Thrice detailed their upcoming farewell tour this morning.

The band, set to go on an official “hiatus” after the trek, have decided to hang it up for a while, so they can be with families and get away from the rigors of a touring lifestyle. They hinted at the hiatus during their most recent tour, and now the dates have been announced for what is probably the last chance for fans to see them live.

Here are the dates:

05/04 – San Diego, CA @ House of Blues-San Diego
05/05 – Las Vegas, NV @ Hard Rock Café
05/06 – Tempe, AZ @ The Marquee
05/08 – Tulsa, OK @ Cain’s Ballroom
05/09 – Dallas, TX @ The Door
05/10 – Austin, TX @ Emo’s East
05/11 – Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live
05/12 – New Orleans, LA @ Tipitina’s
05/13 – Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade
05/15 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Revolution
05/16 – Lake Buena Vista, FL @ House of Blues
05/18 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle
05/19 – Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore Charlotte
05/20 – Norfolk, VA @ The NorVa
05/22 – Lancaster, PA @ Chameleon
05/23 – Washington, DC @ The Howard Theatre
05/24 – New York, NY @ Best Buy Theatre Times Square
05/25 – Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory
05/26 – Boston, MA @ Royale Night Club
05/27 – Hartford, CT @ Webster Theatre
05/29 – Montreal, QC @ Metropolis
05/30 – Toronto, ONT @ Phoenix Concert Theatre
06/01 – Detroit, MI @ St. Andrews Hall
06/02 – Chicago, IL @ Metro
06/03 – Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave
06/05 – Lincoln, NE @ Bourbon Theatre
06/06 – Denver, CO @ The Summit Music Hall
06/07 – Salt Lake City, UT @ In The Venue
06/09 – Seattle, WA @ The Showbox @ The Market
06/10 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
06/12 – San Francisco, CA @ The Regency Ballroom
06/13 – Santa Cruz, CA @ The Catalyst
06/14 – Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues
06/15 – Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues
06/16 – Los Angeles, CA @ Club Nokia LA Live
- Animals As Leaders supporting on all dates -

I plan to be at all 3 of the LA-area dates, including both at HOB Anaheim and Club Nokia. A relatively new convert to the world of Thrice and their consistently amazing music, this saddens me about as much as when Rx Bandits called time out last year too.

Presale for the dates on the tour will go live tomorrow at 12 PM Pacific. Click here to view all that information.

Last night was a very different kind of concert experience for me. In the quiet streets of late night Silverlake, we found ourselves at the Bootleg Theater. The reason? The first tour of the mighty Big Sir.

Started by Lisa Papineau and Juan Alderete (bassist for The Mars Volta) a few years ago, they had yet to ever nationally tour until this week. Joining them for the live show were Jonathan Hischke (bassist of Le Butcherettes) Matt Embree (of RX Bandits) and yes, even Cedric Bixler-Zavala (of The Mars Volta).

Their set was dreamlike and intimate; with Lisa’s soft voice mixed into the Space-Funk that the band was laying down. It was interesting to see a band play with two bass players at the same time. Jonathan provided the low end bass that you would be accustomed to, while Juan turned on the iconic Big Sir high treble augmented notes.

Contemplating the musical mind of Lisa is a true journey, as her programmed beats and instrumentals were something out of a science fiction movie, a bohemian festival, and a funk concert. Also, I was truly impressed by Cedric on the drums. I figured that he would lay down a few basic beats, but he really laid it down. Matt Embree added a few guitar and vocal touches, but mainly admired the show from afar.

The crowd nodded their head throughout the entire show to the funk, with a few couples even slow dancing together to it. Might seem hard to imagine, but that’s an example of how special and different this show was. Hell, it’s hard to even describe here what I experienced.

It was a rare night, getting to shoot the breeze with Cedric for a while, and meeting Juan and his wife; recommending the Bootleggers beer. Most heartwarming of all was meeting Matt Embree, and expressing my gratitude for his years of dedication to music and his fans. We also spoke a bit about his mother who recently underwent a major surgery. I told him how I had written to his mother on Facebook (which he asked Tumblr followers to do weeks ago) and he was surprised\grateful to hear I had done so.

So many talented and grateful people took place in a tiny little venue, and it was an experience for the ages. The tour is continuing, with last night being the first. Check out the dates here and check out a show unlike any other I’ve gone to this year.

Until next time my friends,

~Flak

Last night, three of the most talented bands affiliated with Sargent House Records came together for a show at the Troubadour. Adebisi Shank, Tera Melos and Le Butcherettes played to a mostly-packed house of SH fans, many of which were clad in various shades of flannel and/or beards.

Sargent House is a label that prides itself on its eclecticism, and that was no more evident than at this show.  Wexford, Ireland’s own Adebisi Shank hit the stage promptly at 8:30 and set the place on fire. Vincent McCreith, Larry Kaye and Michael Roe may have only played a thirty-minute set, but the amount of noise they made in that span more than made up for its abruptness. Strictly an instrumental band, Kaye and McCreith did have microphones with which they talked and cracked jokes between songs (“This is Los Angeles…this is the town Rockabye is about, isn’t it?” McCreith said, referencing the forgotten late 1990s alt/radio hit by Shawn Mullins).

