On June 22, 2021, the notorious indie rock band Car Seat Headrest released two EPs. These EPS are a continuation of their newest album “Making a Door Less Open.” The acronym “MALDO” marks the two EPs, the first of which are remixes from the album. The second EP “Influences” are covers of the music Car Seat Headrest was inspired by. In “Influences” they cover four tracks, David Bowie’s “Golden Years,” the Who’s “Substitute,” Nine Inch Nails’ “March of the Pigs,” and Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill.” I love their tributes to these classic artists that inspired their music. The cover of Kate Bush’s song surprised me; I did not know how it would compare to the ethereal original. I actually enjoyed their rendition, with 80s synth Toledo’s chill vocals fit perfectly.
While listening I started thinking about all the covers that capture the original perfectly, the covers that end up more recognized than the originals, and the covers that take the original to new heights. When an artist records a cover there is usually a certain amount of respect and appreciation for the first band/artist. I think by adding a new spin to the track, it can elevate the initial recording. Covers are also an entry into making music for so many people. Playing covers can give folks the confidence to start their own musical journeys.
I’ve compiled a playlist of some of my favorite covers for your listening pleasure. As a huge 80s music fan most are tracks written and recorded in the 1980s then covered recently by newer artists. You can listen on Spotify.
So, I’ve been on a personal mission to get back in touch with classical music. This doesn’t normally apply to the popular music covered by WKNC, but for the next few weeks I’ll be sharing some musical history that might interest you, even if classical music isn’t really your thing. The subject in question is experimental music, and how it came to be the way it is.
To begin, let’s talk about what these two genres are, and what they have to do with each other. Experimental music is a loosely defined genre of popular music that features unusual or unconventional elements in a way that will be challenging but accessible for a general audience. The related to interchangeable term “avant-garde” means basically the same thing, but is generally less accessible and more out there.
“Classical music,” while it is a term with a technical meaning among musicians and academics, has come to be a catch all term for written music from the European tradition prior to World War II. This typically includes music composed for orchestra, piano, solo stringed instruments, and ensembles.
These two genres seem to be at opposite ends of the spectrum. One is rigid, formal, and based in traditional Eurocentric traditions, while the other is defined by experimentation and challenges to rules and has often been embraced by those in the margins. However, this has not always been the case. Most classical musicians today pull from an era known as the “Common repertoire,” while includes everything from Bach to Debussy (roughly 1580-1910), and is generally conservative in taste and inoffensive. However, orchestra and piano composers didn’t just stop writing music after 1910.
After 1910, classical music started getting really weird. Unmarketably weird, and while you might not recognize many songs from this era, the influence of 20th century classical on experimental rock, jazz, metal, and by extension mainstream pop, is massive. Noise, atonality, drone, synthesizers, many of these innovations have some roots in this era. Additionally, many famous indie musicians including the Velvet Underground, Pharoah Sanders, and the Sonic Youth have backgrounds in 20th-century classical music. So, it’s worth taking a look at this era to see what popular music borrowed and what it added.
[Also, I just bought a book on this topic and I feel like I need to justify that purchase somehow.]
I’ll be back in a few weeks to discuss modernism, but if you want some light previews of what’s to come, here’s some recommendations from modern day backwards:
Lingua Ignota- Caligula; contemporary music fusing classical back with noise
Glenn Branca- The Ascension; an interesting touchstone for noise rock and alt rock
Steve Reich- It’s gonna rain; an early use of electronic tapes in composition
Terry Reily- In C; a pretty famous piece of minimalism, precursor to synthesizer music
Elaine Radigue- Trilogy de la Mort: early inspiration of drone music
Karlheinz Stockhausen- a Young Person’s Guide to Music; the definitive precursor to noise
As concerts slowly return, I’m reminded of sweaty men, beer-covered floors, and body-rattling bass. I’ve missed it. In honor of the post-COVID concert comeback, I’ve ranked (some of) the concerts I’ve attended. My rankings are based on varying combinations of enjoyment, artist delivery, venue, and atmosphere. In descending order, here they are:
10. 5 Seconds of Summer (Opener: Hey Violet)
When: September 2015 Where: Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek With: My mom
Give me a break; I was 13. We sat in the row of chairs directly in front of the lawn, it stormed incredibly hard (which stopped the concert multiple times), and the music was terrible. That being said, I had a nice time with my mom and it was my first concert so it holds a special place in my heart.
