New Order @ Aragon Ballroom (10/21)

I’ve always appreciated New Order as a groundbreaking dance-pop band and one of the most consistent hit-makers of the 1980’s, but in the last five years my love for them has increased dramatically. I now count them among my very favorite bands of all time, so having the chance to see them live (even sans one of it’s founding members, bassist Peter Hook) was an absolute thrill especially since they rarely tour the US (the last time was seven years ago). The Manchester synth-pop legends lived up to my high expectations with an extraordinary, triumphant concert in Chicago.

For a band that’s 30+ years old, the crowd was surprisingly diverse, with a fairly equal spread of twentysomethings, middle-aged folk and college-aged kids showing up to historic Aragon Ballroom to see the band work through a setlist that mixed all their big singles, classic album tracks and even some old Joy Division favorites. Running contrary to their reputation of being cool and detached, the band actually put on a very enthusiastic stage show led by singer/ guitarist Bernard Sumner who proved to be an engaging, charismatic frontman. Of course, he’s backed by heroic drummer Stephen Morris, Gillian Gilbert on synth and bassist Tom Chapman, who turned out to be a very capable replacement for Peter Hook.

New Order arrived the stage with possibly the coolest walk-on music ever, Ennio Morricone’s “The Ecstacy of Gold” from The Good, The Bad and the Ugly soundtrack (which famously plays during the 3-way Mexcian stand-off at the climax). That led straight into the band’s own instrumental theme, the ominous “Elegia” from Low-Life and then their 2001 single “Crystal”. The music video for “Crystal” (which played on the LED wall behind the band) inspired both the The Killers‘ name and their concept for their “Somebody Told Me” video, offering a reminder of how influential New Order has been on the current music landscape.

The band worked their way back with a great rendition of 1993’s “Regret” (easily my favorite song of their post-80’s output) and then the very first New Order single “Ceremony”, which was actually a Joy Division track prior to Ian Curtis’ death (as was noted by Bernard Sumner in the song’s intro). Another early track followed, the spectacular “Age of Consent”, opening song to 1983’s Power Corruption and Lies and then “Love Vigilantes” which Sumner pointed out was not an Iron & Wine song (I think the fact the band is even aware of Iron & Wine’s cover is pretty amazing).

The middle of the set included a couple more new tracks “Here To Stay” from the 24-Hour Party People soundtrack and “Close Range” from 2001’s Get Ready along with a couple of album tracks from Power Corruption and Lies, the gorgeous, melodica-featuring “Your Silent Face” and they highly danceable “5 8 6”. The final stretch of the set though is where things really started to take off, playing through much of their brilliant 1987 singles collection Substance, starting with my personal favorite “Bizarre Love Triangle”. The track saw Bernard Sumner putting down the guitar and roaming the stage as he led a sing-a-long to the song’s infectious chorus. The momentum continued with epic performances of “True Faith”, “Perfect Kiss” and “Blue Monday”, which saw Sumner holding up his mic to Chapman’s bass as he played the song’s iconic riff. The best was saved for last though as the band went into an ecstatic performance of “Temptation”, with the “Up! Down! Turn Around!” chorus setting the crowd on an absolute dance frenzy, encouraged by a disco ball that dropped on stage for the track.

New Order are known to do encores a little differently, in their early shows they’d sometimes skip them altogether, and when they did play them they usually opted to play a rarity or cover instead of one of their hit songs. For this show, the band played three Joy Division tracks as a moving tribute to their former bandmate and friend, Ian Curtis. They began with the Closer track “Heart and Soul” (a first for the tour) and then played Joy Division’s two most iconic songs “Atmosphere” “Love Will Tear Us Apart”, both posthumously-released tracks that hinted at the beginnings of New Order’s synth-heavy, dance-pop sound. It was truly amazing thing to witness and managed to make their wonderful performance even more memorable.

MP3 New Order – Temptation
MP3 Joy Division – Love Will Tear Us Apart 

Follow the jump for more New Order photos. Click here to see the full set.

