A Pirate’s Life For Me

A Pirate’s Life For Me

By Ryan Jory

Over the past several years, a rising trend has become a major struggle for the music industry.  Its the same trend that led to the creation of Napster, and shut it down.  I am referring to the illegal downloading of music, and the industry’s response.  Millions of people across America “steal” music off the internet, but is it really such a crime?

Napster and Limewire, some of the first media sharing websites, started this illegal activity on the internet.  Teenagers would download thousands and thousands of songs for free, and they still do.  When Napster was shut down after the creators were sued for millions of dollars, Limewire continued on. However, a more successful form of downloading music came into being.  It’s called BitTorrent, and it uses a “swarm” of hosts to download files.  This form of downloading is faster and more reliable than Limewire or Napster.  A website called The Pirate Bay is the most successful and popular Torrenting website, even though record companies have tried to shut it down many times.

The websites that receive the most attention, however, are those that follow the Napster formula.  Websites that allow members to post and download whatever music they want, without the intermediary of BitTorrent, have been heavily persecuted.  Just this week EMI, Sony Music, and Warner Music Group are suing Grooveshark, one of aforementioned websites, for failing to pay royalties. Grooveshark has let its users download music without paying EMI any money. EMI was the only major record label that made a licensing deal with Grooveshark, but their relationship has clearly dissolved.

Rumor has it that EMI is suing Grooveshark $150,000 per song, which amounts to a sickening $17.1 billion.  Last year, Universal Music Group sued Grooveshark after it was revealed that Grooveshark employees posted 113,000 pirated songs online.  Grooveshark has lost EMI’s trust, so another deal seems impossible.  This signals the likely end of another file sharing website.

The most popular website to file-share legally is Spotify, a website similar to Grooveshark, but they seem to have the whole royalties thing figured out.  Spotify has limits on how much a single user can download a month, and membership costs money.    Spotify exists because it respects the rights of record companies, and any major website that does not will be attacked until its demise.  This is the best way to legally share music because it is cheaper than buying CDs, but it still remains in the legal realm.

Record labels think that we (yes I take part in such activities) are stealing their music without any benefit to them.  But what is a record label without its artists? Bands, especially not-so-famous bands, want only to get their music heard by the people. Without fans, there is no record deal, without a record deal, there is no money.  The easiest way to get people to hear your music is to either post it online for free, or stop whining and let us torrent it.

If I have a car, I will get mad if someone takes it and does not give it back. That would be theft. However, if I have a car that people know is mine, I would let anyone “steal” my car as long as I still had the original car. This is what file-sharing is. No true thievery takes place on torrent websites, its free copying to the possible betterment of the artist. This topic is so heavily disputed because while artists benefit in a way, record companies do not.  It is clear that illegal downloading has deeply damaged the music industry, but now that it is unstoppable, record companies have started to focus on touring.

Touring is now the greatest form of income for both parties.  Due to the growing number of people who illegally download music, artists rely completely on touring to make money.  Illegal forms of downloading and legal blogging spread music very quickly, so small time bands are getting much more publicity.  However, record companies only care about how many songs are sold, not just heard.  In 2009 a 12 year-old girl was sued by record companies for illegally downloading music not because the artist was mad about losing money, but because record companies want every penny they can get.  And the worst part is, the girl even paid to use the website where she got the music.  Somehow it was her fault and not the website that failed to pay the royalties.

This kind of persecution will never reach the titans of torrenting.  We live in a world where technology dominates almost every facet of our lives, so its not a surprise that we know how to “steal” with it. Record companies might as well give up now.  They have tried time and time again to stop The Pirate Bay, but what about the dozens of other torrenting websites?

Music is made to be heard, enjoyed, and loved. For example, do you think that Robert Johnson, essentially the creator of blues music, cared how much money he made? He ended up being arguably the most influential artist of all time, but was he a millionaire? No. The music industry needs to stop caring about the losses in sales and let the people who love the music keep on loving it.  Besides, music is best heard live, so focus on touring. I’ll pay through the nose to see my favorite band live, but you will never see me pay for their album.

Electrevolution

Electrevolution

By Ryan Jory

2011: quite an interesting year in the music industry.  The Red Hot Chili Peppers continued their downward spiral with I’m With You, while alt-rock hero Julian Casablancas took The Strokes to greater heights.  Adele completed her hold on the world with her chart-topping hits “Rolling in the Deep” and “Someone Like You.” Lady Gaga continued being intriguingly weird.  However, none of these so called remarkable things compare to the effect that electronic music had on the music industry.

