from things like bouncy balls, video game arcades “All You Need” is a song you could play
ay in one of The songs meander from one song to the next
and puppy love. The Portland-based band’s glitchy
electro-pop album features melodies evoking
HelloGoodbye, only with an increased vocabulary
of colorful, off-kilter electronic accents.
The album all but burps into existence on “All
Directions,” with croaking, funhouse synths
paving the way for Erik Carlson’s boyish vocals
and playfully enthusiastic female backup vocals.
“Rivers May Rise” travels across a complicated
blend of electronic cowbells, siren synths, and
warped vocals; meanwhile, “Get That” slowly
oscillates a simple, sweet music-box melody –
sung in Rufus Wainright-style earnest – over
gritty tweaks and buzzy, bass synths. “We Say it
Ourselves” is a power-pop ballad that only breaks
from an onslaught of bright synths and twinkling
keys for brief stripped down bridge towards the
end. Although Carlson’s vocals tend to subside
behind the chaos of instrumentation, they come
through strongly across a syncopated hip-hop
beat in the song “Parallel Lines.”
The lively mood of the album winds down with
“Living Room.” A blend of keyboard steel drums,
bass synth and subtle “doot, doot” female vocals
is the most satisfying moment on the album
– and the ideal close to an album busy with video
game synths, frenetic drum machines and
relentless vocals. What Dancipation Proclamation
lacks in vocal variation, it makes up for with an
eagerness to experiment and a knack for
interesting musical texture. (SoHiTek)
-Lulu McAllister
www.myspace.com/dblplusgood
Gunfight!
Hide Your Empties
Recorded live in a driveway in upstate New York
| Produced by Gunfight! | Engineered, mixed and
mastered by Seth Mintz
Let’s mix some genres
shall we? So you have
some New York punk
and then add an ol’
cowboy Western edge
and finish it off with
some indie cred. Sound
odd? Well it exists as
Gunfight! The scratchy, screechy vocals that
sound like indie rock star Muppet (watch yer back
Animal) work amazingly well with the fast-paced
twangy guitar and the hopping drums. So well
that it pushes the band past what could be
misconstrued as a gimmick to a legitimate record
with original, catchy songs, each standing quite
well on its own.
50 MAY 2009 Performer Magazine
those trendy dance clubs, scenesters know what
I’m talking about, but also line dance to it too
(not ironically). The yee-haw vocals paired with a
rockabilly guitar that seemingly took advantage
of a dirty garage band one drunken evening taps
along at a beat that would make any ADD sufferer
jealous. “Vaccine” is a yodeling slower number
with Strokes-type guitars to give it that certain
attitude. Except unlike The Strokes, Gunfight!
actually sound like they enjoy what they’re doing.
It’s a great song to drag your dame across the
dance floor with. Or, more likely, down shots of
hard liquor. “Take Off” begins with lumbering
guitar/horse lollops that strum into a fast,
energetic party that any hipster worth his/her
headband would dance too or even willingly
splash their PBR. And then we come to the
guns-shooting “Flash,” with a raucous guitar solo
that would make Hawaii-era Elvis jealous.
Finishing off with “Empties” we get lead singer
Drew Mintz’s squawk, unfettered by the
instruments. Standing quite well on its own, it’s
the sort of voice that cries out to be mimicked.
So he should probably trademark it (is that even
possible?). The rest of the song allows for each
band member to stand out on his own, letting
guitars take the lead and then drums, with the
bass keeping the rhythm throughout.
Hide Your Empties is the sort of record a more
pretentious magazine would call tour de force,
but since that basically tells you nothing, it’s
really just four guys having fun, inventing new
ways to make music interesting and a little weird.
-Leyla Hamedi
www.myspace.com/gunfightband
Magic Magic
Magic Magic
Produced, recorded and mixed by Craig Hlady at
Tower Production and Recording in Boston, MA
Great music is not
about virtuosity or
minimalism, lyrics or
melodies, well-con-
ceived song forms or
whimsical improvisa-
tion. It is about
choosing how you
balance and execute these forces (plus many
others) to generate a powerful synchronicity that
affects and inspires your audience.