MP3: The Deadly Syndrome – Whatever Comes Our Way

This blog has a storied history with LA indie folk/rock band, The Deadly Syndrome. We were actually the first blog to post about them way back in 2006, and it’s great to hear they’re still making beautiful music six years after we received their 4-track demo in our mailbox. I’ve spend the afternoon listening to their new LP All In Time, and it continues the passionate, dynamic indie rock of their first two albums, The Ortolan and Nolens Volens.

The latest single from the album, “Whatever Comes Our Way” is an exceptional track, striking a great balance between electronica-tinged acoustic folk melodies and bursts of distorted electric guitar. Check out the track below and hear the full album at the band’s soundcloud.

MP3 The Deadly Syndrome – Whatever Comes Our Way

Cover: Divine Fits – "Lost" (Frank Ocean)

Frank Ocean‘s Channel Orange is so chock-full of amazing songs that its easy to overlook a track like “Lost” especially coming directly after the magnificently epic “Pyramids”. The lively, upbeat tempo and invigorating melody was not lost on Britt Daniel though and last night with indie supergroup Divine Fits he debuted a fantastic cover of the track in Pawtucket, RI. The song turns out to be a perfect fit for Daniel’s raw vocals and jagged guitar playing (if you didn’t know better, you’d think it was a Spoon song), making it one interesting covers I’ve heard this year.

Buy A Thing Called Divine Fits at Merge Records.

Pygmalion Festival – Day Three (Grizzly Bear / Dinosaur Jr. / Cloud Nothings / UMO / Frankie Rose / Lower Dens)

Whereas most days at Pygmalion Music Festival you’ll find yourself bouncing around from place to place to catch all the good bands, for the grand finale everyone was centralized in one place, downtown Champaign at the Highdive Outdoor stage. It was an amazing set-up and led to perhaps my favorite day of live music in Pygmalion’s 8-year history.

After a number of local Champaign/Urbana acts warmed up the stages (my personal favorite being folk/pop quartet Grandkids), current Grizzly Bear-tourmates Lower Dens kicked things off with their atmospheric, guitar-driven Krautrock, playing a number of tracks from their acclaimed 2012 album, Nootropics. The band’s expertise is creating hazy, trance-like soundscapes so while much of their music is probably better suited to headphones listening, dreamy singles like “Brains” and “Propagation” were mesmerizing.

MP3 Lower Dens – Brains

Former Vivian Girls drummer Frankie Rose took the stage with her band for a early evening set of reverb-heavy indie-pop from her acclaimed sophomore album Interstellar. The band’s lush, super-melodic tunes like “Know Me” and “Night Swim” sounded great on stage and considering the smallish crowd at the outdoor side-stage, Rose put on an engaging and enjoyable set.

MP3 Frankie Rose – Know Me

Unknown Mortal Orchestra were one of my most anticipated acts of the night and they didn’t disappoint. The Portland psych trio injected a healthy dose of druggy guitar jams to the festival proceedings, led by perpetually laid-back singer-guitarist Ruban Nielson. What the band lacks in an energy though they more than make up for with their visceral, fuzzed-out sound, made even better by the impressive rhythm section that gives tunes like “Ffunny Ffriends” and new single “Swim and Sink” their intoxicating psych-pop bounce. Grizzly Bear were obviously taken by the band as well, thanking them multiple times during their set, and it’s easy to see why.

MP3 Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Swim and Sleep (Like A Shark)

It was a huge thrill to see Dinosaur Jr. at Pygmalion, given that they were one of the pivotal bands of the 80’s alternative rock scene, inspiring countless bands from Pavement to Nirvana. Unlike many of the bands from the pre-grunge era still kicking though, these guys are no nostalgia act. Following their reunion in 2007, they’ve released three solid albums and as they proved here, their live show destroys. On stage, the band is an ultra-tight three-piece, led by J Mascis’ incredible guitar heroics and cracked falsetto with powerful backup from Lou Barlow’s unrelenting bass and Murph’s thundering drums.

