Jam of the Day: LUH - "Lost Under Heaven"

Killer anthem from LUH, the new band from former lead singer of WU LYF, Ellery Roberts, and Ebony Hoorn.

Jam of the Day: Francis Lung - "A Selfish Man"

Shimmering first single from former WU LYF bassist Tom McLung.

Coachella 2012 Day One Wrap Up

Once again it is a Monday after a long Coachella weekend. This was by far the strangest festival I have attended so far; featuring the oddest weather, lack of amazing sets, and crowds that would test the strength of Job. I think what bothers me most about this past weekend is that there are really three types of people that attend this (and likely most) festivals: (1) those that are there because of the love the music, (2) those that are there to do drugs and trip out all weekend, and (3) those that are there to be "seen" (and sometimes a combo of 2 and 3). When numbers 2 and 3 get in the way of 1, it becomes frustrating, then annoying, then rage inducing. Based on this entire weekend, I will have to say it is unlikely I will be returning. I think it is time to check out other festivals, or just return to seeing solo shows only.

Day one got off to a nice start. The weather was fine that morning, partly cloudy and cool, and we got into the festival grounds with few hiccups. The cool temps were a welcome change from the usual brutal heat. After a quick run at the merchandise tent we headed to the first band of the day, Abe Vigoda. First sets of the day are difficult. Most of the festival goers are not there yet, the set times are short, and there is a definite ADD factor going on. Abe Vigoda is an LA band that have transformed from a noise rock band to a pretty decent synth rock band. They had a very short 30 minute set that, aside from some sound problems (which the small Gobi tent seemed to have all weekend long), was a nice way to start the festival.

You come to savor and enjoy the breaks you get during the day, and I had about an hour to kill so we went to the beer tent and relaxed a bit. I left everyone to go catch Other Lives, which sound like Radiohead meets Fleet Floxes. Again, aside from some horrific sound issues in the Gobi tent, they put on a nice show. It was a little too mellow for me, but their musicianship was wonderful.

Third set was for British 90s alt rock revivalists Yuck over at the Outdoor Theater. I had missed them through Atlanta and was really looking forward to seeing them. The weather took a turn for the worse and got cloudy, windy, and for the first time ever at Coachella it began to rain. Thankfully, the rain throughout the day and evening was merely drizzle and no outright storms. Yuck's set was a bit disappointing, the wind created sound issues, and the band just seemed listless.

At this point the weather became a huge issue as the wind picked up and it got colder and colder. Thankfully I had bought a hoodie and had a wind breaker that kept me relatively warm. If you were in the tents it was fine as the collective body warmth helped matters. But if you were at the Main Stage or the Outdoor Theater the wind and rain made things miserable. Kurt and I went to the Sahara tent and saw a DJ set from Feed Me. It was not as intense as his With Teeth tour, but he put on a great set.

My first must see of the festival was British buzz band WU LYF. They have a unique singer whose voice is a love it/hate it kind of thing. I happen to enjoy its melodramatic nature. The Gobi tent still suffered from sound issues, with the vocals being too low in the mix. The set was intense and striking and definitely makes me want to see what they do next.

I ventured over in the wind and rain to catch the legendary Pulp. Jarvis Cocker is a consummate showman and ripped through a tight hour long set, hitting all the high points, including tracks like "Disco 2000," "Sorted For Es and Whizz," and crowd favorite "Common People."

I checked out M83 in the Mojave tent which was the first Coachella mistake of the night, as M83 have blown up and needed to have a larger stage in order to accommodate their crowd. Luckily, I found a spot next to the sound board and didn't have deal much with the swelling crowd. The M83 set started out a little slow and drowsy, but as the set progressed, it picked up in intensity and ended on a rousing note of "Midnight City" and thrilling instrumental "Couleurs."



Reunited Swedish hardcore band Refused was next on the agenda. They sounded great and tore through a blistering set of hardcore classics.



