This review can also be seen in the latest issue of The Technician.
Favorite Tracks: “Wake”, “Hideout”, “Too Far Gone”, “Translucent”, “Over”
Remember when you held your breath in a swimming pool long enough to become weightless and float to the surface? Triptides’ latest release brings back that feeling above the water.
The surf psychedelic pop band Triptides released their new LP Azur on French indie label RPUT, with a sound that fits an evening on the Riviera as much as a stroll on the boardwalk. The album opens with the single “Wake”, the jumping into the pool where the mood is hazy and youthful. The bittersweet twinge of the reverbed guitars pull you closer into the deep end on “Dark Side”. These pangs stay with you during the course of the album and develop into a hankering for ice cream on a blistering summer day. Vocalist Glenn Brigman provides the sweet, sugary, cavity-causing melodies from a summer long ago; nostalgic and distant, like the bottom of a swimming pool. The shimmery sounds apparent in the slower songs “Too Far Gone” and “Over” are much like the refraction of light into water. The four-piece from Bloomington, Indiana know their sound and the scene that come with it, which is why they have relocated to LA.
The album cover drum up images of swim caps and the modest bathing suits of the midcentury. In a way, this album and band have continually drawn attention to the end of this fashion, and the end of summer-obsessed culture. The 50s and 60s are long gone with the surf pop greats of the day; the Beach Boys, Dick Dale, Jan & Dean, and countless others who are no longer the unique prize of American culture. But Triptides does their finest to echo the days of muscle cars and the open coastline. The appropriately named closing track “Over” leaves the listener with the somber sting of the past, like chlorine in your eyes from the neighbor’s swimming pool.
These reviews can also be seen in the latest issue of The Technician.
BOBBY CAPRI – REMOTE VIEWING
Hip-Hop / Rap / Pop / R&B
Charles Morse, WKNC underground hiphop/urban music director
Bobby Capri’s second EP of 2015, “Remote Viewing,” is an entertaining romp through boom bap nostalgia. The Richmond, Virginia rapper has made a lane for himself with his “street-bred white boy” story, backed by fundamental beats and a no-frills flow. However, there isn’t anything very original about this piece of work to make it more than a one-listen novelty. Nineties-esque rap music will probably never die in the underground, but in order to make it sound good, a high level of lyrical ability is needed. Capri does not have that, and a guest appearance from underground rap’s current boss, Freddie Gibbs, couldn’t even make him sound better. In the beginning of the song “Room Full of Strangers,” Bobby says, “I was never mediocre; greatness was immediate.” This is a bold-faced lie. “Remote Viewing” is good for mindless listening as background music, but don’t look for any profound insights from the Richmond rapper.
Recommended Tracks: “Make Moves” featuring Freddie Gibbs, “God,” “Gucci Loafers,” and “Never Fall Short” featuring Michael Christmas
Sounds like: Machine Gun Kelly, Action Bronson
MEWITHOUTYOU – PALE HORSES
Indie / Experimental
Nathan Forbes, WKNC assistant daytime music director
There’s a lyric in a song that goes, “Now it’s just Rival Schools and mewithoutYou on our car rides.” The song is one of my favorites from the band The World Is a Beautiful Place and I Am No Longer Afraid to Die. That line kindled a spark of interest in me to dig further into mewithoutYou’s catalog. Since then, I’ve found certain songs by the band really worth clinging to. Similarly to TWIABP, mewithoutYou is a band that I find difficult to categorize. In the band’s earliest days they were making music that was far closer to hardcore punk and screamo than indie rock. Slowly, they became more and more experimental, adding elements of spoken word and post-hardcore. They maintained that punk energy on their most renowned albums Catch for Us the Foxes and Brother, Sister, but on their 2009 album, It’s All Crazy!, mewithoutYou became far more folksy. Only recently has the band returned to the post-hardcore style that they are known for and that has influenced the likes of La Dispute and Brand New.
Their newest album, Pale Horses, dropped just this week, and it’s a conceptual labyrinth. It actually reminds me of Brand New’s highly acclaimed album, The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me. However, if the albums are akin, I would describe Pale Horses as a more mature older brother. Both albums have themes of religion and death, and they even have a similar post-hardcore/indie rock sound. The wordiness of mewithoutYou on Pale Horses is much more complicated though and may be a turnoff for some. The lyrics are loaded with references to classic literature and the Book of Revelation. Reading through the lyric booklet that comes with the album is like reading a James Joyce novel with its stream of conscious writing style and wealth of obscure references. Annotations within the lyric booklet might have been beneficial! However, if you really feel the need to look into the lyrics more, then rock.genius.com is a good place for that. In fact, this album’s lyrics are so dense that many lines in the booklet were appended from the actual recordings.
