American Mary, or, the National and Autumn, or, the Excitement of Seeing a Band Twice

Last year was a big year of concerts for me. I was able to see Arcade Fire, Broken Social Scene, Sufjan Stevens... These were all bands that I had anticipated seeing and to have them in such a narrow time period made for a very fulfilling couple of months. This year hasn't been much different and I am an incredibly lucky person to be living where I am, to be so close to these venues, and to have a certain person to see them with. But now it's nearly November. Dreary, drab winds have taken a home in alleyways and busy streets bluster with men among gusts. Winter is nearing and the grey, monotonous days have begun to roll in. But as the sun retreats behind clouds and we gather up coats and shelters, this is the perfect time to break out the depressing sounds of the indie (an appropriate term for the band that began as part of the DIY culture) kings, the National...

High Violet was only released last year. This was following the immense success of Boxer. It's not frequent that a band renown for such depressing sounds and lyrical content can find such commercial and critical success, yet the National has somehow done just that. Their sound has not been matched in its seasonally synonymous nature. Brisk winds and coloured leaves falling like peeling scabs getting caught and whisked away come through in each song. Wandering blank, bleak concrete with slanted rain drops hitting your face has not been matched with a better song than England. The sound can not only be attached to surroundings and a setting, but a feeling that, in turn, is attached to a setting...

Not only do I get to see the National, I get to see them twice. This is an opportunity that I've been waiting so long for. To see a band on back to back days, I can't get over how lucky I must be. And here we are, in autumn with winters ways coming in our direction, the optimal time for such a sound. Matt Berringer's distinct baritone resonates in this dismal atmosphere and the intriguing twin duality between the Devendorfs and Dressners creates the perfect atmosphere for their minimalist compositions. The National have proven time and time again that excessive additions are exactly that: excessive. With modest doses of strings and brass, the National have created incredibly emotional grounds for their sound to be built upon. With the emotion that they have grown from, one can't help but associate the music with the gloom of autumn filling the streets, flooding around our ankles then taking us whole...

How fitting that with autumn coming to a close, the National will be completing what will probably be the last shows in support of High Violet. If you live in an area that they will be playing around, I recommend checking them out. The support acts for this tour so far have been superb and you will certainly be getting your money's worth. If you can see them twice, and your budget permits, consider the chance to see two of these shows an focus on the different acts. With the weather as it is and band's sound, don't be afraid to dwell on the sadness that has been interwoven into their sound, this is an experience you certainly cannot miss out on once, let alone twice.

Joel Brandt - The Wind & the Waves

"Simplicity is not stupidity." That quote has always been a favorite of mine. Its implications toward music, even art in general, is very bold. To the whole singer-songwriter classification, its meaning is truest. How could one condemn something for simplicity if that is precisely what defines it? However, this statement doesn't simply validate everything in being a reduced, uninspired display nor does it state minimalist intentions are instantly art. Therefore, it's hard for a singer-songwriter to find their niche be it in simplicity or elsewhere. But, as local musician Joel Brandt has proven, sometimes having access to a more advanced recording method will only refine the sound to a new level as opposed to sacrificing identity.

I've had the great pleasure of playing with Joel, seeing him perform and, heck, even just talking to him. He is possibly the nicest musician I've met so far. His modesty is exceeded only by his talent, but you'd never hear that from him. His personality is his sound and vice versa. It's important to note that. But it's also important that I'm not just going to praise him out of companionship...

For a musician to not rely or depend on a gigantic sound to mask overall talent is bold as any flaw or idiosyncrasy is on display with nothing to distract you from it. Very few have been able to pull this off well (not to say that it hasn't been pulled off). For Joel, it seems like it's simply his nature to put his identity forth in his sound (as aforementioned). The result is an impeccable representation of who he is in his music with mentions of his love, religion and artistry. Every song opens a new window into who he is...

But what is so unique about this EP is that he doesn't simply depend on one aspect of his music to carry it. The lyrics are on par with the music and the music is beautifully dainty. This is music in its rawest and simplest form, and though it isn't flawless, the flaws only separate Joel from other musicians...

As I said before, I have the privilege to say I know Joel. From this, I can state that no one else I know has become more confident and defined in their musicianship. His voice is incredibly bold without being overstated. There is no overcompensation here. His comfort in his role is evident and, because of that, it does exceptionally well at what it is meant to do. By not attempting to be anything it isn't, his EP is a promising start to Joel's studio career. With this being his first work in a studio, one can only wonder what he can accomplish on a full length. If he can keep progressing as he has, he can be one of the west coast's most promising acts on the same level as Aidan Knight, We Are the City and Said the Whale. All he needs is that full length. All he needs is that tour. All he needs is that exposure. Joel Brandt is a great song writer and an even better person, the type of person that can succeed in music with little effort. All he needs is time...

