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sweetdreamsjeff · 3 years ago

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A Meeting of Mythologies

Guitarist and singer Jeff Buckley was a budding superstar. He died in Memphis in May 1997 at age 30. This is his story.

by Danielle Costello

April 3, 2017

In the fall of 1997, I spent an evening with my older brother traversing New York City’s Lower East Side, searching for the spirit of Jeff Buckley. Our intended altar was Sin-é, a tiny bar-cum-performance space that was once a muse to the late singer with the unforgettable falsetto and a knack for colorful asides. A few wrong turns instead landed us in the right place, called 2A, where a Buckley intimate was keeping bar. Tom the bartender and my brother stayed in deep conversation while the hours and customers fell away.

Nine years later, my brother and I found ourselves face to face with another Buckley intimate: Midtown Memphis. I was new in town, moving into a guesthouse a few blocks from Rembert where Buckley had lived in the spring of 1997 while working on a follow-up to his first (and wildly successful) 1994 album release, Grace.

In the music world, Jeff Buckley had all the right stuff for stardom: a critically acclaimed album, respect from industry insiders, heartthrob looks, and mystique. The industry first took notice when he stunned the audience with his unforgettable vocal chops at a tribute concert for his folk-singer father, Tim Buckley, who abandoned him early in life and died of a drug overdose two months after their first meeting.

Jeff Buckley left a mark on Memphis that has been somewhat tainted by media accounts of the evening of May 29, 1997, when he drowned after wading into the Memphis harbor for a late-night swim. But today, nearly 20 years after his death, recollections from friends and acquaintances show that his time in Memphis was more than just a tragic ending. It was about an artist and a friend living life authentically in a city that knows more than a bit about music. And lots about tragedy.

As described in the book 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die: A Listener’s Life List, “Buckley struck some admirers as a rock god a lá those of the mystical late 1960s, a singer forever in search of unattainable ecstasy. At the same time, he could sound like a tortured Sylvia Plath type, desperate to convey a particular depth of feeling. He could wail like an opera singer nearing the big final scene, and create extemporaneous themes like a jazz player.”

Jeff Buckley’s first Memphis moment wasn’t even in Tennessee; it was in Iowa, fall of 1994, where his band headlined a show with Memphis indie hard rockers, the Grifters. Neither group had ever heard of the other, but proximity and pre-show beers would signify the beginning of a friendship. Although affinity among touring bands isn’t uncommon, this relationship began with a typical mutual creative admiration that grew into real-life affection, the latter poignantly summed up by Grifters bassist Tripp Lamkins’ recent comment: “I miss him all the time.”

At the end of that fall 1994 tour, the Grifters would reunite with Buckley at the former South End downtown. Still largely an unknown, the singer drew a small crowd, mostly due to the Grifters’ efforts to rally support for their new friend. The following year, Buckley would land in Memphis again, this time with a big crowd at the New Daisy Theatre on Beale Street. Thanks to major-label backing — Grace, his first studio album, was making the rounds on radio stations across the country — he was quickly gaining celebrity, touring the world and capturing admirers with a vocal presence as commanding as the Mississippi River itself.

University of Memphis sophomore Emily Helming was in the front row at the Daisy that night, having been a fan since discovering Buckley on the radio in her home state of Oregon. With one last beer for courage, she decided to find her way to the tour bus to thank the man whose live performance had blown her away.

“That’s a great thing about Memphis — you can get up close with people you couldn’t elsewhere,” Helming remembered on a call between my home in West Virginia and hers in New York City. It’s true. During my five years in Memphis, I played taxi driver for Tommy Ramone; shared a table at Wild Bill’s with Samuel L. Jackson; made small talk with Luke Perry in the lunch line; and told Kate Beckinsale that, yes, she could give my dog a piece of chicken. Memphis has time and space for characters, not celebrities. It’s an endearing indifference.

As for getting that chance to extend flattery to Jeff Buckley, Emily Helming got a dose of character instead. While she talked with his bandmates near the bus, he descended its steps and addressed her without saying hello.

“You’re the vanilla girl. I smelled you on stage.” As quickly as he interrupted the conversation, Buckley walked away. He wasn’t rude, Helming pointed out. He was just there and gone. Doing what came naturally. Unbeknownst to Buckley, he was channeling the city of Memphis itself.

Rolling Stone magazine named Buckley’s Grace number 303 of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time,” saying, “Buckley had a voice like an oversexed angel, and the songs here shimmer and twist. The fierce rocker ‘Eternal Life’ up-ends Led Zeppelin’s take on the blues while honoring it: Instead of a hellhound on his trail, Buckley, who drowned in 1997, evokes immortality bearing down on him.” He was also listed as number 39 among the magazine’s “100 Greatest Singers of All Time.”

Like Jeff Buckley, I had a small taste of Memphis before making it my home, in the form of a weekend trip with a friend. Not long after we exited Sam Cooper, my preconceived ideas and reality collided, and kept at it for the entire weekend. It was the slow drip of Midtown, not the gush of Beale. It was accents whose velocity left Southern drawl in the dust. It was a barista who offered us tofu pie instead of pecan in a quiet Midtown district kept barely alive, not by the smell of barbecue and the sound of live music, but by a bead shop, a bike shop, and a pizza joint called a café. Unlike New York City or Los Angeles, Memphis doesn’t deliver. It will leave you underwhelmed — and wanting more.

When I made Memphis home in 2006, I learned the complicated life cycle of Overton Square and discovered big rocks at Mud Island that would allow me closer to the river. I found theater in fast-talking coffee shop characters and had love affairs with pimento cheese sandwiches. I learned that everyone, and everywhere, in Midtown has a story — not least the well-known panhandlers whose yarns, though not entirely inspiring, get credit for effort beyond, “Spare some change?”

I learned that Memphis doesn’t have change to spare. Decades of strife — yellow fever, deaths of American icons, racial discord, economic despair, and violent crime — had given way to trickling evolution, Memphis-style. Here, growth happens “only in ways that make sense,” says one of the city’s brightest offerings, producer-director Morgan Jon Fox.

Fox’s career could easily take him to New York or Los Angeles, yet leaving hasn’t been on his radar because he sees Memphis as “a place where soul seeps from the cracks in the concrete and overgrown parking lots. Here in Memphis, we have a community. We pride ourselves on the grit and grind attitude of us against the world. There’s nothing clean and safe about the art that’s made here.”

Fox’s sentiments are echoed by another Memphis success story, writer-director-producer Robert Gordon, who literally wrote the book on creative culture in his hometown, It Came From Memphis: “You can come here and be a star or amount to nothing; either way it’ll have no impact on the greater community.”

“Memphis allows you a great freedom,” says Gordon. “You don’t encounter a world of agents and publicists and managers — there’s not that pressure. The expectations, in fact, are low. The edge where artists live here is wide. You work at your own pace, you develop in public as much as you want, then you take it somewhere to sell — either in a van with a guitar, or to one of the cities of industry, or from your bedroom to the internet. We are a city for creatives.”

In the same way Buckley’s vocal stylings varied, so too did his guitar playing. Through the years, his style ranged from reggae and funk to rock and grunge, from jazz and country to the guitar-picking style showcased in his cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” a track that became one of his most well-known recordings. His version of the song was inducted into the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry in 2014.

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DAN BALL

Unlike other cities that attract the so-called creative class, Memphis isn’t big on consequences. Rent is relatively cheap, and starting over is the currency of creativity, which runs the gamut: music, film, TV, food, theater, writing, photography. Newcomers and natives alike have equal opportunity to climb or linger, to seek or simmer, to do it their way. After living in small towns and big cities like New York City and South Beach, I myself eventually pressed the thumbtack into the far left corner of Tennessee because why not, where else? Every writer should be Southern for a little while.

Buckley’s bartender friend Tom Clarke, whom I tracked down on an email trail through three states, said Jeff had only planned to be in Memphis for a little while, too. Former Memphian Joey Pegram emailed me from China, recalling interactions with the star who “could just be himself and hang out and people treated him like one of the gang.”

