SHOW REVIEW: The Shins, Bowery Ballroom, New York City (25.9.11)

'Caring Is Creepy. Love is The Shins.'
Sunday 25th September 2011
Bowery Ballroom, New York City


Anticipation was high in the Bowery Ballroom on Sunday, evident by the large numbers present for opening act Faces On Film. Hailing from Boston the 5 piece certainly proved themselves worthy of the slot by delivering a great set. A sultry blues sound coupled with Bossa Nova drum beats on opening tracks 'Moon's Row' and 'Knot in the Vine' paved the way for a substantial set. The frontman's crooning and intense vocals sound not unlike those of Jim James (My Morning Jacket) but the music is slightly less country orientated, featuring moody guitars, 60's influenced keys and stand out guitar breaks. A fine appetizer for what was to come.

Having been a long time fan of The Shins but never having seen them this show was always going to be special, and oh so special it was. With many original members no longer with the band I was slightly apprehensive to see what musical improvisations and alterations were to be made with the new line up. My worries were quashed within the first few chords.

Opening with the heartfelt 'Caring Is Creepy' and a cracking version of 'Australia' Mercer's signature vocals rang throughout the Bowery like a musical prophet addressing his loyal followers. The wall of sound created by droning guitars and fuzz bass during 'Pam Berry' lead into an astounding rendition of 'Phantom Limb' - definitely the sing-a-long favorite of the night as far as the crowd was concerned. Pure vocal harmonies were beautifully held by new guitarist Jessica Dobson on 'Saint Simon', her true talents and enthusiasm being ever present throughout the show - especially on the amazing 'Kissing the Lipless'. 'New Slang' was played with such passion and delicacy I may have shed a tear, followed by 'So Says I' played with such gusto it snapped the crowd well and truly out of it's previous New Slang love trance.

They also played 2 new tracks which were met with enthusiasm, both having a much rockier element with slight reggae beats and tones. The greatest surprise of the night was the encore which contained 2 covers - the first being David Bowie's 'Ashes to Ashes', and the second Pink Floyd's 'Breathe'. Both are extremely ambitious covers as far as any band is concerned but The Shins hit the mark and served the tracks well, making them their own while staying true to their musical mastery. In closing they left us with 'Sleeping Lessons', playing it so well one of my friends present on the night is now having an excerpt of the lyrics tattooed on her forearm.

Truth be told, I do wish I'd been quick enough in The Shins' heyday to catch the band in it's original form. Their songs are so intricate and personal it would have been a joy to witness those who created them performing them together. But the new band is nothing to sneeze at, featuring Ron Lewis (Grand Archives) on keys, Eric D Johnson (Fruit Bats) on bass and Joe Plummer (Modest Mouse) on drums. With the addition of Jessie Dobson on guitar and the powerful creative force that is James Mercer it's clear the songs are in more than capable hands, and their live shows most definitely do them justice.

Alex Turner 'Submarine' OST review (for kevchino.com)

See the original article posted HERE!

At times music can take you away to another place, providing a personal soundtrack as you float off to an atmosphere of imagination, into a world all your own. Alex Turner's latest effort, Submarine, does just that on many levels.

The six-track EP is the soundtrack penned by Turner for the feature film Submarine, the directorial debut of Englishman Richard Ayoade (most well-known for his role as computer geek Maurice Moss in the hit UK TV show The IT Crowd). The film centers around fifteen-year-old Welsh schoolboy Oliver Tate and documents the ups and downs of his various coming-of-age experiences—his first love, familial issues, and discoveries of the world's hard truths.

Turner has provided an aptly fitting melancholy soundtrack containing dreamy, mellow, delicate guitar, for the most part, coupled with brooding angst-ridden vocals well fitted to the film’s subject matter. The score is deeply emotional without being overdramatic, and his usual character-filled storytelling lyrics represent the film’s main character well.

Opening with a small vocal snippet of the upcoming track “Stuck On A Puzzle,” the album eases into “Hiding Tonight,” a suiting ballad for the self-conscious and introverted: “Tomorrow I'll be faster, catch what I've been chasing after, and have time to play, but I'm quite all right hiding today.” “Glass in the Park” and “It’s Hard to Get Around the Wind” soothe your troubles with each listen with their soft, intricate guitars and entrancing vocals, the latter track having a very final, epiphanic feel to it.

