“Lush soundscapes” is a phrase I always use when cracking jokes about hipster music reviews on sites like Pitchfork and others of that sort. It sounds like the kind of phrase uttered by blathering dopes slobbering over some new “underground” band that will sweep the girl jeans-wearing, lumpy-haired, v-neck clad goons to their collective feet and pay attention.

It is in this manner that I imagine bands like Vampire Weekend rose to cyber-fame. Well, much to my chagrin, there really isn’t any other way for me to describe Mew’s new album No More Stories are Told Today, I’m Sorry, they Washed Away. Despite that title, which would make Fiona Apple blush, Mew has crafted an incredible, masterful album that thoroughly impressed me. I was surprised by this record because it was the first Mew record I’ve ever heard. A friend suggested them to me a few months ago but I never got around to listening. Then I started reading more and more things talking about them on the Interwebz, and finally decided to give them a listen.

Much like how Mute Math’s new album Armistice blew me away, this album has had a similar effect on me. Mew, who released four albums (!) before finally gaining me as a fan, has an eclectic sound that is both challenging and beautiful.

If I was a movie director, and I was creating a dream sequence scene with Zooey Deschanel (*swoon*) flittering around in a field in the woods somewhere being quirky as only Zooey can, I would probably try to use Mew as the soundtrack. Their tunes are dreamy, orchestral pieces that are as mesmerizing as they are breathtaking.

This may sound like I’m overselling the album a bit, but it’s one of those albums that gets better with repeated listens. I definitely have to check out the band’s back catalogue after this. New Terrain starts off the disc, and uses backward masking and a strange, off-time beat to great effect. If you play the song in reverse, an entirely different song is apparent (so I’ve read), which is pretty damn cool. ‘Beach’ at times reminds me of the Flaming Lips, especially the way the vocal harmonies play together, as they sound like Wayne Coyne a little bit. It’s a highlight for sure. After Intermezzo 1, Silas the Magic Car slows things down and presents the album’s first real dream sequence soundtrack. I listened to this one in my car and I swear time slowed down and sped up at the same time. Don’t ask me how that happened, ask Mew.

Cartoons and Macrame Wounds follows Silas, and is a 6-minute opus that marks the end of a remarkable two-song combo that to me are the best tracks on the disc. Sweeping, crashing instruments, slow piano arrangements, and haunting vocals saying things such as “put your hand in mine, we will go skating…” make the song both creepy and irresistibly strange. Like I’ve said, this is the first time I’ve listened to Mew, so if this album is a radical departure in sound from their previous work, I wouldn’t know any better.

What I’ve heard on No More Stories… is enough to make me a big fan, and forced me to use the phrase I loathe so much.

Does that mean I’m a hipster? Hell no. My closet is V-neck free and I don’t wear scarves in the summer time. I just like good music. Maybe it’s a thing with bands whose names start with the sound “Mew” that make them inherently good (see: Mew, Mute Math, Muse). I don’t know what it is, but whatever it is, I like it. Nice work, Mew.

Money - It's why you Labor

Keeping with the Holiday tradition, it’s time to discuss Labor Day. Once upon a time Labor Day had something to do with people working. Since capitalism has assaulted the ability for people to get the day off on Labor Day (particularly in the retail sector), this is no longer the case. Fortunately, labor also refers to women giving birth. There’s plenty of those right now, and we can still celebrate this holiday.

Look around. In every direction there is a woman either pregnant, with a newborn, or actually in the midst of giving birth. Since, I don’t understand why a person would ever want to have a baby, I consulted the wikipedias, which told me:

Labor is one of the three fundamental forms of activity that form the vita activa. It is repetitive and never-ending.

I don’t know what a vita activa is, but I do know this. This process needs to end. Children are not cute, so much as a disease that plagues our Earth. And here is why.

Children Consume

Beats children.

Children are parasites. From the moment of conception, they feed on the womb of the host mother. During the whole process of pregnancy, the parasite will cause the woman to eat more. Once the labor process has been completed,  the parasite will then feed on everything around it until it dies. It also has the possibility of becoming extremely destructive or emo, with little possibility of anything in between. Given that, why would you want to spawn more? Godzilla also consumes and destroys. He is, however, significantly cuter than most children and also combats giant moth creatures, dragons, and Mecha-Godzilla.

Children Make Women Unattractive

It is suggested that pregnant women are hot. I’ve never understood this concept for three major reasons. First, no matter how much bigger the breasts get, the stomach increases disproportionately. In other words, being pregnant  turns chicks into fatties. Second, even though they can’t get pregnant while they’re pregnant, they’ll eventually expel a parasite. That parasite is like herpes, in that it never goes away. Finally, once  a woman has a child, you know they can never be trusted to not have a child in the future. You will always have to wear at least two condoms to combat this. If you’re doing that, you may as well not have sex.

Labor Sucks

The reason there is a Holiday for Labor Day is so that people don’t have to Labor. I know this may sound counter intuitive, but it’s true. The Canadians fought hard so that we could take a day away from laboring, and we need to celebrate that. Labor, as in work, sucks because it’s usually something unpleasant that you’re forced to do in order to acquire enough money to eat. Or if you’re a farmer, just to eat. Labor, as in childbirth, is something no one is forced to do. It is extremely painful and kind of gross. So, at the very least, we should avoid having children on Labor Day. (And also every other day)

Other options include Robots

Dear readers, please heed my call and stop getting pregnant on Labor Day. Or anywhere near Labor Day. I know you want someone to take care of you in your old age, but there are other options. If you must have children, consider getting pregnant immediately after Labor Day. That way, you’ll be done in time to celebrate.