If Buckley wanted a break from the pressure of making art in New York City, he found it in the Bluff City. The Grifters’ Tripp Lamkins says of his friend, “Jeff was kind of how you imagine he’d be.” Hypercreative. Moody. Shy. Witty. He “radiated at a high frequency,” says former NYC roommate Joe Murphy, who coincidentally became a Memphian himself long after his friend’s time here.

As a marvel of the public eye, Buckley met expectations. Here’s the guy who did a wicked Cher impression; who’d share morning coffee at Rockopolis, aka the apartment shared by Tripp Lamkins and Lucero’s Roy Berry across from Shangri-La Records; who paid out of his own pocket for the Grifters to fly to Australia when their label, indie powerhouse SubPop, wasn’t keen on the expenses. Buckley was like any human: multidimensional. Observers saw the obvious, and intimates discovered the depth. It was the Grifters, after all, who introduced Buckley to Memphis, and Memphis to Buckley. Among his friends and acquaintances, there was a consensus: He felt at home in a city where he was treated as a friend more than a spectacle.

A drummer by trade, Joey Pegram recalls running into Buckley one afternoon, hanging out on a patio with friends in Cooper-Young. The group walked a few blocks to play music at a friend’s practice space at Plan B gallery, formerly an industrial bakery no one remembers. For Pegram, the highlight of his acquaintance with Jeff Buckley was that jam session, where the two switched instruments and Buckley’s facility on the drums matched his comfort in a big city with a small-town feel. “I think he liked Memphis and the folks there,” says Pegram, “because we didn’t fawn over him or kiss up to him like I suspect a lot of people often did.”

Moving to Memphis in early 1997, Buckley began work on his newest album at Easley McCain Recording. He performed several shows at the downtown venue, Barristers, a bar tucked away in an alley off Jefferson Avenue. Buckley was a lively entertainer, but in Memphis he could let loose in ways that record labels and big-city venues either didn’t allow or didn’t cultivate. At one of his Monday-night gigs at Barristers, Joey Pegram and Emily Helming were there, separately, and it’s telling that both remembered a night where fans sat on the floor — not typical of Memphis bar crowds, or maybe any bar crowds.

Helming says Buckley seemed frustrated that evening, but when he played the first notes of his infamous Leonard Cohen cover, “Hallelujah,” the atmosphere changed. Pegram added another layer, saying, “The music created a kind of sparkly magical feeling in the room … and people were kind of looking at each other, smiling like they knew they were experiencing something really special.”

In a city whose musical history is forever wet to the touch, a major performer who called it home for merely a few months hardly makes a ripple. Buckley’s Memphis legacy is more about him than his music. In many ways, Buckley’s time here is a well-kept secret. Doug Easley, who worked with Buckley at Easley McCain Recording on that never-finished second album, says there’s “a kind of hush about it.” Of the small group who got to know Buckley, some waited 20 years to talk about it.

The album that took shape between Easley McCain Recording and the house on Rembert Street would be released in rough form in 1998 as Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk. Tripp Lamkins can’t bring himself to listen to it all the way through, nor does he believe that it’s the album his friend intended to release. Without Buckley himself to lend insight, fans and friends are left to go the way of college literature courses: to look for themes and draw comparisons.

Sketches has the unapologetic candor of New York City and the disturbing human-ness of the Southern Gothic tradition. Intentional or not, there’s Memphis flavor on the album. Songs like “Your Flesh Is So Nice,” with its hollow, unproduced edge, could sit comfortably between the Reatards and Harlan T. Bobo on a Goner Records compilation. The classic-denim cool, straight-whiskey buzz of “Witches Rave” might be inspired by one of Memphis’ most beloved exports, Big Star, whose song “Kangaroo” was a favorite cover for Buckley.

Buckley is part of a coterie of soul seekers — a mix of names recognizable and unknown — who have come from other states and countries to a home inside the Parkways, or maybe they never left there to start. For those inclined to follow their noses more than their wallets, for those who feel that, as Robert Gordon and others have said, “life is short and art is long,” Memphis is a beacon. The living is cheap. The pace is slow. This sets it apart, even from somewhere as close as Nashville. You don’t have to make it in Memphis, but you can — it’s just different. Memphis is creative awakening, growing untamed like kudzu. Buckley’s journey through this city is also a reflection of just that.

On May 29, 1997, while waiting for his band to travel to Memphis from New York to join him in the studio, Buckley went for a swim in the Wolf River Harbor, reportedly fully clothed and wearing boots. He drowned after being pulled under in the wake of a passing tugboat. His body wasn’t found until June 4th. The autopsy report deemed the drowning accidental, as no signs of drugs or alcohol were found in his system.

Memphis Magazine April 2017

Danielle Costello

A former Memphian, Danielle Costello is now a freelance writer/editor in Morgantown, West Virginia. A mom of two, exercise enthusiast, and dog-rescue advocate, she spends her free time making 45-minute 30-minute meals and savoring disrupted sleep.

#jeff buckley #a meeting of mythologies #Memphis #Danielle Costello

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sugas-sweetheart · 4 years ago

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HI IM HERE FOR SOFIA X SUGA SJDHSK 3, 16 and 45? hehe thank you💕

THANK YOU FOR ASKING YUN ILY 🥺💞

I’m not ignoring maths hwk for self ship asks, haha no definitely not 🤩 I’m actually putting so much thought into these eye- (I also made it tiny font bc it looked too long lmao)

Send me a self ship ask!

3. Whats types of dates do you two go on? Do you have a “date spot”?

I think we’d probably have a spot, like a special place to one of us, or where we had our first date, or where we like confessed 👉👈

I’d love to take him to a concert because it’s one of my happy places Yknow? And I want to share that with him, bUT other than that I like small intimate ones where I can just spend time with him, whether it’s movies and cuddle or a walk/cafe and somewhere where we can be chaotic together 😌✨

16. How well do you think your music tastes would mix? would they like the music you listen to? would you like the music they listen to?

Okay for this one I’m not too sure, I listen to a lot of pop punk/rock/emo and random songs from the alternative subcultures like goth, punk etc and then some random indie/pop artists too! It’s a bit of a strange mix dhskdn

I think some of my music he’d like and some of his I would like, especially some of the softer songs I listen to, but we’d make a playlist of all our favourites to share with each other and introduce each other to new artists 🥰

45. Which one suggests trips to stores at 3AM?

I- both of us ✨

He may be caring but his chaOs shows late at night especially and running round isles and empty car parks and Kate night drives together with our playlist on 🥰🥰🥰

I really want to have late night trips with someone :(

#self ship asks #sugawara x Sofia #suga x Sofia #😼 I loved these too much #I put thought into this 🖐😌#yun 🦄

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dreamdictator · 5 years ago

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Music asks 1-10

Idk which of the 2 music asks you meant so I'm going with the first one I posted.

1. What’s the biggest misconception about your fav artist? Mmmm...I mean...most of my favorite bands have been called sell outs at some point or being overrated. I can't think of any specific thing.

2. Do you prefer the pit or having a seat during concert? Pit 100000%

3. If you’re in the pit, front row or chilling / dancing at the back? Front row or bust.

4. Have you ever been brought on stage during a concert? No, thankfully! I would die lol.

5. Tell me about or link me to a note change during a live performance so good you couldn’t believe your ears: ooft ok so the most recent example of that has to be Lauren Ruth Ward singing Did I Offend You live. It was a stripped down version of it and she sang it a bit slower, it was just her and her guitarist and I was transfixed. I guess more than a note change it was tempo.