By this point in the evening it was in the low 50s, windy, and rainy and my misery level was at its highest. Plus it was now midnight and I was exhausted. I was resolved to suffer through it so I could see favorite band The Horrors. Again, the Gobi tent had shitty sound and the band's vocals were too low in the mix. Also, the band uses lots of guitar effects on record and it doesn't translate very well live. It was an ok, yet not amazing set.

That ended Day One and we wearily headed home to get warm and dry.

Videos of the Week/Coachella Edition

It is Coachella Friday, so here is some videos from some of the acts I will be seeing today:



Due to transportation delays I missed them opening up for Radiohead; looking forward to seeing them.



Such an amazing blast of 90s alt-rock.



I was able to catch Neon Indian at a small venue a couple of weeks ago and he puts on a amazing set.



Same with Feed Me, and his set once it gets going is stellar. This track brings the house down.



Death Grips are going to be completely intense.



WU LYF is a must see for me. Their live shows are supposed to be full of energy.



Yes, I am a little tired of this song too, but damn it is just so good.



Another band I have yet to catch live and have missed. Supposed to have an amazing live set.



This band has completely snuck on me and I am thrilled to get to see them.



The Horrors will be amazing.

Coachella 2012 Countdown: 9 Days! WU LYF - "Heavy Pop"

Definitely a must see for me. I want the singer's hair.

Coachella 2012 Countdown: 83 Days!: WU LYF - "We Bros"

Completely thrilled WU LYF is playing Coachella. From clips I have seen they put on a very dramatic live show.

Videos of the Week

I'm still trying to get back into the swing of things post-holidays, and it has been difficult. Even worse is the beginning of the year doldrums where not much new material is being released. My usual stockpile of reviews has dwindled down to danger levels, so I may be scraping the bottom a while with releases from last year that never made it to my iPod. Same case with videos, there hasn't been much coming out, so there might be several things on here that are either old. But anywho, here is what caught my attention this week:



Rumored to be playing Coachella this year, WU LYF is definitely on my must see list. Here is there American TV debut on Letterman. I love the singer's hair.



Confirmed at Coachella, Azealia Banks brings out the sass. Can't wait to see her.



Another confirmed artist at Coachella, AraabMuzik looks to put on an amazing show. This live clip is incredible.

Youth Lagoon - July from Tyler T Williams on Vimeo.

The second video off Youth Lagoon's The Year of Hibernation album is another cinematic triumph. It is nice to see an artist embracing a more story-telling side to the medium instead of a standard performance clip.



I will admit I am not the biggest Scissor Sisters fan. I enjoy them, but I don't get all crazy about it. Their last album did almost nothing for me. But there is something about this song that I can't get out of my head. Total guilty pleasure.



Speaking of guilty pleasures, I love me some Rihanna.

2011 Albums of the Year: 20-11

Getting closer to the number one album in my list of 2011 Albums of the Year. Here are numbers 20-11:

20. WU LYF - Go Tell Fire To The Mountain

In this Internet age where you can find out basically everything about anything or anyone, it is a bit refreshing when something maintains a bit of mystery. WU LYF (or World Unite/Lucifer Youth Foundation) is a gang of Mancunians who don't have a Facebook/MySpace/Bandcamp/Twitter/Tumblr page, and not much is known about them other than their live shows are practically legendary (selling out before the band had even properly released any music), they famously ignored phone calls from famous producers to work with them, and have refused to work with major labels, choosing instead to record the album in an abandoned church and self-releasing the record on their own. Whether all of this behavior is truly meant to be a way of life, or just a PR stunt, remains to be seen, but, as I am fond of saying, at the end, all that matters is the music. Go Tell Fire To The Mountain doesn't reinvent the wheel per se, as some UK critics have pontificated, but is a stirring collection of songs drawing from many disparate sources (early U2, Sigur Ros, post-punk, post-rock, etc.), but bound together by a rich solemnity and vocalist Ellery Roberts' bizarre warble, which will either intoxicate you or make you run for the hills.

