"Strict Joy" by The Swell Season

I'm a fan of indie movies (I know, try to contain your shock as I continue my most recent post on my blog that features a lot of indie music). One of my very favorites is "Once," starring Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova. It's incredibly low-budget-feeling, even by indie movie standards, but it's honest and it's raw. I also like it because, a) Irish accents are cool and (b) the soundtrack is one of the best movie soundtracks I've ever heard.

This album by The Swell Season (which, on this album, is essentially just Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova with instrumental accompaniment) is a perfect album for those who were entranced by songs like "Lies" and "Falling Slowly" (I once sang a cover of "Falling Slowly" with two friends of mine for a Benefit Concert and I'm relatively sure it's partially responsible for my current girlfriend noticing me haha).

The delicacy is there, as are the raw and poignant vocals by Hansard and Irglova. As usual, their vocal harmonies are spot on, making each song an exercise in tranquility.

Hansard and Irglova broke up around the time of this album, however, and the lyrics reflect a sort of sad longing, a sort of wistful reminiscence and a "hope against logic" feel. The result is a set of songs that cuts right into your heart. You feel their pain, you feel their longing, and you feel their lingering hope.

"Strict Joy" is itself a perfect title for the album. That's what the album could be, almost as if Hansard and Irglova are filled with joy at creating such beautiful music, but it has to be restrained as a result of their complicated personal relationship.

Still, for anyone looking for absolutely beautiful songs, you don't need to look any further. "Strict Joy" is the album for you.

My three favorite songs are "Low Rising," "In These Arms," and "I Have Loved You Wrong."

Until next time, enjoy all the music out there, like the blog's Facebook page, and please recommend the page to your friends because I'd love to get some more regular readers :)

Andrew

"Siegfried: An Original Score" by The Calm Blue Sea

This is going to be a fairly short post because ... wait for it ... IT'S AN INSTRUMENTAL ALBUM.

The Calm Blue Sea is a little bit like Explosions in the Sky and a little bit like For a Minor Reflection. I think they're just as good. They have the ability to be as delicate as Explosions in the Sky at times, but they mostly choose not to.

"Siegfried: An Original Score" is an epic hour and a half of brilliant ambient rock. The band uses all the traditional instruments: guitars, drums, etc. They also use a lot of piano, which I love. Each song is like an independent mini-epic that combines to form one massive epic.

There are no lyrics to analyze, which means I really don't have that much else to say. If you're looking for value, this entire thing is only $9.99 on iTunes, and it's one of the better instrumental albums I've heard. Over such a long time, it could be easy to lose the listener's attention. This album grabs you and then doesn't let go. I caught myself air-conducting several times.

Ten bucks says you can't resist, either.

Here's a link to their Myspace.

http://www.myspace.com/thecalmbluesea/music

Until next time,

Andrew

"Narcotic" by No Second Troy

As paradoxical as it may seem, I never would have discovered this band or this album without the help of ESPN. Sportscenter had a special segment, and one of the intro songs the show used was "The Gardens After Lockout," which has been one of my top 20 favorite songs ever since I heard it several years ago.

I was blown away, by both the song and the band's name, which, having just been acquainted with Homer fairly recently, I found incredibly cool. Needless to say, I immediately bought the entire album (and was then pleasantly surprised by the album artwork, which I also think looks just plain cool).

"Narcotic" is almost an hour of epic alternative rock music that can be, at the same time, delicate. For some songs such as "Gone" and "The Gardens After Lockout," piano plays a very prominent role. As we know, that's an easy way into my musical heart and soul.

The lyrics on the album are fairly well-written, though they do not stand out by any standards from other songs at the time. Still, the band does take a multi-faceted stance on love, ranging from feeling "Feint" in a love's presence to comparing love to a "Narcotic."

Other songs are much more aggressive, "One In Ten" being a perfect example - the lyrics in the song are delivered with what amounts to growing frustration and determination to settle a score with a rival.

It's the vocals and instrumental melodies that take the biggest role in this album's success. The frontman sings with an extremely clear voice that is pretty much always right on point.

The music itself is my favorite part of the album, with every song featuring a very different melody. Listening to this album, you never feel tired of the same old melody. There is no filler present. Melodies are simple, but the band has done an excellent job of mirroring the emotions of the lyrics without being too in-your-face about it.

These two factors combine to create some really memorable choruses that are impossible to resist. This is no light album, but it's one of artistic merit that has not gotten the attention it deserved.

My three favorite songs on the album are "Feint," "The Gardens After Lockout," and "Gone."

Here's a link to their Myspace.

http://www.myspace.com/nosecondtroy

Until next time, enjoy all the music that's out there!

Andrew

"Gorilla Manor" by Local Natives

I. Love. This. Album. Now that you've been warned, continue!

I came across this album a few months ago when I first started really getting into indie style music/folk music, etc. I had fallen in love with the music of Fleet Foxes. I loved the vocal harmonies and the songs which were simple but, at the same time, could be majestic, epic, and all sorts of awesome.

With "Gorilla Manor," Local Natives catapulted themselves above Fleet Foxes in my book. They have everything Fleet Foxes have, plus one thing. They can rock as a full band - electric guitars, drums, a bass, and keyboards (a quick way to make me a fan).

The album is a diverse collection of universally well-written and well-executed songs. The melodies and hooks are extremely catchy. The amount of musical diversity is astounding and leads to an extremely refreshing set of tracks.

What sets this band apart, however, is their complex vocal harmonies. Simply put, they're spot on. You really don't need a ton of lyrical complexity when three people's voices mesh together this well. Local Natives do both. The band also has the maturity to include purely instrumental sections in their music, something that's always a plus in my book.

As I posted earlier, these guys are amazing live as well. I couldn't have been happier when I heard on stage EXACTLY what I hear in my headphones. I look forward to their new album that should be coming around the bend sometime this year.

My three favorite songs on the album are "Wide Eyes," "Shape Shifter," and "Stranger Thread."

Here's a link to their Myspace.

http://www.myspace.com/localnatives

Please remember to keep checking back in, like the page on Facebook, and click on the link on the "I Need Your Help" post!

Until next time, enjoy the music!

Andrew

Live Performance - Local Natives

Hey all,

I'll be writing a review of Local Natives' album either tonight or tomorrow, but I wanted to get this post up here while the amazingness is still fresh in my mind. Today at UCLA, Local Natives played an AMAZING hour long set. I was in indie music nerd heaven. They sound exactly the same live as they do on the album!

They played a lot of songs, the more commercial songs, the less commercial songs. I'm really looking forward to hearing on their new album which the frontman said was due in the next year.

If you get the chance to see this band live, do it. They have great on stage energy and they seem like a nice, quirky bunch of guys. They definitely have some new fans after today, because Bruin Plaza was full to bursting with cheering music lovers.

It does the heart good :)

Until the review,
Andrew