Mandy Moore Makes a Comeback

In her teen-pop heyday, I was never a big Mandy Moore fan. To me, she was just a more boring Jessica Simpson. She sang songs really dull love songs and her voice wasn't anything spectacular. However, I did like a lot of the movies she was in (A Walk to Remember, The Princess Diaries, Saved...)

But then something changed. A few years ago, Moore started dating Zach Braff, and then singer-songwriter Greg Laswell. At about this time, she released a covers album called "Coverage." I don't own it, but based on what I've heard, it's not bad. She chose smart songs to sing, from artists such as Elton John, Carole King, Cat Stevens, and Blondie. Obviously, her versions aren't better than the originals, but the album at least showed her good taste, which I am sure is partially due to her relationships with men who have good taste.

Next, Moore recorded an album called "Wild Hope." It was her most original album to date, but still a little bland. It was just very polished contemporary pop with a singer-songwriter edge, especially on songs like "Gardenia." Here, Moore enlisted songwriters like Rachel Yamagata for help. Their influence is very apparent, but nothing on the album reaches the heights that Yamagata's music frequently does.

A few months ago, Moore released a new album, "Amanda Leigh." This album is another step in the right direction. It's jazzy and poppy on songs like "Pocket Philosopher" and "I Could Break Your Heart Any Day of the Week," but quieter tunes such as "Bug" and "Merrimack River" balance the mood. There is a distinct 70's singer-songwriter influence on the album; it's almost as though all Moore listened to while recording it was Carole King's "Tapestry." Some tracks also seem to be directly influenced by her prolific singer-songwriter husband Ryan Adams, but none match his in terms of quality.

"Amanda Leigh" is not a fantastic album by any means, but it is definitely a solid effort. It's nice to see Moore moving in a new direction, and she definitely knows what kind of music she wants to make. I don't know if I'll continue to buy her albums, but I'll definitely give them a listen or two when they come out.

Album Review: St. Vincent- Actor

A few weeks ago I met Annie Clark, the waifish, bright-eyed chanteuse behind St. Vincent, outside of a record store in Georgia. She was there with some family, who were laughing and pointing at the record cover for her new album "Actor," which is essentially a huge picture of her face, in the window, and urging her to go in and buy a copy.

The cover of "Actor" can speak to the music as well. Clark is pictured staring into the distance, her eyes wide and her hair curling in every direction. The result makes her look like some sort of otherworldly fairy. This large image of her face is set against an almost garish orange background. Similarly, Clark's music is composed of her ethereal, breezy vocals over top jarring, distorted guitars and drums.

Given her background as a former member of the Polyphonic Spree, and given that I never heard her first album "Marry Me," I expected St. Vincent to be light, poppy ballads, bordering on twee. As I mentioned before, the music is quite the contrary. First of all, it's loud. While Clark's voice might be light, songs like "Actor Out Of Work" and "Save Me From What I Want" are thick with distortion and wrecking beats. After stalking YouTube, I learned that Clark is a master on the axe, and shreds live like a member of an 80's hair metal band.

On the other hand, she does have a more restrained side. "Black Rainbow" is a hushed track that pairs Clark's voice with jabbing guitar and floating keys. Eventually, however, the song climaxes in a goopy, cinematic swamp of organ, strings, and synth.

If "Actor" proves anything, it's that Clark is a master of both the quieter, simpler aspects of songwriting and the convoluted, complicated aspects of orchestral arrangements and production. Even on tracks like the jazzy and buoyant "Laughing With A Mouth Full Of Blood" Clark layers vocal effects, strings, stuttering drums, and a plethora of other instruments without sounding overcrowded or noisy.

I can't wait to get more into St. Vincent's catalog after hearing "Actor." This is a truly dynamic album featuring an extremely talented songwriter and artist.

New Death Cab- The Open Door EP

Death Cab for Cutie's "Narrow Stairs," the muscular, hook-filled follow-up to their major label debut, "Plans," was one of my favorite albums of 2008- and probably my most-listened. It is one of those albums that progresses in a positive musical direction without abandoning what made the band great in the first place.