Adebisi Shank

Musically, they were something to see. McCreith wore a thick-looking red wool mask over his face the entire set, which must have been rather uncomfortable, considering how swelteringly hot it was in the Troubadour already. Adebisi Shank bring a certain organized chaos to their live performances; while the music skips around often and its abrasive guitar tones can catch you off guard sometimes, there’s a degree of precision and slickness to the way they play their instruments that makes it impressive. If you think you like experimental rock but haven’t heard or seen Adebisi Shank, you’re missing out. Judging by the big crowd they had as a show opener, it was apparent that a lot of people in the crowd knew about them already, which is a testament to Sargent House’s devoted fan base.

Tera Melos were next in line on the bill, and thanks to a smart stage set up there was only a ten-minute or so break between bands. The noisy Sacramento experimental/math rock band had a longer set than Adebisi Shank, playing for nearly forty-five minutes. While personally, Tera Melos’ brand of challenging experimental math rock music isn’t normally my cup of musical tea, I have to hand it to them. Their songs switch tempos and sounds and tones every fifteen seconds or so, it seems, and yet somehow they’re all on the same page musically. That part is just astounding; I can’t imagine writing music like this, let alone practicing and playing it in concert.

Tera Melos

What may sound like chaotic guitar screeches and drum smashing is actually pretty damn intense and impressive. Nick Reinhart, Nathan Latona and John Clardy alternate between slick guitar-tapping, stop-start rhythms, and vocal improvisation in a way that you don’t see often. Their latest full-length album, Patagonian Rats, released last September, is well worth your time; between the challenging time signature changes and spastic guitar licks is an innovative album that demands to be heard. Check them out if you haven’t already.

Last on the bill for the night were Le Butcherettes, a Mexican band whose debut full-length album, Sin Sin Sin, was produced by Omar Rodriguez Lopez of The Mars Volta (and who himself is a member of the Sargent House roster). The album, it should be noted, is one of the better releases of 2011 thus far; its combination of fuzzy garage rock and feisty punk spirit is flat-out irresistible. The band just completed a tour opening for Deftones and Dillinger Escape Plan, a trek that opened a lot of eyes and helped give them a considerable amount of buzz. That buzz brought me to the Troubadour to witness the live show, which was exactly as advertised: completely amazing.

Le Butcherettes

Teri Gender Bender, as she likes to be known, is an absolute dynamite performer. She pranced around the cramped stage with ease; while they were the “headlining” act last night, the drums were pulled over to the middle of the stage, giving the set up a close-knit, intimate feel. Teri slithered onto the stage wearing a blood-covered apron and sparkly red shoes not unlike those worn by Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz.

The band, rounded out by drummer Gabe Serbian and bassist Jonathan Hischke, smashed the shit out of their instruments all night long; Teri in particular was a beast on her guitar and keyboard, seamlessly transitioning between melodic passages while assailing the crowd with intense, icy stares and support-beam crawling. After mostly staying put for the first two songs or so, she abandoned her shoes and climbed up the support beam to the right of the stage, wedging her feet inside the structure and basically treating it like the monkey bars in a school playground. Onstage, it almost seems as if Teri is having an exorcism during each song; she twitches, scowls, mumbles and screams things in English and Spanish, kicking her feet at the drums. Performers like her are few and far between; she’s a big part of why Le Butcherettes are on their way to carving quite a niche for themselves.

But she’s more than just a flashy spectacle: she can REALLY play. She squeals and screams and sings each song with such fury it’s amazing she can keep up the energy for the entire set. Whereas some female indie rock vocalists such as Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs can be a bit grating over the course of a set because of her cat-like screeching and prancing about, Teri doesn’t fall into that category; she dominates the stage with incredibly emotive performing and a total disregard of boundaries that isn’t at any point irritating or over-the-top. She hugs people in the front row, climbs up into the rafters, dances around, kicks cymbals with her feet, and gives everything she possibly has into the performance. It slaps you in the face and demands your prompt attention.

Teri climbing things...

After playing most of Sin Sin Sin and presumably some of the Kiss & Kill EP, the set came to an end around 11. Rather than just wave and retreat to the upstairs loft at the Troubadour, Teri saw fit to end the show in a way that sums up her penchant for the zany and memorable: by jumping into the crowd, getting onto her hands and knees and CRAWLING through the sweat and booze-soaked floor all the way out through the lobby to the street. At this point I was fortunate to have watched the set from above in the balcony area, as I had a great view of her antics. The stunned faces in the crowd, shocked that she was crawling about like an animal out onto the street were priceless. It was an amazing way to end a fantastic set. After going outside and seeing fans showering her with attention and applause, it was funny to see her be so humble and react with an “aw shucks, me??” attitude, as if she DIDN’T know that she just won over an entire nightclub with her blazingly intense performance. That was when I realized that Teri is for real; too many times, “super intense” lead singers are moody and brooding, but the earnestness she exuded outside after the show demonstrated that she’s the whole package. If you haven’t yet heard of Le Butcherettes or listened to Sin Sin Sin, you now have no excuse for your ignorance. Get on it.

This was a great night, and an even better showcase for Sargent House Records. They’re home to one of my favorite bands, Rx Bandits, but the talent that comprises the rest of their roster of artists is unrivaled. The three bands that played this show demonstrated that perfectly, and anybody who wasn’t there missed out on quite a night. Stay tuned for big things from Le Butcherettes in 2011, as they’re only going to get more and more popular very quickly.

Enjoy a photo gallery below, even though my camera is ancient. One day I’ll take decent concert photos, I promise you…

In 2001, I heard a song that would change my appreciation of the drum game for good. That song was Mastering the List on the Drive Thru Records compilation, Welcome to the Family. And of course the band was the RX Bandits.