9. Bay Faction (Opener: Superbody)
When: February 2020 Where: Cat’s Cradle Back Room With: Friend
This concert simply wasn’t good. The opener took the stage alone, and while they tried to get the crowd riled up, it didn’t work. When Bay Faction came out, the crowd was still mostly dead. Some young people flocked to the front of the stage and the lead singer weirdly leered at them while simultaneously flirting all night long. Actually, it wasn’t all night, because the set lasted for about 20 minutes and the band refused to come out for an encore. I still listen to some Bay Faction songs, but this concert wasn’t worth it.
8. TV Girl (Opener: Yohana)
When: May 2019 Where: Local 506 With: Myself
Let’s just say they don’t sound the same in person. If they had, I would have enjoyed this concert. This was the only concert I’ve ever left early.
7. Girlpool (Openers: Hatchie, Cosmo Punk)
When: April 2019 Where: Motorco Music Hall With: Myself
I’ve loved Girlpool since my sophomore year of high school, but I was somewhat disappointed with the concert. The band only played tracks from “Powerplant” (2017) and “What Chaos Is Imaginary” (2019), save for the last song they performed: “Chinatown.” Had they included more tracks from earlier records, I think the audience would have been happier. However, they were both still wonderful performers and kept the crowd involved.
6. Joy Again (Opener: Indigo De Souza)
When: June 2019 Where: Kings With: Friend
Joy Again is one of those bands I always come back to. I’m a big fan of ARTHUR, so it’s sort of a given that I like them. As far as the opener goes, I was mostly unfamiliar with their music at the time but Indigo De Souza was smiley and lively. I went with a close friend and while we made the experience worthwhile, Joy Again seemed a bit lethargic when they came out. It was towards the end of their tour, however, so I imagine they were fairly tired. Despite the low-energy set, the music was great and they sound the same in person.
5. Tyler, the Creator (Openers: GoldLink, Blood Orange)
When: October 2019 Where: Greensboro Coliseum With: Friend
GoldLink was an incredibly dynamic opener, and while I’m not as big of a fan of Blood Orange, they also delivered a solid performance. As far as the main show, Tyler is a true artist and it was clear throughout his entire set. His infamous crowd-teasing seemed especially aggressive that night, but I was able to look past that. I wish there’d been more moshing, but it was still an exciting night.
4. BROCKHAMPTON
When: January 2018 Where: The Ritz Who: Friends
The concert I attended was pre-Ameer exposure, so the full BROCKHAMPTON outfit took the stage with no opener for their SATURATION III tour. When I saw them, I was still fully in my BROCKHAMPTON phase, so it resonated a lot more than it would now. They played all my favorite songs, the crowd was fun, and they ended with “HEAT.” What more could a high school girl ask for?
3. The Front Bottoms (Opener: Basement)
When: November 2017 Where: The Fillmore With: Friends
My folk punk guilty (but not really) pleasure. The Front Bottoms will always be special to me, as will this concert experience. The Fillmore was packed to the brim and it was pretty clear that everyone there had a lot of love for TFB. The members of the band were energetic throughout the night and delivered great performances. It was a sweaty, emotional, and fulfilling concert.
2. Alex G (Openers: ARTHUR, Tomberlin)
When: October 2019 Where: The Grey Eagle With: Friends
Seeing ARTHUR open was one of the best concert moments I’ve experienced. His set was gorgeous, fun, and special. I was already fully satisfied after ARTHUR, so Alex G’s nearly three hour set was just the (very long) cherry on top. The room was electric when he played “Bobby.”
