Artist: Darker My Love
Album: 2
Recommended if you like: JAMC, BRMC
From their press kit:
“DARKER MY LOVE ups the power on 2, finding a way to crank up the pop songwriting, thicken the dim ambience to outright darkness and raw rock power without letting each step on the other one’s feet. The result is a sound in which the band’s influences gel, making 2 much more than just another JAMC obsessed distortion-rock act. It’s a flavor all of its own.” - AVERSION
Standout Tracks: “Two Ways Out”, “Talking Words”
Worth a second listen?: Yep. To me, an album on Dangerbird automatically commands my respect. (Though I got turned on to Darker My Love by Filter Mag as “Summer is Here” was featured on a Pssst sampler when their first album came out.) Their vibe does make me wax nostalgic for JAMC and early BRMC but the vocals are a bit softer here.
More info: official/myspace/on Dangerbird
Listen: “Blue Day”
“Two Ways Out”
Caught Fing at the Office as part of the NXNP showcases. They killed it. Okay, actually, the first song was a bit rough, but they settled in and brought it back hard. I think the small stage really had an affect on their lead singer, Pascal. He wasn’t able to roam around so it took away an element of what he does best. Pascal’s vocals are really a big part of what makes them interesting. There are quite a few songs where the vocals are processed - I’m no techie so I don’t know the proper terminology, but I’ve seen bands do this where they have a second mic setup that processes the vocals. So in some songs, you get Pascal’s processed voice, plus his falsetto and then his regular rock voice. Didn’t keep a set list but a few of the highlights were “Rock the Hips”, “Courageous Knight”, “Murderous Robot” and “Makin’ Some Soup”.
A note on the photos, I limited myself to the first three songs so I could enjoy myself. I kept my flash off on purpose to grab some shots that gave you a real feel for the vibe. Those shots would have been way better with a tripod, but you’re never gonna see me get to the point where I am carrying a tripod around. I did use flash for some shots of Pascal because I wanted some photos of him that showed his expressions during the set.
Check the rest of the photos here. Check Fing on myspace.
In Stores 8/5:
Airborne Toxic Event self-titled
This band hails from L.A.’s Silverlake scene and is poised to make some waves on the radio.
Conor Oberst self-titled
Not sure why this isn’t just another Bright Eyes album, but whatevs.
Darker My Love 2
I’ve been listening to an advance of this and it is really good. I’ll do a review sometime this week.
Faint Fasciination
Can’t wait to hear the new album and to see them on Saturday. Also, you must check out Does It Offend You, Yeah’s remix of “The Geeks”.
Hawthorne Heights Fragile Future
I’m actually surprised that this album isn’t already streaming on their myspace. I loved a couple of their earlier songs ("Ohio is for Lovers”, “Niki FM"), but their current single is meh.
Mandi Perkins Alice In No-Man’s Land
This singer-songwriter has been garnering a bunch of good press and had some good buzz at SXSW this year. Check out some tracks from the album on her myspace.
Impacting on radio:
(alt rock)
Ashes Divide - The Prey
Cold War Kids - Something Is Not Right With Me
Flobots - Rise
Jaguar Love - Highways Of Gold
Plain White T’s - Natural Disaster
Toadies - No Deliverance
(triple a)
Duffy - Warwick Avenue
James - Waterfall
Matthew Sweet - Byrdgirl
Okkervil River - Lost Coastlines
I kind of did stream of conciousness notes of the Music Marketing: Brands and Bands panel.
The lo-down: session on how to build a fanbase through the local media, merchandising, marketing and promotion - loosely moderated by George Vargas, the UT music critic.
The panelists (besides George Varga): Erik Stein (Scoop Marketing), Garett Michaels (FM 94/9), Jeff Motch (Lively & Motch), Petey X (Merch Lackey), Greg Pearson (Trusonic) and Tadd Crayton (loserkids.com)
My notes (these were totally what I was typing while I was listening to the panel):
George Varga asks all the panelists if they’ve been in a band….out of the 7…just 2 of them (one of them on season 2 of real world. Don’t recognize him at all. )
Crap, my cell phone just went off….bad bad me. we all got to hear Against Me!
Varga: Era of the internet….in flux but where will it be going?
Petey: play out…presence on the internet. Looks at myspace if a band is asking merchlackey to print tees. Merch a key factor in getting yourself out there (repeated more than once from everyone so far…)
(editor note: Varga asks everyone to tell the audience what they do)
Stein: as a professional publicists – need to start as DIY before you can really break.
Garett: “we play music”
Motch: design….Jack Johnson is his biggest client
Petey: 10 yrs as a musician and then what’s next? I can do this better than most people out there.
Pearson: tru-sonic – 30000 retail locations that they provide music for. Retail, music choice. Custom playlists. Original and covers. 20% unsigned artists.
