FIVE "MUST SEE" ACTS AT SXSW 2017

It's been a while since I've posted, so quick life update:  started a company last year with two buddies called Vectortone and we've been throwing concerts in the Louisville / Lexington area.  The downside has been finding time to write on WLFY -- the upside is I've been catching five-six live shows a week.

With all this recent concert experience, I wanted to share my "CAN'T MISS" acts at SXSW 2017:

5.

RON GALLO

You can't fake having a good time and Ron Gallo never has to.  They turn the stage into their own carnival funhouse, distorting the commonality of a rock show into a musical journey packed with catchy songs and inviting banter.  Ron Gallo isn't for lovers of rock or punk... Gallo is for anybody who loves music and connecting live with musicians who actually give a damn.

4.

JAMES LINDSEY

From the birthplace of the Greatest of All Time... I give you the Greatest Unknown.  A household name in Louisville, KY, James Lindsey (previously Jalin Roze) is all talent and no pretension. With his breezy melodies and a locked-in dedication to his art, Lindsey will be one of those sets you catch at SXSW that makes you feel the amazing power of discovery. An artist of Lindsey's caliber deserves ears and I hope you can make his set. 

3.

HAND HABITS

SXSW can be an exhausting week with a blur of bands being ushered on and off stages.  I always recommend taking a break and catching some singer/songwriters in an intimate setting.  If you have a chance to catch Hand Habits in such a venue... do it.  Meg Duffy's voice will wash away the long days in the sun, the shoulder-to-shoulder crowds, and the hangovers.  If you need a mid-week therapy session, let Hand Habits put your mind at ease.  

2.

WHITE REAPER

Now that White Reaper let me go and moved on to better management, I can finally write about them on WLFY and let the world know what I really think about them: they're one of the best live bands going right now.  You don't describe a White Reaper concert... you go to one and become part of it. SXSW 2017 break out band... put it in the books.

1.

BOOGARINS

The best live band I saw in 2016.  Please.  Please.  Please go see the Boogarins.  No words or pitch needed... watch the video below.  

Track of the Day: Tara Jane O'Neil - "Ballad of El Goodo"

The "Ballad of El Goodo" is one of those songs that's a renewable resource. Each time I hear it, something new seems to rise to the surface. With nearly every cover, Big Star's signature track seems to bend to the strength of its interpreter, drawing out the best of the coverer & the covered. Tara Jane O'Neil's delicate rendition (Day 24 of the Our First 100 Days comp) plays to her ethereal soundscape in a way that you won't miss that drum fill for one moment.

The bonus is that for $30, you can purchase the entire comp which includes other luminaries like Angel Olsen, Ryle Walker, Califone, Bill Fay, & Toro Y Moi. The proceeds go to help a bevy of organizations who support causes like reproductive rights and immigration as we get through the first 100 days of the Tweet-in-Chief.

Music Video: The Magnetic Fields - "'83 Foxx and I"

Easily, one of the highlights of this coming music year will be the release of The Magnetic Fields 50 Song Memoir. In the tradition of 69 Love Songs, the album will be a mammoth, 5 disc undertaking, with each track chronicling a year (or moment in a year) from principle Field Stephin Merritt. The album drops March 10. As teasers, we got a taste, last year of 5 songs from the album, and now almost a month before the release, we get to see some visuals with "'83 Foxx and I." As Merritt describes, the song is a tribute to John Foxx, a synth pioneer, and leader of Ultravox. The video, directed by Alex Basco Koch, uses strings of archival footage to accompany Merritt's appropriately synthy score. Like memory, the video feels like a return to time before, highlighting Merritt's prodigious songwriting.

Track of the Day: Frederick the Younger - "Leaves are Gone"

National discourse may have been all about that other Frederick last week, but one of my Bandcamp ACLU pick-ups was Human Child, the debut LP from Louisville, KY's Frederick the Younger. I've been a long time lover of this band since the Dr. Vitamin days and I have to say that this LP fulfills one of the best parts of being a music fan--when a band that's got all the mixins brings it all together.

