The Fall 2011 Playlist

Ah fall, the season of apples, pumpkins, scarves, beautiful foliage, and cool, crisp air. The season of pumpkin beer(s), apple pie, pumpkin carving and the greatest holiday know to man, Halloween. Yes it gets darker earlier, but the seemingly endless perks of the season make up for it. And excellent playlist for the autumn season only makes things better. So here it is the 2011 Fall playlist, a set of tracks that- for whatever reason- sound like fall. 

**Pumpkin flavored drink/ food not included.

Ryan Adams: "Come Pick Me Up" 
David Mayfield: "Looking For Love"
Kings of Leon: "Birthday"
Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin: "Gwyneth"
Josh Ritter: "Girl In the War"
The XX: "VCR"
The Avett Bros.: "Living of Love"
Mumford and Sons: "The Cave"
Ingrid Michaelson: "Die Alone"
Fanfarlo: "If It Is Growing"
Augustana: "Boston"
Bowerbirds: "Northern Lights" 
Kurt Vile: "Baby's Arms"
Kissaway Trail: "New Lipstick"
The Arcade Fire: "Keep the Car Running"

The Go! Team: "Huddle Formation"

Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros:"Om Nashi Me"
Hands & Teeth: "Until The Night"
Beach House: "Norway"
The Dutchess & Duke: "Hands"
Evenings: "Babe"

Surfer Blood: "Astro Coast" Review

The air is colder, the nights longer, and the hazy summer days behind us. However if you've got Surfer Blood's new album Astro Coast looping on repeat then you might as well be throwing on that SPF 45 and heading to the beach.

This group of Floridians has created something a lot to like. They've got technical chops and innovative chord progressions and some pretty enjoyable lyrics.Lead singer, John Paul Pitts, has a deep voice that is a smooth as silk. It echos over impressive tones and textures while relaying some of own hard learned life lessons.

Tracks like "Swim" and "Fast Jabroni" are adrenaline shots to the arm. Short, fast, and full of intention, they are driving forces. The latter has a new wave indie pop feel with layers of complex guitar chords and sweet lyrics of love and the process of sorting through all the feelings of falling head over heels. "Floating Vibes", the albums first track, moves with a steady beat, a positive melody and builds to its reward.

"Anchorage" is the longest track and plays out like an epic anthem. It clocks in at 6 minutes 24 seconds and builds in a slow and steady fashion. Pitts voice is crystal clear, the melody is haunting, and when the climax finally comes it down right intoxicating. The track takes on an entirely different feel. It is the transition from summer days into crisp autumn nights, the acceptance of what was, what will be, and the adventure that lies somewhere within.

The band has a pension for creating addictive hooks and oceanic imagery. They have a way of using their music to illustrate scenes and images that is mesmerising. Much of the joy to be had from Surfer Blood's debut LP is the simplicity of it. While it has moments of sounding rather complex, there are no bizarre distortions, no overly excessive instrumentation, just easy going and organically grown melodies. Astro Coast fits perfectly into the indie music scene and seems to mark the beginning of a successful musical career for these Florida boys.

5 Artists/ Bands You Should Know About - September 2011

Surfer Blood
All hail West Palm, FL! Or at least hail Surfer Blood, the intoxicatingly pleasant indie band who calls it home. They spin bopping beach anthems with a dark and edgy flare. Astro Coast, their debut album, has just been released and should quickly become part of your music library. Between long anthems and short echoing declarations driven by choppy guitar chords these gentlemen know how to hide heavy messages in light melodies and hook you in. The talent is abundant and believe you me, once you start this album, you'll listen to it over and over again.
Notable Track: "Swim"

The Hold Steady
Created in 2004 of the Brooklyn music scene, these guys are seasoned veterans. They were making indie music before most people knew what indie music was and when big industry started throwing around labels and trying to pigeon hole bands, they kept doing their thing. Since their debut album they have grown and mature. They have a raw and grimy shell, but inside are brimming with unabashed emotion and a desire to share it. Stay Positive is perhaps their most notable album, but its safe to say that most everything they do will impress. Whether its dark vocals and masochist lyrics or disturbingly happy sentiments shrouded in the strange, they keep things creative and fresh and refuse to stagnate.
Notable Track: "Your Little Hood Rat Friend"