1. The Garden (Opener: Cowgirl Clue)
When: April 2018 (4/20 to be exact) Where: Local 506 With: Myself
It still surprises even myself that this is my favorite concert I’ve been to thus far. I went by myself, got into the venue fairly late, and felt anxious leading up to the main act. Somehow, however, I ended up right in front of the stage and had an amazing time. The Garden are the best and most vibrant performers I’ve ever encountered. They’re delivery was loud and gruff and the instrumentals were overwhelmingly impressive. While I don’t listen to much of The Garden anymore, I’d go to one of their shows again.
Here’s to concerts: The Good, The Bad, and Those To Come,
Cover art for "How Long Do You Think It's Gonna Last?"
Big Red Machine, a duo composed of Aaron Dessner of The National and Justin Vernon of Bon Iver, has announced an album coming at the end of this summer. The album is named “How Long Do You Think It’s Gonna Last?” and will contain features from Fleet Foxes, Taylor Swift, Anaïs Mitchell, Sharon Van Etten and more. In fact, nine tracks on this 15 track project will contain features. This will be the indie-folk-rock duo’s sophomore album and will be released under the labels Jagjaguwar and 37d03d.
Upon teasing the release of this album, Swift fans almost immediately recognized that she would be involved with the project due to her particular handwriting. This was also suspected due to her past work with both Dessner and Vernon on her two most recent albums, “folklore” and “evermore.” Dessner also assisted in the production of “Fearless (Taylor’s Version).” Swift has two features on the album, on tracks “Birch” and “Renegade.”
The past couple of months I have been OBSESSED with a particular genre of music that was popular in the 1990s and early 2000s. I am not exactly sure what to label it as, but the best way I can describe it is entrancing feminine voices layered over intelligent dance music (IDM) tracks.
If you appreciate chill electronic music and soothing feminine voices then this post is for you. Listed below is an hour’s worth of my favorite tracks from this genre.
“It’s a Fine Day” by Opus III – Mind Fruit (1992)
“Breathe” by Telepopmusik – Genetic World (2001)
“Edge of The Ocean” by Ivy – Long Distance (2001)
“Sweet Child Of Mine” by Akasha – Cinematique (2006)
“The Sea” by Morcheeba – Big Calm (1998)
“That Girl” by Esthero – Breath From Another (1998)
“I’m In Love With A German Film Star” by The Passions – I’m In Love With A German Film Star (2006)
“Autumn Leaves – Irresistible Force mix” by Coldcut – Ninja Tune Retrospect (No.1) (2008)
“Overcome” by Tricky – Maxinquaye (1995)
“Day for Night” by Moloko – Do You Like My Tight Sweater (1995)
Album cover for Kelsey Lu’s 2019 album “Blood” Copyright: Columbia Records
Alright it’s time to shine a spotlight on one of North Carolina’s own, Kelsey Lu. Hailing from Charlotte, she grew up in a strictly religious household before attending UNC School of the Arts. In short, she’s about as Carolinian as a musician can be.
So, from the above album cover (cropped for nudity) you might expect an R&B singer, or perhaps some kind of melodic indie rocker, but at the risk of disappointing you, Lu fits somewhere in the realm of baroque pop. Yes, that UNCSA education was apparently in classical cello, because Lu is basically inseparable from the instrument. Her music weaves in a variety of strings including viola and violin, supplementing thoughtfully written songs that border on spoken word at times. One word that would not describe her, however, is orchestral, as her arrangements are incredibly sparse, rarely doubling more than one instrument besides her voice, and eschewing chords. The result is somewhat expiriemental, while remaining accesible
If classical isn’t really your thing, still give Kelsey Lu a shot, because the restrained conservatism of her upbringing and stylistic influences are not reflected in her music. She gave one anecdote of listening to 36 Mafia in her sister’s car in secret. Side note, while I can’t speak as to whether that story represents the community at large, it did make me laugh for how much it fits the profile of most Charlottean Jehovah’s Witnesses I’ve met. Her rebellious nature is not just targeted at her roots though; she turns a critical yet loving eye to the outside world. Her 2019 album “Blood” targets hippies, art school grads, and her parents’ generation all in the first song. Her music is in equal measure restrained and rebellious, and an excellent entry in our state’s cultural tapestry.
