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The xx just released a new single from their upcoming album, “I See You,” available on January 13th (Pre-order here). “Say Something Loving” is more uplifting than the group’s past work. Following the release of “On Hold,” another single from the new album released late last year, “I See You” may usher in a possible new and more confident sound for The xx. Personally, I like “Say Something Loving.” It isn’t drastically different from their previous music, and still has the same airy, rhythmic vibe from their last three albums. Listen to “Say Something Loving” here or below.
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It was December 14th, 2016. Thievery Corporation was playing at College Street Music Hall. Winter was making its impending presence known. Faced with the prospect of paying for parking, I instead elected to park far away and walk in the cold. I arrived at College Street and got inside just in time to see the tour opener take the stage. The Reminders, a Colorado-based hip-hop group steeped in roots, soul and electronica, deliver humanist themes of community and family through front-couple Aja Black and Big Samir. They switch fluently between rapping and singing as they trade off bars and verses, Aja effervescently leading the audience in call-and-response segments and Samir performing bilingually in English and French. Backed by Colorado emcee DJ Lazy Eyez, The Reminders allow their influences to bleed into each other to create feel-good music that avoids being pinned down by a single clear genre label. What is clear, however, is why Thievery Corporation picked them to tour: their stage presence is vibrant and direct, and the two bands project many overlapping themes common to reggae, dancehall and even protest music. The Reminders released their most recent album, Born Champions, in 2012. Between sets I spoke to Samir and Aja at the merch table and explored College Street Music Hall’s balcony, which had been closed on my last visit. The balcony is tiered rather steeply, just like much of the main floor, giving everyone a clear, wide view of the stage. I don’t doubt that the roomy field of view was appreciated by many concertgoers that night - I lost count of Thievery Corporation’s performers and crew, who made use of every inch of the stage. The Corporation’s drum kit was placed at stage left, with its usual position at center stage occupied by two DJ risers and microphones for the horn section. At stage right was a veritable laboratory of percussive instruments. Before too long an army of musicians took the stage and launched directly into “Facing East”. Thievery Corporation is a D.C.-based music collective birthed in the mid-1990s by DJs Rob Garza and Eric Hilton (a noted dining and nightlife entrepreneur). While their defining release, The Richest Man in Babylon, is a smooth, consistent blend of trip-hop, bossa nova, and lounge, they have (both before and since that release) blazed trails into other genres such as reggae, jazz, psychedelia and electronica. Thievery Corporation is currently wrapping up their 20th anniversary tour, with a stage show featuring performers drawn from across the globe. Vocalists LouLou Ghelichkhani (France, Iran), Sleepy Wonder (Jamaica), Puma Ptah (St. Thomas); bassist Ashish Vyas (Washington, D.C.), and many more artists lend to the group a huge variety of experience, culture, taste and texture that aids Garza and Hilton on their never-ending aural expedition. I had a blast photographing Thievery, particularly guitarist Rob Myers (who is himself a photographer), and was impressed by both the size and mellow, friendly vibe of the audience they drew. The next landmark on Thievery Corporation’s journey, The Temple of I & I, is scheduled for release in February 2017. Catch them if you can. Setlist (all abbreviations and shorthand appears as written by band):
The Reminders: Thievery Corporation: If you know me at all, you know I won’t hesitate to spend money on a) food, b) concerts, or c) day trips; especially ones that involve food and concert. So of course I took a train to New York so I could see a handful of my favorite bands at Run for Cover’s Something In The Way Fest.
