Supermodel is no supermodel, but it’s pretty close

Make no mistake, I’m a huge fan of Foster the People. So when I found out their sophomore album, Supermodel, was on the horizon, I was pretty excited. This admittance might make my words hold no value, but let me finish what I have to say, and then make a decision on whether what I’m saying is of importance.

“Coming of Age,” the lead single off the album, was great. It felt like they picked up right where they left off with their debut album, Torches. Then, “Pseudologia Fantastica” was released, followed shortly after by “Best Friend.” I wasn’t really too impressed with the former, but I could tell the latter would be one of the best songs on the album already.

Fast-forward to the entire album release.

I’ll be the first to admit I was a little disappointed. By holding Supermodel up to Torches standards, I set myself up for disaster. Their debut album was a masterpiece, and it would have been pretty much impossible to top.

That being said, I love the new album.

I should point out that one of the reasons I’m writing this is sort of in response to the Rolling Stone review of the album, and how the author used 100 big words that nobody cares to read or understand to poorly compare the entire album to the one song, “Pumped Up Kicks.” I’m not even going to link the article, to deter the author from getting his page hit goal.

First of all, you cannot compare an entire album to one song IN ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. You would never normally do it, so why here? It makes no sense.

Second of all, Foster the People really have something going here. The songs they released as singles, in addition to “Are You What You Want to Be?” and “Ask Yourself” are all signature Foster the People. “Nevermind,” “A Beginner’s Guide to Destroying the Moon,” and “The Truth” are all also notable mentions.

But, as a whole, the band has seemed to stray away from the strange synth and sounds felt so heavily on Torches. You can especially notice a difference with the last three or four songs. The songs aren’t really conventional, but they aren’t totally bizarre either, unlike some of the other sounds you hear on Torches. 

As well, the album does seem to tail off from what I expected towards the end. These songs feel like filler to me.

But, how fitting is the title of Supermodel? Well, it really isn’t, but I started to think about it a bit more. Turns out, it makes a lot more sense to me (and I’m sure they didn’t intend it this way, but here it goes).

Torches was an absolutely beautiful collection of songs. Dropping anything but a masterpiece seemed unacceptable for a lot of fans. I think the members of the band realized this, naming their new album Supermodel. A supermodel is often looked to as an unattainable dream; people look at supermodels with desire and envy, but some realize their limitations and accept that they may never live up to what’s expected of them.

Just like a supermodel, Foster the People were held to an impossible standard that even they couldn’t live up to. Supermodel deserves a whole bunch of credit for having a bounty of great songs spread throughout, but in the end they knew the album couldn’t live up to the hype Torches had surrounding it. They named their newest record Supermodel to represent the impossible standard they were asked to live up to, and how despite their attempts, seems rather difficult to achieve.

Or, they could have just liked the name and I’m just making stuff up. Who knows.

In any case, this album deserves a pickup. Despite its criticisms, it’s one of the best sophomore albums I’ve heard in a long time, and there’s a lot of really great stuff worth listening to on there. And for the last time, please don’t listen to Rolling Stone, even though it’s damn near impossible with all of the abnormally large words they use to make themselves sound sophisticated.

ADVICE: Go back and listen to Torches straight through, and let the song “Warrant” lead right into the first track of Supermodel. It’s seamless.

Acceptance Speech should start writing an acceptance speech

Though their band seems to have a turnover rate the size of Wal-Mart’s, Dance Gavin Dance has, once again, persevered with their fifth studio album, Acceptance Speech.

After hearing Downtown Battle Mountain II, I was a little sad because they had originally stated that they would be finished after that album. However, I thought it would feel right, considering the original singer, Jonny Craig, would record the album, and everything would feel right.

I loved that album and all, but when I found out they dropped Jonny once again and picked up Tilian Pearson for Acceptance Speech, I was a little skeptical, but also excited.