It all started in 2009 when David Guetta, French dance-music titan, produced the Black Eyed Peas’ hit song “I Gotta Feeling.” Previously, house, and dance music had been popular, but stayed under the radar of pop radio stations.  David Guetta was making dance music that hardly graced the ears of American record labels.  Deadmau5, fellow house music producer, was also making his heavy beats and touring America in his lit-up mouse head.  Guetta was always more of a main-stream electronic artist, so it was not a huge surprise when he started working with the artists like the Black Eyed Peas and Akon.  However, what was surprising was the huge effect this combination of genres had on America.

David Guetta is now flying around in private jets, playing weekly shows at Ibiza, the Spanish night club known to be frequented by celebrities from all over the world.  His influence is now heard all over the radio through the dance-pop music of modern artists.   One of his newest hits is “Titanium,” popular because of its radio friendly vocals done by Sia.  The only other artist to get near Guetta’s fame is Avicii.  Avicii has a very similar style, and their combined efforts on “Sunshine” sounds like it could be by either artist.  Another electronic group to follow in their footsteps are LMFAO, who released chart smashing hit, “Party Rock Anthem.” LMFAO and David Guetta are part of the electronic movement that is taking over the country.

Way back in 2006, a different genre emerged, brought to life by an artist known as Rusko. Its called dubstep.  It originally mimicked the slow rhythm styles of reggae music, but with heavy bass lines. These bass lines can only be described as having a “womp-womp” sound.  What I mean is that the bass line oscillates at different speeds. This genre is favored by fans of heavier music as the bass lines are often extremely intense. The intense bass with the slow rhythm creates the need for “head-banging,” similar to heavy rock music.  However, this genre has been morphed and changed over the years.

The one artist to truly revolutionize the genre, is Skrillex.  Skrillex, previously known as Sonny John Moore, lead singer of metal band From First To Last, is now the face of mainstream dubstep music. His sound only slightly differs from previous dubstep music, but the change has somehow changed everything.  It is more aggressive, and incorporates a faster beat to the heavy bass lines, making it easier to dance to. Skrillex combined the slow bass lines of dubstep with the fast dance rhythms of house music. Intensity of dubstep with the dance appeal of house music has become wildly popular.  The genre as a whole is still not mainstream, and has yet to be heard on any radio station, but it has grown very quickly.

One of the interesting things about this new genre is how many popular songs have dubstep “remixes.”  Artists remix songs all the time, and remixing consists of changing the beat, or adding parts, or combining different songs.  But with dubstep, its more of just adding a heavy bass line to the song along with a slow dubstep beat.  Almost any song you can think of has been remixed in such a way. Even the 1961 hit “Please Mr. Postman” by the Marvelettes has a very popular remix by dubstep artist Cragga.

The one problem with the rising genres of techno and dubstep is that almost no one over the age of 35 likes it. These genres have such a different sound than any other type of music, that it seems to only attract people who have grown up hearing modern pop music.  Pop music over the last decade, while not always as electronically drunken as it is now, has had a noticeable electronic influence.  Kids these days love music they can dance to, so modern pop music is basically just electronic music.

As for 2012, I can only assume that electronic music will finish its takeover of the music industry.  Rock music is slowly falling behind the bass-bumping tidal wave of pop music.  Whether this takeover is a good thing or not, its happening, and theres nothing we can do about it. David Guetta and Avicii will have their private jets while Skrillex will continue to take the hearts of anti-pop music enthusiasts.  Pop music itself has already become the usual catchy melodies combined with techno bass grooves.  For a techno music fan, this can really be seen as a good thing. What I, and similar fans, have considered good music has now merged with what I’ve always considered terrible music.  Pop music has suddenly become a little more listenable.

Riding The Rip Tide

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Riding The Rip Tide

By Ryan Jory

Zach Condon, lead singer and song-writer for the band Beirut, started his musical career by recording his first full length album in his bedroom at the young age of 17. He is now on a major tour and has sold out the 930 club in Washington, DC, two nights in a row (December 13-14).  Beirut has recorded several albums since their first (Gulag Orkestar), the most recent being The Rip Tide.

