Eight Track Hero

She & Him at the House of Blues, Anaheim, November 5, 2008

Could it be possible that there’s musical talent out there that proves to your eyes and ears that the live performance will completely blow the studio album out of the water?

Yes.

Wednesday night’s She & Him show at the House of Blues in Anaheim proved just that. Lavender Diamond, a peace-loving, the-world-is-magnificent band started off the night with their soul-capturing borderline country-esque melodies and their Harriet Wheeler meets Tracyanne Campbell vocals. Lead by Becky Stark, it’s simply hard to imagine that such a haunting, ethereal voice can come out of this lil’ lady. But it’s true! And I’ve quickly become a fan.

Accompanied by a pianist, drummer, bass and acoustic guitarists, and a backup vocalist, Stark portrays a Western atmosphere in her onstage presence and band’s musical composition, and surprisingly enough, her “accent.”

After a half hour set with Lavender Diamond, Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward strode on stage, opening their set with “I Was Made for You.” Starting off the night with one of their stronger tracks off of their Volume One album, Deschanel, Ward and their accompanying band did not disappoint. Deschanel, who doubled on vocals and the piano, graced the audience with her sweet voice and humble stage presence. Throughout the night, she would banter with audience members, commenting, “I only hear what I want to hear. I have a filter,” after someone yelled out, “Zooey, I love you!”

Read the rest of this entry »

Eclectic TV on the Radio’s Third Album Doesn’t Disappoint

Brooklyn’s TV on the Radio came on the scene right about the time when just about any band from New York generated more buzz than a hive full of Africanized honey bees. While it turned out that approximately one in twenty of those bands were worthy of said buzz, it was apparent from the beginning that TVOTR were going to conquer the world, buzz or no buzz. Three full-lengths and a few EP’s in and TVOTR may just be the best band in the world not named Radiohead.

Read the rest of this entry »

Swedish Indie Pop Those Dancing Days Dances Up a Storm

What’s up with Sweden and producing infectious pop music that makes me want to start twisting Chubby Checkers-style? Those Dancing Days are now at the top of the list of new Swedish groups that make me wanna…well…you know, dance. Hailing from Nacka, a Stockholm suburb, Those Dancing Days are a girls-only team named after Led Zeppelin’s “Dancing Days.” The ladies got together in 2005 and put out a five-track EP in their homeland before signing with Wichita Recordings. In Our Space Hero Suits, their first full-length album, was just released in October.

Bubbly like soda fizz and fuzzy like kittens with a bit of New Wave thrown in for good measure (think Blondie), this music is not meant to be politically charged or emotionally provocative. But yes, it does make you want to bop your head in traffic like a teenage girl. From what I can tell, so far the band is sticking to the European circuit of clubs (namely Sweden, Germany and the UK), but hopefully by next year they will making a stateside appearance.

Check out more of Those Dancing Days at their MySpace page.

Here’s the video for “Hitten,” or “The Hit”:

Copyright 2008 Eight Track Hero

Next Time, Angels: A Playlist Tribute

Misery loves company. So come along with me as I explore some of the more depressing songs that currently populate my iPod. While there are plenty of reasons to be down in the dumps (hello, economy!), my inspiration comes by way of something a little less important in the grand scheme of things, but no less heartbreaking to me right now. The Angels lost (again) to the Boston Red Sox in the playoffs. Even though it’s becoming an annual event along the lines of the swallows returning to Capistrano, it stings nonetheless.

A familiar sight. The Red Sox celebrate as Scot Shields and the Angels exit stage left.

Again, these are just some selections from my iPod that I thought fit the bill. Please wallow with me and feel free to include some of your own. And if you’re a Red Sox fan, go screw yourself.

My 2008 “Angels lost again” playlist:

1. Band of Horses, “Funeral” - I didn’t want to start out too depressing so this excellent BoH track works nicely to kick things off. It’s actually a beautiful song about, well, death.
2. Belle and Sebastian, “The Chalet Lines” - Nothing like a little ditty about rape to un-lighten the mood.
3. Bright Eyes, “Lua” - While the subject matter isn’t as heavy as some of these songs, the delivery would suggest Conor’s dog was just hit by a car. Plus, I once saw a girl start to cry when he did this song live.
4. The Clash, “Straight to Hell” - Probably the Clash’s heaviest tune, political diatribes and anarchic calls-to-arm notwithstanding. Well, it really is a bit of a political diatribe, but what Clash song isn’t?
5. Decemberists, “Eli the Barrow Boy” - The Decemberists are one of those bands that make depressing subject matter downright hummable. This song about a dead peasant dude searching for his dead sweetheart is anything but.
6. Jeff Buckley, “Hallelujah” - This haunting take on the Leonard Cohen classic is the definitive version, in my estimation. The lyrics aren’t overly depressing, unless you’re an atheist, but the delivery is downright tear-jerking.
7. Joy Division, “Atmosphere” - Ian Curtis is one of the godfathers of goth and this tune succinctly tells the story why.
8. The Smiths, “Suffer Little Children,” “Please Please Let Me Get what I Want” - The Moz isn’t know as the ‘Duke of Despair’ for nothing. Really, just about any Smiths/Morrissey song would work here, but these two are especially melancholy, even by Morrissey’s standards.
9. The Velvet Underground, “Oh! Sweet Nuthin’” - This bluesy number by the VU chugs along and the lyrics seem to hint that a “cheer up it’s gonna get better” message is just around the corner. But it never comes. Great song.
10. Nico, “These Days” - A song about missed opportunities and “what might have been.” It perfectly sums up another disappointing Angels playoff run.

