BOTW #17 & Album Review - LIGHTS

Photo fr: amplifiedmag.wordpress.com

In honor of the recent "Siberia Acoustic" release, this week's BOTW is the one and only: LIGHTS. (Not to be confused with Ellie Goulding's single) Before you read any further, I just want to note that this may sound very fangirly, at least more than usual...

Hailing from Toronto, this electropop-rocker has graced the music scene since 2006, starting out as a songwriter for SONY, and later getting signed as a solo artist in 2008 to 'Underground Operations'. Not too long after, LIGHTS takes the Canadian charts by storm and eventually leaves the label for her own, 'Lights Music Inc'.

LIGHTS's first full length, "The Listening," is jam-packed with synthy pop-rock and tasteful use of autotune.  LIGHTS is basically a melody making machine. Every tune she writes has the potential of getting stuck in your head, and that takes skill. Her 80's new wave inspired beats and expert use of sound effects glues the album together.

The sophomore album, "Siberia," is perfect. She has grown so much as a vocalist, songwriter, and instrumentalist since "The Listening," and this record proves this with every single song. The tracks are so solid on this record that she could have released any of them as leading singles. "Siberia" brings a more refined alternative-electropop-edgy vibe, much more lush synth pads and voices, great lyrical choices, and her voice is so much stronger. It is going to take a lot to top "Siberia," to say the least.

With that being said, LIGHTS's "Siberia Acoustic" is a whole other musical adventure! With each acoustic version, she brings a new 'feel' to the music and new meanings to the lyrics. Stripped down to mostly acoustic guitar, cellos, and percussion, you are really able to 'hear these songs as if she were playing them at home,' as LIGHTS describes.

Especially notable acoustic tracks include:
1. "Peace Sign" - With the finger-picking, slight changes in riffs, and the addition of Coeur de pirate singing in French, this song could not be any more endearing.

2. "Heavy Rope" - I loved the original version of this song, but something about the acoustic version makes me really dig deeper into the beautiful lyrics.
3. "Banner" - This acoustic redux version gives listeners a sweeter tone when compared to the electropop-anthem vibe of the original version.

My Favorite LIGHTS Songs (if I HAD to choose):
1. Cactus in the Valley (Original, Acoustic, AND iTunes Session versions!)
2. The Last Thing on Your Mind
3. Peace Sign
4. Ice

5. Banner
6. Siberia
7. Toes
..But, basically ALL of them are my favorite.

LIGHTS is currently touring for the her "Siberia Acoustic" album! Check out dates here: http://music.iamlights.com/tour/
@lights
OR see you at the Seattle show @ The Neptune, June 13th!

LIGHTS & I! (When she toured
Canada/US with Keane in 2009!)

LIGHTS & I, again!
(Bumbershoot 2012)

Until next week, friends!

Peace, Love, & Rock n' Roll,
A-Tran.

Concert Recap - Marina and The Diamonds

Tour: Lonely Hearts Club

Date: May 2, 2013

Venue: Showbox SoDo - Seattle, WA

Opening Act: Little Daylight

A myriad of cell pix from last night! Not to worry, I will start bringing a real
camera to shows (depending on the anticipated mosh levels.. haha)!

As an experienced concert go-er, I can usually anticipate the intensity level of the crowd depending on the type of music or the level of fame the artist has achieved.. This was not the case for Marina and The Diamonds! Having had success and a dedicated following in the UK music biz, her status in the US is definitely more on the "up and coming" side of the spectrum. With that being said, Marina and her Diamonds were able to sell out the Showbox Sodo on the first stop of her last "Lonely Hearts Club" tour in Seattle! 

After the opening set, my concert going buddy and I (shout-outs to Mo-riss), were beginning to get restless in all the anticipation for Marina to start, and we began scouting out the crowd... For future reference, the crowd at a Marina show might resemble one of a One Direction concert; a.k.a. 95% fangirls and fanboys ranging from the teens through mid-20s, and 5% parents who gave their tweens a ride to the show. As soon as she walked out, the crowd literally erupted in an uproar of screaming/screeching girls, and for the first half of the show, the mosh levels were equivalent to an arena rock concert. Girls be getting feisty tryna get that perfect Instagram photo or just a closer glimpse of Marina doe!

