popwreckoning

Swedish songwriter Pelle Carlberg has been making music in bands since 1985, but he recently stepped away from the six-piece he has been touring with called Edson to put out his solo album The Lilac Time.

The Lilac Time is a quirky and fun album that often reminds me of New Zealanders The Brunettes, especially when backed by female vocals like on “Nicknames”. 

Carlberg has a lot of influences that he pays tribute to on this album. The album shares its name with another international group and then the song ”1983 (Pelle & Sebastian)” humorously and parenthetically casts Pelle Carlberg in the same light as Belle & Sebastian. His other influences are quite evident in sound, which teeters between Simon & Garfunkel and The Smiths. However, while ”Fly Me to the Moon” is the name of a Frank Sinatra song, this track is all Carlberg. If anything, all the whistling and clapping makes me think of George Harrison‘s ”Here Comes the Sun”.

With all the retro keyboard sounds and acoustic guitars, it is easy to get lost in the cheeriness of the music and wish to share it with all, but listener be warned: sometimes the modernity of the lyrics can be a little shocking. So, while you younger folks might be tempted to play this album for your Simon & Garfunkel loving parents, they might be confused by what a “test on facebook” means or thrown off by the lyrics in the short “Stockholm vs Paris”, which states, “Dog shit in Paris is special and dog shit in Stockholm is shit.”

Pelle Carlberg’s The Lilac Time is available now.

Tracklisting:
01. 1983 (Pelle and Sebastian)
02. Nicknames
03. Whisper
04. Animal Lovers
05. Metal to Metal
06. Because I’m Worth It
07. Stockholm vs. Paris
08. Fly Me to the Moon
09. 51
10. Tired of Being PC

Pelle Carlberg: website | myspace

Written by: Bethany

Pogonophilia was alive and well Sunday night! Fleet Foxes folked it up hardcore at their second NYC show, much to the delight of some pretty enthusiastic fans. This Seattle quintet makes music that is warm, cathartic, lush, hopeful and fairly epic, but seeing them live is a whole ‘nother level of musical genius. They describe their music as “baroque harmonic pop jams.” Yeah, I just call it “awesome.”

Playing tracks off the Sun Giant EP as well as their self-titled debut, lead singer Robin Pecknold and bandmates entertained with some incredibly gorgeous vocal harmony. Sharing similarities to acts like My Morning Jacket, Simon & Garfunkel, The Beach Boys and The Shins, Fleet Foxes makes frontier-friendly music that will make you wanna hop on your trusty horse (with no name) and gallop into the sunset to a more peaceful place… perhaps, Seattle.

With songs that are chock full of unique intros, gentle yet purposeful strumming, interesting breakdowns, lingering vocals and memorable codas, Fleet Foxes put on one of the best live shows I’ve seen in a while. The music was flawless as the vocals were impeccable. Even the stage lighting was elegant– they had a backdrop that resembled a starry night sky as they joked New Yorkers “deserve one night of actually being able to see them” (hey!). Pecknold ripped on The Big Apple a few times, but then made it up by telling us how much they love stopping here on tour.

Hilarity ensued when a loud fan inquired how he spent his day; he regaled us with stories about exploring Williamsburg, Brooklyn (everyone smiled/giggled, of course) and the fancy coffee he sipped there. He then rhetorically asked questions about the who’s/what’s that invented complicated coffee flavors and why it is so damn hard to find simple java. This is NYC, so of course rhetorical questions never go unanswered. A smartass fan in the audience shouted “Blame Seattle for that!”  The audience busted out laughing, as Pecknold smiled and said “touché.”

The witty banter amongst the band and with the audience only enhanced their great live performance. They even showed off an awesome new track, “Silver City,” and Pecknold sweetly begged, “Don’t put it up on YouTube, it’s not finished yet.” They played for about an hour and a half (to make up for no encore…what?!) and informed the crowd they’re heading back to Seattle to record their new album. They won’t be touring again for some time, so I highly recommend catching them while you still can. Until then…

Set List:
Sun Giant/Sun It Rises
Drops in the River
English House
White Winter Hymnal
Ragged Wood
Your Protector
Crayon Angels (Judee Sill cover)
Oliver James
Quiet Houses
He Doesn’t Know Why
Mykonos
Katie Cruel (traditional American folk song) – unplugged!
Tiger Mountain Peasant Song
Silver City (new song)
Blue Ridge Mountains