"The Open Door," the new five-song EP from Death Cab, keeps the robust hooks and textured arrangements that made "Narrow Stairs" such a pleasure to listen to. While many EP's are just throwaway B-sides from an album, the four new tracks on "Door" sound just as strong, if not stronger, than any song off of "Stairs."

"Little Bribes" kicks the EP off with a jaunty march propelled by Jason McGerr's throbbing drums and Ben Gibbard's heart-on-sleeve lyrics. Gibbard is a very skilled songwriter, but his lyrics are usually only recognized on acoustic ballads like "I Will Follow You Into The Dark." On this EP, though, his lyrical ability is on full display, as are his signature lilting vocals. On "A Diamond and A Tether," Gibbard ruminates on his fear of relationships with lines like, "I've got this habit I abhor/ When we go out I'm always watching the door/ As if there's someone I'm gonna see who could outdo the things you could do to me," and "You can't hold out forever/ Waiting on a diamond and a tether/ From a boy who won't jump when he falls in love/ He just stands with his toes on the edge/ And he waits for it to disappear again." Gibbard continues to express anxiety over commitment on the aching, jagged "My Mirror Speaks." Above layers of chugging bass (courtesy of Nick Harmer) and Chris Walla's lushly arranged guitars, Gibbard delivers his lines with stinging lamentation. Death Cab is a traditionally melancholy band, so even their upbeat songs are coated in a Smiths-esque blanket of remorse. "I Was Once A Loyal Lover" epitomizes this with neurotic, diary-worthy lyrics washing over its buoyant sound. Closing out the EP is the ukulele-accompanied demo version of "Talking Bird." On "Stairs," "Talking Bird" was heavy and sluggish, but here it's charming and wistful.

"The Open Door" EP is a perfect follow-up to "Narrow Stairs," so much so that it feels more like an extension of the album than a collection of songs salvaged from the cutting room floor.

Favorite Line: "All my friends are forward thinking/ Getting hitched and quitting drinking." (from "I Was Once a Loyal Lover")

I Was Once A Loyal Lover- Death Cab for Cutie

BUY THE EP
AMAZON
INSOUND

Neko Case Live at the 9:30 Club- 4/9/09

For those who don't know me well, allow me to get some things out in the open: I'm completely obsessed with Neko Case. I want to be her friend, I want to be a member of her band, I want to be HER.

Anyway. Neko performed two nights straight in support of her latest incredible album "Middle Cyclone." I saw her tonight (I am writing this immediately after the Thursday show...it is late...) and she killed it.

But more on that in a minute. First, let's talk about Okkervil River's Will Sheff, who opened the night with seven or eight song set of Okkervil River favorites. Sheff performed most of the tunes with just an acoustic guitar, but an electric guitarist joined him for the last few (I believe the man's name was Phil because I recall a joke about naming their two-man band "Okkerphil River"). Performing with such little accompaniment, Sheff's great songwriting ability was on full display. Songs like "Plus Ones" and "Pop Lie" sounded slightly more intimate, despite Sheff strumming furiously and singing with his signature bleating vocals, while "Lost Coastlines" and set-closer "Our Life Is Not A Movie Or Maybe" were surprisingly muscular despite the two-dude line-up. The rough edges of the songs live made the tracks seem more like unpolished garage-rock than the high-concept, well-orchestrated folk-pop from Okkervil River albums. "On Tour With Zykos" and "Just Give Me Time" were hushed and gorgeous on stage but the chatty crowd made it hard to appreciate them. One audience member mentioned loudly that Okkervil River makes him want to "shoot himself in the face." I respectfully disagree, sir. I thoroughly enjoyed Will Sheff's set and it made me excited to see him perform with the full band.


Then came Neko.

As she sings in one of my favorite tracks off of "Middle Cyclone," Neko Case is an animal, indeed. Dressed in all-black but sporting her signature mane of red hair in an untamed, tangled mess , Case looked like the tiger she sings about the haunting "The Tigers Have Spoken." Unlike that tiger, however, Neko is unchained and completely wild. Between her awkward but hilarious stage banter about making out with the Grim Reaper and breaking her nose, she sang with such a pure, mesmerizing clarity that I was captivated from the first note of "Maybe Sparrow" up through the last punch of "Knock Loud."

