If Miike Snow’s eponymous debut is this relatively new band’s introduction to indie-friendly electro-pop music, then this sophomore offering by Stockholm-based trio is their gate to top-40 success. For some this is a revelation, but if you found comfort in the band’s mid-tempo beats, twinkling synths and easy-listening rendition of Scandinavian electro-pop through their acclaimed first record, then Miike Snow’s second release might be a slight disappointment.

Then again, if chart-topping success is what the band really looking for, the members of Miike Snow are already an expert in the trade. Two-third of the trio is Chris Karlsson and Pontus Winnberg – the songwriter-producer duo under the moniker Bloodshy & Avant a.k.a the Grammy-winning producers behind Britney Spears’ massive electro-infused hit “Toxic.” Simply, these lads know exactly how to turn a song into radio hits, they have the recipe to make outstanding pop music approved by the top 40 masses (and yes, even I like “Toxic”)… but why am I not feeling this record?

Happy To You opens with splendid chimed-synth-effects “Enter The Jokers Lair” that reminds you of Vampire Weekend’s African-inspired tracks in Contra. Relaxed yet enticing, this introductory track sounded promising before moving into “The Wave,” a catchy dynamically-composed percussion-heavy number fits for radio airplay. Sure, “The Wave” has every ingredient needed for a crowd-favorite sing-along song but the much-awaited ‘kick’ I was looking for the way the band’s first ever single (off their debut album) “Animal” had was nowhere in sight.

The album continues with the disco-tinged “Devil’s Work” and synth & drum machine-driven “Vase.” Again, that awaited ear-explosion seems very unlikely to happen. It wasn’t until the fifth track when “God Help This Divorce” shifted my almost-drifted attention to the album. A beautifully composed lo-fi folk-inspired number that reminds me of the reason why I love Miike Snow in the first place: their emotional electro-infused balladry pieces. Vocalist Andrew Wyatt sings beautifully in that signature languid voice of his, particularly over the chorus, “She was a beauty queen/But I held her down, down, down.” For a while I regain my confident in the album.

Sadly, the magic of “God Help This Divorce” doesn’t seem to do much justice to the album when following tracks like “Bavarian #1” and “Pretender” got lost into the band’s polished production. By now, Wyatt’s inconsistent and ineffective vocal presence has starting to become a disadvantage to the band’s power-producers’ works and at one point making the record seems too mechanical, imbalance and if not too much… soulless.

“Archipelago” on the other hand rides on the band’s strength for slower electro-pop numbers. This light percussive track is a good replication of the band’s earlier works like “Silvia” and “Sans Soleil” but none appeal much to me. In “Black Tin Box,” the band features fellow Swedes and singer-songwriter Lykke Li in a track that is unlike anything you’ve ever heard of from the band.  Here, Miike Snow gets experimental with sultry mystical melodies that will either make you creep or laud in admiration. I am the latter. The record closes with first single “Paddling Out,” a '90s-inspired disco euphoria that truly represents the sound of Miike Snow – genre-defying Scandinavian electro-pop at best.

Happy To You has every reason not to fail – award-winning producers’ members; tracks that would make it into radio and clubs’ playlist in just about any time; and even their critically-acclaimed debut is a solid one at that too. It’s unfair to not mention, albeit weak songwriting in a number of tracks in this album, about how good the production as a whole is and this comes by no surprise given the background of Karlsson and Winnberg – what you get is a well-crafted electro-pop production but again… why am I still not feeling this record? Ah well, maybe it’s just me but then again, each to their own, no?

Over the past week, we’ve showcased the best new bands to check out at Coachella. Like last week, we’ve dedicated our Artist of the Week feature will again take a look at some of our favorite new bands to play at the festival that we didn’t have a chance to cover last week. Without rambling anymore, here are some more highlights from our Coachella series.