6. Write down your dream set list for any artist of your choice: I'll go with The Killers since that's what I'm listening to at the moment. Also because otherwise I won't be able to pick an artist. In no particular order

Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine

Mr. Brightside

Andy You're A Star

Change Your Mind

Believe Me Natalie

Midnight Show

Glamorous Indie Rock And Roll

Everything Will Be Alright

All The Pretty Faces

My List

This River Is Wild

Bling

Why Do I Keep Counting

Tranquilize

Under The Gun

Shadowplay

Sweet Talk

Show You How

Losing Touch

Dustland Fairytale

Neon Tiger

World We Live In

Goodnight Travel Well

Runaways

Here With Me

Miss Atomic Bomb

7. What is a gig you wish you’d been able to go to (but either couldn’t go, or because you weren’t even born)? Red Hot Chili Peppers headlined with System Of A Down my...freshman year of high school? Something like that. Also any MCR concert. But mainly Juan Gabriel's concert in 1991.

8. An artist you never saw live but really want to: Damien Rice, the Cranberries, Cat Power, Lana Del Rey, Birdy...to name a few.

9. What is the fav gig you’ve been to? Foo Fighters at the Trubador.

10. Tell me about your fav crowd moment: the Foo Fighters show at the Trubador was amazing. The venue is tiny and Dave Grohl always plays to the crowd. The interaction was intimate and the set list was amazing. FF fans are generally so friendly and that day they protected me from a drunk girl that tried to fight my short ass.

Hit me up fam.

#music asks #ask me shit

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slyke25 · 6 years ago

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2002-2008

Before I dive into the shows I’ve covered on this site, I’ll give you a ittle background on the events that led up to it. I grew up in Indiana, about an hour from Chicago, and the first concert I ever attended was at Chicago’s Vic Theatre (capacity 1,000) to see House of Pain (don’t judge). My friends and I got there early and secured a spot close to the stage. The opening band soon came out, and to our surprise, they absolutely killed it. That unknown band was Rage Against the Machine. In hindsight, I was likely chasing the high of that first show by attending so many concerts over the years. I actually put together a short post on that show a while back, which you can read here.

During the 90′s, I would attend a handful of shows each year, and managed to see bands like Radiohead, Blur, The Cure, Smashing Pumpkins, Bob Mould, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, several Lollapaloozas, U2, Beastie Boys, Oasis, etc. I successfully managed to save about 90% of my concert stubs, which makes it a bit easier to remember.

I moved to Boston in the fall of ‘02 (by way of New Jersey), and found myself in a city with no shortage of music venues and concerts, as Boston is an incredible concert market due to all the colleges. This was also a great time for music, especially indie rock, which I became partial to, and went to several shows at the Paradise, Great Scott, Middle East, and TT the Bear’s Place.

I saw plenty of shows during this 2002-’08 era, both, big and small, but the larger ones (Neil Young, Billy Joel, Elton John, Oasis, Springsteen, Tom Petty, Phish, Peter Gabriel, Simon & Garfunkel, etc.) didn’t quite have the same feeling as the smaller, more intimate shows. The bands that played the smaller, sweatier clubs had something to prove and played their hearts out, leaving the audience with a lasting impression, so they could hopefully make it to the next level. It was no surprise that I liked those shows the best.

In 2007, I was armed with a nice little Canon SD1000 Powershot point & shoot camera that took fairly decent photos for the time. Luckily the audio wasn’t too bad either, as many of the other digital cameras seemed to struggle with recording bass, but this little camera actually worked well for recording live concert videos.

In October of ‘07, I recorded and uploaded my first video to YouTube. It was The National singing “Fake Empire” at an extremely tiny Boston bar. Throughout the years, I managed to record over 600 videos in less than ten years, and they often became a staple of my reviews, and was something most of the other music blogs weren’t doing at the time.

For General Admission shows, I would always arrive early for a spot against the stage, so it just kind of made sense to film a song or two, as nobody was in front of me. I also enjoyed recording because of the challenge; I only had one shot at recording the song. I made no edits and needed to have a steady hand.

You can view all of my videos at my YouTube channel here.

Below are a few shows from ‘02-’08 (prior to my music blog) that stuck with me, and ultimately inspired me to start mu music site in ‘09.

Bright Eyes at the Harvard Sanders Theatre (’05) - This was during the I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning tour. The show was sold out, but I managed to score a last minute ticket on Craigslist. The Sanders Theatre is an incredible venue, and the show was just as beautiful. I found a recording of the D.C show at the 9:30 Club (a few days later) via NPR here.

Ryan Adams the Hampton Beach Casino (’05) - I’d been a huge fan of Ryan Adams since his ‘01 debut solo album, Gold, which really seemed to connect with me, but I wouldn’t see him live until two years later in ‘03 at the Paradise Rock Club. His shows were notoriously hit or miss due to drugs and alcohol, and in ‘05 he released the jam heavy album Cold Roses with The Cardinals.

I actually ended up meeting Ryan before this Hampton Beach show, which was kind of a big deal for me because he was my favorite artist at the time. I just happened to be strolling around Hampton Beach earlier in the day, and stumbled upon him at a tie-dye shirt store (he actually bought one and wore it at the show).

Ryan, who often plays improv songs, played an incredible song to close the show. “Beachfront Town” is a sad, yet beautiful, ballad about how Hampton Beach reminded him of back home (Jacksonville NC). Here are a few posts I made about this show.

Small review and a few photos

"Beachfront Town”

A recording of the entire show can be heard here.

Ryan Adams at the Somerville Theatre (’07) - As I said before, Ryan Adams shows were kind of hit or miss due to drugs and alcohol, and I walked into this show with such expectations. However, this night was different, and would be the best Ryan Adams show I would ever see.

I had a 4th row center seat, and remember seeing a suit-wearing Ryan Adams walk on stage. His singing and playing were flawless that night, and when he changed the lyrics of “Peaceful Valley” from “Up there in heaven with a bottle of wine” to “bottle of diet Sprite”, I just couldn’t help but smile. He appeared to be sober, and he and the band never sounded better. I was truly proud of him.

Someone actually recorded the show, which you can listen to here.

Josh Ritter at Club Passim (’07) - I fist saw Josh back in ‘06 at the intimate Narrows Center in Fall River. I quickly became a fan after hearing his newly released album, The Animal Years.

He played two shows at Club Passim in ‘07 to benefit a friend that was ill with cancer, and I ended up recording four videos that night.

”Good Man”

“Monster Ballads”

“Empty Hearts”

“Bandits”

Bon Iver at the MFA (’08) - I remember listening to their debut album For Emma, Forever Ago in February of ‘08 and was blown away by how incredible it sounded. I checked to see if they were playing and live shows, and indeed they were. They were playing the Middle East (upstairs) in Cambridge, but it was very sold out, and many people were posting on Craigslist looking for one.

However, it wasn’t long before I got to see them live, and in July of ‘08, they put on an amazing display of music at the MFA. They basically played For Emma, Forever Ago in full since it was their only album at the time, and they sounded flawless.

I’d see them one more time in December of ‘08 at the Wilbur Theatre. You can watch “Wolves” and “Skinny Love” from that show. Fun fact, and unknown (even to me) Tallest Man On Earth opened.

MGMT at Great Scott (’08) - I actually recorded a couple videos at this show. Feel free to check out “Time To Pretend” and “Kids”. During “Time To Pretend”, I’m holding the camera very still, but the footage appears to be slightly bouncy. That’s because the floor is giving ever so slightly, due to everyone bouncing up and down. It was crazy. Fun fact - Yeasayer opened.

Wolf Parade at the Paradise Rock Club (’08) - This was actually my second time seeing the band (first time in ‘06, same venue), and their album Apologies To the Queen Mary is an absolute favorite of mine. I ended up recording six videos at this show, and my favorite was “This Heart’s On Fire”, which is crazy intense. 100% Rock & Roll.

Langhore Slim at Middle East Upstairs (2008) - I always looked forward to his shows. They were intimate, intense, and genuinely good times. Not many people heard of him at the time, and I recall two guys I’d see at every early Langhore Slim show. These dudes were super fans. They knew all the songs and cheered louder than anyone. I recorded a couple videos from this show - “In the Midnight” and “Restless”. Notice The band was a trio back then, with Paul was on bass.