Look, the band's musical acumen is unquestioned. And "Horoscope" the single and first track on the record is going to immediately catch your ear with its chamber pop orchestration and anthemic chorus. But, I want to highlight a bit of a deeper cut--"Leaves are Gone." 

The track begins with a creeping infinite groove juxtaposed with a splash of keys so that by the time the drums kick in, you'll be full head nod and foot tap. But this just sets the table. The first two tracks, "Horoscope" and "Tell Me" highlight vocalist Jenni Cochran's chops, but her voice here takes a darker turn: "The leaves are all gone now / the world is falling down / it is not the time to love me." There's a brashness and cut to the Cochran's singing that cuts against the grain with an angular dissonance. "Leaves are Gone" is a ballad of dis-ease. As Cochran sings that she's looking for places brighter than here, the track picks up steam, fueled by uncertainty. Musically and lyrically, you're not going to find another band willing to tackle such conflicting turns on such a sonically rewarding track.

Some Recommended Buys on Bandcamp Today (will help benefit the ACLU)

Following the U.S. President's "Not all" Muslim(s) Ban & Refugee suspension or whatever the hell they're saying to justify this illegal, immoral, and unAmerican action, Bandcamp bravely stood up and is putting money where its online mouth is. Ethan Diamond, the founder and CEO gave an impassioned statement, which stated:

98% of U.S. citizens (including the President), I am the descendant of immigrants—my great-grandparents came to America from Russia and Lithuania as teenagers and worked in sweatshops until they were able to afford to bring the rest of their families over. Most everyone you speak to in this country has a similar story to tell, because we are, in fact, a nation of immigrants, bound together by a shared belief in justice, equality, and the freedom to pursue a better life. In this context, last week’s Executive Order barring immigrants and refugees from seven Middle Eastern countries from entering the United States is not simply immoral, it violates the very spirit and foundation of America.

So, the site is donating 100% of their share to the American Civil Liberties Union. Over 200 artists have gone further, pledging to donate their money to the ACLU as well. Here's a list of those artists. As music critics, we make no money and ask for none, but here's some recs for what to buy today. Take some time and spend that $10 you do on a streaming service and put it toward something that can help those who are being unjustly targeted by national origin and religion.

Ba Da Bing! -- rec. artists The Baird Sisters, Sharon Van Etten, Beirut

Barsuk  -- rec. album Sad! A Barsuk Records Compilation for the ACLU

Merge -- rec. artists Mount Moriah, William Tyler, & Future Bible Heroes

Mexican Summer -- rec. artists Marissa Nadler & Weyes Blood

Kill Rock Stars -- rec. artists Marnie Stern, Deerhoof, Elliott Smith, & Horse Feathers

Pelican -- rec. record The Fire in Our Throats Will Beckon the Thaw

Sub Pop -- rec. Low & Rose Windows
Tomkins Square Park -- rec. record Imaginational Anthem Vol. 8: Private Press
Xiu Xiu -- donating 100% of Bandcamp revenue for the next 4 years to the ACLU

Record Store day only comes around once a year. Let's make this Bandcamp day!

Café Tacvba - "Futuro" (Music Video) - featuring the Pope and Donald Trump

Long before most of us were even conscious of the neoliberal order, Mexico's Café Tacvba was already galvanizing thousands to fight it through a uniquely eclectic style. Early albums like Re were apt to swing, from one moment to the next, from metal to ranchera. It's been 5 years since there last record and, frankly, we need them back now.

"Futuro" is the second video release from their new album due this spring. For first time listeners, "Futuro" might bring to mind the recent dark psych of The Flaming Lips. The backlit figures from Mexican folklore and trippy ride on a pysched-out magical school bus complete with surreal visions of the U.S. President and the Pope grooving out to an electronic beat seems to encapsulate the surreal pessimism that greets us daily. But, as vocalist Quique Rangel told Billboard:  "The relationship between life and death and the perception of time are two themes that 'Futuro' explores without solemnity or optimism. But it also points to a brighter promise if we allow ourselves to recognize the here and now (without the desire to be a self-help song)."