It's tough to say where Neko Case is most in her element. She is equally rousing in garage-band jams like "Red Tide" and "Fever" as she is stunning in slower ballads like "I Wish I Was The Moon" and "Middle Cyclone." It really just comes down to, as usual, the voice. Every time she opened her mouth to belt a note I could feel the anticipation in the room- everyone was waiting to hear that ribbon of voice that was strong and gentle and quiet and loud and war and peace all at once. Every note she sang was so emotive and gorgeous that the songs were completely transformed.

"Prison Girls," the spooky dirge from "Middle Cyclone," was so haunting live that I got goosebumps. Of the covers she played, Harry Nilsson cover "Don't Forget Me" became an intimate, loungey love song (as the song started and Case stood beneath the soft blue lights, she cheekily dedicated the song to "my darling Harry") and "Never Turn Your Back On Mother Earth" transformed into a rough, spirited folk song. "This Tornado Loves You" was especially invigorating live. It felt urgent and sincere despite being a love song written from the perspective of a natural disaster.

I could go on like this about everything Neko Case sang- it was all gorgeous and spell-binding. Hearing her sing made me think of how I watched American Idol for the first time in years on Tuesday night. All of the performers had such bland voices already, but compared to Case's, they sound like how oatmeal would if it could sing. Boring, mushy, and all the same. I'd never seen Neko live before but now I've fallen in love. She's incredibly dynamic and talented and all that and more comes across brilliantly on stage.

Of course I can't mention the show without giving props to her fantastic band (I don't know if they're still called her Boyfriends, so I'll just say they're her band). Each member ebbed and flowed perfectly with Case and they had the flawless synergy of a band who has been playing together for decades.

In case you didn't figure it out from the above love letter, GO SEE NEKO CASE LIVE NOW. She is a force of nature.

Also, if you missed the show, stream it on NPR!!! CLICK

**This review rambles a lot etc. but in my defense it is one in the morning and I am exhausted. Goodnight.

***If anyone's interested in the set list (for Will Sheff or Neko Case) email me- I got both.

*****PHOTOS STOLEN FROM JOEL DIDRIKSEN VIA NPR. KINGPINPHOTO.COM*****

AutoRock- "Mass Appeal"

Here's a review of AutoRock's mixtape "Mass Appeal" that I wrote this summer but never posted, for some reason...

Daft Punk and Beethoven. Flo Rida and the Beatles. Michael Jackson and the Velvet Underground. While none of these are conventional partnerships, each of these artists collaborates on DC-based DJ Adam Dylewski’s latest release, Mass Appeal. How? Dylewski, aka AutoRock, uses the cut-and-paste technique of mash-ups to create a seamless 70-minute opus, utilizing over 150 samples that range from the White Stripes to Justin Timberlake to Belle & Sebastian. The result is an enjoyable mix of new and old hits that complement each other in unimaginable ways. Take for example, track 20 (none of the track are titled, and to get the full effect the album should be listened to straight through), in which the vocals of Dead Prez’s “Hip-Hop” are layered over the instrumentals of Joy Division’s “Love Will Tear Us Apart.” Dead Prez’s stale hit suddenly sounds modern, and Joy Division’s classic is revitalized in its removal from a gothic context.

While AutoRock’s technique is not original (check out DJs like Girl Talk or Go Home Productions to hear other long-form mash-ups), he brings a fresh voice to the table through his range of samples. He pulls tracks from all decades so that Mass Appeal, in a true example of living up to its name, can be as recognizable to an ‘80’s metal-head as to a teenage Top 40 lover. The joy of the record comes in hearing songs from two unrelated decades and artists from two unrelated genres merge to form tracks that can surpass the originals, or at least cause the listener to view the tunes in a different, warped light. AutoRock is not a musician in a traditional sense. He does not create his own bass lines, chord progressions or rap verses. Instead, he sifts through the bins of what others have created, dusts off the grime and pastes together the best parts to form fresh masterpieces that you only think you’ve heard before.

Mass Appeal is the follow-up to The Assquake LP, and both are available for free download on AutoRock’s MySpace, http://www.myspace.com/autorockdc.

