- A culture magazine reaching terminal verbosity -
STRFKR implore you to "Open Your Eyes" with the steadily uplifting locomotion of their third Being No One, Going Nowhere single, and as always the pop masters are smooth enough to convince you to listen.
Following "Never Ever" and "Tape Machine," "Open Your Eyes"'s synth beats are catchy and consistent enough to carry us over to their fourth LP's release on November 4th via Polyvinyl.
"Who doesn't need another friend?" they ask. Dancing is always better together.
"Open Your Eyes" is taken from our new album, Being No One, Going Nowhere, out 11/4. Pre-order LP/CD/TAPE/DIGITAL: http://plyvnyl.co/beingnoone Pre-order on iTunes - http://smarturl.it/beingnoone Pre-order on Bandcamp - http://plyvnyl.co/beingnoone-BC Stream/download "Open Your Eyes" - https://STRFKR.lnk.to/open-your-eyes
"Happiness is just an accident," sings Man Man / Mister Heavenly maverick Honus Honus on "Oh No!". Following "Heavy Jesus" and continuing the rollout of his "apocalyptic LA pop" solo record Use Your Delusion, the single is a classic example of sad sentiments stuck in a sunny song.
"Oh No!" combines such lines as "Your heart is bubble-wrapped in permanent depression" with a deft touch of sax, an almost reggae pulse, and some of Honus' most nimble, surfy guitarwork to date for a deceptively delightful package.
Honus explained to Consequence of Sound,
“[Producer King Cyrus King] wasn’t a fan of the song when I initially brought it to the table so it took a bit of convincing to get him onboard. It truly was a situation where when he first heard me demoing it out he went, ‘Oh no, not this song!’ The name was sort of born out of that moment even though the lyrics in the bridge already hinted at a title. Also, ‘Ono’ in this pronunciation is Hawaiian for delicious. Food for thought.
Going into this making this record I wanted to play around with different synth sounds, experiment with brighter, maybe even ‘cheesier’ tones that would draw a sharp contrast to some of the non-breezy lyrical content. I’ve always been a fan of juxtaposing opposing vibes and I love how the tune has a bouncy, summer feel but if you actually listen to what I’m singing, the sentiment is rather melancholy since it’s a song dealing with a breakup and post-breakup healing. But…if you’re someone who just hears the music and could care less about what the song is about, it’s a feel-good jammer and sounds even better when you pump up the volume! True story.”
You can preorder Use Your Delusion, the self-release of which has been pushed back to October 28, through the Pledge Music campaign.
Read our in-depth interview with Honus, in which we discuss his solo record and more, here.
How do you even begin to break down the immense mythology of a group widely considered to be the greatest of all time into something digestible and accessible but also still reverent? The eight years of musical, visual, historical, economical, political and social impact The Beatles left behind looms like a giant block of marble that should only intimidate any author or documentarian foolish enough to try and mold it into a singular experience that does the group justice.
And yet in truth, it’s insanely difficult to craft a bad movie around the story of the Fab Four. For all of the pomp and circumstance surrounding the band’s legacy, any filmmaker who deigns to cover the band’s story essentially has the perfect subjects: four of the most affable, down-to-earth, creative and interesting people who ever walked the Earth. The filmmakers have a smorgasbord of every kind of song imaginable at their disposal to set a mood or tone, a majority of which are already in pop music’s pantheon of greatest ever. So really you’ve only got yourself to blame if you can make a bad film with all of that at your disposal.
With that said, at this point in history it is much easier to make a boring film about The Beatles. After so many books and documentaries covering every inch and aspect of The Beatles’ career, at some point a hardcore fan can only get so much out of a “new” interpretation a storyteller tries to craft out of that eight year marble block without some hint of what’s already come before.
And Ron Howard’s latest documentary begins dangerously on that cusp of blandness, threatening to turn into just a shiny new coat of paint on the same storyline even the most casual of Beatles fan is conscious of. The montage of those rough n’ tumble nights in Hamburg coupled with their subsequent haircuts/suits that led to Please Please Me’s chart-topping overnight success... it threatens on yada-yada-yada territory before the real fun actually begins.
