Something Like Sound

In recent years, the Colorado music scene has seen the nationwide success of several local groups, a testament to the hard working musicians living in the state. Fort Collins band Ride Your Bike recently released their album Bad News From The Bar on independant label Deep Elm Records. The record is a big step forward both lyrically and musically, when compared to Ride Your Bike’s earlier EP They’ve Got Plans. Lead singer/songwriter Mike Getches tells the story of two childhood friends, their falling out, and eventual realization of what is truly important in life.

As far as instrumentation and overall sound quality go, Bad News From The Bar sounds fantastic. Rather than sticking to one specific instrument pattern, Ride Your Bike experiments with a variety of strings, horns, percussion, and keyboards. Everything sounds clear and mixes together well. Getches sings in a distinct tone, something that sets Ride Your Bike apart from many pop-indie bands on the national scene.

The first track, “We All Have Our Own Shoes,” mixes guitars, strings, and vocals to establish a confident tone. “This Car Is Hot As Hell” shifts from simple acoustic parts into a full band sound. Upbeat distorted guitars fill “So If We,” a rock anthem that has potential as a radio single. Lyrically, Getches avoids unnecessary emotional overtones, but sticks to telling the story. There are some great lines such as, “You’re smart like the fish that stays off the hook,” a lyric that appears in “Sense of Things.” Overall, Ride Your Bike has created a record that is unique and shows that the Colorado music scene still embraces quality.
Bad News From The Bar is available at http://www.myspace.com/rideyourbike and http://www.deepelm.com

In The Spotlight: Rilo Kiley’s Under The Blacklight
In 2006, Rilo Kiley’s Jenny Lewis debuted her solo album Rabbit Fur Coat. The album received more attention and press than any of Rilo Kiley’s older works.

This placed the band in an odd situation, either breakup or change their style to appeal to Lewis’s newfound fame. Fortunately for fans, Rilo Kiley did not break up, but instead produced Under The Blacklight, released earlier this year.
The record departs from Lewis’s soul and country sound, focusing more on dance beats and instrumentation.
Catchy guitar riffs and Lewis’s distinct female vocals drive tracks such as “Silver Lining” and “The Moneymaker,” the first single from the disc. Electronic-pop elements find their way into the mix on the track “Under The Blacklight.”

The title track is really a treat, every part fits together to form solid harmonies, showcasing the real talent Rilo Kiley possesses as a band. Lewis’s work with The Postal Service may offer some explanation for the electronic-dance sound, but Rilo Kiley continues to expand their sound into new areas on the rest of the album.

“Dejalo” features lyrics both in Spanish and English, giving the track a Latin twist. Speaking of lyrics, Under The Blacklight tells some great stories about life and loving, while subtly sending messages about appearances.

In recent years, the popularity of dance music has caused some bands to cheapen their sound to appeal to the status quo.
This is not true of Rilo Kiley, their re-worked dynamics are enjoyable and fresh. They’ve gambled with their style and come out on top.

The lines between “indie” and “pop” are being blurred; this is most obvious on the new Say Anything two-disc record In Defense of The Genre.

Hailing from L.A., Say Anything has slowly gained popularity since the release of their breakthrough album …Is A Real Boy in 2004 and are now co-headlining the MySpace.com Music Tour with Hellogoodbye.

The record, heavily influenced by singer Max Bemis’s personal experiences, showcases a wide variety of musical styles slightly tinted with a sarcastic tone.

A heavy mix of electric guitars and robust vocals begin the first disc with “Skinny Mean Man.” “That Is Why” shifts into a show-tune style and seems somewhat out of place amid the overall the punk-pop tone of the record.

However the style shifts yet again at “Baby Girl, I’m A Blur,” the first single from In Defense of The Genre. Dance beats, slightly distorted guitars and electric keyboards take over for the rest of disc one.

Disc two sounds similar to Say Anything’s earlier works, combining simple melodies and multi-layered guitar parts. The track “In Defense of The Genre” signals a return to Say Anything’s trademarked sound. The rest of the record follows a similar format.

A slew of guest vocalists appear on In Defense of The Genre, a move which has mixed consequences.

On one hand, singers such as Chris Conley (of Saves The Day), Chris Carrabba (of Dashboard Confessional), and Hayley Williams (of Paramore), have tremendous talent that adds constructively to the record. However, at some points the amount of extra vocals becomes distracting.

Although it is unclear what genre is being defended, In Defense of The Genre is entertaining both musically and lyrically and is a good listen despite its length (1 ½ hours!) and jumpy musical style.

Say Anything has found a place outside of the indie scene where the influence of pop music is evident in their approach. This may alienate some traditional Say Anything fans but will also appeal to a broader fanbase.

This week Radiohead made music history with their newest album In Rainbows. In an age of declining record sales, album leaks and music piracy, Radiohead decided to transcend the entire industry by self releasing what may be the most anticipated album of the year. Just ten days after finishing the production process In Rainbows was released as a digital download. The shocking aspect of the entire situation is that Radiohead allowed consumers to name their own price for the album download.

An electronic mix of drums, Johnny Greenwood’s guitar work and Thom Yorke’s soft vocals open the album on “15 Step.” Paying special attention to the layering of different sounds reminds the listener why Radiohead has become so vastly popular. Not only are most of the songs complex combinations of instrumental and vocal work, but a certain sense of harmony is audible as well. Thom Yorke, acknowledged as a revolutionary lyricist, is not easily understood on the record. The lyrical content is there, however it is presented through Yorke’s high pitched and occasionally indiscernible voice. This gives the record its ambient sound and serves to emphasize those songs which seem stripped down.

