Mar 21
Music
The Mountain Goats
By Catherine Martin
"The last song will be determined by hands, not whoos," Mountain Goats front man John Darnielle made a token effort to calm his screaming audience. "Hands. Not whoos." The sold out crowd - gathered at the Troubadour on March 5 - quieted down just long enough to vote for the last song in the first of two encores before erupting into song along with Darnielle.
If his audience was enthusiastic, Darnielle could hardly contain his manic energy on the Mountain Goats' second night performing in West Hollywood. Dancing his way onstage ahead of his band, Darnielle dove head first into a folk rock set ranging across his prolific recording career. He insists he varies the band's set list from show to show - hence the vote - and he delivers every song with an unflagging fervor that the audience can't help but be caught up in.
Of course, a Mountain Goats' show can't all music and dancing. A versatile storyteller, Darnielle pauses periodically to ponder things like the nature of the boiling point, "the point at which something has no choice but to boil." Humans, he reasons, must also have boiling points, at which their emotions boil over and are sterilized. Such connections come naturally to Darnielle, and it's lucky for us that they do; seemingly disparate ideas become passion-filled lyrics, littered with allusions, from literature to medicine.
The idea of the human boiling point leads to "Autoclave," off the Mountain Goats' latest album, Heretic Pride (released this February). In "Autoclave," a man laments that he's reached his boiling point and realized that "I am this great, unstable mass of blood and foam / And no emotion that's worth having would call my heart its home." In someone else's hands, these lyrics might be cheesy, but Darnielle pulls them off with a delivery style that is at once simple, sincere and frenzied. This style holds whether he's singing or speaking - his patter comes out quickly, forcing him to pause to allow his voice to catch up with his mind. Every song has a story behind it, and Darnielle tells as many of them as he can.
Even before the Mountain Goats took the stage, the evening started out strong with a solid set from Jeffrey Lewis and the Super Furry Animals, a folk-punk ensemble based in Brooklyn. By slowing their own lyrics and reinterpreting others - they deliver songs in calm, steady tones; at times more spoken than sung - Jeffrey Lewis and company force their audience to really listen to what they're saying. It's a good trick. By doing so, they manage to inject politics into their music without sounding polemical. They do the same on 12 Crass Songs, Lewis' latest album of covers from the British 70s punk band Crass, emphasizing the words over the rage.
The Super Furry Animals may have a political message to get across, but they make sure to have some fun with it. Lewis is also an underground comic artist, and he augments some songs with drawings - "A Brief History of Communism" is accompanied by detailed cartoons of the key figures and events. The band's whole performance exudes a cheerful liveliness, no matter what they're singing about.
The Super Furry Animals' sense of humor made for a wonderful contrast with Darnielle's urgency. Early in their set, Lewis and the Animal's Helen Schreiner led the band in a beautifully monotone cover of the Mountain Goats' "The Window Song," which Darnielle reprised near the end of the show. Both renditions hit the same notes, but under the Animal's cool and detached calm, "The Window Song" sounded more like poetry spoken to music, while Darnielle's earnest passion transformed it into a cry for release.
In the end, after the Mountain Goats' second encore, the audience also had to detach itself from John Darnielle's world of frenzied passion. Darnielle is one of the few who can maintain such high levels of intensity for long, but it's a beautiful world to visit.
Robyn: The Rakamonie EP
By Rei Nishimoto
Sweden has produced pop music for decades like it grows on trees. It is surreal how one country is able to pump out so many artists that have been successful on an international level.
It has been over a decade since Robyn was last heard from Stateside. She was part of the teen pop phenomenon in the late 1990s, with hit songs like 'Do You Know (What It Takes)' and 'Show Me Love' from her Robyn Is Here CD became pop and dance chart toppers. Her powerful yet soulful voice stood out amongst the bouncy pop songs that usually produced out of the Swedish pop factory.
The Rakamonie EP is a reintroduction to her international fan base after going MIA for over a decade. She has been releasing music within Sweden, but very little has happened beyond those borders. But now, she is making up for lost time through this EP.
Her sound has evolved over the years, steering away from the slick pop sound that she was remembered for. The songs on
here have greatly matured and will surprise those who are waiting more bubble gum pop-dance music. There is music on here that fans of pop, rock, and as far out as electronica could enjoy.
This EP features three newer songs, along with a couple of covers that is anything but expected. 'Konichiwa Bitches' is a reworked version from her 2005 release, but despite the Dave Chappelle catch phrase reference, this is as far as this song has to do with his. This single has hints of hip-hop and electronica, while Robyn shows off a hint of confidence behind her vocals. While names like Gwen Stefani jumps out as a possible comparison, this song does justice towards showcasing where Robyn's sound is heading.
Another side of her sound is found on 'With Every Heartbreat,' a song she collaborated with Swedish DJ Andreas Kleerup. This song was her big hit single in the UK and it would be no real surprise if the US makes a late surge lusting after this single as well.