With the litany of major deaths that have occurred in the past few months, John Hughes’ unexpected demise went slightly under the radar. Sure, there’s been a fair amount of publicity, but the response and reaction has been more or less fairly tame. The reasons for this are twofold: He hasn’t written and directed a consequential film since the early nineties and has, accordingly, sequestered himself for almost twenty years. Even so, a visionary is a visionary and should be revered as such.

J. Hughes: Writer, director, and 80s teen tastemaker

For someone as subtly iconic as John Hughes, it goes without saying that he had just as many detractors as he did revelers. For every one person who touts the greatness and authenticity of his high school themed films, there are probably three who will argue it was an exaggerated, unrealistic glorification of the white kid’s high school experience, the most overt case being Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Ferris (Matthew Broderick’s one-time standout role) lives in a suburb of Chicago and is very put upon because he received a computer for his birthday instead of a car. “How’s that for being born under a bad sign?” Ferris is perhaps the sole John Hughes character that does not live on the fringes of high school life. He is, instead, the center of it, the guy everyone aspires to be. All other Hughes acolytes (Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, Eric Stoltz, Jon Cryer, et. al.) were portrayed as somehow socially defective, which, I suppose, compensated for how white and plightless they were.

The usual suspects. From left: Judd Nelson, Emilio Estevez, Ally Sheedy, Molly Ringwald, and Anthony Michael Hall

Hughes’ first real career making film was Sixteen Candles. Before this, he was just another ribald comedy writer making jokes for the sake of making jokes in films like Mr. Mom and National Lampoon’s Vacation. But it was with Sixteen Candles that he acquired a distinct voice and became a bona fide force, really the only force, in the teen film genre, which was at the time in dire need of resuscitation. After the surprising success of the film as a result of Molly Ringwald’s relatable performance as an awkward and average 16 year old with a lust for a boy well out of her league, every girl was soon led to believe she could snag a Jake Ryan of her own. This might also be the cause for a certain amount of vilification of Hughes as most high school boys aren’t likey to go for the Molly Ringwald type.

After the release of Sixteen Candles in 1984, a new birthday fantasy was born

From 1984 to 1990, there was nothing and no one that could stop Hughes from making the films he wanted. And those films were consistently youth-oriented. After Sixteen Candles came the successors to complete the Ringwald trilogy, The Breakfast Club and Pretty in Pink. These three are possibly the most lauded of the Hughes canon because, in a way, they are an extended version of Sixteen Candles, particularly Pretty in Pink, where, yet again, Molly Ringwald plays a girl who is not on the radar of the social group she wishes to be a part of so that she may gain the favor of her heart’s desire, Blaine (Andrew McCarthy).

Bizarre love triangle

Like any auteur, Hughes had many trademarks, most notably his exemplary taste in music. Some of the most memorable scenes in his films are linked to the song he chose for it: Thompson Twins’ “If You Were Here” at the closing scene of Sixteen Candles, New Order’s “Thieves Like Us” as Andy gets ready for the prom in Pretty in Pink, The Smiths’ “Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want” as Duckie stares in a blank depression in his room, and, of course, Simple Minds’ “Don’t You Forget About Me” as the theme song for The Breakfast Club.

John Hughes: Forever flanked by youth

His most important signature of all, however, was the uncanny ability he had to reflect youth back to itself. There are very few middle-aged white men with such a skill, possibly because John Hughes stole it from all of them and kept it for himself. Even if there are those who say Hughes’ writing was hardly indicative of the total high school experience, they cannot take away his undeniable knack for describing how bittersweet growing up can be.

Behind the scenes with his muse

Just because a man is dead does not mean his faults have to be blotted out. John Hughes had numerous films that are better left undiscussed in the look back at his career. Every great writer-director has the occasional blemish on his record (Woody Allen with Hollywood Ending, Billy Wilder with The Fortune Cookie, and Federico Fellini with Roma). Accordingly, it’s probably safe to say that Baby’s Day Out and Flubber were not John Hughes’ proudest moments. But this man earned the right to make mistakes after filmically shaping the cultural landscape of the eighties.

So say what you want about him: “You see him in the simplest of terms and the most convenient definitions.”

Hey everyone, just wanted to remind you that this weekend is the monumental second year of San Francisco festival at Golden Gate Park, entitled Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival 2009.

Be sure to follow my Twitter to keep up on whats going down in the festival.  Optimalarea is my user name, so hit me up!

Like Coachella 2009, this one is a three day extravaganza near the water of the bay area. Yours truly will be in attendance, and I just wanted to let you know who was going to be in attendance, and what the show has to offer. Here’s the banner:

Originally, the third night’s headliner was supposed to be The Beastie Boys, but due to the untimely discovery of a cancerous tumor in Adam Yauch’s (aka MCA) throat, the rest of their tour dates were cancelled, and new album pushed back. Instead, Jack Black’s hilarious Tenacious D will be taking the stage instead.