Neon Indian: Much has been said about Alan Palomo. Since rising from obscurity to bandblog sensation, his group, Neon Indian has become one of the de facto emissaries/new bands for a movement popularly known as “chillwave”—I’m guessing you’re familiar. To be sure, there are plenty of bands out there that draw parallels to Neon Indian, with woozy electronic sounds that melt through vintage synthesizers and echoing vocals taking the form of aural acid hits. What sets Neon Indian apart, however, isn’t the perpetuation of stereotypes, but the quality of their music. Their brand of electro-synth music combined with murky guitar fuzz, is sure to keep the bodies moving on Frida – Zach Klassen

Gary Clark Jr.:  Gary Clark Jr. hates the term bluesman. Judging from his brand of music, you would expect this new artist to embrace the label, but being a nasty guitar player is only the tip of the iceberg to this man’s talents.  Sort of like a latter day John Mayer, Clark can play many different types of guitar: jazz, blues to straight up balls-to-the wall rock, making it all sound delightfully good in the process. Though he has one of the earliest timeslots on his Friday performance, he may not get the crowds that he deserves. However, the one thing that is certain is that whoever catches this up-and-comer, won’t be disappoint with the music they hear emanating from the stage and who knows, this could be one of those “I remember where I was when” or “I saw Gary Clark Jr. when he was the first act at Coachella” moments that could go down in music folklore. –Daniel Kohn

Grouplove: As our official Best New Band Of 2011, Grouplove are one of the most promising voices to emerge in indie pop. Grouplove produces poppy, twangy, indie rock, which is nothing new in the world of music. What really makes the quintet stand out in a plethora of similar acts is its sincerity. Blaming the band’s chance meeting on fate, each member plays from the heart, creating large, swelling tracks that hit its listeners directly in the soul.

This passion and devotion translates into the five-piece’s live show. Every band member drips with enthusiasm and genuine love for what he or she is playing. This warm energy floats into the crowd, making a Grouplove show feel like a party hosted by familiar friends. It’s amazing how bands can be playing to crowds of 100 people (if they’re lucky) one day and massive theaters the next. This is the exact case with Grouplove. I remember writing a show preview back in January for the band’s free, month-long residency at Bootleg Theater. I had never even heard the music, so I listened to the self-titled EP, and it was pretty good, but I never got the chance to see the indie troupe during that residency…and I am kicking myself for that right now. - Katrina Nattress

The Vaccines: West London’s The Vaccines are one of the hardest new bands to peg at times.  On first listen, they’ve totally got one of those late ‘50s, early ‘60s pop revivalist things going, except with a little more reverb and maybe a pinch more aggression.  But if you listen a bit more closely, the lines begin to blur.  They’re clearly on their way to becoming (or maybe they’ve already become) something far more interesting than just another pop band. The Vaccines music has all the makings of great pop music; simple, catchy, easy to clap along with, but there’s a little something more that’s enough to send a shrill shiver down your spine. It’s 21st century guitar pop for the kids who like to stay out late and wake up to a few bad decisions. –Chris Castro

Sleeper Agent: You might've heard of Sleeper Agent from their recent hits, "Get It Daddy" and "Get Burned."  "Get It Daddy," an upbeat, dance-around-in-your-room kind of track, was an iTunes free single of the week and was #14 on Rolling Stone's 50 Best Singles of 2011.  Furthermore, they were featured on Rolling Stone last summer as a Band to Watch. The band hails from Bowling Green, Kentucky and made their way up through the rankings by playing loud, noticeable sets at SXSW.  They eventually caught the attention of Matt & Brad Shultz of Cage The Elephant and ended up touring the US with the band (not to mention making some hilarious videos). So, with that kind of publicity, it's safe to say that these Kentucky-bred kids are on their way to rock stardom. And the next stop on that road? Playing Coachella, obviously. Lead singer Alex "Kidd" Kandel is a monster on stage, and her vocals fit the music's youthful grunge perfectly.  The album as a whole and the band's presence are so much fun, and I can just imagine how incredible it al will be beneath the daze of the Coachella sun, dancing your ass off before some seriously talented kids. – Claire Gallagher

It’s amazing how bands can be playing to crowds of 100 people (if they’re lucky) one month and massive theaters the next. This is exactly what happened with our best new band of 2011: Grouplove. I remember writing a show preview in January for the band’s free, month-long residency at Bootleg Theater. I had never even heard the music, so I listened to the self-titled EP, and it was pretty good, but I never got the chance to see the indie troupe during that residency…and I am kicking myself for that right now.

The story of the group’s formation is an atypical one. Hannah Hooper and Christian Zucconi met while living in New York and decided to attend an art residency on the Greek island of Crete. While abroad, the two artists met Sean Gadd, a songwriter and guitarist from London, and Ryan Rabin and Andrew Wessen, both musicians from Los Angeles. The five clicked instantly and began making music together in the small remote mountain village that hosted the residency.