 
Frightened Rabbit
As if anyone needed another reason to love Scotland- the accents are enough to make most go weak in the knees- now you can add Frightened Rabbit to the list. These Scots are down right excellent. With rolling organ notes sharply moving to fast and hard percussion and transitioning abruptly into soft and introspective melodies their albums are a roller ride of thought and feeling. Scott Hutchinson's brooding vocals passionately deliver songs of love lost, anger, acceptance, and moving on. His lays bear his broken heart and in one shining instant listeners can feel every emotion. This band successfully accomplishes the difficult task of creating music that builds from within.
Notable Track: "Keep Yourself Warm"

Old Canes

Anyone who ever said nothing good comes from Kansas clearly never heard Old Canes. Another fine band more than well equipped to satiate the need for some good banjo, they are so much more than what one might initially expect. Their fine blend of strings, horns, percussion, bells and driving melodies creates an atmosphere of vibrancy and imagination. Christopher Crisci (also of the Appleseed Cast) fronts this fine group with utterly charming vocals, perfect for the messages of hope and true love they aspire to share. The pace is fast, the intent clear, and the execution damn near perfect; its creative indie pop with a southern twang. Insightful and inspiring, Old Canes is a band everyone should listen to at least once.
Notable Track: "Face It"

Magic Wands
Magic Wands is not the kind of band you'd expect to hail from Nashville, TN. They are a band that goes from eerily seductive to electrifying  motivating. Haunting tales of adolescent romance and forceful anthems to inner strength are their bread and butter and they boast virtually no trace of the southern music scene. . They use echoing back beats, distorted keyboard chords, synthesized harmonies and softly alluring vocals and do it all with a strange yet infectious design. Their music seems to be the perfect companion to a late fall afternoon, like the precursor to the Halloween season. It is at time unsettling, at times fresh and crisp, and always leaves you wondering.
Notable Track" Teenage Love"

Outasight: "Figure 8" EP Review

Let’s hear it for excellent and soulful hip-hop. Let’s hear it for swelling melodies, creative hooks, and clever lyricism that is driving and infectious. Basically, let’s hear it for Outasight’s new EP Figure 8.  The New York based rapper is back with another pulsating and energetic set of tracks that is sure to get into your head and stay there in the most wonderful kind of way.  

The EP’s five tracks are incessant with their power, creativity, and addicting nature. “SoWhat” blends R&B groove with sassy guitar chords and a stand against materialism. “Maybe Next Time” is more of a club track with a heavier emphasis on electronic composition. “Everything” has some indie flare with bouncy piano notes and crooning backing vocals as he sings about the flaws of wanting everything in life and never being satisfied with what you have.

 “Life or Something Like It” and “Figure 8” seem to be Outasight’s attempts at kicking listeners in the rear with motivation. The latter displays his talent with rhyme and beat .The use of piano is excellent and his lyrics insightful. “Figure 8”has a hopeful and playful melody complete with decisive keyboard chords and a clapping back beat that will make you believe in life and get you excited for its endless possibilities.

To say there is a “best track” on the album would be an injustice to the awesomeness that is present here. Figure 8 EP is intoxicating and simply great. You’ll get lost in the impressive progression of tracks and the passionate composition of each. These five tracks will pump you up, lift your spirits, and have you dancing uncontrollably. Now that sounds like a pretty good time.

**Originally published on Alright I'm Wrong

Have You Been to the SoWa?

There’s nothing quite like aimlessly wandering through beautiful crafts, fresh baked goods, vintage clothing, and farmer’s markets on your first weekend in a new city. The SoWa one of Boston’s most popular open air markets is probably one of the best places to do this. Located at 460 Harrison Ave in the city’s South End, it boasts a wide array of artists, vendors, farmers, and more.

