Grace Woodroofe

Grace Woodroofe’s set at Mercury Lounge proved she was a singer who can hold an audience’s attention without trying too hard. That’s not to say she didn’t put all of herself into her performance, but what came out seemed completely natural and honest. Her voice was what carried the show. The lyrics were personal and emotionally charged, but her delivery was really what made the performance hard to turn away from. And if it gets to be too much, and you should feel inclined to close your eyes, she gets you in a whole new way there as well – even when you can’t see her eyes squeezed shut, you feel it all the same.

Her voice is deep and smoky, sometimes wispy and sometimes powerful. She can be soft and soulful on the down tempo songs, but then bellow and growl when she gets worked up on the more rocking numbers. These songs, for the most part, were saved towards the end of the set. She played singles “Battles” and “I've Handled Myself Wrong,” early on, and then worked up to busting out songs like “Bear” and closed with her bluesy cover of The Stooges’s “I Wanna Be Your Dog.” The latter of which was one of the more interesting covers I’ve heard in a while, and did what a cover should: do the original justice while making it her own. To quote another Iggy song, Grace Woodroofe has raw power.

Opening for Grace was fellow Aussies Husky. I did find it interesting that Grace Woodroofe’s vocals have been widely described as “husky,” and then she gets a band of that name on the same bill. Alas, it is merely a coincidence, as the band is named after songwriter Husky Gawenda, whose voice is actually the opposite of that descriptor. Gawenda’s voice is smooth like a lullaby, and Husky’s songs are the perfect soundtrack to traveling down a dusty road on a lazy summer day.

Husky

For the most part, their sound is subtle finger-picked guitars and rolling along lyrics. Every once in a while the keyboard part really peaks out, adding some well-placed flair to their otherwise woozy arrangements. Overall, their set was nothing too remarkable, and maybe that was the most remarkable thing. They are good, but their songs are so subtle that the musicianship is easy to overlook because you’re drifting off in a daydream. When they played a song that was based off a recurring dream Gawenda has, I can’t tell you what his dream was about but I can tell you that it made me think of dreaming. The way the whole band played with their eyes closed showed that maybe they were all dreaming too; the same musical dream.

This was Husky’s last show date with Grace Woodroofe, but they have plenty more dates spread across a few continents. They come back to the States later in the summer, supporting The Head and the Heart. Check out all their dates on their tour page. Grace has a handful more dates in the US, ending with a residency in Los Angeles, CA. More details can be found on her website.

Photos (c) Kelly Knapp

Right before SXSW gets into full swing, and the lines for the food trucks grow exponentially in Austin, Festival Nrmal takes place in San Pedro Garza García, Mexico on March 10^th. It’s only a 6-7 hour drive from Austin…a road trip to Mexico could be fun, right? Festival Nrmal is the namesake of the Mexico-based independent music promoter and music/art blog, who is has produced the festival for the past two years as a way to showcase art and emerging bands from Latin America, United States, and all over the world. This year NYC promoter Todd P is involved with co-curating the “MtyMx stage” with Nrmal, which will not surprisingly features a slew of NYC-based buzz bands such as Prince Rama, The Babies, Widowspeak, Liturgy, and Dive.

The Nrmal stage will feature some bigger bands like Girls and Unknown Mortal Orchestra, along with the much talked about Grimes. This stage will also feature new and emerging Latin American bands to check out, like El Columpio Asesino, who are very reminiscent of The Pixies, and the electronic dance of Javiera Mena. Have a listen to both below:

For the full lineup, there’s this fun little video for all three stages, accompanied by samplings from the artists:

Festival Nrmal is all ages, and goes all day, from Noon to 2am. Tickets are MX 350 pesos advance ($28 USD) / MX 400 pesos at the door ($32 USD). That’s only a fraction of what SXSW will suck from you, and you can brush up more on your espanol. Keep up with the latest Nrmal haps on their Twitter, read more on Facebook, and listen to mixtapes on Nrmal’s blog – they’ll make for great road trip soundtracks.

Today Amoral releases their fifth album, Beneath, in the U.S. It’s a power rock valentine. This is the one songwriter and guitarist Ben Varon spoke with us about last month. He’s pretty proud of it. And why not - this album shows their sound being honed down to a science, which any songwriter who takes care to put together meticulously thought-out and structured compositions would be proud of.