If I've piqued your interest at all, PLEASE check him out and support him. He deserves it. This EP is not just good for a local musician, it's a good EP by any standards (including my own very high standards). Keep in mind that the quality on the other releases may not be as good, it's still really good music. This is his Bandcamp:

http://joelbrandt.bandcamp.com/

Premature Evaluation: Los Campesinos! - Hello Sadness

I waited a long time for Romance is Boring. Not as in I heard an album or two, liked it and couldn't wait for more; not in a prodigious sense where the band appealed to me unlike any other; rather, that album was the first I had heard from the Welsh band. I needed that album. It was the voice of angst in a generation overemotional beings with faux tears and anxious sorrows with rampant sadness and romances. But most of all, it spoke to lusty heartbreaks and hormonal teenage passions. Though I've never aligned myself with such a group, the distaste towards archetypal love reverberated in the sense that it made me feel grounded. The whole bashing of a generation and love itself made sense at the time like no other music did, so I clung to it...

Hello Sadness is not out yet. It hasn't even leaked, so don't bother looking right away. No, only two singles have made their way to the internet to be heard and, though this isn't any definite sign of what the album will be like, it does give us a very minimal first impression. Unfortunately, this isn't the first impression I was hoping for. Though By Your Hand is an incredibly catchy song, it, along with the titular track, lacks what made their past albums so special and unique. The lyrics are less, forthelackofabetterword, aggressive and the self-deprecating tone has been raised to a nearly hyperbolic, yet infantile, state. Now, the sincerity seems lacking and the presentation unenthusiastic. Maybe it's the constantly changing line up or maybe it's simply a change in direction, but now they just sound... generic...

Los Campeinos! are still standouts with their tweeish sound. Their voice is still unique and this album will still probably be a standout among albums going for a similar tone. For the most part, my excitement has not wavered enough to worry me, but I'm still somewhat hesitant with what has been presented. I can somewhat conclude that this won't be Romance is Boring or anything of the sort, but it will still be Los Campesinos!. In the end, that will be enough...

The Decemberists and why I will never listen to country...

I am a Decemberists fanboy. I was eager to get my hands on the King is Dead. I gladly paid the extra money to get the limited edition with the vinyl/CD/DVD package. I then gladly paid the money to go see them live. And when I had to write a review of it, I praised it for what it was. But that was the problem, what it was: a tribute to American music that shied away from what made the Decemberists so special...

Let it be noted... I hate country music. Well, I hate the country music I've heard and afterwords classified as country music. I've spent long work days with someone who listens to it and ergo heard it for about 4 or 5 hours. Now, this is the country music he listened to and it heavily juxtaposed my interests...

I know that the rap I hate is contrasted by the rap I find acceptable to listen to and, therefore, I know there is probably some less iconic or archetypal country music that I can probably enjoy. The closest I've come was with the Decemberists, but with my obsessive admiration towards them, I believe I loved the musicians as much, if not more, than the actual music. Just as I praised the King is Dead then, I would do it again; it is not uncommon for me to turn on musicians or albums as their appeal fades, yet I have never had that problem with the Decemberists. I will gladly play the Crane Wife or Picaresque on any given day and still have that immediate appreciation I had followed by the conceptual bewilderment unique only to this band. For that reason alone, I could never turn on them...

But that doesn't make the King is Dead anything it's not...

What is it? It's an intricate and eloquent ballad to nature and seasons. It's a deeply developed album that sounds of its setting. But it's also a bit of a far cry from the Hazards of Love that preceded it. I found myself infatuated with sordid undertones of January Hymn and June Hymn; songs like Rise to Me and Dear Avery were also stand out tunes on an album that, rather than draw from the British folk revival, seeped with Americana flavor and flare. It did have that country feel and vibe to it, but upon further study, it had some things all country I've heard lack...

Perhaps it's only what I've heard, but country lacks, to be quite blunt, an intelligence to it. I should word that differently... Country is simple. I shouldn't mix up simplicity with stupidity. The problem is, it's so simple and rudimentary that it could never appeal to me. The personas prefer to perform songs of fishing and beer and when it does get somewhat sentimental or heartfelt, folkish metaphors and bland, uninspired wording bludgeon me over the head. It appeals to a certain crowd, but I can't help but think the Decemberists proved that genre could offer so much more...

(On a side note, I won't even attempt to explain my disdain towards the voices, it would take too much time and space)

When I listen to bad (a subjective term) music, I find myself thinking that more could have been accomplished, that it simply lacks some innately desired quality and faltered in that sense. When I've listened to country, that feeling is thick and undeniable. There is certainly some musical talent in country, but the generic sound and lyrics simply make it a mass of ten gallon hats and leather with little to distinguish them. The identity of country is not in the musicians, but the music itself, and it is simply one I choose to never become accustomed with.