19. Iceage - New Brigade

Danish punk/post-punkers Iceage draw from Wire's precise minimalism and Joy Division's icy, cathartic despair. In a spare 25 minutes, New Brigade's 12 songs never overstay their welcome, quickly getting to the point, never containing a superfluous note. While they are really not bringing anything new to the table in terms of sound, what makes this band special is the energy they bring. It brings to mind The Strokes' Is This It? in terms of pure swagger and attitude. The band's live shows are apparently extremely aggressive affairs, the audience members referred to as "victims" and photos of the aftermath of gigs are usually posted to the band's website.

18. Chad VanGaalen - Diaper Island

In addition to his solo output, Chad VanGaalen is probably best known as the producer for Women's last two albums. He records out of his home studio and infuses a homespun, earthy quality to his records, yet always throws in some curve balls, like weird synth freakouts, and use of quirky instrumentation. Diaper Island, his fourth full length, and his most fully formed, is such a shockingly well-produced record, it provokes audio equivalents of a double-take. While there is still a homey quality to the production values, the record as a whole is musch more clear and concise. VanGaalen records primarily in a low-fi, late 80s early 90s alt-rock manner, evoking artists as diverse as Pavement, Miracle Legion, Grizzly Bear, and early post-punk Cure. The album veers back and forth from gorgeous, almost country-folk ballads, and raucous guitar raveups; linked by his wry lyrics.

17. Craft Spells - Idle Labors

Craft Spells' debut album Idle Labor travels in the same territory as 80s revivalists/chillwave acts such as Twin Shadow, Memory Tapes, and Toro Y Moi. The songs all feature delightfully tinny drum machines, echoing/chiming guitars, and soaring synths, borrowing from forbearers such as New Order, The Smiths, and Echo and the Bunnymen. I don't think it is just coincidence that the album cover blatantly recalls Power, Corruption, and Lies. When they hit their heights, as on lead song "For The Ages," with its gorgeous interlocking guitars and synths, and on "Scandinavian Crush," and its sing-song melody, you get the sense that the sky is the limit for this band. This album will take awhile to grow on you, but once it does, it is impossible to get out of your head.

16. When Saints Go Machine - Konkylie

Every once in awhile, a band or artist comes around with that spark of trying something different and challenging, but working in the realm of pop music. Danish quartet When Saints Go Machine, led by otherworldly vocalist Nicholas Vonsild, don't necessarily sound like Depeche Mode, other than the fact both primarily use synthesizers, however, they share the same restless creativity Depeche Mode enjoyed during their mid-80s tenure. It is actually quite difficult to describe the band's sound. Imagine a cross between the heavily treated electro-pop of The Knife and Fever Ray, the fluttering, archly fey vocals of Antony Hegarty, and the house music stylings of Hercules and Love Affair, and you might get slightly close to their sound. Instead of spending time trying to spot the influence, it is better to just allow the waves of quirky synth-pop wash over you. Word of caution, however, you will either love Vonsild's voice or will hate it.

15. Hooray For Earth - True Loves

Sounding like a lot of bands, but commanding their own distinct sound, Hooray For Earth is rooted in the dense, lush synth-pop of the 80s, brought into a 2010s context. Each track on their debut True Loves is built on layer upon layer of gorgeous, warm synthesizers, almost tailor made to hit the cheap seats of a stadium, but intricate and emotional enough to entrance the most jaded bedsitter. Perfectly paced, with melodies like earworms, True Loves is chock full of endlessly catchy singles that get more infectious with each listen. Their self-titled debut album and subsequent EP Momo only hinted at what this band was capable of, and subsequent tours with The Pains of Being Pure at Heart and work with Twin Shadow over the past year really honed their craft, creating a truly wonderful album.