Track of the Day: Caitlin Kraus Torres - "Waiting for the World"

Dear Discriminating 7" record purchaser,

Our new favorite label, Austin's Keeled Scales, dropped a 7" from Caitlin Kraus Torres this last June. "Waiting for the World" begins with a dark, shaking sound before the melody and instruments begin to creep in and Torres shows off her strong vocals. You'll hear traces of Angel Olsen and Sharon Van Etten mostly because of Torres' vocal strength. But, that's not the entire showpiece here.  There's a understated but sophisticated orchestration that creeps in during the track. While we begin with what seems to be solely noise, by the end, "Waiting for the World" becomes a lush almost chamber pop piece that ranks right up there with bands like The Castanets. 

Barcelona Gipsy balKan Orchestra - "Lule Lule" (Music Video)

Dear Balkan/Central European Folkloric Musical Renaissance,

At first I thought: I'm fine with having just Beirut and Hawk and a Hacksaw in my life. Just fine. But now I realize that I was wrong. Here in Barcelona (where I'm staying for a couple months. Come out, say hi), I came upon a flyer for the subject of this letter, BGKO (a reformed version, so it seems of, Barcelona Gipsy Klezmer Orchestra). I had expected the show to be a small affair, but when the line stretched literally around the block, I realized that I discounted the popularity of the group. In the Marsula Cafe, the group performed in the round. The audience was a veritable United Nations -- in ethnicity, nationality, and age -- and the band matched. Consisting of musicians from all over Europe, BGKO's sound was equally diverse swinging from klezmer to Italian folk music and everywhere in between. The musicianship was incredible, even while breaking in a new clarinet player, and it isn't a reach to call the singer, Sandra Sangiao, mesmerizing.  The group has 2 records with a third due out soon. But, perhaps the best way to get into the music is through watching the group live. So, I'm attaching a vid that I think you'll like. The tune is "Lule lule," an Italian folksong (and if it's not, blame my poor Spanish for hearing that), which, in concert becomes a riotous audience participation number. It's hard to interact with YouTube, but I think you'll get the drift until you can see them live.

xo,

HankWLFY

Real Live Tigers - "Denatured" [Music Video]

Dear House Show Goers,

Odds are you've seen or heard of Real Live Tigers. I know I've been passing through more than one town and happened to have my travels coincide with the band. Hell, I've even let 'em crash on my couch and floor more than once. Hospitality isn't completely dead not matter what the pundits tell you. 

So, today we serve "Denatured," a track from Real Live Tigers' forthcoming LP of the same name, mastered by Paul Gold (Dirty Projectors, Grizzly Bear, Jason Molina), the album is available on limited edition smokey-gray transparent vinyl from Keeled Scales.

You'll no doubt recognize certain trademarks of Real Live Tigers right off the bat from this: a pensive, melancholic tone, the desire for change, how emotional turmoil and urban decay seem to slip by each other with a knowing wink. Yeah, all those things that makes Real Live Tigers great are in this track. 

Enjoy, and I'm pretty sure that Tony'll be coming to a house near you pretty soon.

xo,

WLFY

Track of the Day: Karl Blau - "How I Got to Memphis"

Here's a blast from the past. Some years ago, when I made the acquaintance of Real Live Tigers, crashing on the floor of a house in Arkansas, Tony presented me with "Lightning Bolts on Me Wanger," a mix of total jewels from the indie indie scene and with a title taken from the Flight of the Conchords brilliant tribute episode to David Bowie. One of the tracks was Karl Blau's "How I Got to Memphis," a cover of Kentucky's Tom T. Hall. (Remind me to tell you about his other tunes like "I Like Beer" or how the highway out of Morehead, Kentucky is named after Hall.) Blau's voice hints at the Western part of Country/Western while having what seems to be an ironic aching tone. This track is a total ear worm, and the chorus, I guarantee will pop up for you again sometime, just as it reemerged for me today, Good Friday, when the track seems to be reissued and found its way onto Spotify in anticipation of Blau's cover record out in May via Bella Union. Enjoy!