As I approached the 930 Club with my friends on a cold DC night, my heart was racing with anticipation.  We handed our tickets to the club staff, who stamped our hands signifying that we were under 21 years old.  We rushed into the main stage area to find only 20 or 30 people there.  Such a small crowd was not very surprising because while the doors to the club open at 7:00, Beirut would not go on until 9:30.  Such timing gives the 930 Club it’s name.  We then prepared ourselves for the long wait.

I was so excited to see Beirut because they are the best up and coming alternative band in modern music.  Their sound is difficult to describe.  Condon combines the sounds of American indie music with a heavy Eastern European influence.  For example, Beirut has the usual bass drums and vocals, but then mixes in accordion, ukulele, and a rotation of trumpet, trombone, tuba, French horn, and something called a fluglehorn.  Condon also never uses a guitar, which almost every modern band uses.  His Eastern European influence comes from a short time he spent in Europe after he dropped out of college at the age of 16.

The opening band was a trio called Perfume Genius.  Perfume Genius’ music was basically slow, boring piano riffs with sad singing.  It was some of the most unremarkable music I have ever heard in my life.  I am sure the band has some fan base, considering the fact that they opened for Beirut on a major tour, but I was not at all impressed.  I stood and watched as my feet slowly started to ache more and more.  Perfume Genius played their last few songs as the time neared 9:00.  They exited to a smattering of applause while the crowd and I became increasingly excited see Beirut.

Finally, as the venue filled to capacity, Beirut casually strolled on stage.  The two horn players walked out first followed Condon himself, then the bassist, the drummer, and the accordion player.  Condon came on looking shy, with an innocent and modest demeanor. Throughout the whole show he seemed truly passionate about his music and wanted nothing more than to do what he loves.  Maybe this is why his music fits no ordinary formula. He just made what he was inspired to make, resulting in brilliant music.

One of Beirut’s first songs that night was “Scenic World,” a song from Gulag Orkestar.  This song is a perfect example of Beirut’s sound because it is led by accordion, vocals, and a strong horn section.  Condon’s heavy vibrato echoed through the crowd: all eyes fixed on his young face, and all mouths open in awe.

I do not know whether the 930 club did this, or Beirut, but several strings of white and red lights were strung above the stage.  The lights came out over the crowd, and flashed along with red and white lights on the stage during the climax of each song.  The lights added a vibe to the show like nothing I have ever seen.  Most concerts have colored lights going on all the time, and at most electronic concerts, intense light and laser shows are common place.  However, this subtle addition to a normal stage was very attractive.  The lights combined with the constant horn playing oddly made me feel like I was at some mariachi band concert in Mexico.

Beirut played each song with perfection and finesse. Condon sang every note on key and added his fluglehorn at only the perfect times.  Each note of each brass instrument was clear and beautiful.  The concert was absolutely flawless.  When they played their most popular song, “Postcards from Italy,” the crowd went wild. The crowd on the balcony sat at the bar and drank in the ambiance.  Other types of Christmas lights were hung all over the club, giving the entire place a magical feel. It was the perfect environment to see such a perfectly mellow concert.

When Beirut finished their set and went back stage, the crowd could not have been more eager to hear more.  After a few painful minutes, Condon came back on stage.  He picked up his ukelele and played a solo rendition of his popular song, “Transatlantique.”  It was perfectly done, just like every other song the band played.  The rest of the band then came out for two last songs.  They finished, thanked the crowd as usual, and left.  However, the crowd was not ready to leave. They had just seen barely over an hour of probably the greatest concert of their lives, and no one, especially not I, was ready to leave.

El Camino

El Camino

By Ryan Jory

The Black Keys plan to release their new album on December 6, but like many things in this digital age, it has somehow already made its way onto the internet for anyone to get for free.  Its quite easy, really. All you need to do is search the phrase, “Black Keys El Camino leak,” or some variation of that.  El Camino, however, is worth much more than the time you put into finding it.

Its the seventh album of the most respectable band in modern music.

The Black Keys started out as a minimalist blues-rock duo from Akron, Ohio, chugging around in a beat up Dodge Caravan.  They started out like most bands did, with their gear crammed into the back seat, and no fan base to speak of.  Now they are selling out arenas all over the country while still making the music they love.