While In Rainbows has a definite experimental tone, the album itself reflects heavily upon Radiohead’s earlier works. This is evidenced by the songs “Nude” and “Reckoner” which were both written during the late 1990′s and sound similar to tracks from OK Computer. The final song, “Videotape,” finishes the record on a tone that is a stark contrast to “15 Step.” Warm piano parts echoed by percussion leave the listener with a sense of closure.
While self releasing an album is a gamble, Radiohead appears to have done most everything right. Their popularity can be linked to the quality of their records, such as In Rainbows, and consumer friendly approach to distribution.
In Rainbows is available as a digital download from http://www.inrainbows.com.

Edit: The free album download stuff is not available any more, but In Rainbows is available in a variety of formats (even vinyl!) This album made my top 10 of 2007, so definitely pick it up.

Earlier this year, Conor Oberst and his Bright Eyes band released Cassadaga, a folk-bluegrass journey into the human psyche. Bright Eyes, in 2005, simultaneously released two albums: the electronic-experimental Digital Ash In A Digital Urn, and the stripped-down folk I’m Wide Awake It’s Morning. Cassadaga returns to Bright Eyes’ signature Midwestern bluegrass sound, building on and picking up where I’m Wide Awake It’s Morning left off.

The record begins with a phone conversation about the supernatural premonitions of a figurative protagonist and taking a trip to Cassadaga, Florida. A flurry of strings bellow and dive, leading into the main thrust of the album. “Four Winds,” the first single from the record, showcases a multi-layered mixture of acoustic guitars, strings and a slew of other instruments.

Unlike many of the records on the indie-folk scene, Cassadaga alludes to an older style of country music, easily heard during the middle section of the record. Confusion and beauty grip the protest song “No One Would Riot For Less,” which leads into the airy “Coat Check Daydream.” The metaphorical traveler finally reaches Florida during “Lime Tree,” and is met with somber realizations about the people he has loved and lost along the journey.

Oberst’s distinct vocals, though occasionally distracting, provide an agreeable medium for his melancholy lyrics. Cassadaga combines themes about love, finding escape from the Midwest, and discovering solace through a physical and spiritual journey.

Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace, the sixth album from the alternative rock group Foo Fighters, pays homage to the band’s post-grunge sound which formed and influenced the modern rock scene. However, the disc is not simply another mindless mix of distorted guitars and throaty vocals. Dave Grohl experiments on several of the tracks, showcasing the range of his singing and songwriting ability.

Dynamics play a huge role in the flow of the album. The hit single “The Pretender” leads the album off to a slow, melodic start, yet becomes increasingly energetic. Several other tracks, such as “Let It Die,” follow a similar format, drifting from subdued acoustic intros into powerful choruses. A style change occurs toward the end of the album as the instrumental “Ballad of the Beaconsfield Miners” leads into “Statues,” a song which sounds similar to The Beatles during their later albums. “Home” ends the album on a soft note, joining simple piano chords with Grohl’s distinct lyrics and voice.

Dave Grohl, in the years since Nirvana, has developed into one of the dominant musicians in the American music scene through solid lyrical and instrumental work. Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace is a reminder of the Foo Fighters’ achievements and past efforts. The album seeks to venture into new musical territory, a move which invites new listeners but still remains accessible to traditional Foo Fighters fans.

Two years since the release of their breakthrough album Commit This To Memory, Motion City Soundtrack are back with their new disc Even If It Kills Me. Motion City Soundtrack have developed their trademark sound of 80′s style keyboards, strong vocals, and power chords into one of the most anticipated albums of 2007. Even If It Kills Me is the modern story about heartbreak, soul-searching, and falling in love again with someone described as “…the pizza of my eye.”
The album starts off with a burst of energy and the catchy tunes “Fell In Love Without You” and the single “This Is For Real.” Ironically, the most upbeat tracks focus on the distress caused by a serious breakup. The synth-driven ride continues through several songs, although the album does become slow and thoughtful for “The Conversation,” but picks up again with “Broken Heart.” Ending on a solid note, the title track “Even If It Kills Me” wraps up all the loose ends presented during the album’s story, leaving the listener with an optimistic tone.
Justin Pierre, Motion City Soundtrack’s lead singer and lyricist, has written songs that are easily accessible, quirky and ironic, yet at the same time remain frantic and reflect on his own personal issues. This record is a great listen for a fans of pop-punk, yet it still reaches deep enough lyrically and musically to be enjoyable for connoisseurs of indie music.

Quick note: This was my first article for the Oredigger back in Fall ’07, I did it to show Jake how to write music reviews. Looking back this was not my best work, but somehow we’ve made it to where we are now. Enjoy

-Tim

In 2006, Glen Hansard, lead man for the Irish rock group The Frames, teamed up with Czech pianist Marketa Irglova and stepped out from obscurity onto the international film and music scene with the release of Once. Recently, Once made its way to America and the film arrives with its sensational soundtrack.
Fans of musicians such as Norah Jones, Regina Spektor, Coldplay, and Snow Patrol will fall in love with the smooth, yet distinct harmonies that Hansard and Irglova create on tracks such as “Falling Slowly,” “If You Want Me,” and “When Your Mind’s Made Up.”
The overall tone of the album is a mix of aesthetic instrumental parts with powerful lyrical content. In fact, the soundtrack for Once does not sound like a movie soundtrack, but instead stands on its own as an alternative-indie record.
Listening to Once has a timeless quality, it speaks powerfully as an honest story about love, yet does not suffer from being a romance movie soundtrack.