posted by Loren on February 17, 2012
There is beautiful solace to be found in nature, organic development and a sense of what life in its purest form is truly like. In Japanese heritage, plants and shrubbery are manipulated into ornate designs in an effort to control something man has never been able to. When I listen to Evenings and the elusive tone within each sample, the subtle diligence of each chord, I am reminded that despite nature, there is so much brilliance in the exactitude of what we can control. The sound (and yes when you listen to the lyrically absent endeavors of Evenings this is the only syllable that comes to mind) is enticing, on the tip of your tongue until he couples another keyboard or snap or snare and you are impressed all the same. Evenings art works are just that; lacking detail or background, instrumentations boldly named and that are held close to the heart. We reminisce in the artist’s voice, the music, and create dimensions of our own led along simply by a name (Chesapeake and Babe) and the intrigue of a sound.
The elements in Evenings’ repertoire design your pallet, not guide it. When I hear “Chesapeake” I envision Nathan in Charlottesville in a dorm behind a soundboard, lost in his headphones creating metaphors and myths. In college we all seem to be wondering who we are and what we’re doing, and North Dorm for me is that expression. It is putting life together, sound-by-sound, anecdote by tribulation, and coupling them into an appreciation. Evenings hires life to run its own trajectory, and make the poetry from this empiricism dance. After all, life is just one moment standing on the shoulders of the last. Just like the sound of Evenings.
I should mention that North Dorm EP is coming up on two years old and not the most recent work to date (Lately was released this past year). Although I do enjoy the rhythm and storytelling off the latest releases, “Lo-Vélo” is awesome; I just liked these tracks a little more. “Babe” was released on North Dorm and “Chesapeake” is a single release.
Evenings – Chesapeake (Downloaded 195 times)
Evenings – Babe (Downloaded 210 times)
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» Meaningless labels: Chillwave • Instrumental • Synth • With Bleeps & Blips
(11 votes)
Loading ...posted by Patrick on December 4, 2011
“Austra is an island on the border between Nord-Trøndelag and Nordland counties in Norway. The 88-square-kilometre (34 sq mi) island is shared between the municipalities of Bindal, Leka and Nærøy. The highest point is the 588-metre (1,929 ft) tall Romsskåla.” (Wikipedia)
Austra is also a band. Hailing from the equally cold, if somewhat more cosmopolitan, Toronto, Canada, Austra has perfected a sound defined by contradictions: remote but intimate, clinical but warm. That’s due in large part to the offsetting influences of lead singer Katie Stelmanis, a classically trained opera singer, and the band’s chilly, dance-inspired electronic backing. Stelmanis’ voice soars and lingers, while the music pushes forward with a driving beat. It’s an unlikely combination, but when it works, as on ‘Lose It,’ the results are stunning. And when Stelmanis performs ‘Lose It’ with only a piano and her voice, as in the video below, the song is completely transformed, and even more compelling. As a beat addict, I prefer the electronic version, but I can’t deny the video’s power. Perhaps Paper Bag Records can release them both?
In some ways, Austra reminds me of Phantogram. Austra’s lead singer has a wider vocal range, and is less reliant on effects and reverb, but both combine heavy beats with dramatic vocals to create a cinematic sound and feel. If you like one, try the other and let us know how they compare.
Austra – Lose It (Downloaded 286 times)
Austra – The Choke (Downloaded 286 times)
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» Meaningless labels: Amazing Voice • Driven • Electro • Female vocal • Orchestral • Synth • With Bleeps & Blips
(15 votes) Loading ...posted by Jessica on October 27, 2011
Little Dragon at Chicago’s North Coast Music Festival. Photo by Jessica Mlinaric.
“Summer’s Last Stand,” that’s the tagline behind North Coast Music Festival, a three-day fest that features an eclectic mix of electronic, hip-hop, and jam-band acts. Held last month in Chicago’s Union Park, the second annual event boasted a bill including David Guetta, Of Montreal, Thievery Corporation, Fatboy Slim, Gogol Bordello, Bassnectar, and Common. Amidst the DJ sets, and pervasive animal spirit hats, Swedish band Little Dragon paid tribute to the season’s closing with their blend of deliberate electro beats and wistful R&B.
Weaving like a gypsy, front woman Yukimi Nagano cast a spell on the Technicolor-clad kids in the crowd with her signature smoky melodies, draped in a scarf and spinning on stage. Although formed in 1996, Little Dragon has been turning heads lately with their third album, Ritual Union, and recent collaborations with Gorillaz, Big Boy, David Sitek, and Raphael Saadiq. Simplistic yet soulful, the yearning title track offered the summer a dream-synth sendoff. With an atmospherically stark but entirely upbeat pop sound, Little Dragon has timed every vaporous vocal and snap of the snare to count, the whole effort airily radiating like the late summer sky.
Facebook || Official site || North Coast Music Festival
Little Dragon – Ritual Union (Downloaded 666 times)
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» Meaningless labels: Danceable • Dream Pop • Electro • Female vocal • North Coast Music Festival • Synth • Upbeat
(12 votes) Loading ...[...] the rest of my review and get MP3s at Indieball.com. LD_AddCustomAttr("AdOpt", "1"); LD_AddCustomAttr("Origin", "other"); [...]
posted by Leigh on October 17, 2011
CMJ Preview Series: Get Ready
I often hear the question “What does CMJ stand for?” Why, it’s the College Music Journal, no doubt, and the festival is at it again. More than 1000 bands confirmed, playing over the span of 5 days, October 18th – 22nd, in my very own New York. See what Indieball was talking about during last year’s festival at the following links: CMJ 2010, CMJ 2010 Highlights and CMJ 2010 Highlights Part 2.
Check out our recent post on Alamo Race Track, and get familiar with the other Indieball-featured bands who will be playing this year’s festival, including Alberta Cross, Dinosaur Feathers, Dry the River, Geographer and An Horse. See what we had to say about them at the links above, and enjoy the tracks below. See the official CMJ site for the full schedule; if you are in New York this week, be there.
Alberta Cross – Wait (Downloaded 665 times)
Dinosaur Feathers – I Ni Sogoma (Downloaded 305 times)
Dry the River – Weights and Measures (Downloaded 344 times)
Geographer – Heaven Waits (Downloaded 423 times)
An Horse – Not Mine (Downloaded 270 times)
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» Meaningless labels: Amazing Voice • Best Of • CMJ 2011 • Female vocal • Fuzzy • Male vocal • Poppy • Synth
(5 votes) Loading ...I love seeing Dry the River on this list. And Geographer! Check out Dry the River’s interactive sampler on YouTube. http://bit.ly/ypD2lD
December 11th, 2011 at 3:05 pm
We had a fun interview with Austra and would like to share it with you guys:
http://nightdrivemiami.com/2011/11/01/austra-interview-ticket-giveaway/