The National at Paddy O’s Pub (’08) - The album Boxer had just come out, and I believe Miller Light sponsored this show at the very small Faneuil Hall pub. It doesn’t get much more intimate than this, and I shot my first video ever that night, “Fake Empire”

The one that got away - I’l share a little story about the time I headed to the Orpheum Theatre in ‘02 in search of a ticket to a sold out show. I had good success scoring single tickets way below face value outside of large venues close to showtime. I recall seeing Simon & Garfunkel at the Garden in ‘02 for $10 ($100 face value), and Peter Gabriel for $20 (also $100 face). For some stupid reason, I thought I’d have the same luck for David Bowie who was playing the Orpheum that night. I managed to find someone selling a single ticket for face value, which was $75, but I has no idea tickets were that much before I headed down to the theater. I recently moved to Boston and didn’t have much money, so $75 was a lot, and I unfortunately had to pass. I told myself, no big deal, I’ll catch him next time. Sadly, there was no next time.

While living in Boston, it seemed each year I’d attend more shows than the last, and by 2009, I felt the need to create a music website. In the days to come, I’ll share some of the most memorable shows I saw, with a post for each year (’09-’16).

#boston #music blog #live music #concert review #concert

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uclaradio · 6 years ago

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Echosmith with Jena Rose @ The Fonda Theater (5/12/18) // Show Review

Review and photos by Mark McGreal

Echosmith finished off a United States tour at The Fonda Theater in Hollywood, and it was lively. The show, basically a homecoming for the group that originated in Chino, California, was an eclectic celebration of music, and it highlighted all of the things that make us fall in love with music.

When I finally entered The Fonda, I looked around and noticed how tiny and claustrophobic The Fonda Theater happened to be. The pit isn’t very large, it only goes back about 10-15 rows, so most of the seating is in the balcony above the floor. The outside of the theater has an old marquee that reminds me more of a community theater for children than a concert venue. The theater looks like a relic of a time long gone, and it reminded me that time can be ever so fleeting. That thought prompted me to stay in the moment for as long as I could.

There were two opening acts for Echosmith. Seventeen-year-old starlet Jena Rose and indie pop band The Score traveled with Echosmith throughout the country over the last six weeks. Rose recently released a new EP, which I would highly recommend. She may only be seventeen, but her voice is that of a much older, much more mature artist. The Score’s new album Atlas is the perfect soundtrack to a riot. Needless to say, even before Echosmith went out to perform, I was incredibly amped up and ready for a brilliant show.

But Echosmith’s performance was more than just a show. It was an experience. The show began with one member of the group going up on stage in basically complete darkness with only a little backlighting to give the audience even the smallest idea of what was about to happen. The man started banging a large standalone bass drum in rhythm, almost like a tribal beat. This beat grew as more members of the band joined their compatriot on stage until finally, the lead singer strode out. She was wearing a knee length blue and red dress and began singing. After the first song ended, confetti cannons exploded, and we were drenched in a torrential downpour of colorful paper.

Throughout the night there were moments, both big and small, that made the show particularly memorable. The Score, Jena Rose, and Echosmith were all on stage together at one point, shooting confetti and getting the audience excited during an Echosmith song. The three groups looked like genuine friends, enjoying one last incredible moment together before the tour ended, and they would all have to go their separate ways. Echosmith covered the Killers’ “When You Were Young” and part of the hit Death Cab For Cutie song “I Will Follow You Into the Dark”. These covers, while small moments overall, showed Echosmith’s obvious love for music, and their appreciation for the art form to which they add. Sydney, being the talented band member that she is, even played the drums for a couple of minutes in order to give her tired drummer a well-deserved break. She also threw in a costume change mid-show in order to show the mood shift from pop hits to something slightly more angsty.

An exceptionally important moment of the night came when the lead singer, Sydney Sierota, asked for a volunteer to come up on stage. I didn’t think much of it. I had seen this trope done before at concerts. Bring up a loyal fan, dance around with them a little, make them feel special so more people will buy your album or your t-shirt, et cetera et cetera. So imagine my shock when Sierota said the name “Zoey” and called an audience member from the front row on stage.

Zoey ran on stage with all of the excitement of a child who has finally woken up on Christmas morning. She got on stage and hugged Sierota after which, Sierota explained to all of us that she knew Zoey’s name because “She has been with us since the beginning”. All of a sudden, I gained a greater appreciation for the band I was watching. Although I had enjoyed their music up to that point, this simple action added a layer of emotion to the show that I wasn’t expecting. Here is how I understand the relationship between Zoey and the band. Zoey had presumably been to see the band early on in their development, back at a time that all artists go through, the time where the band has maybe six dedicated fans who they know by name. Zoey was one of those dedicated fans. And Sydney remembered her. At that moment, the tiny, claustrophobic theater suddenly felt small and intimate. This band, that, nine years later, has gone double platinum and tours all over the country, still remembers the people who were there since day one.

During their song “Goodbye”, giant balloons filled with confetti were thrown into the audience in order for us to simply play and have fun. This added to the mystique of losing oneself in an event rather than a simple show. After “Goodbye”, the show had its obligatory false ending, before the group came back out for its encore and finished things off with “Cool Kids”, their most well-known song, which ended with another tornado of confetti being shot out at the audience.

Echosmith will remind you why you love music. They play an interesting, energized, and, most importantly, fun show. They don’t play for the fame or the money. They play for the fans.

#echosmith #jena rose #the score #The Fonda #cool kids #sydney sierota #UCLA Radio #music #review

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swimintothesound · 7 years ago

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Female-Fronted 2017: A Guide to This Year’s Best Music Made By Women

2017 has been regressive in more ways than I can count. Despite an oppressive political landscape and a constantly-overwhelming news cycle, it’s also been heartening to watch people band together in the face of bigotry, and hatred.

This feeling of resistance has also bled over into art. We’ve finally got a legitimately great female-led superhero movie as well as multiple strong female-centered TV shows (Orange, Veep, Kimmy Schmidt, The Mindy Project, Broad City, Take My Wife). More germane to this blog; the same shift can also be felt in this year’s music. Alongside 2017’s many excellent female-fronted albums, this past month Cardi B become the first solo female rap artist to top the Billboard charts since 1998. Whether it’s a movement or just a sign of the times, we’re witnessing an undeniable change in our culture.

Chalk it up to the political climate, toxic masculinity, or whatever term you prefer; lately I’ve been feeling “over” hyper-masculine music. Maybe it’s a byproduct of a free TIDAL subscription or seeing 20+ concerts in 12 months, but this year I’ve been exposed to a wider variety of music than ever before. Projecting myself onto machismo music has carried me far in life, and that type of music still has a place in my heart (and my iPod), but it’s been connecting with me less and less as time goes on.

I’ve also gotten away from this testosterone-fueled perspective because the alternatives feel infinitely more refreshing than an imitation of something I’ve heard a dozen times before. Even within typically-masculine genres like hip-hop, we now have people like Young Thug and Kevin Abstract who are slowly (but actively) dismantling long-entrenched negative tropes of the scene. This year I’ve found solace and comfort in these unique takes on the human perspective.

Serendipitously, 2017 also happens to be an incredible year for women in music. From vibrant radio bops to hazy bedroom indie, we’ve seen an absolute barrage of impeccable releases this year from female artists. So I wanted to highlight some of the projects that I’ve found myself coming back over and over again. These artists are making some of the freshest, most unique, and lived-in records of recent memory, so let’s take a moment to celebrate these creators and make a toast to new perspectives in art.

Julien Baker

Funnily enough, one of my favorite discoveries of 2017 turned out to be an album from 2015. I’ve already detailed my affection for Julen Baker’s Sprained Ankle in this loving write-up from earlier in the year, but in short, I’m embarrassed that it took me this long to discover it. Baker’s debut record has been lingering with me all year like a specter. I’ve read interviews, watched live performances, and my Julien Baker-related obsession will likely peak when I see her live this December.