As a fan of each one of their albums for its own reason, I began listening to Acceptance Speech and had mixed feelings. The first song, “Jesus H. Macy,” has a signature DGD guitar riff, as well as an absolutely wonderful scream from Jon Mess. However, the very first note you hear from the lead vocals is so high you’ll probably think “oh no.”

I powered through it and after listening to the rest of the song, Pearson’s voice began to grow on me. It’s so melodic. With Craig, you get that soul-type feel that completes the neapolitan sound that is DGD. On the other hand, with Pearson, you receive a more melodic vocal, one that enhances the powerfulness of Mess’ screams, and the instruments that back him up. The vocal is powerful yet calming, dominant yet tranquil. 

After listening to the first track, I still had mixed feelings. It’s a strong track, but it doesn’t really showcase the powerful effect that Pearson can have on these songs. The next song, titled “The Robot with Human Hair, Pt. 4,” won me over. Pearson’s vocals fit absolutely perfectly with the track. His singing in the chorus made me so excited for the rest of the album.

Next, we hear the track “Acceptance Speech.” Mess absolutely kills it with his trademark lyrics, which never really make much sense. The song is definitely alright, until the bridge. Again, Pearson destroys it with his melodic voice. Honestly, that bridge alone makes the track a must-listen for any DGD fan. That, along with Mess’ screams in the early stages of the song make it such a great balance. Not to mention the ending that really doesn’t fit but somehow completes it, if that makes sense.

“Carve” hits you almost immediately after trying to figure out what the rap ending was about. Again, Mess uses his screams to build up to the wonderfully wonderful vocals of Tilian Pearson. It’s so powerful. “Doom & Gloom” actually begins with Pearson, where he winds up actually singing background to Jon Mess. 

“Strawberry Swisher Pt. 3” is next and is quite the song. It does kind of remind me of “Strawberry Swisher Pt. 2” off of their album Happiness (weird right?). However, the two vocalists are totally different. Both are great tunes, but part 3 is one of those songs you go out of your way to listen to.

After that, however, the album drops off a little bit. By a little bit, I mean a two-storey house with a chimney to a two-storey house. “Honey Revenge” is a good track, but it doesn’t really seem very DGD-esque to me. “Demo Team” and “Death of the Robot with Human Hair” seem to use autotune, which I’m not a huge fan of. Don’t let that scare you away, though, “Demo Team” is alright and “Death of the Robot with Human Hair” is a little bit better.

“The Jiggler” has almost a Pearl Jam-type riff at some points, which is a little cool. Though the song is definitely meant for the latter half of an album, it’s worth a listen.

The last song, “Turn Off the Lights. I’m Watching Back to the Future, Pt. 2,” is the hidden gem. I find it’s kind of like “Uneasy Hearts Weigh the Most” off of their self-titled album in the sense that it’s the track a lot of people will like, strictly for the vocals. There’s significantly more screaming in this song than in “Uneasy Hearts Weigh the Most,” but they both give me a similar feeling (though “Uneasy Hearts” is a lot better).

In a conclusion, Acceptance Speech is a must-listen for any post-hardcore fan, as well as any Dance Gavin Dance fan. My advice would be to listen to the first two songs, and if you don’t like what you’re hearing, you could probably turn it off.

A LOT of people would disagree with me on this one, but I actually think this album is better than their self-titled. Before you bite my head off, let me start by saying that I appreciate melodic DGD better than whatever you would call their self-titled (though three of my top 10 DGD songs are on that album). Seems like everyone reviewed Dance Gavin Dance to be their best album, even though I’d say it’s a close fourth to Acceptance Speech, with Downtown Battle Mountain taking first place and Happiness in second.

I enjoy it all though. Pretty much all of the albums are interchangeable, as they are all special for their own specific reasons. 

The only thing missing from this album are the bass lines that blow your mind that are in Downtown Battle Mountain. Though, they’ve been a little absent since then in general. 

If you’re feeling a little mixed about trying out this album after hearing they had a different vocalist, let Tilian Pearson himself tell you what not to do by singing “The Robot with Human Hair, Pt. 4” to you:

“Don’t be f**kin’ cynical.” 

