The album’s opener “In A Dream (It Seemed Real)”  has the perfect opening lyric to set the tone for this brilliant album: Open up your door for me and let me in/Can’t you see how cold I am. As content and vivacious the music of Islands was before, this album is filled with despair and isolation in which Thorburn opens up and details a tumultuous end of a relationship. The album’s bluesy beginning sets a melancholic tone that eventually shifts into something a little more reminiscent of happier times but those times are rarely heard. This record seems like an outlet for Thorburn to express his most difficult times and the heaviness on the heart that he endures. A perfect example is on “Lonely Love”, where Thorburn admits: I don’t want no part of this lonely love/I don’t want no part of this love. It is evident that Thorburn is trying to surpass the feeling of self-loathing and isolation.

Islands’ “Hallways”

There is extraordinary percussion work on “Never Go Solo”, and there is also a shift of attitude in the musical aspect, where low and gloomy tones are replaced with sounds that are comparable to indie giants like The Shins and Arcade Fire. There are also hints of a throwback pop and doo-wop sounds from the late-mid 20^th century, where the crisp guitar strums on “No Crying” and the vocal harmonies on “Can’t Feel My Face” are contagious as well as mournful.

The happiest moment of the album clocks in at just under three minutes and is titled “Hallways”. It is easily the most upbeat and joyous track on A Sleep & A Forgetting, but it is still not far away from the theme of sadness. This is not the Islands that one might be used to, but it is a transformation into quality musicianship and carefully constructed material. Islands went from a happy-go-lucky jam-pop band to an accomplished group who explore many levels on the musical scale, through Thorburn’s subconscious as well as his soul. The album finishes the same way it started; with somber and exhaustive emotion. Don’t I Love You and The Same Thing are two pieces with extravagant melodies, touching the inner perspectives of love and self-figuration.

As melodramatic as this album might seem, it is a collection of carefully and beautifully arranged tunes that Thorburn and his band produce. A Sleep & A Forgetting is not only a necessity for pop aficionados, but a must for passionate music lovers.

By Alex Giardini

Welcome back for day three of reggae week, over here at Song of the Day.

Old sounds are great, making history and setting the stage for the next generation of musicians. One band taking the reigns for reggae music is The Aggrolites — a Los Angeles based five-piece bringing back some vintage sounds for a new audience.

Signed by Hellcat Records after their debut album Dirty Reggae in 2003, The Aggrolites released three albums through the label. After the completion of their fourth album, aptly named IV, The Aggrolites parted ways with the Tim Armstrong (of Rancid) owned label, and in 2011 released Rugged Road through Young Cub Records.

Check out the opening track to 2007′s Reggae Hit L.A.” below, and let us know what you think are some of the best reggae artists around today. Check back in tomorrow when we take a closer look at reggae’s more upbeat cousin, ska.

Dean Goranites
Dean.goranites@ourvinyl.com
twitter @unleash_this

01 Work It by OhJay_Music

Lotus at Madison Theater 2/14/2012

Lotus returned to the Madison Theater in Covington last week for a special evening, joining fans from across the river in Ohio and Kentucky for a Valentine’s Day show that emanated with good vibes and love. Following their epic sold out gig at The Fillmore in Denver, the energy at Madison Theater appeared to have been seamlessly transmitted from it, which was one of the most highly anticipated Lotus shows of the year so far. They were definitely in go mode that night as they were also gearing up to throw down in Chicago the following weekend with Conspirator and Emancipator at the historical Congress Theater. Approaching the venue, the line of people waiting to enter the theater was thick with anticipation and excitement to get a much needed dose of Lotus lovin’ as well as escape the frigid cold. Lotus quickly took the stage, delving into a heavy Hammerstrike opener, setting the tone for the rest of the set to follow.

Next on deck, Lucid Awakening and Break Build Burn; the two songs collided with the audience in an aura of warm lights and reverberating sounds as the music in the venue carried straight out from the stage to the back of the room, almost like a jet stream of sound blasting you in the face. Heart shaped balloons began to rise from the crowd, floating above our heads as Lotus played on. Blender came after, mixing it up, literally as the song seemed to spin the sound in a cyclone around the room. Coupled with the glittering light of the twisting disco ball overhead, visual and auditory sensory blended together as the yellow flickers of light spun around and around. From then on out, as Lotus headed into Livingston Storm, they maintained the pace of their set at a progressively elevating speed, raising the bar higher and higher with each song.

Lotus’ Livingston Storm

Livingston Storm hurdled through the speakers, complete with funky breakdowns and a coagulation of fast building rifts that truly imitates the onset of a storm headed straight to your head, then effortlessly slipped into a heavy Golden Ghost. Off of their latest self-titled album, Golden Ghost is a sure way to get the crowd moving with an overall perfect collaboration of new progressive musical elements for the band. Set to follow included The Oaks, and a cover of Shuggie Otis’ Strawberry Letter 23 picked specifically for the Valentine’s Day vibe. The set seemed to alter slightly as Blacklight Sunflare burst into the room and the light show changed. Lasers had been cast out across the crowd, creating a net that seemed only to press the sound down upon the audience from above, surrendering to the Lotus vibe.

The band then submerged us completely as they masterfully threw down a Sunrain> Suitcases> Sunrain mash-up. The lights of the disco ball were again cast around Madison Theater as Sunrain played on, somewhat metaphorically raining light upon the crowd getting down below. Closing it out with Age of Inexperience, Lotus would retake the stage for a three song encore complete with a never before played Kodiak debut that was mashed between a new In an Outline, and a Bellwether relic. The night was a beautiful mesh of perfectly handpicked tunes and positive vibes all around. Lotus was on point, and did not fail to ensure everyone attending enjoyed that Valentine’s evening as people celebrated their love of Lotus’ music, as well as friends and general music scene in an all-out Lotus good vibes kind of fashion. Upcoming shows still to come as Lotus will take you straight through February and March, and will then dip over to Amsterdam for Jam in the Dam, SnowMont Music Festival in Vermont, and a following run in Japan.

Alicyn Lane | Senior Writer
alicyn.lane@ourvinyl.com

Song of the Day has gone all-reggae this week, featuring some of the most influential past hits, along with a few new numbers that are pushing the genre forward. Check in daily throughout the week to see what we have in store for all you rude boys and girls.

Prior to the monumental success of Bob Marley, Jamaica had a different figurehead of their music scene and culture, one relatively different than the lifestyle made famous, and perhaps even stereotypical, by Marley.

Desmond Dekker, with his hit “The Israelites,” lit up dance floors around his country in the late 60′s. The world took notice, and soon Dekker was breaking into charts in both the UK and the United Staes. “The Israelites,” which cracked the Billboard top 10 hottest singles chart in June of 1979 – coming in at number nine – was being played all over AM radio stations in the US. Most listeners back then admit to having little idea as to the lyrics of the song, which became tough to decipher with Dekker’s thick Jamaican accent and the limited frequency ranges of AM radio.

Notice a faster pace to this track than the reggae made famous in later years by Bob Marley and others. Ska, often mistaken to be a derivative of reggae, was actually the first around, and was used much more for dancing than its slower counterpart. Jamaican dance halls were common for such reasons during the mid to late 60′s, some still in business today.

Dean Goranites
dean.goranites@ourvinyl.com
twitter @unleash_this

Desmond Dekker – Israelites by rastaman.lv

Continuing our efforts to bring you themed weeks every now and then for your Song of the Day, this week we’ll be featuring some of our favorite reggae numbers. If you’re new to the genre, take note — many of this week’s upcoming tracks are staples in the scene, and we hope to broaden your views of what reggae can be, beyond Bob Marley.

