review

Coyote – VELAZQUEZ

Velazquez, the solo project from the guitarist and one of the vocalists from Liquits, Ro Velazquez, has released his first album, Coyote, on July 8. Produced by Y La Orkesta’s Sergio Mendoza in Tucson, Arizona, there are hints of nostalgia, love, and sadness scattered across the album. Born in Arizona, Combining traditional folk with modern rock, Coyote combines traditional folk with modern rock, this album shows how much Velazquez’s roots mean to him.

Bringing in trumpets, violins, tubas, guitars, accordions and drums into this album, Velazquez brings a mariachi sound while keeping the rock sound he is known for. With fiddle solos and fast tuba rhythms, there is a unique twist on this album that makes it as fun and interesting as it is. There was clearly a lot of heart that was put on this album, which shows especially in tracks such as “El Amor Es De Pendejos” and “Hasta Que Salga El Sol.”

There is the nostalgic tone throughout the thirty-four minute album that will take listeners to another land with the combination of old-school mariachi sound with modern rock sound that Velazquez as been associated with in the Liquits. Bringing love together with happiness makes this album an amazing debut for Velazquez.

Strange Desire – Bleachers

Whether it is being the frontman of Steel Train or a member of the immensely popular band, fun., it seems that Jack Antonoff  has made a name for himself in the pop scene. Following the success of fun.’s sophomore album, Some Nights, Antonoff has written for various names in pop such as Tegan and Sara, and most recently, with his new project, Bleachers, Antonoff has drifted from the typical sound of fun. and moved on towards a very 80’s-inspired vibe to it, even when he was born in the middle of the decade. There seems to be quite of bit of compassion hiding behind the synthesizer and upbeat rhythms on Strange Desire. The buoyant sound on this album is brought with catchy guitar riffs, energetic synthesizer melodies, and moody vocals.

Even if he doesn’t have the vocal chops of Nate Ruess of fun., there is still something to Antonoff’s voice that draws listeners in. However, he seems to change his tone and even the depth of his voice throughout Strange Desire, which gives off a feeling that the album has multiple lead vocalists even though it is just Antonoff. Even with these abrupt changes in his voice, Antonoff still shows that he is a respectable frontman. Also, the one-off collaborations with seemingly random musicians on this album, like Yoko Ono, seems to collide with the other songs on this album.

Strange Desire is filled with synth-heavy melodies, reminiscent of bands such as the Buggles. With the lighthearted tracks throughout such as “I Wanna Get Better,” there seems to be much darker themes to them, dealing with loss, and the coping that comes after. There are many elements of 80’s pop throughout this record and could fit well into the soundtrack of a coming-of-age movie, with its jangly guitar riffs and upbeat rhythms and synthesizers.

This album will capture the hearts of anyone who is nostalgic for anything John Hughes and draw in a younger audience at the same time. With cheerful melodies, Antonoff seems to pass off his innermost troubles as something that is light and happy and does so in a catchy way.

Winter – Vancouver Sleep Clinic

18-year-old Tim Bettinson, better known by his adopted moniker as Vancouver Sleep Clinic, is an ambient artist who’s new EP, Winter resembles a cold, reclusive, winter day. Created over months of writing and recording, Winter is a chilly EP and has soaring falsettos that are greeted with synthy instrumentation, there is obvious Justin Vernon/Bon Iver influences scattered across Vancouver Sleep Clinic’s sound. However, this similarity does not takeaway from this EP’s individuality and these six beautiful tracks shows that Winter is only the beginning of this young musician’s sound.

With soaring falsettos, the vocals on this EP are stunning and throughout Winter, the vocals keep its distance while maintaining the focus of the EP on them. The lyrics on this EP evokes a feeling of winter, much like its namesake, and with his pop influences, Bettinson sings about love. Even as the EP grows in shape, with growing instrumentation and differentiating rhythms, Winter maintains sincere and vulnerable lyrics. The airiness in Bettinson’s voice gives a frosty and solemn mood to the EP. With vague narratives, allowing the listener to interpret the songs in their own way, the themes throughout Winter are clear and yet, never overpowering.