Dinosaur Jr. played just about the best (and loudest) set I could ask including all of my favorite classic tracks like “Keep Choppin'”, “Freak Scene”, “The Lung” and “Little Fury Bugs”. The highlight had to be “Feel The Pain” though, with it’s breakneck tempo changes and face-melting guitar solo. The band closed with their thundering cover of “Just Like Heaven” (complete with the abrubt ending), topping off an explosive set that proved beyond any doubt that J Mascis and co. still got it.

MP3 Dinosaur Jr – Feel The Pain

Cloud Nothings put on easily one of the most memorable sets at Pitchfork Festival this summer, partially due to the torrential downpour that they played through and eventually shut them down, so I was definitely looking forward to seeing them play a full set. The band absolutely delivered, playing a rager of a set and inciting one of the craziest mosh pits I’ve witnessed.

The band opened with their catchiest track, “Stay Useless”, but the bobbing heads and sing-a-long melodies quickly turned to fist-pumping and all-out thrashing as the band ferociously stormed through “Fall In”, “Cut You” and especially “Wasted Days”. Even sandwiched between veterans Dinosaur Jr. and indie royalty Grizzly Bear, the band more than held their own, playing an profoundly energetic, boisterous set.

MP3 Cloud Nothings – Stay Useless

Closing out this year of Pygmalion Festival was a performance from one of the most extraordinary bands working today (indie or otherwise), and the Grizzly Bear put one of the best shows I’ve seen at this or any festival. Opening with what happens to be my favorite song from their new album, “Speak In Rounds” the Brooklyn quartet awed the crowd with their unique brand of rock music that balances lush harmonies, dynamic instrumentation and complex yet engaging songwriting. The band just released their latest masterpiece, Shields an extremely ambitious, progressive that builds upon the band’s ten years of musical experience without attempting to replicate their previous albums, Veckatimest and Yellow House.

The new songs sounded breathtaking live, and provided a wonderful showcase for the band’s exceptional musicmanship, most notably Chris Bear’s improvisational drumming style and the band’s exuberant harmonies. “Yet Again”, “A Simple Answer” and “Sun In Your Eyes” stood out to me as highlights, joining the pantheon of great Grizzly Bear tracks like “Two Weeks”, “Knife”,  “Ready, Able” and “While We Wait For The Others”, all of which were played on Saturday night to perfection. The band closed with an energetic performance of “On A Neck, On A Spit” before expressing their gratitude at being asked to play Pygmalion Festival. After witnessing their awe-inspiring performance, the pleasure was all ours.

MP3 Grizzly Bear – Speak In Rounds
MP3 Grizzly Bear – Yet Again

Follow the jump for lots more Pygmalion Festival Day Three photos. Click here to see the full set.

MP3: Murals – Eyes Of Love

“Eyes of Love” by Louisville-based Murals is a gorgeous folk song that I’ve wanted to post here for a while but unfortunately never got around to until now. Take that as evidence of my absent-mindedness, and not a slight against this blissful track which sounds like it was plucked from the psychedelic movement of the late-60’s where it sat comfortably among artists like Nick Drake, The Zombies and Simon and Garfunkel. The band’s full album On a Passing Cloud is available to listen on Soundcloud and purchase on Bandcamp and I highly recommend if you’re into beautifully arranged, whimsical folk songs that you check them out.

MP3 Murals – Eyes of Love

Pygmalion Festival – Day Two (Dirty Projectors / Best Coast / Lord Huron / Tennis / Hospitality / Hundred Waters)

One of the great things about this year of Pygmalion Music Festival is that since it was condensed to three days instead of the normal four days (or five, the case of ’10), the festival organizers were able to fit a ton more of amazing bands into one night, all killer no filler if you will. Friday night was the best example, starting with great sets by Tennis and Dirty Projectors at the outdoor stage in downtown Urbana.