Marina commands the stage like no other. With at least four wardrobe changes (she has the best outfits), quirky stage props (i.e. mannequin outfitted in a baby blue tux, her fluffy stuffed animal poodle, soda & burger stage props), and a dapper band, she is the FIERCEST of fierce. And like the cutest, EVER, with her Bristish accent. Her voice is beautiful with strong lower register vocals that are reminiscent of Katy Perry's, and her upper register will give you vibes of Florence Welch. M&TD graced the crowd with the best of the best tunes from her two albums (although all her tracks are solid) and everyone left the Showbox a happy camper.

Relive the Marina mosh from last night with these video clips!

Primadonna

Starring Role

Bubblegum Bitch

                                         

The State of Dreaming 

(Literally recorded these 12 seconds because it's the best part of the song)

Marina brought along some new kids on the block, Little Daylight, 

to open for her and it was definitely a great choice. Little Daylight 

provided some great catchy electro-poprock tunes to pump up the 

Marina crowd, and if you're fans of other bands like Shiny Toy Guns, The 

Naked & Famous, or Tegan & Sara, then you would 

totally love these guys (and gal)!

Here are a couple clips from Little Daylight's opening set!

For more on Marina, check out my BOTW #6 feature on M&TD: http://atransbandoftheweek.blogspot.com/2013/02/botw-6-marina-and-diamonds.html

That's all for now, see y'all at the next show!

Peace, Love, & Rock n' Roll,
A-Tran.

BOTW #16 & Concert Recap - Alex Clare

Photo from: guardian.co.uk

If there were ever an artist that embodied the fusion genre of Awolnation/Stevie Wonder/The Black Keys, a.k.a. alt-soul-rock, this week's BOTW, Alex Clare, is your main dude! Hailing from London, this singer-songwriter brings you much, much more that just his Top 40 hit, "Too Close."

As a vocalist, Alex Clare is one of those guys that could sing anything and I would listen to him all day. His effortless ability to croon on a mellow rock-ballad and then transition into a high-energy upbeat song is almost unfair. Check out my favorite tracks: "I Love You" to witness Alex at his most endearing vocals, and "Hands Are Clever" for his most soulful performance.

Check out some video footage I caught on my phone to get a taste of what awesomeness you are missing out on!:

This is a BRAND NEW song! I couldn't catch the title with Alex's thick accent, HOWEVER, I can tell this is already a new favorite!

"Treading Water" is a perfect crowd pump-up song, and you can see/hear why...

And of course, AC and the band closed with "Too Close," just as epic as ever!

AC @ Showbox Market 4/29/13 via my cell pix.

Literally obsessed with AC's band. You've got the ultimate
alt-rock drummer in his black teee, the Spongebob shirt wearing bassist, AND
the Fresh Prince of Synths (complete with flat-top and keytar).

If you ever get the chance, I highly recommend that you go see AC and the band live.  It is one of the most chill/rockin' shows you will ever go to!

Some other artists you might like:
1. Awolnation
2. Madeon
3. The Black Keys
4. The Naked and Famous
5. Allen Stone
6. Young the Giant



PEACE OUT MUSIC SCOUTS!

Peace, Love, & Rock n' Roll,
A-Tran.

BOTW #15 - Toro y Moi

Photo from: www.last.fm

Imagine a mashup of MGMT's synthy effects, some funky Jamiroquai-esque grooves here and there, the offbeat-coolness of Frank Ocean, and some Imogen Heap vibes... what do you get? This week's BOTW: Toro Y Moi!

South Carolina native, Chazwick Bradley Bundick (coolest name ever), brings these hybrid sounds (often referred to as chillwave) to the electronic and synthpop world and they have definitely made their mark.

For the lucky few that were able to snag Sasquatch tickets, Toro will be there to grace the stages of the Gorge. For all the non-PNW kids, he is currently on tour in various locations around the world.  For everyone else, his records are totally ideal for the next time you decide to throw a hipster dance party.

Shout outs to @AdamFeldenkris for the request!

Bands I think Toro Y Moi should tour with...

1. MGMT

2. M83

3. Passion Pit

4. Daft Punk

5. Grimes

6. Cut Copy 

7. Mayer Hawthorne

8. Empire of the Sun

Check out the single, "So Many Details," from his record, "Anything in Return":

Have a synth-tastic weekend, friends!

Peace, Love, & Rock n. Roll,

A-Tran.

BOTW #14 - The Lashes

This week's BOTW spotlight is on a native Seattle band, The Lashes. Forming in 2000, they quickly took the local music scene by storm. Along with constant local shows and tours, they have released two EPs and a full length record.