Where Have all the Producers Gone?

I think it was sometime in college when a friend handed me a copy of Pavement's Terror Twilight -- "have you heard this?," he asked. "It was produced by Nigel Godrich." Godrich, of course, had made his name as the man behind Radiohead's dials. Since then, he's worked with pop stars like Natalie Imbruglia, put out albums with Beck, scored Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and been fired by The Strokes. Godrich has that sainted quality that only a handful of indie rock producers have -- think Steve Albini, Brian Eno, or Dave Friedman -- they've got name recognition to the point where they not only have their own sound, but opportunities to work with just about any act they want, or in the case of Albini, anyone that can put up with them.

With the passing, last week, of The Beatles long time producer and collaborator George Martin, I couldn't help but think back of when I looked for what records based on producers as well as artists. And, I couldn't help but wonder, besides the handful of names that I could come up with (add Jim O'Rourke & Don Zimmer to that list as well), where have all the producers gone?

There's always been an inborn tension between indie and producers. The DIY roots of much of the music having to do with a lot of it. Bands want to control their own sound. And outside of a few groups (see Fugazi and Zimmer or Radiohead and the aforementioned Godrich) who have found a genuine collaborator in their producer, we hear more when people are pulled off projects in legendary spats like Albini vs. Nirvana on In Utero. 

Recently, figures like Guy Picciotto (from Fugazi), O'Rourke (former collab of Wilco, Sonic Youth, and others), John Vanderslice (solo artist), have made forays from being mostly musicians into producing. While producers have made their way into films. The diversification of how you can make a living means pulling attention off certain areas -- recording in studios with bands -- toward more lucrative ventures. Not only that, but the advent of streaming services, whose sound quality is less than most physical outputs, the knob turning has been rendered less important in our earbuds and even with the supposedly better quality of Beats.

As Martin's passing showed, it's perhaps only the extraordinary producers who seem able to coexist and get the best out of their groups. And, indeed, it's rarer to find one that helps determine the artistic progress of a group. In Martin's case, he didn't just help create a musical group, but a zeitgeist. It's hard to see, in our present time, many others being able to follow in such giant footsteps. Yet, we shouldn't discount or dismiss producers. Obviously, their role in hip-hop and pop is unquestionable and undergoing a major renaissance these days, but for indie rock, too, producers can be the center of attention. Perhaps this is a good time to not only remember but think about who can help create the next zeitgeist.

[WWTAWWTAM]: Amanda Petrusich on Music Criticism & the Age of the Insta-Release

With the insta-drop of Kanye, Rihanna, & Kendrick Lamar, in the past few weeks, everyone has jumped to the genius button and clicked, clicked, clicked. Recency biases aside -- it's hard not to think of a comparison between music & sports here, just because something just happened doesn't mean that it's the greatest ever -- Amanda Petrusich, writing in The New Yorker, wonders about what these insta-releases have done to music criticism:

No one wants to be a doddering relic, squawking about the glory of olden times, when we churned fresh butter and listened to new records for a couple of weeks before bestowing numerical scores upon them. But, for me, the idea that the culture is now not merely accepting but, in fact, demanding instantaneous critical evaluations of major works of art feels plainly insane. 

In fact, there's a sense in which the whole industry has gone insane. As if Kanye, Rihanna, & Lamar's releases are knee-jerk FUs to the traditional releasing system made out of ego (in the case of Kanye) or impulse. Both those things, are what most critics are against in making their judgments. Which, Petrusich rightly points out. Indeed, it's hard not to think of these tweetable records -- hitting social media to a flurry of tweets and retweets -- as eschewing something fundamental about the nature of art, that is it's permanence. As Petrusich wonders:

Who hasn’t lived with a record for weeks, only to wake up one morning and find that it has suddenly unlocked a whole new suite of rooms deep in one’s subconscious?

That deeper connection, where music creates spaces in your mind, doesn't just pop up one day when a message flashes across the screen. It's an experience that takes time and attention. Two things that we should be focusing more on as critics and listeners.

Read Amanda Petrusich's article at The New Yorker here.

