Music
10/3/09
Last night Sea Wolf came to St. Louis! Almost exactly a year after I put up the first review about their first album, Leaves in the River, and they were here. The show was at the Biliken Club on St. Louis University’s campus, so the venue was relatively small, but the smaller venue provided us was a more cozy atmosphere and it was possible to be able to see the band. About two weeks ago Sea Wolf released their second album, White Water, White Bloom. It has a very different sound than their first album. It is much more uptempo and energetic, but in terms of the quality of the music, it is still just as good as their earlier stuff. This album has a definite Rock album feel that Leaves in the River forewent in lieu of a Folk-Rock sound. At the concert they played a mix of old songs and new songs and it was very evident as to which were which, even though I thoroughly enjoyed both. The new album is beautiful. It mixes harder rock with the same amount of melody and musicality as the earlier album did, only this time they seem more awake and more alive. Most of the songs on the album deal with Snow, Winter, and Water but instead of that making the album cold or drafty, it adds to the overall appeal and serene quality underlying their music. A definite MUST BUY! I love Sea Wolf and couldn’t be more happy that they graced St. Louis with their presence. For the last two years I have been living on Leaves in the River, and while I’m always wary of new stuff, White Water, White Bloom has only enriched my life as a listener and lover of music.- Anjuli D.
5/29/09
Hazards of Love is The Decemberists’ most recent studio release. It is a fully fleshed out concept album, and, like all of their albums, is something more than just another CD. It is a full-fledged artistic effort that is rarely seen these days. Colin Meloy, the lead singer, has a very unique voice that may take a little getting used to. But once you do get used to it, you’ll probably be hooked! The vocals, the percussion, the instrumentals, and the special effects are all quite amazing. The band’s range of instrumentals goes far and wide, from strings and piano to weird crashes that are hard to identify. I particularly like the track Wont Want for Love (Margaret in the Taiga). The whole album has a magical, fairy-tale esque effect on the listener, so much so that I feel like I’m frolicking in a technicolor world of irony when I listen to it. This is the type of album that needs to be listened to as a whole because all of the songs relate to each other while still maintaining a special, unique quality. The lyrics are smart and poetic and the melodies are catchy and beautiful. Get it on itunes for 9.99 and listen to it twice through. Once you’re finished, go check out The Crane Wife and Picaresque! -Elena M.
2/28/09
Dark Was the Night is a huge effort sung by all your favorite artists from Ben Gibbard to Fiest to Jose Gonzalez and back. Total there are 32 tracks and it is split into two CDs. This CD was compiled by Aaron and Bryce Dressner who produced the CD for the Red Hot Organization, which is an international charity dedicated to bringing awareness and funds for HIV/AIDS through music. This is their twentieth compilation CD and it is really soul ravaging and beautiful. The First CD is a lot more straight forward and indie then the second, but the second one really gets to your heart through all its weird funk compilation indie rap underground eclecticness. Even though the CD spans a time of 2 hours and 12 minutes, it is something you should listen to, even if it is in the background and all the proceeds really are for a great cause! You can buy the album on iTunes, Amazon or probably even at your local Best Buy.
http://www.myspace.com/darkwasthenight
Antidotes is a very different album. Imagine say In Rainbows by Radiohead only different. They have the same sense of identity as Radiohead but with a sound entirely their own. “Olympic Airwaves” is a genius, brilliant, soul touching moment that shines and resonates through your mind even while the rest of the album passes. The opener, “The French Open” is in French but that does not make it at all inaccessible to an English audience. However some of the songs like, “Mathletics” and “Big Big Love (Fig. 2)” seem to miss and get a little too hectic and jumbled. But overall if you are really looking for something refreshingly new, Foals’ Antidotes is the way to go. Some of their other great songs on the album are “Cassius,” “Red Socks Pugie,” and “Electric Bloom.”
8/14/09 – Foals
I lied. After giving them a second try without the stress of school in the energetic atmosphere of summer, Foals won my heart. With tasteful upbeat news-sounding songs like “Two Steps Twice” they bring a breath of fresh air to the world of pop music. Listen to them! They are different and amazing. – Anjuli
In their debut album, Keep Color, the Republic of Tigers have successfully landed themselves on the map with two songs featured on the CW’s hit show Gossip Girl. Their first song “Buildings & Mountains,” was the first song of theirs that I bought. It was the song that drew me in, and as I have passed this song around my circle of friends, it seems to have the most versatile accessibility, nonetheless I think that their second song, “Golden Sand” should be their first song with the lyrics;
Line up.
State your name, state your claims, claim your stakes.
If you wanna fight with us, you’ve got to refuse to
Please the game.
Look ahead now…
Look up
And make a difference.
But the right difference would mean
The bleeding hearts would got to be turned into some
Bleeding hands from solid lands.
Yeah, you can make ‘em dance
And keep an upright stance?