Where Eight Days a Week begins to differentiate itself is in making you feel the absolute and all-consuming chaos of an event that was The Beatles’ touring years. A treasure trove of great concert material has been carefully remastered and restored for this documentary (a perfect justification for the film’s existence if you really needed one) and the footage of swaths of young people screaming their heads off, rushing stages, and evading police makes you feel just how singular an experience the Beatles were in history. Nothing had ever happened like this before and nothing would ever again.
The baby boomer generation was desperate for a way to express themselves, and these unassuming, charming lads with similar haircuts and incredible songwriting and vocal abilities came along and changed everything,These four young men were at the center of the world’s biggest cultural maelstrom and somehow trying to maintain their own sanity. The film runs you through the elation of Ed Sullivan and Shea Stadium all the way through to the bitter end at the KKK rallies in Memphis and the miserable Candlestick park final gig.
Their cheery and cheeky demeanor on that electric first tour of America heartbreakingly contrasted with the weariness of the magnifying glass is the film’s biggest success. It makes the mere existence of any Beatles music that followed the madness of their touring years seem like a God-given miracle.
The film wisely chooses to focus on the band’s overwhelming unity during these progressively trying times and puts a sunny disposition on the group’s overall dynamic. It’s nice to have a Beatles documentary that pits The Beatles against the world when so many others like to focus on their internal battles that came later. Those touring years, as Ringo mentions in the film, were when The Beatles had to look out for each other first and foremost. So while it may feel dishonest to exclude the turmoil of their later studio work, it’s impossible to deny the bond the Fab Four shared with one another.
There’s a few glaring omissions in terms of Beatles lore, in particular manager Brian Epstein is paid an abysmal amount of lip service considering how especially important he was to the success of this period of the Beatles career and in terms of interviewees, there’s hardly much on offer that hasn’t been stated better elsewhere (for instance the only real archival interview footage with George comes from the superior if exhaustive Beatles Anthology), and a few subjects may leave you scratching your head about their inclusion but overall it’s good fun and good-natured even if it doesn’t forge a brand new vision of history.
While hardcore fans familiar with most of these intimate details may not find anything revelatory here, it’s worth the price of admission for the glut of restored and remastered footage of some classic Beatles concerts and if you’re able to see it in theaters, the entire Shea Stadium concert plays following the movie, fully restored in 4K with remastered sound. It goes down like a smooth, soothing ale for those of us already under the Fab Four’s spell, while still providing those looking for an accessible entry point to the Beatles’ early career with a satisfying result.
Only in cinemas September 15th. With world premiere broadcast live & specially remastered concert footage. Book your tickets now: http://scnl.co/BeatlesTix The Beatles played Shea Stadium on August 15th 1965 in what was to be the first rock concert ever staged in a stadium in front of more than 55,000 people.
It’s got to be hard work constantly lamenting lost love, passing youth, and uncertain futures. After years of always wearing your heart on your sleeve, scrunching and twisting up your face to croon one more emotional line, one imagines at a certain point you just want to cut loose and dance. Perhaps that is why on their third musical installment, Sunlit Youth, indie darlings Local Natives, decided to get a little funky.
Leaning heavily on synths and drums patterns resembling that of their contemporaries, such as HAIM, the Los Angeles band explores the pop genre more than on their previous records. "Villainy" is the clearest example of this new pop sensibility, a straight down the middle club beat underwritten by tasteful electronic layering makes for a head-bobbing track. The sound is refreshing, if a little mainstream, and long-time followers of the band will get pleasure from some of their new directions.
While in many ways a departure from their more raw roots, some mainstay characteristics of Local Natives certainly remain. The transcendently uplifting choruses, elegantly composed harmonies, and even some of the syncopated rhythms sneak there way among the catchy dance floor jingles. A Stevie Nicks-esque Nina Persson feature in "Dark Days" and the sidewinding stutter of "Masters" offer an intriguing surprise, while the big standout from the album is certainly the soulful “Coins." By far the most successful experiment by the band, "Coins"'s impeccable rhythm is driven by a groovy bass part, emulating something you might even hear off a Vulfpeck or D’Angelo song, while Taylor Rice’s voice also sounds unbridled and natural in stark contrast to the overly produced cadence on many of the other vocal tracks on Sunlit Youth.