On June 18, mewithoutYou announced they were beginning their farewell tour. This tour was planned to take place through 2020, marking their final year as a band. However, the world had different plans. But now with COVID restrictions easing and cases coming down in general, the band made the decision to announce their tour with a teaser on their Instagram, announcing two Philadelphia shows – “The Beginning of the End” and “Brother, Sister 15th Anniversary Show.” Contrary to what many fans believe, these aren’t the band’s last shows. In fact, it marks the beginning of their final tour. While heartbreaking for many fans (especially newer ones, like myself), the members of the band made this decision to focus on their families and personal lives.
mewithoutYou formed in 2001, the original members being Aaron Weiss (vocals), Mike Weiss (lead guitar, background vocals, keys), Christopher Kleinberg (rhythm guitar), Daniel Pishock (bass) and Rickie Mazzotta (drums). While their style has changed greatly over their career, thematically and lyrically they’ve stayed consistent. Much of their lyrics take inspiration from Judeo-Christianity, Buddhism and Islamic philosophy, all delivered in a deeply personal spoken-word poetry style. Let’s take a deep dive into the musical world of mewithoutYou…
“I Never Said That I Was Brave” (2001)
This five-song EP is more of a sneak peek of what the group was capable of. Borderline “screamo” vocals, thick guitars, panic chords galore and percussion that puts many mainstream drummers to shame, this 15 minute EP leaves you almost no time to relax. Many of the tracks on here made it onto their first album a year later. This is our first look into Aaron’s deeply personal and introspective world of songwriting.
“Let us die, let us die!/Then dying, we reply/Oh, don’t you tell us about your suffering…’’ are the first words we’re greeted with. This album is reminiscent of their first EP, but is a lot more polished but still as, if not more, angry. This album has a common theme of heartbreak, loneliness, and questioning one’s faith. This album doesn’t end on a pleasant note as most do. The closest form of closure we get is in the final track “The Cure For Pain,” in which Aaron belts “The cure for pain is in the pain, so it’s there that you’ll find me.” This album is a desperate diary entry of a hurt soul, looking for some sort of relief.
Like their previous album, “Catch For Us The Foxes” is deeply emotional and personal, dealing with even heavier topics than before: reaching your rock bottom and having “no lower place to fall,” feelings of worthlessness and suicide. While “A->B Life” was more nihilistic and angry, this album has many semblances of hope, Aaron belting many lines praising his small triumphs in his improving mental health. This album has a more mature feel and explores many different sounds. Here, we see our first (Pt.2) song. These songs hark back to tracks on previous albums, sharing similar melodies and themes, but are typically more upbeat and hopeful. This track is “Four Word Letter(Pt.2).” While the original spoke lines of heartbreak, “(Pt. 2)” speaks of being healed, yet still skeptical of moving forward. This album ends with a poem of rebirth from a lonely self, lyrically burying this angry Aaron – “Six of my closest friends will dig up the ground, all my accomplishments gently lowered down…”
Arguably their best and most successful album, “Brother, Sister” is an album-long testimony of his journey of healing and self-love. As you would expect, this album isn’t sad or angry, however, it’s not 45 minutes of, “Hey everyone! Look at me, I’m happy now!” There are still a few songs that still deal with healing and questioning one’s self. You hear this as early as the third track with “Wolf Am I! (And Shadow).” We also see another (Pt. 2) song, “Nice and Blue (Pt. 2),” a song about not being completely healed, but improving nonetheless. Each stanza of “(Pt. 2)” contrasts the lines of the original, quite the departure from the angry, self-loathing lament the original track was. This album is all about contrast, songs like “The Sun and the Moon,” lyrical themes between tracks, the album art, heck, even the album name. Probably my favorite thing about this album is the interludes that are known by the fanbase as the “Spider Songs“ – “Yellow Spider,” “Orange Spider” and “Brownish Spider.” These songs (I believe) serve as a stark contrast to some of the heavier songs that come before or after them. The finale of the album, “In a Sweater Poorly Knit” shows that while Aaron is in a good place now, he knows that lows in life are inevitable and will eventually cycle back, but with that cycle, leads to more personal growth. If you listen closely to the end, you can hear rain – right where the first track begins.