This version is stripped down to a piano and her vocals. This song showcases more of her powerful vocal range and the variety she is able to add into her songs. But the skeleton of this single show that Robyn has grown as a singer and a performer since her early days.
The real surprise is her collaboration with Klas Ahlund of the rising rock/
electronica outfit Teddybears. She covered Teddybears' hit single 'Cobrastyle,' which is a bold move for someone who has not been known to perform many crossover tunes throughout her career. Through collaborating with his, Robyn shows a different side of her music through adding more synth-driven sounds that is popular within the European dance scene. Plus she is showing different sides of her music and has very little chances of being viewed as a one dimensional artist.
Another surprise cover on here is her cover of Prince 'Jack U Off,' and how she transformed a popular pop/funk driven tune into a strictly piano song. Robyn found a unique way to make this song into her own without becoming trapped within the constraints of what listeners would expect her music to sound like. This song sounds is a fun song, played by someone who is finding the humor within the sexual innuendo within the lyrics, and placing her interpretation into the song. This song is purely to show Robyn having fun with the songs she performs and showing an edgy side in the meantime.
The Rakamonie EP definitely shows that Robyn has grown a lot during the decade long hiatus from the international music scene. She has come a long way from her early pop-dance days and has a lot to prove. Whenever she is ready to release her first internationally released full length recording, the world should be anxiously awaiting what she has coming.
THE RAVEONETTES: 80s, Oldies Psychedelic Punk
By Chrystal Ann Heidemann
Illuminated by the red lights of the El Rey marquee, a steady flow of 20 and 30- somethings filed into the historic theatre to see The Raveonettes perform, who are currently on tour promoting their new album: Lust, Lust, Lust.
The Raveonettes - does the name sound familiar? This dyad from Denmark, made up of Sune Rose Wagner (guitar and vocals), and Sharin Foo (bass and vocals), has been getting substantial airplay on rock and alternative radio since 2003. With a catchy oldies feel, The Raveonettes' sound definitely stands out among a station's playlist, in a good way. It's a style that can crossover between various formats due to distinct multi-generational influences that compliment each other when combined with modern production.
Their debut album, Whip It On, stuck to strict rules: all songs must be recorded in B-flat minor, they could not last more than three minutes, and they could not contain more than three chords. The whole album was recorded on a four-track with a drum machine. This album got the band a gig at the CBGB in 2002 - introducing them to the states.
Their second album, Chain Gang Love, incorporated the same rules, except this time the key was B-flat major. With their 2005 Columbia Records release, Pretty in Black, The Raveonettes, detached from their formula and began adding new elements for a more active listening experience.
While hipsters sipped on $8.00 cocktails and checked out the El Rey's VIP balcony dining area, the opening act took the stage- Be Your Own Pet, a barely legal punk band from Nashville. This was an interesting choice to pair up with The Raveonettes, but the crowd seemed to enjoy it.
Similarities between the two bands include the simplicity in song composition and the power of female stage presence. However, the intensity levels between the two bands were at opposite poles of the sound sphere. Be Your Own Pet puts off the high school garage band vibe, with quirky lyrics and Ramones-like song replication and delivery. While some may see this band as a packaged pop punk act aimed towards an under 21 crowd, others may see a new No Doubt in the making.
As The Raveonettes began their set, suddenly the relevance of atmosphere to sound became apparent - a crowd of people listening to a refurbished version of the late '50s, early '60s genre under the crystal chandeliers of a renovated theatre that once housed moviegoers during that same era.
Once hooked into the haunting harmonies and familiar chord progressions, a spectator may begin dissect the other properties involved in this entrancing mix. The guitars sing with surf music style. A touch of punk can be found within the guitar playing technique, the tone and accents of the singers' voices and in the poetic lyrics. Drum machines and the band's stoic, deadpan performance adds a bit of the 80s, while the noise and effects lace the songs with a psychedelic icing that has become increasingly popular in mainstream releases as of late.
The set list consisted of a nice balance of old and new material and the overall energy within the venue was that of an engaged and relaxed audience. These fans aren't "shoe-gazers," but more "star-gazers" and "swayers." One may argue that The Raveonettes showmanship lacks something to be desired. Just an empty set: Wagner, Foo, their guitars, and a little drummer girl beating on a couple of electronic drum snares in militant robotic motions. Smirks and audience acknowledgements are few and far between. The whole ambiance can get a bit bland at times, but with the short song lengths, tempo switches in the line-up, and good pacing…the show taps you back in when you start to fall out.
As for the new release Lust, Lust, Lust - it's definitely worth the $12. The CD is perfect for dealing with LA traffic when focusing on the day ahead or leaving the stress of the workday behind.
For more information on The Raveonettes visit: www.myspace.com/theraveonettes