Julien Baker has already had an eventful 2017 as she signed to Matador Records, released a haunting 7-inch, and is currently revving up to drop her Sprained Ankle follow-up Turn Out the Lights. I’m willing to admit her music has now fallen into utterly un-objective fandom territory for me, but even the three songs she’s released this year have been spectacular, and I’m fully expecting her album to worm its way onto my end-of-the-year list. Baker’s brand of somber folky slowcore has a way of hooking directly into my brain and violently wrenching on my heartstrings. I’ve already got my tissues stockpiled for her upcoming October 27th release, and I fully expect to cry in public at her concert in December.

Angel Olsen

This November singer/songwriter/guitarist Angel Olsen is treating us to a career-spanning album of loosies, B-Sides, and rarities. I’ve already expressed my love for 2016’s My Woman (which landed at #5 on my end-of-the-year list for 2016), and if Phases’ first single is any indication, we’re in for an equally-great collection of moody guitar-centered folk tracks.

Japanese Breakfast

Japanese Breakfast is the Philadelphia-based solo project of Michelle Zauner. In 2016 she released the grief-stricken 25-minute LP Psychopomp which featured a collection of tracks written in the wake of her mother’s battle with cancer. This year’s Soft Sounds From Another Planet essentially acts as an update. A group of 12 adventurous tracks that offer an honest depiction of what happens after the most important person in your life passes.

Aside from the personal update, Soft Sounds finds itself standing musically above Psychopomp thanks to improved production and added fullness of her now-honed backing band. All of these pieces come together neatly for a more fleshed-out, but less personal album than her debut. The tracks range from saxophone-laden danciness (Machinist) to Roy Orbison-esque balladry (Boyish), but Michelle’s personality shines through each and every moment, making for a hopeful space-themed journey.

Half Waif

Half Waif is the icy electronic side-project of Pinegrove’s resident keyboardist Nandi Plunkett. This year she’s found a voice speaking out against the internet (and the music industry's) inherent sexism, but Half Waif’s form/a EP is all the proof you need that she’s a musical force all her own.

Often taking a more dark and honest approach than Pinegrove’s good-spirited group-based cheeriness, Half Waif allows Plunkett to explore deeply-personal stories and exercise the demons of her past. With disarming vocals, swaying melodies, and sprawling instrumentation, form/a is one of the most unique EPs this year.

Camp Cope

Camp Cope is a trio of Melburnians creating emotionally-punchy emo rock. In 2016 they released an impeccable self-titled debut that tackled everything from relationship nostalgia to police brutality, all in a little over half an hour. It’s a record of forward momentum, and Georgia Maq’s unmistakably Australian accent adds a unique tinge to the band’s already-memorable songs.

This year they’ve signed to Run For Cover, released a split with Cayetana, and done an Audiotree session. As they rev up for a tour, it’s unlikely we’ll get a sophomore album from them this year, but it seems like these girls are poised to segue this momentum into something really special within the next year.

Snail Mail

Out of the dozens of concerts I’ve seen this year, a select few have resonated with me deeply, and Snail Mail is one of them. The first time I’d heard of the band was minutes before they were about to take the stage as Girlpool’s second opener. I stood in the crowd, about ten feet from the mic, enjoying my beer and reserving my prime spot for the main act. As Snail Mail took the stage and played their first song, I became slowly disarmed. The singer couldn’t have been older than twenty (she wasn’t) but every song shimmered with a level of maturity and hazy emo malaise.

I found myself hanging on every word, losing track of time, and as soon as it started, it was over. Before their set ended, the bassist and drummer stood and disappeared backstage, leaving frontwoman Lindsey Jordan alone with the crowd. Illuminated by a single spotlight, it was her, a guitar, a mic, and a crowd full of silent people. She played “Anytime,” a (still-unreleased) wandering emo ballad in which she guides you, at first by hand, then by force, deeper into your own emotional rabbit hole.

To put it simply: I was awestruck. It was one of the most powerful things I’ve seen all year. The band has recreated this (to an obviously less personal degree) in their 2017 Tiny Desk performance which dropped the same day the band announced they were signing to Matador records. It’s spectacular, inspiring, and a little jealousy-inducing that this 17-year-old is achieving artistic heights that I could only dream of, but I am so glad to have been here on the ground floor. Snail Mail’s growth will only be exponential from here on out, mark my words.

Diet Cig

High kicks, pom-pom earrings, and pictures of doggos. These are just a few of the characteristics that make New York-based Diet Cig a compelling duo. Aside from an infinitely-goofy and endearing social media presence, the band puts on one of the most energetic live shows I’ve ever witnessed. Fueled by nothing but pop-punk ferocity, guitarist and singer Alex Luciano slides across the stage, jumping, kicking, and diving off equipment all while Noah Bowman lays down a steady beat on the drums.

Their 2017 debut album Swear I'm Good At This opens with a humming guitar and a heart aching delivery as Luciano details her teenage attempts to sleep with a guy that shares her name. Within a minute the album quickly whirs into top speed and remains there until its final notes. Their confetti-filled Tiny Desk session captures their on-stage charm and energy quite well and earned the band a deserved spot in a New York Times profile over the summer.

BABY!

The emphatically-named BABY! is a Florida-based pop-punk group helmed by Kaley Honeycutt. Fittingly enough, the eternally-hair-dyed Orlandoan released her debut album Sunny, F . L., at the tail end of summer. The record is a breezy marriage of intimate bedroom pop vocals and delicate shimmering instrumentation.

Signed to ex-Japanese Breakfast’s Yellow K Records, BABY! is a prime example of killing it in a local scene. From touring the east coast to hand-making shirts and buttons, Honeycutt is an exemplar of an old-school punk DIY mentality wrapped in a sunny Floridian package.

Lorde

You’d have to have been living under a soundproof rock to have not heard Lorde’s chart-topping “Royals” back in 2013. After making waves with her (nearly-undisputed) song of the summer, she went six-times platinum and then dropped her debut album Pure Heroine, all by the age of 17. After years of touring, writing, and working on other projects, Lorde simply took some time away from the spotlight to live her life.

In 2017, four years after she first introduced herself to the world, Lorde returned to music, ready to reflect on the remainder of her teenage years. She paired up with Bleachers’ Jack Antonoff and released Melodrama, a markedly more mature and thoughtful record. This highly-anticipated sophomore album utilized real instrumentation and found Lorde grappling with a recent breakup. With 11 tracks stretched over 40 minutes, Melodrama offers a wide variety of explosive sounds centered around grounded slice-of-life stories from the worldly New Zealander. It also happens to contain some of the most infectious, ear-wormiest tracks of the year and has slowly crept up against E•MO•TION as one of my favorite pop albums of all time.

Girlpool

Often categorized as “folk punk,” Girlpool is a duo comprised of Cleo Tucker on guitar and Harmony Tividad on bass. The two swap instruments and share vocal duties, which led to the creation of their one-of-a-kind debut Before the World Was Big. This year they added a drummer, second guitarist, and released Powerplant, a more full-bodied follow-up.

The dynamic between the two remains strong as ever, and once the opening track “123” clicks into place, it’s clear the drums are there only to support our two leads. They get dark on tracks like “Soup” and eventually send the listener off smiling with “Static Somewhere.” I personally think the band lost a little bit of personality in going from just guitar and bass to adding drums, but there’s still some great charming moments on this record.

Jay Som

Melina Duterte is a 22-year-old Polyvinyl signee who first made waves in 2016 with her excellent debut Turn Into. This year, amid seemingly-constant touring, she’s already released her official follow-up Everybody Works. The album is packed with clear-eyed songs that depict a single life on an ever-shifting scale. Sometimes zooming down to interpersonal levels, other times peeling back to the cosmic scale, Everybody Works is a crystallization of Duterte as a human. The penultimate title track drills the album’s immensely-catchy title into your head, serving as the first hit of a one-two punch, followed by an epic 7-minute closer that will leave you breathless.