Once the summer fling came to an end, the newfound friends scattered back to their respective spots on the globe, but the passion behind the music the quintet created in Greece could not be extinguished. Eventually, the distance became overwhelming, and every member scrounged up enough change to visit L.A. and record an album in Ryan Rabin’s studio. While recording, the band agreed that the City of Angels was the best place to call home, and the three non-Los Angeles natives packed up their bags and moved out West.

In 2010, Grouplove played its first ever live show in Los Angeles’ small Silverlake club, El Cid. Since then, the five-piece has toured the U.S. with Two Door Cinema Club and Young the Giant, as well as played shows with Florence and the Machine in San Francisco and L.A. before embarking on a UK tour in February of 2011. The indie pop project released its debut full-length, Never Trust a Happy Song, in September of the same year to much praise. The record’s two singles, “Colours,” a twangy, catchy folk-tinged track, and “Tongue Tied,” a pop gem, have garnered the band a healthy fan base and landed it performances on Conan, Late Night with David Letterman and Jimmy Kimmel Live!.

Every member of Grouplove is spilling with talent, but it’s the creative kinship and overwhelming genuineness that magnetizes its fans. You can connect with this band. It is spilling its guts to you, and that’s a special feeling. Not to mention, the group puts on a killer live show.

Coachella commences Grouplove’s first headlining U.S. tour. The band plays on Friday at 5:05 PM in the Mojave tent.

Much has been said about Alan Palomo. Since rising from obscurity to bandblog sensation, his group, Neon Indian has become one of the de facto emissaries/new bands for a movement popularly known as “chillwave”—I’m guessing you’re familiar. To be sure, there are plenty of bands out there that draw parallels to Neon Indian, with woozy electronic sounds that melt through vintage synthesizers and echoing vocals taking the form of aural acid hits. What sets Neon Indian apart, however, isn’t the perpetuation of stereotypes, but the quality of their music.  Of all the bands that get lumped into this cringeworthy subgenre descriptor, Neon Indian are one of the very best.

Originally from Denton, Texas, Palomo first broke into the scene with his debut album, Psychic Chasms, released in 2009 on Lefse Records. Propelled by singles “Deadbeat Summer” and “Should Have Taken Acid With You”, he was soon championed by Rolling Stone, Pitchfork and Spin, as one of the best new artists, earning spots opening for Massive Attack, Phoenix, The Flaming Lips and Chromeo, among others.

For his full-length sophomore album and most recent effort, Palomo secluded himself in an apartment in Helsinki, Finland during the winter of 2010. The result was Era Extraña, released on Palomo’s Static Tongues imprint the following year. Foregoing the sample-heavy sound of Chasms, Extraña more defines itself with electric guitar. Parts that would have normally been supported by a collection of synthesizer tones are now steeped in shoegaze’s murky guitar fuzz. This isn’t to say that Palomo’s unearthed synth effects didn’t play an integral role in the record;  “Polish Girl” pops with beeping electronic sequences, while “Arcade Blues” pays homage to 8-bit video game sounds, backed by classic drum machine beats.

Palomo and his three-strong touring band play Weekend 1: Friday, April 13^th and Weekend 2: Friday April 20^th at this year’s Coachella Festival.  Check below for the group’s post-Coachella show dates:

 

Apr 22             Mammoth Mountain, Hyde Lounge              Mammoth Lakes, CA

Apr 24             The Fillmore                        San Francisco, CA

Apr 26             Doug Fir Lounge                  Portland, OR

Apr 27             Neumos                                 Seattle, WA

Apr 28             Venue                                     Vancouver, Canada

Apr 30             Starlite Ballroom                   Edmonton, Canada

May 01            Republik                                Calgary, Canada

May 03            Pyramid Cabaret                    Winnipeg, Canada

May 04            First Avenue                           Minneapolis, MN

May 05            Majestic Theatre                    Madison, WI

May 06            Magic Stick                            Detroit, MI

May 08            Phoenix Concert Theatre       Toronto, Canada

May 10            Cabaret Mile End                  Montreal, Canada

May 11            Paradise Rock Club               Boston, MA

May 12            Terminal 5                              New York, NY

May 23            Mascotte                                 Zurich, Switzerland

May 24            Hinterhof                                 Basel, Switzerland

May 25            Summer Student Festival         Padova, Italy

May 26            Velvet                                       Rimini, Italy

May 28            Circulo Degli Artisti                Rome, Italy

May 29            Astoria (Basement)                  Turin, Italy

May 30            Sallumeria Della Musica        Milan, Italy

Jun 01             Burn Selector Festival            Krakow, Poland

Jun 02             Primavera Sound                   Barcelona, Spain

 

