February 2014 – HELLO COME IN

Dear Brad Mehldau, You’re Not Doing Yourself Any Favors

We should state for the record, both Greg and I are huge Mehldau fans historically. I know that I have heard almost every single one of his albums, from this amazing Art of the Trio series with Jorge Rossy and Larry Grenadier, to his masterpiece collaboration with Jon Brion, Largo, to his more recent trio work with drummer Jeff Ballard. Few jazz pianists since the 1990’s have been more consistently inventive, diverse and interesting as Mehldau — and more, his trios are a sight to be seen live in concert.

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St. Vincent Bursts Into A New Stratosphere

The story goes that Annie Clark jumped right from touring in support of St. Vincent’s last album — the 2011 masterpiece Strange Mercy — to working with David Byrne on Love This Giant, their horn-centric collaboration. And from there, she went right back to work — a mere 36 hours after the tour ended — and began writing new material.

That bit of information is instructive in demonstrating Clark’s whirlwind work ethic, and a seemingly unending supply of creative drive. But the story also helps decipher Clark’s musical evolution, leaving breadcrumbs in song form that leads us from her dystopian Disney aesthetic to this End of the World dance party of her brand-new fourth album, St. Vincent. The self-titled album effortlessly marries Clark’s unique trademarks — her equally mannered and seething voice and her precise yet snarling guitar playing — with the buoyant, funked-up pop she made with Byrne.

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Courtney Barnett Has An Eye For The Mundane

“Should’ve stayed in bed today / I much prefer the mundane,” Courtney Barnett sings near the end of “Avant Gardener.” Considering the song’s winding and darkly comedic first-person account of an anaphylactic anxiety attack that finds her in an ambulance after attempting some gardening, the line is the understatement of the year. But Barnett’s signature song — with its fantastic “I’m so over it” deadpan delivery — does sort of stand in as the modus operandi of The Double EP: A Sea Of Split Peas — the Melbourne, Australia songwriter’s self-released 2013 collection of two formerly-issued EPs.

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Beck’s ‘Morning Phase’ And The Power Of Looking Back So That You Can Move Forward

For an artist as prolific and shapeshifting as Beck, five-plus years is a long time to wait between records. But in the time between 2008’s Modern Guilt and now, Beck has said that he was suffering from a serious back injury that prevented him from performing or even playing guitar for long. And yet, the inventive songwriter and producer kept himself more than busy. More than that, he seemed as creative as ever: He produced albums for artists like Charlotte Gainsbourg, Thurston Moore, Stephen Malkmus, and Dwight Yoakam; he and pals like St. Vincent, Wilco, and many more covered classic albums in his Record Club project; and he dropped a whole damn book of sheet music with Song Reader. As a longtime fan of Beck, I consider him an artist with a free pass to do anything he wants and I’ll follow.

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Lost In The Trees Sheds Its ‘Past Life’

Through two albums with Lost In The Trees — 2010’s All Alone In An Empty House and 2012’s A Church That Fits Our Needs, songwriter and composer Ari Picker clawed at the wounds of a troubled childhood in emotional detail. Working through devastating memories and heartache in song can often be an exercise in therapy for the songwriter and listeners alike, and while Lost In The Trees’ lyrics certainly explored those painful thoughts, its music soared with overwhelming beauty thanks to its stirring folk songs embellished with chamber music arrangements.

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The Family Crest’s Unyielding Positivity On ‘Beneath The Brine’

The Family Crest's album, Beneath The Brine, is out now. — The Family Crest’s album, Beneath The Brine, is out now.

The Family Crest began in 2009 as a creative outlet for friends Liam McCormick and John Seeterlin, but in the years since, it’s morphed into something far larger. The independent San Francisco band is built around a core of seven, but boasts a sprawling “extended family” of over 400 people who have participated in some capacity — everyone from conservatory-trained musicians to friends and fans “who just sing in the shower,” says McCormick, the mastermind behind the collective. More than a rock band, The Family Crest is essentially an open musical collaboration and community that believes everyone can be musical when given the opportunity. It’s a feel-good mission statement, but an ambitious one that allows the band flexibility to create pop songs infused with dramatic orchestral passages.

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Mainland’s ‘Shiner’ A Taut Protopunk Banger

Mainland's EP 'Shiner' is out now. — Mainland’s EP ‘Shiner’ is out now.

“Been a long time coming to be the man I want / Been a long time coming to see what I have won,” sings Jordan Topf on “Savant” — the feverish opening track on Mainland’s EP, Shiner. It’s a straight-forward line, sure, but one that hints at the uncertainty of youth, and the trials and errors that ultimately make us who we are when we get over the hump. And for Topf, it’s a line that touches upon the unfathomable toll of losing his father too soon. Luckily, the singer and guitarist used that heartache as motivation to get out of New York City, hit the road with the band, and write new songs that became this new EP.

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Experimenting With GIFs: Son Lux

Son Lux performs at Bowery Ballroom in New York, New York on Feb. 7, 2014. (© Michael Katzif – Do not use or republish without prior consent.)

Spent some quality trial and error time today with live concert GIF-making, this time with the amazing Son Lux (a.k.a. Ryan Lott), who performed at New York’s Bowery Ballroom on Feb. 7. Lott provided a lot of great moments with his gesticulations and arm motions and sometimes-awkward dance moves, but picking the perfect action proved difficult — especially since I originally hoped I could create a more seamless looping GIF. Oh well, next time.

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