The festival grounds will be teeming with wine tasting and local food vendors to keep it fresh and original, while making a splash in the community. There will also be tons of nightlife after the daytime events are over at different venues around the city. Be sure and check the details at their website.

Anywho, these are my MUST sees:

Friday, August 28^th

Q-Tip and he better play Vivrant Thing and of course Breathe N Stop… sure the new stuff is good, but those songs helped define my childhood.

The Silversun Pickups, to hear what all the fuss is about. Don’t get me wrong, I have full faith I’ll be blown away. Let’s just say I’m being cautiously optimistic.

Thievery Corporation is great at getting the crowd hyped like they did at Coachella 2009, and San Francisco will turn out even better for them.

Pearl Jam, because I have never really been a diehard fan, but I want to change that.

And of course Incubus, because they have been a favorite of mine for over a decade. Besides, I owe Ben Kenney an apology for not recognizing him when I saw him at Fry’s years ago and didn’t know he’d joined the band.

Saturday, August 29^th

Portugal. The Man, because I have loved all of their albums, but have yet to see what they can do live.

Zion I, because they have kept afloat in the hip hop madness for years, and even had my friend Brandon Jordan from Killradio on one of their tracks, so it’s a must see.

Street Sweeper Social Club, because they rocked the hell out of Epicenter 2009, and I know they will rock it again. San Francisco will give them a warm welcome I’m sure.

Raphael Saadiq, because I have a feeling that because Q-Tip will have been in attendance the night before, they will perform Get Involved. And if we’re lucky, he’ll find a way to perform Lucy Pearl’s Dance Tonight. Remember that one?

Mastodon, because I also want to know what the fuss is about. They have been around forever, and I’m sure will pleasantly surprise me, unlike the power outage that just knocked out the last few paragraphs that I’m rewriting.

The ladies love Conor Oberst, so I want to see if I am half as moved as they are when he hits the main stage.

Of course TV on the Radio, Jason Mraz, and The Mars Volta are must sees. They have been favorites of mine for a long time.

The Black Eyed Peas have come a long way, and while I might not have been along for the ride the entire time, I’m sure it will be off the chain.

Dave Matthews Band deserves the top spot, as their album after their several year hiatus is worth the wait, and a perfect sound for the main stage this year.

Sunday, August 30^th

I’ll most likely start my locked gaze with Atmosphere later in the day, as third time will surely be a charm for them to play Dreamer.

Jack White’s new band The Dead Weather blew me away with their recent album Horehound. Additionally, I’ve heard the crew is a monster live.

Modest Mouse has been a sleeper hit in my collection for years, and I hope to hear something new that the band is working on. It’s already been two years since their last release.

Apparently Ween is the must see act, from what my friends have told me, so here’s to optimism to the work of the Ween “brothers”.

M.I.A. and Diplo killed it at Coachella, so I’m hoping she tops her madness from the desert festival, this time in the bay.

Come to think of it, Tenacious D will be a fun and hilarious way to end the weekend, to send me home on that early-ass Monday train with memories on my pocket.

The weekend is sure to be amazing, and I hope to see you there. Don’t be shy, as I’ll be getting many a picture to capture the festivities.

Until next time my friends,

~Flak

On August 22^nd, I had the honor of being a part of the first annual Epicenter 09’ music festival, a new idea from Rock on the Range creators, Right Arm Entertainment. KROQ helped put the whole thing together for a 14 artist spread on two separate stages.

Monster Energy provided an intriguing VIP section in the middle of the grounds, and also had their banners all over their own smaller stage. Let me say first that the Monster Energy VIP area was one of the swankier VIP sections that I’ve seen at shows, as it was right in the middle of the action, and not tucked away somewhere, where people couldn’t see how hard you were ballin’.

Before we made our way to the main stage to start the night off, we worked our way through the back tunnels to the hollowed temple that was Building 9. It was here that Dan Huse (the amazing photographer that came along to Rock the Bells) and I set up camp, among the dressing rooms of performers of the evening.

There’s a certain magic that happens when you have that simple press lanyard hanging from your neck. I had many of those moments throughout the day. For instance, I happened to run into American Idol’s Randy Jackson, who was there with his family, promoting the band he’s managing, Paper Tongues. Later on, while checking my phone, overheard a lithe and hip young man asking for directions to the VIP entrance that Dan and I had early entered through. After a minute or two of conversation whilst showing him where to go, he revealed he was none other than Aidan Nemeth, rhythm guitarist of Wolfmother.

It’s amazing how you can recognize music so clearly, but sometimes not know who faces are associated with it. In fact we talked about that notion, and he (I think) agreed with me. After that, he introduced his guests in tow, Lucy Griffin (a rising actress/ of Fired Up fame) and Emily Belgard (lead singer of rock band Prohibition Rose). After hanging out for a bit, Dan and I headed to the grounds to get some work done. Clearly we had a lot of ground to cover in just one day, so I’ll give you our highlights.

Aesop Rock always rocks the mic, and he also reminds me of Jimmy Fallon every time I see him, which I can’t decide if that fact is endearing or scary. I call dibs on the credit if they ever do a sketch together by the way. His set was quick and fun, and even better, was followed by Atmosphere. I love the funny inspirational words Slug always gives the crowd; this time it being to “mind our fuckin’ manners” while in Pomona. I hoped that he would give me my favorite tracks, Godlovesugly, Puppets and Dreamer. Sadly, dreamer was left out, but I’ll hope for better next time.