The Paper Kites put you in a great ‘state’

On October 1^st, the popular folk music scene had to make room for one more band, as the Paper Kites released their first studio album, States.

This isn’t your average folk record, though – it’s much more than that. Hailing out of Melbourne, Australia, the Paper Kites give you a set of wonderful songs from start to finish.

A lot of the tracks sound like they would come off of a Fleet Foxes album. Cross that with Bombay-Bicycle-Club-like vocals and sound and you have a loose description of what this band sounds like.

Throughout the record, there are a variety of instruments that have combined to make a unique sound. Combine that with the harmonized vocals of Sam Bentley and Christina Lacy, and you get the refreshing music of the Paper Kites.

The album gets off to a great start with the second track, “St Clarity.” The fingerpicking riff on the banjo is wonderfully simple and easy to enjoy.

We then jump to the fifth track, titled “Young,” which seems to be their most popular song. It has the biggest indie feel to it of all songs on the album, but still incorporates the fingerpicking that seems to be a reoccurring theme on this record. Bentley and Lacy’s harmonizing vocals complete this track.

Then, to show their varied sound, they deliver a song similar to Sam Roberts in “A Lesson From Mr. Gray.” The occasional wah-wah of the guitar, along with the echoing vocals make for a great tune.

“In Reverie” has a great rock sound to it, Lacy’s vocals help make it one of the strongest on the album.

The last song of the album, “I Done You So Wrong,” is a seven-minute track that concludes the adventure of their record. The last song seems to solve all of the problems addressed with the tune it carries, and it helps the listener come to terms with the ending of the record.

This album radiates a feeling surrounding it; a feeling that everything is going to be okay. Any album able to project feelings like that is really special.  

States has a little something for everyone. A combination of folk, acoustic and rock combine for an ultimately cool feel to the debut record. If you’re still not convinced, the band will open for folk rock artist and Canadian heartthrob City and Colour for some of his tour dates. Expect a little bit of a different sound than City and Colour, though: a much calmer, relaxing sound.   

Six months is a long time: a breath of fresh air

I was originally going to wait six months to review this album, but I really couldn’t wait that long.

Kakkmaddafakka’s third studio album, Six months is a long time, is nothing short of.. nice.

That’s the most appropriate word I can think of to describe them. Their indie sound is one of my personal favourites. It’s so unique that it’s almost impossible to compare to anything else.

Think a Metronomy-type sound, Beach Boys-type guitar, Two-Door-Cinema-Club-like vocals (although it’s hard to compare vocals, because Kakkmaddafakka has four vocalists), Matt-&-Kim-like keys, wonderful bass lines and a simple drum beat to wrap it all together.

That was one of the hardest comparisons I have ever done, so don’t be angry if that sounds nothing like what I described.

As an album, Six months is a long time is wonderful. All the way through from “Young,” to the remix of their lead single, “Someone New” is great.

A wonderful trait that these gentlemen possess is the ability to write wonderful songs that have meaning, but are written in the lightest way possible. What I mean by that is written wonderfully in their lead single, “Someone New,” where all four vocalists sing these lyrics:

“You’ve got someone new, I’m just a jealous motherfucker alone.”

Absolutely wonderful. They’ve captured the essence of their genre. It’s a very light song that relates to issues that a lot of people may have.

The album starts out very strong with the track “Young,” followed by the previously mentioned “Someone New.”

“Someone New” starts out with a very Beach-Boys-like riff that’s unmistakable once you hear it for the first time. As mentioned earlier, the drums are simple but effective. It’s pretty difficult to focus on anything other than the guitar and the continuous lead and backing vocals for the first few songs, other than the quick and beautiful piano solo at the end of “Someone New.”

“Lie” is number three on the CD, and then “Forever Alone” comes in at four, and they both good songs, nothing out of the ordinary though.

The next two wonderful songs come one after another: “Bill Clinton” and “No Song.”

