Looking for something upbeat that will get you moving? Right from the start you can tell April Smith’s album is exactly what you’re looking for. Her first message: “I just want to mean something to you”. Well she can rest easy on that front, because she definitely makes herself relevant with her unique style. The title of the album is appropriate, for each new song makes me visualize choppy seas and that sinking ship. For that matter, the band’s full name “April Smith & The Great Picture Show is also very appropriate. From the five players who make the sound of a full band come music so rich with imagery that it’s hard to not have a picture show running through your head. The pace slows down a bit with “Dixie Boy,” but even this slower song has a certain drive behind it. The album never gets boring or feels dragged out (although the drastic change from the first few tracks to “Beloved” is a bit of an adjustment. There is a final upswing with the last two tracks though, going back to more of what we were first introduced to. Overall the record is thoroughly enjoyable (and if you buy the physical album actually looks like a miniature record. It is obvious that while April Smith might look young, she has an old school vibe about her. This makes her even more fascinating to me. I have heard the band is very good live, so my recommendation is to buy the album and see how you like it, then go take in a live show. I don’t think you will be disappointed.
April Smith & The Great Picture Show’s next live performance will be Aug 11th at le Poison Rouge.
Arcade Fire’s new album, “The Suburbs” is an experience that is powerful both musically and lyrically. The songs are upbeat and energetic at times, mellow and thoughtful at others. “Half Life” has pounding music that feels ready to burst any minute. It resolves to “Half Life II”, which starts slow and builds back up again.
Another word to describe the album is “eclectic”. “Suburban War” has war-like drum beats followed by the next track “Month of May” which is more of a dance number. The whole album goes through waves with different levels and emotional tones to them. With such a variety of flavors to experience, I’m sure you will find a song for you.
Arcade Fire are currently on tour, and will be in NYC August 4th & 5th. The Aug 4th date is sold out, but tickets are still available for Aug 5th, according to Bowery’s website.Full list of dates can be found on the Arcade Fire MySpace. If you can’t make it to any of the shows, fear not! The Madison Square Garden show will be broadcast on the Internets (see Bowery site for details). The event will be an historic one, so you’re not going to want to miss out.
Hearing the lead singer from a rock band make the change to solo artist, some might fear this will just be a watered down version of the former band. Rest assured, this is not the case with “We’ve All Been There”. Right from the start, Band shows his fans that he still has some rocker left in him. That’s not to say that this is just like The Calling but with a different band. Alex’ voice is recognizable from his days as frontman, but the sound is all his own. The album actually achieves a perfect balance that should keep fans of The Calling happy while also adding to that fan base and making it stronger. The album grabs the listener right away with the title track, letting them know that Band is giving it all he’s got with this one. Good to know, for those who have been waiting since he first announced his solo career back in 2005. These loyal follows have stayed with him through label issues and several delays. Five years later and they now have a new album to hold (which has been signed by the artist if they jumped on that promotion). And what an album it is, too. With each song you can hear the passion Band has for his craft. You would have to love something that much to go through the rollercoaster ride it has been and even creating a label, in essence building a home for the newborn child to live and feel comfortable in.
The album is entirely worth it (IMO) but a few songs especially stand out for me. One is the single “Tonight”, partly because I have had more time to fall in love with it and partly because it is just a truly powerful song. When the video was finally made available, I shared it with everyone I thought might be interested and played it a dozen times in the first day. In case you missed it, here it is again:
Another song is “Only One” because the chorus reminds us we only have one life to live, which I take a step further to mean we shouldn’t waste the time we’ve got left. This is a lesson we all learn at some point, but sometimes we need repeated reminders.
“Holding On” refers to “holding on to a dream and staying strong” – which could be the theme song for the overall process of recording the album and making it accessible to the public, the whole time fighting the urge to lose faith and not give up. Keeping with that theme, there is also the track “Love”, which proclaims “I’m not giving up… I’m blessed with love”. This is the sort of positive, uplifting message we need in difficult times like we have seen lately. The final song “Start Over Again” is about life bringing you down and being able to pick right up and start again. Or maybe Alex just subliminally is trying to tell us to start the record over again…. Hey, you don’t have to tell me twice!