Crayton: loserkids – fashion/started by the blink guys. Formerly of artist direct.
Varga points out a “Common denominator” - blink (stein, motch and crayton)
Using blink as an example of how do it right - they toured up and down the west coast – blink – where all the airplay and popularity came from.
Garett: passionate fanbase – don’t do unless you love it. (blink) he heard from programmers on the west coast (while in Detroit)
Motch: If someone’s an asshole, you don’t help them.
Stein: access is a lot freer. With the web, they need content.
Garett: on radio programming – what is radio trying to do. It’s a business – used KROQ as an exmaple. Narrow and formulaic. When programming KBZT, they looked at the opportunity in the market. KBZT tried to build a passionate fan base on word of mouth. They had an agenda. Garett comments on the state of radio (my favorite topic). He calls it “Formulaic bullshit” Notes that KBZT only plays three songs of top 10 in their format. Radio cannot break a band it is an accelerator. Gives MIA as an example of how radio is an accelerator. MIA was a critic’s darling when the album came out. They tried playing “Paper Planes”. Not much traction on air. Now “Paper Planes” is being used in the trailer for the movie Pineapple Express. Radio (crossover over different genres) is jumping on it now.
Next topic: Does good press matter?
Petey: Bad press is good press.
Another topic: how do you hear new music?
Motch: 91x made me turn off the radio.
Garett: tools for discovering new music – recommendations and word of mouth. (He sideway insulted Varga with saying that he would rather listen to someone he respected as opposed to Varga’s writing.)
Guitar center -10 formats, core playlist. Mix in custom acts.
(At this point I stopped taking notes...wasn’t as interesting because they were kinda all saying the same thing.)
But I recorded the whole thing and here are some cool quotes (besides the couple of gems up there....)
Garett: “The 900 lb. gorilla of rock radio in America is KROQ.”
Garett: “Who remembers the Nixons?” Stein: “I do, I was their publicist.”
Petey: “No one wants to see that the record they worked six months on and poured their heart and soul into just be bagged by a person who can’t even play guitar.”
Petey: “In your life you can only sell out once.”
Motch: “Anyone who really loves music in this town doesn’t listen to the radio.”
On another note - the panel was definitely dominated by Petey, Stein, Motch and Garett. Pearson and Crayton barely got a word in edgewise. But all in all, very entertaining and informative for sure. Can’t wait to go see bands in a few hours.
OMG, after three years of trying to track this band down to see, I finally got to revel in the glory of Hayley and the boys. Hooray. I’m gonna say right now that Hayley is the Gwen Stefani of her generation. Maybe I will expound on that theory another time, but for now, let’s get to it…
Paramore
Qualcomm Concerts on the Green
8/1/08
Born for This
That’s What You Get
Here We Go Again
Fences
CrushCrushCrush
Let the Flames Begin
When It Rains
My Heart (acoustic)
Decoy
Pressure
For a Pessimist, I’m Pretty Optimistic
(brief intermission)
We Are Broken
Emergency
Hallelujah
Encore:
Misery Business
Yes, there were large, neon letters spelling out “RIOT”. No, they weren’t trying to be disorderly, Riot! is the name of their latest album of which Hayley and the boys ripped through along with some old favorites for a crowd pleasing set. Yes, the tween girls were out in full force, and yes, there was a lot of singing along. But Hayley. She is a performer through and through. Living up to the fiery redhead stereotype for sure. Hayley kept up the stage banter throughout the set and especially was encouraging fans to sing and clap along. She didn’t really need to do that because we were already there. She cracked me up when she asked everyone to put up their hands. She shook hers around and then said “jazz hands”. And all of us geeks giggled with her.
The songs came at you in a fast and furious pace until we got to “When It Rains”. She dedicated the next song, an acoustic version of “My Heart” to the band’s livejournal community. I was stoked when she dedicated “Pressure” to the fans of the first album (me! me!) That song was really one of my faves. Another highlight of the show was when she started “Hallelujah” with a haunting tease of the “Leonard Cohen” version. I’m sure that was lost on some people, but it wasn’t on me. Very cool. Of course, the encore was “Misery Business”. How could it not be?
Such a great show all around. I’m way stoked I spent my night under the stars experiencing the joys of show. That is all.