Despite some tantalizing gems (most notably “Past Lives," “Coins," and “Villainy”), the album stumbles and sprawls a bit. At worst it feels derivative at times and can suffer from rather obtuse lyrics - on commercial-ready “Fountain of Youth” and “Masters,” the band seems to be nearly verging on the political, though never quite saying what they mean beyond tossing out a "Mrs. President," leaving the listener singing along to a chorus that is simultaneously gorgeous and meaningless.
With a shimmering title and lines like "Save me from the prime of my life," Sunlit Youth is a record that could've benefitted from an early summer release, but it will undoubtedly delight audiences planning to see Local Natives on their upcoming tour all the same, feeding the desire to not just sing along but dance as well. Though perhaps not their strongest overall, its standouts make it worth listening to, and at the very least, signals exciting things to come from the LA quintet.
In the age of Hollywood whitewashing and an all-too-often general failure to represent minorities realistically in film and television, Donald Glover’s Atlanta is a breath of fresh air. Glover combines his experiences growing up in Stone Mountain, Georgia with his skills as a writer, actor, and rapper to showrun the new FX series that is entirely worth the hype.
Atlanta centers around Earn (Donald Glover), a young man taking time off of college for unexplained reasons. He’s broke, working a job he hates, and living with his ex-girlfriend Van (Zazie Beets) with whom he has a daughter. In an attempt to get his life back together he reaches out to his cousin Alfred (Brian Tyree Henry), a local rapper known as Paper Boi, and asks to manage him. Alfred is always accompanied by his right hand man Darius (Keith Stanfield) whose perpetually high persona helps him craft stellar one liners. Throughout the rest of the episode, we witness the dynamics of Earn’s relationships with his parents, old friends, and coworkers as well as a look into his day-to-day life setting up a solid foundation for the upcoming episodes.
Equipped with a group of talented black writers, the authenticity of the characters and their stories shines through right off the bat. Glover strives to make the audience feel the experiences of African Americans rather than explicitly state it through exhaustive dialogue, and he does so with a seamless balance of drama and comedy perfectly paced within a twenty-five-minute episode. The comedic moments never leave you laughing out loud, but are instead subtly inserted with flawless timing - you can’t help but let a chuckle escape you. Also, the lack of exposition during dramatic moments is crucial in making a point when the episode addresses serious issues such as gun violence and unstable family life. The series opener never felt preachy or melodramatic, just simply a slice of life. These more serious moments didn’t need to be tragic and heartbreaking to still leave an impact. It shows maturity in its writing, something often lacking in pilot episodes.
Visually, the show doesn’t do anything out of the ordinary or groundbreaking. There are no crazy special effects, unnecessary camera movements, or anything jarring and distracting. Instead, the moody tones (shout out to the colorist), the simple yet powerful cinematography, and the clean editing allow for full focus on the characters and the story. Everything from the drone shots of Atlanta to the wardrobe of each individual character creates an incredible sense of setting adding to the show’s genuineness.
Glover and his writers create a realistic portrayal of what its like to be black in America in a way in which, if written by anything less, would leave these characters, their conversations, and their experiences culminating in a show inauthentic and loaded with empty stereotypes. In a time where Atlanta is increasingly hitting a cultural stride, Atlanta gets its representation just right.
South Carolina trio Dear Blanca, fresh off of previous release I Don't Mean to Dwell, two national tours (one of which included opening for Killer Mike and Bernie Sanders), and more, continues the roll-out for their forthcoming EP with the third single, "Some Hearts Never Heal." The track joins "Out Of View" on To Tell A Half-Truth, which is due out September 16 via Post-Echo.
"Some Hearts Never Heal" is a gritty, trembling take on lost love set to coursing guitar jabs and, later on, a layer of somber strings. Its aching lyrical laments of "a hopeless means to no end" were posthumously co-written by deceased family, adding to the depth of emotion.
Frontman Dylan Dickerson, whose vocals often flirt with a crossroads between The Walkmen, Neutral Milk Hotel, and The Decemberists, explained to Transverso,
“‘Some Hearts Never Heal’ focuses almost exclusively on the mental state of Scott Crane, the protagonist of this EP and late uncle of our bassist Cam Powell. His collection of poems and lyrics titled ‘Songs for Jeanette’ served as the source material for this record. This song is meant to portray the fragile condition of a man who is far too consumed with despair to see the good that is left in the world around him.