One of my favorite tracks from the album is “Red Cow,” and non-coincidentally, it is one of the most hard-hitting songs on the album. It’s a blood-boiler that reminds me a lot of their album Catch for Us the Foxes, specifically the inspiring first track from that album, “Torches Together.” “Blue Hen” is another energetic cut from Pale Horses about death’s approach and features a chorus that’s especially memorable.
The album closes with “Rainbow Signs,” a song that evokes images of nuclear war and massive armies. It reaches for the apocalyptic bleakness one might find in a Godspeed You! Black Emperor song. In the lyrics, Aaron Weiss connects personal catastrophe with the downfall that’s predicted to occur in the Bible through the seven seals of Armageddon. The song starts off subtly, but around the halfway point there’s a sudden burst, and a guitar riff comes in that just sounds mean. Then, the heaviness cuts out, and the song and the album end on a personal note for Weiss.
Although Pale Horses may never reach the musical heights of Catch for Us the Foxes or Brother, Sister, the album shows that mewithoutYou is a band still capable of creating lively music, albeit by the use of a slightly outdated formula. Above all, Pale Horses shows that the band is still progressing and exploring new territory, especially through their mystical and imaginative lyrics that extend from their songs like poems.
The draw of Hop Along (and the band’s most distinguishing
characteristic) is clearly Frances Quinlan’s unique vocal style. At times it’s
yelly and scratchy; then at others it’s soothing and wispy. Maybe it’s this
dynamic that makes their music intriguing and powerful for so many people. Hop
Along’s last album, Get Disowned, was
released in 2012 and had a sort of cult following. Missing from Painted Shut are the classical strings
that pervaded Get Disowned. Despite
this, the albums have similar characteristics. These similarities include minimal
guitar and vocal effects, and lyrics that contain strange, yet interesting, subject
matter (see “The Knock”). Maybe the most notable difference between the albums
is the added production from John Agnello. In the past, he has produced albums
for Dinosaur Jr, The Hold Steady, and Kurt Vile. Even with the increased
production quality, the band still manages to sound raw on Painted Shut. The songs are still heartfelt and sometimes even
ultra-personal.
Hop Along’s new record displays a variety of different
influences, which is often characteristic of something innovative. Sure,
comparisons to bands like Waxahatchee and Lemuria are notable, but Hop Along
achieves a different sound that no one does quite as well these days. The music
is somewhat representative of where the band currently calls home,
Philadelphia, picking up on a few emo and punk influences that the city is
known for. In fact, in 2013 the band added guitarist Joe Reinhart from the Philadelphia
emo band Algernon Cadwallader to their lineup. Algernon Cadwallader was one of
the very first bands that began reviving the sound of Cap’n Jazz and its 90’s
emo contemporaries circa 2006. Joe’s exulting guitar playing that was present
in Algernon makes itself known on Painted
Shut. Even more, the child-like energy that Algernon Cadwallader possessed
is not lost on Hop Along. Often Frances even recalls experiences from her
formative years, like on one of the album’s bests, “Powerful Man” where she
cites the memory of watching a father physically abuse their child.
Though the music on Painted
Shut is not strictly punk, Hop Along brings punk attitudes to the mix. For
example, on the yearnful “Texas Funeral” Quinlan sings in rejection of the
overt coolness of the west coast: “I’m
going out flipping the bird to California. Keep your melting stars! I followed
all the rules.” Or through the suppressed rebellion expressed on
“Well-Dressed” with its stark imagery: “It’s
built a freeway all around my bed.I
saw it once open its great mouth wide, but it was so full of afflicted houses
and buildings I can’t remember what it was saying.” It seems laws and rules
have been a consistent theme in Hop Along’s music, recalling one of the
highlight tracks of Get Disowned,
“Tibetan Pop Stars.” It ends with the refrain: “My love is average. I obey an average law.” Almost as if Frances
expresses some sorrowful acceptance of authority.
Painted Shut
serves as an example that traditional rock instrumentation is still a relevant
and visceral mode of musical expression, and overall, the album is the band’s
most solid effort yet. While it displays clear influences, Painted Shut should be described as anything but derivative, and
honestly… I’m surprised at just how many songs from this album I enjoy.