Courtney Barnett

Courtney Barnett is an indie rocker from Australia who charms the listener through witty self-deprecation. Her debut album, 2015’s Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit gained her attention for her deadpan delivery and slacker approach to writing. Sometimes I Sit is wall-to-wall memorable tracks that range in topics from biting punk to suburban settling and environmental helplessness. The album quickly became a critical darling, and Barnett earned a well-deserved spot on many end of the year lists.

This year, Courtney Barnett has released one well-received one-off single and has an upcoming collaborative album with equally-mellow pier Kurt Vile. Seeing how their slacker rock styles commingle this fall will be a treat.

Haim

After releasing one of the best pop albums of 2013, Haim has returned to shake up the musical landscape with Something to Tell You. With more of a retro sound than their debut, the three sisters pull influence from Stevie Nicks, The Eagles, and even Michael Jackson at certain points. The songs on Something to Tell You rattle on in a way that evokes an old Chevy: it’s got a little bit of dust and grit on it, but that dirt is just the countryside, there’s still a shiny hard-working body underneath it all.

Kacy Hill

G.O.O.D. Music’s resident female vocalist, Kacy Hill is a dreamy redhead with an incredible voice and a singular vision. Her 2015 EP Bloo first gave the world a taste of her offering, but this year’s Like a Woman is a sensual, slow, and occasionally violent exploration of the singer’s sexuality and what it means to be “a woman” in 2017. Alongside the album’s launch, Hill played up the sex angle with multiple steamy music videos and a pornographic parody website dirtylittleredhead.com. On Twitter, she’s just a goofy personality that seems genuinely awestruck and appreciative of her fans.

Lana Del Rey

Existing on the periphery of the pop music scene for over a decade, Lana Del Rey has steadily been making some of the most interesting pop music since 2010. Unflinchingly tackling topics like domestic abuse and drug addiction, Lana’s music is often a touch too edgy for radio play, but she’s garnered a sizeable audience since 2010 through a deft understanding of social media and several iconic breakout tracks like “Video Games.”

Her 2017 release Lust for Life finds her, for the first time ever, on the cover of her album smiling. Hair adorned with flowers, this happier Lana finds herself circling familiar topics like summer, and spontaneous beach trips, but manages to add some interesting wrinkles. Featuring guest appearances from the likes of Sean Lennon and Stevie Nicks, Lust for Life also seems to be grappling with some bigger, more existential issues like entertainment in the face of destruction and her own image. The record ends up being a nice offering of sultry, self-contained tracks that expand the world and mythos of miss Del Rey while leaving just enough to keep us hooked.

Paramore

After releasing some of the most important female-fronted emo albums of the 2000’s, Paramore could have gone anywhere. After various lineup changes, a couple monster mainstream hits, and soul-draining complicated legal battles, Hayley Williams decided to ditch the hair dye and embrace a vibrant 80’s throwback vibe. Featuring more engaging and personable songs, After Laughter is a colorful and cheery listen. Anyone paying close attention to the lyrics will quickly notice that the album’s joyful filter is simply a facade used to mask the uncomfortable personnel issues that the album tackles. Despite the lyrical bait and switch, Laughter ends up being a breezy and joyful listen, as long as you don’t spend too much time with the lyric sheet.

St. Vincent

Indie rocker and multi-instrumentalist St. Vincent has too much on her mind. The other-worldly guitar-player won a Grammy in 2014 for her excellent self-titled album that saw her assume the role of a “near-future cult leader.” St. Vincent (whose real name is Annie Clark) has been relatively quiet in the years since her last record, but in the lead-up to her upcoming Masseducation, Clark has rebranded herself as a straight-haired, plastic sex symbol. Perhaps pulling from her stint as a horror director early in the year, St. Vincent’s forthcoming album seems poised to dismantle institutions and send her on a years-long tour.

SZA

Much like Kacy Hill, SZA is the resident female artist of California-based Top Dawg Entertainment. Since 2012 she’s been releasing a string of quality PR&B mixtapes, gradually building a fanbase and expectations for her full-length debut. Featuring Blonde-esque instrumentation and more relationship strife than you can shake a stick at, SZA’s Ctrl is a bright, sexy, and honest portrait of a 20-something who just can’t seem to get things right but has all the best intentions.

Taylor Swift

Controversy seems to follow Taylor Swift around like the Coppertone dog. After a highly-publicized lawsuit, an exposing series of Snapchats, and too many beefs to count, the undisputed queen of pop is back with… something. Forecasted by a social media wipe and “dark” rebranding Reputation sees Swift at her most aggressive to date. Seemingly out for blood, this new sound springboards off her 1989 full-pop sound, updating things to be a little bit more modern. While I found “Look What You Made Me Do” to be an initially repulsive song, the video helps add a much-needed layer of context and rich visuals that make the song better retroactively. Whether it’s good or not, Reputation is bound to be one of the biggest and most-talked-about albums of the year, and will undoubtedly dictate Swift’s place in the pop culture landscape for years to come.

Tiger’s Jaw

After the departure of every other band member, pop-punk iconoclasts Ben Walsh and Brianna Collins have returned with Spin, a record proving that they still have much to say. While Tiger’s Jaw is primarily sung from the perspective of Ben, “June” marks the first entirely-Brianna-helmed track in the band’s discography. The song provides a nice sunny break in an otherwise homogeneous and similar-sounding record and earned the band some well-deserved attention after a few years away from the spotlight.

Carly Rae Jepsen

Taylor Swift may be the reigning queen of pop, but for my money, Carly Rae Jepsen should be the one on that throne. As we all remember, in 2012 each member of the human race was forced to listen to “Call Me Maybe” at gunpoint, and thanks to the song’s oversaturation many listeners came to either actively disliked Jepsen or assumed she was a one-hit-wonder. 2015’s E•MO•TION was a critical success and a commercial failure, but to this day remains one of the best pop albums ever recorded. Lovingly detailed in Max Landis’ 150-page dissertation, CRJ is an artist of darkness and surprising depth. After expelling the rest of the E•MO•TION-era work with a B-sides album, Jepsen dropped a single early in the year that snatched wigs the world over. The fact that a single song invigorated me this much and made such relative waves only excited me more for her next album. Hopefully this time the world sees the light and comes back around to the Canadian goddess because she deserves to be listed up there with the greats.

Phoebe Bridgers

Finally, for the sake of some kind of bookending, Phoebe Bridgers is an LA-based indie folk artist much akin to Julien Baker. Despite a disarmingly-goofy social media presence, Bridgers’ Big Lebowski-referencing debut Stranger in the Alps is a heart-breaking, foggy, first-person recounting of individual experiences. The album has already received co-signs from Hayley Williams, Tiger’s Jaw, Julien Baker, Best Coast, Dan Campbell, and Grimes. She’s currently tearing it up on a tour War on Drugs, but I expect this album to show up on a good number of end of the year lists. If you want to hear a unique collection of stories on heartbreak, you’d be hard-pressed to do better than Stranger.

Additional Artists

This ended up being way longer than I originally intended, but the above albums are some of my favorites this year. There have also been some other great releases this year that I just don’t have the time, knowledge, or words to detail as lovingly as the ones above, so for the sake of keeping this relatively brief, here’s a quick-hit version of some other kickass female artists who dropped some great albums this year.

• Beach House: The dream pop duo follow up their excellent 2015 releases with a collection of equally-listless B-Sides and Rarities.

• Feist: After a fluke pop megahit in 2007, Feist hits a new artistic peak with the guitar-drenched Pleasure.

• Cayetana: The self-described “boisterous Philadelphians” released a sophomore album of 12 punchy rock tracks.

• Banks: After an alarmingly-sexy 2014 debut, Banks seems to be ramping up to a new album after dropping two steamy singles this year.

