Jan 25, 2012 10:51PM
Last night, I happily devoted three hours of my life to a phone conversation with my dear friend, miss Alex Kandel (of SLEEPER/AGENT), and among the many things we discussed… she encouraged me to fall in love with this band featured in the video above.
Well, I did… head over heels, in fact.
They’re called GROUPLOVE, and although they say they hail from Los Angeles, their story is a bit of a jigsaw puzzle. Christian Zucconi (vocals and lead guitar) met Hannah Hooper (vocals and keyboards) one night in New York City, where they had both lived for years, but had never crossed paths. Something from that night forward came alive in them, and they’ve been inseparable ever since. Shortly after they met, Hooper was invited to Greece, specifically the small island of Crete, for an art residency. With little hesitation, she asked Zucconi to come with her. He wholeheartedly agreed.
While in a remote mountain town on this trip, Hooper and Zucconi met three other very important gentlemen in a clashing of fates — Andrew Wessen (guitars and vocals), Ryan Rabin (drums), and Sean Gadd (bass) — who, as I’m sure you already guessed, came together to form the rest of GROUPLOVE. When their summer in Greece came to an end, they all went back to their respective places around the globe. Hooper and Zucconi back to Brooklyn, Gadd in London, and Wessen and Rabin in L.A. After spending the past five months making glorious music together, the band worried that their musical history might fade like a sigh if they didn’t somehow come together again. So just like that, Hooper, Gadd, and Zucconi made the move to L.A. to record their very first record in Rabin’s studio.
In late 2011, the band released their official debut album, “Never Trust A Happy Song” of which the dance-worthy track above — Itchin’ On A Photograph — is included on. The band has since had Tongue Tied, track two, in the Apple iPod Touch commercial titled “Share The Fun”. And just a couple of nights ago, they were on Jimmy Kimmel. I expect we’ll be seeing a lot more of them!
I was so partial to the band just from hearing this one track last night that I promptly bought their whole album via iTunes. I plan to plow through it with joy and excitement. Give it a listen yourself and use the links below to find out how you can let GROUPLOVE further into the musicality of your life. Enjoy!
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GROUPLOVE on the web!
GROUPLOVE on Facebook!
Purchase “NEVER TRUST A HAPPY SONG” on iTunes!
Jan 07, 2012 2:34PM
Scott Vance is leading me through a maze.
We are weaving through small rooms and doorways to find somewhere to sit so a mini-interview can begin. Scott and I met officially five minutes before this moment, after I had just seen he and his band — The New Electric Sound— carry out an excellent show at a venue called Sammy’s. Sammy’s is a burger joint and music venue hybrid, famous for their pie and cupcake shakes. It’s the only true music venue in my new tiny college town, and I was more than pleased to discover that the bands that play it are truly on-point. My thirst for good live music is going to be quenched while I’m here, I realized, and it was Scott’s band that made me have that realization.
Scott finally takes me into a very cold room that is storage for food and also an office. It’s bare and unkempt with a desk in one corner, but it’s away from the roar of people and has a couch. It will do just fine.
As we sit down, Scott — who is lead vocals and guitar — admits to me with a smile that this is the only time he’s truly gotten to relax all day. They traveled four hours or so from Provo, Utah to be here tonight… and I think everyone was grateful they came. His comment makes him sound like a seasoned musician to me, but all things considered, he isn’t really. He and his band have only been playing shows together since September.
This is surprising because the band truly is polished. With a groovy surfer-rock sound that is at times almost borderline Buddy Holly, they are quite unique. They still have the grit of rock and roll, with a beat that successfully made me dance, but somewhere underneath it all is swirl of 50’s influence that is sure to put them on the map. They even surprised the audience when one of their songs reached the breakdown and Scott began a fluid rap — this comes from his background in making hip-hop music. All of this together proved to me that they certainly have the potential to shake up the music world.
Not only do they sound fifties-influenced, but they look it too. Most of the members were raised first on a base of jazz, but grew to appreciate the 50’s and 60’s eras. As a result, they’re a mixture of pompadour hairdo’s and thick-rimmed glasses, cardigans over button-up shirts and sharp looking shoes. Their appearance adds to their charming personalities, and overall helps put their music into focus. It’s a good mix.
They’re a charismatic group who shine on stage, with a sound that is greater than they give themselves credit for. They’ve got humor and wit, smiles and shaking hips, and the ability to transport you to another time and place while still keeping you grounded in the present. I’m already a huge fan and absolutely look forward to them progressing. I know they are going to do just that.
Keep an eye out for them, ladies and gentlemen… and in the meantime, lend an ear. (Link below). I can guarantee they’ll get your toes tapping and make the rest of the world melt away. And with our days often full of stress and complications, could you ask for much more than that?
I don’t think so either. Dig in, friends!