For those who consider themselves veterans of the style, we welcome your thoughts and opinions on what we consider some of the more important tracks of the movement. We ask you to keep an open mind: while some prefer their reggae as pure as possible, others like experimentation, and like to see where the genre can take us.

Today, check out the Toots and the Maytals track, “Pressure Drop.” Released in 1970 as part of the LP Monkey Man, “Pressure Drop” was one of the first tracks that offered Toots and the Maytals mainstream success in the United States. It’s since been covered by countless artists, perhaps most famously by The Clash.

Check back in throughout the week to see what else we plan on sending your way. Who are some of your favorite reggae artists? What do you think about the reggae scene today? Let us know! We love feedback.

Dean Goranites
Dean.Goranites@Ourvinyl.com
Twitter @unleash_this

So whether you are down in Nawlins’ enjoying the wondrous silliness that is the parade of Bacchus (maybe the best parade of the entire Mardi Gras experience), in St.Louis enjoying the nation’s second largest celebration of the Gras, or just at home wishing you were in one of those cities – this song can only help you day.

Enjoy.

There are certain times when a remix or cover comes along and completely breathes a new life into the original; forcing you to take another look at a song that you may have forgotten about or simply overlooked. This would be the case for when The Weeknd recently released their highly anticipated third album, Echoes of Silence, which opened with a track called “D.D.,” an updated cover/homage to the King of Pop’s “Dirty Diana.”

Not too long afterwards, this writer was at an establishment with a digital jukebox and looking for a Michael Jackson song to finish off his round of selections. While “Thriller” and “Billie Jean” were the choices originally in mind, their 2 credit premium cost was rather prohibitive and resulted in the selection of “Dirty Diana” off of 1988’s Bad. As is usually the case when any MJ songs are selected via jukebox, the song was met with a resounding approval and has since been on heavy rotation along with many other songs that accompanied it on that classic album. This guitar infused track tells the story of an overly confident groupie and even at almost 15 years old contains lyrics that seem rather startling and controversial for a number-one single. Enjoy and good luck getting it out of your head!

By Jesse Zryb

Un mes sin música en vivo es como un mes sin que uno de tus mejores amigos se aparezca en tu puerta. Ya que el año pasado había estado maravillosamente lleno de conciertos en vivo como Pearl Jam, The Strokes, U2, Rodrigo & Gabriela, Bombino y muchos más; la llegada de un buen acto que marcara el inicio de la temporada de conciertos era una de las principales preocupaciones de los asistentes a conciertos en México. Los grandes viajes tienen grandes inicios.

Por eso es que el corazón de éste autor dio un salto cuando supo que Bombay Bicycle Club venía a la Ciudad de México, y que iban a tocar en El Plaza Condesa, el mismo recinto donde ocurrió el último concierto de Bombino en el 2011. Ambos artistas tienen nombres parecidos. ¿Coincidencia? Tal vez, pero nos estamos desviando del tema. El Plaza Condesa ha ganado un puesto bastante alto en cuanto a recintos de conciertos se refiere; admite la capacidad suficiente de personas para hacer que un espectáculo se sienta, a la vez, lo suficientemente grande como lo suficientemente privado para una velada íntima con una banda o artista que verdaderamente aprecias. Era el lugar perfecto para una banda tan apreciada como lo es Bombay Bicycle Club.

Comparar a éstos muchachos con los Arctic Monkeys es un crimen: su sonido ha conquistado mucho más territorios que sólo el indie rock. ¿Tienes ganas de bailar, relajarte, volverte loco, mover la cabeza, rockear o dar pisotones al estilo del bluegrass? Tienes todo eso en una banda de 4 integrantes. No muchos artistas son lo suficientemente camaleónicos como para ir de un show en vivo con la Escuela de Samba de Londres a  armar un conjunto de folk con todo y banjo, mandolina y guitarras acústicas. Los videos de YouTube y los testimonios de quienes los han visto en vivo, sólo pusieron la expectativa más en alto para lo que todos esperábamos de ellos.

El sábado por la noche llegó y, antes de presenciar a una de las bandas con estilos más diversos del momento, una mujer dulce, sola y usando una guitarra en mano y un suéter de algodón, subió al escenario. Y de su boca salió una de las voces más tiernas y llenas de pasión que podrían oírse. Y ésa voz cantó la canción más apropiada para un público extranjero, sin conocimiento de la existencia de un semejante y maravilloso talento en un tamaño así de pequeño: First. Y como dice su canción: es la primera, la primera vez. Y fue la primera vez, en mis 7 años asistiendo a conciertos, que en el público gritaron “¿Quién eres?”. Y ella respondió, en una voz burlona: “No puedo creer que no sepan quién soy; ésta es la primera vez que toco sin una banda apoyándome. Soy Lucy Rose, ¡y amo México!”. Justo en ése momento, nos ganó a todos y cada uno de nosotros.

Bombay Bicycle Club’s Evening / Morning

Los que sabían quién era ella desde el principio, comenzaron a pedirle ciertas canciones, y tocó todas y cada una de ellas. Siempre sonriendo, lanzando una mirada o dos en cada canción, azotando su pie para llevar el ritmo y provocando al público para ayudarla: la actuación de Lucy Rose es una de las más simples pero a la vez cautivantes actuaciones como abridor que puedes presenciar. Luego de First, Middle Of The Bed y la favorita de la noche, Magic Bus, la Srita. Rose salió del escenario  con la promesa de volver pronto. Y todos esperan que lo haga, ya que es difícil imaginarse que no pueda mejorar con una banda apoyándola, ¡amamos a Lucy!

Luego de unos minutos, Lucy regresó con una banda, pero no apoyándola a ella, sino que ella los apoyaba ahora. Y su primera canción, How Can You Swallow So Much Sleep, dio inicio a mi temporada de conciertos de la Ciudad de México. Bombay Bicycle Club nos despertó y no era lo suficientemente tarde, obviamente. Haciendo gala de una enorme variedad de sonidos y estilos, Lucy y los muchachos no decepcionaron a nadie. No importaba si sólo te sabías sus canciones tranquilas, su catálogo pesado o las nuevas canciones de su último que pueden bailarse: había al menos un manojo de canciones y ritmos para cada uno.

Mostrando el enojo de sus primeros años con Dust On The Ground y Lamplight; su lado acústico con Rinse Me Down y Ivy  Gold; y promocionando las canciones más bailables de su último disco A Different Kind Of Fix, todos sacudimos la cabeza, gritamos, aplaudimos, bailamos y zapateamos al unísono durante 2 horas con la primer importación inglesa del año. Y durante ese tiempo, la canción que nos hizo a muchos y a mi enamorarnos de éstos ingleses, por fin apareció. Y de pronto, ¡madres!: escuchar Evening/Morning en vivo es la verdadera forma en que uno debería de oírla. Pocas líneas de bajo son un material tan simple y conmovedor a la vez como ésta.

Lucy Rose aportó el toque final que Bombay Bicycle Club necesitaban para mejorarse a si mismos: no como una simple voz femenina de fondo, sino una voz lo suficientemente poderosa y cautivadora para competir con la de Jack y transformar las canciones en algo más profundo y con mayor significado. Esto fue evidente durante Lights Out, Words Gone y fue reafirmado cuando Shuffle sonó como la penúltima canción de la noche.

