posted by Patrick on May 9, 2012
{photo courtesy of chromewaves.net}
South By Southwest is a treasure-hunter’s dream: 2000+ bands, spread over a hundred stages and venues, with nothing more than a handbook in six-point type to guide you through the maze of obscure names and faces. At its best, the festival is an opportunity to watch terrific new bands before the masses overwhelm them. One of those hidden gems was an all-female band from Norway named Razika. Razika caught my attention while slogging through a sampler of tracks from 1,400 bands expected at SXSW. Most of those were mediocre or worse, but Razika’s sound really stood out. It starts with an upbeat, jangly, poppy rhythm that took a while to identify: it was ska, something you never hear anymore. Razika isn’t really a ska band, but ska influences most of their tracks. Razika is also unique in that they sing in both English and Norwegian. Somehow it doesn’t seem to matter which language they choose; their lyrics are more like an instrument than a means of communication. Most importantly, Razika was pure fun. On stage they harmonized, smiled shyly, and powered through a set of brisk, infectious tracks. There were tighter acts, with more serious sounds, but for one hour on one night, Razika was a guiltless pleasure. If they ever escape Norway again and tour near you, definitely give them a shot. Treasure abounds.
Razika – Nytt Pa Nytt (Downloaded 46 times)
Razika – Eg Vetsje (Downloaded 38 times)
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» Meaningless labels: Catchy • Female vocal • Happy • Poppy • SXSW2012 • Upbeat
(5 votes)
Loading ...posted by Loren on March 1, 2012
Outsiders view Los Angeles as a place where personality is cultivated differently, stunted mainly; where inflated egos outnumber the innocents who are few and far between. PAPA, a duo of Darren Weiss and Daniel Presant, summon these underwater portraits of the chase and the fall between man and woman, an all too true ambivalence called love that is attained but so easily drowned in the idea that people aren’t really who they say they are. ‘Halloween to Me’ beach balls through dancing bass picks and funnels 50’s-like tough influences into a garage reverbed sound that is compelling and misleading. Amidst an upbeat melody are proclamations of “Baby, I’m fine,” insisting that despite the trough of leaving and hurting there is an upward shout of salvation in walking out the door. Everything turns around.
‘I Am the Lion King’ is a suggestive tune that resembles more of the aforementioned concept of a fledgling love and suffocating friend zones. “It’s not a means to an end” is the plea of a man attracted to beauty and willing to pursue every ounce of its majestic features. The guitar picks speed the rhythm among a pop-filled drum set that dares PAPA’s woman to take the bait. Tisks and ricocheting vocals bite and tear at the inner workings of the excitement in being at the heels of what you want. Reminiscent of Bibio’s translucent “Lover’s Carvings,” PAPA creates a pop sensible, glowing tune that bleeds for attention. You can catch the sunlight and appeal of PAPA at SXSW this year or opening for Temper Trap or Ra Ra Riot elsewhere. Their newest EP, A Good Woman Is Hard To Find, is out now.
PAPA – I Am The Lion King (Downloaded 234 times)
PAPA – Halloween To Me (Downloaded 202 times)
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» Meaningless labels: Catchy • Male vocal • Poppy • SXSW2012
(7 votes) Loading ...posted by Patrick on February 19, 2012
Washington, D.C. was once a hotbed of indie music. Fugazi, Dismemberment Plan, Shudder To Think, and Jawbox are from the District. Henry Rollins and Dave Grohl grew up here, and Dischord Records is still chugging away. But as yuppification marched through D.C. like Sherman through Atlanta, the city started to price itself out of the indie scene. New bands sought cheaper rents and beer in Baltimore, while the old standard bearers got … old. So although I live here and love it, it’s been slim pickings for District-based music blogs.
Here’s hoping Pree is the start of something new. Formed by May Tabol, previously of D.C.’s Le Loup, Pree defies obvious labels. The band’s most recent E.P., “Folly,” includes lyrical, catchy folk like ‘Lemon Tree,’ and the more dischordant and psychedelic ‘Songs of Promise.’ A third track, ‘Fresh Paint’ is slowed-down bluegrass with a ghostly, warbling chorus in the background. Most of the band’s music combines high-register vocals with darker lyrics and weird sound effects. It’s an odd mix, but it works. Listen closely to the lyrics of ‘Lemon Tree’ and you’ll see how a band can subvert expectations, layering dark-dream ideas over sing-song sounds. Pree’s music is addictive and strangely fascinating, not unlike their hometown. As I said, here’s hoping for more of the same.
Pree – Lemon Tree (Downloaded 257 times)
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» Meaningless labels: Americana • Beautiful Lyrics • Catchy • Clever Lyrics • Female vocal • Folk • Psychedelic • Twee
(12 votes) Loading ...posted by John on January 7, 2012
Editor’s note: we’re happy to welcome John M. to our staff. Please rate this post and let us know how you like it.
Days, the sophomore release from Ridgewood, NJ’s Real Estate, follows in the footsteps of their self-titled debut. It’s a familiar sound, but this time around it’s delivered in a tighter, brighter package. Full of chiming guitars, lazy beats, and shimmering arpeggios crashing into each other, the songs are bound together by the beautifully languid vocal melodies of singer and guitarist Martin Courtney, and the band’s laid-back, reverb-soaked vibe.
“It’s Real,” the album’s first single, pulses with the steady drumming of Etienne Pierre Duguay, some “oh, oh, ohs” from Martin, and the chiming guitar lines of Matt Mondale to make it the catchiest track of the bunch, and a perfect entry point for folks just getting to know the band.
The production on Days sounds thick and lush, but the songs themselves are stripped back to the vitals. A quick verse into the chorus, with a little guitar interplay to lock it all together is all that’s needed to deliver a big, warm sound. Even a long song like “All the Same” doesn’t have a wasted note or gratuitous part at over seven minutes in length.
Lyrically, Real Estate keeps things streamlined too. Good vibes, simple times, peace and harmony with a hint of wistful bliss and wonder, are the main topics throughout. Even songs like “Out of Tune,” with its direct, confrontational lyrics, seem to handle a bad situation with a brush aside of the hand, when relinquished with a beautiful vocal melody:
It was all out of tune
You’re entering this town
Yourself a weeping clown
You play along to songs written for you
Days is a solid batch of songs. Breezy pop, great harmonies, and the jangle of the guitars make for a great record to play with the windows down on a summer day, or better yet on a cool night to warm things up.
RIYL: Early 90s Brit Pop, Pysch-Pop, The Thrills, Luna, The Feelies, The La’s
Real Estate – Its Real (Downloaded 329 times)
Real Estate – Easy (Downloaded 314 times)
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» Meaningless labels: Catchy • Happy • Male vocal • Reverb
(15 votes) Loading ...
January 7th, 2012 at 1:40 pm
I like these guys, the guitar playing reminds me of Johnny Marr’s.
January 9th, 2012 at 5:54 pm
Totally hear the Johnny Marr guitar. Great record, bought it love it!
January 15th, 2012 at 8:54 am
This is great! They sound a lot like a more upbeat version of Husky.