The New Electric Sound is:
Scott — Lead vocals and guitar
Tom —Bass
Ben — Lead Guitar
Logan — Keys
Tony the Drummer — Drums, of course!
Eric — Trumpet
They can be found on Facebook here!
Aug 31, 2011 10:12PM
[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]
(Audio reblogged by Headphones In. The text is original to this post. This is the second time I have mentioned Shakey Graves on this blog, the first time was done so in my best friend’s reblogged review. This a review of my own).
Artwork for the album Roll the Bones by Shakey Graves.
I live in the mountains.
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, there will be no more life in the plains for me. I no longer make my dwelling space in Oklahoma. I lived there for my whole young existence, and while it will always hold a special place in my heart, the life I have been living here for about a month now has been so divine that my bones may begin to creak soon from the weight of its wonderfulness.
Everything is beautifully green and mountains are seen from everywhere I stand. Nobody has air conditioning and sleeps with their windows open. Folks act like they would jump hurdles to wave to me in the mornings on the way to work. Everybody says “You betcha!” constantly in conversation. Teenagers don’t do drugs or drink booze and find other ways to entertain themselves — like chocolate slip-n-slides and whipped cream fights. It’s a town and place all its own, and I never want to leave.
But, getting technical… I leave it every day, to get to work in the next town over. And other than the sound of my car shifting into 4th gear as it drives up the steep mountain pass, this audio is the only thing I hear. Happily so.
This track featured above is called Unlucky Skin and a man named Alejandro Rose-Garcia sings it. He is otherwise known by his stage moniker, Shakey Graves, and this song (and the rest of his music) is from his CD called Roll The Bones.
To say that this CD makes me happy is an understatement. It never wears off, never gets old. When it begins to play out of my car speakers each morning and afternoon to and from work, I instantly smile and somehow love it even more than the last time it played. I roll down my windows and sing it out. It is so geniusly and genuinely crafted, and speaks a language that my music-fueled heart understands. It’s warm and thick and sweet. It’s gritty and graphic and throws you for loops. It’s a feast for the ears, seeping both total purity and a dirtiness similar to that fulfilling layer of dust you’d find on your worn out cowboy boots. It paints portraits of truckin’ down roads by car and by foot, and going wherever your blessed soul wills you. It speaks of infatuation and love (unrequited and otherwise) and lovely ladies. It’s got handclaps, yelps, vocals that are sometimes beautifully rough and other times border-lining a rich yodel. It’s braided with banjo and bass. It’s perfect and sexy and real. It’s a real story of living life, as hard and as pretty as it is. It reminds me of the sole reason why I run this blog in the first place — simply because I am undyingly passionate about music and writing. (Money has yet to be involved, and I like it that way for now).
Basically, when you get down to it, Roll the Bones makes me want to kick up dust and taste the air of thousands of places on my tongue. It makes me want to swim in rivers and wear my bare feet everywhere. It does, as the album says, make me want to ”take a chance and roll the bones.”
It makes me want to lead a rich and fulfilling life, full of travel, sweet people, and good things…
but best of all, it makes me realize that in a sense, I am already doing just that.
Aug 18, 2011 6:04PM
LYNX is a twenty-five year old singer songwriter and producer who has been performing since she was seven years old. I stumbled upon her album, “On The Horizon”, quite suddenly a couple of days ago. I’ve been fiercely enraptured ever since. Her vocals are beautiful, and when paired with her eloquent and thought-provoking lyrics, that alone could sell her. But add in her musical talents — banjo, guitar, mandolin, organ, varied percussion, and piano — and you get something truly special. LYNX combines elements of electronica, folk, indie pop and hip hop… and she does so in some truly terrific ways. At times she reminds me of a solo female RATATAT, but then she morphs into something totally different. It’s enchanting to watch the ways she can bend her talents. I heard the first track of “On The Horizon” — called Young Blood — and was so smitten by that song that I played it and got lost in it. Twice. The rest of the album followed, of course, and by the time I finished it… I promptly bought a digital copy. You can listen to the whole album on the player above, after which I know you’ll want to get it for yourself. LYNX is simultaneously delicate and heavy, fierce and fiery, and leaves me thirsty for more. There is nothing dull or dragging about this album — it shows immense growth in just twelve songs. Sink your teeth in and enjoy.
May 29, 2011 11:09PM
Ladies and gentlemen, in case you didn’t know… there’s a virus sweeping the nation. It’s overtaking the bodies of millions. It’s a virus that every single person contracted willingly, and are happy not to get rid of. I am shamelessly included in this mass of people.
The virus, my friends, is named Adele. You’ve probably heard of her. If you haven’t caught her yet, be ready. You will, and then your life is going to get better. She’s infectious. You may loudly declare that it will never happen, but she’ll get you. Her soul-filled music will touch the soul you carry around with you, and there’s no looking back. Believe me.