The outdoor market is always bustling with live music, families, tourists, and weekly regulars. It is home to handmade paper journals, fresh baked breads, and a hodge-podge of crafts and collectibles. The vendors are friendly and eager to share their stories with you, even if you aren’t going to purchase anything. You can find everything from silk screen t-shirts, to wall murals, and even grave stone etchings. Painters and jewelers display their latest accomplishments while craftsmen share their newest found art projects and all the while the food trucks linger happily in the background.

Yes, folks that right the food trucks. These are a staple of the SoWa and for many the initial reason they make the venture to the market. Over the years the SoWa has become home to some of the best food in Boston. You want grilled cheese? You got it- choose from the simple pleasures of Grilled Cheese Nation or the gourmet delights of Roxy’s Gourmet Grilled Cheese. Grillos Pickles and Silk Road BBQ offer some fringe fare that is wonderful and when all is said and done Boston Frosty and The Froyo Truck are there to appease your sweet tooth.

 

After you’ve satiated your appetite make sure to head to the SoWa Vintage Market, located just inside the adjacent building. In this building patrons will find racks of clothing- everything from fur coats, to glitter covered jumpsuits. There are milk crates brimming with a great selection of vinyl, hand-me-down furniture lines the walls, and stacks of old, fragile books litter the floor. There is always great music and some truly amazing finds, like a decades old Ukulele and Banjo beginner’s guide (AMAZING) or the original Atari complete with all the best games.

Just when you start to seem overwhelmed, take a breath and venture back outside because before you leave you’ve got to take a trip to the Farmer’s Market. Here you’ll find fresh produce, homemade honey and more great baked goods. The friendly and laid back vibe continues here and most vendors are more than happy to offer up samples. Hit the farm stands just before closing at 4pm and you may even find yourself bringing home some free goodies!

The SoWa is an adventure, one well worth taking. Whether you’ve got money to burn or only two nickels to rub together, the atmosphere is intoxicating, the people are friendly and the talent and dedication to each respective craft is beyond impressive.

Next time you are in Boston on a Sunday afternoon thinking of things to do, stop. You already know what to do, go to the SoWa.

Location: 460 Harrison Avenue Boston, MA

Hours: Sundays May1st through October 31^st

For more information visit the SoWa website HERE

Rubblebucket: "Triangular Daisies" Review

Like many of the sunny, beach pop bands cropping up in today’s music scene, Rubblebucket’s “Triangular Daisies” is full of upbeat, energetic, and colorful riffs. However, before you write them off as an eight piece version of Beach House, listen to the heavily synthesized, “Bikes (Fun Secret 8-Bit Version)” or exuberant “Came Out of a Lady”. As you get deeper into this EP you’ll realize that Rubblebucket stands out from the crowd with their unique infusion of synthesized beats, driving horn instrumentation and the soft and tender, yet haunting vocals of Alex Toth and Annakalmia Traver. This entertaining and thoughtful infusion creates an album full of musical talent that is, in many respects, intoxicating.

Perhaps the most enjoyable part of this album is the unique and individual sound of each song. Including an edgy and melodic cover of the Beatles “Michelle” and a live performance track, “L’Homme”, the album is continuously changing. The band’s ability to create a kaleidoscopic landscape of sound is both impressive and refreshing.

The highlight of the album is the catchy and horn laden track, “Come Out of a Lady”. This track showcases, rather wonderfully, the instrumental abilities of the band and their artistic creativity. Driven by an upbeat and energizing blend of percussion and horn expressions and the whistling talents of Traver, it is reminiscent of an exceptionally good summer day. Almost as if to keep the listener on their toes, the band immediately takes a completely different approach to the song with, “Come Out of a Lady (Nitemoves Remix)”. Replacing the driving and poppy sound of the original, with layers of intriguing and mellow synthesized harmonies, the remix proves to be a wonderful companion to the original track. Like night and day, the remix creates the feeling of a city night filled with promise, the continuation of that oh so wonderful summer day.

Rubblebucket has succeeded in creating an impressive and entertaining EP for listeners. 

Rubblebucket will be performing live at the Paradise Rock Club in Boston, MA on Friday September 30th. For more information check out their website HERE.

**Originally Published on Alright I'm Wrong