The album opener is the title track, which starts out with this epic orchestral intro, like the opening credits of a nature documentary, before crashing down into full-out metal guitars. Then when Ari Koivunen’s vocals come in, the song begins to unravel this imagery that feels something like sitting at the bottom of a cold, dark sewer tunnel. Or something like that. The point being that the lyrical imagery is strong, backed by pounding metal precision.

This track is one of the two on the album (with the second being the closing track “Of Silent Stares and Fire Lost”) that are actually quite classical, with structures very much like mini-suites. They explore several emotions throughout, and become metaphors in themselves with their own ups and downs of key changes, varying tempos, volumes, and heaviness. This element also doubles as being both intricate and totally relatable. The execution is structured and exact, but the content is emotional – relationships, regrets, disillusionment – emotions that everyone has at times but don’t always know how to interpret or express them. It’s almost even more impressive that Varon & Co. can find the time to have these rollercoaster relationships and life experiences, as well as be proficient enough to be able to create and play these intricate power rock  songs about them.

The album as a whole is a good balance between the full-throttle metal with super charged melody, and more minimal acoustic parts interspersed. There are even a few songs that still feature growling vocals, such as “(Won’t Go) Home,” where the music becomes the melodic counterpoint, but the majority of Koivunen’s parts focus on his voice as being the most melodic component in a raging storm of guitars. “Same Difference,” for example, has a chorus that is easy to sing along to, but dives into bonafide stadium rock with soaring guitar solos. “Wasteland” is an acoustic standout, showing another side of the band’s musicianship with more interesting key changes and production. The album actually ends on a bonus track, “Sleeping With Strangers,” which has some blues harp thrown in for the faintest hint of the blues before hitting their power chord stride with power attitude and delivery. The cut that ended up getting the video treatment first is "Silhouette," which is maybe one of the most straightforward songs, but may further explain that dark and dank imagery...

Beneath is out now on The End Records, and Amoral will be rocking out their heavy mini-suites in the flesh at SXSW.

Hospitality is another little gem in the saturated but diverse Brooklyn music scene. They formed in New York after singer Amber Papini’s sister Gia urged her to form a band with drummer and multi-instrumentalist Nathan Michel. Michel was an electronic musician and producer, and he and Papini had been friends since meeting in grad school at Yale. “My sister was like, get your music out. She was an experienced music promoter, and booked a string of seven shows, all in Williamsburg (Brooklyn), day after day. No one showed, of course, but me and Gia and Nathan all played together. Nathan played one of his songs, I played five of my songs, and Gia sang,” says Papini. Bassist Brian Betancourt joined the trio in 2006, and the following year the band was playing as a quartet. Since, Gia has moved on, so Hospitality is back to a trio, with Papini taking over on lead vocals.

Papini is also the principal songwriter. “I write the songs – I put them together on my own,” she says. “I’m not good at coming up with stuff on the spot with other people and improvising, so I write chords, melody, and words – I have the songs all together, with form and content solid, then I take it to Nathan and Brian.” The band recently released their full length, self-titled debut on Merge Records, playing their release party at Glasslands this past week.

As for the making of the album, “it was a really stop-start, weird timing. We recorded in 4 days live and then overdubbed vocals and a little it of other instruments in the studio. Then we left the studio and had the tracks for 5 months, and that’s when Nathan added all the other parts, then we mixed in February. It was kind of delayed.” Papini explains. Included on this album is the infectious “Friends of Friends,” which turned out to be one of the quickest songs to come together. According to Papini, “that was one that really happened in the studio. We were able to play around. Nathan had a lot to do with the vibe of that song. After we recorded it, I was feeling sick so I left the studio, and Nathan and Brian stayed. When I returned in the morning it had become this big track with all these parts – it had totally transformed – and it was really fun to sing to the next morning. I hope you can hear it in the recording. I was really excited.”

The single has gotten a video treatment to further exemplify that feeling, from director Scott Jacobson, who has directed videos for bands like Superchunk. “He contacted us out of the blue because he heard ‘Betty Wang’ on his ipod – it had gotten on his ipod somehow, and he emailed us out of the blue in like, 2009. We became friends, and then when we finished the record we gave him the tracks. He took it upon himself to get the record out to like, 20 different labels. But the video was his idea. He wrote it, he contacted all the actors. Everything is totally his creation. We’re really happy with it. We just let him do his thing.”