Track of the Day: Marissa Nadler - "Janie in Love"

Once upon a time, Janie had a gun. Now, she's in love. Well, probably different Janies, united only in name. This Janie, the protagonist of "Janie in Love," is our first taste of the new album, Strangers (order here),  from WLFY-long time muse Marissa Nadler. Nadler's been putting out nearly an album a year since we started this blog (not to mention those times that she wrote for us!) and her work has been characterized with by an ethereal, almost detached sound as her voice lilted above a pensive guitar line. On "Janie in Love," that signature Nadler voice is there, but so are some new tricks like a strong rhythmic backbeat and wonderfully melodic chorus. Listen below: 

El Gincho - "Cómix" (ft. Mala Rodríguez) (Music Video)

It's hard to think of a genre hopper more genre hoppier than Spain's El Guincho. His 2008 record Alegranza sounded like Iberian Madlib. 2010's Pop Negro was an ecstatic ode to pop. And, judging from "Cómix" from the producer's forthcoming junior effort, Hiperasia, (out digitally now, and physically March 11) he's been spending some time spinning classic hip-hop. As always, though, it's hard to find someone who crafts a beat as good as The Guincho (as I like to call him) and a wonderful cameo by Mala Rodríguez only enhances the tune. In other news, it's good to see CANADA (the Barcelona trio who directed the fab video for El Guincho's "Bombay"), the video's directors, moving away from phallic desert licking (see Battles' "Ice Cream" video) while still keeping their 1 second story style and making sure that everyone puts on A LOT of clothes. After all, taking off your clothes just makes you invisible, right Mala?

EL GUINCHO 'Comix' Feat. La Mala Rodríguez from CANADA on Vimeo.

Track of the Day: Elyse Weinberg - "Houses" (ft. Neil Young)

For those of you familiar with Vetiver, "Houses" is going to ring a bell. The group covered this tune by Elyse Weinberg on their album Thing of the Past. Weinberg's lilting and almost lackadaisical delivery is imitated almost beat for beat in Vetiver's version. The original plays heavily on the the jangling guitar which is overlain with Neil Young's angular guitar. Greasepaint Smile, Weinberg's unreleased 1969 album, has gotten the Numero Group treatment and features, in addition to Young, former Crazy Hourse & E-Street Band member Nils Lofgren. As per usual, Aquarium Drunkard got here before us, but we're more than happy riding on such prestigious coattails.

Stream Heaven Adores You Soundtrack (Elliott Smith Rarities Collection)

Rarities collections are rarely rare. In Elliott Smith's case, we've already had to suffer through an "Introduction to" his work following on the heels of the encyclopedic "New Moon," which fused a lot uncollected tracks with some of his later work that cut damn close to the bone (see "Placeholder"). The soundtrack to Heaven Adores You -- "an intimate, meditative inquiry into the life and music of Elliott Smith (1969-2003). By threading the music of Elliott Smith through the dense, yet often isolating landscapes of the three major cities he lived in — Portland, New York City, Los Angeles — Heaven Adores You presents a visual journey and an earnest review of the singer’s prolific songwriting and the impact it continues to have on fans, friends, and fellow musicians" -- is much more in the vein of Kill Rock Stars release of alternate versions from Either/Or in 2012. Including a number of alternate versions of songs (including "Christian Brothers" rocked out by Smith while in his band Heatmiser), live tracks, and some tunes which appear to be sketches or trials. The documentary, by the way looks awesome, hook some WLFY peeps up with a screening! 

