Music

Real Estate just released a new video for their catchy song “It’s Real.” I am currently obsessed with this song, and their new video gives another reason for everyone else to be obsessed with it too! The video is about the band’s dog reliving good memories from their times together. The video culminates with a special performance for a bunch of the animal’s friends. I am not sure why, but I couldn’t quit giggling throughout the entire video. I am not sure if it was the puppies, the band watching home movies with their pet (of their pet), or the hilarious expressions on the band member’s faces. I am not sure what it is, but I am sure that this video rules.

“It’s Real” is from Real Estate’s latest album, Days.

-Robyn Johnson

As the wailing guitar and pronounced drum beat drop away, you are left with the beautiful pair of innocent vocals and an acoustic guitar, as Madeline Follin repeats the chorus of a hurt lover. Verbose expressions of pains certainly can do the trick, but in this brief bridge, the direct message “So f*ck you,” speaks volumes, punctuated by the triumphant return of the instrumentation in an explosion of sound. That terrible break-up and the ex that broke your heart certainly deserve that certain four letter, and for a certain time, you really can’t heal yourself, as that shadow of your old self contemplates how you’ll never be the same.

The Cults first, self-titled, album perfects their nostalgic girl-group sound as duo Madeline Follin and Brian Oblivion pay respect to the past tunes of the 60’s. These New York based rockers exploded with their breakout tune, “Go Outside” which features their signature-tinkling glockenspiel, paired perfectly with soft, innocent vocals.

The band came to Atlanta back in September when they opened up for Foster the People along with Reptar, just one pit stop along their massive national tour. The Masquerade Music Park’s open-air atmosphere seemed to work well for the rockers, who played to a massive crowd who kept asking the questions “Who is this?” Anyways, enjoy.

-Will Guerin

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With the Drums recent release, Portamento, they took a step back from the happy-go-lucky lyrics of Let’s Go Surfing, which is about, you guessed it, surfing and focused on the pain of reality, thematically questioning religious belief throughout the album. This is apparent even from the onset, with the creepy, ghostly photograph, featuring the cross in the background. Days, in particular, hones in on a love gone bad, as once again some girl rips your heart out, a standard lyric set to the appropriate haunted/depressed indie-pop sound. The album as a whole, takes much from the Smiths and Days is no different, combining bits of Morrissey with a catchy bass line and tight drum beats.

Everyone can relate to that break-up you just can’t get over. Sure some “Days,” you are fine, never thinking about them or the memories. Then comes that day, a slap in the face, when you lay around the house and just think about went wrong. When lyrics are slightly ambiguous in their meaning, they allow the listener to really pick out what he/she wants to hear, something that Jonathan Pierce’s lyricism picks up on in this song. Anyways, enjoy.

-Will Guerin

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One night, Peter Pisano sat down and began to write music, managing to compose an entire album in just one sitting. And what he emerged with was an album of completely acceptable old-timey folk, filled with the warmth of the tried and true traditions and roots of the genre. But makes the album really special is the shuffling percussion and background layers that transform this lo-fi nostalgic warmth into a sweepingly different product that reflect more than just the past. Brian Moen, the second half of this Wisconsin based duo, combines these sounds, adding a twist to the traditional and giving it a unique feel and energy of the present with his percussion and production decisions.

In a sense their music combines that furied indie-folk drums of the Dodos with the mellow folk of M. Ward and throws in a bit of Bon Iver’s (a previous collaborative  partner of Peter Pisano) haunting melodies and balladry. In “Untitled 101″ Pisano’s falsetto really shines through, echoing the slight pain felt throughout the song as the dichotomous drum beat transforms the song into a beautiful, layered product with a rich and true sound.

Peter Wolf Crier are set to bring their twisted folk to the 40 Watt November 19th in support of Sondre Lerche, touring on their new album Garden of Arms.

- Will Guerin

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I have long been a fool for songs that culminate by juxtaposing all the different vocal melodies in the song in a genius, layered approach that leave your brain jumping from track to track as you isolate each piece of the puzzle. Water Story does this to perfection, stringing together about five different vocal melodies as the song takes you from the relaxing synth of the beginning to a frantic race to the finish.

When I first stumbled upon Wowser Bowser (how could you not love that name) I must have listened to Water Story about six times on repeat, falling in love with its catchy hooks and the lovely female vocals. To be fair, I didn’t have much choice when it came to Wowser Bowser, who very obviously favor quality over quantity, as they only currently have release two official songs, this and “October.” This Atlanta based band is self described as a “band o’ fatmen…no pimps, just jabronies” and that pretty much says it all. These guys humor and enthusiasm towards their music shows through, especially in their live shows in which they leave the starting gate as Seabiscuit and give the headliner a serious run for their money. On Halloween night, these guys opened for the Drums, and with their costumes, myriad of balloons and off the wall performance they made me a fan for life and probably most of the audience. A complete review of the show will be up soon, but in the meantime, enjoy their masterpiece, “Water Story” and expect more from this great local act.

-Will Guerin

For me, songs can be so intertwined with a specific moment or feeling. Miike Snow’s “Silvia” will always bring me back to the first time I heard the song, a cold, wet winter day, light dwindling outside as I studied for hours in preparation for finals. The song was the perfect soundtrack for my life then, as I sat in a drab dorm room, that haunting piano intro embodied that dark mystery and coldness that lay outside the window. “Sunlight” on the other hands, is happiness, as so many times my friends and I have bounced around the room, yelling the chorus at the top of our lungs as we forgot our troubles.