To that end, Magic Magic’s self-titled album is a
success for the ambitious and immensely talented
band.
organically, but still maintain their own sonic
independence. And when viewed as singular
entities, most tracks weave and dance with power
and grace, employing unique harmonic devices,
stark dynamic shifts, lush arrangements and
powerful, soaring vocals that flood and draw back
the changing tides within the songs.
“Jellyfish” embodies this ideal by successfully
bridging two seemingly disparate verse and
chorus ideas. The intro/verse offers an eerie,
banjo-plucked, minor key texture that makes us
think we are in for something entirely twisted.
But the mood suddenly changes as the defiant,
uplifting retort explodes and declares that “You
won’t get the best of me / I’ll take my feet with
me.” This is a powerful, redemptive chorus that
storms through and ushers in light from the
previous darkness.
One slight miscue, though, is evident on “Tahiti”
in its over-extended, dissonant guitar bridge that
has no place at the song’s outset. Not all great
musical themes have to be set up by an
introductory motif.
A delay of grandeur, though, is much better than
gaining none at all. And as we are finally tossed
into the joyous verse and chorus that is the
salvation of “Tahiti,” we contentedly wonder why
we had to wait so long. Just throw us in guys. We
can swim. (self-released)
-Michael Oliveri
www.myspace.com/magicmagicband
My Second Surprise
Time to Move On
Mixed by Craig Schumacher at Wavelab Studios
in Tucson, AZ | Mastered by J.J. Golden at
Golden Mastering in Ventura, CA
My Second Surprise’s
sophomore release, Time
to Move On, follows
2005’s Avoidance as a
Way of Life. Headed by
Ayal Nistor, the band
traversed several
countries and even
acquired an Israeli Grammy before finally settling
in San Francisco. Similarly, Nistor’s latest release
offers a level of eclecticism only a series of
well-wandered paths can produce, as Time to
Move On marches elegantly across 10 tracks of
lush folk rock.
Time to Move On opens triumphantly with “Bring
the Sunshine.” A horn section trumpets over a
pulsating piano and jangling hi-hats as a
sweeping chorus erupts with Nistor’s vocal
polyphony. The songs exhibit a comfortable swing
that’s mournful at times, as if they jump between
a lazy day in the park and a sad scene in a film.
Typical of the overall album, “When Your Crew Has
Sunk Your Boat” exhibits a melancholy yet relaxed
feel - somber lyrics with light instrumentation.
This feeling continues on “All Your Rivers,” where
Nistor exudes a chilling sense of intimacy as he
sings in a low breathy voice, “So you had me /
Sure tried to hold me down / And I liked it / But
then you just turned around.” A violin creates a
swelling effect that wrenches at the heart,
cutting effectively at a harmonious breakdown
backed by only a slight tinkling of keys.
Closing on the aptly titled, “Time to Move On,”
the album exists as a journey of itself – lonely
moments concluded with the closure of finding its
place. My Second Surprise has traveled its fair
share to find success on Time to Move On. And
with solid musicianship and strong songwriting,
one should never for a second be surprised.
(self-released)
–Keane Li
www.mysecondsurprise.com
O+S
O+S
Produced by O+S and Michael Patterson | Mixed
by Brian Gardner
O+S (pronounced oh
plus ess) is the new
project on Saddle Creek
Records from Azure
Ray’s Orenda Fink and
Remy Zero’s Cedric
LeMoyne. It’s common
knowledge that Saddle
Creek has a sort of “style” for its artists, and O+S
is no exception. They’re haunting, they’re catchy,
and they’re indicative of what any Saddle Creek
fan would want from the record label.
In the opening track, “New Life,” Fink coos softly,
“I still walk with my eyes shut / Just to see how
far I’ll go / before I stumble / I still like to drink
all night / to say the things I won’t / In the
daylight.” This is the kind of song that opens a
moody movie, or is the soundtrack to your
breakup. It’s one of those introductory songs to
prepare the listener for the remainder of the
album, so it was a smart decision to put it first.
“Toreador” and “Permanent Scar” keep the
electronic vibe going, while “The Fox” and
“Survive Love” take the softer option.