Copyright 2008 Eight Track Hero

Indie Fans Unite for LA Weekly Detour Festival!

Hang out to your hats and glasses, kids, ’cause this Saturday is one helluva ride!

A couple of years ago, my friend saw Beck at the first Detour Festival, citing that “his weirdness is legendarily wild.” Thus, the beginning of what looks to be a permanent L.A. fixture. For its third year in a row, the LA Weekly Detour Festival is taking over downtown L.A. on Saturday, October 4. Although L.A. is home to the Fuck Yeah! Fest, Sunset Junction, and other various musical gatherings throughout the year, it’s more likely that the population identifies with Coachella as its regional festival. Now that every other city in the country has taken on a music festival (Austin has two, for cryin’ out loud), it’s L.A.’s turn to shine the bright lights on stage as bands perform on the six blocks that wrap around City Hall. I recommend taking the Metro.

Check out this year’s lineup:

The Mars Volta
Gogol Bordello
Shiny Toy Guns
Cut Copy
Data Rock
Bitter:Sweet
The Submarines
Black Lips
Matt Costa
Grand Ole Party
Nico Vega
Hercules and Love Affair
The Mae Shi
Noah and the Whale
DJ Paul V
DJ Kid Lightning
We Are Wolves
Japanese Motors
Adam Freeland
The Bloody Beetroots

…and a lot more…

Don’t miss out!

Copyright 2008 Eight Track Hero

Indie Folk Singer-Songwriter Luke Temple Gives Bright Eyes a Run for Their Money

There’s something about the New England area that seems to breed singer-songwriters of the folk genre. Maybe it’s the cool autumn breezes accompanied by rusty foliage, or perhaps the small-town atmosphere and their quaint, antique-hunting sort of charm. In any case, Manchester, Massachusetts happens to be the home of Luke Temple, a man with a gift for soft acoustic melodies and an even softer voice to match. After painting murals on the homes of wealthy New Yorkers, Temple found himself at the Sidewalk Cafe in the East Village strumming away. Mill Ponds Records from Seattle produced Hold a Match for a Gasoline World, which came out in 2005 to decent reviews. With the release of his last album Snowbeast, it’s clear that Temple is rising as a young Simon and Garfunkel-esque sound within the indie world blended with the haunting vocals and spirit of Elliot Smith. Be on the lookout for Luke as he enchants every coffeehouse from the Pacific Northwest to Austin and in between.

Check out Luke Temple’s MySpace here.

Here’s the music video for “More than Muscle”:

Copyright 2008 Eight Track Hero

Oberst Tries on a New Moniker (his own), and It Fits Nicely

The laid back vibe on Conor Oberst’s new self-titled album starts even before the opening notes of the first track. On the album’s cover, Oberst is seen catching some zzz’s in a hammock in a dimly lit cave of some sort. And from opening track “Cape Canaveral” on, a relaxed, confident and, at times, playful Oberst gives us some great tunes with a permeating theme of packing up and leaving town.

Read the rest of this entry »

Beck Playing at the Hollywood Bowl with Spoon and MGMT

So there’s lineups, and then there’s awesome lineups. This is one of those concerts where it’s worth waiting for the shuttle and plowing through horrendous traffic to go see. L.A. native Beck will playing in his hometown at the Hollywood Bowl on Saturday, September 20, 2008, with special guests Spoon and indie up-and-comer MGMT.

Beck just released Modern Guilt, while Spoon is still on the heels of last year’s success, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga. All three of these bands have something unique to offer, from MGMT’s somewhat 70’s-flasback to Austin, Texas Spoon’s staccatos on the piano. And then of course, there’s the incomparable Beck, who never fails to put on a show.

Here’s the video for “Nausea” off of Beck’s The Information. Who doesn’t love a good puppet video?:

And the video for an old Spoon song, “The Way We Get By”:

Copyright 2008 Eight Track Hero

Indie Pop This is Ivy League Two-Man Band from Cobra Starships

Remember Snakes on a Plane and how obsessed everyone was about Samuel L. Jackson’s ability to fight off exactly what the movie title says it going to happen? There was a very popular song that came with that movie by Cobra Starships called “Bring It (Snakes on a Plane),” which got quite a bit of radio play. Alex Suarez and Ryland Blackinton from that band have joined together to create This is Ivy League, a cheerful pop act reminiscent of Swedish singers (think of infectious singles from bands like Shout Out Louds). Their self-titled debut album, signed on by Twentyseven Records, features amazing vocals and contagiously fun guitar riffs. Yes, This is Ivy League may sounds like a slew of other indie pop bands, but their work still stands out from the mass of other bands trying to copy the sound because it’s so flawlessly executed.

Check out This is Ivy League’s MySpace page.

Here’s the video for the first single, “London Bridges”:

Copyright 2008 Eight Track Hero

Brazilian Indie Band CSS Playing at the Mayan

Brazilian indie electro/rock group CSS, also known as Cansei de Ser Sexy (translation: “tired of being sexy”), will be showing off their English and Portuguese skills at the Mayan Theatre on Monday, September 22 and Tuesday, September 23.

Part of São Paulo’s underground club scene, CSS initially gained international recognition online. After singing with Trauma Virtual for their EP and Sub Pop to release a full-length album abroad, CSS has continued to garner critical acclaim, from Western journalists to DJ Diplo. Sophomore effort Donkey was released in July, along with the first singe “Rat is Dead (Rage).”

Check out the CSS MySpace page.

Here’s a video from their first album, “Let’s Make Love and Listen to Death From Above”:

Copyright 2008 Eight Track Hero