popwreckoning

30 Seconds to Mars’ tour with Neon Trees and Mutemath is a phenomenal tour with edgy, rock anthems. The bands on this tour deliver equally energetic performances with enough variety of a music to make for an entertaining night. I recently caught up to the tour in Omaha, Nebraska at Sokol Auditorium.

Though Neon Trees haven’t been a part of the music world as long as the other bands on the tour, they perform like they’re veterans. The group just released their debut album Habits and performed a fun set with big guitars, big drums and even bigger singalong choruses. The group has the performance energy and sound of a mix of The Killers and Head Automatica.
The group did a great job amping up their crowd. Not only was their music enjoyable, but so was their interaction with the audience. “It’s nice to be back here in Omaha,” said lead singer Tyler Glenn. “I used to live here. Elkhorn to be exact. That’s right, I’m legit,” the audience laughed and cheered at his homage to the small neighboring town.

“Let me see your claws, c’mon, I know you’ve all got a wild side,” Tyler then encouraged the audience before performing the group’s single. A sea of arms shot claw hands into the air, while the audience let out a big roar. Tyler then led the audience through the catchy single, “Animal,” while promenading out in front of the band’s set up on the speakers. The animated singer’s dynamic movements were contagious and got the audience moving along. Though “Animal” was the best known tune of the night, their best performance came on their set closer, “Sins of My Youth.” An extended ending and enhanced instrumental support made this song extra entertaining. When Neon Trees was all said and done, you could still here some audience members begging for more, a well-deserved compliment for a new band.
Neon Trees Set List:
Love and Affection
1983
Animal
In the Next Room
Your Surrender
Sins of My Youth
Mutemath’s music is a bit tamer then Neon Trees, but their set was still as explosive. Anytime you see someone begin their set up ritual by ducktaping headphones to their head, you know you’ll be in for an interseting time. The piano rock group made waves a few years ago with a unique video for their song “Typical,” in which they learned their parts backwards to record the whole thing. Now, while Omaha didn’t get any such reenactment, the band still had several tricks up their sleeves. When a drum stool was knocked over, the problem was resolved by sitting on a drum.

Members played with a freshness that teetered inbetween a reckless abandon—when done with some unidentified noisemaker, they simply tossed it off into the crowd—and controlled skill—some of those piano riffs would make classical composers blush. They stood apart from other touring bands these days by showing a grasp on dynamics lost on many as they swelled up from a soft piano dynamic into the fortes of their choruses. They are one of the more technically advanced bands I’ve had the pleasure of seeing, but as I said earlier, they’re not so caught up in the technical aspects that they lose the spontaneity that makes music fun.
Mutemath Set List:
The Nerve
Armstice
Chaos
The Fight
Spotlight
Reset
Typical
Break
A white curtain shrouded the stage before 30 Seconds to Mars began their set. As the intro music began, the outline of the mohawked lead singer, Jared Leto, appeared with arms outstretched to each side. Then in a swell swoop, his arms swung up above his head and then down, and with their downward movement, the curtain dropped revealing the full band performing “The Escape.” The next 90-minute set was filled with the band’s atmospheric rock anthems. As a band, they’ve improved so much since the last time I saw them over five years. They’ve gotten tighter and more controlled in their performance. As a frontman, Leto seems to have really gotten his act together, although I must question his decision to rock a pink mohawk. As a band, they really seemed to be about their fans this time, a sentiment I didn’t necessarily get the first time I saw them.
Leto began just singing the first few tunes, but donned a guitar for a majority of the set. About midway through the set, the band disappeared leaving Leto alone on stage with guitar as he took audience request. At least he tried to take audience requests, but I think the crowd was a little skeptical, so Leto just played a few through a few songs acoustic. Then 30 Seconds to Mars perhaps played its most bad ass of performances: “Bad Romance” acoustic morphed into “The Kill.” Yes, Leto went a little Gaga. The band returned and they replayed “The Kill” as a full band. It was a fun variation for the middle of a set.

My only disappointment came when Leto announced that this show was “stolen from Kansas City.” I just drove three hours to Omaha for a show that could have been in my town? Alas. You guys owe us KC kids a show.

30 Seconds to Mars Set List (as listed, but not exact order of performance):
Escape
Night of the Hunter
Attack
Vox Populi
From Yesterday
Beautiful Lie
This Is War
Acoustic Set – various songs, including Lady Gaga cover
The Kill
Closer to the Edge
Search and Destroy
Buddah for Mary
Fantasy
///
Kings and Queens

Welsh trio the Joy Formidable and New York City’s the Dig are currently on tour together in America. These two great rock bands are offering special live sessions at 12 PM EDT on Monday on Livestream. You can watch the performances and take part in the live web chat here.

To get you psyched up for Monday, have a listen to “You’re Already Gone” by the Dig and a watch of the hand-drawn video to “Popinjay” by the Joy Formidable below. The Joy Formidable’s yet-to-be-named debut album will be released sometime this year, and the Dig’s debut album Electric Toys will be released in America on June 8 by Megaforce Distribution.