Fast forward to today and RX Bandits drummer Chris Tsagakis is still one of my top five favorite drummers of all time. Seven studio albums (8 if you count the live one) later, Chris has ventured into the realm of solo work. An electronic music aficionado, he mixes it with his tight cymbal work, organically echoing snares, and double bass mastery for an experiment title Technology (which actually released in 2006). Take note that he is also an avid painter, and designed the album art as well.

Chris recently shot me an email asking if I’d ever heard of him (to which I laughed), and sent over the self-titled album to me for us to review. Playing it a little over a dozen times through traffic packed highways of Los Angeles, I can report that this album is an absolute joy, albeit a little different to what you may be used to hearing from him. Here were my three favorites.

The second to last track, The Running begins with a rapid progression of futuristic keys, and turns into a vibrant spread of cymbals throughout, with chunks of epic breakdowns starting at about five minutes in. If nothing else, this track proves that Chris’ endurance levels are just as high as they were ten years ago. Keep an ear out for the Nintendo-ish keys towards the last couple minutes of the song.

I took this one on stage at Coachella last year.

I’d have to say the most organic track on the album is the third. Named WD-40, it fits perfectly with an introduction of the sounds of a skateboard rolling down the street. Eventually, a transcendent electronic harmony is weaved in. While there isn’t really any drumming to speak of, it was still a lot of fun to listen to. (The well placed board stop towards the middle was pretty badass too!)

My favorite track was number seven; Phantoms (1337). True to its captioned titled, the beat is quite leet indeed. From the get go, it reminded me of a hip hop beat with a Japanese twist. This track had me hooked due to the trademark crisp cymbal hits, and odd timing change-ups. Also, I felt this was the most accessible track to fans of Chris’ work.

From songs that remind you of taking trips to the islands on the track Holiday in Galapagos, to fighting against a fictional RickJames Man on the track Mega Man¸ Technology is a great album for RX Bandits fans, and also for people who want to spice up their music collection with something unique.

No word yet on when he will take this show on the road, but I’m assuming it will be some time after the RX Bandits Farewell Tour (which you can bet your ass we’ll be attending). Grab the album now on iTunes and let us know what you think!

Until next time my friends,

~Flak

RX Bandits, the genre-busting “groove tech” band from Long Beach, recently announced that their upcoming summer tour would be their last.

Opting to go out on top, the bandmembers (Matt Embree, Steve Choi, Joe Troy and Chris Tsagakis) will instead pursue their many other musical projects and identities.

As an avid RXB fan, this news ruined my week (and year), but I understand their need to explore newer musical avenues. It still stings, though.

Anyway, this morning they announced the details for the farewell tour, with a few shows in So*Cal, of course.

Curiously, the trek finishes up in San Francisco and not their native Long Beach, but that just means road-tripping is in order.

Sigh. If you haven’t ever witnessed the incredibleness of an RXB live show, you obviously better get to one (or more) of these gigs. Anybody who misses out, well I feel sorry for you.

The dates, via Sargent House:

RX BANDITS FAREWELL SUMMER TOUR 2011
May 14 – San Diego, CA @ Mariners Point OMBAC Coming Out Party
Jun 26 – Tempe, AZ @ Marquee *
Jun 28 – Dallas, TX @ Granada *
Jun 29 – Austin, TX @ Emo’s *
Jun 30 – San Antonio, TX @ White Rabbit *
July 01 – Houston, TX @ Fitzgerald’s *
July 03 – New Orleans, LA @ Howlin’ Wolf *
July 05 – Orlando, FL @ The Social *
July 06 – Orland, FL @ The Social *
July 07 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Culture Room *
July 08 – Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade *
July 09 – Washington DC @ 9:30 Club *
July 10 – Philadelphia, PA @ Theater of Living Arts TLA *
July 12 – New York, NY @ Irving Plaza *
July 14 – Cambridge, MA @ The Middle East *
July 15 – Cambridge, MA @ The Middle East
July 16 – Portland, ME @ Port City Music Hall
July 17 – Montreal, Quebec, Canada @ Cafe Campus *
July 18 – Toronto, Ontario, Canada @ Mod Club *
July 20 – Detroit, MI @ Magic Stick *
July 21 – Chicago, IL @ Bottom Lounge
July 22 – Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall *
July 23 – Lawrence, KS @ The Bottleneck *
July 24 – Denver, CO @ The Summit *
July 25 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Complex *
July 27 – Seattle, WA @ El Corazon *
July 28 – Portland, OR @ The Hawthorne *
July 30 – Santa Cruz, CA @ Catalyst *
July 31 – Sacramento, CA @ Ace Of Spades *
Aug 03 – Long Beach, CA @ Long Beach Performing Arts Center
Aug 04 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Mayan
Aug 06 – Pomona, CA @ Glasshouse
Aug 07 – San Francisco, CA @ Regency Ballroom

* w/ Maps & Atlases

It was a busy weekend for Southern California live music fans. The hipsters and cool people were at Vampire Weekend on Sunday night at the Hollywood Bowl, the Tapout and UFC crowd convened at Epicenter, and the other super cool people not at Vampire Weekend partook in Muse’s LA-area residency.

Yes, it was a busy weekend, but only those who spent their evenings at the Troubadour really got their money’s worth. It was there that Rx Bandits indulged in three full album shows: Friday was 2003’s The Resignation, Saturday 2006’s …And the Battle Begun, and Sunday 2009’s Mandala.