Finalmente, luego de un set lleno de rock duro, samba, dance, bluegrass, folk y rock suave, Bombay Bicycle Club y Lucy Rose mostraron su respeto y amor a México por última vez. Prometiendo por segunda ocasión en la noche que regresarían a nuestro país lo antes posible. No importa si lo hacen pronto o en un futuro lejano; el compromiso y la entrega que tienen con su público es algo que debes presenciar cuando tengas la oportunidad. Es raro encontrar bandas jóvenes que hayan hecho tanto en tan poco tiempo, y que a la vez logren seguir siempre hacia delante pero permanezcan honestos y fieles a si mismos. Pero aunque los muchachos de Bombay Bicycle Club no encuentren el camino de regreso a un México que ya se considera su hogar, al menos algunos pocos y yo tuvimos la oportunidad de verlos: y una vez es mejor que toda una vida.

Escrito por Jorge A. López Mendicuti, OurVinyl Senior Writer

Guitarrista, multi instrumentalista, abogado, escritor amateur y fan de la música

@jlopezmendicuti

This track by Jamie Smith of The xx was released in June of 2011, back when days were longer and temperatures were higher, and it certainly oozes those characteristics, which is a major reason why it is being chosen at this time. An upbeat synth, some optimistic lyrics, and a little steel drum may be all you need to lift you out of the gloomy weather; or at least hold you over until The xx release their next album later in the year.

2011 proved to be a great year for Jamie xx solo career. First came the release of We’re new Here which reinterpreted the late Gil Scot-Heron’s final album and helped usher the wave of young talent coming forth from the UK under the dub-step umbrella (James Blake or SBTRKT ring a bell?). An excellent Essential’s Mixtape for BBC Radio 1’s prestigious DJ showcase followed, which is where we can hear the early versions of this single. What will 2012 hold in store for any of his ventures? Only time will tell; but for now warm up to “Far Nearer.”

Written by Jesse Zryb

Lincoln Hall turned out, as expected, to be a great place to catch this band. It being a two tiered mid sized venue with great sight lines, stellar modern sound (there is a ample well placed sound proofing), and isn’t obnoxiously packed when it sells out – which it easily did on this evening. It was very nice to see them again in this city as the headliner, the last few times they played Chicago it was in larger venues and to open for larger acts (The Drive by Truckers and Wolf Mother). So not only did one not get see a full set, but they understandably slightly altered their set to match the audience’s mood. But us fans of theirs would rather hear what they want to present unfiltered by other concerns.

The Bastards began the evening with the first track off of their new album Marathon. This is a number that begins just with Erika and her guitar, but slowly builds up inertia, energy and volume. It never fully plumes into full blow rock, but instead evolves into a thickly-restless blues sound. It announces some of what is to come, but doesn’t show the hand, making it a good kick off number.

The Heartless Bastards’ Parted Ways

The band seemed to be in tip top shape on this evening. Erika (the aforementioned lead singer, guitarist, and song writer) is clearly the linchpin of this band’s success, even though her fellow musicians have been with her for a while and deserve high praise, she is the the bearer of the band’s potency. Much of this has to do with her dynamic and accomplished song-writing, but any fan of theirs will tell you that the quintessence of their beautiful sound lies in her vocals. Erika has a powerful singing voice. It’s something akin to thick molasses that has a sharply-sweet taste, there is a high viscosity to it, but it doesn’t dampen her ability to truly delight the ear. She also has the ability to push her voice into a second register, a second phase, where her tones becomes scarily pure and the voluminous energy extrapolates into a new sound. Its almost like the effect of when someone yells through a cone-shaped speaker, how the sound seems to centralized and the energy focused toward a static direction, giving it a unique strength. And while she doesn’t sing like this on every song, she can conjure this effect up with just a microphone, and the result is always pleasingly arresting – even when you know it’s coming. And on this night she was, yet again, in perfect form. How she keeps her voice so potentially pure and powerful, day in day out, is really a marvel.

The crowd was treated to her powerful vocals on such numbers this night as Only for You, and Simple Feeling (the 6th and 7th songs of the night). As the former is a side-stepping swaggering blue/pop/rock song, and the latter is a more chaotic punk’ish rock n roll song, one can see how Erika can use her prowess to different ends. That was another thing on display on this evening, the band’s dexterity. They played songs like Gray, off of their first album, which is a more stripped down fun-loving punk number. Then there was The Arrow that Killed the Beast, the quasi titled track from their new album, which is a somber and reflective western number. It features more slide guitar, and was a quiet and down-tempo break. And yet, while they enjoy genre jumping, you can always tell it’s a Heartless Bastards song, as that’s what competent vocalists can do for a band.

As their new album came out literally the day of the show, not many people were overly familiar with the new stuff. So the band kept the new material to only about half of the songs performed, which seemed like a wise balance to this author. Into The Open, one of the best tracks off of their LP ‘All This Time’, was an older song that was well played and well received on this night. The seemed to play it at a slightly slower pace than the album version, which worked well with the piano intro as well as the raucous place that the song builds to. Of course one of the old songs they went back to, The Mountain, was an undeniable highlight from the evening and one of the last songs they played. The sanguinely stomping beat, the soaring steel guitar, the enchanting vocals, the wonderful crescendo. That was the moment when the crowds pleasure may have peaked, and for good reason.

This was an all together a concert experience of high quality. The Heartless Bastards are prime examples of the theory that live bands are at their best when they play songs in a manner that doesn’t sounds exactly the same as the album versions, but that do not deviate too far either. Of course, then there is Erika and her commanding voice that always seems to be at it’s best. Let’s just hope they are completely done with opening up for other bands, for they are deserving of the spot light all by themselves!

Written by Sean Brna

The Heartless Bastards’ The Mountain

Recently reunited for the upcoming edition of Coachella, this band brings an intensity to live shows like no other. Their spastic and uncontrollabanarchy was surely a pleasure to watch for anyone who saw them in person or in video clips.

Since their breakup, members of this band have formed numerous projects including Sparta and arguably a band that is as equally influential, The Mars Volta. Here’s hoping that Coachella is one of the many things to come in this band’s near and new future…

By Alex Giardini

The highly-anticipated third album from Chris Thile and his latest band is a shimmering collection of everything good that Punch Brothers is capable of, plus more. Certain tracks will have listeners wincing at the pain in Thile’s voice; others will leave a smile of chagrin in response to lyrics too close to home. As always, the band’s real life heartache and hope shine through the songs with a Fleetwood-Mac transparency. As always, the brilliance of crystalline mandolin and pulsing banjo saves the listener, reminding one of the beauty of February sun, even in the frozen badlands of winter’s heart.

The album opens with Movement and Location, which rips right into the drama of moody, complex arrangements and showcases Thile’s manipulation of a voice which grows suppler and far reaching as the song crescendos. Think early Chris Martin, back when the genius was fresh and the sound novel. Only unlike Martin, Thile doesn’t flaunt his voice, but rather uses it to frame the melody that his mandolin handles so eloquently.

This Girl switches gears, pulling back and lightening up. It’s a sweet love story of a man pleading to God for romantic intervention, with sunny harmonies and a dawdling melody. The humility in which the man makes his request is disarming. With lyrics like “If you would tell her it’s your will for us to be together / I would never bother you again unless you want me to / Hell we’ll just both hang out with you in heaven when we die” it’s hard not to fall for this catchy song that rings with innocence.