Exploring atmospheric pop, the melodies in Winter are beautiful and emotional, with expressive guitars and gentle piano. Rhythms consist of simple drum beats and glitch pads. A constant percussion section throughout Winter keeps the EP from falling into As the EP progresses tracks such as “Vapour” explodes as the song moves forward into its climax with broader instrumentation. Bettinson’s music is far from minimalistic, there is always room for evolving in his sound, especially on this EP. It is a tough move to insert an interlude, “(Aftermath),” for an up-and-coming artist, especially on a six-track album, but, on this EP, Bettinson seems to know that it will fit and hence, inserts it with beauty.

No matter if you love Bon Iver or not, there is something in Vancouver Sleep Clinic’s sound that is worth listening to.

Turn Blue – The Black Keys

There’s something about the Black Keys that keeps people coming back to their music, whether it is their bluesy vocals or their raw garage rock instrumentation. On their eighth-studio and newest album, Turn Blue, the Black Keys show more psychedelic and soul influence. The Black Keys consist of the duo, Dan Auerbach, guitar and vocals, and Patrick Carney, drums. Even with different sounds and influences in Turn Blue, there is still elements of the classic blues-rock sound of the Black Keys. Much of the song-writing revolved around Auerbach’s messy and highly publicized divorce, giving the album a much more moodier tone to it.

Lyrically, Turn Blue varies between simplistic story telling, such as in the track, “Fever,” and a narrative about heartbreak, especially in the nearly seven minute long opener, “Weight of Love.” However, this variety and sort of accessibility gives these tracks a fresh feel to them. The lyrical shift from record to record for the Black Keys is dramatic undoubtedly because of the emotional impact on Auerbach after his divorce in 2013. The lyrics are straightforward and Auerbach delivers these with the same vocals he has in virtually all of the Black Keys’ previous albums.

With a take on a more soulful sound while sticking to their typical blues rock tone. The coexistence of the Auerbach’s guitar and Carney’s drumming blends together fluidly as much as the Black Keys’ previous releases. The guitar riffs are  smart and fluid and Auerbach has developed a style that unique to him. Carney’s understanding drumming meets the guitar with shifting tempos and beats that hard to beat. The bass lines on Turn Blue is one of the strongest elements to this album, giving it a much funkier sound than if it stood back behind the drums and guitar.

“Gotta Get Away” is a bold finish to this slow album but with this upbeat song, it seems to remind listeners that although Turn Blue is a drastic step away from the old Black Keys, they still have what drew them in in the first place.

Singles – Future Islands

It is hard to resist the emotional synthpop sound of Baltimore-based trio, Future Islands. Even on their fourth and newest album, Singles, Future Islands can still pull the heartstrings of anyone who listens to their potent music. Meeting while studying in Greenville, North Carolina, the trio consists of Gerrit Welmers (keyboards and programming), William Cashion (bass, acoustic and electric guitars), and Samuel T. Herring (vocals). Future Islands, especially on Singles, have a sound similar to early Killers albums.

Future Islands’ performance on “Late Show with David Letterman” was a landmark for their career as it was the most viewed musical guest in the show’s history. This performance is undoubtedly a showing of the band’s powerful music, especially Herring’s singing and dancing, which seems to have had the most influence in getting the band as much attention as they have been getting recently.

Herring has a vocal delivery that is unparalleled among other singers as he has a sort of growl in his voice and conveys a certain emotional depth that is hard to find elsewhere. With songs about devastating heartbreak, Herring plays with the lyrics in a melodramatic way. He grinds his voice throughout the album and during Future Islands’ live performances, and gives off an emotion that is hard to find elsewhere. Herring’s impulsive singing seems to bring the album together as he pulls in listeners with his attitude.

With seemingly blissful melodies that leave listeners in awe, there is something about the instrumentation on Singles that sets Future Islands into something that is unique. Cashion’s bass lines have a voice of their own in this album and seems to give the band  a much bigger sound. “Fall From Grace,” one of the last songs on the album, has a spotlight on Cashion’s guitar and with the slow tempo of this song, there seems to be a much more sorrowful tone on this track compared to the other songs, which is a considerable feat considering all of the songs deal with such melodramatic themes.

Leaving the listener in a cross between joy and sorrow, Future Islands is one of the few bands that can bring on so many emotions at once in one album. Whether it is the powerful vocals of Herring or the vast instrumentation by Welmers and Cashion, this album is sentimental and yet, restrained at the same time, therefore giving it an ecstatic sound to it.