I scooped up a 3-day pass as soon as possible back when they went on sale months ago, so I had quite an enjoyable weekend.

Let me begin this by saying that The Resignation is probably my favorite RXB album (if not, it’s tied with Progress), so Friday was hands-down my favorite night of the trifecta.

Seattle-based Wild Orchid Children opened the show on Friday, and they were…interesting. Featuring former member of Gatsby’s American Dream Kirk Huffman on vocal duties, they sounded like a funky hybrid of Rage Against the Machine (due to Huffman’s vocal delivery) and stoner rock (what with the jam sessions and such). Huffman is also the lead singer of Kay Kay and his Weathered Underground, another Seattle band I’ve seen open for RXB in the past, but Wild Orchid Children were a totally different type of band from the laid-back grooves of Kay Kay.

By the time Matt Embree, Steve Choi, Joe Troy and Chris Tsagakis hit the stage and blew into Sell You Beautiful, I was in heaven. Hearing the twelve songs on that album in succession was simply amazing.

I’ve considered The Resignation one of my favorite albums ever for a few years now, and they all sounded incredible live. The wailing horns that begin Prophetic gave me chills, and the transition between Never Slept So Soundly and Taking Chase as the Serpent Slithers was just as seamless as it is on the record itself.

The show Friday really cemented Rx Bandits’ place in my mind as the best live band I’ve ever seen. I’ve seen them perhaps twenty times now, and each time I’m even more blown away by what I see. Matt, Steve, Joe, and Chris establish such a groove onstage that it’s obvious they’re loving doing this as much as we fans enjoy taking part in the performances.

After the raucous finale of Decrescendo, they came back out and treated us to an encore of Progress tracks VCG3, Consequential Apathy and Infection, as well as Only for the Night (from ATTB). As a devoted fan of Progress, I nearly had to change my pants during this encore. The relentless energy of these songs, now almost ten years old, combined with the enthusiasm displayed by the lively crowd, was a blissful moment for me and many other long-time devotees.

Saturday began with Magic Triangles, an interesting laid-back outfit fronted by Lauren Coleman, the face of Pebaluna, Goldfish Don’t Bounce, and frequent Bandits collaborator. They were really impressive, and her soaring voice accentuated the rich melodies hauntingly well.

Then, it was time for Bandits again. Songs like In Her Drawer, Only for the Night (with super-extended drum solos), 1980, and To Our Unborn Daughters nearly blasted me (and the rest of the crowd) to oblivion. I can’t stress enough just how magical these shows were. The encore that night was Infection, Overcome and Taking Chase as the Serpent Slithers. Seeing Infection two nights in a row was quite delicious.

By the time the Mandala show rolled around on Sunday, I was physically beat. I actually felt like one of those “I’m too old for this shit” moments, a la Danny Glover in Lethal Weapon. My arms were achy, my legs were mad, and my neck was sore from being so active and dancing my ass off the previous two nights. Because of that, we viewed the show from up atop the cramped balcony area. That allowed for some nice picture taking and videoing, without the stress of knowing my glowing camera screen was distracting anyone’s view. Observe:

Opening this night was Big Sir, a two-piece made up of Lisa Papineau and Mars Volta bassist Juan Alderete. They were lush and atmospheric, and Papineau’s vocals were impressive, as was Alderete’s bass play. As Papineau said, he is a bit of a big deal.

I’d say that I prefer ATBB over Mandala by a slight margin, but I enjoyed the Mandala night the second-most of the three. You can just tell that the guys love playing the newer material, slamming through songs like My Lonesome Only Friend, Mientras La Veo Sonar, Bury It Down Low, and Breakfast Cat.

Watching the show from up top really allowed me to focus on the interplay between the various Bandits – the way Troy plays off of Tsagakis’ drumming, Embree’s interaction with them and fellow guitarist/multi-instrumentalist Choi, and so on. Not being caught up in the energetic mosh pits helped me appreciate the intricacies of their performance even more.

By the time the show ended, and the encore of Consequential Apathy, Overcome and Only for the Night were over, I was in awe. For three nights in a row, these guys blew my mind in ways I hadn’t thought possible.

The Rx Bandits put so much energy into each song, it’s just insane. There’s no down time in their show, it’s just one hundred percent precision and finesse pummeling you in the face.

Embree doing his thing

Embree dedicated each night to “love, change, and equality” (I think that’s right) respectively, all goals we should strive for in our lives. He wasn’t just saying these things to elicit cheers from the crowd; he and the rest of the band genuinely believe in such goals. The band’s ethic and the songs themselves are filled with hopeful thoughts about the future, as well as a heightened consciousness about the world we live in. Embree delivers such passionate exclamations while putting everything he has into his live performance, engaging with the crowd on and off the microphone and being a masterful guitar player, too.

Rx Bandits are truly a blessing for everyone who is familiar with them. They continually outdo themselves with each album and live performance that they take on.

Witnessing them in a jam-packed Troubadour three nights in a row made me even more grateful to be a fan.
To anyone who hasn’t listened to them before, or gave up after they stopped being a ska band in the late 1990s, you should get back on board. They’re one of the most hardworking and prolific bands currently in existence, and this amazing, perfect weekend filled with joy, bliss, exuberance, energy and hope was a definite highlight of my concert-going life.

Sargent House Records is made up of a bunch of supremely talented bands, such as Fang Island, Russian Circles and Tera Melos, and Rx Bandits are no exception.

