The Turn On

You know those people who believe that the universe gives you exactly what you need, right when you need it? Yeah, no, I’m not one of those. In fact, if that were true, I’d say the universe has a warped-as-shit sense of humor. But still, something pretty fate-like happened last month, and I’ve been riding that cosmic high ever since.

I was born a NJ beach kid, addicted to sand, sun, and the incredible vibe of the area. I stupidly moved to DC almost two years ago, but live for the weekends I can escape back home. So the news that my family was selling our childhood home and moving out-of-state was a blow and a half, to say the least. I came back to say my goodbyes (and to celebrate my mom getting married!!) mid-May. Turns out that Deal Casino, an Asbury Park band (by way of Sparta, NJ) who snuck up on my radar only a few months before, was playing at Asbury Lanes, one of the venues that I’d never been able to make it to before moving to DC. K knew some people, who knew some people, who did a thing, et viola, I found myself at one of the best shows I’ve seen at home, played by some of the most talented guys the Shore has offered up, and believe me, NJ knows how to make ‘em. (Thanks universe, I guess?)

In a generation obsessed with “authenticity”, Deal Casino stands out… their vibe isn’t forced and they seem comfortable in their sound. Heck, their newest album (2014) has an edgy, sexy-bass element to it that’s incredibly addicting. There’s an overarching cohesiveness to their sound, as a whole, that they brilliantly translate live. The guitar and bass are loose, but not disorganized; the drums are rhythmically captivating, but balanced. You can absolutely tell that live music is their thing, and from what I’ve heard and read since the show, working through their kinks live is how they’ve cultivated the sound that they have now. There’s a bit of flash, both with their image- ripped jeans and a stellar quaff these days are an almost guaranteed recipe for success- and with their songs…umm hello FortyFive. My sister, who came with, commented on their vocal range, and actually one of their lyrics even made it into my stash of “if I ever get words tattooed on my body” ideas. Bottom line is- they’re a talented bunch, with creativity and passion on their side.

While I recommend them live, I urge you to check them out period (links and such below). I will say I’ve been feeling Heck but have been neglecting some of their previous material. It’s a personal thing, but I definitely gravitate toward the shift in their sound that seemed to present itself in Heck. Regardless, Deal Casino has an indie-rock-pop (how do we label music these days, honestly) vibe that even my country music loving sister got behind.

Selfishly though, they sound like home. They sound like driving from Long Branch to Asbury Park (a trip that takes you past Deal Casino, the beach club, in Deal the town- god I love it) with the windows down, sun dried hair flying, after a day spent by the ocean. And that’s what music is all about, yeah? Admittedly, my weekend lined up in a fate-like way, and now I have a soundtrack to my last memories of home. Immensely rad.

Vocals/guitar– Joe Parella Guitar – Jozii Cowell Bass- Jon Rodney Drums- Mike Linardi

www.dealcasinomusic.com

Photo credit: @chloe_hart_ (Instagram)

As a twentysomething living in a city that’s swallowing me whole, I’ve found myself caught up in some of life’s bigger questions… What the hell am I doing? Is this really my job? Why is it so damn hard to let go? How is it that all the best things in life have gluten in them? Is that really what my hair looks like from the back? …you catch my drift, I’m sure. But I’ve been missing a question in my midnight mulling. Sufjan Stevens was kind enough to remind me. What’s the significance of these experiences? His pursuit of answers for his own peace of mind make for a hauntingly relatable music experience.

As he preps for the release of his new album Carrie & Lowell (out later this month), Stevens has shared two songs that highlight the darkness that comes from probing the past, and the lightness that can come from reconciling with reality. In a beautifully dreamy way, the like of which very few other artists replicate with such emotional sincerity, Stevens slips back to folky roots in an almost acoustic-type single, Should Have Known Better. It makes me want to take a nap in the absolute best way possible- laying with the windows open in late spring… the whole mellow scene, I’m sure you can picture it.

Talking about the single, Stevens said in a recent interview for NPR, “Everyone suffers; life is pain; and death is the final punctuation at the end of that sentence, so deal with it. I really think you can manage pain and suffering by living in fullness and being true to yourself and all those seemingly vapid platitudes”. If the album is a continued exploration of these themes, we twentysomethings have just found the perfect partner in Sufjan Stevens to inspire us in our search for answers about the past and the present, and the realities we experience when the two find themselves wound together.