“It’s All Crazy! It’s All False! It’s All A Dream! It’s Alright” (2009)
The title being a near direct quote from the Islamic philosopher Bawa Muhaiyaddeen, this album explores many spiritual themes, not just Islam, but Christianity and Judaism, too. The sound of this album is nothing like they’ve done before – almost all the songs are folky and acoustic. Another common theme throughout the album is plants and animals, one of the tracks, “The Fox, the Crow, and the Cookie,” being a retelling of one of Aesop’s fables. Again, we see another (Pt. 2) song, “Bullet to Binary (Pt.2).” Like before, this sequel contrasts the original with a more positive and hopeful message, this time, a message about unity.
In my opinion, this album is their most overlooked and underrated. “Ten Stories” is a concept album about a train carrying circus animals, the elephant running herself into the side of the car she’s in, derailing the train and freeing all the circus animals. The elephant inevitably sacrifices her life for the good of others and is hanged in “Elephant on the Dock.” All of which is a metaphor for the crucifixion of Christ. Each track focuses on each of the animals’ experiences, but mainly follows the adventures of the fox and bear. Haley Williams of Paramore is featured on “Fox’s Dream of the Log Flume,” she has said in an interview that mewithoutYou is her favorite band (she has great taste!).
Between the release of “Ten Stories” and this album, Aaron and Mike experienced the loss of their father. Aaron’s lyrics became nihilistic and have seemed to have lost touch with his spirituality, which is mirrored in many of the tracks. Another common theme revolving around the apocalypse, referencing The Four Horsemen, The Seven Seals, divine judgment and death. Early mewithoutYou probably would have written a loud and angry album, but this more mature band wrote songs that are haunting and cold, but almost comforting. Here again, we see a very hurt Aaron, but he’s older now, and more mature. He drops the only curse in their entire discography in “Rainbow Signs.” In almost a whisper he sings, “Pale horse vows in a grave reply/Smile for the camera at the church nearby/Threw a mute curse at the Boise sky/For my f——d up Napoleon-of-St.-Helena-hairline…” The album ends with Aaron dreaming about seeing his father again, sharing an inside joke that only they understood.
”Like It’s All Crazy!..,” this album has many allusions to animals, many of the lyrics written as conversations between them. The first half is unapologetically aggressive, pushing you directly into the chaos with no warning. Lyrically and thematically, it seems that Aaron has come to terms with his father’s death and has gone back to his spiritual roots. “Another Head For Hydra” explores the worthlessness of material possessions. “[dormhouse sighs]” is a more positive look at the apocalypse – stemming from a revelation he had on a West Virginia highway. The second half, while still heavy, is more refined and not as chaotic. “2,459 Miles” is a song about being far from his home, wife and kids. “Micheal, Row Your Boat Ashore” is about the doubts and fears of being a new father. Personally, I think this album is Aaron’s best writing in a poetic sense. Each song is packed with metaphors, biblical references and clever wordplay.
I don’t think there will ever be another band that could hold a candle to the sheer complexity and beauty of mewithoutYou. Their lyrics are introspective, the instrumentals are layered and are like no other band I’ve ever heard. Their discography has a little something for everyone. Each album is a unique, near spiritual experience. If someone as iconic as Haley Williams holds them in high regard, maybe you should give them a chance. As current members Aaron, Mike, Rickie, Greg and Brandon ready themselves for one more tour, I wish them nothing but the best in their personal lives. Their music really has changed the lives of so many, including myself.