As far as our main stage endeavors go, we watched Boots Riley and Tom Morello’s new outfit, Street Sweeper Social Club rock the crowd clad in their quite commanding military jackets. I feel like this is a great clash of two music greats, set to the backdrop of a band proclaimed to make music for the revolution. It’s hard not to compare Rage Against the Machine and SSSC, and that’s ok. Just let it happen, because I don’t feel like the overall message is that different. I think that the African American crowd will get a kick out of the combo, and might even lead to us delving into those forbidden culture waters of Rage’s rock music, albeit several years late.

Later in the evening as it began to cool, I made my way into the Monster VIP section, where I met up with DJ D-Wrek (of Nick Cannon’s Wild N’ Out fame), who happens to be a friend of SSSC guitarist Carl Restivo; who also joined us while watching the main stage. After chatting about jeans and other nonsense, we watched Wolfmother perform on the main stage, to which I was taken by surprise. I knew these guys were good performers, but I figured the recent change in lineup may have been unrefined. Turns out these guys have been hitting the rehearsals hard, giving me and other fans a throwback feeling to the 70’s and beyond.

Next up was the new Alice in Chains. Seven years after the death of the original lead singer Layne Staley’s death marked the return of a new front man by the name of William DuVall. He’s a long time friend of guitarist Jerry Cantrell, and a perfect replacement for the late legendary Staley. The best way to explain it was if you were to close your eyes, you felt like you were back in the 90’s listening to the boys on stage. Their upcoming album, Black Gives Way to Blue is going to be amazing, judging from what we got to hear thus far.

Linkin Park took the stage at dusk, with an epic introduction by Mr. Hahn on the turntables. The edge of the photo pit was teeming with energy as the Linkin Park flag raised, Session blasting in the background. After drummer Rob Bourdon set up, the set kicked off with Given Up, from their latest album. I have a higher appreciation for the band now, as far as live performances are concerned, but then again, this is why they are so successful.

I did however; feel bad for Chester when he brought out his new band, Dead by Sunrise. It was around this time that the crowd of Tool fans really started to get antsy. They booed the new band, and even tossed back a drumstick drummer Elias Andra tossed out, to consequently hit guitarist Ryan Shuck square in the head. Overall I felt as if this side project of Chester’s just wasn’t ready for the main stage. Luckily, Chester and the boys finished the set strong after the three song interlude by Dead by Sunrise.

After taking a break and watching several semi trucks worth of gear ride in; we watched the vans carry the members of the main event to the backstage. The air was electric, humid, and invigorating; despite the stink of sweaty fans and horse track. A long science fiction speech of some sort (I’m not sure what it was exactly) was playing before the set started, with weary fans perking up at the impending face rockage.

As you can expect, the band was one of those rare shows where you ask yourself, “How the hell are these guys doing this?” The set felt like an out of body experience as the music hits you. It’s hard to explain, but even with Maynard Keenan’s leg injury (sustained while picking grapes fyi), the show went on, starting out with a crowd-enthralling Jambi, from 10,000 Days.

Maynard stood in the background amongst the shadows, as he usually does, while making comments about his injury a few times between the set. From start to finish, this was quite the heavyweight set, complete with on the fly switching imagery and video clips of the macabre. No Tool show is ever the same twice, but here is the set list from the evening:

1. Jambi
2. (-)ions
3. Stinkfist
4. 46&2
5. Schism
6. Lost Keys
7. Rosetta Stoned
8. Flood
9. Aenima
10. Lateralus
11. Vicarious

Also, in between Rosetta Stoned and Flood was a tease to Wings for Marie Part 1, with a second tease after Aenima of Prison Sex.

Another great event to add to the annals of Behind the Hype press by Dan and myself. Dan I of course thank you for weathering this dusty, humid storm all day. And also my unsung heroes of the  crew at MSO PR: Aaron, Kristine, Bari and everyone else who made all this possible.

Epicenter 09’ is the first of what I hope to be many more like it, and I’ll be here to give you the goods when the time comes.

Until next time my friends,

~Flak

P.S. Check out Dan’s photo gallery on flickr, before it hits our gallery here!

Some of you don’t know what the meaning of “Slept On”  is, so the easy way to say it is with this latest release of musical genius (and newest member of the Soulquarians, I can pretty much say) Robert Glasper and his crew. These guys have been slept on for years now, and have brought us exuberant tracks, such as their cover of Radiohead’s Everything In It’s Right Place.

But today, we have Robert Glasper’s newest release; a two disc album entitled Double Booked.  Hailing from the syrup capitol of the world, this Houston born jazz monster brings forth talent and creativity that I believe has been missing in my collection of off the wall versions of the genres many artists represent. Blue Note Records have been putting out great albums for decades (Art Blakey, Miles Davis, and Sonny Clark just to name a few) now, and this year is going to be another heavy hitter.

Disc one is The Robert Glasper Trio, comprised of Robert, Vicente Archer on bass, and Chris Dave on the drums; while disc two feature the The Robert Glasper Experiment comprised of Robert, Derrick Hodge on the bass, Chris Dave again on drums, with Casey Benjamin bring the sax and vocoder to the table. These guys are all top notch, and what I would like to classify as The Mars Volta of jazz.

