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2008-02-13

by Don Simpson

Some Music Coming to Town

Summary

Some reviews of CDs and bands coming to town

Article

The Acorn – Glory Hope Mountain

Having never really known all the grimy details about his mother’s eventful and tumultuous life prior to his birth, The Acorn’s lead singer Rolf Klausener opted to interview her and craft an album in homage to her trials and tribulations. A native Honduran, Gloria Esperanza Montoya’s mother died while giving birth to her and Montoya almost died as well (as Klausener sings: ‘your rosy lungs were empty on the day that you were born / no one thought you would make it past the morning’). The poetically surreal narrative of Glory Hope Mountain (a loose English translation of Montoya’s name), told over lush soundscapes ranging from the sparse airiness of folk and Americana tinged tracks to infinitely complex structures that teeter on the verge of progressive rock, spans natural disasters and child abuse (as Klausener sings: ‘and take a stab from papa’s spear / Getting drunk on rotten air’). This story of Montoya, who has always chosen to live life in the present rather than in the past, does not end with the same sorrow and despair which it began; she escaped to Montreal in the early 1970s and has lived a good and happy life ever since. Despite Montoya’s living motto of not looking back, Glory Hope Mountain is a poignant example of how important and affecting history (especially family history) can be.

Devastations – Yes, U

Devestations are the band that caused tears to stream from Karen O’s (Yeah Yeah Yeahs) eyes within the first five minutes of hearing their music. Sharing the untamed voracity of the Swell Maps and Suicide with the experimental-pop ambience of the Tindersticks, Velvet Underground and Scott Walker; Yes, U is Devastations’ third full-length (each containing 10 tracks) of brooding complexity. Just as the band members themselves tend toward a nomadic existence (originating from Australia, but currently alternating residencies between multiple European cities – primarily Berlin and London), Devastations’ sound is difficult to pin down. This could be due, at least in part, to Devastations utilization of two primary songwriters-vocalists: Tom Carlyon (guitars, vocals) and Conrad Standish (bass, vocals). It is the back-to-back pairing of Standish’s “Rosa” and Carlyon’s “The Pest” that forms the emotional and theoretical crux of Yes, U. These two seminal tracks contradict and complement each other within the same deep breath. Yes, U is chockfull of contradictions: sensual and evil; complex and sparse; beautiful and grotesque; inviting and disparaging. As Karen O’s virginal experience with Devestations suggests, Yes, U is primed to stir up a plethora of emotions within its audience…there just might even be a few tears, so don’t forget the facial tissues.

Ida – Lover’s Prayers

Epitomizing the melancholy existence of a slacker-cum-indie-rocker, Ida created music that instantaneously melded with my mid-90s consciousness, attitude and aesthetic. Tales of Brave Ida (1994), I Know About You (1996) and Ten Small Paces (1997) each played a significant role in my life, predominantly with relationships; so much so that “Little Things” from I Know About You still occasionally brings tears to my eyes. Ida’s consistency is unmatched, Lover’s Prayers (their 7th full-length) sounds exactly like the loyal confidant and friend from my past. This is not to say that they are not willing to try new things; for instance the stunningly ethereal and dynamic composition of “The Love Below” is unlike anything I’ve heard them do – but at its core is still the ever-faithful Ida. It is heart wrenching for me to think that Ida has never received the recognition that they truly deserve. For the past 13 years I have continuously claimed that Daniel Littleton is one of the greatest guitarists to ever grace the indie-pop world; but, honestly, it is the distinct vocal arrangements and performances by the husband and wife team of Littleton and Elizabeth Mitchell, teamed with Karla Schickele, that make Ida’s music so poignant, unique, entrancing, sublime and amazing. Here’s hoping that Lover’s Prayers finally collects on Ida’s much overdue recognition and praise, not just because they deserve the attention but because this is (arguably) the best album of their oeuvre.

Thao & The Get Down, Stay Down – We Brave Bee Stings & All

We Brave Bee Stings & All hits like a much deserved slap across the face followed by an all-forgiving kiss on the cheek. Thao Nguyen is an ever-so voracious and empowered front-woman, and she’s not in the music game to play with the stereotypical feminine cards. Instead, with the aid of her distinctly stilted yet rhythmic, sing-song delivery (like a lo fi indie-rocker with hip hop coercing through her veins); Nguyen takes on a male-dominated off-kilter indie-rock sub-genre once ruled by the likes of Modest Mouse, Pavement, Beck and Shrimp Boat/The Sea and Cake. Utilizing a signifying vocal rhythm that often sets itself against the grain of the already complex underlying beat (deftly laid down by The Get Down, Stay Down), We Brave Bee Stings & All ‘soothes you like a lick of ice cream.’ Nguyen’s vocals flow with a poetic nonchalance; spewing lines that singularly could be read as overtly simple and obvious but take on a bit of the surreal when digested as a whole. Let’s not forget about lo fi playful funk brought down upon us by The Get Down, Stay Down. Seemingly chaotic musical structures sugarcoated with everything from horns to hand-claps, the inherent groove is undeniable. Probably the most unassuming dance album of the year it will be difficult for the world not to get down (and stay down) to We Brave Bee Stings & All.
(Thao & The Get Down Stay Down will be performing live at Echo on April 11.)