The Lashes's one and only full length record, "Get It" (2006), was literally the soundtrack throughout my entire high school career. "Get It" is an album that I know front to back, and track to track. It is the album you turn on if you want some good ole rock n' roll karaoke! The band shows listeners that they are more than capable of writing a solid power-poprock tune through their contagious melodies, classic rock inspired guitars, and expert weaving of synthesizers and The Killers-eque organs.

The Lashes are for listeners of:
1. Hot Hot Heat
2. Weezer
3. Kaiser Chiefs
4. Phantom Planet
5. The Killers
6. The Lonely H

I was lucky enough to catch these guys a couple times in 2006 and at Bumbershoot 2008! I will forever be waiting for The Lashes's return to the scene!

My FAVES:

1. Sometimes the Sun
2. A Pretty Girl is Like a Melody
3. Dear Hollywood
4. Please Please Please

Have a toe-tappin', headbangin' weekend friends!

Peace, Love, & Rock n' Roll,

A-Tran.

BOTW #13 - Sea Wolf

Photo from: last.fm
Alex Brown Church of Sea Wolf, fully equipped
with flannel and guitar in hand.

Most kids would cringe in embarrassment if someone found out that they listened to the same music as their parents. On the contrary, my mom has awesome taste in alternative rock (specifically bands in the mellow-alt-rock club) and I'm glad to say that she introduced me to this week's BOTW, Sea Wolf!

Alex Brown Church played in various musical projects before breaking out to start Sea Wolf so that he could focus on his own individual sound. Although originally from LA, he totally "sounds like Seattle," and this is probably influenced by his demo sessions in Sea-Town with Phil Ek (Phil also worked with some hometown favorites like The Shins, Band of Horses, and Fleet Foxes). Alex Brown Church, or "ABC" as I like to call him, provides everything a mellow/alt-rock/Seattle-esque band should, i.e. a unique vocal timbre, strum-y acoustic guitars, subtle synth and strings, and constant drum patterns. A Sea Wolf record is the kind of record you can put on at any time of day, and it will provide great vibes whether you are driving in your car, doing homework, require some background tunes, or feel the need to soundtrack your organic fair trade coffee and hipster poetry session.

Since Sea Wolf's record label debut in 2007, he has released three solid albums full of endearing vocals and indie instrumentals. I totes recommend checking them out!

ABC, Mom, and I at the Tractor Tavern in Ballard! 

See him live! There's something about the live performance that can make or break your fandom for an artist. Sea Wolf definitely is one of those bands that becomes MORE awesome after a show. Alex's vocals have become so much stronger and you get an emotional performance that can't be replicated in a studio.

Favorite Album: Hands down, my fave record from Sea Wolf is the 2007 release, "Leaves in the River."

Favorite Jams: "Middle Distance Runner," "You're a Wolf,"Wicked Blood," "Old Friend"

Have a rockin' mellow weekend my friends.

Peace, Love, & Rock n' Roll,
A-Tran.

BOTW #12 - The Bronx / Mariachi El Bronx

Photo from thebronxxx.com

Photo from mariachielbronx.com

Imagine yourself eating at your favorite locally-famous neighborhood taco truck run by a few hipsters. I am pretty sure that the dudes of "The Bronx" / "Mariachi El Bronx" would run a business as such if they weren't already out playing their punk+classic rock jams half of the time and playing their mariachi-infused punk rock jams the other half of the time!

The Bronx is a band that hails from Los Angeles who has made quite a name for themselves. Releasing six full length albums to this date (Four under the name The Bronx and two under Mariachi El Bronx), fans of "The Warped Tour" crowd will totally dig their stuff! Each track they produce gives off a mixture classic rock influence and punk rock angst through driving guitars, catchy riffs, fearless vocals, and beats that make you want to enter the next air drumming contest! I first heard of these guys through their mariachi alter-ego band, Mariachi El Bronx, several years ago when they played as Conan's music guest. I was instantly hooked (probably due to my shameless love of anything distantly reminiscent of marching band, i.e. ska, mariachi, etc.).  Although The Bronx may not always be easily identified by the average listener, I am pretty sure there is no other band out there that can pull off a mariachi band with punk rock vocals this well.

With that, I will leave you to some of their best hits. The Bronx/Mariachi El Bronx are definitely your go-to-guys if you ever want some quality punk/classic rock/mariachi music to soundtrack your life!

When you're in a punk rock mood:
The Bronx - The Unholy Hand

When you're in a mariachi mood:
Mariachi El Bronx - 48 Roses

¡Adios amigos! Until next time. (:

Peace, Love, & Rock n' Roll,
A-Tran.