The single from the new album is called “Lonely Boy,” a revved up, stripped down, slice of gold.  The song starts with a heavily distorted riff by singer and guitarist Dan Auerbach, quickly followed by fast, pounding drums by drummer Patrick Carney.  The song is simple and straightforward, driven by a two chord verse, and a three chord chorus.  I say its stripped down because the rest of the songs on the album, while in the same vein, are far more complicated.  The goofy dancing in the video was done in one take by Derrick Tuggle, and it fits the song perfectly because its simple and to the point.

The Black Keys’ previous music has had a few different themes.  The first album the band recorded, The Big Come Up, was as simple as music can be.  The best example of this style is “Brooklyn Bound.”  As the band continued on, they released three more albums following the same formula.  Each was slightly more developed than the last, but they were the same in style.  Then came Attack and Release, the album that brought the band some fame.  Brian “Danger Mouse” Burton produced the album, and it was a big step for the band.  However, the real attention came with the release of Brothers.  With this brilliant piece of work, they were nominated for five Grammys, and won two.  As you can tell from the hit single, “Tighten Up,” The Black Keys have changed a lot since The Big Come Up.  The overall feel of Brothers was simply a more developed, more refined, and more produced version of their usual blues-rock making it far more radio-friendly.

El Camino takes the grittiness of The Big Come Up, combines it with the subtle perfection of Brothers, then revs it up to oblivion.  The energy of El Camino is something the band has never displayed.  Spin Magazine agrees that the album makes you feel like you are flying down a highway in an El Camino, chasing down some ex-lover.  Almost every song has the constant drive of Carney’s speedy drumming, pulling along Auerbach’s moaning voice.

“Gold on the Ceiling” has the strongest hint of Brothers in it.  Patrick Carney’s drum beat even sounds oddly identical to his drum beat on “Howlin’ For You,” a hit from Brothers.  “Gold on the Ceiling”  is one of the best tunes on the album, begging the question of why “Lonely Boy” was chosen as the tantalizing single.  “Lonely Boy” is not the obvious choice for such a spotlight because its not the most standout song.

“Little Black Submarines” is the only song that breaks the repetitive formula of the album.  For the most part, it is a straightforward acoustic ballad, until the end of the song where Auerbach and Carney relapse back to their usual volume with a head-bangable jam.

The respectable part of The Black Keys‘ story is their musical progression.  So many modern bands like Coldplay or Kings of Leon started out making the music they wanted to make whether it was popular or not, then slowly made the switch to over-produced poppy nonsense just to make money and be famous.  This action is known as “selling out.” As a life long music fan, I truly believe that a band who sells out deserves no respect. The Black Keys have not sold out at all, which is why they are so great and so revered by music critics of the modern age. Anyone who calls El Camino pop is out of their mind.  It is rough, gritty, bluesy, badass Rock n’ Roll: the kind that doesn’t often make it to the Top 40.

The Black Keys have struck gold yet again with El Camino, and deserve every bit of praise they get.  When the album is released, I highly recommend it to any fan of their older tunes.

Ceremonials

Ceremonials

Ceremonials, the second album from Florence + The Machine, was released on October 31st. The album reached #1 on the UK charts in one week. Florence Welch, singer and song-writer, has taken her band to new heights with this new album. Every possible aspect of their music is bigger, brighter, and stronger.

Florence + The Machine is a British rock band led entirely by Welch. Similar to British singer song-writer Feist, Welch writes the music and the band backs her up. Their sound is essentially rock, but with a powerful twist. Rolling Stone Magazine and The Guardian both describe it like a banshee in a wind turbine. This odd description is quite fitting because Welch’s voice howls like a banshee, and the instrumentals have a rushing, windswept feel like a wind turbine. Their first album, Lungs, made the band insanely popular in the UK and in the US. This new album is already receiving greater global recognition than Lungs ever did.

The new album opens with the slow build up of “Only if for a Night,” a song that sets the tone for the rest of the album. It is full of echoing drums, obscure instruments, and Welch’s howling voice. The next song, “Shake it Out,” follows the same formula. These two songs set the stage for a great album.

Overall, the album is fantastic, but the one song that stands out above the rest is “What The Water Gave Me.” Though this tune differs from Welch’s usual style, it is the best on the album. It begins with weird spooky sounds and a constant bass drum beat. Welch’s voice comes in soft and subtle leading up to the first small build up of the song, which consists of a crescendo of eighth notes on the drums and vocals. It builds to a soft, simple beat that pulls the song away from the band’s usual sound. The difference between this beat and the usual pound and echo creates a nice change. After several similar build ups, the song finally hits a peak and blasts into a heavy version of the chorus. This part of the song is so heavy and climactic that it simply becomes the greatest part of the entire album. Yes, the album is great, but no other song reaches such a level of simplicity and intensity at the same time.