I’m O, and I’m new around here :)

I’m a musical mess and I'm here to write about it (because the mess is half the fun, isn’t it?) While I may be K’s roommate and concert-going partner in crime, I definitely have my own style.  I'm addicted to live music... so while I pretend to have a pretty specific realm of music I like, if I see something live, I'm usually all about it.  Expect lots of show reviews , EP excitement, comeback stories, and random shenanigans from me soon!

Fortyfive - Deal Casino

So.  These guys have GOT to be my new obsession.  They just premiered their new song/video yesterday (!) and I have to say I immediately fell in love.  Not only are they from NJ, but they are definitely going to be paving the way for a more indie scene to come out of the more rock and roll state.  I've been trying to think of bands that they sound like, but they really have their own distinct sound and voice.  If I absolutely had to think of some, I would say that they kind of sound like the Arctic Monkeys mixed with Walk the Moon with a little bit of the 1975 mixed in.  So they're basically everything I love and I know that you will too.

Also, I kind of want to start a fan page for the furry coat he's wearing.  #SoMuchSwag

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WOW THIS IS SO LATE.  However...

2014 was a great year in music - at least for me.  It really solidified my transition into the indie, alt pop, rock scene.  So, without further ado, here are my top 10 albums of 2014 (with some help from my roommate Olivia):

1. American Beauty/American Psycho - Fall Out Boy 2. From the Spark - Grizfolk 3. Get Hurt - Gaslight Anthem 4. Vessel - Twenty One Pilots (alright, alright..I know this is TECHNICALLY 2013, but I became obsessed with this album this year.  So that counts...right?!) 5. Mind Over Matter - Young the Giant 6. From Eden - Hozier 7. Dream Your Life Away - Vance Joy 8. Language and Perspective - Bad Suns 9. All Yours - Alt-J 10. X (Multiply) - Ed Sheeran

Honorable Mention: FOUR - One Direction Glitterbug - The Wombats (I KNOW THAT THE FIRST SINGLE WAS RELEASED IN 2013 AND THE ALBUM WON'T BE RELEASED UNTIL APRIL BUT THIS ALBUM WILL BE GOLDEN)

Salt - Bad Suns Very powerful video.  Very awesome song.

In honor of seeing them in person in like, a week.

Last Wednesday, I went to a Grizfolk show at the Black Cat (post on that to come).  I'm pretty much obsessed with them, and also going to new shows at the littler venues around DC.  You never what kind of music you're going to discover - and the atmosphere is SO much better than at the bigger venues (sorry 9:30...).  ANYways...

I had never heard of opener for Grizfolk, but that was not surprising.  To be honest, I wasn't all that excited for them either.  They have a really generic name that doesn't really tell you what kind of music they play;.  Strike one.  Grizfolk didn't even promo them on any of their social media accounts - at least from what I could see.  Strike two.

But then.  They came out.  And straight out of the gate, they were all over the place rocking out with everything their little hearts could muster.  From their very first song, you knew what these guys were about: showing the crowd what they were made of and having fun while they do it.  They sound a little bit like SirSly mixed with The Kooks mixed with The 1975.  If that doesn't sound confusing, that I have to give you credit.  Every song sounded completely different from one another, but it still sounded cohesive.  And the lead singer, Chase, is the keyboardist...and if you don't think that's cool, then I don't really know what to say to you.

My favorite had to be their first single Run (which was just released!).  It has the synth and guitar with the breathy and whiney vocals that you would find in every Kooks song.  But they have really made this sound their own.  I'm really excited to see what they will do next, and you better believe that I will be seeing them when they come back to DC.

You can listen to them on iTunes, Spotify, Last FM, or SoundCloud.

Here you go: http://zumic.com/music-videos/101616/alt-j-full-performance-at-le-poisson-rouge-9-2-2014-official-video-set-list/

Hope you read on, but if not - at least now you have what you need.