14. Young Galaxy - Shapeshifting

Canadian synth-pop duo Young Galaxy (Stephen Ramsay and Catherine McCandless) were unknown to me before the release of Shapeshifting. Having released two albums on the Arts & Crafts imprint, I was assuming they would have a similar sound to that label's two most popular acts: Broken Social Scene and The Dears. Surfing through some clips on Youtube all I found were some pleasant, yet rather dull, dream pop-like songs, that didn't give me much hope for liking the new record. Apparently, switching labels and enlisting the help of enigmatic Swedish producer Dan Lissvik of Studio has completely sparked new life into the band. The band provided Lissvik with the finished tapes of the record and he, via Skype, helped polish and mold the tracks. Throughout the album you can hear the bones of the record and how Lissvik added his warm synthesizers, thick guitars, and hazy Tropicalia to the mix. The pairing of the two together is pure genius, and they have collaborated on one of the best adult-dance pop albums of the year.

13. Arrange - Plantation

The experience of listening to Plantation, the self-released debut album from Florida teenager Malcom Lacey, is akin to rummaging around a stuffed attic, coming across old photo albums, journals, and keepsakes, being washed over by the floods of memory: the triumphs and failures, the joy and sadness, the important and the mundane. It is also an album steeped in loneliness and sadness, Lacey's voice almost a monotone, afraid to let the emotion crack the surface, less the anger break free and overtake him. The restraint fits well with these gorgeously evocative ten tracks. Despite his youth, Lacey has an amazing ear for arrangement (no pun intended) and builds these songs in layers, never adding too much or making things too bare. Plantation is truly an album that must be experienced in one sitting, as the themes and melodies flow throughout the record and with each listen, you pick up more and more, it all fitting together like pieces of a puzzle.

12. Lykke Li - Wounded Rhymes

Swedish indie pop princess Lykke Li's first album Youth Novels was a favorite of mine from 2008. Produced by Björn Yttling of Peter Bjorn and John, the album highlighted Li's odd voice, setting it up against non-traditional instrumentation and song structures, yet sometimes the songs seemed to veer too close to twee territory. With Wounded Rhymes, Li, once again working with Björn, doesn't exactly reinvent herself as much as she beefs up. Her voice is stronger and meatier (though it can still be an acquired taste), and the songs, drawing from 60s girl groups, garage rock, and the wall of sound perfected by Phil Spector, are cavernous and heavy, every note dripping with decay and dirt. Drums are deep and pounding, guitars rich with reverb, and her voice settles so well into the mix, sometimes triple and quadruple tracked. The songwriting on Wounded Rhymes is more complex and varied than its predecessor. Li shows that she still can project fragility while also showing strength within herself.

11. St. Vincent - Strange Mercy

Diminutive, angelic looking singer Annie Clark, performing under the name St. Vincent, has released two albums of slightly subversive pop songs, Marry Me and Actor, which traffic in deceptively calm surfaces, with a dark undercurrent that is always surprising and thrilling. With the release of her third album Strange Mercy, Clark completely comes into her own. While her previous albums are quite wonderful, Marry Me could feel a little cloying at times, and Actor was almost too stuffed to the gills with embellishments that cluttered rather than enhanced the tracks. With Strange Mercy, Clark laser focuses the songs, highlighting her superb, innovative guitar playing, allowing only a few embellishments throughout, which actually add to the texture and or tone of the song to give it an extra kick. Clark still sticks to her trademark song writing style, singing tales of squeaky clean perfection always hiding dirt and grime in the background despite the characters' desperate attempts to keep up appearances.

Videos of the Week

Brrrrrr. Here are the videos of the week that are keeping me warm against the winter chill:



New video from The Big Pink. Not sure I like this more poppy sound they are going for, but it is a pretty good song.



MGMT's gorgeous cover of the Bauhaus track "All We Ever Wanted Was Everything" gets an equally gorgeous animated video.



One of the best tracks off the debut album from WU LYF gets an interestingly suspenseful video.



