| Video: Two Door Cinema Club: “Handshake” |
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I actually love them so much. Two Door made a super weird video for their single, “Handshake”, and it’s awesome. I can’t wait for the next time Two Door Cinema Club come to New York because by golly, I’m going to be in the front row or die trying. Two Door Cinema Club is Alex Trimble, Kevin Baird, Sam Halliday. Connect: |
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| Video: Ski Lodge: Brooklyn Vegan Studio Sessions |
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To back up my claims in my live review of Ski Lodge from last week, I thought I’d post a video of Ski Lodge performing for Brooklyn Vegan’s Studio Sessions series. They’re awesome right? Told you so. Ski Lodge is Andrew Marr, Jared O’Connell, John Barinaga, Tim McCoy. Tour Dates: Connect: |
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| Video: Relient K: “Don’t Blink” |
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Relient K just released a lyric video for their new single, “Don’t Blink,” from their soon to be released and much awaited album, Collapsible Lung. It definitely sounds different from what we’re used to from Relient K but this band is known to experiment with their sound. And whatever the experimentation may be, Relient K always seem to be able to create an album that never loses their classic sound. We’re really excited about this one. Relient K is Matt Thiessen, Matt Hoopes, Jon Schneck, and John Warne. Tour Dates: Connect: |
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| Live Review: Moon King @ Bowery Ballroom (4/16) |
 Tuesday night at Bowery Ballroom was a night full of raw energy to say the least. The intensity that radiates off of Moon King as they perform is like lightning. Incredibly captivating, a bit startling, but a rush nonetheless. Moon King take their dream pop/shoegaze sound and elevate it when they perform live. The harmonies between Benjamin and Wilde are so in sync and lush. The entire set is energetic and fun. Whether it’s a result of how attune Moon King are to each other on stage or because of Daniel Benjamin singing while standing on top of a drum kit, a Moon King performance is really something to experience live.  Moon King is Daniel Benjamin & Maddy Wilde. Set List: Tour Dates: Connect: |
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| Live Review: Ski Lodge @ Bowery Ballroom (4/16) |
 The equivalent of the ever mystifying, pulling a rabbit out of a hat for Brooklyn’s Ski Lodge is their impeccable ability to have all eyes on them when they perform. It’s a gift really, how they’re able to capture the attention of today’s ADHD generation. In today’s world, people often times watch TV while simultaneously working on a laptop with their phones within hands reach. With so many devices going on at a given time, our brains have become accustomed to being able to multitask between devices, our attentions always focused on the next thing going on. Thanks to technological advances, with so many different devices out there, we’ve gotten to this point where when we are able to focus on just one thing, it’s like a trip down memory lane. That is what Ski Lodge embodies. Like their name, they’re a place where our minds can go to relax and to put away the devices that hold our attention 24/7. Maybe it’s Andrew Marr’s piercing gaze as he sings or maybe it’s John Barinaga’s lightning fast fingers. It could quite possibly be because bassist Jared O’Connell simply does not stop jumping around the stage while he performs. It could be any one of these factors but ultimately it is the collective effort of Ski Lodge when they perform that is able to capture the attention of a crowd. When Ski Lodge perform in front of you, if you’re lucky enough to be able to see them live, it’s like magic. It’s like watching a magician pull a rabbit out of a hat. We know this age old trick well. We know what will happen every time but every time we’re still amazed that it happened. A Ski Lodge performance is exactly that in that with each oncoming song, there’s no doubt that the musicianship in this quartet will not be on point each time. Ski Lodge capture your attention and keep you there in a gripping headlock. That’s exactly what they did this past Tuesday night at Bowery Ballroom. Their incredible hooks and soulful sound is truly something to experience live.  Ski Lodge is Andrew Marr, Jared O’Connell, John Barinaga, Tim McCoy. Set List: Tour Dates: Connect: |
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| Album Review: Late Cambrian: Peach |
Upon first listen, it’s painfully obvious that any previous or future comparisons anyone might make to Weezer about Late Cambrian will be erroneous. Why is this, you may ask? Because their newest album, Peach, makes it painfully obvious that Late Cambrian have a distinct musical style of their own. The album is incredibly exciting and opens rightly so with a melody defying, high impact song. “Lover’s Point” warmly greets listeners with a memorable chorus and an even more memorable vocal delivery from Wlaysewki. This track not only highlights his growth since we last heard “Ryan Gosling” but also the creative style of the band as a whole. The entire arrangement of the opening track alone creates an electrifying and unbearable want to hear the entirety of Peach. It truly sets the mood for the album. It creates a feeling of ecstasy, joy and any other word of the like. “I’m wading through these contracts. I’m losing touch with who I used to be.”It seems as if with the creation of a second album also came the creation of even smarter and cheekier lyrics for Late Cambrian. With a bold song title like “The Label Needed a Single,” reminiscent of something Fall Out Boy would do, dreaming up such an ironic title isn’t good enough. What is good enough is backing up an audacious move with insightful lyrics. “The Label Needed a Single” delves into the world of present day society’s wants and aspirations. The lyrics spell it out clear as day. Cars, success, money, the A-List life: who doesn’t want that? Late Cambrian take something that could have been a superficial pursuit of a concept and execute it with thoughtful ease. The realization of losing one’s self in such a world is brought to life with the magic touch of Late Cambrian. Moments like these are an often occurrence throughout Peach. Moments of complete musical euphoria as a result of an injection of tightly arranged melodies and lyrics that are of dramatic grandeur. The album as a whole is like a family and each song is a different member. Each song on Peach has its own distinctive character but as a whole, they flow into each other with great cohesion. “Poetry” is the prime example of such a feat. It’s a beautiful acoustic break in the pop rock-led release. While the signature rocking guitars and driving percussion we’re used to have been put on pause, this light and melodious track embodies everything right with the world. Sit back and soak in the musical sun beams radiating from this band. We’ve only broken the surface of the sonic possibilities that Late Cambrian have in store. “You can be the song that a caged bird sings. We should take the next ship out to see.” Late Cambrian is John N Wlaysewski, Nunzio Moudatsos, and O. Tour Dates: Connect: | ||
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| Live Review: Andrew McMahon @ The Paramount (4/13) |
 With the kind of intimate setting Andrew McMahon is able to create, the cozy ambiance rests on top of the crowd like snowfall. Almost like a wool blanket, everyone is insulated and unable to escape, not that anyone would want to escape anyways. It’s mystifying, the effect McMahon has on those lucky enough to hear him in his element. Up there, upon the lit stage, despite a crowd of a few hundred people, it all seems so commonplace to him. That the crowd, the one that has caused everyone to lose whatever personal space they already had as they push towards the stage, are not fans but family. Family that has gathered to hear their dear Andrew play his heart out. That kind of special familial bond between McMahon and the crowd could be felt throughout the venue. It was heavy and hard to ignore. In between glances at the crowd and the clear twinkle in Andrew’s eyes as he sang to those awaiting to hear their most cherished songs, there was nothing but joy radiating from all members on the stage. With every word sung and every note played, the audience could not get enough. Andrew McMahon did not simply put on a show, he put his heart out there on the stage as he performed for those that love him: his fans, his family.                       
Tour Dates: Connect: |
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