As a currency, nostalgia seems to be more valuable than ever.  Thanks to the Internet, the neatly packaged annals of human history are available everywhere, at any time. People are now archivists of this information, with rediscovered art currents blooming in a scattered, but collective renaissance. I’ll admit this topic is well-trod ground, especially from those claiming that this generation’s exhibition of culture is only the result of creative ennui or youthful appropriation.  But are we in stasis, or is our movement based in this new styling and combining of the past?  With this in mind, I walked into the Wonder Ballroom to see one of the more successful iterations of transfigured '60s pop, Cults. The New York-based rockers proved why they're one of the best new bands out there with their excellent live show.

In the beginning, Cults’ relationship to the Internet was somewhat ambiguous. Whether deliberate or not, little could be found of the duo—now know as Brian Oblivion and Madeline Follin—who began playing music together during their time at the New School in 2010.  It was hard to imagine that this was only two years ago, as the ballroom’s main floor and balcony seemed filled to capacity.

After taking the stage with Marc Deriso (drums), Nathan Aguilar (bass), and Gabriel Rodriguez (aux, guitar), Follin and Oblivion started the night off with “Abducted” a track that twists seminal Ronettes-era grooves into a haunting and highly danceable account of unrequited love. There was little stage banter or improvisation through “Never Heal Myself”, “Most Wanted” and “Bumper.” Although economic, the sets sensibility lent itself well to the tight pop concoctions Cults have perfected.  Not that the crowd needed more animating; squeals of anticipation prefaced each songs opening chords like a Beatles concert circa 1964. I think I even caught some audience members twisting and dipping their dates.

The most impressive song of the night wasn’t even a Cults original, but a Leonard Cohen cover of “Everybody Knows.” I was unsure in the beginning—covering Cohen isn’t easy, but once I heard the eerie opening key pattern and echoing electronic effects combine with Follin’s stunning delivery, I didn’t need any convincing.

Leaving the Wonder Ballroom that night, I didn’t have a profound answer to the state of contemporary music culture…still don’t. But if the success of incredible bands like Cults can perpetuate the formative influences from the past, maybe there’s hope for the future.

 

Make sure to catch Cults on the last leg of their tour through April:

 

Apr 16

Fine Line Music Café, Minneapolis, MN, USA

Apr 17

Majestic Theater, Madison, WI, USA

Apr 18

Turner Hall Ballroom, Milwaukee, WI, USA

Apr 20

Metro, Chicago, IL, USA

Apr 21

Rhinos, Bloomington, IN, USA

Apr 22

The Magic Bag, Ferndale, MI

Apr 23

Mohawk Place, Buffalo, NY, USA

Apr 25

Phoenix Concert Theatre, Toronto, ON, USA

On Tuesday night, Los Angeles’ Echoplex transformed into a dance club hosted by the rapidly-ascenting promoter Check Yo Ponytail 2. The lineup was excellent, consisting of the lovely Danish Oh Land, the eccentric Blood Orange, and the dark sounds of TRUST.

For those of you who have not heard TRUST before, picture a mix of house music and gothic new wave of the ‘80s. While listening to the Toronto-based duo’s debut full-length, TRST, I imagine band members Robert Alfons and Maya Postepski performing at a seedy after hours club in New York City circa 1980, sweat dripping off their faces as they produced heavy, hard-hitting electronica to a sea of strung out party monsters, jonesing for human contact. And to be quite honest, that’s exactly what I was hoping for in their performance Tuesday. Unfortunately, it didn’t pan out that way.

A third member accompanied the two-piece on synthesizer, allowing Alfons to focus on his vocals with Postepski behind the drum kit. Musically, the group killed it. Each song was executed flawlessly (and loud). Alfons’ vocals seamlessly ranged from an Ian Curtis-esque drone to falsetto wails as Postepski’s dead-on rhythm kept the beat. But although TRUST produces electronic music, it’s not all necessarily dance worthy, which I found out during the band’s performance. The trio began its set with a couple slower paced tunes to get in the groove, while the Echo Park audience stood, rigid. It wasn’t until the group started playing “Dressed for Space,” its most upbeat, catchy dance track, that the crowd got excited and began to dance. From there, the band transitioned into its single, “Bulfbaform,” heightening the sweaty dance party I was so looking forward to. However, this flailing orgy was short-lived, coming to a screeching halt when the Canadian electro-ravers switched back to their heavy, buzzing, bass-heavy tracks.