The Dig – You’re Already Gone

The Joy Formidable: website | myspace
The Dig: myspace | @ 9:30 Club

Sage Francis‘ new album Li(f)e is currently available for stream on MySpace.

Li(f)e pairs open, honest lyrics with an atmospheric to rock musical backings. Francis worked with a variety of artists such as Death Cab for Cutie‘s Chris Walla, Calexico and DeVotchKa to help bring about Li(f)e.

Li(f)e hits stores May 11, 2010 on Anti- Records.

Tuesday night shows are rough for bands traveling through Lawrence, Kan. Show times are flexible, local bands tend to get top billing, and very few folks attend. It’s a shame more people didn’t come to the Jackpot on May 5, though, because Stardeath and White Dwarfs put on a stellar show.

Dennis Coyne

I’m a new fan of the Dwarfs, so I was unable to record the names of the songs played Tuesday evening. I first heard the Dwarfs’ while researching the bands who were touring with the Flaming Lips (Dennis Coyne is Wayne Coyne‘s, of the Flaming Lips, nephew). I instantly fell in love with the band’s experimental music and exceptional psychedelic rock sound. While the listener can hear that the Dwarfs’ music is  influenced by 60s/70s bands, such as the Doors and the Blue Oyster Cult (there’s even a bit of Phil Collins thrown in for good measure), the Dwarfs’ sound is all original.

The Oklahoma natives came on stage around 10:45 p.m., somewhat hidden by a cloud of smoke. Cheesy, perhaps, but the fine dust created a mysterious atmosphere, which allowed the band’s elaborate light set-up to cascade across the wafting particles.

Dennis Coyne’s (vocals, guitar, keys) faded silhouette appeared vaguely through the smoke as the rest of the Dwarfs (Casey Joseph, Matt Duckworth and James Young) began playing the show’s opening tune. Coyne, appearing pleased with the crowd’s reaction, slightly swayed to the song, and moved his bare feet to the beat.

The Dwarfs’ song styles ranged from gritted-out garage rock tunes to funk-fused jams; quiet ballads to blow-your-brain-out-of-your-skull psych-rock. Keyboard solos were played on a bedraggled board. The band’s electronic melodies spun their soothing, soul inspired songs into frizzed, disco-dance trips.

The band finished with a crazed rock jam, and used full light effects and slow, pounding guitar riffs, which sent the small crowd into a frenzy.

Cloud Dog: I’ve renamed show openers, Cloud Dog, “the band of a thousand drums.” Lovingly, of course. Most of the fellas in the band played shirtless, lost boys style (Peter Pan, not the vampires). One drummer opted to keep his plaid shirt on, though. Shirted or not, the guys definitely had an interesting sound. Minimalist male vocals/yelling/calling, atop drums, and electronic loops. A kind of tribal Talking Heads.

The Dwarfs’ album, The Birth, will be out June 2nd. It’ll be a good one.

Hold Steady frontman Craig Finn’s always had a bit of a soft spot for sentimental, almost cheesy stuff. Teenage love, characters who like to hang out and listen to records and go to concerts and parties are big concerns in his songs. The Hold Steady’s latest album, Heaven Is Whenever, seems to revel mostly in this territory. Gone are the druggies and hoodrats and ‘killer parties’ of previous discs, instead, at the heart of Heaven Is Whenever, it’s the salvation that kids find in rock n’ roll music that Finn seems predominantly concerned with. The result is The Hold Steady’s most harmless album, but in some ways also their warmest, as though Finn wrote the album more interested in himself connecting directly with adolescents than telling compelling tales likely derived from his own adolescence. “I know what you’re going through/I had to go through that too,” he sings in “Soft In The Center,” addressing kids directly like some kind of indie-rock father figure.

The approach, however, is double-edged: there’s nothing here as remotely intense and hard hitting as something like “Cattle and the Creeping Things” or exciting as “Chips Ahoy!” Finn’s host of kookie characters are still around, but he doesn’t name them directly, and the exquisite details he’s always been so gifted at relating are largely absent. It’s not so much that the album is lyrically weak, as it is simply not as incredibly strong as other Hold Steady albums. On the other hand, on songs like “We Can Get Together” Finn still unleashes showstopping lines like, “Heaven is whenever/We can get together/And listen to your records.” And in the same song, the displacement of the line: “He wasn’t just the drummer/He was the singer’s younger brother/I still spin that single/But it don’t sound that simple anymore,” gives it an ominous weight as you wonder what happened to the drummer, and why did it affect Finn so much to think that he was “someone’s younger brother?”