The beginning of “Bill Clinton” is really catchy and it makes you want to listen to the whole song, but it doesn’t really maintain its catchiness. The guitars are really prominent throughout the song, which was to be expected.

“No Song” was my favourite on the album for quite a few weeks. It’s literally about saying no to people and it makes me happy. The focus on the bass line and the drums are there, which is a nice transition on the album. As mentioned before, it was only the vocals and the guitars that you could really focus on, with the occasional piano solo.

“Female Dyslexic” has quickly become the hidden gem on the album for me. It has been creeping up on me for a while, and now it’s one of my favourites. I love the idea of the song. It’s about a woman that doesn’t really know what she wants, but the band seems to blame themselves by calling themselves female dyslexics. Erratic piano and vocals are the mainstays of this song.

The next great tune is “Gangsta No More,” which is an obvious continuation from their song “Gangsta” on their previous album, Hest. “Gangsta” is about the whitest guys in the world (Kakkmaddafakka) wanting to be gangsters, and when they rob you, this is what they say:

“Please give me your money, or else I’ll shoot you with my gun.”

However, on their recent album, with “Gangsta No More,” they sing about how wishing they were gangsters was a mistake on their part, and that they “don’t wanna gangsta no more.” Wonderful song and especially great if you were a fan of their previous album, Hest.

That brings us to the finale: the “Someone New” remix. It’s the last track (besides the music video for “Someone New”), and it’s a favourite of mine. The track is refreshing, calming, relaxing, which is a perfect ending to the album.

This album is a must listen for any indie fan. It’s a great summer album (though it’s a little late.) Either you love them, or you don’t love them at all. With these Norwegians on the rise, expect to hear more from them in the coming years.

Arctic Monkeys’ AM was everything I could have hoped for

Arctic Monkeys’ recent release of their 5th studio album, AM, was on the 10th of September, and boy, was I ready to be disappointed.

Coming off their last release, Suck it and See, I was expecting something similar to that album. To be fair, their previous album wasn’t terrible by any means, but I was expected to be a little disappointed, as I was with Suck it and See.

I absolutely loved it.

As a long-time Arctic Monkeys fan, I think this album is a close number two, barely behind Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not, and barely ahead of Favourite Worst Nightmare.

I love the concept of the album; they’ve obviously grown as a band. They take the sexiness that sometimes appears in their songs and combine it with a slower feel that helps elevate that sound.

A unique experience was created for the listener, especially if the listener, like me, wasn’t really expecting a sort of R&B-type album that it ended up to be.

Pulsing drums of “Do I Wanna Know?” really shows the intentions of the album. Lead singer Alex Turner showcases the different type of vocals to be expected from AM, and the band subtly lets the listener know that the lead guitarist hasn’t just been sitting on his hands; he may be stronger than ever.

The last point is strengthened even more in the next song, “R U Mine?.” This song seemed to be intended to draw the fans of their other CDs in. It maintains the sound that the album was intended to have, but it also seems to have that Alex Turner feel that we have all grown accustomed to. Once fans heard this song prior to the album, they were drawn in, and checking out the album was a must.

“Arabella” comes in and defuncts any idea that the Arctic Monkeys had created an album solely with the single R&B sound. It starts out with a similar sound to the rest of the album, but finishes strong with that authentic Arctic Monkey sound that we heard in their prior albums.

The next three songs are good songs, but not anything special. “Fireside” has a wonderful drum beat but doesn’t resonate much with me.

“Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High?” is that hidden gem that I try to find on every album. It’s wonderful. The melody that Turner sings throughout the song is really catchy.

“Snap Out of It” is another great tune that is even better because it’s at the end of an album and therefore a surprise.

Even “Knee Socks” is fairly different, the back vocals sort of remind me of that Michael Jackson song “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’.”

You know? Ma Ma Se, Ma Ma Sa, Ma Ma Coo Sa, Ma Ma Se, Ma Ma Sa, Ma Ma Coo Sa?

Hard to compare anyone to the King of Pop, but here we are. It has a similar sound.

