it. But unwilling to miss out on a band that had successfully put me in a good mood at least ten times in the last two weeks - I hopped a cab to the Independent and counted on the Cults to come through for that 11th time. I really didn’t want this to be another blog band that couldn’t cut it on a live stage.

The show did not disappoint.

To start things off two erupted in their latest release, “Abducted” and the hand clapping, bell ringing, finger snapping, hair flipping energy was contagious. I didn’t see a single person that wasn’t tapping their feet or swaying their hips. (Yes, that allusion to a 50’s concert hall was intentional).

That energy persisted through favorites like “Most Wanted,” and the mellower “You Know What I Mean” where Madeline assured us that she was turning the lights down because she was “gonna slow things down.”

Madeline is like Peggy Lee meets Jenny Lewis. She channels the sultry sound of Lee’s 50’s favorite “fever” and popy rilo kiley ballads like “breaking up” to create irresistible jams like “The Curse” and “Oh My God.” Brian and Madeline are a great match. Brian’s key work, guitar skills and baritone-esque vocals pair perfectly with Madeline’s retro style. When the two of them waved their hip length long hair in unison while rocking out, it only further solidified my belief that these two could successfully re-coin the term “blast from the past”

My only qualm with the show was its length. The band’s album is set to debut sometime in May 2011, so until then, they’ve only got about seven songs. But damn, can they ever play them.

When the show ended everyone in the audience waited for an encore, but Madeline assured us that the encore would be in July when they go back on tour – don’t miss it.