In New York, baseball is akin to religion. To many New Yorkers, Billy Joel is, too. So it was no surprise when it was announced that Joel would play the last concert at the New York Mets’ Shea Stadium.

And so, the themes of the night were, of course, New York and baseball, and Joel delivered a surprisingly long stream of hits that referenced those very things - “New York State of Mind,” “Zanzibar,” “Big Man on Mulberry Street,” “Miami 2017″ and “We Didn’t Start the Fire.” Many of the songs he played also seemed to contain indirect references, those to tradition, the past, or change, like “Allentown,” with its opening line, “Well we’re living here in Allentown / And they’re closing all the factories down.” To really drive the whole baseball theme home, he opened with the National Anthem, and played “Take Me Out To The Ballgame,” during his encore.

Billy Joel, “Zanzibar” (download)

Joel’s facial expressions were somewhere between distraction, awe and stoicism, but in big screen close-ups, his eyes looked occasionally watery. He didn’t choose to slather the audience in overwhelming sentiment, however, only mentioning how strange it was that he saw the stadium being built only to watch it come down soon, and apologizing to those who bought tickets for the evening assuming that it would be the very last show (the Mets could only offer up Friday as the additional date, he said).

The “Last Play at Shea” — or “Last Double-Play at Shea,” as he jokingly referred to it — makes Joel the first artist to have headlined all three major New York stadiums: Giants’, Yankees’ & Mets. He also brings to a close a trend started by the Beatles, when they opened their ‘65 North American tour at Shea on August 15th; which he nodded to with covers of “It’s A Hard Day’s Night” and “She Loves Me.” That show was the first concert at a major stadium and broke records for attendance and profit, proving that rock ‘n’ roll was a major force. (more…)

Popularity: 9% [?]

When the Fleet Foxes performed at Bowery Ballroom last week, frontman Robin Pecknold had a cold. But unlike a downtrodden, silent Frank Sinatra, the audience might have never known it if no one had told us (either the Dutchess or the Duke — the openers — mentioned it in their stage banter, as did Pecknold himself). Pecknold’s voice was piercing, still at the shining center of the Fleet Foxes’ appeal. But more than anything, the concert proved that there isn’t just one key to what makes the Fleet Foxes so good. It’s the way the different elements combine.

Opening with “Sun Giant,” the mostly a cappella title track of their EP, the Fleet Foxes showcased one of the major things they’ve come to be known for: their vocal harmonies. Hearing them sing, “What a life I lead in the summer / what a life I lead in the spring,” it would have been easy to listen to just their voices all night long. But when they moved right along into “Sun it Rises,” the soft, ethereal folk rock was the perfect match for their lush vocals.

Fleet Foxes, “Sun Giant” (download)

Moving through songs from their full length, Ragged Wood, and the Sun Giant EP, the Fleet Foxes put on the kind of show that other bands, other audiences dream of. By the end of the third song, the audience was bursting into such loud screaming, clapping, rapturous accolade that the band was visibly taken aback. No doubt the soft-spoken Seattlites are used to tamer crowds.

When the other band members stepped back to let Pecknold perform solo, the music was stripped down and the songwriting received its fair share of attention in the form of Ragged Wood closer, “Oliver James.”

Fleet Foxes, “Oliver James” (download)

The band joined for a few more songs, and then Pecknold came out alone again for an encore of “Tiger Mountain Peasant Song.” As he confessed, “I don’t know what I have done / I’m turning myself into a demon,” the only evil that descended was the end of such an ideal performance. (more…)

Popularity: 7% [?]

Stylistically, Love as Laughter have jumped around a fair amount over 14 years of existence. Holy, the sixth release from frontman and founding member Sam Jayne (who seems to be the only consistent name attached, though drummer Zeke Howard has been around for the last three albums or so), finds his style no more grounded than in the past.

Holy centers around three genres influencing Jayne’s sound: a simple, singer-songwriter style folk, some sort of island calypso, and a heavy hitting garage rock revival. Instead of gently flowing from one into the next, which could actually be possible, ludicrous as it sounds in theory, the track listing jumps around, leaving the listener a little unsure of where they’re being lead.

It starts off rather basic with the title track, which begins with a strummed acoustic guitar, and Jayne’s affinity for absurd lyrics: “Holy’s never out of reach / I heard that demons don’t hit the beach.” One minute in, a ton of instruments and singers jump in, and it sounds like chaos. Beautiful chaos, but still chaos.