Last summer, we covered Elvis Depressedly’s show at a very small art space in the North Davidson district of Charlotte. Tomorrow they’ll play Reverb Fest at the Neighborhood Theatre, a 1000-capacity venue in that same corner of the city. It will be their first show since the release of their new album, New Alhambra. The album marks a departure from the lo-fi-ness of their past releases, while still using older recording equipment. The result is something well-produced, yet with a unique sound. Outlining the album are obscure vocal samples that tie into the loose theme of the Second Coming. These often effect-ridden samples push the album forward until the end of its run time of just over 20 minutes.
Some of my favorite cuts from the album include: “Ease” (a song that takes note on self-consciousness and features a beautifully distant-sounding electric guitar), “Rock n’ Roll” (a song that smartly uses a classic rock & roll beat and has lyrics like “Jesus died on the cross so I could quit my job” that seem purposefully laughable), and “New Alhambra” (which boils down to an audacious belief that one can parry death eternally because pain has been replaced with numbness).
The last song, “Wastes of Times,” begins with a sudden dropout of the electronic ambiance that pervades the entire album. It’s a striking contrast that represents an acceptance of the bad if it means being able to look forward to what’s new and worthwhile. It’s also the least lethargic track on the album, and a quick glance at the lyrics will show hopeful and compassionate words: “Heartbreak can’t phase me. I am crazy, but I’m true.“ The brevity and minimalism of the track is refreshing, and heck, it nearly has me convinced that there actually will be “No More Sad Songs” from Elvis Depressedly.
You can still get tickets to tomorrow’s festival with Elvis Depressedly, Beach Fossils, and several of North Carolina’s most worthwhile bands and you can treat yourself to a copy of New Alhambra.
Radical Dad’s new album will burn you alive and give you a lot of joy too. This sick trio from Brooklyn features twingy, melodious rock backing the emotional scream-singing of frontwoman Lindsay Baker. This song “Slammer” will give you a sample of the high-octane rock n’ roll on this release. Highly recommended! – Dave Samuels, WKNC Assistant Music Director
A recently new resident to Durham, Jake Xerxes Fussell is hands down one of the best traditional musicians of today. Growing up in Columbus, Georgia, Fussell became well acquainted with the Piedmont blues musicians that were from the Chattahoochee Valley by touring and recording with legends like Precious Bryant, Black Rodeo Rider, Rye Whiskey Distiller, and Georgia Daniel. In this new self-titled album, Fussell teamed up with William Tyler to rearrange ten folk and blues songs that still retain their roots, but with more of Fussell’s original flare. – Local Music Director Clint Bowman
This Don Giovanni band’s new release, Nights in the Dark by CALIFORNIA X, sounds like that time you got all nostalgic reading a Buzzfeed list of “20 Toys from the 90’s That Were Totally Awesome” and then thought about your middle school crush and how you wish you’d had the nerve to say you LIKE-LIKED him/her during truth or dare at that birthday party the whole class was invited to. – Meggs Benedict
Based off the artist’s recurring dreams, this complex album paints a picture of his dreamscape. Awesome rhythms, beautiful keyboard parts, and top notch production that really brings out the darkness in the album. Minimal Vocals.
Flying Lotus – “You’re Dead”
Super jazzy album. Most tracks are quite short. Other than “Never Catch Me” featuring Kendrick Lamar, this album lacks the typical hip-hop influence FlyLo tends to bring. This album can go from an extreme fast passed weirdness to a slow and lulling cadence.
Aphex Twin – “Syro”
Thirteen years in the making, Aphex Twin’s “Syro” album. Ambient, Industrial electronic, even some jungle techno. A cool mix of interesting sounds throughout the entire album, while still keeping up with Aphex Twin’s darker style.
SBTRKT – “Wonder Where We Land”
The second full length album from SBTRKT (pronounced “subtract”) brings less synths for a wider range of styles. Sampha’s smooth R&B vocals are used on several of the tracks as well as other recognizable vocalist and rappers. All songs are pretty chill.
Caribou – “Our Love”
A more lyrically personal album for Caribou. This album explores a wide variety of styles. From the slow cerebral tracks like “Silver” to the mode mid-range synth-pop songs like “Can’t Do Without You” to the dance tracks like “Julia Brightly” this album has a lot to offer.