The standout tracks are definitely “Stuck on a Puzzle,” with its moody elegance and intriguing lyrics, and the final track, “Piledriver Waltz,” which is also a track from the Arctic Monkeys’ last offering, Suck It and See. This version of “Piledriver Waltz” is a million times better than the original. Being a lot more toned down and having lost its original pop elements, it's almost as if the finished version of this outstanding tune was being saved for this soundtrack.

All in all, an amazing effort by Alex Turner on what can only be called a brilliantly moving and mesmerizing soundtrack.

Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks 'Mirror Traffic' review (for kevchino.com)

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Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks are a great band, and definitely the only good thing to come of the 1999 dissolution of Pavement. With ever-evolving members coming from acts such as Sleater-Kinney and The Decemberists, the musical talent within this band is astonishing before even touching on the abilities of their well-known lead singer.

Mirror Traffic is the band’s fifth studio release, and by collaborating with none other than Beck, it seems they're just getting better and better. A full-bodied album with great eclectic depth and musicianship, Mirror Traffic is the perfect punchy, rocky, upbeat, dance-around-the-house-on-a-Sunday-afternoon-in-your-underwear soundtrack. It's fifteen sweet tracks of glorious vocals and melodies that will make you want to sing out loud.

The signature Malkmus melodic guitar and vocals are ever present throughout, but the album has an underlying tone of bluesy rock that definitely sets it apart. Coupled with that true indie rock sound (of course reminiscent of Pavement at times), the result is a triumphant collection of rock-out tracks, tongue-in-cheek ballads, and lyrical metaphorical twists and turns. “Senator” is a tight, cutting, punchy song, perfectly matched to its political content: “I know what the senator wants / What the senator wants is a blow job.” “Spazz” follows suit with erratic riffs and time changes, reverting to a raw punk sound, as is also done in “Tune Grief.” “All Over Gently” is a humorous look at breakups that all couples should live by: “There's been some soft grass growing between us / When they talk about bad blood, they don't mean us.”

But it must be said that the standout track of the album is “Share the Red,” a slower, cruise-ier, more blues-laden ditty that warms the heart—“Have you no tears, have you no heart / You've got no idea what sets you apart, and still you're winning”—and includes some great guitar solos to boot. Plus, the epic climaxes at the end of almost every track make the song endings just as anticipated as their beginnings.

An amazing offering from an amazing act that will never disappoint. Enjoyable, inspiring, full of character, and impossible to turn off.

Friendly Fires Summer Stage review (for FlavaInYaEar blog)

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They say the best things in life are free, and in an expensive city like NYC that comes as a welcomed bonus. There are plenty of free events offered in New York throughout the Summer, one of the best being the cities musical Summer Stage Series which has shows set up in Brooklyn, The Bronx, Queens, Staten Island and Manhattan from June through August.

Braving the searing heat I ventured forth to the Central Park's Summer Stage last Sunday to catch Brit act Friendly Fires, along with supports The Naked & Famous (NZ) and local Manhattanites The Cults. It was possibly one of the most humid days of the Summer which made standing in the heat for 4 hours quite a test of endurance, but all 3 acts kept me on my feet and dancing which is a testament to them in itself!

The Cults are very new to the scene only having formed in 2010 when Brian Oblivion and Madeline Follin met as students at NYU. As a result they have a fresh unique sound made even more unique by their ever present use of the glocken spiel. Their songs are light and joyful with harmonious vocals and simple lyrics which make them very easy on the ear. Having just released their new album in June on a lable run by the UK's Lily Allen they are definitely an act to keep an eye on.

The Naked and Famous hail all the way from Auckland, New Zealand and have a distinct indie-electro feel with prominent 80's overtones. They also feature some amazingly dark, almost punk baselines which give them a definite creative edge. Front woman Alisa Xayalith's stage presence is almost hypnotizing, and it's this coupled with the upbeat drony electronic sounds provided by the band that makes for a great party. Their signature single ' Young Blood' from their most recent album 'Passive Me, Aggressive You' was a clear hit with the crowd. Expect big things from these young Kiwi's.