Some critics have commented on TRUST releasing its debut album for itself rather than for an audience, and the same could be said about the performance. Alfons was in a trance, gyrating as if he was suffering a seizure, but there was disconnect with the audience. Nobody in the band said a single word to its fans while onstage (and there was a good turnout considering TRUST was the first band of the night). For this, I was disappointed, but as I left the Echoplex, I wanted nothing more than to get in my car and blast the album on my drive home.

TRUST is currently on a North American tour before heading to the UK in May. Below is a list of tour dates.

4/11 Costa Mesa, Ca - Detroit Bar

4/12 San Francisco, Ca - Popscene

4/13 Seattle Wa, Electric Tea Garden

4/14 Vancouver, BC - Electric Owl

4/15 Portland, Or - Rotture

4/17 Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle

5/10 Brighton, UK - Psychosocial

5/12 Brighton, UK - Above Audio

 

 

Over the past week, we’ve showcased the best new bands to check out at Coachella. Instead of our usual Artist of the Week, we’ve decided to mix it up a bit in honor of one of the biggest festivals in the world. With the festival rapidly approaching (this weekend and next to be exact), here are some highlights from our running series. Stay tuned, over the next week, there will be more pieces to come.

tUnE-yArDs: Merrill Garbus is both powerful and adorable, relatable and admirable. In her songs, she finds a way to keep it real while being strong and encouraging. Watching her live looping and seeing exactly how she creates these innovative musical puzzles is part of the fun, but there’s just something in her delivery of it all that communicates a genuine, pure joy to be doing what she’s doing. She continuously exchanges glances of glee with bassist Nate Brenner, and the two of them are so in sync it’s enviable.

This is music perfectly conducive to the essential rock concert experience: being surrounded by strangers, but when you look at the person next to you, you have this shared understanding that you are having the same kick ass experience.  – Kelly Knapp

Dawes: When I see Dawes on a list of new bands to check out, I chuckle and have to remind myself that they haven't been a band for all that long, even if they seem like they've been part of my life for years. I remember listening to their debut album, North Hills, on vinyl with a couple friends a few days after I had seem them live for the first time at Lincoln Hall in Chicago. Seeing them perform in all different sorts of venues, I can say that the band excels in any surrounding and will undoubtedly command attention at this festival.

Watching them perform at Lollapalooza and witnessing fellow concert-goers stop in their tracks and instantly become fans is a great indicator of what is sure to be just as amazing performances to come at this years Coachella. I am deeply jealous of anyone that gets to see them at this amazing venue in all their rocking glory. – Daniela Montelongo

Miike Snow: Miike Snow may have fooled you the way they fooled me when I first laid my ears on that catchy electro-pop number Animal back in 2009. I was hooked that very first time. The song’s choruses trance my brain the way their mysterious identity seemed to appeal to me and perhaps others too. It was only after non-stop rotation of their eponymous debut album and a chance to see the band live for the first time in 2010 that made me realize this one fact about Miike Snow has been quite misleading on a first impression basis: Miike Snow is not a person.

If you’re heading to the festival on either weekend, Miike Snow will be performing on 14th and 21st of April (that is on a Saturday) alongside Radiohead, Bon Iver, St. Vincent, just to name a few.Expect an intricate stage set up, a dance party where you’ll be singing along to their catchy numbers (and do cross your fingers for them to play a number or two from the debut. – Nazirah Ashari

Childish Gambino: "Childish Gambino" is a silly name created by a Wu-Tang Clan name generator website. The name itself speaks to Glover's seemingly cavalier approach to the rap game while simultaneously belying the underlying efforts and serious work that he’s been putting in to becoming a solid hip-hop artist. Childish Gambino doesn't really make pop music although his flow is peppered with more pop culture references than a SportsCenter marathon. He makes rap music. His songs aren't radio friendly. They don't have super-catchy hooks. Many don't even have hooks at all. They just have verse after verse of Glover's wit, bite and some very well founded swagger. – Adam Ward

Gotye: If you have not heard “Somebody That I Used to Know” by Gotye, you must live under a rock. It’s the only explanation, really, considering that track transcends genres, making it accessible to alternative rock, pop, and even hip-hop radio stations, which have all given it monstrous airtime. The Australian-based indie outfit has been one of the most talked about new bands this year.

