Javelin
is a new (and pretty darn interesting) NYC
based art/dance/lo-fi duo. Their tracks incorporate
all sorts of unexpected samples and influences
(from soul to videogame to world music) in
a way that is often reminiscent of Moby's
infamous "music for ads" period, but infinitely
cooler, more fun and less pretentious (uhm...
probably as pretentious actually, but the
fun element helps conceiling this quality).
The duo seems to belong to this new generation
of musicians who operate more like DJs rather
than bands: they write their own dancey songs
but perform them behind a table full of equipment;
they release records but also put out mix
tapes filled with assorted found and original
music. As if this wasn't enough, Javelin also
throws in the mix a "performance" element
that will make most art students happy: for
example, they are building some sort of boombox-only
merzbau, or better - as they call it - a sound
totem they call "boombaataa" (you can spot
it in the bottom video). If you have an old,
somewhat functional boombox, feel free to
hand it to them during their live show: they
will welcome it, paint it and recycle it for
this particular "art piece" they actually
use for particular performances they call
"live micro-broadcasts". The band just signed
with David Byrne's label Luaka Bop and will
be performing tonight at the Rooftop
Film event in the LES. Welcome to the
mysterious, multi-faceted world of Javelin.
- PDG -- website
April
2009
Home
Video
"It Will Be OK" EP
Comprising Brooklyn-based
music savants Collin Ruffino and David
Gross, Home Video is so much more than
your average electronic-rock collab.
Despite the fact that they’ve
been breaking it down for over five
years, it took the second season of
the hit show Gossip Girl to unite my
ears with their utter talent. Episode
20 featured “I Can Make You Feel
It,” a pulsating number characterized
by solid drumbeats, killer keyboard,
tambourine accents, haunting harmonies
and an eerie electro current. Peep the
frenetic, white on black, mixed medium
music video to help wrap your head around
this stellar song.
Beyond their primetime appearance, in
January Home Video released an EP, It
Will Be OK, in advance of their second
full-length, due to drop by the end
of ’09. Visit their official site
to download the EP for free. Bask in
Home Video’s intoxicating tunes,
which range in personality from somber
and minimalist to hopeful and sublime.
Capable of transforming mood with their
downright depressing but unequivocally
beautiful flourish of sick synth and
ambient tones, listeners will either
be elevated to a state of ecstasy and
dance or driven to despair.
Sure to give you nightmares and dominate
your dreams, Home Video may not be America’s
funniest, but they are among New York’s
finest. - Nell Alk - website
March
2009
Deradoorian
"Mind Raft" EP
You may be familiar
with 22 yeas old electronic artist Angel
Deradoorian, as she is also involved
in excellent experimental Brooklyn outfit
Dirty Projector. In her debut EP "Mind
Raft", Angel abandons the dissonant
and forced melodies that complement
her band's quirky songs, in favor of
a more relaxed, but not necessarily
less inventive, approach. There is an
obvious proposition to use as few elements
as possible in these tracks - hardly
ever more than 3 musical elements are
playing together. This minimalism allows
enough space for Angel's new low key
vocal approach to shine. The song High
Road showcases an impressive arranging
talent, in particular towards the end,
when heavenly choirs, ticking guitars
and gentle strings stabs expand the
atmosphere in a crescendo of melancholy
and sadness. It's no surprise then to
slowly come to realize that Deradoorian's
electronic and somehow futuristic gems
often reveal strong ties to the most
traditional and intrinsecally sad of
music genres: blues. - EP release at
Cake Shop on May 5. PDG - website
February
2009
Buke and Gass
"self titled" EP
Buke
and Gass are the most interesting experimental-ish,
avant-indie band I stumbled upon in
awhile. And I will take the opportunity
given to me by this record of the month
to explain why I believe these words
describe their music well.
It appears that in the indie world a
lot of bands are in love with the word
"experimental". This word, of course,
means everything and nothing: you don't
play guitar? Grab one and experiment
with this finger position, it's an E
chord: hurray! An experimental artist
has just been born!!! So yeah, there
are a lot of self-proclaimed "experimental"
indie artists that do things that have
been done a million times before. Experimental
music is something else of course much
more conceptual than rock'n'roll (and
a lot less fun?)
But notwithstanding all this, I really
appreciate indie artists who make an
effort to sound unique, not only in
their songwriting, but in all aspects
of their music. Being unique requires
some kind of experimentation with instruments
and vocals, hence my use of the word
"experimental-ish" to describe artists
whose style is particularly original.
But as all words ending in "ish" end
up sounding somewhat pejorative, here
comes "avant-indie" to satisfy our positivity
needs: avant as in "forward thinking",
indie as in "rock music for the discerning
masses".
Yes, Buke and Gass make forward thinking
music for discerning ears; they have
a thing for writing songs that manage
to make your body move spontaneously
and generate alternate feelings of tension
and release - something Soul Coughing
were very good at as well. This is what
rock'n' roll is all about. Their intricate
rhythms and edgy vocals will find them
many fans among the lovers of other
avant-indie artists (Animal Collective,
Grizzly Bear, Gang Gang Dance, St. Vincent,
Yeasayer etc.). It's just two of them,
playing mostly electric and acoustic
guitars and derivates, while hitting
a kick drum with a tambourine hanging
on it. Go enjoy their show at the Glasslands
on February 28. - PDG
- website
- permalink
Januarry
2009
Parts
and Labor
"Receivers"
Wise men and women know that bad news
can always carry an opportunity for change
and growth. When Parts and Labor's original
drummer Chris Weingarten left the band,
many fans of the noisy Brooklyn outfit
were wondering how they could replace
a musician that was so deeply instrumental
to the band's sound. "Receivers"
answers that question in the best possible
way: Parts and Labor's music, because
of that departure, may have lost some
of its frantic, industrial quality, but
it gained in space, structure and quality
of writing. Like the gorgeous booklet
design suggests, the band's experimentations
have finally reached an organic quality
that was missing: the disparate, mechanical,
fragmented elements still separated in
their previous recordings now somehow
work together and come to life, like the
weird "industrial bug" gracing
the band's CD cover.
The songwriting still carries strong Husker
Du references, but new, mostly pop and
even unexpected folk elements enrich the
melodic palette - and the listening experience.
"Nowheres Nigh" is this monster's
pop extremity, "Satellites"
its growing heads, and "Little Ones",
with its surprising references to old
american folk anthems, its roots and hearts.
- PDG - website