All due respect to Best Coast, but as far as band’s that play retro, sunny pop music, Tennis were clearly the winners on Friday night. The band played a fantastic set, drawing from the band’s debut Cape Dory and their latest album Young and Old, that was carried by Alaina Moore’s mesmerizing vocals and charismatic stage presence. Highlights included some old favorites like “Marathon” (the first Tennis song I heard, and still my favorite) and “South Carolina” and some dreamy tunes from their new album including “Origins” and set closer “High Road”. On a chilly night in late September, Tennis made the whole crowd feel warm and fuzzy.

MP3 Tennis – High Road

After just seeing Dirty Projectors at Pitchfork this summer, I knew what to expect (lots of angular guitar, odd time signatures and vivid, alluring harmonies), but that didn’t make the experience any less engrossing. Dave Longstreth has lept up to become one of my favorite indie rock frontman, when he wasn’t pulling off the band’s super-intricate art-rock jams, he was cracking jokes about being able to see the Walgreens sign poking through the trees from the stage and discussing with the crowd whether the moon was waxing or waning. Again, the tracks from Swing Lo Magellan like “Gun Has No Trigger” and “About To Die” were the highlights for me although the extended noisy jam on “Useless Chamber” was up there as well.

MP3 Dirty Projectors – About To Die
MP3 Dirty Projectors – Gun Has No Trigger

I headed out during the last couple Dirty Projectors songs, just in time to catch the beginning of Hospitality‘s set. The Brooklyn band put out one of the best debuts (and best indie-pop records in general) of 2012 with their self-titled album earlier this year, and even though they were relegated to the small stage, they completely rocked it. The band worked through some of the ultra-catchy, jangly pop on the record like “Eight Avenue”, “Friends of Friends” and “All Day Today”, while emphasizing their impressive guitar-work to make up for the lack of horn section from the album. They even played a couple new songs, that showed just why they’re one of the most promising new bands working today.

MP3 Hospitality – Friends of Friends

If you had asked me what my most anticipated act for Friday night at Pygmalion Festival was, my answer would have been Lord Huron, hands-down. The band has been on my radar for over a year and a half when they released two amazing EPs, Into The Sun and Mighty. It’s been a long wait, but they are finally releasing their debut album, Lonesome Dreams next week and I was thrilled to be able to hear them perform a bunch of new songs and a couple old at the Canopy Club.

Singer / songwriter Ben Schneider and his fellow troubadours played an enthusiastic set of their unique, tropical-inflected rhythms and upbeat afro-pop percussion, immersing the crowd in their lush, breezy sound. The band has a knack for writing melodies that stick with you and that was certainly on display throughout their set, especially on their 1-2 punch to close of set of “Time To Run” and classic “The Stranger”. I only wish they had some more time, because I could have easily watched Lord Huron play all night.

MP3 Lord Huron – Time To Run
MP3 Lord Huron – The Stranger

To borrow from one of Best Coast‘s most overused lyrics, the band seemed a bit “lazy” on stage at their headlining Canopy Club set. Bethany Cosentino didn’t waste any time mentioning her displeasure with their late time slot, complaining that it was way past all their bed times, and the band generally gave off the vibe that she didn’t want to be there (in heavy contrast to the rest of the headliners, who seemed absolutely elated to be playing). Yeah, it was still decently fun singing a long to tunes like “The Only Place” and “When I’m With You”, but overall the band was flat and non-engaging. The very young crowd didn’t seem to mind too much, but I, for one, gave up after a few songs to check out Hundred Waters next door.

MP3 Best Coast – When I’m With You

It turns out the decision to give up on Best Coast early and catch Hundred Waters, was the best one I made all night. Even though the band were moved last-minute from the larger Channing-Murray venue to the Red Herring cafe (essentially a basement), they still managed to put on a captivating set and sounded incredible. The band’s experimental folk/pop was the perfect late-night chill/dance music with their rippling synths, syncopated electronica and inventive harmonies create their full, complex songs. Just watching the percussionist produce the lush soundscapes by twisting knobs and clicking colorful buttons was one of the most rewarding experiences of the festival for me.