I loved the feel of the album, with both discs starting with a phone call. The first is with Terrence Blanchett, who talks business about confirming the trio coming through to his club to play. The other is with Questlove (aka Questso, aka Amir) of The Roots asking the Experiment to come play at the Highline with them, Mos Def, and Bilal. Let it be said that all those aforementioned people are part of the Soulquarians…I’m just saying.

Let’s get into the best tracks of this release with spoiler alert: one of the tracks being on my list of the best tracks of the year. We runnin’ this, let’s go.

No Worries, the second track on the first disc gives that feel of being in the audience, with the announcer introducing the group, and giving a round of applause before kicking into a smooth groove. I felt like the piano would subtly spill over the track, as a classy glass of brandy spills over the lip. Truth be told though, I felt the urge to do the Pee Wee Herman dance around the room, or get down like Bill Cosby at the beginning of his show. It began slowly and all the instruments picked up energy throughout the middle, before settling down to land like a feather and fading out.

I got a hip hop infused vibe after the wild piano intro of track six on the first disc, Think of One. This one was very easy to nod your head too, with silly piano breakdowns throughout the song. There were also lingering moments and jazz heavy bass fills to keep the song softly afloat, before returning to its heavier moments of hip hop beat formation.

On disc two; after checking his messages and doing a sound check with Mos Def, the Experiment does an excellent cover of Herbie Hancock’s Butterfly for their second track. The original framework was kept, along with the eerie voice manipulation; but new is the insane drum work of Chris Dave, tearing the song to shreds several times over.

The most psychedelic track award goes to Festival, the third track on the second disc. The song is literally everywhere. Some parts are slow and jazzy, other parts pure insanity. Casey Benjamin tears it up throughout the middle of the track, and even has a badass solo near the six minute mark. I loved the idea of everyone breaking away to do their own thing in the track, then coming together again to match notes with drum hits.

As always, I saved the best track for last. Neo soul expert Bilal joins up with the experiment to give us a life lesson in the song All Matter. The lyrics stick in my head when I think about defining love, and may even be…dare I say, inspirational? Anywho, the bass in this song floats along gently the entire time, staying on the low end most of the time, with the piano being played by Glasper in what has to be one of the best songs I’ve heard in a long time.

Bilal is a true talent, and this track brought out new appreciations for him. While slight, the drum work from 3:13 to 3:18 is the part of the song I rewind back through the most. It’s so good; you can even hear someone in the background mutter at how fresh it was, during this perplexing mid-song segment. This intense track easily catapulted itself into my list of the best songs of the year; just give it time and you’ll agree.

Robert Glasper did it again, with a refined power unlike anything I have heard in the jazz world. Originality seems fewer and farther between these days, but with this dual album, I feel like the world will wake up off one of the most talented musicians that have ever been slept on.

Robert Glasper’s Double Booked hits stores today, and I will file this under the must have albums of the year for you music aficionados out there. I’ve had the album quite some time thanks to Cem K. at EMI, and couldn’t wait to get this one out there for you all.

Until next my friends, just remember, it’s all matter,

~Flak

I’m always up for new music. Writing at this site allows me the opportunity to discover new music. That being said, I was very receptive to review this self-titled debut by Blind Boris, a melodic rock duo, hailing from the United Kingdom. With frontman Samuel Gough singing and leading in musicals in London’s West-End and producer Amir Alam graduating from Berklee College of Music, eventually scoring commercials for Pizza Hut and Renault, the two members of the band are no strangers to the music industry. What makes them so unique is that although they are from across the pond, they both live in Los Angeles, and have a very apparent U.S. flavored brand of rock, citing The Eagles, The Allman Brothers, and Crosby, Stills & Nash as their influences.

That being the case, however, their sound, in my opinion, came across as seemingly forced, predictable, and rather unoriginal. The first track, Rain Song, went from a pleasant intro, to a jarring switch up, and a bridge (of sorts) that proved to be rather anti-climactic. The sound that they were going for seemed obvious, and while the quality of the sound itself was impeccable, it was very tacked together and inorganic. Gough’s voice, while a superb and unique tone, sounds out of place on songs such as this, which seem to be the majority of this project. It seemed as if they were aiming for something commercial, factored in their American influences, and tried to come up with a formula that didn’t work.  In addition, a number of their softer fare, such as A Little While, has a very somber demeanor to start, and hum-drums through the entire song, and while I was waited for some sort of pickup that were in the more driven songs, it didn’t.

On the contrary, I found two very shining gems within this disc. From the Deep is a very folk-y, acoustic up-tempo number that seems to fit Gough’s voice to a T. Is was extremely pleasant, and while some of the other songs quite honestly had me hovering over the skip button of my CD player, this one had me on repeat for hours. The song has a very Simon and Garfunkel-meets-Cat Stevens feel, with a touch of uniqueness that Gough’s voice gives it. I feel that this CD needed more songs like this, as Gough’s voice sounds great with a moderate tempo acoustic guitar behind it, and I feel that songs like this really let Alam’s  apparent knack for vocal production and his ability to balance the sparse track and Gough’s voice in the mix. Another choice pick of mine, wasn’t given a name on the track list (the track list laid out eleven tracks, while the CD had twelve). It too, was an acoustic guitar-driven number, which strengthens my point about their need to make more of the like. Unlike the other song I enjoyed, it did pick up in a more country rock sort of way, but it felt appropriate. It really feels lived in and aged in the best way, in ways that I wished the rest of the Cd did. This song, unlike some of the other songs on the CD had a change up that was phenomenal, which was followed by a superb guitar solo that I utterly enjoyed. This was one instance that their American influences where apparent, but not forced.