Fleet Foxes: myspace | Fleet Foxes review

Photos and Writing by: Mona Sheikh

Let’s face it: if you’re a bassist and your name isn’t Geddy Lee or Les Claypool, sometimes you just don’t get your share of the praise pie. Oft-overlooked and perhaps the more enigmatic figures, bassists tend to be the unsung heroes of music. One such example is Pierre de Reeder: a multi-instrumentalist and founding member since 1998, de Reeder has served as bassist to the successful LA-based indie rock band Rilo Kiley. With lead singer Jenny Lewis’ foray into solo work and guitarist Blake Sennett and drummer Jason Boesel dabbling with The Elected, it seems de Reeder found the need to also allow his abilities to make a personalized impression with his years-in-the-making solo effort The Way That It Was (now available). If he is setting out to make the point that he is a singer, multi-faceted musician and confident songwriter… point proven.

For those who appreciate album art, de Reeder made a very effective statement as to what the theme of his album is: peaceful reflection. In one of the more beautiful covers of recent years, it almost resembles a lush painting in its use of calm, pristine colors on a perfect day with a nostalgic looking man (presumably de Reeder) on the bottom right amidst all the beauty, thinking. Apparently, one can judge music by its cover since the art is highly representative of the music itself: lush, calm, pristine, gorgeous, nostalgic and beautiful.

Judging from the contemplative lyrical content alone, it seems like de Reeder had so much on his mind that recording this album sans Rilo Kiley was almost necessary. Playing almost all the instrumentation and offering lead vocals, de Reeder is establishing himself as a proper solo musician who can stand confidently on his own. Crafting songs leaning on folky pop rock, it’s evident that much of Rilo Kiley’s similar leanings may be attributed to the musical direction de Reeder showcases.

Vocally, he sounds like Elliott Smith on a good day… on uppers, even. He sings in a relaxing, airy, almost effortless fashion that reaches out and drags you onto a more peaceful plane with his music. Sure, he recruited his Rilo Kiley bandmates to play alongside him on a few tracks but The Way That It Was, for all intents and purposes, remains a one-man vehicle.

With all this talent, some of the songs still fall slightly generic and are far from incendiary. Perhaps de Reeder needs to get his heart thrown in a blender for more edge, but don’t count this one out. The record unfolds all the perennial themes of the adult male: reflection on past love, aging, introspection and coming to grips with manhood. Lace all the aforementioned together and de Reeder creates a thinking person’s album.

On album stand-out “That’s The Way That It Was,” it feels perfect for an old fashioned sing-along on the porch with your favorite alt-country lovin’ friends. Another feel-good tune is “Where I’m Coming From.” De Reeder goes back to basics with earnest vocals and piano-tinged rock until the sharp contrast of a full-on chorus begins work as a successful contradiction. For Simon & Garfunkel fans, “Never Thought” is reminiscent of equally happy-go-lucky “Feeling Groovy (59th Street Bridge Song).” Aside from adding a little pep to your step, it showcases my favorite lyric of the album: “I used to be afraid to tell you I owe you almost everything, / But now that’s the least that I can say.” It doesn’t take Carl Jung to discover de Reeder has found solace in his coming of age and welcomes adulthood wholeheartedly.

For singer-songwriter types, “The Long Conversation” has a great electro-acoustic feel for stripped down rock, but de Reeder doesn’t stop there. On “Now How I Believe,” the addition of flute shows how a tiny instrument can add a completely different, albeit pretty element to rock music. He tosses in a sing-along chorus at the end of this song, including some of his Rilo Kiley bandmates and musician friends. Not only does this provide a seamless closer to a terrific debut, but reminds that solo de Reeder will get by in the music world…with or without a little help from his friends.

The Final Verdict:
If you’re looking for the perfect background music, while cooking that laidback Sunday dinner with your best friends, de Reeder’s The Way That It Was ensures the good times will flow almost as freely as the wine.

Tracklisting:
01. Shame On Love
02. I’ll Be Around
03. Sophia’s Song
04. That’s The Way That It Was
05. Where I’m Coming From
06. This Foolish Heart
07. Young and Old
08. Never Thought
09. All These Words
10. The Long Conversation
11. Not How I Believe

Pierre de Reeder: website | myspace

Written by: Mona Sheikh