A.C. Newman- "Get Guilty"

Here's a review of A.C. Newman's latest album, "Get Guilty," that I wrote for my school paper.

As chief songwriter for alternative power-pop group the New Pornographers, Carl Newman has written many of the stream-of-consciousness lyrics and sweet, intricate melodies that have secured the band as one of the most consistent and satisfying indie acts around. On his latest solo venture, “Get Guilty,” released January 20, Newman continues this trend.

For his first solo album, 2004’s “The Slow Wonder,” Newman, who goes by “A.C.” as a solo artist, crafted a sound similar that of the Pornographers but is warmer and more intimate. On tracks such as “On the Table” and “Drink to Me, Babe, Then,” Newman maintained his pop inclinations and assembled meticulously layered compositions, complete with overdubbed vocals, shimmering tambourines and pounding drums.

On “Get Guilty,” Newman does not stray from his typical path and the result is as pleasing and charming as ever. His lyrics are still nonsensical, with “la la la” and “yo-ho” choruses that beg to be sung along to. As usual, Newman is a master at choreographing the rhythm section. He places syncopated beats creatively alongside a violently strummed acoustic guitar, like on the jumpy “Like a Hitman, Like a Dancer.” On “Submarines of Stockholm,” the instruments hardly carry a melody, but serve just to drive the hammering tempo.

Whereas his work with the New Pornographers involves much vocal harmonizing, on “Get Guilty” Newman opts to either overdub his own vocals, creating a more textured sound, or enlist a female vocalist, such as Nicole Atkins or Mates of State. These effects add muscle to Newman’s otherwise plain yet charming delivery. His voice is nothing spectacular, but it compliments his style well and his often-audible lisp is endearing.

“The Palace at 4 A.M.,” “Get Guilty (The Changeling),” and “There are Maybe Ten or Twelve” stand out with their catchy refrains and bouncy tunes. As a solo artist, Newman’s style does not stray far from his group work with the New Pornographers, but these solo albums live up to the high standard he has set for himself.

Panic at the Disco- Pretty. Odd., Indeed.

When Panic! at the Disco hit the scene in 2005 with their skin-crawlingly annoying debut A Fever You Can't Sweat Out, they were just another Fueled by Ramen disciple cashing in on Fall Out Boy's success, with the addition of more creative eye makeup and tackier costumes. On their latest album, released in March, the boys made a few changes. One: they listened to Sgt. Pepper. A lot. Two: they began dressing like OK Go. Three: They lost the punctuation in their moniker and added some to the album title.

Pretty. Odd. is pretty odd indeed. It marks a severe departure for the baby-faced quartet. Rather than the abrasive, near-unlistenable emo-pop that marred Fever, this album is packed with sweet grooves, appealing harmonies, and sophisticated pop songs.

Normally, I would never think twice about purchasing a Panic album. I was at a record store when I heard "Northern Downpour" and asked the clerk what the song was. I was shocked, and disgusted at my taste. But then, I listened to the album more, and realized that it was a really solid set of tunes. In fact, if a group on an indie label released it, I'd say they'd have fair success in that realm. Unfortunately, their reputation is quite the turn-off. It took me months to build the courage to buy the album.

I'm glad I did. Tackiness still remains with song titles ("Folkin' Around") but hearing the jangly pop redeems any trace of sleaziness. "When the Day Met the Night," probably the best track of the album, is gorgeously textured with acoustic strums, "Within You Without You"-esque noodling, horn jabs, pulsing strings, and classically-appealing Beach Boys harmonies. Songs like "Day" and the chugging "The Green Gentlemen" showcase Panic's songwriting chops and musical maturity.

By replacing cabaret with 60's-era pop sensibility, Panic at the Disco has found a new lease on life. If they continue to grow like this, they could be one of the few Fueled by Ramen groups to live through the trend.

808s & Heartbreak- Kanye West

Kanye West is a drama queen. He has thrown tantrums at award shows, compared himself to Jesus, vandalized airports and declared that George Bush doesn't care about black people, to name a few exhibitions of this fact. That said, 2008 was quite a year for West. His mother passed away (eliciting an extremely moving rendition of "Hey Mama" at last year's Grammys) and his engagement to longtime girlfriend Alexis Phifer dissolved. It seems as though for the first time, any claims of dissatisfaction or despair from West can be taken seriously.