One thing that creeps out of this song is a realization that Florence + The Machine’s frequent echoey and booming drums are a little over used. When an artist’s best tunes all have the same sound filling the music, I can’t help but need a break from it. Songs like “What the Water Gave Me” and “Lover to Lover” stand out so clearly from the clamor because they, for the most part, lack the usual sound.

“Lover to Lover” is a groovy rock tune with a hint of soul and Motown in the background. The Guardian put out the idea that the song sounds oddly enough like Welch’s British counterpart, Adele. Welch seems to have been inspired by Adele, and has taken some pointers on having a big sound from another British band, Arcade Fire. Welch has done this before, and even had to give a writing credit to Arcade Fire on “Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up).”

Though her multiple sounds from Lungs seem to have morphed into one over-done formula, Florence + The Machine have pulled off another great album. Their style is unique and fantastic, yet songs that differ from it end up being the better ones. All this said, Any fan of Lungs will love Ceremonials just as much.

-Ryan Jory

Dancing to Joy Division

Dancing to Joy Division

As I walked into the 930 club on October 21, the sound of the Wombats’ hit song “Our Perfect Disease” pulled me in step by step. I walked into the main stage area and saw a massive crowd of people and most of them were dancing and going wild to the music. The song the Wombats were playing is a somewhat heavy yet dancy alt-rock tune, similar to the rest of their music. The raging crowd was no surprise because the band put on one hell of a show.

The Wombats are a band from Liverpool, England, who are currently touring after the release of their second album, This Modern Glitch. The album has yielded several Top 40 hits in the UK, but has received minimal mainstream attention in the US. That said, the band is quite popular with alternative and indie music fans everywhere.

The next song at the concert was “Kill the Director,” a tune from their first album, A Guide to Love, Loss, and Desperation. It is a happy sounding song about confusion with girls and relationships. The song starts with an outrageously fast drum beat by drummer Dan Haggis. The song even got the low key fans in the back of the room to dance around. \

The fans in the front were going wild for a very good reason. This was the Wombats’ first time to DC so their true US fans were ecstatic. Anyone who heard their debut album has most likely wanted to see them live ever since.

The band played a mix of newer and older songs which the crowd continuously sung along to. One song that had the crowd truly raving was “Techno Fan,” a song that combines the alt-rock music of their old album with a dancy electronic sound, creating the ultimate live experience. started off slow with synth-keyboards, a constant bass drum beat, and singer Matthew Murphy’s usual vocals. When the song blasted into the chorus, I danced and raved with everyone else. This was one of the best songs the band played, and I was surprised that they played it in the first half of their set. However, the rest of the concert was equally as exhilarating.

The last song before the encore was a hit single from This Modern Glitch, called “Tokyo.” Murphy expresses wishes to go back to a bar in Tokyo where apparently the band toured and had a good time. They vaguely explained in an interview that they were amazed by the culture of Tokyo, so they wrote a song about it. Underneath such modest reasons, the music video reveals that the song is really about getting blackout drunk and doing abnormal amounts of cocaine in a karaoke bar.

The Wombats are a band of 27 year-olds who are currently enjoying life to the fullest while making damn good indie music. Their album clearly explains this with “Tokyo,” “Techno Fan,” and “1996.” The latter explains that back in 1996 they were goofy little kids whose “concerns were with prank calls.” They are now normal young people whose concerns are with “generally getting hammered,” as Dan Haggis explained on stage.

Despite such party-boy antics, they have a had a somewhat dark rise to fame. After their first album rose to number eleven on the UK charts, they toured non stop. Murphy ended up addicted to prescription anti-depressants, and the band came out of the tour “physically and mentally shattered.” There is a sort of sad honesty that comes out ofThis Modern Glitch. Murphy addresses his addiction in “Anti-D,” but also reveals a youthful personality in “Girls/Fast Cars,” a song about liking girls and fast cars. The band has matured since their whimsical first album and now have a much different perspective on their lives as musicians.