After listening to the new album a few times on repeat, it’s time to enjoy them in a live setting. Now that the album is finally out, there are a series of tour dates to look forward to. The tour began on the West Coast on July 14th and will end on the East Coast on August 8th. The New York date is August 6th at Highline Ballroom. The complete list of dates can be found on his website, as well as the latest news the artist has to share and a bunch of other extras. You can also follow Alex on Facebook and Twitter as well. The album can be purchased on iTunes and his website, as well as certain local retailers. You’ve waited long enough for this one, folks – go buy your copy today!
I already wrote a review of Memphis when it was in previews, so instead consider this a spotlight on one of it’s cast members: Bryan Fenkart.
Bryan is part of the ensemble and understudy to the lead (usually played by Chad Kimball). Last night, Bryan played the lead part for both performances. I was in attendance at the evening show. Everyone in the cast did a fantastic job, no question about it. Montego Glover has a stunning wardrobe and an evening more stunning voice to match. Chad Kimball plays the part of Huey with an energy that grabs you from minute one. And Bryan? He’s usually in the ensemble, most likely only noticed by those who are looking for him. That is, until he gets the chance to be a star. Then everyone notices.
It’s always different when you know the performer. You want to be objective, but recognize that is almost impossible. So when everyone else in the theater is talking, it tells you that you were right about this one. He really is something special. Bryan did a splendid job taking on the lead last night, pushing the bar higher than ever before. His performance was fantastical. Afterwards, people waited by the stage door for pictures and autographs as if he was a star. Which he was, at least for that night. And I predict his star will keep rising a bit higher yet.
Hello Hurricane is Switchfoot’s seventh studio album and their most recent to date. The album is louder and more energized than previous albums by the band, but still remains true to their Christian Rock roots. There is simply more emphasis on the “rock” aspect here. The title track is a perfect example of this. The music is upbeat and perfect to dance to, but the words provide the typical positive and hopeful message that the band is known for. The words “Hello hurricane, you’re not enough. Hello hurricane, you can’t silence my love,” share the message that the speaker is not going to let the storms of life get them down or silence their belief. Switchfoot is one of the few bands I can think of that always seem to have positive and uplifting music that doesn’t fall into the trap of being dull. With the new album they have been able to amplify this ability to captivate their audience to the next degree. The band has been around for 13 years now with no signs of slowing down any time soon. It gives me hope for the music world to see this band flourish. In a time when everything else seems to be about negativity and what can go wrong, Switchfoot gives the listener something to feel good about.
While the rest of the album is good, The Fray definitely made the right choice with “You Found Me as the single for their latest album. It’s one of those songs that makes you stop and notice every time it comes on the radio. Stylistically all of the songs are classic “The Fray” style, but this is the most memorable track the record has to offer. Plus it is highly marketable with the relationship theme everyone can relate to and energetic music to go with it that really grabs the listener’s attention. Definitely go pick up this album (if you haven’t already).
The word for today is “energy” and Muse’s new album The Resistance certainly delivers. With the epic opening of the first track “Uprising” the listener knows they are in for quite a ride. The Resistance has many of the same elements of previous albums (especially Absolution) and yet something different has been infused into the mix. There is more energy here than ever before. Everything seems more upbeat, but it is done in a way that doesn’t make it feel Poppy. Even the classic slower song midway through the album (United States of Eurasia) is more energetic than before.Of course they save the best for last with the three-part masterpiece “Exogenesis: Symphony”, which essentially has all of the elements that make Muse great but amplified. It is the punctuation to a fantastic album. In conclusion, The Resistance brings us the same great Muse but with a twist. This will keep old fans happy (this fan was certainly more than satisfied) while possibly attracting a new crowd to the fold. Hopefully this will mean more popularity for them in the U.S. I hope so because this is one band that definitely is underrated as of yet.