Whether it be a reprise, interlude, or just a short track, I feel that songs under one minute are underrated. If you look at streaming numbers, they are often the least streamed part of an album. However, I adore a bite-sized track that serves its purpose.
The following are my favorite songs that clock in under (or just at) one minute long. And what better way to celebrate short songs than with a one-sentence descriptor?
“Variations On A Theme (Science Vs. Romance)” by Rilo Kiley
LENGTH: 0:36
The eight track on “Takeoffs and Landings,” this short, sweet and enchanting instrumental track is a callback to the hit “Science Vs. Romance.”
“(Can We Be Friends?)” by Conan Gray
LENGTH: 0:58
This dreamy and lullaby-esque track speaks on a ride-or-die friendship with an air of vulnerability and innocence.
“Smoke Signals (Reprise)” by Phoebe Bridgers
LENGTH: 0:34
The finale of Bridgers’ debut album “Stranger in the Alps,” she hums the melody of the first track, ending where she started.
“Fertilizer” by Frank Ocean
LENGTH: 0:40
Beginning with the sound of someone flipping the channels on a TV (in reference to the album title, “Channel Orange,”) the quippy lyrics make up a jingle for fertilizer, cutting off with a laugh track.
“Pet Cemetery” by Tierra Whack
LENGTH: 1:00
Whack sings about a rather sad subject (the death of a dog), contrasting it with an upbeat ambience creating a track that is bound to stay stuck in your head after listening to it even once.
“Sometimes…” by Tyler the Creator
LENGTH: 0:36
The third track on “Flower Boy,” “Survivor” contestant Shane Powers narrates this track, asking Tyler which song he wants to hear next, serving as the intro for “See You Again.”
“The Lovely Linda” by Paul McCartney
LENGTH: 0:42
Dedicated to his then-wife Linda McCartney, this is a sweet-as-honey love song that serves as the intro to his debut solo album, “McCartney.”
If you want to listen to these tracks, you can check out the playlist I made especially for you.
Album Cover for Home Video, Copyright: Matador Records
Patron saint of moody ex-fundies everywhere Lucy Dacus has returned with her third full length album “Home Video.” After big deal releases from her boygenius bandmates Phoebe Bridgers and Julien Baker, expectations were high for Dacus, and she has delivered on “Home Video,” a tour de force in nostalgia and coming of age documentary.
Prior to this album, Dacus was something of an enigmatic figure. Her music was autobiographical, but opaque. Her most personal, (and by far best) song, “Night Shift,” was unique for blending intensely individual details with a kind of universal songwriting style that made it relatable to nearly everyone. But beyond this, you really didn’t get a good feel for Dacus’ internal world or emotional landscape only her musical world.
On “Home Video” Dacus gives a far more grounded account of her life without sacrificing the universal and biting songwriting choices that made her stand out. It’s set not in the abstract fantasy world of song, but in the very specific realm of an evangelical community in Virginia in the 2000s. Every song is set somewhere during high school or the first year or two of college, but the order is scrambled. It’s a mess of early memories, filtered through a sheen of warm, yet critical nostalgia. Dacus isn’t here to defend contemporary evangelical Christianity, but she is here to put herself in that context without shame. A queer woman of questionable faith who actually has some warm memories of her hometown and congregation. It feels a lot more honest than any number of leftist punk rebellions or Katy Perry-style party phases.
Putting aside the core concept, this album is just immaculate. Dacus flexes every musical and lyrical muscle she has, and I can remember some melodic or poetic detail from literally every song on here. Dacus is a master of her craft, and “Home Video,” will likely impress anyone with an appreciation for folk, indie rock, or music in general.
!["[Untitled]" album cover by mewithoutYou](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/6OmX9UrsngopMjd01VC5ymt3RUUoBLcFDMVxzURSm_G9Isac18Ox2S9TUW-I0mGccHd-Z3wE-7A6nzZ48mynesz__cAExD7xGk29HzM-oobPsvT-7dDZyLZfb1kT7bWHTAtGsuqi)
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