Video from King Krule, the 17 year old singer-songwriter wunderkind from the UK. He is one to watch.



Hyesterically anachronistic video from the German industrial band. Directed by Jonas Ackerland.



One of the more beat heavy tracks on the new Drake cd.



Bizarre video from Los Campesinos!



Sounds like a dance act from the heyday of Factory records.

WU LYF: Go Tell Fire To The Mountain

WU LYF
Go Tell Fire To The Mountain
Rating: Woof Daddy

In this Internet age where you can find out basically everything about anything or anyone, it is a bit refreshing when something maintains a bit of mystery. WU LYF (or World Unite/Lucifer Youth Foundation) is a gang of Mancunians who don't have a Facebook/MySpace/Bandcamp/Twitter/Tumblr page, and not much is known about them other than their live shows are practically legendary (selling out before the band had even properly released any music), they famously ignored phone calls from famous directors to work with them, and have refused to work with major labels, choosing instead to record the album in an abandoned church and self-releasing the record on their own. Whether all of this behavior is truly meant to be a way of life, or just a PR stunt, remains to be seen, but, as I am fond of saying, at the end, all that matters is the music. Go Tell Fire To The Mountain doesn't reinvent the wheel per se, as some UK critics have pontificated, but is a stirring collection of songs drawing from many disparate sources (early U2, Sigur Ros, post-punk, post-rock, etc.), but bound together by a rich solemnity and vocalist Ellery Roberts' bizarre warble, which will either intoxicate you or make you run for the hills.

WU LYF's sound can be defined by the centerpiece to the album "We Bros," a combination of interlocking, chiming guitars, uplifting drums, and haunting organ drones, and of course, Roberts' guttural howls and grunts. It is a truly magical, uplifting moment, with some great lyrics.



The choice to use a church to record the album is very key to the sound they are trying to achieve. There is a lot of grand space going on here, it feels expansive and large. On "Spitting Blood" the mid-section of the song drops out and the organ echoes and folds in on itself, until the band kicks it all into gear again.



First single "Heavy Pop" is a odd choice, but is another calling card for the band. Over 2 minutes of intro piano and organ lead into deep drum rolls, soaring guitar chimes, leading to an anthem closer.



The record is not as overly esoteric as I make it out to be. There are plenty of pure pop moments in between the more dramatic pieces. "Cave Song" has a tight, driving rhythm section and great melody.



"Summas Bliss" is spritely and charging, the bass anchoring the chiming guitars and skittering drums.



Of course, I am always drawn to the more edgy tracks. The dark, gloomy guitars of "Concrete Gold,"



the ghostly drones and booming drums of "14 Crowns For Me & Your Friends,"
which gel into a gorgeous anthem,



or the striking, organ-led ballad "Such A Sad Puppy Dog."



For the past couple of years, there have been some really great records released, but there was/were no band(s) that really got me sitting up and excited about where music was going. In the past couple of months, bands like Iceage, Wild Beasts, and Arrange have struck a chord, putting out some amazing new music. Not that any of these bands are creating anything "new" but are boldly setting out on their own paths, making music for themselves and not for any focus group or corporation. Go Tell Fire To The Mountain is by far one of the most exciting debuts to be released in years.

Rating Guide

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top releases of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and peaks one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.

WU LYF: "LYF"

WU LYF (or World Unite/Lucifer Youth Foundation) are the latest buzz band from Manchester, England. Not much is known about the band except it is a four-piece, they recorded their debut album Go Tell Fire To The Mountain in a church, the album is self-released on their own label, and that they refuse to do interviews. Aside from this one video and some live footage online, there really isn't much more about the band that is known. The album is strangely familiar and alien at the same time. The music is epic and sparse, lonely and inviting, and something you just can't get out of your head. Not sure if they are for everyone; the kicker is the vocalist, who basically howls rather than sings. But once you get over the shock of it, it is a fairly expressive instrument. They are definitely a band to check out and follow.