After trekking nearly two miles in 15 degree weather, watching a friend nearly get hit by a speeding taxi, and being interrogated by security in line about a suspicious-looking water bottle, my group finally made it into Webster Hall. We had decided ahead of time to bounce between the Grand Ballroom, Marlin Room, and Studio so we could see as many of the thirteen bands as possible. With this in mind, my friends and I made our way upstairs to see Teen Suicide. I was surprised by how quiet and sweet their set was; when I saw them with Elvis Depressedly in Philly, their show involved a lot more yelling and moshing. Sam Ray has a talent for versatility, pulling off both performances from every end of the alt-rock spectrum. Halfway through, we headed to Marlin to see part of Petal’s performance. I’d never listened to their music before and fell in love with the voice of Kiley Lotz. Though it’s rare to find a band signed to Run for Cover with a lead female vocalist, it’s always refreshing. My friends and I had declared Citizen was one of our Priority Bands, AKA no matter what, we had to make it to their set. Being only five feet tall is both the best and worst thing at shows; it’s usually a con because I constantly take elbows to the face in mosh pits, but on the other hand, I can stealthily sneak to the front of the crowd without obscuring anyone’s view. I was almost at the barrier by the time the band got on stage, and was pleasantly surprised by the quality of their live music. The emotion behind every lyric was just as strong as every time I’d listen to Citizen’s Spotify tracks on shuffle-yes, shuffle; who has money for premium when shows cost so much, amiright? The band mostly played songs off their Youth album, the vocals standing out above all else. Mat Kerekes’ voice being the soundtrack of my first two years of high school, I was honestly awestruck hearing it live and seeing Mat Kerekes in the flesh. My friend talked me into losing my crowd-surfing virginity during The Night I Drove Alone and I’ve never been so grateful for peer pressure. We decided to get into Marlin as soon as possible so we could get good spots for Our Top Priority Band, the one band none of us had seen live before but were dying to, Turnover. My friend Kayla, a pro at navigating bigger venues, led me through the crowd during MeWithoutYou, a band I hadn’t really listened to before but I got La Dispute vibes from. Once a wave of fans made their way to the exit, we managed to get great spots. Turnover was my personal favorite live performance of the night- their songs sounded practically identical to their studio. Austin Getz’s voice was just as sweet and sentimental as I expected while he sang every somber lyric. We listened to most of the Peripheral Vision album, which remains one of my favorite indie rock albums because of its melancholic and dreamy sound. We had a ton of fun, even while dodging stage divers (a feat I passed up when I saw Kayla’s swollen thumb from hitting the ground). Turnover’s set was quite possibly my favorite of the night. My friends and I made it to the center of Grand Ballroom for the final set of the night, Modern Baseball. We had seen them in Allentown, PA in November during their tour with Brand New and The Front Bottoms, and I was excited to finally have floor spots for one of their shows. Their performance was a perfect mix of their older songs off Sports and You’re Gonna Miss It All, along with the top tracks of Holy Ghost. I was beyond psyched to listen to a Mobo set that lasted longer than fifteen minutes, since the one they played on Brand New’s tour was so short. I enjoyed the pit a little too much. There’s something about being thrown around and decked by a bunch of men twice your size that can’t be explained with anything other than exhilarating. I left Webster hall soaked with sweat-drenched clothes, busted-up knees, a phone charge of 10%, and not a single regret. It was easily the most fun I've had at a show I’ve been to this year- I’m looking forward to Run for Cover’s next big festival more than anything.
Listen below to the official Bruised Knuckles 2016 holiday playlist.
TWIABP just released a new track, “Body Without Organs.” This is one of my favorite songs the released by the band this year, and I hope their next album further experiments with this style of music. Also, the album artwork (created by Dylan Balliett) is incredible!
Although the song did not make “Harmlessness,” TWIABP’s most recent album, you can purchase the single through their bandcamp (it’s pay-what-you-want and all proceeds are donated to the ACLU).
Stream below via Bandcamp. Me and your Mama This single was released in anticipation of Donald Glover’s upcoming album Awaken, My Love! set to be released in early December. The six-minute song begins with playful light tunes reminiscent of experimental Kendrick. This progresses into rhythmic gospel-type lyrics similar to Chance the Rapper’s recent gospel influences, which seem to be trickling down to multiple of his rap counterparts. These two parts are followed by Childish’s very strong, still gospel lyrics, which mellow down into some traditional instrumentals with guitar, tambourine and drums. This is a long, multi faceted and interesting track. Between the title of the album and this single, I would expect more gospel influences within the album, regardless it should be great. Redbone The second single released in anticipation of Childish’s December 2nd album release, is quite funky, if I could describe it in just one word. Similarly, to “Me and your Mama” this track is longer than your average song, and makes a drastic shift musically about two thirds of the way through. “Redbone” has a slower, more mellow vibe, with some crazy auto tune. The cover art is the same for the two singles, with a black woman, with a septum piercing, eyes rolled back, and extremely shiny skin. Her face is framed by glowing geometric lines, reminiscent of a tribal headdress.
The Veronicas Still Exist?
After a two-year hiatus, the progressive pop/pop-rock duo The Veronicas are back with two new music videos. Comprised of Australian twin sisters Jessica and Lisa Origliasso, the duo’s last release was in 2014 with their self-titled album. In short, they were long overdue for some content. The music video for their single “In My Blood” was released shortly after the song this past summer. Based on the teaser for the video, I knew it was going to be very different from their earlier work. I didn’t like “In My Blood” the first time I listened to it, but the video helped ease me into their new sound. The video is red, overdramatic, and compliments the song perfectly.
