popwreckoning

It’s taken a long time, but the Postelles are finally releasing their album their eponymous debut album this upcoming Tuesday (June 7). The New York good time rock ‘n’ roll band – comprised of lead singer/guitarist Daniel Balk, lead guitarist David Dargahi, bassist John Speyer, and drummer Billy Cadden – are close friends and this is reflected by the musical harmony heard on The Postelles. Does this sound familiar to you? It should. They consider the Beatles a big influence musically, which should come as no surprise when you listen to the record. Major keys to the Fab Four’s success were excellent songwriting skills, equally excellent musicianship, and enough charm and charisma to send millions of hearts a-flutter. The Postelles already have #1 and #2 in the bag. It’s only a matter of time before #3 becomes a reality for them.

Strong songs and strong music is where The Postelles is at. This is an album that will get your toes tapping and put a smile on your face, because this is a band that excels in crafting the pop tune. It should also be noted that this album was produced by Albert Hammond Jr. of the Strokes, so you know there was good work done behind the scenes. If autotune (um, Kanye West) leaves you cold and you’re tired of style over substance (um, Lady Gaga), than this is the album for you. The most “high-tech” gadgets used on here are the maracas on “She She.” I used to think that this genre of rock was just a throwback to the ‘60s, but giving that label is doing a great disservice to the Postelles. It’s not easy in this day and age to write songs like they did back then. There’s so much pressure these days to use fancy thingamabobs in the studio. Why? Because they are there and you can. But when you’ve got songwriting chops and don’t need all that electronic wizardry, why use it?

The Postelles specialize in straight-forward rock ‘n’ roll: guitars and drums paired with lead vocals, augmented by tight harmonies. Seriously, how often do you go to a gig and not see a Macbook or synthesizer hooked up somewhere? The Postelles don’t need them. Take for example the single they released last year, “White Night.” Balk’s voice slinks up and down the notes effortlessly, with Dargahi’s backing vocals in response and in harmony just sound so sweet. If you’re like me and think Please Please Me was one of the Beatles’ best albums, this should be music to your ears.

And “Sleep on the Dance Floor” (watch the video below), the song that immediately follows “White Night,” is even better. This, along with so many others on the album, has a great singalong chorus. The Postelles want to entertain you, but they also want to engage you. Listen to this a couple times and before you know it, you’ll be crooning “fell asleep…on the dance floorrrrr…” along with Balk. Same goes for “Hey Little Sister,” featuring a rare lead vocal from lead guitarist Dargahi; and “Stella,” Balk telling off a girlfriend, finally leaving her, his bandmates shouting with gusto, “Stella, you’re on your own!”

Most of all, I encourage you to listen to The Postelles closely. The bass line in “Can’t Stand Still” can’t be beat. “Hold On” (acoustic, pared down version above) demonstrates the band’s deftness with the ballad; it’s a good break from the other songs of a pretty brisk pace. And by the way, “brisk pace” and “good-time rock ‘n’ roll” do not mean these guys from New York City are lightweights in the topical sense. A fact-based account of a former girlfriend of Balk and Cadden’s, “Boy’s Best Friend” is the realization that the girl you once went out with has now come out as a lesbian. “Whisper Whisper,” echoing Stephen “Tin Tin” Duffy’s “When You Go to Bed” more than Aerosmith’s “Janie’s Got a Gun,” provides insight into an abusive relationship.

Fifty years ago, the world was infatuated with the Beatles. Now it’s the time the world became infatuated with the Postelles.

The Postelles’ self-titled debut album will be released on July 7 in America on +1 Records. The band will be touring the U.S. and Canada in June and July.

Tracklisting
01. White Night
02. Sleep on the Dance Floor
03. 1, 2, 3 Stop
04. Boy’s Best Friend
05. Can’t Stand Still
06. Hold On
07. Stella
08. Hey Little Sister
09. Whisper Whisper
10. Sound the Alarms
11. Blue Room
12. She She

Tour Dates
Jun 07-08 – Mercury Lounge / New York City
Jun 10 – Kung Fu Necktie / Philadelphia
Jun 11 – Red Palace / Washington, DC
Jun 15-16 – NXNE / Toronto
Jun 17 – Schubas / Chicago
Jun 18 – Summer Soulstice Music Festival / Milwaukee
Jun 20 – Tractor Tavern / Seattle
Jun 23 – Popscene @ Rickshaw Stop / San Francisco
Jun 28 – Echo / Los Angeles
Jul 07 – T.T. the Bear’s / Cambridge, MA

The Postelles: website | myspace | interview with | @ Rock ‘n’ Roll Hotel | The Postelles Premiere First Promo Video, “White Night” | The Postelles Announce Fall North American Tour | @ Red Palace

Hey, do you remember Freak Folk? I remember Freak Folk. Devendra Banhart got popular, and suddenly it seemed every guy with a beard had an acoustic guitar, and was making strange noises. Akron/Family got lumped into this category, and I can’t say it was entirely unjustified. The thing about Akron/Family is that, as the cliché goes, they kind of defy description. I saw them live in 2006, and it was one of the most blissed out, indecipherable things I have ever experienced. If you had an idea of my drug history, you would know not to take that statement lightly.