Although it was singer Wouter De Backer’s determination that initially sparked his success, it is his unique brand of experimental yet accessible atmospheric indie rock that propelled it and his breathtaking live show (with a complete band) that will cause it to continue growing. I was lucky enough to attend Gotye’s American television debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in February of this year and can say, without a doubt, his performance is a must see at Coachella. – Katrina Nattress

Miike Snow may have fooled you the way they fooled me when I first laid my ears on that catchy electro-pop number “Animal” back in 2009. I was hooked that very first time. The song’s choruses trance my brain the way their mysterious identity seemed to appeal to me and perhaps others too. It was only after non-stop rotation of their eponymous debut album and a chance to see the band live for the first time in 2010 that made me realize this one fact about Miike Snow has been quite misleading on a first impression basis: Miike Snow… is not a person.

Instead, they are three super-talented gentlemen (who are at times) hidden behind the masks; the jackalope identity (read: Miike Snow’s signature logo for both albums is the deer antlers); and of course… the name − Miike Snow – the sole reason why many (including myself) have mistaken Miike Snow for being a Miike Snow. In a 2009 interview with frontman Andrew Wyatt, he explained how a video engineer friend by the name of Mike Snow inspired the band’s name,.“We thought he was a nice guy,” he said, “We wanted to avoid the whole process of coming out with a name.” And so they did, giving the first name homage to Japanese filmmaker Takashi Miike and voila… you got yourself a band’s name (and perhaps avoiding yourself a lawsuit).

Mysterious identity aside, Miike Snow is made up of people whose previous works might not be as mysterious as their name appears to be. Two-thirds of the band are Stockholm-based Chris Karlsson and Pontus Winnberg, whose side project Bloodshy & Avant, is the duo responsible for radio-friendly dance-pop numbers from the likes of Madonna, Britney Spears and Kylie Minogue, just to name a few.  Their most notable work is Britney Spears’ intoxicating electro-infused dance number “Toxic." Wyatt on the other hand, is an American songwriter and producer who has worked closely with Mark Ronson and was in New York’s The A.M and Fires of Rome. He also co-wrote Bruno Mars’ #1 Billboard hit single “Grenade.”

Though founded in 2007, it was only after the release of their debut LP, Miike Snow,  released on Downtown Records two years later that brought the trio into the limelight. Thanks to their disco-tinged numbers (“Animal,” and “Burial”), piano ballad-infused (“Silvia”) and easy-listening-yet-sensual piano-heavy tracks that made the band’s music highly accessible. The album was released to a mixed-but-mostly acclaimed reviews that led the band on their U.S. and Europe tour; performing at 2010’s edition of Coachella and a number of TV appearances from Jimmy Kimmel Live! to the UK’s Later… with Jools Holland.

The band recently released their sophomore record entitled Happy to You on their own newly-formed label Ingrid (together with Lykke Li and Peter Bjorn and John). A similarly catchy record with added character, the band’s first single “Paddling Out” is a Euro-dance inspired number fit for radio airplay.  Happy to You also features fellow Swedes and singer-songwriter Lykke Li on the track “Black Tin Box.”

Miike Snow will begin their U.S. tour this April 10th which will also include two dates at  Coachella before making their way to the Europe for a three-month tour. If you’re heading to the festival on either weekend, Miike Snow will be performing on 14th and 21st of April (that is on a Saturday) alongside Radiohead, Bon Iver, St. Vincent, just to name a few. Expect an intricate stage set up, a dance party where you’ll be singing along to their catchy numbers (and do cross your fingers for them to play a number or two from the debut) and oh yes… expect the infamous jackalope fooling you in love with them too.

 

2011 was the year Anthony Gonzalez of M83 found himself.  Or, better yet, the world finally found M83.  The French musician’s ambitious double album, Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming wasn’t a game-changer.  It didn’t redefine sonic boundaries or place indie-synth pop in some new levels of artistic proportion – it was just a really fucking good album.  It took the best parts of M83 past – silky, swirling textures, hands-to-the-sky bombast – and M83 present – dance rhythms, big hooks and a wide-eyed teenage wonder – and created the album we always knew was possible, but just couldn’t hear right away,

Formed in 2001 by Gonzalez and Nicholas Fromageau, the duo released two albums of shoe-gaze indebted material, M83 and Dead Cities, Red Seas, and Lost Ghosts, before Fromageau left the group and Gonzalez continued solo, retaining the moniker M83.  Since Fromageau’s departure, M83 has featured a steady line-up consisting of Gonzalez, his younger brother Yann Gonzalez, Morgan Kibby and Loic Maurin, however the older Gonzalez is consistently referred to as the leader of the group.