The last song of the encore was “Lets Dance to Joy Division,” the biggest hit from their first album. By this point any true fan was expecting them to play this song, so the anticipation was at its peak. The entire crowd from wall to wall went wild at this point, and everyone was dancing and singing along to the upbeat masterpiece. Jamie Lovegrove described the moment perfectly: “The energy in the room transcended the music. You could feel it pulsing through your veins.” It was the perfect ending to a pretty much flawless concert.

-Ryan Jory

Mylo Xyloto

Mylo Xyloto

Mylo Xyloto, Coldplay’s fifth studio album, was released last week to very mixed reactions. The album is the most pop-sounding, over-produced work the band has ever created. Coldplay started out playing mellow British pop-rock, and they have been moving toward poppier music ever since. True pop fans say the album is fantastic, while diehard fans might say its a step in the wrong direction. In truth, the band has followed the same progression that pop music has made in the past ten years, adding more and more electronic sounds into their music.

The album before Mylo, Viva la Vida, marked a similar change in the band. Coldplay took their British pop-rock and mixed in electronic sounds as well as a grittier feel, and now Mylo has taken this feel to a new level. The two singles that Coldplay released prior to the release of Mylo follow this trend perfectly. “Every Teardrop is a Waterfall” is a tune so filled with synths and dance-beats that it hardly sounds like Coldplay anymore. Well, hardly sounds like what Coldplay used to be. This song is a great example of the band doing what they now do best: making very good pop music that people can dance to, while remaining a rock band. They used to just be good at making rock tunes that guys could jam to while girls obsessed over singer Chris Martin’s good looks, but times have changed.

The other single, “Paradise,” is slower and less dancy, but still follows Coldplay’s current trend. It is filled with background synths and violin parts but is also just a good rock song. The music video for the song is a witty little film about an elephant (Chris Martin in an elephant costume) who escapes from the zoo and returns to Africa, where the rest of Coldplay is waiting for him (all in elephant suits), playing the song. Its one of the better music videos I have ever seen purely for its quirkiness.

The album opens with a forty-five second long intro that consists of violin parts and little bells, but then streams seamlessly into the actual first track, “Hurts Like Heaven.” “Hurts Like Heaven” is an up-beat, happy sounding song that either refers to a girl breaking Martin’s heart, or refers to Martin’s love of graffiti. This would make sense because Martin claims that the album was inspired by the German anti-Nazi movement, the White Rose, and 1980’s New York City graffiti.

The graffiti idea is most prominent in the music video for “Every Teardrop is a Waterfall.” The video consists of the band playing in what looks like an abandoned building, with graffiti all over the walls. The vibrant colors of the graffiti seem to mimic the bright and happy feeling of the song. This feeling is pretty prominent throughout the entire album. Most of the songs are full of dance-able beats and background synths.

“Charlie Brown,” a heavy tune driven by guitarist Johnny Buckland’s soaring guitar melody, continues this feeling while adding some force to it. It sounds like a modern remake of Coldplay’s old hit, “In My Place.” Buckland only has such guitar riffs every so often, but on this album, he seems to be a driving force behind Martin’s vocals.

The best example of Coldplay moving towards pure pop is “Princess of China,” a monster of a song featuring US pop icon, Rihanna. The song is basically an electronic song and hardly sounds like a rock band is playing it. Even though it is way too over-produced and is basically just a full on pop song, it is undeniably good. Coming from some one who is against bands who sell out to the demands of record companies, this song is brilliant.

Coldplay is one of the few bands to essentially never have a bad album. Their very first album, Parachutes, has the same pull of their new music, just in different ways. Coldplay’s old music did not have as much of the filler-synths and dance-beats because pop-rock twelve years ago was not like it is now. Coldplay has now incorporated electronic music into many of their new songs while maintaining the musicianship and brilliance of their previous albums.

-Ryan Jory

Bon Iver

Bon Iver

Bon Iver’s Bon Iver is the greatest follow up album to one of the best EPs in the past 10 years. This album creates a new sound for the band, moving past the simplicity of their previous music. Bon Iver’s For Emma, Forever Ago was a short but perfect taste of singer-songwriter Justin Vernon’s talent. The band took Indie away from synth-filled pop and brought a raw, real, wilderness-inspired sound to the thriving genre.

Bon Iver is an indie-folk band, driven by Justin Vernon’s high-pitched melodies which have a penetrating effect that has easily hooked thousands of people to his music. The majority of his previous songs were simply guitar, vocals, and the occasional bass drum, each recorded several times over themselves.