For Hospitality to get a push like that was a great confidence boost. For Papini, “It encourages us to keep moving forward – little things like that. We’ve been together a long time, and it’s nice to get responses like that, because it makes you want to keep doing it.”

As far as being a part of the Brooklyn music scene, “We still play the same clubs that we played 4 years ago. I’m glad they’re still up and running, and I’m glad there are clubs in Brooklyn that really support the music, like Death By Audio and Glasslands. Places like that are really great. There’s not really anything to complain about, except for schlepping your instruments around New York, getting your drum set to a club; and parking is a real pain.”

With so many bands in Brooklyn, it can be hard for any band to stand out. For Papini, “I really feel like – I think I can speak for the band on this – there are a lot of bands in Brooklyn, and we always felt like they were all sort of like separate ships passing in the night. We’re all connected with friends, and we play shows with them and like hanging out with them, but other than that, I don’t feel like I’m a part of the scene. Maybe it’s because I’m a hermit and don’t go to a lot of shows.” But the best thing about Brooklyn? “The best thing is probably so many places to play, and there’s support. There are people that want to see you, and bands are really friendly that we’ve played with over the years.”

It also doesn’t hurt when you make super catchy and fun music, that makes a soundtrack to a daily commute. “It’s a good soundtrack for driving. Or walking or running, exercising, dancing. I hope people dance to the music.” Now that the record is out, the masses are free to pair Hospitality with any and all of these activities. In fact, it’s recommended. “The coolest thing has been that now that people have heard the record, it’s great to play for people who know it and sing along, and it’s great to have that energy in the room when you’re playing, and playing for people who know music. That’s really great.”

Hospitality is set to tour in March with Tennis on the way to SXSW, before picking up another tour with The Love Language, as well as some dates with Wild Flag in April. View all dates on the band’s Facebook, and go dance with all your friends, and friends of friends

Ancient Sky

Descend into the weekend tonight with psychedelic rock band Ancient Sky’s record release show for their latest LP, T.R.I.P.S., at Death by Audio. This album is certainly a trip, and I would expect their live show to be a reverb-soaked trip down the rabbit hole of rock and roll – especially at this well-matched venue. If you’ve ever been to a show at Death by Audio, you know exactly what I mean. Also on the bill is the dark and lovely EXITMUSIC, plus Face Blindness, a band consisting of Radical Dads members.

Ancient Sky is still pretty under the radar, but very much in the vein of what bands like A Place to Bury Strangers and Himalaya as far as sonic composition and loudness goes. These bands create a sonic atmosphere that completely engulfs you to the point that feel nothing else outside of the sound. We’ve already witnessed the atmosphere of EXITMUSIC, so this should be a great night of mental transportation through the smoky haze airwaves. Until then, here is a track of Ancient Sky’s self-titled album from 2009 for you to blast for your co-workers before the end of your day:

Doors are at 8pm, and tix are a very agreeable $7 for the all ages crowd.

Cosmic-disco ensemble Phenomenal Handclap Band have their new video for "The Right One," off their second album Form and Control, posted up on NPR. Director Moh Azima, who previously worked on the band's “15 to 20” video (below), explains the concept: “I played around with lots of symbolism like triangles, monuments and the eclipse to create the narrative.” Also included in the concept was the use of multiples to represent the difficulty of choosing “The Right One” amidst other contenders. He goes on to further explain that “ultimately the message of the video, just like the song, is one of transcendence, about not getting too involved with making sure you've got the right one, about just believing in yourself and allowing that to lift you higher.”

You can also watch the video here. Dig.

Humans Want You to Hook Up At Their Shows

By Kelly Knapp

Humans are Peter Ricq and Robbie Slade (Image by Justin Tyler), who are two guys who make music to dance to. You could meet your next significant other at one of their shows, or you can just re-discover one of the first things humans learned how to do – party. Robbie and Peter come from different musical backgrounds, one formally being more folk-inclined, and the other more electro-pop inclined. Before their last show at Glasslands in Brooklyn, they sat down with me for a quick Q&A. After introducing themselves with the wrong names, they told me about their gentlemanly inclinations, how their new album will be different, and gave slightly conflicting party advice.