My earliest songwriting was heavily romantic and in recent years I have strayed away from that. When I got my hands on Crane’s book of poetry I quickly realized it was drenched in romanticism. Having to wrap my head around someone else’s romantic views while molding them into my own interpretation was a unique challenge. The result is what I would consider to be my proudest musical accomplishment.”
Dear Blanca "Some Hearts Never Heal" To Tell A Half-Truth (Pre-Order album here- http://bit.ly/2chblv8) (09/16/20160 http://Post-Echo.com http://DearBlanca.com Facebook- http://on.fb.me/1Pgyb1n Spotify- http://spoti.fi/29uuokY Bandcamp- http://bit.ly/1nfZFsD
We're still reeling a bit from Majical Cloudz's sudden breakup earlier this year, but former frontman Devon Welsh has been releasing more than enough solo material to patch the holes. Following his A+ debut "collection of songs," Down the Mountain, the brooding Montrealer released "Go Go" on his Bandcamp - an alternatingly languid and uplifting track that is lovely all the way through.
Laid over a delicate bed of synth drawl, "Go Go" sounds as if it's come from an adjacent planet in the same galaxy that spawned Beach House's "Norway," as Welsh's bold vocals wax dynamically over the space.
"If you hold the hand of God / Life's a problem love will solve," he groans. Listening to Welsh has always felt like doing just that.
It happens every election cycle - politician plays song at rally, artist complains, politician replaces it with another song, that artist complains, rinse, wash, repeat.
Of course many musicians do pledge support of some campaigns and lend their tunes to the cause (Killer Mike and Grizzly Bear's stumping for Bernie Sanders being recent highlights), but it's always the conflicts that get more news time and are, well, more amusing.
While America's touring president-hopefuls usually turn to safe, generic fight songs and vaguely patriotic anthems for firing up their attending constituents, there can sometimes be peculiarly glaring disconnects, from Trump's doomsday-implicating entrance to an incensed R.E.M.'s "It's The End Of The World As We Know It," to Reagan evoking the ostensible feel-good nationalism of Springsteen's "Born In The U.S.A.," a song that is actually a clear criticism of the US government and its war-mongering. But even if it's just a song about the sun, there will likely be complaints assuming the politician has one thing in common - the GOP.
"Go fuck yourselves, the lot of you--you sad, attention grabbing, power-hungry little men. Do not use our music or my voice for your 1)
— Mike Mills (@m_millsey) September 9, 2015
...moronic charade of a campaign."--Michael Stipe
— Mike Mills (@m_millsey) September 9, 2015
The unauthorized use of #HereComestheSun at the #RNCinCLE is offensive & against the wishes of the George Harrison estate.
— George Harrison (@GeorgeHarrison) July 22, 2016
If it had been Beware of Darkness, then we MAY have approved it! #TrumpYourself
— George Harrison (@GeorgeHarrison) July 22, 2016
@ScottWalker @GovWalker please stop using our music in any way...we literally hate you !!!
— Dropkick Murphys (@DropkickMurphys) January 25, 2015
Love, Dropkick Murphys
Often candidates are technically allowed to play the tunes in question due to the venue holding a blanket license with a performance rights organization (PRO) that pays out royalties for such public performances of the songs. But sometimes the candidates are not covered and thus fall afoul of copyright infringement. Those responsible usually back down either way once a complaint is lodged, even if only out of awkwardness. While it's rare, there are a few examples of lawsuits actually taking place, most notably the time also-bassist Mike Huckabee had to cough up $25,000 in reparations for tainting Survivor's "Eye Of The Tiger."
While countless pieces have been penned (and performed) on this matter before, we at Transverso have taken the liberty of being the first to compile all (well, at least until Trump adds to it again) of the songs that have been retroactively barred from being used as sweet, sweet misappropriated right-wing propaganda in recent years into one playlist. In the age of Spotify hawking mix tapes from "Teen Party" to "Jock Jams" to "Not Your Mother's Christian Music," we figured why not curate the ultimate collection of tracks for you to use at your next campaign speech or event - that is, of course, if you're not a Republican.
The playlist itself is sorted by artist name, and we also provided a list of the tracks below sorted by the names of the offending candidates and public figures.