I love seeing Jack’s Mannequin. Andrew McMahon’s frenetic piano playing is a sight to see. I was hoping to get a new song from the forthcoming LP The Glass Passenger plus hear some old favorites and I was not disappointed. Set list first…
Jack’s Mannequin
Qualcomm Concerts on the Green
8/1/08
I’m Ready
Bruised
La La Lie
Dark Blue
Kill the Messenger
The Resolution
The Mixed Tape
Made for Each Other (Part 1 & 2)
First off, I was distracted by Andrew’s blonde hair. I have never seen him without black hair and it threw me off. It definitely makes him look older. But no big thing once I heard the opening strains of “I’m Ready”. Andrew introduced “Bruised” - his chatter was constant throughout the set. “La La Lie” was next. This is such a fan favorite because it is so easy to sing along to. I was stoked on the next song - “Dark Blue”. The lighting matched (which Andrew pointed out) and I sang along...dark blue/have you ever been alone in a crowded room/well I’m here with you. A very beautiful song all around and one of my favorites. After “Kill the Messenger”, Andrew introduced “The Resolution”, a new song from the forthcoming album. It sounded great...can’t wait to hear more. The last two songs were perfect to end the set. Of course, we all sang along to “The Mixed Tape” - And this is my mixed tape for her/It’s like I wrote every note/With my own fingers... Andrew introduced “Made For Each Other” as the last song. This is actually a two song medley with “Made For Each Other” as the first part and then a segue into “You Can Breathe”. Andrew used a tease of U2’s “With or Without You” to segue into “You Can Breathe”. Very nice.
After Andrew left the stage, we were treated to some great set change music - MGMT’s “Electric Feel” and then Brand New’s “Sic Transit Gloria” (that’s the one with the perfect screamo lyrics of “Die young and save yourself” and then Cursive’s “The Recluse”. And before you knew it...the main event....
A great night to be at a show at Qualcomm’s Concerts on the Green. So great, in fact, that I am gonna break up what would normally be one show post into three smaller ones for your reading pleasure.
So first off, the venue. The stage is on a grass field tucked away in the southwest corner of Qualcomm’s parking lot. It’s far enough away to not be interuppted by the trolley and actually very spacious as it was the former practice field of the Chargers in another life. Sight lines were good, sound was great, teenagers were everywhere.
We did get there in time to catch Paper Route. Their live sound was true to the recorded EP Are We All Forgotten that I have been listening to. I didn’t keep a set list, but they played all of the songs from the EP. Vocal duties were shared by Chad and JT - they alternated songs it seemed. Not bad at all.
I was definitely excited about catching Phantom Planet again as I only caught a couple of songs the last time I saw them at SOMA. They started with the title track from their latest LP Raise the Dead. They played another song I didn’t quite recognize and then Alex went on a tangent about the Queen Mary and finally got around to announcing the next song, “Ship Lost at Sea”, another new song. Next was the single “Do The Panic”, which I lovelovelove. It sounded great - kind of retro in a college rock in the 80’s way. Then it was “Dropped” before seguing into a more upbeat version of “California”. This was after Alex made an allusion to this song being on the OC soundtrack and who they wrote it with (Jason Schwartzman, duh). I like the slower version just fine, but it does sound great with more of an upbeat tempo and a little more electric guitar.
The set change was fast and furious and I squeed when I saw them rolling Andrew’s black grand piano out on stage...but we’ll get to that in the next post....
Lyn is always rawking to the song in her head, which she would be happy to sing to you. Just ask.
Music posted is for sampling purposes and is only available for a limited time. If you like what you hear, support the artist and buy the album or go to a show.
I am big time dorking out to Charlotte Sometimes lately.
Max Beemis & co. are some of the most supreme douchebags around. You’re lucky not to have had to interact with them on their last trip through SD. In spite of that, I dig their tunes.
The Bronx KILL. I’m not sure how it’ll translate on Warp Tour, but I’ve seen them a few times at the Casbah and the smaller room at SOMA. SO killer.
Interesting how they discussed that the Internet was the future but didn’t really have anyone on the panel that works at a music based web site. Maybe they should give sites like Slacker a listen.
I love how those people are clearly out searching on Google for themselves, probably hoping to find a more positive commentary on their writing than he found here. That cracks me up! Hahahahahaha! I think that’s something my sis-in-law would do, and it’s an activity that makes me feel sorry for them a little bit…
Apparently, you aren’t allowed to have an opinion of music, writing or anything else on your own blog unless it’s a positive one.
That bloviation is some of the most banal crap I’ve read in recent memory.
Unless you’re writing fiction, which that press kit one sheet may very well be, it’s kind of a golden rule that writers avoid the temptation to try and sound intelligent by using big words and semi-descriptive but completely useless language for the sole purpose of flexing their writing muscle.
In the end, it reads more like a sixth graders attempt at creative writing.
Hahaha--I probably know that dude. Sorry--it *is* written terribly. Everyone tries so hard to be funny or ironic in their press descriptions, but so few are truly able to execute.
This was the all ages venue that was supposed to be the new all ages spot for indie kids, then Leighton wrote some shit about it and the fire marshal cracked down and they got their venue permits pulled. Guess they’ve worked that stuff out?
Hey, thanks for the review, i will be seeing them for the first time in Seattle next Wednesday, so i’m stoked to see so many rockin’ songs on the setlist.
