Feel the Paean: “Songs for Us to Sing”

 bands  1 Response »
Apr 272010
 

To hear them describe themselves, Paean (pronounced, “PAY-in”) is more of a collective than a band–a cooperative community of friends and family. The central rendezvous point seems to be the Maddocks Family Barn, just up the road from here in Ft. Collins, Colorado.  It was here that the creative madness of Dave Maddocks eventually grew into a circle of talented multi-instrumentalists and other creative types, culminating in the band’s latest DIY project, Songs for Us to Sing.

Paean has definitely developed an eclectic sound; actually, it sounds a bit like Appalachian bluegrass got on the wrong bus and wound up at Woodstock.  Filled with moments of intense melencholy, I guess you could also think of it as acoustic emo. But whatever you call it, it seems to work.  Songs for Us to Sing strikes that difficult balance between a consistent thread on the record and diversity in the songs.  In fact, I had a hard time selecting one or two songs that give a clear reflection of what the band sounds like, because each is distinct.  It really is a sit-down-and-listen-to-the-whole-thing kind of record, and the songwriting and overall musicianship are both quite strong.

That said, there’s just one element to the record that made me go, “HUH?”…the lead vocals of Dave Maddocks.  In the mix, the vocals sit under the music quite often, but when they come to the front, it sounds like something akin to panicked hyperventilating.  I literally was asking myself, Does he MEAN to sound like that? Dave’s voice has been described as a “sad voice;” I guess that covers it.  But the interesting thing is that his voice didn’t make me want to turn off the music; instead, it made me want to keep listening, if only to satisfy my curiosity. :)  Oh, well…Bob Dylan can’t sing to save his life, and look where he wound up.

If you’re in the Denver area, Paean is celebrating its CD release at the Hi-Dive Friday night, along with Bad Weather California and Mehko and Ocean Birds. Go check ’em out for yourself.  Meanwhile, here are a couple of the tracks from the record; you can purchase the record at the band’s MySpace, if you like it.  Either way…tell me what you think about the music.

Paean: “Cut Open”
Paean: “Floyd Brown”

Honey from an Open Hand

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Apr 242010
 

Open Hand, an indie rock band from LA, is exploring new territory with their album Honey. While their previous work tends toward straight out jam-band rock, this record seems to venture into a more atmospheric, progressive, experimental vibe–even incorporating some hip hop elements. Additional contributors to the record are Matt Talbot of Hum and Christopher “Kid” Reid from Kid ‘n’ Play.

Below is a song from the record, “Cool.” Feel free to give it a thumbs up or thumbs down in the comments. Say what you think.

Open Hand: “Cool”

Download “Honey” on Amazon

OK Go: Indie Goes Again

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Apr 162010
 

I wrote about these guys yesterday on Examiner.com, but I wanted to give ’em a shout out here as well.  OK Go is widely remembered as the band who did the Treadmill Video for their song “Here It Goes Again”, but then they did it again with the vid below.

I didn’t know exactly what to expect when I saw their live show, and I know people might think the YouTube vids are gimmicky, but…when you can put out stuff that makes people go, “How did they DO that??” I figure these guys must be pretty creative.  And that’s what I like about OK Go: they’re creative, and entertaining, even in live performance. Not only are they great musicians, but the whole night you didn’t know what was coming next.  Quirky? Yes.  Gimmicky? Perhaps.

Fun?  You bet.  They make the music fun.

Another interesting tidbit about OK Go is that after starting indie, they are now indie again. They’ve left their label EMI to start their own company.

Yeah, you prolly have seen this before. Humor me.

Signs of the Changing Musical Landscape

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Apr 112010
 

A few months ago, I wrote a post about how indie music was poised to be the future of the music industry in general. Since then, I’ve found numerous confirmations within the indie scene that the landscape of music is changing, and that includes how musicians make their money.

This article from the Atlantic discusses some ways indie musicians are adapting to the changing musical market. Interesting reading, plus a link to download the latest EP from Twin Sister before its official release.

(HT: Largehearted Boy)

Finding Deluka

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Apr 082010
 

I don’t know why sometimes the electronic, new-wave, Brit-pop type sound appeals to me, but it does.  Maybe it’s a reminder to me of the 80’s.  (Should I have written that??)

Anyhow.

Deluka has been stirring it up in the UK for awhile, but with their newly-released self-titled EP they are getting attention here in the US as well. What’s really interesting is that with the tracks I posted below, I actually heard the acoustic version first, and that’s what caught my attention.  It wasn’t till I listened to the second, electro-Brit version that I realized what kind of band they actually are.  Obviously, I still like ’em. :) Try it yourself; listen to the acoustic version first. See whatcha think.

Deluka: “Cascade” (acoustic)
Deluka: “Cascade”

Download the Deluka EP on Amazon

Gabrielle Louise: Musical Wanderlust

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Apr 022010
 

This post complements my article on Examiner.com.

Denver-based singer/songwriter Gabrielle Louise is an indie musician; but whatever sound or image that classification puts in your mind, don’t trust it.  Even if you’re correct in your assumptions about her music, you probably won’t be correct for long.

Although Gabrielle has a distinct sense of identity as a folk/Americana musician, she doesn’t stay corralled there.  Her songs also carry pop and jazz sensibilities, and even a Latin vibe on occasion (she’s been known to include tango dancers in her live performances). She’s performed solo and with several band configurations, and always seems to be reinventing herself.  I don’t mean she reinvents herself in the sense that U2 reinvented themselves after 10 years; I mean Gabrielle is still young, has released 4 indie records since 2006 (and is beginning work on a fifth), and has ventured into more diverse musical territory in that time than most artists do in an entire career. 

When you peer into Gabrielle’s history, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that she is so prone to wander.  Music and wanderlust are both inherent in her background; her parents were “musical gypsies” who, in her words, “were playing gigs six nights a week right up until the evening of my birth, so I suppose I was hearing all sorts of messages from the womb that said something like ‘in the future you will suck at math, have ugly calloused fingers and hum incessantly.”‘ 

That gypsy spirit not only carries over into Gabrielle’s chosen career as a musical troubadour–it also explains the wanderings of her musical style.  She has a definite artistic “center”, but locking into one form of musical expression for too long–that’s something her insatiable curiosity just can’t allow.  She’s a musical gypsy–not in the sense that she plays gypsy music (yet), but in the sense that she’s as much a musical wanderer as she is a traveling musician.

To some, this might be a negative, as though Gabrielle doesn’t know who she is, and needs to “find herself.” Gabrielle possesses a songwriting depth and vocal abilities that could easily land her a record deal–but knowing the industry, they’d want her to pin her down into a predictable genre.  The irony is, if she did that, she would actually lose herself, rather than find herself–because musical wanderlust is part of who she is. The gypsy spirit is the very thing that keeps her fresh as a musician; without it, she’d likely lose the creative spark that makes us want to listen in the first place. 

The beauty of being an indie musician, though, is that it gives Gabrielle the freedom to keep exploring, to keep expanding her horizons. And so she continues to make her music, to keep wandering–and to keep inviting us into her journey.

If you’re in the Denver area this weekend and want to hear for yourself, Gabrielle Louise will be doing a show Sunday, April 4, at Dazzle Restaurant and Loungeat 930 Lincoln, beginning at 6:45 PM. Cover charge is $7.  During part of the evening, she’ll be playing the entire tracklist planned for her next recording (she goes into the studio this month).

Gabrielle Louise: “Strange Summer Snow”