All in all, I really feel that while this solo effort wasn’t my favorite listen, I hear extreme potential within the songs I did enjoy. The acoustic fare on the album really makes up for the more rock-charged efforts, which sounded out of place, even though it took up most of the LP. I’m actually anxious to hear a second outing of this band, hoping for more acoustic soundscapes under Gough’s silky voice.

I really like it when bands surprise me. Today’s popular musical world is overrun with tuneless hacks in neon shirts (see: the #4 album in the COUNTRY a few weeks ago) or bands specializing in self-important Pitchfork-approved fuzz-ed out dissonant hipster music that’s really not a lot of fun to listen to. Because of this unfortunate trend I’m glad bands like Mute Math exist. The band’s new album Armistice is incredible, easily one of the better albums I’ve heard in quite a while.

I was late on getting into Mute Math; I saw them at a festival show in the San Francisco area back in June, and that was my first time hearing/seeing the band. That prompted me to check out their 2006 self-titled debut, which was a solid collection of songs that really defied genre classification. Some of them were indie-pop with a nice dance-ish vibe (like the single Typical). I liked the album, but some of the mid-tempo songs dragged it down a bit.

Armistice, their follow-up album which was released last week, caught me off guard. After listening to the band’s previous work, I was expecting more indie-pop songs with dreamy guitars and nice, atmospheric rhythms. Yes, Armistice has that, but the band has perfected that sound tenfold this time around.

Nerve is a fantastic opening track, with a driving beat and some awesome drum looping (something that happens a lot on this record) that give it a great energy. This song leads into Backfire, which also has an excellent rhythm and a killer vocal hook by Paul Meany. Clipping, the third track, is one of my favorites off of the disc, it starts with some feedback-y guitar fuzz and Muse-like piano work that leads the way to a soaring chorus of ‘I don’t know who to fight anymore – I don’t know what is right anymore’. The song is a mesmerizing piece of work with some amazing sounds throughout.

Spotlight, the album’s first single, was also on the soundtrack to the movie Twilight, but don’t let that stop you from checking it out. The song has another great vocal hook by Meany that is set to more looping drums, seemingly a Mute Math trademark. To continue the same trend set by the previous three tracks, Spotlight has a great propulsive, danceable beat that dodges between indie pop and dance punk. It’s so hard to give these songs a classification….and to me that’s the mark of a great band and album.

If I had to think of a similar artist to Mute Math, I’d have to say that the band reminds me of Under the Influence of Giants. That band’s 2006 debut self-titled album consisted of songs with the same infectious indie dance-pop flavors that Armistice employs. UTIOG dissolved into obscurity and never released a follow-up to their debut, and now Mute Math has adopted that kind of sound and improved upon it greatly.

Pins and Needles clocks in around the midpoint of the album, and it’s a nice slower song that allows the listener to relax after the powerful, attention-demanding beginning to the record. Goodbye is one of the album’s best songs (along with Clipping and Spotlight), with yet another great vocal hook.

I guess my only complaint about this album would be that the songs are somewhat similar in sound – as evidenced by my repeated use of the phrase “great vocal hook and drum loops” in this review. That’s hardly a negative statement to make about this album, though, since the overall sound of the songs on this record is so stellar.

The market for this type of dreamy indie-pop goodness seems to be a large one, with Pitchfork heaping (unnecessary) praise on bands like Phoenix, whose album is decent but nowhere near as solid as Armistice. With this record, Mute Math has become one of my top ‘indie’ bands to watch, and I hope that more people get to listen tot his record. If you don’t check it out, than you don’t like good music.

These two are cocky, funky, silly, and real. So much you instantly fall for their beats and dig on Shwayze’s lyrics. You secretly want to hang and party in their Malibu pad, they make it look all too easy. They are not your older brothers, but they might as well be. Their songs provide a soundtrack for what the kids are thinking, doing, and even drinking (i.e. “Corona & Lime”).  Summertime music is what they are known for. Their upcoming sophomore release this fall,    “Let it beat” will prove they are much, much, more.

You ready to make some music?

With an electric throw back to the 80’s and a thump blended with the finest club beats, their first single, “Get you home”, sneaks up on you and gets you dancing quicker than a shot of tequila!

A hip-hop duo they say, but not the typical of sorts. These two are known as Cisco Adler, the singer who also produces, while Shwayze raps. Together there is talent & heart behind the duo.  The combination is sheer brilliance, with a flair for toking it up and loving the ladies. Lucky for us, they write to create impressive songs about it!

And guess who got to speak with the boys?

Check it:

Veronica Barriga: You guys are on the soundtrack for the film, Sorority Row, and are shooting the music video soon I hear…

Shwayze: I just got off the phone about that… It’s gonna be cool. The director of Sorority Row directed our music video. We got him to come through and most of the girls from the movie are in the video. I don’t wanna give you too much, but it’s gonna be good…Gotta watch it when it comes out!