The reason I, and many others, work in music is because of shows like this one. The show happened inside me, as opposed to external to me. Crazier still, is when the songs at these kinds of shows are new... You are hearing songs premiered to the world but more importantly, directly to your ears. The songs will never be the same. The excitement of the new songs is born into you, part of you forever.

Some due is owed to the "intimate" (I like to use that word when describing some of my favorite venues) nature of Le Poisson Rouge (LPR). The interception of sound waves by my body on the edge of the stage definitely contributed to some of the charm. A bad set spent face-to-face with some of your favorite young musicians would have to be a pretty damn awful set...

The lighting was warm colored and undeniably fitting, especially in conjunction with my glass of wine. alt-J had a really tough act to follow that night... their own first studio album. An Awesome Wave (2012) is so brilliant, I thought, surely, it would be difficult to top. Even if you're the one who wrote it. 

But no, the boys brought their A game (I like to use that phrase to describe a very well-played set) and proved they are serious about doing the music thing. They overcame the stage terrors of having not performed live in 8 (or 9, I forget) months and the difficulty of executing new material. alt-J's music is already so superiorly beautiful, I encourage you to imagine it live. It quadruples in magnificence from one recording, to four musicians bending sound with their instruments.

Catch them on tour.

Thank you LPR for being great hosts.

Two truths:

-Dan Auerbach produced Lana del Rey's latest album "Ultraviolence" (on which the track "West Coast" appears)

-Four Tet remixed "West Coast"

and I can end my review now.

Five stars (duh), both tracks. If you are have further curiosity, read on...

Today's average remix has become redundant. A series of 'beep, boop, beep beep boops,' or a heavy-on-the-snare drop into something trappy as hell. Naturally, I have come to expect very little when I see the word "remix" slapped at the end of one of my favorite tunes. In fact, I expect - at that moment - to have one of my favorite songs ruined for me.

However, there are exceptions to this rule, Four Tet at the top of the list. For me, "West Coast" was a bit of reverse psychology. I heard the remix before the original and digged it so much, I was afraid of the original. On my way to drop off my beloved first car to be sold, I chose my new Four Tet remix as my soundtrack for my last ride.

I gave the remix a bit of a break, again out of fear, this time fear of getting tired of the track. Weeks later, giving "Ultraviolence" (in its entirety) a go at work, I came to a few conclusions. 1) The album is incredible 2) Why wouldn't it be? DAN AUERBACH produced it 3) Wow, Lana 4) I think I've heard one of these tracks before, I'm in love...

Once again, I meet with "West Coast." This time it is pure, unadulterated stripped down to just Lana and Dan seshing hard in the studio. Next step, simultaneously obsess over the remix and the original.

The result? I start to really notice the differences. The way Four Tet grabs vocals from the end of the song and layers them with those of the beginning. The evidence that a live drummer was in the studio for the production of the original, as opposed to a modern 808 imitation. And how, without its mechanical snare, the remix track wouldn't have a fighting chance in a club.

"West Coast" - Lana del Rey

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKxuiw3iMBE

"West Coast (Four Tet)" - Lana del Rey

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktqtsp3yyIo

On May 12th 2014, The Black Keys released their 8th studio album titled Turn Blue. At the time, I decided not to rush efforts to become familiar with the newest album from one my all-time favorite bands. I thought I might leave myself with only a taste, having already heard the impressionable "Fever" (as it was released as a single in March 2014). "Quit while you're ahead" they say....

Naturally, I had been nervous to taint my pure love for the Keys - but this week it was time to go for it... and go for it again... and again and again (3,4,5x a day I am now up to). Twice in the morning, once during the day, and a couple times at night.

Now, this album can be received in a number of ways. For me, it feels like home. I can feel Auerbach and Carney slipping into the grooves of their favorite keys, chords and rhythmic tendencies which I love so much. Unconsciously, my mind pairs Turn Blue with these familiar aspects of the older records. The result: I feel like I've heard these songs before. The association occurs in a way that is not repetitive, but rather exciting. Listening caused me to think "wow, they've done it again."

Turn Blue's twist on an otherwise classic Black Keys display of musical genius comes from its direct message. One thing that is not open to interpretation is Turn Blue's status as a break-up ballad. In recent past, we have all been able to safely rely on SPIN Magazine (among others) to keep us posted on the latest in Dan Auerbach's divorce from Stephanie Gonis. 