The Colourist – The Colourist

After the release of their first EP, Lido, and garnering attention for their single, “Little Games,” the Colourist’s new self-titled album, The Colourist combines everything that the band has worked towards. This Orange County quartet consists of Adam Castilla on vocals and guitar, Maya Tuttle on drums and vocals, Kollin Johannsen on guitar, and Justin Wagner on bass and keyboard. Originally collaborating together in the band, Paper Thin Walls, Castilla and Tuttle eventually branched off together to front the Colourist together. The band most certainly have their own sound, however, on The Colourist, it seems as though they are still trying to form it.

Upbeat vocals are met with lyrics about love and heartbreak on The Colourist and the majority of the lyrics never seem to want to stray from living in the moment. But, this theme about young love and living in the now seems to be a bit too r Tuttle’s bright vocals contrasts Castilla’s timid but strong singing. The harmonies between the two vocalists are what makes the album standout as they are both catchy and lively. Tuttle’s bright vocals contrast Castilla’s timid but strong singing. The harmonies between the two vocalists are what makes the album standout because of how catchy and lively they are.

The Colourist’s usage of full-band instrumentation gives them somewhat of a more natural sound to their powerpop music. Throughout The Colourist, the guitar is animated and energetic. The entire album has a sort of 80’s feel to it with their polished guitar riffs and piano. The drums on this record are simple, with straightforward rhythms and an upbeat flow. Tuttle makes danceable dance beats even without the use of a drum machine. This easiness adds to the tone of the album, bright and carefree. The Colourist adds their own organic twist to powerpop in this debut.

The Colourist shows that on this debut, they can make light and memorable indie pop, but it seems as though in today’s music world, this is nothing out of the ordinary. Even with that in mind, there is no doubt that this debut by the Colourist is fun and, with pun intended, colorful.

Before the Waves – Magic Man

Magic Man’s debut album, Before the Waves, provides the seemingly perfect addition to any summer soundtrack. Released on July 8 on Columbia Records, this debut has solid electric beats combined with breezy vocals and fun synthesizer melodies and it seems to give the sound of the season. The Boston native Magic Man consists of Alex Caplow on vocals, Sam Vanderhoop Lee on guitars and keyboards, Justine Bowe on keyboard and Joey Sulkowski on drums. Produced by Alex Aldi, who has also worked with bands such as Passion Pit, there is no doubt that influences from these bands drifted onto Before the Waves.

The vocals on this album are memorable as Caplow sings about not wanting to give up on something quite yet and of course, love. With upbeat backing vocals, Before the Waves has a cheerful mood to it progresses through its twelve tracks. In the song, “Every Day,” Caplow seems to share a similar vocal aesthetic with Danielle Haim from Haim in the sense that in this track, both have a similar staccato way of singing.

The synth-driven melodies throughout Before the Waves sets the mood and tone of every song on the album, whether or not it is obvious. Although this type of melodies can tend to become generic over time, Magic Man has a unique twist in their sound that sets them apart from other synthpop bands such as MGMT and Passion Pit. Blending interesting guitar riffs (often times more subtle than the synthesizer) and energetic synthesizer melodies and rhythms.

Before the Waves shows that Magic Man is an essential on any playlist this summer. Before going on tour this summer with Walk the Moon and Panic! at the Disco, Magic Man are on their own west coast tour this week. Magic Man, with their catchy synth-driven music, are definitely not a new band to miss this year.

Basic Vacation – Basic Vacation

Basic Vacation exploded into the music scene with their new self-titled EP, Basic Vacation. With heavy classic rock influences growing up, vocalist and guitarist Chris Greatti, bassist Jon Paul, and drummer Mike Montalbano have played in almost 12 different bands between themselves before joining forces into making Basic Vacation. The chemistry in Basic Vacation makes their music all the more interesting. Coming from humble beginnings as musicians, it seems as though with this release Basic Vacation will make it huge.

The vocals on Basic Vacation are typical to pop rock, in the sense that they are as uplifting as they are catchy. This uplifting mood to their music seems to be a key element in Basic Vacation’s sound, especially in their hit single, “I Believe.” With soaring vocals and playful choruses, Basic Vacation seems to have a sound similar to Imagine Dragons and the Killers. Their emotionally charged lyrics about love, heartbreak and making it big in the music industry will instantly draw the listener into the EP.