MOA – “Maverick”
I like this music, give me some “moa” am I right? (lame) Wow, what a feel good album. This is one of the happiest and upbeat electronic albums I’ve heard all year. Lots of dance club type tracks and some dubstep. Some tracks sound a little poppy; lots of upbeat techno.
Garden City Movement – “Bengali Cinema”
Sweet EP. Very chill, downtempo beats with chopped and screwed vocals. Totally “Majestic Casual” style. Listen if you enjoy those chill tunes.
Eliot Lipp – “Watch The Shadows”
A soulful album that really showcases his synth-hop style. Many great vocalists are featured on this album. A beautiful fusion of soulful organic sounds and new dance floor mechanics.
Kodomo – “Patterns and Lights”
Nice beats with some classical elements thrown in. This album has more of an ambient sound; no big drops or build ups. Reminds me of Japanese producers styles.
Bonobo – “Flashlight”
This 3 song EP really demonstrates the quality of Bonobo’s work. A chill album with many layers to concentrate on while listening. Good swurling synths. The last track is the most down-temp of the three.
There is one more week until the end of my favorite season of the year. Here are some of the best Afterhours albums from this season:
Porter Robinson – “Worlds”
This NC artist takes a very different approach compared to his last album. A very light electro sound that was made to go against the grain of current EDM. Lots of indie & pop influence will be found.
Amp Live – “Headphone Concerto”
Some of the best production this year. A beautiful mix of live instruments with synthesizers. This album is broken up into three distinct parts. Many cool guest vocalist and several hiphop songs.
ODESZA – “In Return”
Dope beatz from ODESZA with Deep Percussion and high synth melodies. More downtempo-chill songs but a nice variety from song to song. A very well put together album. I dig the positive vibes I get from the songs. It’s nice because downtempo songs are usually darker, sometimes even somber.
Chet Faker – “Built On Glass”
Some of my favorite male vocals I have heard released this year. The instrumentals are as smooth as this man’s voice. This album draws a lot from Flume, Chet was even featured on the song “Left Alone,” but this record is a bit jazzier.
Tensnake – “Glow”
A top notch house producer who keeps getting better. By house, I mean the older Chicago style house. Tensnake also throws in some post-dub and many great guest vocalists.
Slow Magic – “How To Run Away”
Light, midtempo, and catchy. Wordless vocals and guitar riffs chopped up into an ethereal swirl. Very vibrant synths and percussion.
Hippie Sabotage – “The Sunny Album”
This album is super chill, but NOT boring. The producers do a good job of keeping things interesting while still keeping the chill vibes and avoiding heavy drops with crazy wubs. Common theme here is big bass with unique drum beats and overall chill vibes.
Lone – “Reality Testing”
Jungle and house album with cool jazz influence. No lyrics, just smooth synths.
Mndsgn – “Yawn Zen”
This album favors murky, underwater sounds dripping with syrupy chimes. What really brings it all together is the trippy jazz undertones. No song is longer than 3 minutes and there are no vocals.
There has always been a lot of mystery surrounding The Grapes. They certainly don’t go out of their way to advertise their presence in the music scene. When I first discovered them in the summer of 2012, I had to spend hours scouring the internet for information on this band. The most I could ever find besides their two (known) releases on their bandcamp page was a few music videos, and a live video from a performance at The Cave. The mysteriousness behind the music that I instantly fell in love with only added to their ultra-lofi/DIY image.
If you haven’t heard The Grapes before, I highly encourage you to check out their first two releases.. It was long thought that the band broke up for good in 2012, and having hardly any activity since a reunion show in the summer of 2013, it definitely solidified the rumor amongst their fans. However, the band quietly released a brand new album on September 1st, 2014.
With this latest album, featuring 11 brand new tracks, The Grapes take their music in a new direction. Instead of their usual two piece, nitty-gritty, loud and erratic lofi gold, this album is considerably slower, less noisy, and much more sophisticated musically. Lyrically, we follow the same well spoken (or sung) narrator as he lives his life in college, but still deals with all the same self-loathing and girl related issues he dealt with in high school. The Grapes always offer humor at the foreground of their lyrics, with dark emotional torment sitting right behind. This can be best found in tracks like “Teen Girl Song” and “Frat Boys”.
With the release of this album, the band also welcomes Chris Palmour to join the original members, Jeremy and Brett. I’m very excited to see where the band goes with the release of this album. I can only hope that it includes some shows this fall, but of course, they’ll probably be so secret I won’t even know about them.