Her CD is one of the only two that have been in my car for the past month. It is frequently on repeat, and I know it inside and out. I wouldn’t have it any other way, either.
At the young age of twenty-three, Adele has accomplishments that I don’t even need to name. Why? Because you can Google it and it’ll be the first result to appear. You can turn on your TV and see her. You can turn on your radio and hear her. Adele is everywhere, and there’s no missing her.
Adele is a role model, an honest person, a down-to-earth goddess of soul, empowering to the people, wise beyond her years, and as beautiful as can be. I admire her both musically and as a person. She shows me, and so many others, that you can be young and still achieve your wildest dreams. The video above is a live performance of her song Someone Like You, which is the last track on her newest record, 21. (Named as such because she wrote it at the tender age of 21. Her album before was called 19 for the same reason). It currently has over 64 million views on YouTube. I can see why.
There’s nothing you can take to prevent catching the lovebug that is Adele and her music, so don’t even bother trying to fight it. Just click play on that video up there and wholeheartedly surrender. Sink in. Don’t come up for air. In fact, you won’t need to. She’ll show you what it’s like to live a life rolling in the deep of her music.
Prepare to fall in love.
Adele on the Web: www.adele.tv/
May 28, 2011 5:57PM
A Man & His Piano.
I mentioned Dustin O’Halloran for the first and only time on this blog on April 30th, 2010. To this day, I think that piece of mine is one of the most expressive and honest (when it comes to music) that I have ever written. Why? Because all Dustin O’Halloran brings out in me are those feelings and many more — and he doesn’t have to sing or say a single word.
Dustin O’Halloran is a pianist that I stumbled upon when I was probably no more than fourteen. Like most, I heard his piano pieces in Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette, and fell madly in love. I’ve been supporting and listening to him ever since. It’s been years since he wrote those melancholy pieces that literally took the breath from my lungs, but he still continues to dazzle in very much the same way. On February 23rd, Dustin released his newest album via FatCat records, called Lumiere. Fluid Radio said this of the album, “Forty three minutes of expansive, utterly flawless music.”
The description may be simple, but it’s spot-on. Dustin has always had a way of pulling forth emotions that I’ve kept hidden away for awhile. Play his music for me, and you clear out some cobwebs. He leaves me with a wistful feeling, as though he had taken a moment to step into my heart and leave some lasting fingerprints. When each song ends and silence follows, beauty and emotion are left hanging thick in the air. I long for the day I can experience it in person. (Some of you may be able to — check his U.S. Tour dates below!)
Lumiere leaves the same lasting effects. This album is one for both piano lovers and the orchestrally inclined, because for the first time, he has combined his piano with the full-bodied, weep-worthy sounds of violin and some sweetly subtle electronics. It adds a whole ‘nother layer to the gorgeousness he’s become known for. It expands and contracts, weaves and waves, and tells vast stories without pictures or words. The third track on the album, called We Move Lightly, is composed of layers of a delicate and melancholy sweetness. Soft but building piano, violins that call out longing, small but cohesive electronic sounds… all of these things are included in this track, and it’s an absolute gem. It belongs in a beautiful movie scene… but for now, it just remains on repeat on my computer.
I said this about Dustin last year, “The best way I can describe the way his music makes me feel is this: It is as if this man is taking a paintbrush and vividly painting every single one of my emotions upon a canvas. He is delicate and attentive in what he does. Each stroke of his brush is thoughtful, colorful, careful… and all details crucial to this piece are contained in the finished product.” I still stand by that strong description, and Lumiere just backs it up more.
I could give you reason after reason of why I will forever support this man and his piano… and why I particularly do since he released Lumiere. But I don’t think it’s me who needs to do the convincing — after one listen, you’ll know.
Check him out via the links below, and as always, thanks for reading.
Dustin on MySpace: www.myspace.com/dustinohalloran
Purchase Lumiere: HERE
Visit Dustin on FatCat Records: HERE
U.S. TOUR DATES:
30 May - Rickshaw Stop, San Francisco CA
04 Jun - The Woods, Portland OR
05 Jun - Schubas Tavern, Chicago IL
07 Jun - Littlefield, Brooklyn NY
08 Jun - World Cafe Live, Philadelphia PA
09 Jun - IOTA, Washington DC
10 Jun - St. Francis of Assisi, Louisville KY
Apr 08, 2011 9:25PM
Morning Teleportation/Nico’s Gun @ Black Cat D.C. [REVIEW + INTERVIEW]
[a guest article by: Ash Schanley]
“Truck-driver by day, musician by night,” Tiger chuckled, describing how it feels being on the road during the late Expanding Anyway tour. The humbled lead of Morning Teleportation sat cross-legged across from me outside of Washington D.C.’s Black Cat venue this past Monday after their set, graciously answering all questions asked of him. The recent 4-piece band had previously made a trip up from North Carolina’s Chapel Hill show to pull into the purple and black speckled building just before their dazzling psych-trip set struck D.C. air.