Click here for the full interview.

The Heavy Pets Want to Improve Your Life

By Kristina Vallarini

The Heavy Pets are Jeff Lloyd, Mike Garulli, Jim Wuest, Jamie Newitt and Justin Carney, a five-piece rock n' roll jam band out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The band began in 2005, and now have two LPs under their belts: 2007's debut double-disc Whale and 2010's The Heavy Pets. This all seems simple enough, with the exception that they have received critical acclaim from almost everywhere, including The Huffington Post, for their danceable and infectious live performances, have a massive discography, and are festival favorites.

Click here for the full interview.

Range Rover: The Kids Are All Right

By Liz Livengood

The boys of San Diego’s Range Rover took a moment out of their time working on their debut album to answer some of my burning questions about their eclectic sound, their multi-layered tracks and their musical process. Also in this post: A new song, “There’s Nothing For Me Here” for your listening enjoyment. Look for it after the interview. If you didn't catch the first post on Range Rover, you can go here to listen to more of their songs.

Click here for the full interview.

Gold Leaves is Grant Olsen (Image by Kyle Johnson), who you may know from Arthur & Yu. This has been a busy and productive year for him, culminating in the release of his debut album, The Ornament, followed by a US and UK tour that he just recently wrapped up. On this album, Olsen conveys his knowledge and appreciation of an array of diverse music styles, from country to R&B. Olsen comes across as a crooner somewhere in between it all, in an honest and thoughtful endeavor that already sounds like a smooth, classic collection of songs that sound like a sunset.

Kelly Knapp: Your songs pull from many different elements, from doo-wop to country.  What makes a good song for you? Do you feel you have to be in a certain emotional state to write a good song?

Grant Olsen: Hmm, good question. There are so many different pieces of music that fit under the category of a “song,” from some 20 minute tune like “Halleluhwah” by Can to a song like “Wooly Bully.” Or there are songs like “Milkshake” by Kelis, or “Rock Bottom Riser” by Bill Callahan.  All of those songs draw from, or at least elicit, very different emotional states I think, but I probably think they’d all fit under the category of a “good song” in my opinion.  And I think I’ll still feel that way about them in 40 years.  There’s only so much you can do with 12 notes and a handful of different time signatures, so if you can make something stand alone and sound unique, that’s really quite a miraculous feat.  I’m still really trying to figure out how to do that, but participating in the enterprise of the practicing artist has been alright so far.

KK: PItchfork’s review of Ornaments complimented you with having one of the “most flat-out pretty voices in contemporary indie rock.” Do you think of your voice as another instrument? How much do you concentrate on communicating lyrics within an arrangement when you’re writing a song?

GO: Well… I have a lot of work to do on my voice.  I’d like it to wear it in to the right shape like an armchair or a shirt I feel comfortable in at any moment.  I still don’t feel that way about it yet, but I hope it gets better with age.  I think I’m wanting to write songs that would sound better with a wiser mouth, if that makes sense.  I’m also thinking about taking some voice lessons this month to explore what all it is and isn’t capable of.

As far as communication goes, I do enjoy playing with emphasizing unconventional syllables or certain parts of a line in order for it to stick out a bit.  What I feel is important to communicate sometimes changes night to night and I end up singing the songs a bit different every time. That can really mess up harmonies at times, but the guys I’ve been working with have been pretty patient and have learned to work despite of me.

KK: You began work on Gold Leaves about 4 years ago, but had to scrap most of the material when the bulk of it got stolen. Do you think you would have made an entirely different album had things been different?

GO: Yeah,  I had a bag with a laptop and some notebooks and my cell phone with some sketches stolen. I’d hope that the best songs would’ve stuck with me, but I record a handful of ideas a week and lots of them in a stream-of-consciousness fashion and when I go back to listen to them months later, I sometimes have no recollection of what they are.  So I really have no idea what most of that material would’ve been.  I guess it doesn’t really matter now, but I don’t think those songs very stylistically different than what came out on this first Gold Leaves record.

KK: The Ornament was also crafted after you experienced several deeply meaningful events in your life. Was the creation of this album also a very cathartic expression?