For having no drummer, the boys rock hard on the title track, Who’s Feeling Young Now? Thile has speculated that the band is finally to the point of having swagger; with a sexy beat the listener just knows this song is performed with a heavy amount of it.

Patchwork Girlfriend is a quirky little song that brings to mind Sally from the movie “Nightmare Before Christmas”, a love song about a girl with “blackish blondish brownish reddish grayish (grayish?!) hair” who “even as left hand pushes me away her right arm holds me”. The song could be interpreted in lots of ways; is she several girls in his mind, or something more literal- and morbid? After all, marrying her would “be against the law even in Utah…”

As if the genius of the Punch Brothers brain trust wasn’t enough to warm up the listener, there are two tracks on the album – Hundred Dollars and New York City – that were co-written by none other than Josh Ritter, who is a good friend of the band. While New York City is getting more exposure, Hundred Dollars is the more unique of the two. Gabe Wilcher, the band’s fiddle player, takes lead vocals, and is not afraid of letting his voice scratch the bottom of his range with funky success that flows right along with the slinky melody. His voice sounds a lot like Thile’s; the listener might not catch it at first. But that’s another reason their harmonies work so well on every track of this album.

Another goody: Kid A, a Radiohead classic, gets the newgrass treatment. It comes out softer, more poignant. The ease with which cacophonous noise can be recreated by strings in this piece is surprising. Kid A is a nice treat late in the album when that feeling of ‘No, it can’t almost be over…’ creeps up.

The last track on this album, Don’t Get Married Without Me, is a breakup song with hope, or hopeless delayed delusion, depending on how one looks at it. It might be one of the best songs on the album, though it probably won’t get the airtime of some of other tracks. The lyrics are painfully vulnerable and true, and alternate between saying goodbye – “Taking a break is dragging out a breakup too long”, and just saying goodbye for now – “’Til I cozy back up to you this fall”. The song also contains maybe the best line on the album – “I know you know I still love you, anyone else is a lateral move.” And it’s not just the meaning of the lyric – It’s the way it’s sung, and the way the rhythm of it gels with the banjo and guitar. Once again the complex arrangements dazzle. Is that a harp? No just some beautiful mandolin and banjo.

When Thile cries out things like “don’t get married without me” the listener can feel the desperation in his voice. And for some reason his desperation makes one feel a little better. No one wishes bad memories on anyone. But if the Punch Brothers boys are going to keep churning out great music pulled from nightmares, lamentations and cautionary tales, maybe they ought to let those memories marinate a little longer. That way the world has something to listen to as it kicks through the leaves of another unsettling winter.

Written by Nicole Banister

Below is Movement And Location live at La Cigale in Paris, France

Van Etten wastes no time in pummeling any sense of irony that a listener comes into the album with. After the electric guitar-tinged “Warsaw” moves in and clears a path to your heart, “Give Out” takes the shape of an Indiana Jones boulder and rams right into it. Featuring the solemn voice of a worn out lover, the song is quite simply the most gorgeous song to yet come out Van Etten’s vast musical talents. In fact, it would be shocking to see it be forgotten around the time of year-end lists; it’s that good. And how could it not be? A song that features a beautiful voice belting out such brutal honesty as “you’re the reason why I’ll move to the city/ or why I’ll need to live”. It’s simple in its message, but when backed by a constant strum and twinkling electric riffs, it hits at the origin of longing and love. There’s also a bit of anxiety present in the song; Van Etten’s vulnerability clashes with the fact that she has someone with her. As such, the contrast turns her paranoid, unquiet and disoriented: “what’s with the eyes/ in the back of the room?” goes the first line of the song (returning at the emotional climax).

Sharon Van Etten’s “Give Out”

The back of the room makes a return in the very next song, the lead single “Serpents”. Here, that locale takes the form of an abusive relationship; getting away from those serpents in her mind, Van Etten has left the back of the room by the end of the track, searching for someone else. “You enjoy sucking on dreams/ So I will fall asleep with someone other than you” goes her emboldened verse, running far away from the pain that caused her to sing these words. It’s a purposeful song, filled with the harshest instrumentation on the album; her usual vulnerable tones are replaced with a snarl of sorts and the backing band steps up accordingly, shedding the soft acoustics for, dare it be said, some rock n’ roll.

Unlike her previous album, the devastated Epic, there are some happy moments on Tramp amongst the creatively crestfallen. “All I Can” is a plea for forgiveness, or perhaps a self-assurance that she can forgive others. “We all mistakes.” This lyric is said with a finality that separates it from the words around it; an acknowledgement after deep soul-searching, simple in its message but powerful in its intent. Later, Van Etten sings “wanting to love as new as I can/ wanting to show I want my scars to help and heal.” It’s as if she’s writing this album so she herself can hear it and believe it, because no one is telling her these things. It’s definitely an album of realizing the past is always ours but the future is there for the taking. On “I’m Wrong”, there’s a yearning for acceptance and for, well, being worth something. In front of a repeating, soft guitar, Van Etten asks a lover to “tell me I’m worth all the miles/ that you put on your car” and to “tell me I’m right/ tell me I’m funny/ even when I’m not”. It’s simple assertion that she hasn’t had before, at least if “Serpents” is to believed, and it’s acceptance that she needs from the person she’s bearing her soul to. The music takes on a bit of a dark fuzz behind Van Etten’s voice here, because the storm is always just outside the new peace that you have found.

Tramp is a musically accomplished album, yet sometimes that gets lost behind the strength of Sharon Van Etten’s voice, both literal (the way she sings) and thematic (what she’s singing). It’s a beautifully written album, full of honesty that clues the listener into her healing process from a failed relationship (as has been written ad-nausea, she was dumped by a boyfriend who thought she would not succeed as a musician; like Adele’s ex, this guy must hate life right now). It’s rare that we are allowed such an in-depth look at a person, but with Van Etten, not only are we curious to learn more, but we also want to help her in any way we can. The twist might be that she may not need us to; she just needs someone to listen.

Written by Luis Paez-Pumar

A month without live music is like a month without one of your best friends showing up at your front door. Last year having been so amazingly full of live shows such as Pearl Jam, The Strokes, U2, Rodrigo & Gabriela, Bombino and the like, the arrival of a good kick starter for the concert season had been one of the main concerns for the concert-goers of México. Amazing journeys should have amazing beginnings.

That’s why this author’s heart skipped a beat when realizing that Bombay Bicycle Club was coming to México City, and they were going to play at El Plaza Condesa, the exact same venue Bombino’s last 2011 concert occured. And both acts have a pretty similar name. Coincidence? Maybe, but we digress. El Plaza Condesa has earned a top spot concerning concert venues, its holds the exact amount of people to make a show feel simultaneously  large enough to excite the senses and private enough for an intimate evening with a band or artist you really appreciate. It was perfect for a band so truly appreciated as Bombay Bicycle Club is.

Comparing these guys to Arctic Monkeys is a crime: their sound has conquered way more territories than just indie rock. Do you feel like dancing, relaxing, going crazy, head banging, rocking out or stomping your foot in a bluegrass manner? You got all of that in just one four-piece band. Not many artists are chameleon-like enough to change from a live show with the London School Of Samba to put together a folk ensemble along with banjo, mandolin and acoustic guitars. YouTube and word-of-mouth concert goers’ testimonies only set the bar higher for what we all expected of them.