Whether it is their simple yet interesting melodies or their kick drum-driven rhythms, there is something about the instrumentation that are instantly memorable. With a surge of cheery guitar riffs, Basic Vacation sound seems to be perfect for  tv commercials as it is breezy and sounding almost effortless. The synthesizer is smooth throughout the EP and Basic Vacation seems to know how to balance the modern electronic sound with their classic instrumentation.

This EP displays that Basic Vacation have a bright career ahead of them as they continue to tour and perform at festivals. Basic Vacation has come a long way from where they were over a year ago as struggling musicians. There is no doubt that this young band will blow up in the pop rock scene as they release their new album.

On Oni Pond – Man Man

Experimental rock, over the course of its history, has grown and has been molded to describe a wide variety of bands and sounds. However, Man Man seems to collect all of these sounds into their own albums, especially in On Oni Pond. The band consists of Honus Honus (Ryan Kattner) on vocals, piano, and organ, Pow Pow (Christopher Powell) on percussion and programming, Brown Sugar (Adam Schatz) on DiPinto guitar, trumpet and percussion, and Shono (Bryan Murphy) on DiPinto bass, malletKAT, saxophone, and keyboards. In their previous 2011 album, Life Fantastic, Man Man took a more melancholic approach on their sound, but this follow-up shows that they can bounce back to their eccentric sound, even if it is more refined than previous albums.

On Oni Pond‘s lyrics are clever and shifts from the themes of Life Fantastic. Notably, their single, “Head On” is one of the catchier songs on this record and yet, it still has somewhat of a dark theme to it. Honus seems to roll the lyrics off his tongue while keeping a sort of intensity to it. However, this vocal delivery makes On Oni Pond feels more like a dance album, unlike their previous releases.

To date, On Oni Pond is probably Man Man’s most melodic release as they move toward a poppier sound. Man Man explores this new sound of theirs and gives indie pop a new sort of sound as they add their own elements to On Oni Pond. Throughout the album, Honus leaves breaks in his vocals, giving the hooks the ability to excel. Working once more with producer and multi-instrumentalist, Mike Mogis, Man Man’s instrumentation seem to be more cohesive rather than disjointed, much like their previous albums.

This new sense of maturity for Man Man in On Oni Pond allows the band to be more approachable while never straying from their typical sound. This new music allows Man Man to explore without ever completely reinventing themselves.

Modern Vampires of the City – Vampire Weekend

Vampire Weekend, an indie pop band from New York City, released their third full-length album, Modern Vampires of the City, and seems to give the band more of a fluid sound than their previous releases. The band consists of Ezra Koenig (lead vocals and guitar), Rostam Batmanglij (keyboards and guitar), Chris Tomson (drums and percussion), and Chris Baio (bass). Although there is a new sound on this album, there are still elements in these songs that are reminiscent to Contra and Vampire Weekend, such as Koenig’s bright vocals and their rich melodies. Vampire Weekend seems to experiment more on this album, especially with pitch shifting on various aspects of the instrumentation and Koenig’s vocals.

Throughout Modern Vampires of the City, the lyrics touch upon more mature themes, such as religion, in an imaginative way. It seems as though Koenig questions his faith in God throughout many of the tracks on this record, such as “Unbelievers” and “Ya Hey.” Even with these themes, Koenig keeps his vocals seemingly effortless, much like Vampire Weekend’s previous works. The effects Koenig puts on his voice in this album gives the album an exciting result. The choruses in this album are sweeping and yet catchy which makes them compelling.

Instrumentally, this album is far different from Vampire Weekend and Contra in the sense that Vampire Weekend seems to pull away from their world music influences and tries to create their own style on this new record. There are some beautiful orchestral arrangements throughout the album that are combined with experimental melodies. Staccato percussion in “Worship You” seems to drive this song in a fast tempo and this type of instrumentation has always seemed to play a key role in Vampire Weekend’s sound. The plucking cello and the piano in “Young Lion” bring this mostly energetic album into a quiet and subtle end.

Overall, Modern Vampires of the City seems to be a step away from Vampire Weekend’s typical sound and yet, there is still something about it that remains characteristic to the band. Vampire Weekend seems to strip away the elements they are most known for in this new album as they head into a different direction.