• Jetty Bones: Clearly-delivered indie rock that transparently showcases the struggles of one person’s life.

• Mannequin Pussy: The band revisits their blistering 2016 breakthrough album in an explosive 14-minute Audiotree Session.

• The Japanese House: On her fourth EP as Japanese House, Amber Bain serves up four hypnotic synth-drenched love songs.

• Daddy Issues: Grunge isn’t dead, it’s just been lying dormant until bands like Daddy Issues arrived to bring it back to life.

• Who Is She?: A Seattle-based supergroup consisting of members from Lisa Prank, Chastity Belt, and Tacocat who combine powers to create infectious pop-punk songs dripping with 2000’s-era nostalgia.

• Torres: Three Futures is a mature and careful album that finds Mackenzie Scott at the helm, steering the ship more sure of herself than ever.

• Charly Bliss: On Guppy Charly Bliss is a charming mess of broken humanity featuring the unmistakable vocal stylings of Eva Hendricks.

• Alvvays: The antisocial Canadian indie group utilizes fuzzed-out instrumentals and rich layering to create an enchanting and memorable indie experience.

• Small Circle: backed by three members of Sorority Noise, this Marissa D’elia-fronted emo supergroup effortlessly created one of the years most hard-hitting and emotionally-impactful albums.

• Marika Hackman: I’m Not Your Man begins with the welcoming sound of laughter and immediately launches into a tale of infidelity. The rest unfolds from there.

• Sheer Mag: This summer, the jangly and soulful rock group finally unleashed their long-awaited full-length Need to Feel Your Love.

And

There you have it. You take the good with the bad, and for all that 2017 has taken from us, it’s amazing to see artists and creators like the ones above adding some beauty to the world. Theirs is a perspective that’s sought, appreciated, loved, and needed now more than ever.

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whileiamdying · 4 years ago

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Feb. 18, 2020 | Marissa Lorusso -- This performance was recorded on March 2, 2020. We will continue releasing Tiny Desk videos of shows that had already been taped. In light of current events, NPR is postponing new live tapings of Tiny Desk Concerts. In the meantime, check out Tiny Desk (home) concerts! They’re recorded by the artists in their home. It’s the same spirit — stripped-down sets, an intimate setting — just a different space. Frances Quinlan showed up to NPR HQ in Washington, D.C., in February, just after Presidents' Day — which explains her multiple mid-performance jokes about White House residents. But even if her Tiny Desk concert had happened in July, the allusions wouldn't have surprised me. As a songwriter, Quinlan is piercingly astute at making connections between her present reality and the wider world; her songs often narrate other stories she's heard, fictional or real, from a place of wide-eyed empathy. (It's unclear, however, whether George Washington's teeth — the subject of one such mid-set digression — have made it into one of her songs.) Quinlan is a Tiny Desk veteran, having played here in 2015 with her indie-rock band, Hop Along. You could argue she has even more Tiny Desk experience than that; as Quinlan pointed out during her set, a can of Hop Along-branded beer has been sitting on the Tiny Desk shelves through numerous previous concerts, including Lizzo's. This time around, she performed songs from her debut solo album, Likewise. She was accompanied by two musicians who played on Likewise: her Hop Along bandmate Joe Reinhart, on bass and guitar, and Molly Germer on violin, and their quiet accompaniment suited her expressive, introspective songs. Quinlan has the kind of voice that can pack an emotional punch in a whisper or expand to fill a room, and her songs seem to carry their own velocity – lurching forward and drawing back, with unique melodies that unfurl in unexpected and satisfying directions. At the Tiny Desk, it was a delight to watch it all unfold. SET LIST "Your Reply" "Detroit Lake" "Lean" MUSICIANS Frances Quinlan: vocals, guitar; Molly Germer: violin; Joe Reinhart: bass, guitar CREDITS Producers: Bob Boilen, Morgan Noelle Smith, Maia Stern; Creative director: Bob Boilen; Audio engineers: Josh Rogosin, J. Czys; Videographers: Maia Stern, Melany Rochester, Kara Frame; Editor: Maia Stern; Associate Producer: Bobby Carter; Production Assistant: Emma Bowers; Executive producer: Lauren Onkey; VP, programming: Anya Grundmann; Photo: Kisha Ravi/NPR

#IFTTT #YouTube #NPR #in English

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hetmusic · 7 years ago

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Dot to Dot: Stand Together | HumanHuman

This week the music industry has been rocked to its core. The attack on innocent audience members during Ariana Grande’s concert at the Manchester Arena was a senseless tragedy and the city of Manchester are still very much feeling the effects. Many bands and artists across the UK and beyond have postponed shows out of respect for the victims and many more have come together, united by music, hope and love, to carry out gigs as planned and even spontaneously announcing fundraising events in support of the victims and their families.

One such event that will proceed is Dot to Dot Festival, who gave the following statement:

“We are shocked and saddened by the terrible tragedy in Manchester. Our thoughts go out to all those affected. From ongoing discussions with venues and relevant authorities, and in solidarity with the resilience of the amazing people of Manchester and the power of live music, Dot to Dot Festival will be going ahead this Friday. Dot to Dot is a festival about bringing people together and enjoying a day out watching live music. We have taken stock and thought deeply about whether it’s appropriate for us to go ahead in the light of what’s happened – and we have decided we will hold the event. We can’t forget what’s happened, but we don’t want to let fear and hate stop us.”— Dot to Dot

This Friday, this highly regarded new music festival will commence. More than a platform for the best who’s who on the emerging industry radar, Dot to Dot has become a show of solidarity, a way to say that we are not a defeated and we will not forget either.

Whether you’ll be heading to Manchester on May 26th, Bristol on May 27th or Nottingham on May 28th, we would like to recommend a few of our favourite acts.

Bad Sea

Night And Day, Manchester on May 26th, 5:45pm

Thekla Top Deck, Bristol on May 27th, 2:30pm

Red Room, Nottingham on May 28th, 7:45pm

Who are they? Dublin-based duo Ciara Thompson and Alan Farrel met through a popular dating app and although they abandoned any chance of romance, they did pursue a creative partnership.

Why should you see them? Bad Sea’s refreshingly classic approach can be heard in their precious trio of singles, “Solid Air”, “Tell Me What (I Mean)” and “Over My Head”. Each one is breath-taking and the pair must also be commended for their bare-faced sound on latest single “Over My Head”, but as we hear on “Tell Me What (I Mean)” Farrel and Thompson are also partial to those fuller, Americana rock sounds.

Cosmo Pyke

Band On The Wall, Manchester on May 26th, 6:15pm

02 Academy 2, Bristol on May 27th, 3:15pm

The Bodega, Nottingham on May 28th, 6:00pm

Who are they? Hailing from Peckham, this 18-year-old is a songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, skater and model.

Why should you see them? While Cosmo Pyke was raise on an enviable diet of blues, jazz, hip-hop and neo-soul, his own fuzzy, relaxed songs are less about following genre lines and more about going with the natural flow. Tracks like “Great Dane” paint with “spacey, beautiful, and lazy” strokes that produces a realist image of everyday life in East London.

Honeyblood

The Albert Hall, Manchester on May 26th, 5:00pm

02 Academy, Bristol on May 27th, 5:45pm

Rock City, Nottingham on May 28th, 5:00pm

Who are they? Noisy garage rock duo from Glasgow with a pinch of shoegaze.

Why should you see them? Over the years, the band’s line-up has taken a few different forms, but these days it’s all about the wild guitar playing of Stina Marie Claire Tweeddale and the ferocious drumming of Cat Myers, plus that wonderful middle ground where the pair’s vocals meet. Honeyblood have also been on an extensive tour across Scotland, Ireland and England over the past two months, so you can be sure on one tight set this weekend.