Musically, Heaven Is Whenever might be The Hold Steady’s strongest and most consistent album. The choruses are bigger and better than ever, especially in “Soft In The Center” and “Rock Problems,” and then embellishments like the killer harmonic guitar solo in the latter track and the gorgeous slow-dance waltz that closes “We Can Get Together” top things off wonderfully. The Hold Steady are still writing songs with three or four big chords, but they’ve managed to use them well throughout the album.

Depending on what the person listening likes most about The Hold Steady, Heaven Is Whenever could be either their favorite or least favorite album. Even for those who might think that the songs lack the punchiness of an earlier, more street-wise Hold Steady, they lack none of the band’s big heart.

Track Listing:
1. The Sweet Part of the City
2. Soft in the Center
3. The Weekenders
4. The Smidge
5. Rock Problems
6. We Can Get Together
7. Hurricane J
8. Barely Breathing
9. Our Whole Lives
10. A Slight Discomfort

Outside Lands 2010 has been announced for August 14 and 15 in San Francisco’s historic Golden Gate Park.

The Festival celebrates the four pillars of Bay Area culture – music, food, wine and technology — there is no other festival that honors its home city to such an extent, making Outside Lands one of the most unique and enjoyable events in the country.

The artist lineup for the festival will be announced on June 1. A limited quantity of lower-priced Eager Beaver tickets will go on sale on May 7 at 10am PST.

Visit www.sfoutsidelands.com to stay up to date on information about the festival.

New York City’s Jupiter One roared through an energetic set, playing to an enthusiastic crowd at Philadelphia’s North Star Bar. They powered through a strong set comprised of a mix of songs from last year’s Sunshower and 2008′s self-titled release.

Front man K Ishibashi seamlessly transitioned between a Roland, his electric guitar and an electric violin while band mate Zac Colwell switched it up with a Roland, guitar and flute. Van Pilates guru Dave Heilman pounded out catchy beats on the drums and Pat Dougherty slapped the bass.

Here are some photos from the band’s performance:

Jupiter One: website | myspace

High Violet sounds like the silver lining on a cloudy day. Well, if a silver lining made a sound, that is.

Violet is filled with melancholy, moody and agitated songs. Although the album’s overall feel is dark, its songs’ light melodies are peppered with sounds of absolution and pleasant agitation.

Fuzzed electronics, solid drum beats, crisp guitar riffs and tired vocals bring Violet‘s songs together, and tell of a somewhat distracted and dreary, but determined so-and-so.

“Afraid of Everyone” serves a full dose of rainy-rock. The song drones on, while Berninger’s voice chants hauntingly, “I’m afraid of everyone.” “Afraid” sounds of complete isolation, so, keep the razors locked away during the track’s duration.

Fret not, though- the entire album isn’t filled with mope inducing ballads. Violet‘s “Bloodbuzz Ohio,” is quick-paced and while it’s still wanting, it sounds of hope. “Sorrow” bleeds a happy/sad feel. Matt Berninger states, “I don’t want to get over you,” in a way that says, “yeah, I’m down, but at least I can feel, man.” Very Dostoyevsky.

“Anyone’s Ghost” has memorable steady drum beats scattered across swerving melodies, while the slow building “Tribble Love” exudes needing want.

And then there’s “Conversation 16,” which romps along in a Joy Division way until Berninger proclaims, “I said what I said; I didn’t mean anything,” and that “I was afraid I’d eat your brains. Cause I’m evil.”

Violet‘s songs sound almost deafening at times; scratchy and rough, shrill and bleak. But the melodies and subtle instrumentals bring out each song’s beauty, and almost softens each tune’s overall grit.

The National‘s 11 track album, which was released on 4AD, is out May 11. Download a few of the album’s tracks here.

Track listing:

01. Terrible Love
02. Sorrow
03. Anyone’s Ghost
04. Little Faith
05. Afraid of Everyone
06. Bloodbuzz Ohio
07. Lemonworld
08. Runaway
09. Conversation 16
10. England
11. Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks

Phoenix have remixed Grizzly Bear. Well, kind of. Here’s what they actually had to say about their “remix“:

A long time ago Grizzly Bear asked us to remix one of their tracks, but we never found the boldness to mess with their beautiful songs.
So the other day we figured, maybe if we combine great things together (Grizzly Bear, Eno, chance), it would create something good.

So instead, Phoenix posted these two songs side by side and allow people to kind of create their own remix for them:

I N S T R U C T I O N S
1. Press play on either player
2. After an indefinite number of seconds, press play on other player
3. You can create your own mix by adjusting the volume on either player
4. If it’s good : enjoy, if it’s bad : try again !

It’s pretty fun, so be sure to give it a try.

PodWreck goes local this week with Kansas City band We Are Voices. This is actually the very first podcast recorded by Melissa and Casey.

We Are Voices share two of their songs in acoustic renditions (“If God Is Dead” and “At This Rate”) and they talk about a very good cause they’re involved with in Brazil.

If you like what you hear, head to Wearevoices.com to download their album: What Makes Us So Alive. We recently reviewed the album here.