Saturday came along and, before witnessing one of the most style diverse bands of the moment, a sweet girl, on her and with just a guitar in-hand and a cotton sweater came on-stage. And from her mouth came one of the sweetest and soulful voices you could ever hear. And that voice sang the most appropriated song for a foreign crowd, unaware of the existence of such small-sized wonderful talent: First. And as her song says: it’s the first, the first time. It was the first time, in 7 years of attending concerts, that the crowd yelled: “who are you?”. And she said, in a sweetly voice: “I can’t believe you don’t know who I am; this is the first time I’ve ever played without a backing band. I’m Lucy Rose and I love México”. And she won each and every one of us.

Bombay Bicycle Club’s Evening / Morning

The ones who knew who she was from the begging began to yell requests at her, and she played each and every one of them. Always smiling, throwing a look or two in every song, stomping her foot to carry on the rhythm and making the crowd clap along to help her out: Lucy Rose’s performance is the most simple yet most mesmerizing opening act you could ever see. After First, Middle Of the Bed and the favorite tune of the night, Magic Bus, Mrs. Rose walked off with a promise of coming back soon. And all there hopes she does, as is hard to imagine her not getting even better with a backing band supporting her. We loved Lucy.

After a few minutes, Lucy came back with a band, not as her backup, but backing it up. And their first tune, How Can You Swallow So Much Sleep, all of a sudden kick-started the México City concert season. Bombay Bicycle Club woke us up and it wasn’t late enough, obviously. Showcasing such a rich variety of sounds and styles, Lucy and the boys never let anyone down. It didn’t matter if you knew only the quiet songs, the heavy stuff or the new dance tunes off their latest album: there was at least a handful of songs and rhythms for everyone.

Displaying the anger of their early years with Dust On The Ground and Lamplight, their acoustic side with Rinse Me Down and Ivy & Gold and the more danceable songs off their last album A Different Kind Of Fix, we all head banged, shouted, clapped, danced and stomped along for almost 2 hours of England’s first importation of the year. And the tune that made me and many fall in love with these Englishmen finale showed up, and boy: hearing Evening/Morning live is the real way you are supposed to hear it. Few bass lines are as simple yet body-moving material as this.

Lucy Rose put the final touch Bombay Bicycle Club needed to improve themselves once again: not a backing vocal female voice, but a voice powerful and mesmerizing enough to compel with Jack’s and make the songs deeper and richer. The evidence of this was during Lights Out, Words Gone and it was reaffirmed when Shuffle was the second to last song of the night.

Finally, after a set full of hard rock, samba, dance, bluegrass, folk and soft rock, Bombay Bicycle Club and Lucy Rose showed their respect and love to México one last time. Promising for the second time of the night that they would come back to our country as soon as possible. It doesn’t matter if they do it soon or late in the future. Their commitment and delivery to their audience is something to see whenever you have the chance. It’s rare to find young bands that have done so much in so little time, and who also manage to keep going forward but remain honest and true to themselves at the same time. But even if the boys of Bombay Bicycle Club don’t find their way back to their earned home in México’s heart, at least I and a few got the chance to watch them: and once is better than a lifetime.

Written by Jorge A. López Mendicuti, OurVinyl Senior Writer

Guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, law school graduate, amateur writer and music fan

@jlopezmendicuti

Band: Stepdad

Album: Ordinaire EP

Originally a duo of roommates experimenting in their Chicago apartment, Stepdad of Grand Rapids, MI has come a long way from a simple idea between two friends. Formed in 2009, original members Ultramark and Ryan McCarthy recruited Alex Fives and Jeremy Malvin to create the four-man, electro-pop/indie force they are today. Only a year after their debut, Stepdad composed the theme for the online comic, “Axe Cop,” and began building a fan base of nerds and hipsters alike.

In April 2009, the band released their first EP, “Ordinaire,” which produced this single. “My Leather, My Fur, My Nails” is catchy, to say the least, with its bouncy beats and lively synth, similar to MGMT’s biggest hits. Although the clever lyrics tell the story of a selfish woman using her man, this song is upbeat and extremely addicting. You’ll have this tune bouncing through your brain and moving your feet all day.

By Courtney Tynan

Stepdad’s My Leather, My Fur, My Nails

Let Kate Nash serenade you this Valentine’s Day with the single “Dickhead” from her debut album Made of Bricks. Nash has composed an honest and witty song that simply states feelings we have all had, but have never been able to articulate so perfectly.

No matter if you have a special someone to share the day with or if you have been dealt a hand of dickheads, this quirky tune is sure to put a sway in your step and a grin on your face.

By Megan Smith

Song: Dead & Done

Harmonica and acoustic guitar on this Saturday feel about right. Bobby Long got his start playing open mic nights in London during his time at Metropolitan University where he studied music and film. His style has been attributed to early Bob Dylan due to his strong lyrics and sound. There’s much more to be expected from this young musician as he’s early in his career so give a listen and keep an open eye. Enjoy today’s Song of the Day
Dead and Done by ATO Records

Today we bring you an up and coming UK sensation, Loui Rose Allen, also known as Foxes. With a voice that rings like Ellie Goulding it is impossible to not notice this artists talent. Her debut single “Youth” has countless infectious hooks.

Loui was first brought to our attention by one of our music Ambassadors. So special thanks to Kristopher for this amazing find. We hope to feature music from Foxes in the future. Take a listen below to this amazing track.

Written By:
Mike Reuther

Youth by iamfoxes

Van Halen’s Bullethead

That is, if you’re willing to look past the arguably laughable (yet infectiously catchy) first single “Tattoo.” Despite the wincingly bad lyrics that will probably be used in some reality TV tattoo-doc, the silver lining was hearing Eddie’s guitar sing for the first time in way too long. For that alone it is forgivable. The good news is that it’s the weakest track on the album, so if you just skip it and pretend the album begins with “She’s The Woman” then your first listen will be much more promising, guaranteed. One immediately notices just how in-your-face aggressive the majority of the album is. This batch of songs has far more in common with the darker turns of Fair Warning than their pop breakthrough 1984. Eddie plays with the fury of a man unleashed for the first time in years, fitting in blistering solo after catchy melody in every track. Let’s be clear about one thing though: while solos are a no-no to most and generally “uncool” these days, solos in context of what Eddie does is not some superfluous showing of technical ability. It’s like another singer in the band, expressing the sentiment of the song.

Taken from a pre-contract demo, “She’s The Woman” has fantastic groove. It’s also got great backing vocals, which is surprising considering the absence of founding bassist and backing vocal master Michael Anthony. Current bass player and son of Eddie, Wolfgang uses his young voice to surprisingly great result, filling in the chorus in ways Anthony once did. “You and Your Blues” has even better backing vocals and some of Roth’s best lyrics on the record and as a result it’s one of best and most single worthy tracks of the bunch.  The tempo picks up twice the speed as “China Town” dazzles with guitar wizardry that manages to sound like chip-tune music at times. Another thing that should be pointed out: there are no ballads on this album per-se, which should please most Hagar-Haters. So when it is said that the proceedings slow down a bit for radio-contender “Blood and Fire” it should be stressed that it’s still a fun rock song even if it’s poppier than its peers on this album.  It also sports what will easily be the most-quoted lyric for summing up this album as Roth, with an almost audible wry grin says, “Told ya I was coming back. Say ya missed me. Say it like you mean it!”