GO: I was more of a relief to finally put out the record than anything. The events over the years ran the gamut of high’s and lows and weren’t extraordinary to anyone else’s normal life-stuff I wouldn’t think.  I’ve been pretty lucky really.  I do turn to music for catharsis for sure, but probably more as a listener. Heh, really the first thing that came to my mind with “cathartic expression” was a dude on a mountaintop with his arms out-stretched and the horrible 360 degreed helicopter shot.  Like Creed or something.  I’m not that comfortable with myself for a full cathartic expression yet. It’s always good to have something to look forward to I guess.

KK: Through the course of making this album as Gold Leaves, what did you discover about yourself as a musician? How different was the communication of ideas from when you were part of Arthur & Yu?

GO: Honestly, it showed me how much work I have to do as a musician.  I feel like the songwriting aspect is coming along, but there’s so much I need to learn about music itself and guitar and piano and gear that will keep me busy for a while.

I’d say the communication of ideas was pretty similar to Arthur & Yu because most of this album was demoed first, with me playing everything, however shabbily.  The big difference is that I had the benefit with Gold Leaves to go into the studio with musicians that were much better than I am and have some objective ears when beginning the recording process.  I left a lot of the songs open in parts that I felt were more malleable and we were able to add some more improvisational touches.

KK: What aspect of the record are you most proud of?

GO: Besides Arian Behzadi’s art and the people I got to work with, I guess I feel like it’s a really cohesive record.  I feel like a lot of what was in my head came through, and that’s the most I’ve been able to do that so far.  I’d have to attribute a lot of that to Jason Quever for helping me make that happen.

KK: Any piece of music from another artist you’ve been listening to recently that you think is really inspiring?

GO: Some recents this week have been Smokey and His Sister, Hoyt Axton, Night Beats, Curt Boettcher, Kourosh Yaghmaei, Val Stöecklein, some Korean songs from the 70’s on youtube and High Llamas.

KK: Nothing gold can stay - what does the future hold for Gold Leaves?

Ha. Well, I just got done touring for 7 weeks and am going to take a couple weeks off from shows for the holidays.  We have a few shows in Seattle at the beginning of the year and we’re hoping to get back on the road a bunch in Spring.  Other than that, it’s a goal to get the next record recorded in the first half of the new year.   We’ll see.  I have a bad habit of saying that.

Image by Kyle Johnson

You can grab a copy of The Ornament over at Hardly Art, and keep up with Gold Leaves on Facebook.

Swift Technique is a funk band with Philadelphia in their bones. With a foundation in the roots of hip-hop, drawing on inspiration from Led Zeppelin, James Brown, and the streets of Philly, this six-piece combines hip-hop, funk, jazz, soul, and rock to create their own fresh and unique sound that has gotten kids swinging from water pipes in basement shows in the shadiest parts of their hometown, and everyone dancing all out at their shows across the Northeast and beyond.

Bassist Jake Leschinsky and guitarist Andy Bree grew up playing music together, influenced by bands like Red Hot Chili Peppers and the aforementioned Zeppelin, started an AC/DC tribute band at the age of 12.  They split up to go to different colleges in Pennsylvania, and Leschinksy started looking for an MC to collaborate with. “My original idea was to loop and layer bass lines to create textures for an MC to rhyme over,” he says.

He started connecting with different musicians at Temple University, and during a jam session Sean McCann came by to pick up a hi-hat stand. He heard the music in the basement, and went down to get on the mic. After that spontaneous jam and bonding over Jazzmatazz Vol. 1 by Guru, Leschinsky and McCann started what would eventually grow into Swift Technique. Pulling inspiration from local philly legends ?uestlove and Blackthought, as well as Guru’s combination jazz and hip hop, they began to form their live hip hop band. “I think the improv and melodic phrasing in jazz are a major part of the foundation of Swift Technique.” Leschinsky notes. This is when they pulled Bree back into the fold, and also recruited drummer Rich Agren.

Their first gig together - a open mic at World Cafe Live – set the bar high for the group. Their immediate energy precipitated the band being picked as a “stand out performer” by the venue, and offered another gig. That’s when they got serious, building on their energy and expanding their horn section. They began playing basement parties all over Philly, defining their live show with the wild energy the band exuded. "I just remember these basements being dangerously packed and seeing kids dancing and swinging from the water pipes thinking they were going to bust," Leschinsky recalls. From these experiences the group formed a philosophy of not separating the audience from the band. “Everyone is exchanging this positive energy together and we just happen to have the instruments.”