The vocals take a bit to get used to, but the way the song combines the acoustic guitar riffs, synth backdrop and care-free lyrics provides the warmth of sunlight. And the buildup to the chorus, an infectious anthem that will be stuck in your head for hours, is brilliant, the crash of color and feeling that melts away reality.

While Harlem Shakes have broken up, their album Technicolor Health lives on. The rest of the album falls a little short in capturing the magic of “Sunlight,”  but “Strictly Game” is an equal if not better competitor, featuring the same hope of Sunlight, as the refrain repeats “This will be a better year.” While your life may be the deserted, broken down city shown on the album cover, music is always there to act as a shelter, providing “Technicolor Health” in the form of the rainbow bliss above that you are always just one song away from. Anyways, enjoy this classic. Happy Halloween!

-Will Guerin

Never judge a book by its cover. Well, in this case you might as well, because Beach Fossils fits in quite nicely with all those beach acts like Wavves, Best Coast, etc. The lo-fi rock is still simple, washed out and the to the point. Daydream fits in quite nicely in this spectrum, providing that happy go lucky feeling with a pronounced catchy guitar hook that towers over the simple drum beat and drowned out vocals.

The boys from Brooklyn deliver this sound consistently on their self-titled album, a soundtrack for a lazy Sunday. Enjoy

-Will Guerin

Love doesn’t just “hurt.” Love tears you to pieces, shredding your emotions, taunting you with the memories and leaving you crying in the corner. But who cares, because who doesn’t love that good break up song? Break ups are an inevitable part of life. Artists realize this and capitalize on this raw emotion, funneling it towards a productive means. Without breakups we wouldn’t have Frightened Rabbit’s masterpiece “Midnight Organ Fight” or even the drunken karaoke associated with Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive.” Nor would we have Gotye, a big middle finger to that significant other who screwed you over and treats you like a stranger.

“Somebody That I Used To Know” has a whispered entrance, as the hushed vocals and muted xylophone and guitar combination tip-toe around the depression and resignation of love gone bad. Like quiet sobs into your pillow, this section beautifully sets up the build up to the eruption of the passionate cries ” You didn’t have to cut me off.” And then, Kimbra, a featured artist on the track, takes a turn at the verse, blasting home her own cathartic vocals, contributing to some heart wrenching harmonies as she rebukes the first speaker. Here, the line somebody that I used to know is changed around, as she reflects her own problems with the relationship contending with a girl the guy used to know.

Gotye consists solely of Belgian-Australian multi-instrumental musician Wouter De Backer, who has enjoyed much success down under in Australia and New Zealand. He is currently touring the world, sans any U.S. dates. Anyways, enjoy the song and the music video that portrays the back and forth between the two singers.

-Will Guerin

A woman and a ukulele can be a destructive weapon in the right hands. The title “Tiny Love Song” pretty much sums up the 1:22 long song, which feature what else but love as its main focus. The lyrics are simple and to the point, communicating the message directly through her lovely voice that carries an emotion that really makes you believe what singer Erin Lovett is selling on her recent album Summer Songs.

On her recent effort, Erin goes solo, showcasing pretty much just a ukulele and her sweet vocals, clocking in around 12 minutes. Not much needs to be said about the song or album and what does can be found in our Live in the Lobby interview with Erin Lovett herself where she discusses the band name, her creative process and all sorts of goodies. Anyways, enjoy!

LISTEN HERE: Tiny Love Song- Four Eyes

-Will Guerin

“Civilian” is defined by one moment, at 2:34 where the guitar overtakes the song, slowly building and erupting with a distorted intensity and furled playing. Couple this with the harsh, whip-like snare hits and the almost choral feel to the vocals pushed back in the mix as the “ohs” fill out the song and you complete the wall of sound that demands you treat the work as the epic, passionate journey that it is. This trip starts off softly, with vocalist Jenn Wasner’s voice gliding over a simple guitar line. The song gains momentum with the pounding drums which enter about half-way though the song. Each step builds and builds, filling the song out with keyboards and more layers of distortion. And such a full, rich sound from just two members.

Wye Oak is Jenn Wasner, who tackles vocals and guitar, and Andy Stack who fills out the rest of the band on keyboards and drums. Live performances see no change in this lineup, as Andy Stack does the unimaginable, drumming with just one hand while his other plays a keyboard that provides the bass and keyboard accompaniments for each song. While one armed drumming may have been previously dominated by Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen (who lost his arm in an accident), Andy Stack certainly provides an able challenger and perhaps the only challenger in this exclusive field. It is hard to comprehend and express the level of talent needed to focus the brain on these two different tasks, drum beats and keyboard pieces that would provide difficult by themselves.

After their show at the 40 Watt supporting Okkervil River, I had the opportunity to talk to Mr. Stack, asking him how  he fulfilled his dual role in the band and whether he was inundated  with Def Leppard drummer questions. He laughed, most likely out of politeness and humbly responded, “I’ve just been working on it for a while now.” The band also turned up in Georgia again later in the year, this time at the Tabernacle in support of Explosions in the Sky, where they turned in another great performance, staying true to the sound of their album while maintaining that special feeling of such a small band, two friends just rocking out together in their basement. At their shows, Patrick Carney and Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys try and maintain this special feeling, but it just isn’t the same when they have to call out their auxiliary band members for sections of the show or suffer from an empty sound devoid of bass and keyboards. Anyways, enjoy “Civilian” off Wye Oak’s third LP by the same name.

-Will Guerin