The entire album is wonderful. I would recommend this album to a lot of different types of people: Arctic Monkey fans, R&B fans, rock fans, pretty much anyone. Key songs are the aforementioned, but here they are really quick: “Do I Wanna Know?,” “R U Mine?,” “Arabella,” “Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High?” and “Snap Out of it.”

I find it a little odd that a majority of their best songs are questions. If I was to speculate (I’m probably totally off,) I would suggest that they may have questioned their alternate sound. I really doubt that’s the case, but even if it was, they know now that the results are generally positive, and what they’ve been doing works.

White Paint is Gold

Hollerado’s sophomore album, White Paint, can be described with many words, but one really sums it up: different. Comparing it to their first album, Record in a Bag, the songs are a lot less mainstream rock sounding, and more complicated. The nacho-loving band from Canada has grown to embrace the rock sound that they are almost known for.

The first half of the album is very strong. It’s different, but in a good way. It’s very energetic, similarly to their first album, but it also has slower moments that are enjoyable as well. The second half of the album has a couple of tracks that aren’t as strong, though most albums these days are like that. Listening to the album all the way through is an enjoyable experience.

Tracks like “Thanks for the Venom” and “Too Much to Handle” are just a couple of gems on the album, as well as “Pick Me Up,” the band’s single release from the CD. Though not as good as their debut album, Hollerado definitely doesn’t disappoint with White Paint. They are currently on tour with Billy Talent and Sum 41, so if you are into either of those bands, chances are Hollerado may be for you. A band like Hollerado is, in many ways, a breath of fresh air, a band that plays modern rock music and are just happy to be doing what they love for a living. Expect big things from this group, as White Paint is a clear sign for things to come.

Follow my ass on Twitter! @kylemuzyka

Hoodie Brings it Again

Hoodie Allen, coming off of recent success of his EP titled All American, continued to write, which in turn meant an early 2013 release of his new mix-tape, Crew Cuts. Many were excited for this album, and Allen definitely did not disappoint. The album is great from start to finish, and the best part about it is that he made it free on his website for all of his fans to download.

The single released off of the album, “Cake Boy,” was a little different, and hard to get into. Allen’s sound off of his last album was melodic rap, meaning that it was a mixture of the spoken word and singing. Naturally, when the single was released, there was a little backlash, as it did not contain any singing at all. If the album wasn’t free, many people may have been hesitant to purchase it. However, most of his fans downloaded it anyways, and heard the Hoodie that they are familiar with.

Standout tracks include “Long Night,” as well as “Heart 2 Heart,” though most of the tracks are solid. There really isn’t a very strong song followed by a few weak ones, however this seems to be Allen’s signature. All of his songs are enjoyable, and are listened to more or less depending on one’s mood. This album is worth purchasing if you’re a fan of the melodic rap that he does so well, however since it’s free it may be worth it to check it out regardless.

Atlas is Genius

A band out of Adelaide, Australia, Atlas Genius’ debut album, When it Was Now, made an immediate impact in the world of indie rock music. In terms of their sound, it is quite difficult to pin them to any other group, as each song has its own sound that is reminiscent of other bands. As a quick example, the song “Trojans,” which is arguably the best track on the album, has vocals that sound a little bit like the Cage the Elephant vocals, only like 40 times more mellow.

That being said, the album is such a combination of sounds and sub-genres of indie that it’s simply too hard to pass up. The entire album is enjoyable. No wonder Imagine Dragons picked them up as their opener for their most recent tour so quickly.

When it Was Now is a must listen for anyone who likes bands such as The Strokes, or even Two Door Cinema Club. Though their sound is completely different, if you dig the entire Imagine Dragons’ Night Visions, then this album may also be for you.

The above mentioned bands do not have a similar sound with Atlas Genius; these guys are unique. However, if these bands are within your interests, chances are you will like this album. When it Was Now is a fantastic album, and it is clear that we have not heard the last of this Australian quartet.