Most of the exotic island feel comes from the percussion, which incorporates conga drums or bongos. Occasionally they stand out almost too much, but at their most effective, they add an unusual pick-me-up to an otherwise relatively standard formula, like in “Crosseyed Beautiful Youngunz.” They also fit in well with the album’s most psychedelic moment, “All Parts of Me.” (more…)

Popularity: 5% [?]

Looking at the six years between The Devil, You + Me, the newest release from the Notwist, and Neon Golden, the release that threw them into American ears, leaves a deceiving impression. Markus Acher and Michael Acher have been working. Not for the Notwist, exactly, but for projects that are deceptively similar to their ambient electronic pop. There was 2004’s Faking the Books from Lali Puna, Markus’ side project, 2005’s 13 & God, a Notwist collaboration with Anticon rappers Themselves, and 2006’s Notes and the Like from Ms. John Soda, Michael’s side project. But these releases increased the appetite for a new Notwist album more often than they satisfied it.

It’s with much delight, then, that The Devil, You + Me easily picks up where Neon Golden left off. Some of the melodies even sound pieced together from remainders of the album that came before it; not in a lazy, “we’ve heard this all before” fashion, but like a fragmented memory nagging you to complete it.

The Notwist don’t really break from what worked so well last time. The Devil, You + Me features the same sort of smudged, smushed, scraping electronics, at times soft and warm, at others industrial and cold. The lyrical themes are somewhat similar, as well, bouncing back and forth between isolation (”I’m alone at last / with every other me”) and endearment (”the sun was up all night / and I put my arms around you / to hold you tight / on and on and on and on”). (more…)

Popularity: 5% [?]

When one thinks of survival, it conjures up images of barren islands, a lack of vital resources or, thanks to modern times, television shows where people are purposefully cast into harmful situations for the sake of money and fame. On her second album, To Survive, Joan as Police Woman (aka Joan Wasser) argues that relationships require strength and endurance, as well.

As with many a relationship, the music is seductive — and secretive. Sixteen musicians (in addition to Wasser) appear on To Survive, but rarely does it sound like there are more than two. Wasser is rightfully at the center of each piece, her voice, piano, synths, guitar, organ and/or strings the most auditorily present aspects throughout. It’s easy to get distracted by the projected simplicity, but attentive listening unfurls a gargantuan list of instruments, including saxophone, trumpet, farfisa, tambourine and even sandpaper.

Joan as Police Woman, “To Be Loved” (download)

The lyrics follow an emotional trajectory of in love — in conflict — in love — in conflict — break-up. But even the darkest songs contain professions of adoration, setting a sultry, sexy mood, creating the kind of album one might reach for before an intimate encounter.

The most interesting part of this narrative (and the album) is the final track, “In America,” which features vocals from Rufus Wainwright. It’s the only song that outright depicts any sort of fight (”In time the hunter will find the trail of blood / I see you alone tonight / when will you tear down?”), but it sounds the most majestic, the most triumphant, even though she still refers to the other person as “my love.” It leaves us to wonder: if a relationship, or love, is something to be survived, does its ending constitute a strange sort of victory or simply a release from a precarious position?

Popularity: 6% [?]

The word together implies the combination of parts — and the third full-length from Philadelphia’s Pattern Is Movement, All Together, perfectly represents that which its title suggests.

There are many pieces in play here, and band members Andrew Thiboldeaux and Chris Ward audibly have fun breaking them down and arranging them. There are layers upon layers of vocals and instruments, and they miss each other as often as they intersect. One could possibly compare them to avant poppers like Deerhoof, Dirty Projectors or Fiery Furnaces, but not because they sound exactly like them as much as they seem to embrace a similar creative philosophy with highly unique results. They’ve been labeled “Math Rock” before, but it’s an oddly fitting tag since, in recent examples, it implies a heavier, more immediate and overwhelming sound, owing more to progressive rock and metal than anything Pattern Is Movement has created, particularly on this album.

Apparently, both Thiboldeaux and Ward have classical training, and on All Together it shows in the instruments they use and the timbres they create. The keyboard parts are occasionally reminiscent of Debussy, especially when combined with the occasional oboe and violin accompaniment (and when they don’t sound like Debussy, they often sound like Bartók). Throw in some guitar and some drums, and you’ve got impressionism meets contemporary rock and pop. (more…)

Popularity: 6% [?]

Nearly two years ago now, I posted a short list of songs that reminded me of my post-college trip to Europe & Asia. One of those songs, DJ Bobo’s “Chihuahua” has recently reappeared in my life - and will soon make its way into yours, as well, if it hasn’t already.