On 808s & Heartbreak, West channels his depression into a finely crafted canon of detached yet highly emotional tracks. Using the ubiquitous AutoTune, West develops a downcast narrator who waxes despondent on the "good life," upon which he waxed rhapsodic with last year's Graduation. The songs found on Heartbreak are full of disillusion and gloom, a mood accented by the use of the Roland TR-808. The drum machine's low, tribal booms create a rumbling undercurrent to the album, appropriately suggesting an incoming storm. The robotic AutoTune, the thunderous 808 and the fact that West opts not to rap, mold Heartbreak into an intriguing and oddly lovely album.

Heartbreak's eleven songs (not counting the unnecessary live bonus track, "Pinocchio") are perhaps the most cohesive of any of West's albums, if only in the respect that they are intended to be thematically and musically related. Songs such as the 80's throwback "Paranoid" (feat. Mr. Hudson) and "RoboCop" (which samples the score from the film "Great Expections) segway neatly into each other, forming a hip-hopera of sorts. In this opera, though, the protagonist is an antihero: irreversibly depressed and dejected, with hardly motivation to improve his conditions. West chooses to bask in his tears, luckily to the benefit of the listener. The gorgeous "Streetlights" is a showcase of why West was an innovative producer in the hip-hop world before he even began to record himself. The singles "Love Lockdown" and "Heartless" are interesting and creative cuts, the former for its sparse atmosphere, the latter for its juxtaposition of a jaunty beat with glum lyrics.

808s & Heartbreak is no doubt a departure for West. While innovative and stunning in its own rite, its shroud of ice prevents it from holding a candle to Yeezy's past efforts. Reviews of the album have been divisive, and while it impresses me greatly, I hope West will pull himself from heartbreak and (excuse the pun) be stronger on his future albums.

Download these: "Street Lights," "Paranoid," "See You In My Nightmares."

Dr. Dog- Fate

For a band to play D.C.'s Iota Club & Cafe (it gets it's name from it's minute size) on one tour, and then months later play D.C.'s legendary 9:30 Club (with a 1,200 capacity) is a pretty good indication that they're onto something good, and Dr. Dog, who have been touring in support of their latest release, Fate, are indeed.

From it's packaging to it's sound, the common theme on Fate would be nostalgia. The album's lyric booklet, which resembles a Civil War-era newspaper, also includes a picture of the band in period garb. The band's use of three-part harmonies, lightly distorted guitar and twinkling piano along with singer Scott McMicken's well-controlled warble create an album reminiscent of those by 60's pop groups like the Band and the Beach Boys.

On the swinging "Army of Ancients," McMicken’s croons escalate to a frantic yelp as he sings “I don’t want to wake up/ I don’t want to move/ I’ll skip the sermon and stick to the booze/ I’m sorry.” Strings and punchy, muted horns add to the vintage sound.

Along with “Army of Ancients,” many of the songs on Fate have minor-chord mentalities, and wouldn’t sound out of place in a dingy nightclub. “The Ark” is a slinky, slow-building track filled with lyrics about eagerness to please and self-doubt.

More positive songs, such as “From,” a love song, showcase the groups ability to harmonize and knack for instrumental arrangements, including one memorable guitar solo. The organ is used on many of Dr. Dog’s song, and shines on the hymnal “100 Years.”

Album-opener “The Breeze” is a sweet ditty that encourages the listener to “put that needle to the groove, and sing” is they ever feel “stuck in time.” At its climax, the drum mimics a beating heart while band members “Ahhh” in tandem. As the band sings of the breeze blowing them all away, winding flutes play cycling chords, almost interpreting the song literally.

Stand out track “Hang On” follows “The Breeze.” Drawing as much from 60’s pop and alt.country as old soul records, McMicken pleads, “I don’t need a doctor to tear me all apart/ I just needs you to mend my heart.”

On the horn-jabbed “Uncovering the Old,” McMicken sings, “Nothing means nothing to me.” However, Dr. Dog truly care about the art of music and their love of the craft is on full display on Fate through their emotive vocals, contemplative lyrics and the inventive arrangements.