It’s quite a nice treat to be able to watch your favorite band play three of your favorite albums back-to-back-to-back.

I just wish they’d do these kinds of shows every week.

Check out my photo gallery below, and sorry the pictures are so lame. I could use a camera upgrade.

The Superfriends, The Legion of Doom, The X-Men. All titans of the super group comic book world, but what about in the world of music? What project of mass proportions contains the professor Xavier’s of our time? What characters shred your ears like Wolverine on his half brother Sabertooth?

Some of you may not realize, but supergroups have been upon us for nearly decades now, and this is the first of three parts exploring some of the past, present, and future of the super groups of music. Today we look back to the past to the members behind the Dungeon Family, NWA, and The Sound of Animals Fighting.

The Dungeon Family

Named after record producer Rico Wade’s basement recording studio, the Dungeon Family was a collection of some of hip hop’s finest MC’s. While dozens of albums have been created in the Dungeon, the group hasn’t collectively done an album together since 2001.You may have heard this name most prominently from Family members Outkast, or even from Cee Lo Green’s old outfit, Goodie Mob.Other members included Witchdoctor, Cool Breeze, Bubba Sparxxx, Sleepy Brown, and Killer Mike.

Curious to what an allstar crew could come with? Here’s one of my favorite hip hop instrumentals, coupled with one of the best verses that Andre 3000 ever wrote. From the 1998 Goodie Mob album Still Standing, Black Ice.

NWA ( Niggaz With Attitude)

I’m sure you’ve all enjoyed the legendary works of West Coast supergroup NWA. Based in Compton, these 6 rappers were responsible for a large part of the gangster rap movement in the late 80’s and early 90’s.

What I appreciated about NWA, was their blantant disregard for authority. These guys were some of the first to truly express the soul of the ghetto for its thousands of oppressed inhabitants. Sure there’s debate about whether or not they were oppressed or not, but the point still stands: they had the world listening.

Despite having their songs being banned from radio stations nationwide, the crew sold over 9 million albums, with Straight Outta Compton being their most notable work.

The half dirty dozen brought to the scene some of the most powerful rappers still in the game; Dr. Dre and Ice Cube being the most powerful of the dismantled group. Although I think if Easy E were still alive, he may have taken the reigns.

Here’s 1988’s smash hit, Fuck tha Police.

TSOAF (The Sound of Animals Fighting)

Formed by musicians Rich Balling (that name is so awesome), Anthony Green, Matt Embree, and Chris Tsagakis, TSOAF was an experimental supergroup formed in Los Angles in 2004. The crew would write 3 albums, with members from almost a dozen bands in the mix.

Strangely, the group only had 4 live shows total, in Nevada and California. I didn’t get to the shows, but the DVD We Must Become the Change We Want to See showcases the mayhem, and definitely is worth a look if you haven’t seen it already.

When I first heard of the project, I was cautiously optimistic, with Circa Survive and RX Bandits being two of my favorite bands. But each album got better and while their time as a supergroup was short lived, it was quite the performance.

I leave you with my favorite track from their third album; The Ocean and The Sea, The Heraldic Break of the Manufacturers Medallion. Chris Tsagakis murders the drums!

That brings us to the end of Supergroups: The Past, so  stay tuned for part two coming out soon where I’ll discuss some of music’s current supergroups.

Until next time my friends,

~Flak

After a few weeks of seeing their name on all over my usual Internet destinations and remaining oblivious to their amazingness, I finally listened to the new album by Brooklyn-based Fang Island, and felt like an idiot for sleeping on this band so long. Fang Island’s debut self-titled record on Sargent House Records begins with the intro song Dream of Dreams, with the sound of fireworks and a thick synth melody that builds up to an organ and chorus of voices that is mesmerizing. It seamlessly transitions into the next track, Careful Crossers, which has all the band’s best elements on display. At that point, Fang Island’s combination of power guitar noodling (not unlike the sort of infectious and flat-out awesome guitar work on Andrew WK’s debut I Get Wet, which I was most definitely NOT expecting) and instrumental energy had me under its spell; from then on I was Fang Island’s slave.

The next song, Daisy, marks the return of the vocal harmonies, this time in a sort of tribal chant melody, all set to the adventurous guitar and relentless pounding of the drums.
The thing about Fang Island that I like the most is how the vocals are used almost instrumentally, as an addition to the drums and guitar, rather than taking over and being the most overbearing thing about the music. I can’t tell what they are talking about, but the vocals are so majestic and soaring that it doesn’t matter.

Life Coach has luscious vocals set to a pounding synth beat, making the song pretty offbeat yet equally incredible. By the time it builds to the “chorus”, the vocal effects combine with the drums, keyboards and guitar to create a tornado of sounds that make the song so astounding that the word “epic” wouldn’t even do it justice.

But then, the record gets EVEN BETTER. Sideswiper has more of the swelling guitar and frantic energy that builds and builds until the tempo slows down a bit, the chorus of voices comes back and leads into my favorite part on the entire album, the kind of guitar solo that sounds like Fang Island is covering some cheesy 1980’s movie theme but in a way that uncheesifies it and makes it amazing. The layered effects of the guitars in the song literally made me smile the first time I heard it, because it is just PERFECT. It’s the kind of music that I will occasionally hear that completely slaps me in the face and won’t let go, making listening in the car a dangerous idea. Fang Island is worth the swerving, though.