At this point the album kicks into high gear with a middle section of blistering intensity. “Bullethead” is less than 3 minutes of uber-satisfying attitude and “As Is” sports drop-tuned guitar-heaviness, pounding “Hot For Teacher”-esque drums and one of Roth’s only signature yelps on the album. Despite its goofy name, “Honeybabysweetiedoll” bears the same unrelenting heaviness of the previous tracks and if you can look past his lyrics that attempt to ensnare hot soccer moms, it’s a standout instrumentally. Song after song, it’s hard to believe just how vital and downright mean the guitar sound is—not to be confused with chugging nu-metal angst but instead just straight-for-the-jugular guitar aggressiveness of the best classic metal. “The Trouble With Never” tries to inject a bit of levity with sing-along choruses and cheesy one-liners before returning to a galloping groove on the underwhelming but still pleasing “Outta Space.” That’s the thing with this album: even when a track isn’t the greatest, the sheer fun and excitement of the music overwhelms any perceived mediocrity, which is saying a lot.

Harkening back to the quirky fan-favorite “Ice Cream Man” from their first album, “Stay Frosty” evokes the same nostalgic feeling with absolutely no eye-rolling induced. Instead it’s a fun back porch blues ditty that launches into all-out blues stomp halfway through. The experience rounds out with two reworked demos from their unsigned days, “Big River” and “Beats Workin’.” The former is a fun number with plenty of head-nodding rhythm and catchy chorus while the latter is a tour-de-force with all members playing their hearts out which in effect sums up their return nicely. Some say that reusing their early demos means the well is dry, but it should be looked at as a recommitment to the foundations of the band, trying to give fans the “brown sound” that so many have swore is gone. It’s a smart move because despite being a new album it certainly has that classic Van Halen feel.

This album is better than anybody had expectations for it to be. After having all of their dirty laundry aired in public for years, feuds, Eddie having hip replacement, battling cancer or being made to look really pathetic  in Hagar’s tell-all book, expectations were incredibly low for this album. Perhaps that was unnecessary. This band deserves one last triumph and against all odds, A Different Kind of Truth is that triumph. Would it improve from a truncated track list and slightly less cheesy lyrics from Roth? Sure. But as far as comeback albums go for classic rock reunions, none can touch this album. Take note Black Sabbath, the bar has been set high.

by Jarad Matula

“I Will Always Love You” went on to sell over a million records in the first week. Since the album was released it has sold over 44 million copies making it the best-selling Soundtrack of all time. Whitney passed away today at the young age of 48.

She will be missed but her music and voice will never be forgotten.

Written By:
Mike Reuther

Like many musicians, he died before his full potential could be witnessed. “My Shadow”, a track off of perhaps his most popular album, is a fitting introduction to anyone who has heard of this American underground legend.

Written By:
Alex Giardini

This song, a Beats Antique remix, has all of the bass-packed eastern flavor of the trio, but is originally by Mix N Blend & Narch. The spooky piano, wood winds, and brass intro to this song put the “antique” in Beats Antique. About a minute in, the electronics kick in and Sidecar Tommy brings the beats. The booming brass, screeching oboe and thick bass drum don’t necessarily blend into each other, rather maintaining their separate but complimentary layers.

Beats Antique’s music, arranged by belly dancer Zoe Jakes, is made for dancing and you won’t be able to resist a little bit of rump shaking to this tune. The little-explored blend of electronic and middle easters/world music will make you look cultured, but trying to emulate Zoe’s moves probably won’t (attempt belly dancing at your own risk of embarrassment). The trio has been touring almost constantly for the past year, so check them out live and maybe you can ask her for some pointers.

Mix n Blend & Narch – I Got… (Beats Antique Remix) by mixnblend

Back in 2006 the Black Keys put out their second E.P., Chulahoma: The Songs of Junior Kimbrough. The cover album is 6 tracks by the Mississippi Delta blues guitar player, as well as a voicemail from his widow telling the duo how well they capture Junior’s sound.

If you won’t take it from her, take it from us, this is the Black Keys at their bluesy best. Raw and repeating, the guitar cuts through drawling, wailing vocals. This particular track, Meet Me In The City is romantically sad, but the melody is filled with optimism as the vocals plead “Baby, please don’t leave me.” Slow drums and reverberating guitar licks that harmonize with the lyrics make this one of the best tracks on the E.P.

Meet Me In The City – Black Keys by ConcreteNomads

It is the first track off of his “Wit’s End” album and McCombs introduces his beautiful voice right off the bat with no hesitation. There are hints of a vintage sound that could suggest this modern pop song could be influenced by pop music decades before its existence. The backing band behind McCombs hit notes and a certain pitch that could only be described as exquisite.

There are not many changes in musical variation but never the less the listener should be moved and satisfied by this amazing piece.

Written By:
Alex Giardini

Cass McCombs – County Line by PitchPerfectPR

OurVinyl: You’ve spent the last couple of months working on new material- what’s up with the album, when will we see it?

Tankel: It’s been a little but slower this time around, writing, but I would say we’ve written a little over half of the material for the new record. We recorded some of the songs already, but I’m hoping that everything will be done so we can release in a year. All of the songs are slowly making their way into our set so we’ll be playing a handful of those for sure when we’re out there.

Last year you branched out to play some festivals and cities that you haven’t played before. What’s the new turf this year?

On this tour the only place that we haven’t been that we’re going to is Las Vegas, which should be exciting, I suppose, interesting, hopefully fun. But everywhere else we’ve played before on this run. It’s one of our favorite week-long trips where we start in Vancouver, hit Seattle, Portland, SF, then we get down to LA. San Francisco is always awesome for us. Portland is always great for us, and Vancouver’s a lot of fun too so its definitely one of our favorite treks.

How about festivals?

I have a feeling that a lot of the festivals we play this summer might be European. If the plan unfolds as we see it right now, which is to put the record out in a year, then we probably will be shooting to do a lot of the American festivals two summers from now.

Do you play out with many of the other Daptone musicians?

In April we’re doing a tour on the East Coast down to the Southeast with Charles Bradley, so all of the shows are going to be a double bill- Charles Bradley and his band and the Budos as well. Last year we did  a Midwest tour with them, so they’ve been, as of late, a kind of kindred spirit on Daptone. We actually did New Years this year with him, a big NY show in Brooklyn, it was pretty awesome.

How do you tour with so many people?

Its always interesting. First of all scheduling is always tough because –with the exception of a couple guys- nobody in the band is a full time musician, so we kind of have to play around with our work schedules to figure out what works. Outside of the logistics- when we actually get on the road- the best way to describe it is that we’re our own traveling party at all times. We can roll into a bar and we’re 10 guys and so we’ve brought the party immediately, which is the mentality that we have all the time on the road. We like to go on the road and have fun, we don’t like to just sit around in our hotel rooms. It’s always on the edge of complete chaos, but that’s usually a good thing. It’s one of our creative sources, always being on the edge of complete chaos. We hold it together enough that it never does delve into chaos, but it is dangerously close. Makes it exciting.

How much input does your huge percussion section have in the writing and arranging?

Our kit player Bryan has a lot to offer in terms of arranging, he has a really good ear for that. The percussion section is so solid at playing together as a section at this point and knows what we’re going for. They work really well together at creating the pocket that all of this falls into, between our conga players and our hand percussionists who may use shekeres, claves, cowbells or tambourines (or some combination thereof), they just know. I think because its such a big section that they really influence the overall tone of our sound. They’ve been playing together for so long that it really falls together really naturally.

Is there anything about your sound that you feel really shows your Staten Island/New York City roots?