The second video, “On Your Side,” was released this past week. Written by, directed by, and starring Jess’s girlfriend Ruby Rose, Jess and Rose play a couple struggling with addiction. Contrasted with “In My Blood,” “On Your Side” is much more serious with a definitive plot. I loved Rose’s involvement in the video, and I think it’s important to see videos like this break the heteroromantic norm.
G and Marc E. Bassy seem to be working very well together, hence multiple features and this new music video. I actually saw Marc along the edge of the crowd at Xfinity while running back and forth with the advertising staff. I did a double take because he was wearing a leather jacket in the middle of summer, he seemed just as confused by my accusatory look. This video is extremely indicative of the addictive subject matter of the song, almost to a fault. The video is entirely intimate and explicit scenes. With the exception of a classic car, a Rihanna-esque bathtub scene, and one shot of G looking quote pouty. I am a big fan of the song, but not so much the video, perhaps I just have higher aesthetic and theatrical expectations for G. However, I can appreciate the collaboration and black and white aesthetic.
I truly have no idea what is going on in this video as far as quality, angles, filters, and zooming. It's bizarre. It looks like it was filmed by a toddler on a Motorola Razr. The video quality is extremely grainy, probably worse than the 114p option on YouTube. Other than the logistics of filming, the video has all other bases covered with fur coats, chains, diamonds, expensive cars, and girls. There are also scenes in a hot tub grotto type location, with rumors of Hugh leaving the Mansion they’re renting out the grotto! I hope that Drake just approached this video as a satire to force the attention back on the music for once. If this is the case his master plan is working because the song is growing on me since I initially reviewed it.
Watch below via Apple Music. Brand New, Modern Baseball, The Front Bottoms 10/17 @ The Oakdale, Wallingford CT By Zack Gomez11/8/2016 On October 17th 2016 Brand New graced Connecticut with their presence. Amid murmurs (and half-confirmations) of an impending breakup, or a new album, or a new album and then a breakup, they announced a massive tour spanning nine months and the Atlantic ocean. Fans across the U.K. and the United States promptly shit themselves and held their breath from announcement to presales. Brand New drafted The Front Bottoms and Modern Baseball for the U.S. leg, packed up their mom's minivan, and set out on the open road. I got to the venue, met my press contact, and was herded with a group of other photographers through the mazelike Oakdale Theater to the photo pit. I spent a few minutes acquainting myself with the landscape and firing off some test shots before the stagehands finished their work, and then segued into my first experience seeing Modern Baseball. Their fans are numerous. Their t-shirts? Everywhere. I hadn't listened to any considerable amount of Mobo before, but at least I had enough background knowledge of their music to sing along to "Your Graduation" (a music video worth watching). After what felt like a very short set they made way for The Front Bottoms. I'll tell you what: TFB took a long while to grow on me. I immersed myself in their Bar/None sophomore record Talon of the Hawk to no avail, and I had given up until I saw them play Toad's Place in October 2015. They performed an exhaustive collection of material, drank half the bar, and topped the whole mess off with a three song encore. I walked out of that show dehydrated and with wobbly legs, but I was a happy camper anyway. I finally liked The Front Bottoms. I'm not sure what did it, but something changed that night and this time around I was downright excited to see them. They didn't disappoint, except their set felt just as short as Mobo's. It didn't take long to figure out why. Brand New got onstage, played nine or ten songs plucked from random spots in their discography, and then tore into their breakthrough success The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me. The whole thing. The album is a polarizing one both sonically and thematically, building enormous tension through haunting but gentle movements that seem to either pass by too quickly or go on forever, then releasing it all at once in a cathartic wave. On it, Jesse Lacey (the man responsible for much of Brand New's lyrical content), skews back and forth between restrained, emotionally nuanced delivery and tidal-wave screams. He and the rest of the band delivered an incredible, impressive live performance, with a light show as intricate, wonderful and moody as their music. The sound tech was burning sticks of incense at a mixing booth lit by the glow of a salt lamp, adding to the atmosphere. To my disappointment, the venue cut the band off at curfew with a song left to go. They thanked the audience and walked offstage, "BRAND NEW, 2000 - 2018" projected on the screens behind them. Brand New's tour - probably not their last, but possibly their best - runs from the time of this writing to July 2017. Buy some tickets before the scalpers snatch them up. Show up early. Get in the pit. Stay there even if you have to pee. You will not regret it. |
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