The vocal harmonies Fang Island employs on this record are of the same kind as bands like Fleet Foxes and Grizzly Bear, but done better (take that, hipsters!). Whereas with Grizzly Bear, the vocals are frequently the focal point of the music, with Fang Island they are just there to accentuate the pounding instrumental jams, and they do so in such an impressive manner it’s amazing this band isn’t on that level yet.

Treeton actually has a verse, of sorts, but again with a chorus of voices, before leading into an instrumental middle segment with a driving rhythm and more chant-like vocals. It’s more of the same, but in the best way possible.

Yep.

Fang Island has three guitarists, probably the reason why the guitar work on this album is so powerful and layered. All three of them do a marvelous job creating a thick, atmospheric sound for the record, while occasionally busting out a solo that only makes things that much more epic (and I hate that word, I just can’t think of an alternative that does it justice).

Davey Crockett slows things down a bit (temporarily, at least), with some slow keyboard hum, hushed guitars and vocal chants, before exploding again at the two-minute mark, brought back to a full-on guitar and vocal jam. The band can do no wrong, really.

Every song on this album basically has the same elements on display: a chorus of voices, thick guitar melodies and an energy that either builds up or slows things down. However, the music Fang Island makes is so rich and flavorful that it doesn’t ever make things boring. Most bands that use three guitarists either have a muddled or overly compressed sound or do not use all the guitars adequately. Fang Island is not one of these bands, as listening to the album from start to finish is a jaw-dropping experience.

By the time Dorian closes out amid the sound of exploding fireworks (a nice bookend to the album), I was ready to start back on the first song again. This is an amazing, impeccably-robust sounding album, by a band that I simply MUST see live sometime. If it sounds like I’m talking them up really big, I am.

Sargent House was already my favorite record label, since they house bands like Rx Bandits and Red Fang, but their stock rose even higher in my book for pushing Fang Island. I think my reaction to Fang Island is similar to what most people get from The Arcade Fire: incredible, stunningly crafted music with original, powerful instrumentals and hauntingly beautiful vocal harmonies.

Except that Fang Island does it better.

Part two of our three part series brings us to the top ten songs the boys and I thought got us moving. Won’t you join us? Feel free to leave your favorite songs in the comments below!

Dagan’s De Jour:

10. Camera Obscura – French Navy (from the album My Maudlin Career)
So kitschy you can’t help but love it.

9. A Place to Bury Strangers – Keep Slipping Away (from the album Exploding Head)
Hey, it’s the Cure as a shoegaze band!

8. Thom Yorke – Hearing Damage (from The Twilight Saga: New Moon Soundtrack)
“Hehe my fans are such scenesters.. let’s see what they make of THIS.”

7. Incubus – Black Heart Inertia (from the album Monuments and Melodies)
Just a reminder of what we’re missing out on while they continue their hiatus…

6. Depeche Mode – Wrong (from the album Sounds of the Universe)
Easily their best single since 97′s It’s No Good.

5. Dinosaur Jr. – Over It (from the album Farm)
Also one of the most entertaining videos I’ve seen all year.

4. Röyksopp – The Girl and the Robot (from the album Junior)
Great blend of downtempo and dance, with great vocals.

3. Moderat – Rusty Nails (from the album Moderat)
Again, a great blend – this time upbeat dance with dark melancholy.

2. Basement Jaxx – Raindrops (from the album Scars)
Hands down the most addicting, near-perfect dance song of the year.

1. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Zero (from the album It’s Blitz!)
Such an unbelievably fun song. lyk zomg.

Cheese Sandwich’s Collection:

Thrice – In Exile

An incredible song from one of my top 5 albums of the year. Easily my personal favorite from Beggars, with a subdued passion, steady rhythm and incredible melody. Dustin Kensrue’s lyrics are amazing, as well, as I frequently find this song creep into my head every few days, whether I’ve listened to it or not.

311 – Sun Comes Through

Although this track wasn’t included on the retail version of 311’s latest album Uplifter, it was available as an Amazon download. It would have been the best track on Uplifter had it been on the record; Tim Mahoney’s guitar work is crunchy and the vocal melodies by Nick Hexum and SA Martinez are very strong; as a 311 fan boy, it is already one of my favorite songs they’ve ever done, and fittingly it made my list for songs of the year. It wasn’t the cookie-cutter type of pop song (with throwaway lyrics) that 311 has been churning out now and then for the past few years. It’s much more creative and stylized, and it is refreshing to hear that the band can still do that at this stage in their career.

As Tall as Lions – Circles

ATAL clearly made quite an impression on me this year, with both one of my top albums and top songs. Circles is one of the most memorable songs from You Can’t Take it With You. Dan Nigro’s voice is warbled with some cool echo effects, matching up well with the song’s erratic and rhythmic percussion. As the opener to the album it is a great precursor of the brilliance that shines throughout the disc.

Rammstein – Pussy

Okay. Yes, this song is just plain ridiculous. Everyone’s favorite big scary German guys singing in German and English about, well, screwing. Till Lindemann channels the poets of old when he asks, simply, “You have a pussehh…I have a dick-ahhh….so what’s the problem? Let’s do it quickkkkk” with your standard thunderous Rammstein industrial-metal slamfest going on in the background. I included it on this list simply because it’s obvious Rammstein doesn’t give two shits about what you consider ‘appropriate’, and I fully support that way of thinking. Plus, the video for this song is only hosted on porn sites due to its graphic nature. Damn the man.