The fact that they don’t fit easily into a box is a good thing. A/F really must be experienced to be understood, but since this is an album review I must try to make sense of their insanity.

S/T II: The Cosmic Birth and Journey of Shinju TNT is their fourth full-length. It seems to me that they’ve managed to mellow out while somehow getting stranger at the same time. The album begins with “Silly Bears” which seems to be about bears, I think. The song starts with the banging of drums, and shouting, before a riff that sounds like a dull knife rips into the song. Then they begin singing, of course, about bears, and honey.

The album continues with “Island,” which, for reasons that escape me, reminds me of a Kanye West song. It’s a spacey breeze of a song, but it’s a little sedate for my tastes.

The fourth track and first single is “So It Goes.” I simply adore the riff that opens things up. The singer tells a story that seems a little strange. He talks about how, he, like other people, stopped giving his change to homeless people, but he changed back. He then tells us about how he saved $1.80 at Safeway. A woman outside the store asks him for $1.80, he gives it to her, and wonders if he was robbed. The song slows down, and the rest of it is the phrase “so it goes” sung a few times over an acoustic guitar. It’s easily the best song here.

I think the rest of the album sort of meanders along. There are some slow ones, some fast ones, but I have a hard time paying much attention to any of it, with one exception. Near the end of the album comes “Fuji II (Single Panel)”. It takes almost two minutes for it to get started, but once I hear the lyrics “we were living underground” I always perk up.

According to the album’s press release, a note was included with it when it was delivered to the label. This note claims to be a transcription of another note that suggests this:“Flourish.Flourish.Flourish. Fuck Shit Up.” The band claims to have taken this advice to heart. I’m all about fucking shit up, but the band doesn’t seem to be doing much of it on this album.

I enjoy the album, yes, but I’m not sure if I’ll still be listening to it six months from now. The band has definitely flourished, however. When I fell in love with their first album, five or six years ago, I never expected them to continue making music I enjoy. I also didn’t expect them to keep the shroud of mystery that surrounds them. It seems amazing to me that a band like Akron/Family can exist in the digital age. They deserve your attention.

Track Listing:

1. Silly Bears
2. Island
3. A AAA O A WAY
4. So It Goes
5. Another Sky
6. Light Emerges
7. Cast a Net
8. Tatsuya Neon Purple Walkby
9. Fuji I (Global Dub)
10. Say What You Want To
11. Fuji II (Single Pane)
12. Canopy
13. Creator

Top 3 Albums of 2010:

• Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
• Beach House – Teen Dream
• FOALS – Total Life Forever

Best Show of 2010:

• Gorillaz – Coachella

Seriously, Damon Albarn and Paul Simonon in the flesh, holy shite! Okay, not like I haven’t seen them in the flesh before (i.e. seeing The Good, The Bad and The Queen two years prior) but still… I remember it just being speculation that is was going to be a proper live show and Damon Albarn and company where in fact going to be performing. So my teenage self got all giddy, once again, seeing Damon Albarn appear on stage along with the badass Paul fucking Simonon. It was as massively epic show — there were videos for each individual song, a well-designed set, and no fewer than 42 performers in total. Quite the package I’d say. Gorillaz mastermind Damon Albarn gallivanted about the stage giving the audience everything they wanted and more. Relinquished from his animated cage, Albarn indeed again proved himself a masterful showman. Dancing and singing about with my good friends from England in the desert night, watching legends perform onstage was incredibly magical.

• FOALS- San Diego at The Casbah

The last time I saw FOALS was in London with Bloc Party last year at Olympia Grand Hall. With a venue name like Olympia Grand Hall and opening for Bloc Party, you can imagine it was a rather intense show. We’ve all heard how rowdy fans can be across the pond. To actually experience seeing hundreds and hundreds of people screaming every word to each song and feeling the ground vibrate due to the intense amount of movement from the crowd was something not to forget. It was great to see them again in an intimate setting like the Casbah, where it felt more like a house show than a concert held in the venue. Saying the crowd was insane is a complete understatement. The whole night I was being pushed about, getting smashed up against the low stage where my knees took a good beating (note to self: seeing Foals in a dress is probably not the wisest decision) and being slammed over speakers, at least I was not the guy behind me who cut his foot on a broken piece of glass due to someone’s glass of whiskey falling on the floor… Needless to say, I gave up taking photos during the set and just enjoyed jumping about, dancing and sing along to new and old songs. Although, I woke up in the morning with bruises and my ears ringing, I loved every second of the show. It was my first time hearing the new material live and they fucking KILLED IT. Highlight of the evening was Foals front man Yannis, jumping on the bar continuing his performance of “Electric Bloom” whilst moving across the entire bar banging on things in rhythm to the song with his drumsticks.