VB: A lot of your songs are about girls and love. Now we often hear about Cisco’s endeavors-

Shwayze: Ha ha, exactly…

VB:  But what about you, what cha working with, do you have a girlfriend?

Shwayze: Um, ahhhhh…

He is torn, for a second.

I don’t think I have a girlfriend. I have someone I’m talking to but- it’s hard you know, cause we’re always traveling. Music is my girlfriend, pretty much. It’s makes it a little difficult, but I’m always looking, looking for the right girl.

VB: “Get you home,” the new single, there are about five different people who have remixed it. What’s it like hearing your original creation through their version of the song?

Shwayze: I love it! I love it! I love hearing everyone. It’s crazy. We got Lil John, Dj Class and it’s…

He stops, I hear some noise on the other end, and he tells me Cisco is there now and somehow we lose track of what the hell we were saying…

VB: The new single… I haven’t heard the entire album, but it’s got a little bit of an 80’s vibe, a lot different from your first release.

Shwayze: We sat down, wanted to try new things out. With the last record we got to do a lot of clubs… So we wanted to have a song people could dance to, but still chill/feel good music. Cisco, he’s just got a wide range of stuff.  When I first meet him, he was in a rock band, so that’s what I love about our collaboration. It’s never one thing.

Cisco: It’s pretty much an example of us throwing a bunch of things into a pot. It’s an example of where we can go. You can’t put the single or the album into one category. From the minute we did that song, it was a rapper and a singer. So that was two different worlds colliding already. Whatever form we do will always be a version of influences… From pop rock to electric beats. We showcase a lot range on this record!

VB: Describe your writing process. Each time must be different, but how do you guys approach it?

Shwayze: Cisco is in the studio, like 24/7. The studio is at the crib so he’s in there, being the mastermind, creator of the song. We come up with the concept, and then I go in and write my verse. With this record we really crafted big songs. It was about stepping it up.

Cisco: I make the beats, but even when it’s done, that’s not necessarily what the end product will sound like. We might go back and change the verses, adding here and there… Bringing in new sounds, trying to keep making it the best it can be. We make sure the verses are perfect for the song.

VB: Sounds like an ongoing process, till they give you a deadline or cut you off, and then you’re like…ok fine, we’re done.

They crack up, “Exactly!”

The newest from Shwayze, Get it Fall 2009!

VB: “Let It beat” features some great acts like The Knux and Snoop Dogg. What was it like working with those guys?

Cisco: The knux are our boys. We’ve worked with them before, brought them out on tour with us… and we became great friends. So that was like friends jumping in, and just rocking out. Snoop Dawg, he’s a legend and one of our major influences on the hip hop side… So that was like a dream come true.

It’s cool that he would even get on there- It’s kind of a nod to us, of respect, in the hip-hop arena. Sometimes people don’t give Shwayze enough credit, they just see us individuals and think it’s not hip-hop.

VB: It’s a different kind a of hip hop….

Soon Cisco is off on a tangent!

It’s like, what the fuck is hip hop? Hip-hop has never been one thing! When hip hop started it was mostly guitars, an Mc jamming to guitars…

Did I mention I love these two……  “Tell um boys, tell them!”

VB: Were you nervous putting out this second album? As you know, people usually judge “staying” power with the 2nd release.

Cisco: I don’t think we were nervous. We got a song on this record, “Livin’ it up,” he sings a lil bit about it, talks about the “sophomore slump.”

He then breaks into Shwayze, and delivers it, as a matter of fact like:

“Don’t be mad when you’re girl leaves with with us”…

Shwayze: We were excited to get back in the lab, after being on tour for eight months with the same songs. Those songs, to us, are like 3 or 4 years old. So it was really about, ‘let’s get back in there and make new songs!’

I ask about their upcoming college tour. September 17th to October 8th

Cisco: The college tour to us is like our bread and butter.

VB: Why did you choose to focus on, (well I guess it’s a given) the college campuses and that group?

With out hesitation, Cisco jokes, “Cause their wasted!” Shwayze then puts it into perspective.

Shwayze: Naw, just kidding. I don’t think we focused on them. We just do what we do, and the college kids connect with it.

Cisco: The thing about college tours, is like, it’s everywhere… You’ll have a 13 year old, and right next to her a 40 yr Rasta! It’s all good, as long they don’t touch each other…

 I’m still laughing…

VB: Right, yeah I gotcha, but they are diggin’ the music, just the same. How are your friends and family reacting to your success, and you guys rising to the top?

Shwayze: I don’t have to many friends, I have 5 or 6 boys in my life that never change no matter what…  My grandma, you know she is proud.

Cisco: We come from love. Malibu is sort of a small community and everyone roots for everyone here.

VB: What a good place to hang out in Malibu, for people from out of state?

Shwayze: There’s this street in the center of Malibu where you can find lot’s of overpriced shops…

Just then the record label comes on the phone (out of left field, might I add) we’re wrapping up, let’s wrap up… Just when it was getting good- what the…

VB: Describe each other in 3 words…

Shwayze: (I seem to think he’s describing himself, but it goes) Intense, focused,  Hilarious. Um, well no- he starts to change his mind…

Which I think is funny.

Then a sincere Cisco goes… “No, no I am, I am,” As if to encourage Shwayze to keep the answer.