Adele - “Rolling in the Deep”
Adele - “Skyfall”
Aerosmith - “Dream On”
The Beatles - “Here Comes The Sun”
Leland Stanford Junior University Marching Band - “All Right Now”
Neil Young - “Rockin’ in the Free World”
R.E.M. - “It’s The End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)”
Rolling Stones - “Start Me Up”
Rolling Stones - “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”
Queen - “We Are The Champions”
ABBA - “Take a Chance on Me”
Bon Jovi - “Who Says You Can’t Go Home”
Foo Fighters - “My Hero”
Gretchen Peters - “Independence Day”
Heart - “Barracuda”
Jackson Browne - “Running On Empty”
John Mellencamp - “Our Country”
John Mellencamp - “Pink Houses”
Orleans - “Still the One”
Van Halen - “Right Now”
John Mellencamp - “R.O.C.K. in the USA”
Orleans - “Still the One”
Sting - “Brand New Day”
Tom Petty - “I Won’t Back Down”
Bobby McFerrin - “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”
The Heavy - “How You Like Me Now?”
Journey - “Don’t Stop Believing”
Survivor - “Eye of the Tiger”
K’Naan - “Wavin’ Flag”
Silversun Pickups - “Panic Switch”
Boston - “More Than a Feeling”
Survivor - “Eye of the Tiger”
Rush - “Spirit of the Radio”
Rush - “Tom Sawyer”
Don Henley - “All She Wants to Do Is Dance”
Don Henley - “The Boys of Summer”
Katrina & The Waves - “Walking On Sunshine”
Tom Petty - “American Girl”
Bruce Springsteen - “Born in the USA”
Axwell / Ingrosso - “Something New”
Twisted Sister - “We’re Not Gonna Take It”
Dropkick Murphys - “I’m Shipping Up to Boston”
David Byrne - “Road to Nowhere”
Sam & Dave - “Soul Man”
Joe Walsh - “Walk Away"
Grab your dancing shoes and thinking caps, folks, the Durham Duo is at it again. After successful splash onto to scene with their self-titled debut in 2014, Sylvan Esso is back with a new single. “Radio” which will leave their fans tingling with excitement for the sophomore album, which is set to release sometime in 2017.
The track certainly feels like a continuation rather than a departure (the bouncy bass lines and high hat sounds will be all to familiar), but producer Nick Sanborn (Megafaun, Made of Oak) has also added new textures, synths, and patches creating a fresh sonic landscape. Singer Amelia Meath (Mountain Man) is also in excellent form lyrically, maintaining catchy hooks alongside incisive commentary. “Radio” cuts, rather ironically given its own presumably hit single intentions, the pop-music-machine at the knees:
"Now don't you look good sucking american dick
You're so surprised they like you
You're so cute and so quick
Singin' I've got the moves of a TV queen
Faux girl hero in a magazine
Faking the truth in a new pop song
Don't you wanna sing along"
The single will be released on a 12” along with “Kick Jump Twist,” a song that has cropped up occasionally in their live sets, on 11/18. In the mean time, the band has announced a Fall US tour, likely featuring new music along the way. So keep your ears open, there are sure to be some more groovy tracks coming your way soon enough.
"Radio / Kick Jump Twist" 12" single available 11/18 via Loma Vista Recordings.
Read our interview with Nick Sanborn here.
Over half a year ago, STRFKR (née Starfucker) dropped a single titled "Never Ever" without any news of an album to come. Because of this, we took the leap in assuming it was a one-off, before STRFKR themselves corrected us on Twitter, providing the first hint that a follow-up to 2013's Miracle Mile was on the way.
Then, radio silence. Despite this delay, "Never Ever"'s "What would I lie for?" outro rings true today as the Portlandian trio has appeared again with new track "Tape Machine" and an album announcement for the grimly named Being No One, Going Nowhere due out November 4th via Polyvinyl.
"Tape Machine" is an excitingly groovy and psychedelic first taste of Being No One, Going Nowhere fitting of its delightfully starry cover art, but actually wasn't originally intended for the band. Frontman Joshua Hodges told Billboard,
“Tape Machine’ was written with two Dutch friends while I was in Amsterdam visiting my girlfriend and trying to find inspiration. Those two friends and I wrote about six songs together and this was one they thought was too poppy for the project, so I asked if I could use it for this STRFKR record.”
Click play and stare at space below.
"Tape Machine" is taken from our new album, Being No One, Going Nowhere, out 11/4. Order here: http://plyvnyl.co/beingnoone