Holy Fire was Sort of a Miss

Sorry to anyone who reads this, it’s been awhile.

 Anyway, here’s my short review of Foals’ Holy Fire. If anyone actually is interested in a longer one, I will post it, but here’s the one I wrote for the Griff. 

In general, it may take a couple of listens to like the band Foals. The tracks that they put together are complex and well thought out, however the vocalist puts one in a sort of trance that is hard to get into initially. As expected, when their new album was announced, many fans pre-ordered it, excited for another great Foals album.

Holy Fire came out in early 2013, and with certain expectations that it failed to meet. Though the album is good, it is different from what was anticipated. The songs “Inhaler” and “My Number” are totally Foals, well put together songs with intricate guitar riffs and a certain upbeat tempo that is infectious. These two songs closely relate to the sound that Foals had in Antidotes. However, as the album continues, it gets increasingly slower, more trance-like tunes that their previous album, Total Life Forever, was like as well.

The album in itself is essentially Foals though, and their intention is most likely to experiment with different sounds. Some are working, whereas some are not. There are great guitar riffs throughout the record, but the songs just don’t have the same catchiness to them as their previous albums. However, fans of Foals, especially of their previous album, Total Life Forever, will like most of this album. Don’t give up if you don’t like it though; Foals will be back with their next album, better than ever.

CLASSIFIED. Just Kidding, Please Read – Not Your Average Hipster

Artist – Classified

Album – Classified

Year – 2013

Genre – Hip-Hop/Rap

For those of you who don’t live in Canada, this man might be relatively unknown to you.

But for those who do live in Canada, Classified is a household name, as he is the artist that did Oh Canada (a spin-off of our national anthem, that in many ways became an unofficial national anthem.)

His new album came out a few days ago, and it has been on repeat for me ever since. Each and every frickin’ song is good, which makes this review so hard, because I can’t really find a strong, weak or hidden gem of a track. But, I’ll try my best. The album is too new to have very many reviews, but from what I’ve heard of the album, it would be hard to find anything worth negatively critiquing.

Strongest Track – Inner Ninja

Though I probably would have picked a different song just because it was the single, it was the song that made me want to check out the album. It is a very good song, and starts with an interesting line from Beverly Hills Ninja. It really sets the track up with Chris Rock saying “Ninja?! You a ninja?! Get outta here! You’re a ninja?!” I believe the song is meant to be light hearted. It is also so catchy. I first heard the song in a store, and I Shazamed it, and I never Shazam anything! Classified picked a great song to be the single off of the album, as me, along with a couple of my few friends were really excited for the album. However, after hearing that song, no one was as surprised as yours truly when I discovered just how well-done the rest of the album was.

Weakest Track – Growing Pains

Still a good song. I must remind everyone that each and every track is good, but I like to bump this album when I go to the gym, and it is the slowest. I also find that the vocal lead-in is a little hard to get into. Don’t get me wrong, I can still listen to the song, but I’ll never be in the mood for it. The track is too slow of me, in my opinion, to be in the middle of the album. Most of the album is upbeat, except for Hi-deas, but I can still put that song on and thoroughly enjoy it. The fact that it is a little slow and not as catchy makes it the weakest track, though it is still a good song.

Hidden Gem – Look Up (Signs)

Anyone who has read this knows I am a sucker for surprise songs that are unreal at the end of the album. This song is no different. Madchild features in this song, and his, dare I say it, Cypress Hill-esque sound that he has really adds to it. The track is sick as well. I have always found that when Kardinal Offishall features in a song, it’s usually Canadian. Sure enough, it is. Big ups to Offishall though, he has a sick piece. Just an all around sick song.

This album is great. I would highly suggest hip-hop fans check this out. Classified really brings it, with his great background tracks, Public Enemy samples and the fact that he doesn’t always talk about money, cars, or women in all of his tracks. The album is a great pick-up, and is, in my opinion the best album of the year so far. But, that’s so far. I guess we will see what else is in store for us.

Cheers!

N.Y.A.H.

Kyle M