It’s no wonder these two had an MTV show. And after this, I’m likely to campaign for another!

Cisco then describes Shwayze as “young and hungry”…

What up?

I couldn’t make out the other word he used but I’m sure it was along the lines of “talented bas ass”. That would be my guess.

In moments, Cisco starts fucking around…”Baby, baby, dick”…

VB: Big bigger and big…

There is all sorts of silliness going on back and forth. They got me… Until, I snap back into reporter mode, because the clock is ticking…

VB: What do you hope people take from this album?

Shwayze: I just want people to see that we’ve grown and we’re getting bigger, we work hard, and just want to keep doing it!

Cisco: With the last album, and all the kids we met… They would tell us, “This is the soundtrack for our lives! This is what we roll to the mall with! That’s what we get high with! This is what was on during the first time I made love!”… It’s about them growing up, and we provide the soundtrack for it.

I’d make it required listening, for those who love to have a good time.  

Get up close & personal with the Boys, at their latest photo shoot! Click Here for the Video!. For TOUR DATES & all things Shwayze, Check out the Official Site: www.Shwayze.com

Giveaway:

Shwayze Poster

We have one (1) signed poster to giveaway. The contest will run through September 15, 2009. The winning entry will be picked at random from email submissions. If you’d like to entry, please email rmtc@behindthehype.com.

Here I am again, bringing to you some of the, as Mos Def would say, bright lights from distant stars. Three more talented hopefuls working hard to make their name and music heard. Be sure to check out the MySpace pages of all those featured here to make sure you can get down with these folks like I did.

Looner- Hollywood, CA

My homegirl Nancy B. from Two Sheps That Pass… (yes, that’s the name of the company, Google that shit) is the one who turned me on to this lovely little duo hailing from Hollywood. Looner is interesting, because of its husband and wife love of Angel Roche Jr. and Zoe Roche, and because of the mention they have received from one of the biggest names in Reggae music.

Not long ago, the duo was picked by Ziggy Marley himself to perform at the Roots Rock Reggae Festival 2008. Their hit song Dutchie, borrows heavily from the 1981 Musical Youth chart topper of the same name; But this time around, it adds a woman’s touch to the vocals, which is a welcome addition.

I haven’t seen the band live yet, but it must be a marvel of true talent, as even in the live shows, it’s only the two of them doing it all. Live sampling mixed with their live instruments makes for some good clean fun I’m willing to wager.

At the very least, get over there and listen to their single I Love My Tamogotchee! (Yeah you all remember those little bastards) and also the cover of Dutchie, which has been in my singles rotation for weeks now. Here’s their MySpace!

Jon Williams- Livermore, CA

It seems like The Bay is one of the only heavily contending areas for the west coast these days, and with Jon Williams, you’re listening to the cream of the crop.

It started back in 2003 when Lindsay M. introduced me to this rock/punk outfit called Normal Like You, of which Jon is the lead singer. After creating one of the best indie albums in my collection, the band went on to make another album in 2005 entitled Planes Trains and Automobiles.

The bands members have all been working on their own thing, the most interesting to me, is lead singer Jon’s latest side project, Of Shape and Sound. He has taken his top notch lyrics writing skills (he is easily on my top 10 lyric writer list), and ear for blending sounds from multiple genres to bring us his beautifully composed solo release.

I’ve been a long time supporter of Jon and his work, and I’m still campaigning to make sure him and the rest of the NLY (Normal Like You if you’re nasty) boys get what they deserve. Listen for the rock/soul/kinda-spanish-sounding single Runaway, if not for the badass breakdown at 1:55, with BoysIIMen type echoing to follow it. Or Shape and Sound, a soul-rapping composure set to a futuristic beat. Bricks Were Not Made to Be Thrown also gives us a future-folk feel to it that can’t be overlooked.

If rock is more of your thing, don’t worry, Jon has that shit locked down with NLY’s latest politically charged single, We Are the Rock. Both his album and the NLY single can be found on his MySpace, so check it out.

Ronald Jenkees- Some Southern State, USA

Ok so a lot of people are making the claim that YouTube celeb Ronald Jenkees is a fake, but I don’t think so. The guy may seem really goofy, but any guy who says that Timbaland is one of his favorite producers is a smart man.

Ronald hails from some city in the south I’m going to guess, because of the accent. Behind the Hype’s own Meeper got me into the young lad. He’s known for wearing different hats in every video, thick-ass glasses, and tearing the keyboards to shreds.  Someone once told me (I won’t call you out Chris R. don’t worry) that Fruity Loops (the program, not the cereal) was not good for production. But the first person I heard to really fight that claim was Reflection Eternal’s DJ Hi Tek. Now we have Ronald Jenkees showing the dissenters what’s really good.

I’m going to go ahead and say in a few years, this guy is going to be heard all over the place, with cameos with (hopefully) the underground rap scene, and then in the mainstream club arenas.

Recently, Ronald released his new album of beats to bump, entitled Disorganized Fun. If you don’t want to buy it (although I really want you to bump this in your hometown), then at least check out his multi-million-hit songs on his YouTube channel.

And if that is too daunting a task, then just check out the video of my homeboy ripping it up on Throwing Fire, a song I like to start my day with.

Until next time my friends,

~Flak