Most Anticipated in 2011:

• Fiona Apple –I’ve been listening to hear ever since I was an angsty tween and always seem to crawl back to her music. Everything this woman does is magic and speaks to my soul. I can’t wait to hear wait to hear this new album.
• Kanye West & Jay-Z – Watch The Throne – As a devout follower of whatever these two do I am rather excited to hear the final production of this collaboration. They could come out with a disco-thrash-rap album and I’d still listen to it.
• Esben And The Witch – Violent Cries (a band from Brighton to definitely keep your eye and ear out for next year)
• PUJOL – Whatever this band does next, surely it will be epic and not something to miss out on
• Tristen- I have high hopes from this pop/folk singer hailing from Nashville. Seems promising.

Honorable mentions:

• Dr. Dre – Detox
• Cut Copy – Zonoscope
• PJ Harvey – Let England Shake It’s fucking PJ HARVEY, okay?!
• Smith Westerns – Dye It Blonde

Most Overrated in 2010:

• Ke$ha
• The Drums

Favorite Musical Memory of the Year:

I suppose this is where I am suppose to write about how cool it was to hang with this band or that band or meet this person or that person…I had my fair share amazing encounters and hang sessions with bands/people I truly admire but nothing compares to seeing one of your idols live.

Seeing Gil Scott-Heron at Coachella this year was definitely my favorite musical memory of the year. I’ve pretty much have been listening to Gil Scott-Heron ever since I was in my mother’s womb. My parents were both huge Gil Scott-Heron fans and constantly played him. Of course, as a kid it’s natural for you to rebel against having to listen to your parent’s lame “old school” music. Yet, once I was old enough to comprehend the message behind this man’s lyrics, I also became an instant fan. His words have guided me all phases of my life. I often found solace in his music, spoken word and writings. So when I heard that Gil Scott-Heron was one of the many artists to be performing at Coachella, I was not only shocked but also excited. I am not going to lie though, I was among many of the cynics thinking “there is no way he is going to show”. Scott-Heron aware of his past tendencies was first to make light of this stating once he got onstage in his typical deadpan manner, “For those of you who bet I would not be here, you lose.” Although 61 and looking extremely frail, Scott-Heron provided nothing less than a powerful performance that got me misty eyed. Being able to see whom I consider a living legend was a dream come true for me. Gil Scott-Heron didn’t play a single new song off his 13th album release this year “I’m New Here”. He stuck to the classics we all knew and loved like “The Bottle”, “Blue Collar”, “Home Is Where The Hatred Is”, “Is That Jazz?” and more. And if case you were wondering, you probably weren’t but I am going to pretend that you were and continue on…I did in fact call my mother during his set when one of her favorite songs was performed. Cue the “awwwws”.

Thirty Seconds to Mars have released a short film for its next single, “Hurricane.”

Bartholomew Cubbins directed the mysterious, action-packed short film that is filled with secrets and evil villains, and, of course, awesome music. You can watch the video below.

An alternate version of “Hurricane” can be found on the deluxe edition of This Is War. “Hurricane 2.0″ features Kanye West and the deluxe edition can be ordered on iTunes now.

As avid 30 Seconds to Mars fans, we had high expectations of their latest album, This Is War. -We were not disappointed.

Several of the tracks live up to the intense almost dramatic music they are known for with a concentration on aggressive vocals and studio production (this album does weigh heavy on the production). This includes their first single, “Kings and Queens,” as well as “Night of the Hunter,” “Closer to the Edge,” and “Vox Populi.” This album also features an interesting collaboration with Kanye West and Brandon Flowers of The Killers (rumored on piano?) on a track called “Hurricane.” Some may feel this collaboration is a bold and almost a sell-out type move on the band’s behalf. Regardless, this track is bound to get some attention, if not radio play, then some “love” on MTV (They still play some music right? Maybe just a little?).

The album is not complete without a softer side: “Alibi,” “100 Suns” and “L490” help transition the album’s intense climatic moments and give the album a storytelling feel.

As a whole, This is War is thematic in nature. Not only is the album title the name of one of their songs, but they also use the title as a line that reoccurs in a track or two. Other warfare like references can be picked up in other tracks and there are some musical themes going on which include deep eerie vocal droning, a children’s choir/chanting in several tracks and ambient/synth progressions weaving in and out of the album.

Though This is War sounds like more went into this studio mix than on A Beautiful Lie, the energy and execution behind the vocals of Jared Leto draw you in and allow you to loose yourself in at least one track.

Sara’s favorite line in the album – “Honest to god I will break your heart, tear you to pieces and rip you apart.” – “Night of the Hunter”

Andrew’s favorite line in the album “To the leader, the pariah, the victim, the messiah.” – “This is War”

This is War is available December 8, 2009, and those of you who have played the BioWare video game Dragon Age: Origins may have heard all or part of 30 Seconds to Mars’ title track “This is War” while playing the game, or in the game’s trailer.

Track Listing:
01. Escape
02. Night of the Hunter
03. Kings and Queens
04. This is War
05. 100 Suns
06. Hurricane
07. Closer to the Edge
08. Vox Populi
09. Search and Destroy
10. Alibi
11. Stranger in a Strange Land
12. L490
Bonus track versions:
01. Kings and Queens (LA Riots Vocal Mix)
02. Night of the Hunter (Flood Remix)

30 Seconds to Mars: website | myspace

Co-Reviewed by Sara Monahan and Andrew Dunlap