St. Vincent – Marry Me

Marry Me is one of the most challenging, complex, difficult, significant and progressive albums released in the last few years – a bold statement, yes, but St. Vincent (the stage moniker of multi-instrumentalist Annie Clark) proves its inherent truth throughout her 11-track debut fullength. Not since Laurie Anderson and Kate Bush’s experimental heydays in the 1980s (and to a slightly lesser extent: Tori Amos and PJ Harvey in the 1990s), has a woman attacked the musical medium with such deconstructive fervor. The strong yet ethereal voice of Annie Clark works in shocking juxtaposition to the bitingly bittersweet lyrical undercurrents and the sonic mayhem of her lavishly constructed soundscapes (Clark single-handedly provides a relentless deluge of voices, guitars, bass, piano, organ, Moog, synthesizers, clavieta, xylophone, vibraphone, dulcimer, drum programming, triangle, percussion; while Bowie-collaborator Mike Garson provides some piano work and Polyphonic Spree/Man (Or Astro-Man?) drummer Brian Teasley provides the non-programmed beats). Clark practices what she sings on “Paris is Burning,” unsuspectingly lulling you into a trance with her magnificent vocal presence as she ‘slip[s] poison into your ear.’ Throughout the album the lyrics are dark and menacing, as if preparing for the unavoidable apocalypse; discussing the frustrating and hopeless topics of war, religion and human behavior. Each song exists in its own unique world in which the sky is the limit. The irreverent rhythms and wild compositions work in stark contradiction to the world of 4/4 beats and verse/chorus structures that the western world has wholly accepted as the norm. The album closer, “What Me Worry?” is the most straightforward and traditional track; as if to let the listener down gently after such a crazed and invigorating ride. The final line ends this tremendous escapade in the most brilliant fashion: ‘Have I fooled you dear? The time is coming near when I’ll give you my hand and I’ll say, “It’s been grand, but I’m out of here.”’
(St. Vincent will be performing live at Echoplex on February 15.)

Taken By Trees – Open Field

Until 2006, Victoria Bergsman (nee Taken by Trees) was the lead singer for the vital Swedish indie-pop band The Concretes for more than a decade. Shortly thereafter, her voice fatefully graced the massively popular (and incredibly catchy) Peter, Bjorn and John single "Young Folks" (from Writer’s Block) – despite her lengthy tenure with The Concretes, “Young Folks” is undeniably the most popular single featuring Bergsman’s vocals (at least to date). It’s not surprising that for her next musical endeavor, Bergsman (by this point using the moniker Taken by Trees) opted to record four demos produced by PB&J’s Björn Yitling. Bergsman then began work on her debut long-player (Open Field), which she co-produced with Yitling and features Yitling and (fellow PB&Jer) John Eriksson as part of her backing band. Her vocals and morose lyrical undertones remain unmistakable as the once lead singer of The Concretes, and the orchestration is just as lavish and intricate as The Concretes’ recordings; but Taken By Trees’ songs are much more mellow and spacious, like a grandiosely produced folk album. Despite the contributions by two-thirds of PB&J, the one track that sounds closest to that of “Young Folks” is the only song on Open Field penned by a third party (“Lost and Found” – written by Camera Obscura’s Tracyanne Campbell). “Hours Pass Like Centuries” is the true stand-out from Open Field; reliant almost solely upon the layers of vocals, the result is truly stunning. Followed by the equally sparse and intriguing “Too Young”, it seems Bergsman may be finally becoming comfortable enough with her voice to let it stand alone.
(Taken By Trees will be performing live – an extremely rare occurrence – at the Roxy Theatre on February 28.)

Mia Doi Todd – Gea

Mia Doi Todd’s seventh full-length, Gea borrows equal parts from the lo fi acoustic minimalism of the first half of her career (The Ewe and the Eye, Come Out of Your Mine and Zeroone) and the more dense and experimentally lavish songs of the latter half (The Garden State, Manzanita and La Ninja: Amor and other dreams of Manzanita). The nearly 11-minute opener, “River of Life / The Yes Song” spans a multitude of different readings – from the literal realization of love between partners to the philosophical awakening of one’s love and appreciation of Mother Earth – just as the entirety of Gea effortlessly alternates between a lover’s lament to political/environmental diatribe. The political undercurrent culminates in the astounding “In the End” which simultaneously takes aim at the U.S. government’s lackadaisical “attempt” to come to the aid of the victims of Hurricane Katrina and the global concerns regarding the quickly-approaching death of Mother Nature due to the world’s ignorance of the significance of impending environmental issues. What better way to follow that dense lyrical attack than with the sublime hopefulness of “Old World New World”; just getting the concerns expressed throughout Gea off her chest and out into the open helped Todd discover this new utopian consciousness. What Todd creates on Gea is a peaceful space for everyone to meditate upon the meaning of life in order to unravel a greater understanding and discover their own new world. The tracks can be used as friendly advice to guide you through a personal relationship or as a tool to assist you to dive deeper into the collective consciousness of the world. Meditating on the organic vibes of peace and love, Gea exists as a nonviolent attack on the noise, war and destruction engulfing us today.
(Mia Doi Todd will be performing live at The Wiltern on March 25.)