Every Time I Die – Wanderlust

I tend to shy away from music with crazy yelling vocalists, but I can tolerate Keith Buckley because his lyrics are ridiculous and the music going with it is so aggressive and catchy. Wanderlust is the single from ETID’s album New Junk Aesthetic, and it has a delicious melody interwoven over the four-plus minute track. Buckley does his thing over some Southern-sounding riffs and the song has a luscious rhythm that gives it a relentless fury. Easily one of my favorite hard rock tunes of the past year.

Them Crooked Vultures – Warsaw or the First Breath you Take After You Give Up

This 8-minute jam on TCV’s debut record finds Homme, JPJ and Dave Grohl at their best: it’s a sprawling grimy bastard of a song, and morphs into a groovy foot-stomp halfway through that is simply mesmerizing. To be a fly on the wall when they jammed this song out would have been my life’s highlight. This and Mind Eraser, No Chaser were my favorite tunes from TCV’s record, a refreshing course in Rock 101 that proved that there might still be hope for rock music in the future.

Weezer – (If You’re Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To

While the rest of Raditude is silly dance/pop, this one is easily the best song Weezer’s done in years. Sure Pork and Beans was a catchy romp as well, but this one is light years ahead. It’s a shame that Rivers got so preoccupied with making empty dance pop numbers with Lil’ Wayne (yuck) and recording songs written by the All American Rejects (double yuck), because this song rocks. I’ve heard it about three trillion times since it came out, and I’m still not bored with it. My roommate even proposed to his now-fiance onstage during a Weezer cover band show, so it’s also taken on a personal meaning for me as well. This song proves that Rivers still has the talent to craft a near-perfect tune every now and again.

White Rabbits – Percussion Gun

White Rabbits are a very underrated band, and this song is infectious. It’s also very appropriately titled, with a barrage of percussion matching up with the two singers’ vocals nicely. Piano plucking accompanies the dual vocals and percussion noises along with a staccato guitar riff, and the end result is a great little indie rock song that I don’t think enough people have discovered.

Rx Bandits – Mientras La Veo Sonar/ White Lies (I only found the live link for White Lies)

I couldn’t pick either one of these over the other, so they’re both here. Mientras is a spazzed-out jam in English and Spanish, with Matt Embree singing about the future and dreams and other such topics of interest, while the rest of the band rocks out like a less-frantic (and in my opinion more melodic) Mars Volta. White Lies is a more hushed, percussion-centered piece with gorgeous vocal harmonies about frustration and looking for answers. Simply put, the song is breathtaking. The two songs act together to demonstrate the varied tempos of RXB, from a crazy awesome jam session to a slower, more introspective and experimental number.

Alice in Chains – Your Decision

Black Gives Way to Blue was a great comeback album by Alice in Chains, as new vocalist William DuVall filled in for Layne Staley perfectly. This song is a mostly acoustic number with DuVall and Jerry Cantrell sharing vocal duties; the song changes things up a bit after Check My Brain and Last of My Kind start off the record with such loudness and aggression. To me, this is the most Alice in Chains-sounding song on the album; it wouldn’t have felt out of place in the mid 1990’s or on the Unplugged record. The guitar solo in the middle is simple yet artistic, and interweaves the main melody around Cantrell’s dark lyrics and gentle delivery. Simply put, it’s awesome.

Flak’s Fanfare:

10. The Fall of Troy- Battleship Graveyard

I don’t know how, but since the inception of their hit single F.C.P.R.E.M.I.X., The Fall of Troy has had me hooked with at least one song on every album they have put out. This one has some of the most impressive note for note exchanges with the guitar and drums, with a droning bassist (who looks like my brother with dreads) looming in the background. I’m a Mathcore band. Sue me.

9. Brand New- At the Bottom

Brand New is one of those bands that evoke an immense amount of emotion when it comes to the fruition of tracks like this. This song has a elements of the bands new directions, mixed with the tried-but-true sing along power that brings us all screaming the chorus together.

8. Cunninlynguists- The Distance

These guys are true hip hop first of all. The beat steady with the gloomy organ playing along, set the mood for the somber but undeniably impressive flow of Tonedeff. I can’t help but nod to strange journey that this album is named after. Storytelling hip hop has always been the easiest for me to enjoy and relate to. A well produced and well rounded track. I just wish I knew who sang the chorus.

7. Mos Def- Casa Bey

Mos Def, one of the tightest tongue twisters around, brings an organic piece that made to the list for not only the organic nature of the beat, but also for the closer glimpse of this half of Blackstar.

6. RX Bandits- Mientras lo Veo Sonar

I was worried that the RX Bandits would never be the same, but after hearing the insane work of one of my favorite drummers, RX Bandits remain on my top ten must hear live acts. If the boys can get me dancing this much on the cd, I might just have to learn salsa for the live show.

5. Sa-Ra- White Cloud (Which apparently can’t be found…comment below if you do!)

Neo Soul wizards, slept on superstars, American heroes. Sa Ra is one of those groups that say what we were all thinking. I try to find songs to live by, and this is one of em, with lyrics meant to uplift among those stormy masses. You’re just a dark cloud, baby I’m a star.

4. Portugal. The Man-Lovers in Love

Even after spending some time with these guys at several music events this year, I still find the boys from PTM an entrancing enigma. Old school sci fi meets funk and soul. The line “If another lover takes their love away from you//Be careful with your mind, and what you’re bound to do” looms in my head even when the song isn’t playing. Something to think about.