CLICK FOR MUCH MUCH MORE:
Mar 10, 2011 12:19PM
[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]
(Song reblogged by borninthemuseum. Text is original to this post).
I’ve loved Morning Teleportation as people individually, as a whole, and for the music they make for almost a year now. I will never forget the humility they had for me as I climbed into the back seat of their van to settle into conversation. We were open, sharing everything from cigarettes to personal thoughts and home life. We were happy, cracking jokes and laughing. We told stories and marveled at one another’s adventures. It was like I’d known them forever.
Who were we to say I hadn’t?
I found my kindred spirits that night. I really did. It is for this reason that I mention them on an almost weekly basis on this blog. It is also for this reason that my heart is nearly bursting over the release of their new album. Not only because I get to dig into their tunes, but because I’m proud of them. They have worked so hard to do what they love. I’ve watched it happen from a distance, but I know it’s true. It’s been an inspiring transformation.
Their new debut album, Expanding Anyway, was released March 8th on Glacial Pace Recordings and produced by Modest Mouse frontman Isaac Brock. (The song above is my favorite track from the album, called Treble Chair). The music on the album weaves through a myriad of colorful festivities. It ranges for boisterous and exciting (Boom Puma, Expanding Anyway, Wholehearted Drifting Sense of Inertia, Just A Figment, Banjo Disco)… to sentimental and mellow (Crystalline, Eyes The Same, Daydream Electric Storm, Cold Weather Sunshine). Songs hiccup in the middle and completely change course, beautiful from both directions. Sounds expertly run together and blend like dripping watercolor on canvas. Every instrument used is used well… from keyboard, to synths, to talkbox, to trumpet… all forming a foundation that anyone could happily get lost in. From track one to twelve, you can hear the smile Tiger wears consistently even in his singing, and feel the love that comes forth from the hearts of each of them. They pour out their souls when they play anywhere at anytime, and it’s a magical thing to witness.
I hope that there will come a day in which all of my blog readers will have the opportunity to see them perform in person if they haven’t already. (With their Expanding Anyway tour having begun on March 11th and ending in June, you just might!) To say that seeing their performance is a trip is saying the least. How they come across on record is exactly how they come across in person. They will lift your spirit and make your smile unstoppable. To sum it up: If you go to a Morning Teleportation show, make sure you bring your dancing shoes. :)
And in the meantime, buying their album is the next best thing. I did, and as I’m sure you can tell, was not disappointed. These boys are steadily on the rise (as fellow Tumblr users have already shown me by posting songs), and it’s with good reason. I hope you won’t hesitate to listen to the tracks floating around this site and buy the album for yourself. After all, music is made for you. So go ahead, hop onto their psychedelic bandwagon and let them take you away. They would love nothing more than to do just that.
Morning Teleportation on Facebook.
Mar 02, 2011 12:10AM
This is a song by Sufjan Stevens, and it is perhaps one of the most sentimentally beautiful songs he has written. If you know where the song title — ”Djohariah” — comes from, it’s an upfront song that lacks secrets. What it does not lack, however, is beauty. Whether you knew that Djohariah is the name of Sufjan’s younger sister or not, the pure beauty in this piece cannot be denied. Pure love is apparent too, upon this discovery of his sibling’s name. The lyrics are a small but powerful portrait of a portion of Djohariah Stevens life… and how it affected not only her, but the people around her.
Unfortunately, the song above is a YouTube video (as opposed to audio clips like I prefer) and only 15:00 long, rather than the 17:02 that the song actually is. Especially because the last two minutes are really beautiful minutes. (My favorite minute, however, comes in at 13:17). I know this may seem long for some of you, but the minutes go by faster than you realize. And every single second of them is breathtaking. (While I don’t recommend it, if you prove to be particularly impatient, you can skip to 11:44 where words other than the peaceful chanting of Djohariah come in).
How much more convincing do you need before you proceed, ladies and gentlemen? This piece is downright beautiful. The song will convince you of that all the way. Listen and enjoy.
“And the man who left you for dead
He’s the heart grabber, back stabber, double cheater, wife beater,
You don’t need that man in your life
And you worked yourself to the bone
While the people say what they say
It’s the neighbors anyway
They don’t know what’s good for your life
And I see your head hangs low
In the black shadow, half shadow
Living room is fitting is sitting room is fit for your crying
Don’t be ashamed—don’t hide in your room
For the woman is, woman is the glorious victorious
The mother of the heart of the world
… .
Go on! Little sister! Go on! Little sister!
For your world is yours, world is yours
All the wilderness of world is yours
Go on! Little sister! Go on!
For you’re beautiful, beautiful
All the fullness of the world is yours.”
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