Auerbach tells us, as listeners, he has had a rough year (romantically speaking). Auerbach's verses remind us that romantic wisdom is a by-product of time and that everything isn't always as it once seemed. In fact, Auerbach wants us to know so badly, that Patrick Carney allowed him to lyrically dedicate an entire album to making sure we got the message. Turn Blue  almost seems like a very well-produced (by Danger Mouse aka Brian Burton see: Broken Bells - Live on Letterman) session in the chair at the therapists' office.

With Turn Blue, The Black Keys manage to bring forth an entirely new album without sounding like an entirely new band. Staying true to the sexy, from-the-soul sound that has earned them millions of fans so far - Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney have truly done it again. Even the slightest bit of skepticism might've caused one (me) to believe that the duo couldn't possibly adequately follow up El Camino, Brothers before that, Attack and Release before that, and so on and so forth - but it happened.

Hope you enjoy the record. I most certainly will continue to.

I will save you the story of how I won 2 (two) free tickets to a Broken Bells Live on Letterman webcast. Fast forward to this past Monday, June 23rd...

theater usher: would you girls like to sit on stage?

me+my friend: uh... yeah??! *sit on the stage @ Ed Sullivan theater*

scene: Ed Sullivan theater, 50-something and Broadway (NYC), James Mercer and Danger Mouse (Brian Burton) take the stage....

I chose to take my good friend Stef, as she had shown me 2 years ago the power couple that James Mercer (a favorite singer-songwriter of mine) and Danger Mouse (a favorite producer of mine) had become when they adopted the band name Broken Bells in 2009. See classics: "October," "The High Road," "The Ghost Inside" etc.

Most recently, the band has released a second full-length album entitled After The Disco. See: "Holding on for Life," "After The Disco," "Medicine," "Perfect World" etc.

Now I had always imagined that seeing James Mercer perform live would touch my soul. However, I was not prepared for the transformation it would undergo in merely an hour of live performance from Broken Bells. Nothing could have prepared Stef and I for stage (courtside) seats, a kayak's length away - much less a set that included all of our (and nothing but) our favorites. By the set's finish I thought that surely, even after a vinyl purchase, these records would never sound the same. 

Mercer, Burton, and their soulful bandmates played a set that brought something new to the already captivating Broken Bells tunes. Their live performance did what every 'live' performance should do... It gave life to studio songs that convey the complexity of human existence, love, and everything in-between. Mercer gave the audience some reasonable advice in his lyrics, while Burton jammed his approval on drums, bass, etc. In real time, the band passionately wove together familiar sonic waves - creating one of the most breath-taking invasion of the senses it has been my pleasure to experience. 

With their sophomore album After The Disco, both Mercer and Burton have confirmed that Broken Bells is not just a new side project. Rather, it is a showcase of refined musicianship, creative potential, and the wisdom that comes with age. Prior to Broken Bells' conception, both musicians had already built impressive discographies. Mercer is well-known for his band The Shins (among other projects), and Burton for his major roles in the production of a few The Black Keys' albums (among other projects, see: The Gorillaz Demon Days). Casual...

"Don't run, don't rush. Just flow." October Broken Bells

Watch the full set here:

 http://www.cbs.com/shows/liveonletterman/artist/221751/broken-bells/

From Flume & Chet Faker's collaborative Lockjaw EP. Subscribe to our channel here: http://smarturl.it/FC_YouTube Get it on iTunes: http://smarturl.it/Lockjaw...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vopR3ys8Kw

Receive 'I Want U' immediately when you pre-order Alison Wonderland's Calm Down EP, released June 27: http://smarturl.it/AWCalmDown Produced by Alison Wonder...

Drunk in Love (Cover) - Ed Sheeran

Okay.  So Elvis Duran really annoys me.  But Ed Sheeran is absolutely flawless.

i realize i haven't been on here in a while, it seems my changing life has stolen most of my attention.

just anything Chet Faker

Thinking in Textures EP is great, and the new Built on Glass album

New song from Ed Sheeran. I’m in love.

It’s different. I can’t wait to hear what the rest of his album will sound like.