Bon Iveropens with the slow guitar intro of “Perth,” a song that promises a lot from the album with its complexity. The nearest thing to an explosive song that Bon Iver can produce, the song includes fast bass drum beats, and march-paced snare drums. It sets the tone for the next song, “Minnesota, WI,” which starts with the first and last reggae style groove from Bon Iver. These two songs alone show a big step for the band.

Justin Vernon recorded For Emma in his father’s hunting cabin in Wisconsin after the breakup of his previous band, DeYarmond Edison. He was running from Raleigh, North Carolina, leaving behind a bad breakup with a girlfriend, and a bad case of mono. He poured pure emotion into For Emma because he was alone and was reflecting on his experiences, and he did what any musician does in bad times: he made music. And he made good music. He made such good music that rap-icon Kanye West asked him to sing on his album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. He made such good music that when Birdy (British piano prodigy) covered his song “Skinny Love”, it became a Top 20 hit in the UK. This kind of fame is absurd for an artist who relied on simple guitar parts and high singing to get attention.

This new album, however, is more of Bon Iver the band, incorporating saxophone, trumpet, violins, and more percussion than just a bass drum. This new sound does not take anything away from the perfect and simple sound of their older music. The music is still pure and harmony filled, just multi-tracked to death. On “Towers,” arguably the best song on the album, Vernon records his voice several times over in order to create the fullest sound, but sadly loses the meaning of the song because his words are lost in a wall of high-pitched singing. He says in a Rolling Stone interview that the song is about losing his virginity in college, but there is no way to tell that based on the song alone. This said, it is still a beautiful song and his song writing is still as good as it was when he wrote For Emma.

No song on the new album has the immediate pull of “Stacks,” a hit from For Emma, but at the same time, the album is a huge progression for the band, and for Vernon. He took his music from simple recordings in a cabin to professionally recorded music in a makeshift studio. The place and style of the recording is the main reason his music changed. Vernon wasn’t just making a mix-tape for the fun of it anymore, he was making music because his fans have proved that he is damn good at it. He took advantage of the available band and studio to make his music more complex. He also was not coming off a bad breakup and bad luck, he was coming off his big break and years of touring. This had a substantial effect on the style of his music.

Overall, Bon Iver is a brilliant piece of work, and it shows that Justin Vernon and his band are more than just Vernon’s perfect voice. This album is generally subtle and relaxing, but is more substantial than Vernon’s previous works, which sound empty in comparison. Bon Iver is one of the best artists of the past decade, and we should expect a lot more to come.

-Ryan Jory

Metals

Metals

Feist, an artist known for an ipod commercial featuring her hit song “1234,” released a new album on October 4th, called Metals. It has been four years since her last album, The Reminder, and this new creation exhibits a major change in her style.

The Reminder brought Feist her fame, but not because of her musical prowess. Her hit song “1234” created the only fame that she now experiences, and before the iPod commercial featuring the song, she experienced almost no fame at all. Feist’s success is based on a song that does not truly represent her as a musician, but as someone with the ability to write one pop song, and ride the wave of American pop-culture.

Leslie Feist had been a member of several unknown bands before creating her solo project, Feist. It is essentially her song writing combined with a backup band to fill up empty space. Feist drives and controls the band, and the surrounding instruments of drums, guitar, bass, trumpet, saxophone, and violins are usually played by studio musicians who don’t truly form a permanent group.

One of the reasons why Metals and The Reminder are so different is the manner and space they were recorded in. The Reminder was recorded in a 19th century manor house, giving most of the album a happy, near-pop sound to it. Feist had also never felt true notoriety yet, so she was looking to write popular music. Now that she has reached such public recognition, she spent four years essentially leaving behind the pop feel, and delved deeper into her creativity. She recorded Metals in a converted barn in Big Sur, California, replacing the happy-go-lucky feel with a much more mellow and unpretentious one.

Metals shows that Feist is more than a quirky female singer-songwriter, and that she can do more than make one catchy song. No song has the quick appeal of “1234,” but at the same time, Metals is Feist’s best work yet. One clear distinction is between, again, “1234,” and the single from Metals, “How Come You Never Go There.” There is no purposefully catchy chorus or demand for a dance-routine-filled music video, rather purely mellow, almost introspective music. This departure from pop means that Feist has reached a level of maturity where she can make whatever music she wants, and it will be good, creative, and demand respect.

