Klaxons
Klaxons released their 2nd album, Surfing the Void, in late August. It is a very odd sounding album, at first listen. Nowadays there are more and more bands occupying weird sounds, taking experimental paths.. I'm not going to give names, but there is kind of a new wave of bands -starting from late 2000's- that reject the traditional sounds and styles, in a somewhat futuristic manner. And this is growing. It is growing quiet rapidly that I think that this "wave" might become the "norm", a standard for bands to come, in about 5 years.
Where I'm trying to get is that, Klaxons' 2nd, Surfing the Void, might not be found "weird" by listeners, in a short time like 5 years from now. Klaxons are making the music of the future. Consistently citing sci-fi novels and incorporating excessive amounts of fx to your sound in general might be a dull way to do it, but Klaxons' music is not just about these anyway. Produced by nu-metal legend Ross Robinson, Surfing the Void is hardcore from time to time. It might be the first time in history a metal producer working with an initially-electro-pop (nu-rave according to Brits) band, so this is actually an exciting mixture. Songs like "Echoes", "Future Memories" and "Valley of the Calm Trees" maintain the classic Klaxons sound; catchy, witty, melodic pop hits blended with electronic components here and there. Klaxons go beyond their standard scope in songs such as "Flashover" and "Cypherspeed" where a catastrophic, distorted, yet still melodic rock sound is favored. Surfing the Void is an interesting, innovative work, definitely recommended if you are looking for a quality mixture of rock (sometimes as hard as metal), electronic, and experimental sounds nowadays.
Next Big Nashville Music Festival (Yeasayer / Washed Out)
Yeasayer @ Nashville, Cannery Balroom, Oct. 1, 2010. (Courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/46599836@N08/5044452213/in/photostream/)
Under the Next Big Nashville Music Festival, about 3 weeks ago, I had the chance to see Yeasayer. The Brooklyn based band is the kind of band that perhaps you could put in those "new wave" of artists that I was talking about above. I honestly was not a fan before I saw them, now I am. Seeing a band perform live is after all, the ultimate contact you can make with them; face to face, sharing the same atmosphere, truly engaging with their music. Yeasayer's live presence is a unique one, they know how to immerse the audience with the music, with the show. With all the visual effects and stuff, next to their undescribable surreal sound, this was one of those concerts which, after it ends, you question the reality of what you've just experienced. Aprreciating Yeasayer's performances is like appreciating an abstract drawing. You don't necessarily have to appreciate the melodies or the virtuosity of the performer (although there were plenty of both) but you appreciate the ideas; the performer's abilitiy to craft such a show, the atmosphere. Their debut All Hour Cymbals stands closer to an acoustic, partially folk, neo-psychedelia while February 2010 dated Odd Blood is more of an industrial work using electronics and loops. But every note they play is Yeasayer's music, their own language, so don't get fooled by the variety of genres they are actually touching upon. Like I've mentioned for a couple of times now in this post, a new-wave of unclassifiable, multi-genre, futuristic bands is growing, and Yeasayer is definitely one of the forerunners. I've been listening especially the All Hour Cymbals for some time.
Brainchild of Georgia-originated Ernest Greene, the band called Wahsed Out was the opener for Yeasayer. I knew absolutely nothing about Wahsed Out prior to the show. I was very impressed with what I saw although they only played about a 15 minute set due to technical difficulties in the stage set-up. Wahsed Out is apparently a prominent member of this movement called "chillwave", as labelled by numerous music review sites and blogs. They do not have an album out yet (has an EP though) but it seems like they are already being followed by a mass of people. Wahsed Out's sound is a lo-fi production of dream pop, reminiscent of 80's disco scene. It is very "chill" indeed. Using loops, reverb vocals, and a strong bassline, Wahsed Out's sound has a rusty, smooth quality to it, like the one a vinyl has. Ernest Greene is doing something really striking, and has given me high expectations for a possible album in early 2011.
Local Natives
It has been a little over a week since I saw Local Natives. LA band, often cited as "the Grizzly Bear of the West Coast" -which I personally don't agree- is composed of really good musicians.
Frankly, the music they are doing is nothing new; it's not like they are cruising through any "undiscovered lands" -musically of course-, but it's fair to say that they are unique. They are doing what they're doing good. Clean guitars, clean harmonies of vocals, an impeccable percussion arrangement divided between all members are what define their sound. It is clear that these guys give value to perfection in music. I've been listening their debut Gorilla Manor consistently since the summer, but never found the time to write about it really. There are many bands like Local Natives around, but they stand out with the values they give to their work, as I've mentioned. At first listen, they might sound somewhat ordinary, but listen closely. It's a smart mixture of peaceful vocal harmonies surrounded with catchy yet mellow guitar melodies.
I was very surprisingly impressed by the opener for Local Natives, another California band called The Union Line. Definitely check out http://www.myspace.com/theunionline if you like the sound of Local Natives.
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