Most of this album could fit into those classic
movie parts where the girl gets the guy at the end
or when the credits start to roll. O+S has created
something familiar, but entirely new at the same
time. Obviously, the record’s vocals resemble that
of Azure Ray’s, but it’s in a completely new
medium. Orenda Fink’s voice not only complements
the varying instrumentals, but completes them.
This isn’t one of those albums you’d want to bring
to a party, but it’s definitely one that would
accompany you on a long car ride. (Saddle Creek)
-Haley Navarro
www.myspace.com/opluss
Papercuts
You Can Have What You Want
Recorded and mixed at Pan American Recording
Studio in San Francisco, CA | Mastered by JJ
Golden
If an album can take
you on a journey to a
different time, place
and mood, Papercuts’
third full-length album
You Can Have What You
Want is one of them.
San Francisco singer/
musician Jason Quever’s dreamy pop invention
takes you on a trip that at times feels like the
1960s or a California summer spent in solitude.
Led by his haunting voice and strong melodies,
the songs have a tendency to stop time and
transcend the hyperactive, electronic-dependent
modern world. Rich with arrangements and
vintage instrumentation, the psychedelic pop
songs are a homage to the past, both musically
and culturally. It’s evident in the use of the
organ, slower rhythms, analog recording style and
the heavy use of reverb. Quever manages to
breathe life and style into each track, while main-
taining a cohesive flow that makes for more of a
trance-like experience than it does a song-by-
song listen.
One of the more poppy songs, “A Dictator’s
Lament,” is reminiscent of The Doors with the
organ in the background and Quever’s hypnotizing
vocals at the forefront of the storytelling. A
standout track on the album (also the longest,
coming in at just less than six minutes) is “The
Machine Will Tell Us So,” in which Quever’s vocals
lead to an epic chorus that induces chills and
stays in your head long after the song has ended.
The strength of this song and many others on the
album solidifies the fact that Quever has what it
takes to make his own kind of pop music that is
classic and subtle, ebbing and flowing between
darkness and light.
A fan of collaborating with other bands and
musicians (Beach House, Casiotone for the
Painfully Alone, Cass McCombs) Quever had friend
and labelmate Alex Scally (of Beach House) assist
with some of the arrangements for the album. On
the title track of the album, “You Can Have What
You Want,” Quever sings “You can have what you
want and throw the rest away.” With this album,
he has taken what he’s wanted from the past and
created a body of songs that takes you on an
adventure in the present. (Gnomonsong)
-Jackie Miehls
www.myspace.com/thepapercuts
Ryker Jones
The Tragedy of the Memory
For those who think
classical and rock music
are mutually exclusive,
Ryker Jones’ The Tragedy
of the Memory is proof
they can work together.
Indeed, they can have a
passionate and sensual
love affair. A refreshingly unique blend of
classical guitar and richly textured indie rock, The
Tragedy of the Memory fluctuates between
acoustic minimalism and soaring walls of sound.
Enveloped in it all is Jones’ whispery vocals,
sometimes recalling a less ragged Elliott Smith,
often layered in warm intricate harmonies.
The diverse array of songs range from the jovial
strumming and Beach Boys harmonies of “Why
You Walk Alone” to the mournful waltzing “Help
Me Continue,” in which Jones’ sprightly classical
guitar is nowhere to be found. Jones’ dexterity on
the guitar is showcased in the album’s only
instrumental piece, “Canon,” a beautifully
arranged tapestry of classical guitar melodies.
Sometimes simple and to the point and at times
abstract, Jones’ lyrics are consistently strong. In
“Help Me Continue,” words and phrases repeat like
a broken record (“Would you tell me, would you
tell me …”), evoking the desperation of a breakup
victim who is literally falling apart. The ever-
repeating string of lyrics on “System” succinctly
encapsulate a stifling, uninspired society: “System
is valuable to ensure immunity to ensure security
… No choice now it has been proven that there is
no need for novel thoughts at all.”
Occasionally, as in the last song “Tomorrow,”
words are lost in the sheer density of instrumen-
tation. Only at these moments does one wish
MAY 2009 Performer Magazine 51