Kudu Blue

The Peer Hat, Manchester on May 26th, 8pm

HY Brasil Music-Club, Bristol on May 27th, 8:45pm

Stealth Live Room, Nottingham on May 28th, 3:45pm

Who are they? Eclectic sounding band from Brighton with four members Clementine Douglas, Owen Crouch, Tom Peterson and Creeda Kirkman.

Why should you see them? Over the past two years, Kudu Blue have had regular spots at hometown festival The Great Escape and this year their heading out to Dot to Dot to deliver their unique combination of electronics, alternative-pop, R&B and dance to new audiences. If you after an energy boost this weekend, get down to Kudu Blue’s show for dynamic tracks like “NGFM” and “Sugar Lemz”.

Liv Dawson

Band On The Wall, Manchester on May 26th, 7:15pm

Thekla, Bristol on May 27th, 3:00pm

Rock City, Nottingham on May 28th, 3:00pm

Who are they? At just 18-years-old, Liv Dawson is one of the most promising, emerging R&B talents on the circuit right now.

Why should you see them? Don’t be fooled by this singer-songwriter’s young years, as this artist has displayed a sophisticated self-awareness through her increasingly noted R&B-pop singles and live sessions. Dawson’s super power has to be that voice, it’s every bit Destiny’s Child in its youthful tone and wise aura. She’s also fresh from a performance at The Great Escape’s Vevo dscvr stage, which always seems to be on point with picking up the year’s rising acts.

Matt Maltese

Band On The Wall, Manchester on May 26th, 8:15pm

The Louisiana, Bristol on May 27th, 4:30pm

The Bodega, Nottingham on May 28th, 7:00pm

Who are they? London-based musician Matt Maltese with a notable gift for writing timeless, piano-led, blues ballads.

Why should you see them? As one of three artists selected for HumanHuman’s Showcase last year in Antwerp, we can guarantee that Maltese is truly a talented performer. His voice beckons from an era of golden age jazz fingers, while his songs themselves are sparsely lit and question meaning in everything and anything. Do not miss.

Miya Folick

SWX Room 2, Bristol on May 27th, 5:15pm

Rescue Rooms, Nottingham on May 28th, 3:15pm

Who are they? The Oakland-based artist whose music spans riot grrl, punk and indie-rock.

Why should you see them? “Trouble Adjusting” is a real gift from Miya Folick, as it was written and recorded to capture the magic of her live shows. Safe to say we wouldn’t be disappointed if any gig contains as much energy, fantastically fun melodies and full-blooded drums and guitars as this single does.

Nilüfer Yanya

Soup Kitchen, Manchester on May 26th, 5:45pm

Thekla, Bristol on May 27th, 2:00pm

The Bodega, Nottingham on May 28th, 3:00pm

Who are they? London singer-songwriter in her own groove of indie acoustica, jazzy blues and new wave shimmer.

Why should you see them? This twice featured artist has managed to rise from a handful of demo songs to the blogosphere’s indie music sweetheart with recent releases like “Golden Cage” and “The Florist” being highly praised across the Internet. In the live realm, Yanya performs with the same intimate sense of delicacy that comes across on the recording, just check out this out take of this 21-year-old musician playing her cover of Pixies’ “Hey” for NTS Radio.

Parcels

Soup Kitchen, Manchester on May 26th, 9:45pm

Thekla, Bristol on May 27th, 9:00pm

Rescue Rooms, Nottingham on May 28th, 12:30am

Who are they? Purveyors of disco for the modern age.

Why should you see them? This Berlin-based Australian band are a pretty rare find. Not only do they look like they took a Delorean from the height of ‘70s glam-rock, but their sound also takes many cues from a past where disco grooves were essential to any good night out. While, watching their set, it will be absolutely impossible not to dance (or bop or foot tap or ever so subtly nod your head) to “the slick musicianship, the rapturously rhythmic, Nile Rodgers-worshipping guitar,” as The Guardian put it.

Pinegrove

Old Granada Studios, Manchester on May 26th, 8:15pm

SWX, Bristol on May 27th, 7:45pm

Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham on May 28th, 8:15pm

Who are they? With a various combination of musicians, this New Jersey band creates uncomparable and emotional left-field Americana.

Why should you see them? This isn’t the first time we’ve recommended Pinegrove as a must-see act. Last year, the Brooklyn-via-New Jersey outfit built around two central figures Evan Stephens Hall and Zack Levine was on our list for the new music extravaganza SXSW and now the American alt-rock band are hopping the water to give UK fans a taste of their singularly brilliant live renditions. There’s an abundance of live sessions out there (such as NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert) to wet your appetite over the next few days.

Pixx

Gullivers, Manchester on May 26th, 6:30pm

The Louisiana, Bristol on May 27th, 6:30pm

Stealth Live Room, Nottingham on May 28th, 10:45pm

Who are they? Pixx is the moniker of Surrey musician Hannah Rodgers.

Why should you see them? Pixx first popped up on our radar around the time of her debut EP, Fall In, which was accompanied by a string of eerie, elemental music videos perfectly suited to her modern New Romantics style. Since then, the artist has become bolder in her style, songwriting and seemingly her live shows too. One thing to listen out for would be her cover of Joe Jackson’s 1979 single “It’s Different For Girls”.

Tender

Ruby Lounge, Manchester on May 26th, 6:15pm

Thekla, Bristol on May 27th, 8:00pm

Rescue Rooms, Nottingham on May 28th, 4:15pm

Who are they? Self-described as “dark grooves with room to breathe,” pair Dan and James create everything at home in their North London basement.

Why should you see them? Two years after Tender’s first appearance on HumanHuman and the initially anonymous project are beginning to drop the veil further as they approach the release of their debut album, coming this summer. On first LP single “Erode”, the self-sufficient deliver that R&B vibe, minimalist guitar work and luscious electronics that we’ve loved all along. Hopefully more album tracks to be heard at their festival sets.

Tom Grennan

Ruby Lounge, Manchester on May 26th, 9:15pm

02 Academy, Bristol on May 27th, 4:45pm

Rocky City, Nottingham on May 28th, 6:00pm

Who are they? Solo artist Tom Grennan strikes the balance between acoustic songwriting, bluesy lyricism and indie-rock frontmanship.

Why should you see them? The charismatic songwriter possesses a mighty blues vocal and knack for lyrics that permeate your soul and stay there. It’s something that translates wonderfully into his live versions of “Sweet Hallelujah” and “Something In The Water” and if the word of The Independent is anything to go by, the backing of a full band adds “more weight to his music but [doesn’t] distract from his great charisma or that astonishing voice.”

Vagabon

Gullivers, Manchester on May 26th, 5:30pm

Thekla, Bristol on May 27th, 4:00pm

The Bodega, Nottingham on May 28th, 4:00pm

Who are they? Finding her feet in New York’s underground rock scene, Lætitia Tamko, continues to wow with her anthems for weird girls.

Why should you see them? You only need to listen to Vagabon’s “The Embers” to be convinced that this indie-rock heroine is well worth going to see this weekend. Her songs vibrate with indignation and ferocity. Throughout all of them, Tamko unleashes biting lyrics with that sweet, unassuming vocal which contrasts against the punk-rock instrumentation.

Yellow Days

Soup Kitchen, Manchester on May 26th, 6:45pm

Thekla, Bristol on May 27th, 6:00pm

Rescue Rooms, Nottingham on May 28th, 6:15pm

Who are they? George van den Broek is the young songwriter-producer featured in our 20 Under 20 list for his incredible debut EP, Harmless Melodies.

Why should you see them? Reminiscent of King Krule and Only Real, Yellow Days is a relative newcomer and yet since the release of debut “You Are Nothing That I Can’t Get Over”, this 17-year-old has punctuated the new music consciousness. The turning point came with “Your Hand Holding Mine” when listeners woke up to van den Broek’s wonky, lo-fi strings and synths with a gravelled, left-field soulful vocal rich in mature emotion. Surely not one to miss out on.

https://humanhuman.com/articles/dot-to-dot-2017

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