TGIF Hodge Podge – The xx + Mellowdrone + The Rapture
I don’t have much witty banter to get out today, and the Chicago concert landscape is pretty barren this weekend, rather than entertaining you with my wit or helping you fill the holes in your weekend social schedule, I want to take this opportunity to gloat a bit. If you read last week’s column as well as Kevin’s Radio Dick entry on Sunday, we had some pretty strong opinions on how the whole Radiohead EP rumor would shake out. And guess what? We were right. If you logged on to Wall of Ice on Monday, as I suspect many of you did, all you found was a free download of the track that was already available for free everywhere else on the Internet. Clearly we were right on in our thinking that individual tracks will continue to surface rather than seeing an EP or LP released any time soon. Not to seem pompous, but you heard it here first.
On a side note, I bought a guitar this week. I have no idea how to play a guitar, but I now own one. If anyone in Chicago wants to offer up free lessons or work out some sort of barter system in which I trade you a pair of old gym shoes in exchange for your services, please hit me up. I have dreams of becoming a rock star before I turn 35, so time is of the essence.
First up in the Hodge Podge today is a track from a band that has leapt from relative obscurity and landed squarely at the epicenter of the Internet hype machine. The xx is a quartet of South West London youths ho have recently signed to the UK label Beggars Group. Their debut album, simply titled xx, is out now in the UK and will be hitting US shelves in late October. Upon my initial listen to the record’s first leak, “Crystalised,” the first comparison that I draw is to one of my favorite bands from the early 200’s, The Notwist. Combining a heavy new wave influence with hazy pop melodies, the song is lo-fi lullaby that is eclectic yet accessible enough to appeal to a wide range of musical palettes. Opening with an ambient electronic howl and a bit of crisp rudimentary guitar strumming, the verse sets in focusing on sparse percussion and a subtly muted male/female vocal track. The kicker comes just before the starkness lulls you into thinking this is going to be another droning snooze fest, when the guitar returns and ushers in a fuzzy pop hook that smacks you square in the face. The structure of the track is so polished that it is difficult to believe that the four members of The xx are merely 19 years old. “Crystalised” is my only point of reference for the band as of yet, but if the rest of the record lives up to the expectations this track has created you can expect a more in-depth look at the album in the future. xx is currently available for pre-order via the Beggars Group web shop.
Don’t let the photo above fool you, there is much more to Mellowdrone than just awesome tattoos and kick-ass taste in hats, though they clearly have the market cornered in those areas. Beneath that exterior, however, lies a trio of extremely talented musicians. Founding member Jonathan Bates is a former student of guitar at Boston’s acclaimed Berklee School of Music, where he attended on scholarship. After leaving the school and moving to LA to hone his songwriting chops, Bates teamed with friends Tone DeMatteo and Brian Borg and the lineup was set. The trio landed a record deal with Columbia straight out of the gates, made a record, toured the world with a host of indie heavyweights, and saw their songs featured in multiple commercials and television shows. If I lost you somewhere with the major label success, fear not because the band’s new record is in direct contrast to all of that. Released from their Columbia deal, Angry Bear was written and recorded with the intent to break away from glossy production and create a record that is imperfectly perfect. The lead track, “Elephant,” is a prime example of this mission. The guitars are hazy, the vocals are lush, and rhythm section is more focused on volume than precision. The result is a sloppy lo-fi rocker that recalls shades of Interpol soaked with whiskey. The album is out August 25th on Coming Home Records.
Given the dark and dreary nature of the first two tracks today (not that there’s anything wrong with that), I wanted to try and dig up something a little more fun and lighthearted for today’s vault entry. I mean, it IS Friday after all, so something to kick-start the party is certainly in order. I don’t know about you guys, but whenever I feel the need to get a party started right (Get a party started quickly. Right! Sorry, had to do it.) there is only one track that comes to mind. I challenge any of you to walk into a lame party, throw on The Rapture’s “House of Jealous Lovers,” and NOT see a dance party to break out. On second thought, don’t even bother because it is impossible to not shake your ass when that song comes on. As much as I hate to admit it, I am actually quite sad that the dance punk craze was so short lived. For pretty much the entire first half of the 2000’s, The Rapture was probably my favorite band. The loud, feedback-laden guitar riffs, wildly off-kilter vocals, infectious beats, and overall raunchy sound of the band was my muse for a good five years of my life, and I loved every second of it. Out of the Races and onto the Tracks and Echoes were on constant repeat on my iPod, which was one of those huge ones that only held 10GB and only came in white (shit, I don’t even think it had a damn click wheel). Even today I get a little giddy when I hear one of their tracks by chance or stumble upon a mention of them in a blog, so here’s to making you all feel a bit giddy yourselves on this Friday afternoon.
The Rapture – House of Jealous Lovers
August 21st, 2009 at 8:11 PM
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