Since then, they’ve been elevating minds and making audiences get down at over 500 shows, sharing the stage with the likes of Wu-Tang Clan, Keri Hilson, Kermit Ruffins, Questlove of the Roots, Wale, Big Sam’s Funky Nation, Mr. Lif & The Fela! Band, and they’ve received accolades such as being included in Deli Magazine Philly’s Top 10 Hip-Hop Artists list. Although since then they’ve parted ways with McCann and moved more in the direction of a straight up instrumental funk band, they’ve kept to their philosophy of traveling the world, representing Philly, and elevating spirits through their music, as well as keeping it fresh with their evolving creativity. Their immediate plans are to record their first studio full length, and they have dates lined up through the next few weeks in Boston, Vermont, DC, Annapolis MD, and Philly, including a big New Year’s Eve show in NYC.

Alabama Shakes are named quite literally. They are from Alabama, and when they play, there is no way to stay still. Even slower numbers like “Hold On” warrant hands in the air, "Can I get a witness"-style. Their sold out show at Brooklyn Bowl was packed with witnesses, all there to absorb the blues, soul, and rock and roll preaching from fierce vocalist/guitarist Brittany Howard. Howard’s voice warrants comparisons to many blues legends, such as Etta James and Aretha Franklin, but then she pounds her guitar, dances across the stage, and turns up the rock and grit levels in a way that makes even the most uptight hipster feel it their bones.

It’s not all just about Howard, lead guitarist Heath Fogg, bassist Zac Cockrell, and drummer Steve Johnson all play an important part in getting the message across. While they wild-out on their own parts however, they are content to let Howard have the spotlight, even playing it cool during their own solos. Every once in a while Howard puts down her guitar to really work the stage, including singing to her bandmates and feeding off of their energy.

Speaking of energy, the levels reached at this show was unmeasurable. They of course played all the songs off their self-titled EP, plus the extra gems they busted out that may lead one to believe there is a full-length on the horizon. One of these was an ode to Howard’s mother, a topic she approached with intense soul and honest appreciation. It was both endearing and amazing, not only to even have that be pat of a set of bluesy love songs and down and dirty rock and roll, but also to see the crowd shouting along with a general vibe of ‘hell yeah, my mom is awesome!’ But then again, the crowd shoute with hands in the air to every song Alabama Shakes played. The best was most certainly saved for last, when the band busted out a cover of Led Zeppelin’s “How Many More Times.” That was nothing short of badass.

Although Alabama Shakes conquered the night without questions, opener Spirit Family Reunion had its moments as well. This rag-tag outfit played only traditional instruments with no electric inputs, that looked like they had been through both world wars. The big old double bass had definitely seen better days, as well as the fiddle, acoustic guitar, banjo, and the “drum kit” consisting of a snare and kick. This only added to their character, and after watching all the members play the hell out of their instruments, it was easy to understand why the instruments looked like they had taken such a beating. Spirit Family Reunion played with everything they had, even if the crowd wasn’t quite ready to reciprocate.

They were a mini-spectacle, aided by a percussionist that was mainly on washboard duties. Washboard man demonstrated that it’s an art unto itself, clicking, clacking, and dragging metal bottle openers over the slats of a washboard that was secured only by tucking the wooden legs into his jean pockets. When he wasn’t grabbing attention with that, he was banging a big bass drum like a gong, running around between the other players, and popping up to one of their mics to take part in the collective singing. The trio of the fiddle, guitar, and banjo front and center all sang around the same mic with a  Grand Ol’ Opry feel. This collective singing is what really gave their songs strength, and for their last song they invited the crowd to uncross their arms and sing along. Through this, they demonstrated the power even the most simple words can have when a large group of people all sing together.

Alabama Shakes have a good number of tour dates ahead, all the way up through February where they end in the UK. See all the dates and keep up with them on Facebook. Spirit Family Reunion have a residency at The Living Room, giving New Yorkers extra chances to have a time out and take in some classic Nashville in this big, busy city.