I have always been a Friendly Fires fan from the very beginning. Their first offering, a self titled album released in 2008, was a great mix of funk and dance tracks that saw them win international acclaim. It was off the back of this album that I went to see them in various venues across various continents with much the same result. The band just couldn't seem to deliver live what they had so brilliantly produced in the studio. Their next effort 'Pala' was released in 2011 and certainly showed their talent and diversity when it comes to differing sounds and genres. The album has a real 80's feel to it with heavy use of synthesizers and soft flowing vocals. Throw in some latin and disco beats, a hint of R'n'B and add an edge of funk and you have an album that's definitely hard to listen to sitting down. It gives me great pleasure to report that the band delivered a show worthy of their musical prowess in Central Park. The were lively, they were fun, they played a great selection of tracks from both old and new albums including 'Skeleton Boy', 'On Board', 'Jump In the Pool' and their latest single 'Hawaain Air', all with an electric energy despite the crippling humidity of the day. Front man Ed Macfarlane's dance moves are intoxicating and kept the Summer Stage crowd up on their feet for the whole set and even prompted and encore.

All up it was a great show on a great day in one of the most picturesque settings in New York. Summer Stage runs through August and up-coming shows can be found at www.summerstage.org

Cloud Control 'Bliss Release' review (for kevchino.com)

See the original article posted here: http://kevchino.com/review/cloud-control/bliss-release/2283


Hailing from the Blue Mountains near Sydney Cloud Control are a creative force to be reckoned with. Winning various local accolades, including most recently the Australian Music Prize, the band have jut released the follow album up to their self titled debut EP, the aptly titled 'Bliss Release'.

The band offers up a fairytale musical landscape featuring intricate, rich guitars and vocal melodies paired with constant-tempoed almost tribal drum beats to create a whimsical sound that spirits you away. The haunting choral-like backing vocals ever present throughout the album give it a depth and tone reminiscent to My Morning Jacket. 4 singles have already been taken from the album: 'Meditation Song #2' - a country-esque ballad that opens the album, 'There's Nothing in the Water We Can't Fight' - a funkier, up tempo number, 'This is What I Said' - a fun, sing-a-long track, and 'Gold Canary' - voted Single of the Week on BBC's Radio 6. Tracks like 'Ghost Story' and 'Beat of Love' give the album an eerie interlude, with 'Just For Now' and 'Hollow Drums' stripping back their folk sound to bare, basic acoustics.

All in all a fine sophomore effort from the Australian 4 piece. If this is what they're capable of on a debut album I look forward to seeing what the future holds!

Holy Ghost! 'Holy Ghost!' review (for kevchino.com)

See the original article posted here: http://kevchino.com/review/holy-ghost!/holy-ghost/2281


Holy Ghost! are a duo from NYC comprising of Nick Millhiser and Alex Frankel. The two met in Elementary school and started out as part of a hip-hop group called Automato. When things went awry with Automato Millhiser and Frankel paired off together to become Holy Ghost!, releasing their debut single 'Hold On' in 2007 and becoming label mates with the likes of LCD Sound System, Hot Chip, The Rapture and many more.

It therefore comes as a sorry surprise that, surrounded by so much talent, they can succeed at being so musically bland. All the elements are there - an 80's electro-pop feel with steady, funky beats, ear pleasing vocals and simple, relatable subject matter. But once it's all put together they come out with basically a whole lot of nothing - a dance music puzzle with many pieces missing. All the songs sound the same - a steady walking beat that merely changes tempo from time to time, the same tired old 80s synthesizer sounds that have been sampled over and over again within an inch of their lives, and plain, uninspiring vocals and lyrics that simply fade into the background. Upon listening to the album it feels as though you may have mistakenly put the soundtrack to 'The Wedding Singer' in by mistake. The only 2 stand out tracks are the single, 'Hold On', which contains an excellent deep electro bass sound and a less 80's feel, and the following track 'It's Not Over', which is a lot more up-tempo than the rest of the album and features some nice tribal drum overlays.

Other than that it's an album you'd put on at a party just to have some background noise that no one really listens to. There's hints of Cut Copy, MGMT, Mystery Jets and even Phoenix in there, but in the end nothing seems to stand out. The album lacks backbone and personality barr the 2 aforementioned songs, and I live in hope that with time and more performances this duo matures into a much more creative and inspiring act - for the sake of both their careers and our ears.S