The album opens with “The Bad in Each Other,” a song driven by a beat that at first sounds wildly off beat, but after the full band comes in, is quite brilliant. The song finds its groove, just like Leslie Feist has found hers. The Reminder, along with previous albums, have covered different genres from pop to near jazz, while Metals stays in its own alternative niche. She seems to have experimented with other genres, but finally found what she wants to do on this album.

Another remarkable song on the album is “A Commotion,” which is exactly what the title says it is. The song is a little off-putting at first because it is backed by a constant, fast, beating violin part. What sounds like several men yelling the words, “A commotion,” breaks the song for a few measures, before going into a catchy chorus. The song is quite brilliant despite the alarming intro because Feist successfully pulls you in with her beautiful singing. The constant stoccato violin part is forgotten when Feist’s voice comes in, but still gives the song its fast feel even when the tempo of the beat is split in half.

Her previous work has been great and quite unique, but this album reveals who Leslie Feist truly is, at least musically. She is able to make a bold statement against the pop demands of her fans. On Rolling Stone’s website, the Community rating of Metals is 2/5 stars. It seems that those fans of Feist that only really liked her iPod commercial hit have been rudely awakened by the real musician within, and did not like it one bit.

-Ryan Jory

The Whole Love

The Whole Love

Wilco, one of the great modern American rock bands, released their ninth album on September 27th. The Whole Love is a major step forward for the band, which has not played together since 2009. Jeff Tweedy, singer and guitarist for Wilco, claimed in a Rolling Stone interview that people call this Wilco’s best album; is it really?

The album begins with “Art of Almost”, a song very different from anything Wilco has every made. The song opens with a rhythmically intricate drum beat, throwing off the listener at first. The song builds slightly with a steady, one note bass line, then breaks off with the sudden blast of a full strings part, drowning out all else. Tweedy’s eerie voice comes out of the chaos and the song commences with its intricate instrumentals. The bass line becomes an almost funky groove, and synth keyboards are added in the background. For anyone who is used to Wilco’s straightforward rock sound, this song is startling. Great, and progressive, but startling.

To understand this startling experience, you must first know that Wilco has had a history of repetitive albums, ranging from alternative rock, to pop-rock. The band was heavily influenced by country when it started, so much of their early material has a country groove to it. Recently, their albums have been as straight forward as ever, making a song like “Art of Almost” quite a new experience. Its as if Wilco has caught up with the rest of the world.

The new sound that Wilco seems to have cultivated in these first seven minutes is quickly changed in the next song, as the band returns to its usual rock sound. Nothing new or progressive, “I Might” starts with an acoustic guitar riff and is accompanied by the usual drums, bass, keyboard, and Tweedy’s vocals. Wilco seems to have tried out some new ideas with “Art of Almost”, liked it, and then relapsed to their usual formula.

This said, each member of the band has matured in his own way since their previous albums, creating a flawless sound on each track. Tweedy, who has gone through a long and rocky musical career, has finally welded together a tight group of musicians. Tweedy and bassist, John Stirratt, are the only members of the band that have remained since its creation. The band was formed after the alt-country band, Uncle Tupelo, fell apart in 1995. Since then, Tweedy and Stirratt have seen drummers, guitarist, keyboardists, and other musicians, come and go. Tweedy himself has experienced years of drug addiction. Despite these possibly crippling factors, the band has still created another great album.

The next song off The Whole Love is “I Might”, a catchy rock tune driven by Stirratt’s crunchy bass line. The song shows progression more in guitarist Nels Cline, whose distorted riffs create a rocky underscore for the whole song. “Sunloathe,” a reflection on Tweedy’s years of addiction, follows “I Might.”

The rest of the album alternates between quiet acoustic songs, and upbeat poppy rock tunes. While no song comes close to the progressive sound of “Art of Almost,” the album itself is still phenomenal. As someone who has never had much interest in the band before, I find myself hooked on almost every song. Tweedy’s voice, which the Los Angeles Times called the band’s “Achilles heel,” steadily grew on me as I listened. He has minimal range, but his voice brings the whole sound of the band together.

It may be just another rock album, but its definitely a step forward for the band. Maturity can be seen on each track through the well crafted musicianship that backs up Tweedy’s aging voice. It is Wilco’s best album because it keeps their legendary sound while making every aspect of it better.

-Ryan Jory