MP3 Hundred Waters – Me & Anodyne

Follow the jump for lots more Pygmalion Festival Day Two photos. Click here to see the full set.

Top Music Videos of September '12 (Via SeenYourVideo.com)

Each month at our sister blog, Seen Your Video, we watch a ton of music videos and share the best ones with you. These are my five favorites for the month of September. Topping the list are eccentric dancing, surrealistic urban storytelling, body-poppers in art galleries, Elle Fanning in the woods and a wandering figure skater. Watch the videos below!

5. AlunaGeorge “Your Drums, Your Love” (dir. Henry Scholfield)

4. Woodkid “Lolita Lempicka” (dir. Yoann Lemoine)

3. David Byrne & St Vincent “Who” (dir. Martin de Thurah)

2. Grizzly Bear “Yet Again” (dir. Emily Kai Bock)

1. Flying Lotus “Until The Quiet Comes” (dir. Kahlil Joseph)

Don’t forget to check out Seen Your Video for many more cool music videos.

Pygmalion Festival – Day One (HUM / Psychic Twin / Jared Bartman)

This year marked the 8th year that Pygmalion Music Festival has taken over Champaign / Urbana, IL, turning it into the epicenter for top-notch indie music for one weekend of the year. It’s also the 8th year that I’ve attended, so suffice it to say, I’m a big fan of the festival which continues to get bigger and better every year. The opening day of the festival hit a speed bump when headliners Sleigh Bells cancelled due to an injury, but luckily the band was able to get local space-rock legends HUM to replace them, it turned out to be a great opening day all the same.

I started the night at the Krannert Art Museum seeing perhaps the best artist to come out of my hometown (Peoria IL) in the last few years, Jared Bartman, and he brought along an impressive eight-piece band (including his wife and baby) to perform his captivating folk tunes. I find Jared’s music increasingly hard to classify, some of his newer tracks like “In Belize” have a Afro-Caribbean folk feel, others borrow from the striking guy/girl harmonies of Dirty Projectors, and there’s also a definite blues influence on tracks like “Love’s Secret” and his cover of “Grinning In Your Face” (notable for being Jack White’s favorite song).

His Pygmalion Festival set gave us a taste of all his different sides, but mostly showcased his vibrant songwriting and the lovely harmonies and strings arrangements that flesh out his music. Jared just released an excellent Daytrotter session this year and will be releasing his second full-length album in 2013.

Jared Bartman – In Belize (Daytrotter Session)

After catching a bit of Nashville-based experimental folk band Night Beds at Krannert I headed over to Psychic Twin, a band which formed from the ashes of local Champaign/Urbana favorite, Headlights. The electro-pop trio are a recent signee with Lefse Records and has been picking up some blog buzz lately with their infectious melodies, minimalist beats and dreamy vocals. The band recently added a third member on percussion who added some great energy to the set, and the band had the crowd dancing in the dark to enchanting tunes like “I Want To Forget” and new single “Gonna Get Her”.

MP3 Psychic Twin – Gonna Get Her

As I mentioned before, HUM were a last-minute replacement for scheduled headliners, Sleigh Bells, but considering I had just seen the noise-pop duo at Pitchfork Festival, I wasn’t the least bit disappointed. Prior to the announcement, I wasn’t too familiar with HUM but after listening and relistening to their albums You’d Prefer An Astronaut (which spawned hit single “Stars”) and Downward is Heavenward, I found myself anticipating their set more and more.

As if there was any doubt, the band still’s got it, tearing through a set with bombastically loud, spaced-out guitar and heavy drums that wonderfully contrast Talbott’s nonchalant vocal style. The highlights for me were the tracks from Downward is Heavenward (especially “Green To Me”) which I find to be the perfect mix of melancholic, cerebral indie rock with the blaring, head-banging riffs of 90’s alt-rock. If you’re like me, and never experienced HUM I definitely recommend you take a listen, you may just stumble upon a new old favorite.

MP3 HUM – Green To Me

Follow the jump for more Pygmalion Festival Day One photos. Click here to see the full set.