M83’s fifth album, 2005’s Saturdays = Youth, witnessed a sharp change in direction for the band.  The album steered the group further from shoegaze and ambience towards a more dance and synth-pop inspired direction.  The album, drawing inspiration from 80s pop and John Hughes films, emphasized a simple and far more focused approach to songwriting.   Tracks such as “Kim and Jessie” and “Graveyard Girl,” despite the big guitars, were deeply intimate conversations with fresh-faced innocent teens.  The central themes of the album – adolescence, death and romance – were wrapped in an airy coat of pop song production and white noise atop four-to-the-floor dance beats, a prom soundtrack for the 21^st century Brat Pack.

The wide-eyed innocence and wayfaring nostalgia of Saturdays = Youth struck a chord with fans and critics.  The album was M83’s most successful and they embarked on tours supporting commercially acclaimed acts such as The Killers, Depeche Mode and Kings of Leon.  It was during these tours that Gonzalez claims he began to gather inspiration for Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming.

Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming was inspired by a new rush of life Gonzalez felt, touring the U.S. and ultimately moving to California.  “Having spent 29 years of my life in France, I moved to California a year and a half before the making of this album and I was excited and inspired by so many different things,” he says, “…by the landscape, by the way of life, by live shows, by movies, by the road trips I took alone... I was feeling alive again and this is, I feel, something that you can hear on the album”

The album found the delicate balance between synth-pop, songcraft and ambiance necessary to wow critics and wriggle into fans’ collective acceptance.  Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming is to date M83’s most critically and commercially successful album.  A big album full of big emotions, it captures everything that fans loved about M83: innocence, joy, beauty, wonder, excitement and, probably most importantly, rhythm.

M83 will perform at Coachella on Friday, April 13 and Friday April 20.  For more information, visit IloveM83.com (subtle, no?)

To correspond with the release of their debut full-length, Mixed Emotions, Tanlines premiered a video for the album’s second single, “All of Me,” the week of the release. This video featured a fuzzy VHS taping of the duo sternly performing the track to an audience of catatonic middle aged men and women who slowly (and uncomfortably) begin to dance, resulting in a peculiar, and quite awkward, jubilee.

The video, directed by comedic genius Julian Barratt (The Mighty Boosh), is meant to be taken as dry, dark, humor, and it succeeds at this, but it may actually say more about the album as a whole than it’s meant (or that Tanlines would like it) to.

Jesse Cohen and Eric Emm are talented songwriters and proved it with their 2010 EP, Settings, but the majority of the songs that comprise Mixed Emotions seem to teeter between easy listening rock (a lá The Police and Paul Simon) and edgy, dance inducing new wave without taking a specific direction, thus leaving the tunes in a sort of sonic limbo. The album begins on a promising note, leading with its first single, “Brothers.” This tune is mellow but Cohen and Emm create a beautiful, sweeping soundscape by playing with the noise of crashing waves layered with atmospheric synthesizers and soft vocals. It’s calming, but it’s complex. From there, Tanlines jumps right into its second single, “All of Me,” which is much more upbeat than its predecessor, featuring drum machines, electronic beeps and claps (hence the quirky dance party it inspired in the video).

Unfortunately, many of the tracks after the singles seem to fall short in comparison. They either sound like they want to be dance songs, but they’re not quite compelling enough to get your hips shaking, or they lean more toward the world of ballads, but lack the heart. The only songs other than the singles that seem to capture the right mood are “Real Life,” and “Nonesuch.” The former is a track borrowed from Settings that has the right amount of simplicity and fullness, focusing on percussion and beats paired with catchy songwriting and lyrics, and the latter is a slow ballad that features sweeping keys and atmospheric sounds, making its spot as album closer more than appropriate.

The Brooklyn two-piece has potential, but before they release their sophomore album, Cohen and Emm need to decide what sound they want to go for, or else they’ll run the risk of being featured on the playlist of another comatose “dance” party.