Is the position that you hold…
seems to announce that the Republic of Tigers have arrived! “Fight Song” is the second song of theirs featured on Gossip Girl, and is a very assertive confident song that feels good. Every single song on the CD oozes beauty and it really is painful almost to stop listening. The strangest song on the album is “Air Guitar” with a very vague feeling of Sweeny Todd, but its a subtle very déjà vu feeling, not at all unwelcomed. Overall if it is beauty you seek, here it lies, just ready and waiting for the taking. You will not be disappointed.
http://www.myspace.com/therepublictigers
Dark Captain Light Captain released an exquisite EP in 2008, and their follow album , while folksy and slow, is just as good in a more toned down way. The song “Jealous Enemies” is undoubtedly the best and most catchy song on the album, but the reflective quiality of the rest of the songs also deserve a listen too. Miracle Kicker, the album released in October is very laid back and autumn sounding. It is not something that many people would listen to while sunbathing at a local pool, but that does not discredit their work, just be forewarned that in order to enjoy and feel the journey of this album, your mind has to be in that right, laid back, ultra chill place.
http://www.myspace.com/darkcaptain
2/15/09
I discovered her, Laura Marling, and her album, Alas I Cannot Swim, on the iTunes Indie Spotlight Singer/Songwriter Podcast. The Singer/Songwriter Podcast is generally the best one. Anyway, the first song I bought of hers was “Failure.” A song which almost makes you want to cry from its beauty. It confronts the reality of failing and how even though it is really tough, it is really and truly not the end and it will only make you stronger. I am currently going through the rest of her folsky/ pop-esque album and it is so beautiful.
“He used to be the life and soul of everyone around.
You’d never catch him looking up and never see him down but oh, la laa.
He couldn’t raise a smile oh, not for a while, and he’s a failure now.
Don’t cry child, you’ve got so much more to live for.
Don’t cry child, you’ve got something I would die for
And if he comes to the rain, just be glad you’ll smile again
‘Cause so many don’t.
And so many go unnamed.” — “Failure,” Alas I Cannot Swim, Laura Marling
http://www.myspace.com/lauramarling
You Actually Can’t Do Better than Them
It was really surprising that after ten years of producing touching individual passionate music, Death Cab for Cutie did not procure a Grammy Nomination for Narrow Stairs. After two back-to-back hit albums, Transatlanticism and Plans both of which gained widespread success and national appeal despite their “Indie” label, you would think that Death Cab for Cutie would get a national nod of approval at something as widely recognized as the Grammy’s. And, while the Grammys are also discredited for generally not giving attention, where attention is due, Narrow Stairs was a whopper, Death Cab’s third commercially succesful album. There songs varied in diversity from the all out almost 9 minute jam sesh song, “I Will Posess Your Heart” to the Indian inspred, “Pity and Fear,” Death Cab exhibits their maturity and depth. I went to see their concert in St. Louis for Narrow Stairs and listened to a sampling of all their music from even before Transatlantisim and decided to listen to it all. All of it was great. Most of their old stuff was slower and a little stranger, but once you have listened to their entire discography, it is really awesome just how amazing and touching their music is. Me, a seventeen- year-old sitting in St. Louis, is changed as a person by listening to music. Their music is very therapeutic, very wonderful, very worth your while.
http://www.myspace.com/deathcabforcutie
While you might think that they are just another rock band, stop and listen to the words. Although there subject matter is quite common, they use nice imagery, smart imagery. That coupled with catchy tunes and the individual sound of their lead singer, they entertain. You may recognize their track, “E.S.T” from The CW’s “Gossip Girl,” their better tracks are “Unfinished Business” and “Farewell to the Fairground.” However after “Farewell to the Fairground,” the album really loses the catching imagery and catchy tunes. But every other song leading upto “Farewell” is really worth a listen.
http://www.myspace.com/whitelies
The road between Mom and Dad is a difficult one, but with the track society is on, it is one that is traveled more and more frequently. Seabear absorbs all the stress and anxiety this drive usually causes, and in being a frequent traveler of this road I would know. There music is thoughtful, slow, penetrating, and perfect for this uneasy journey. Words like effortless and smooth calm every sense so all you can revel in is the beauty of the music, and the music truly is that, beautiful. From the more popular song, “I Sing, I Swim” to my personal favorite, “Hands Remember” the world slowly melts away and the moment you are in, even if it is not the happiest one, becomes okay. Hope fills the listeners mind for the entirety of it’s 44 minutes and 12 seconds. Even if this particular journey is not one that you face in your life, Seabear is definitely worth time in your life. Give them a thoughtful listen, because for the first time in a long time, I experienced the power of music when I listened to them. They became the soothing salve on my open wounds that we as a generation all face.
http://www.myspace.com/seabear
10/21/08
Death Cab for Cutie performed last Monday, Oct.13, at the Fox Theatre. The opening band was a small folksy band from Seattle called Fleet Foxes and they set the tone for the mellow introspective mood Death Cab usually has. They had amazing vocals, even if all the members looked like Grizzly Bears, and the harmonies overall were very soothing. Once they had done their pieces though, everyone was eager for the real deal.