Stream the album, from NPR here: 

Tracklist:
01. Untitled Guitar Finger Picking (1983)
02. Untitled Melancholy Song (1993)
03. Don’t Call Me Billy (early version of “Fear City”) (1993)
04. Christian Brothers (performed with Heatmiser) (1995)
05. Hamburgers (performed with Neil Gust) (1995)
06. Plainclothes Man (Elliott solo version) (1996)
07. Unknown Song (instrumental) (1994)
08. Say Yes (live at Yo Yo Festival 1997) (1997)
09. Unknown (instrumental) (1994)
10. Coast To Coast (early version) (1995-96)
11. Waltz #1″ (demo) (1997)
12. Untitled Soft Song In F (1993)
13. True Love (2001)
14. Miss Misery (live on Late Night With Conan O’Brien) (1998)
15. L.A. (1999)
16. Son Of Sam (acoustic) (1999)
17. The Last Hour (early version) (1999)
18. Everything Means Nothing To Me (1999)
19. Happiness (1999)
20. I Love My Room (1984-85)

"Capitalizing on Cool: The Music That Makes Girls" out in "HBO's Girls and the Awkward Politics of Gender, Race, and Privilege"

Life gets crazy. One of the reasons for the lack of posts has been that in my day job as a University professor, I've had to dedicate way more time to academic writing and way less time to bloggy writing. Sometimes, those two things converge, as it did in my article "Capitalizing on Cool: The Music that Makes Girls,"  which was published in August in anthology HBO's Girls and the Awkward Politics of Gender, Race, and Privilege. I reached out to our readership in 2014, while composing the chapter, and thought it only fitting to give back by offering the chapter up for your reading. 

My main contention is that the music of Girls operates as (sub)cultural capital which reinforces the consumerist paradigms of post-hipster commercialism. All that's pretty fancy language to say that the music of the show--in particular the musical choices--promulgate post-hipster consumerism through musical taste-making. Interestingly, this is mostly curative as the music makers on the show (in particular Adam and Marnie) are, generally, mocked for their musical endeavors.

If you want to read up more, check out the book, which you can purchase above, or read up on my chapter via Academia.edu. You can find me here.

Dënver - "Mai Love" (Music Video)

Dënver, our favorite Chilean pop group (sorry Alex & Daniel) dropped an album last year (Sangre Cita), which, sorry to say, we missed. Mostly because we've been letting things slide with...life. But, in a New Years resolution that's taken me almost a month to get around to, we're pleased to share the band's music video for "Mai Love," directed by Bernardo Quesney. If the 80s pop doesn't get you, the CANADA-esque video--featuring Mariana Montenegro in a variety of costumes from her skivvies (see above) to fake beard beer drinking--no doubt will. I described Dënver as what would happen if "ABBA had grown up in Chile with Wes Anderson movies." All I'll add to that now is that if you can't get on board with this band, I'm not really sure what's stopping you. Is it the Spanish? Is it the fact that they're not based in the US? I mean, c'mon, I'm resorting to publicizing this post with a picture of panties! Geez. 

Track Of The Day: Twin Limb - "Don't Even Think"

It's the lightning off in the distance that makes the eye shape with awe while the thunder that follows enters the body with an aggressive rumble that shakes the senses top to bottom.  This sensation has somehow been bottled up and transformed into sound by Twin Limb.  On "Don't Even Think", Lacey Guthrie and Maryliz Bender melt an accordion on top of thick drum hits that drive on a road paved by their smoky but invitingly warm vocals.

Every element they weave into the track is this beautiful flash of light that emerges out of a state of calm.  Then the thunder hits in the form of Kevin Ratterman's distorted and larger than life guitar. Around the 3:28 mark, Ratterman's guitar builds slowly until it reaches a full emotive level and invites all previous elements of the song back into play. This climax leaves the listener fulfilled with the journey and looking back from the end to the start, one can easily see the brilliance of Twin Limb: they're emotional architects that build sound with organic talent and creative composition.

Twin Limb

"Don't Even Think"

Anything Is Possible And Nothing Makes Sense

Release Date: NOV 13th, 2015

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Music Video: Bomba Estéro - "Somos Dos"

Today is Colombian Independence Day. And, as a special treat, Bomba Estéro has released their second video from this year's incredible record Amancer. "Somos Dos" is at once a love letter to singer Li Samuet's native Caribbean & her partner. Watch out for vacation quality shots, more fruits than you can shake a drumstick at, and more than one ritual scene. Watch below. Also, be sure to check out Samuet's interview with Ed Morales about Amancer over at SoundCloud.