We don’t really have any described genre, and its really like- as non-descriptive as it is- we’re really just sort of American instrumental music. A combination of a lot of different genres and scenes happen in New York and I think that that’s, in a way, the best way that we personify NY. I think that the fact that we combine afro beat, funk and soul, some hip hop  and jazz (in the percussion aspect) -and now we’re even getting more into like psychedelic rock influences- I think a lot of that has to do with the number of scenes and things going on in New York. You can really hear (the variety) here on a really developed level that we can then take back and incorporate into our own songs.

How is Budos best enjoyed?

I guess a beverage of your choice is probably a good idea, and a record player and good speakers, and having friends to share it with. If it supplies a party track, that’s even better. Whatever the social activity may be- good friends, good drinks, and a good time. I think overall we’re trying to create a party soundtrack to a certain extent, whether that be in your living room or on the dance floor when we’re playing at a show.

What’s the coolest or weirdest place that you played last year?

Kansas City was kind of weird, but it ended up being awesome. KC and OK City were these really bizarre places to go because I don’t think anybody had been there before. We pulled up to the venue in OK City and the sign was falling off the post, and we walked in and the venue, all this furniture was jus stacked up, piled in the corner of the room, and it was definitely weird. We felt like we had stepped into a weird alternate reality or something lie that. And Kansas City, too. The venue was in a strip mall, and we don’t have a lot of those here, but in general its not the typical setting that you picture a venue being in. The crowd ended up lining around the whole perimeter of the entire strip mall to get in and it was totally packed and sold out. The fact that none of us had even been to KC before blew us away. We had no idea where these people were coming from or how they could’ve possibly known about us. Just seeing that all these people form a place that none of us knew anything about came out to see us kicked the tour into high gear.

You’ve been playing with the Budos Band for a while now. Any signs of slowing down?

It’s been almost 9 years and overall, it’s great. I think we’re such good friends at this point, we’re always going to be a band together at some level. Whether or not we’re always active touring and recording I guess is another thing depending on things that happen, but I’d be surprised if the Budos Band ever broke up. Maybe 5 years down the road we may not be as busy as we are now with writing recording and touring, but I think we’ll always be around to some extent.

Will the Budos be playing near you? Check here for dates and tickets! And check back at the end of the month for OurVinyl’s review of the Budos Band’s San Francisco show February 23rd at the Independent!

Curious what the Budos Band is all about? Check out this review by OurVinyl of their show at Outland Live in Columbus, OH last February!

Photos by Brian Hockensmith, www.facebook.com/bhockensmithphotography

Today’s song of the day comes to us from a collaborative effort between two very talented acts. Both Lotus and The Album Leaf have been pushing the musical envelope for the last decade, making strides toward a sound that mixes organic raw instruments with the electronic tones of the new age.

Lotus released their self-titled album back in September of 2011, but they recruited Jimmy LaValle (the man behind The Album Leaf) to remix a few songs. The result is what you are hearing on this track. A unique arrangement that combines the original ‘Orchids’ guitar and strings tracks with an atmospheric ambiance that LaValle seems to have down to a science. So take a minute out of your day to kick back and enjoy some tasty goodness from two present-day pioneers of sound. You won’t be disappointed!

Written by:
Jordan Schneider

Orchids (Album Leaf Remix) by lotusvibes

We’re really proud of this month’s issue. Sure, every edition of Back of the Rack is something we work hard for and have pride in, but something just seemed special this month. Maybe love really is in the air, because we couldn’t have been any more head-over-heels for this batch of big talent artists. Check out these twelve tracks (that’s right, two bonus tracks this month) and tell us you don’t agree.

Click here to sign up and download this month’s tracks for free.

Remember, hardly any of your favorite musical artists are making substantial amounts of cash these days. The guys you listen to here can really use our follows, likes and overall support, now more than ever. Take a second to give them your support if you enjoy one of their songs.

Without further introduction, I give you the February 2012 issue of Back of the Rack.

Gentleman Hall: Close to Me
Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Genre: 80′s rock, Synth, Electro Pop
Ambassador: Arianna Soto
Website: http://gentlemenhall.com

Hungry for more of that retro, 80′s sound? Gentleman Hall has plenty of that to deliver, but don’t think they’re going to let you get away without incorporating plenty of their own style into the mix. From synths to guitars to flutes, this six piece band has it all, and they’re not afraid to flaunt it. With hopeful lyrics like “All we have is everything,” it’s hard not to get caught up in their buzz.

Gentlemen Hall – Close To Me by ourvinyl

VCR Monster: Coast
Location: San Bernardino, California
Genre: Electronic, Trip Hop
Website: http://vcrmonstermusic.bandcamp.com/

VCR Monster gives that eerie yet hopeful vibe that’s been growing momentum these days by combining the synths and deep bass made popular by electronica with spot-on soulful vocals. The duo released their debut EP, Dangerous, back in December of 2010, and will soon be back with their first full length. Featured here is their first single off said release.

VCR Monster – Coast by ourvinyl

The Chocolate Robots: Young Luff
Location: Sarnia, Canada
Genre: Garage Rock, Psychedelic Pop
Website: http://www.chocolaterobots.com/

Remember being a kid? No, not being picked on on the playground, all the time outs, and being grounded – forget those memories. But how about that rush when you first rode your bike without training wheels? Or when you built the most kick-butt lego spaceship ever? Or that mega crush you had on your babysitter, who was ten years older than you? That feeling is what The Chocolate Robots are all about.

Chocolate Robots – Young Luff by ourvinyl

The Hinkley Veltones: Noam Chomsky?
Location: Bristol, UK
Genre: Alternative, Rock and Roll
Website: http://www.reverbnation.com/thehinkleyveltones

We’d normally take the time to write up our own thoughts on The Hinkley Veltones, but how can you top the description found on their website? “The Hinkley Veltones are a big clanging bell, caught at the moment just before it cracks. Everything reverbed into sobbing submission, music you put on in order to light up a cigarette and calmly drive your car off a cliff.” Yep. That’s about perfect.

The Hinkley Veltones – Noam Chomsky by ourvinyl

Indian School: Cocktail Flu
Location: Rosemead, California
Genre: Indie, Rock
Website: http://www.facebook.com/IndianSchoolRock

Singer/Songwriter Arturo Barrios hadn’t written music in years. His defunct band had toured relentlessly for four years, found only minor success on Kung Fu Records, and disbanded after two released records. However, two major car accidents in a period of 8 months led Arturo back to his instruments, the product of which is Indian School. Check out “Cocktail Flu,” the first single off their soon to be released EP, “The Cruelest Kind.”

Indian School – Cocktail Flu by ourvinyl

Castle Lights: Saint Era
Location: Houston, Texas
Ambassador: Arianna Soto
Genre: Rock, Pop
Website: http://castlelightsmusic.com

“Castle Lights is quickly gaining recognition for their carefully crafted pop songs with a European flair,” says the band’s website, understating the obvious. Castle Lights has a sound both unique and yet very familiar, allowing new fans into the fold without much hassle, but giving those who have stood by, dedicated, plenty of depth to soak in and listen to. Check out the way guitarists Jeremiah Wood and Tyler Susuras play off of each other on this track. Beautiful.

Castle Lights – Saint Era by ourvinyl

Common Citizens: A Galaxy Awaits Us
Location: Ottawa, Canada
Genre: Electronic, Trance
Website: http://www.facebook.com/commoncitizens

This track can be summed up in two words: AMBIENT PADS. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with some good pad usage if you know what you’re doing, and Common Citizens seems to have a PhD in th field. While their sound ranges from chill tracks to banger beats, this track shows us the calmer side of Common Citizens, where melodic vocals breeze easily over layers and layers of synth richness. Be prepared for the mesmerizing effect.