Death Cab opened the show with the first track on their new album, Bixby Canyon Bridge, but when they took the stage, it looked like someone was missing. Where was Ben Gibbard? About a quarter through the show, I realized the vocalist was Ben Gibbard! Ben has lost a lot of weight and looks ten years younger. By the time they performed Crooked Teeth, I was blown away! I could not believe that that was Ben Gibbard. He looks like a completely different person onstage than in the videos and pictures. He has so much vivacity and movement to his passion that it simply blows away the audience, even if your only seven rows from the stage.
The lighting was stupendous and for the Sound of Settling, the yellow searchlight made it seem more like the sound of sunlight. The closing to the encore was Transatlanticism and in that song, they actually managed to make the lights behind them sparkle and the energy emanating from the stage seemed more than earthly.
Every single song they played that night fit and was more than incredible, it was holy. They were gods for three hours transcending the lives of those who they have never met and probably never will meet. Death Cab for Cutie is a gifted group where the poetry is seamless and the music effortless, they can do no wrong.
10/10/08
Sea Wolf first jumped onto my radar summer of 2007. I began listening to 89.1 the Wood, a commercial free radio station which was broadcasted from Lindenwood University, a private Univeristy in North St. Louis. I would turn on this station whenever I would work the opening shifts at 5am and religiously every morning around 6am they would play, “You’re A Wolf,” and it truly was the most perfect morning song. In the beginning I had no clue what the name or band of the song was and was content just to listen. That was a pretty stressful summer since we were moving houses, but the mellow tenor and anti-cliche words truly did help relax me. After the summer was over and the school year had begun, this song kept playing in my head until I just finally had to find it. Finally I found it, thanks to the Wood’s extensive online database, and bought it. As the school year continued, I listened to The Wood on the way to school and began to discern more Sea Wold songs which were just as good, just as anti-cliche. These songs became the soundtrack for my Sophomore year and before I knew it, I had bought all of their work, and all of it was exquisite.
Because Sea Wolf is still a small band with only one album, Leaves in the River, and one EP, Get to the River, they have not been touring as far and wide as St. Louis. They are an Indie Rock band, of course, from LA, Cali and everyone should listen to them! They are mellow, well-tempered, and very soothing.
http://www.myspace.com/seawolf
10/8/08
Death Cab for Cutie concert @ Fox 10/13
9/25/08
Free symphony at Powell for Students tonight. 7pm. All you need is your student ID to view the opening performance for this weekend.
9/23/08
Last night I ended up at the Theatre in the St. Louis Art Museum around 5pm and stumbled upon a live in HD broadcast of the New York Metropolitan Opera’s Opening Night Gala starring Soprano Renee Fleming, and it was superb. Because of my young age, I have always struggled with enjoying opera, unless it is Carmen. And the countless renditions of Opera turned into movies, which I have seen were not that helpful either. But seeing The Met Opera for the first time in my life allowed me to feel what I had been wanting to about Opera all along, I felt inspired and moved. The sets were extraordinary, the dresses magnificent, and the acting phenomenal. At this Gala event three different acts from three very different operas were performed all with Renee singing the main soprano. The first scene was Act II from Verdi’s “La Traviata,” the second scene was Act III from Massenet’s “Manon,” and the third was Act III from Strauss’s “Capriccio.” I nearly fell asleep during the first scene of “Traviata” but once they got the subtitles up and working for the live broadcasts, I was enthralled. Everything about the night was garnered and tailored perfectly to Fleming, and even during the Intermission shows she was all they could talk about. At the beginning of the production there was some technical difficulty with the sound, but after that was worked out, the journey was truly effortless.
This live broadcast is the first of ten more which will each stream one of the Met’s magnificent operas from this season which are: Strauss’s “Salome” on October 11 at 12pm at the St. Louis Art Museum (SLAM), a new opera called “Doctor Atomic” by John Adams on the creation of the Atom Bomb (Nov.8 @ SLAP, 12pm), Berlioz’s “La Damnation de Faust” on Nov.22 @ SLAM 12pm, “Thais” with Fleming is on Dec.20 @ 11am SLAM Auditorium, “La Rondine” on Jan.10.09, “Orfeo de Euridice” by Gluck on Jan.24.09, Donizetti’s “Lucia di Lammermoor” on Feb.7, “Madame Butterfly” on Mar.7.09, “La Sonnambula” by Bellini on Mar.21, and Rossini’s “La Cerentola” on May.9. All tickets are $22 at the door or $15 for members. Once January begins the productions will move out of the Art Museum due to construction and into the Esquire 11 on Clayton rd. I sincerely hope that everyone go, even if you are unsure about what opera is or claim to not like it, at least give this a try because this is the real deal and it truly does not get much better than this. ~ Anj.