3. A Fine Frenzy- Stood Up

There is so much to say about the stunning Ali Sudol aka A Fine Frenzy. Being a bass guitar fiend, the first thing I loved was the off timing of the bass,which the rest of the band follows suit to. The uplifting lyrics sung by the lovely and lithe Alison (again, my only celebrity crush), made this a no brainer for my songs of the year. Plus, the album was released on my birthday…cmon now.

2. Incubus- Look Alive (This is the live version from the DVD which is a must have for lovers of music and travel)

Meeting sixty percent of the band, coupled with this sleeping release on their greatest hits album got the endorphins rising whilst watching the live video of this song on their dvd Look Alive. Meeting your inspiration, and constantly going about the world with lyrics to live by is one of the most humbling experiences I’ve ever had. This will definately be the next song I master on bass (one of the most badass bass lines in history), and when people tell me “I like the old Incubus”, I think they will come find that this is a happy medium for fans new and old. A perfect song.

1. Robert Glasper- All Matter

Like I’ve said before, and as my close friends know about me, the music goes towards a mood. But with this song, it encompassed more than that. The smooth yet unpredictable elements of jazz, with a neo soul twist, that made this my favorite song of the year. The ups and downs of life, and realization that we are so small, and so alike, that we should make it count as tiny little creatures. That’s the message of the song, and I felt like it’s a message that I wanted to tell, but didn’t quite know how to tell it. Before this year, I knew nothing about Robert Glasper, but by chance was sent his album for review, and can honestly say it changed the way I think about music. Some people might say its just a song, but a song can create a legacy, and I’m sure you’re no stranger to that. Everyone has a song that give them that feel, and this was it for me.

With that, I close on the singles in 2009 that we loved, with the final chapter, albums of the year to come shortly. I hope you’ve enjoyed your read, and again, feel free to leave your favorites down below!

Until next time my friends,

~Flak

P.S.-Honorable Mention

The Lonely Island- I’m On a Boat (I’m sad the unedited version is gone but cmon, you got a good laugh at least once watching the video!)

The crew and I (sometimes) take the time to enjoy the smaller things in life. Album covers are rapidly becoming the flair to any album, and adding another item to the endless digital vs. physical copy of owning a cd. Below are the album covers that some of the crew and I thought got us going in 2009. Let’s take a look back shall we?

Dagan’s Decisions:

Animal Collective-Merriweather Post Pavillion

“Holy crap it’s moving! IT’S GONNA KILL US ALL”

Eminem-Relapse

“Dammit, I dropped all my pil-.. oh hey, you don’t see that every day”

Fever Ray-Fever Ray

“What’s really creepy is that this isn’t a drawing, it’s an actual portrait”

Maps-Turning the Mind

“This guy can work his glowsticks like you would not believe”

The Paper Chase-Someday This Could All Be Yours Vol.1

“Twister 2: The Breakdance of Death”

Flak’s Favorites:

Bat For Lashes-Two Suns

Her album, and its cover were one of the dreamest things I’ve ever experienced in 2009.

A Fine Frenzy-Bomb in a Birdcage

My one celebrity crush. Alison Sudol, redhead of my dreams.

Fall of Troy-In the Unlikey Event

Loved the stitchwork look on this one, coupled with the dread of the little girl.

Portugal the Man-The Satanic Satanist

I feel like this may be what acid trips are like.

The Almost-Monster Monster

Gumby:Rated R

Cheese Sandwich’s Choice:

Baroness-Blue Record

Creepy blue fish with big eyes being held by naked mermaids/nymphs? There was no way this wouldn’t make my list of album art of the year.

Brand New-Daisy

A little fox in the woods. Simple, elegant, random (is the fox Daisy? Is there a Daisy?) Fitting artwork for Brand New’s most eclectic and varied album thus far in their career.

RX Bandits-Mandala

Continuing the trend of RXB using cool artsy images at album covers (look at 2006′s …And the Battle Begun), Mandala features another bizarro painting, this time created by visual artist Sonny Kay. I don’t really understand what’s going on in the picture, but I dig it.

The Flaming Lips-Embryonic

Looks like a gorilla giving birth to a human child or a hand pushing a child into some kind of hairy beast’s face. Either way, whatever the hell this Flaming Lips cover is supposed to be, it looks like straight-up drugs.

Them Crooked Vultures-Them Crooked Vultures

Simple, cryptic, badass. The booklet has no photos of Grohl, Homme, or Jones either, so why should the cover? Most supergroup albums have the faces of the participants everywhere, but TCV isn’t about that. Instead, you get a drawing of a vulture wearing a jacket of some sort. Rock on.

Ge Oh’s Gold:

Kid Cudi-Man on the Moon:The End of Day

I loved both this and the Deluxe version of the Cover. Yet another HipHop (of sorts) cover that refuses to fall into the bling, drugs, and women Stereotype.

Jay Z-The Blueprint 3

More interesting, perhaps, than the cover itself, was the fact that everything in is was real, and unPhotoshopped, making this more an artpiece than CD Cover.

Drake-So Far Gone

Dinosaur Jr.-Farm

Although I hardly know what to make of it (Looks like reject creatures from Lord of the Rings AND Neverending Story had a Babies), the smooth texture of the Illustration leaves me rather impressed.

Animal Collective-Merriweather Post Pavillion

Very trippy Cover, presumably MUCH more interesting on LSD.

But that’s not all folks, join us next time as we reflect on the best singles of 2009, followed by 2009′s albums of the year.

Until next time my friends,

~Flak