Common Citizens – A Galaxy Awaits Us by ourvinyl

Fevers: Passion is Dead
Location: Ottawa, Canada
Genre: Electro Pop, Rock
Ambassador: Consuelo Bernardi
Website: http://www.feversband.com

Fevers is a five piece independent electro-band from our great northern neighbors. Their sound bumps with excitement and love, and while the title of this track may claim otherwise, you can feel plenty of passion mixed in as well. Currently in the process of producing their debut LP expected to be released later this year, check out Fevers “Passion is Dead” for a taste of what’s in the works.

Fevers – Passion Is Dead (Long Live Fashion) by ourvinyl

The Floorwalkers: Three Wishes
Location: Columbus, Ohio
Genre: Funk, Soul, Americana
Website: http://www.thefloorwalkers.com/

The Floorwalkers have one of those classic stories you love to share. Growing up in Cleveland, Ohio, the members of The Floorwalkers played little league baseball together. As they grew up and went to high school, the kids-turned-teens formed a band and played together from 2000-2004. After school, half the band moved out to Columbus to hone their sound. It wasn’t long after that the rest of the group followed suit, and the band has since created a strong, grassroots following throughout the midwest.

The Floorwalkers – Three Wishes by ourvinyl

The Ruminaters: Dead Stuff
Location: Sydney, Australia
Genre: Beatnik, Garage Rock, Glam Rock
Website: http://www.facebook.com/TheRuminaters

Somehow, Jake Voroshine’s voice screams desperation, rebellion, love, nostalgia, and fun all at the same time. While bandmates provide schoolyard chants of “la-la-la” in the background and a simple yet solid guitar lick shines brightly through the mix, it’s tough labeling this track anything other than “anthem.” Let’s just say that couldn’t be more of a compliment.

The Ruminaters – Deadstuff by ourvinyl

The Mobbs: Better than the Devil You Know
Location: Northampton, Massachusetts
Genre: Garage Rock, Blues, Rock
Website: http://www.themobbs.co.uk/

Don’t base your whole opinion on The Mobbs solely on this tack. That being said, “Better than the Devil You Know” is a solid jam, with rough and tumbling blues riffs and snarling lead vocals. But one visit to the band’s website, or one listen to their whole album, and it’s soon apparent that these guys are much more than just blues-rock. Their tastes and style lends itself to a much more energized vibe, almost on the edge of punk. See if you can catch hints on that on this one.

The Mobbs – Better Than The Devil You Know by ourvinyl

Whiskey Folk Ramblers: The Penitent
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
Genre: Folk, Rock
Ambassador: Wendy Taliaferro
Website: http://www.whiskeyfolkramblers.com/

Found on their webpage, The Whiskey Folk Ramblers describe their sound as so: “Like the soundtrack to a spaghetti western set in the Dust Bowl, Whiskey Folk Rambler’s “folk noir” blends ominous, reverb-dripping guitars with boot-stomping train beats and funereal horns to create sonic backdrops for down-on-your-luck ballads and beer-soaked anthems.” If that doesn’t get you in the mood to check out this track, who knows what will.

Whiskey Folk Ramblers – The Penitent by ourvinyl

About the Artwork

Nicole Martinez is from was born in Miami and went to UF for undergrad. Nicole’s parents were born in Cuba, and they came to the US in 1959 as a result of the Cuban revolution. She also studied design in Miami, Madrid and NYC. You can check out more of Nicole’s artwork at http://arterdesignist.com/.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this month’s issue of Back of the Rack as much as we have putting it all together. Don’t forget to spread the word about the free tracks and the great musicians you’ve heard here, and we can’t wait to get back in touch with you guys next month for another piping-hot batch of talanted-artist goodness. Until next month!

Written By:
Dean Goranites
On twitter: @unleash_this

‘Fallen Empires’ is the album you need to date a bit before committing to, but after a couple of turns around the town you realize it’s gotten to you in a very good way. The Irish/Scottish quintet are not novices in the music industry as ‘Fallen Empires’ is their sixth studio release, yet the band has taken on a bit of something new with this album offering new layers and on several songs a beat where a club techno remix would not be out of the question. It is fair to say that ‘Fallen Empires’ displays prominent drums, and drummer Jonny Quinn holds the entire album together, sometimes subtly, but more often than not, in a beautiful in your face type of way. There is also no denying the lyricism and voice of singer Gary Lightbody. The man could read the most boring of documents aloud and his buttery voice would hold the rapt attention of anyone listening. The rest of the band, guitarist Nathan Connolly, bassist Paul Wilson, and keyboardist Tom Simpson work together bringing about both stadium rocking riffs mixed with synth and drums, to sometimes tiny musical nuances, a guitar strum here, a piano chord there, which truly bring life and depth to the songs on this album.

Snow Patrol’s Called Out In The Dark

The album’s first single, “Called Out In the Dark,” leads with a strong and steady bass line and the drum tempo is perfect for a dance club, preferably one with techno strobe lights. After getting down on the dance floor, take time to listen to the lyrics, the chorus intones, “We are listening/And we’re not blind/This is your life/This is your time.” Pretty inspiring message for a person to get out and do something, you know, coming from a dance track and all.

The title track, “Fallen Empires,” is undoubtedly an intense song. As the sixth track of the album, one may listen to this song and think, “Why bury this gem in the middle of the record? This would be a great opening track.” The timing on the lead guitar and drums is fast, but the speed of the actual song is more of a slow building chant, providing an interesting juxtaposition of music and lyrics. There is a dark atmosphere to this song, “Razing cities to dust/faces dripping in lust/Fallen empires and raging bushfires,” that poetically captures frenzy, desperation, and human tendencies in an unfiltered light.

Most, if not all of the songs on ‘Fallen Empires’ are driven by human experience. A bittersweet and melodic contrast to some of the darker driving tracks is the song, “New York.” According to Gary Lightbody on the band’s website, the song is about a missed opportunity with a woman he was seeing in New York. The song begins with only with keys and builds into full-bodied symphonic arrangement. The lyrics are sweet, wistful, and sad: “Though there’s distance and there’s silence/Your words have never left me/They’re the prayer I say every day,” just the way the words of a proper love song should be.

Although ‘Fallen Empires’ may take a bit of time to grow on you, grow on you it will. Blazing guitar riffs mixed with synth, bass, and some fervent drum playing are the perfect platform for techno dance numbers as well as poppy ballads. The lyrics and warm vocals of Lightbody round out Snow Patrol’s dynamic and presents a listener with an overall musical experience, full, at times, of thought, introspection, and emotion. Let this album play awhile and give ‘Fallen Empires’ a chance to woo you, you won’t be sorry.

Written by Linda Turk

Not much is known about Pair of Arrows. They keep their Facebook scarce, their website ever emptier, and they’ve yet to release a full length.

What we do know is this first song released by the duo is a jam. The group consists of two members known simply as Swan and R/D, who wrote, recorded, and produced this track all on their own. You would never guess — the vocals croon with emotion, and the electronic beat may not break any new ground, but it’s a solid foundation for the wide range of singing.

The song is available as a free download from the band’s website, http://pairofarrows.com, so make sure to check that out. Enjoy your Super Bowl Sunday!

Written by Dean Goranites