DJ Bobo, “Chihuahua” (download)

A bit of a ridiculous song, “Chihuahua” is a silly, bouncy, dance tune that’s not actually about those yippy dogs that often get mistaken for rats and/or promote Taco Bell, but instead is about how the word “Chihuahua” makes DJ Bobo very, very happy.

I’m walking in the street and the moon shines bright
A little melody is spinning on my mind tonight
I gotcha it’s the song about chihuahua
Yeah, that’s cool alright (chihuahua)
It means fun - and a life without sorrow
Feels young - when you think about tomorrow
Say yo - when you’re about to freak out
Just go, and then shout it out loud

Nonsensical as it may be, it’s the kind of song that gets stuck in your head for hours on end, driving you insane. Kind of like “It’s A Small World.”

I first heard it two years ago on the aforementioned trip to Europe, when the tour guide used to play it to wake us up. (It was incredibly effective.) I downloaded the song as a fun little reminder, and had listened to it maybe twice since then. That is, until last week. (more…)

Popularity: 6% [?]

Fourth of July is, without a doubt, my favorite holiday. Firstly, because it’s not religiously affiliated. Secondly, because it generally involves some combination of the following three items: fire, grilling meat and alcohol. All in the name of patriotism. I’m not sure how our fourth of July traditions evolved to include these potentially disastrous things together, but I’m thankful they did.

However, there are few songs that connect with the holiday for me. Sure, there are all the patriotic anthems if you want to get stereotypical. There’s really only one song that reminds me of a particular fourth of July.

While I was still summering at home on the West Coast, it was something of tradition to go out to the cabin of some family friends on Harstine Island, which is in Puget Sound. It’s right on the water, so it cools off at night, and it’s far from any big cities, so it gets really dark. Because it’s so quiet and woodsy, everyone is shooing off fireworks. You can stand on the shore and be surrounded by bright, colorful lights in every direction — including an Indian reservation. They always delivered. Big time.

I was more or less left to my own thoughts at these holidays, and often I’d clear my mind of everything associated with my life in the cities, my life in New York, my life in Seattle, and just spend hours using as many senses as possible.  Watching the water roll in waves, skimming my hand on top of soft, pointed blades of grass, listening to the sounds of voices from far away, smelling the musk of the forest and the smoke of barbecues in the air… the taste of alcohol. (more…)

Popularity: 9% [?]

Their fifth studio album finds My Morning Jacket attempting to fulfill their urge to not be evilly defined solely by one genre. They’ve banked on the same aesthetic for awhile: change is not only expected by this juncture, it’s generally welcomed.

The first single and opener, “Evil Urges,” is both misleading and indicative of where My Morning Jacket goes with this album. On the one hand, the band explores new styles (such as the surf-rock air of this song), but on the other hand, this isn’t a complete reinvention. Like so many bands releasing albums this year, My Morning Jacket tries on new styles, but they haven’t completely let go of what’s worked for them thus far.

As a result, Evil Urges feels a little uneven, musically. They’ve incorporated more synths and electronic parts (most notably in the killer two-parter, “Touch Me I’m Going To Scream, Pt. 1″ and “Touch Me I’m Going To Scream, Pt. 2″), which sounds like a strange combination in concept, but works naturally in practice. Then there’s “Highly Suspicious,” which causes one to be highly suspicious indeed of who the hell thought this song was a good idea. Instead of classic rock refitted, it’s classic rock parodied, the kind of song that, with its ridiculously pushed vocals, conjures up thoughts of My Morning Jacket starring as Spinal Tap.

More surprise waits at the mid-point. At first, “Thank You Too!” sounds like it could’ve been on Z with its languid quality, but then the strings kick in, and before long it starts to sound like the soft side of AOR. Like much of that material, it’s fun and catchy, but sappy. Very sappy. And if that wasn’t enough, “Sec Walkin’” keeps the AOR party going by being even smoother than its predecessor. It will not be surprising if Jim James finds Michael McDonald standing at his doorstep soon. (more…)

Popularity: 8% [?]

For equitable purposes, it’s probably best to mentally separate Wolf Parade from their debut, Apologies to the Queen Mary. Not because it’s too good and they’ll never top it, and not because it’s bad: simply because Wolf Parade is quite a different band in 2008 than they were in 2005.

In the three years between albums, the band’s main songwriters, Spencer Krug and Dan Boeckner, worked on side projects: Swan Lake and Sunset Rubdown for Krug, and Handsome Furs for Boeckner. Add to this the band’s removal of the power of Modest Mouse’s Isaac Brock at the helm of production, and you’ve got a band eager to make its own name in its own right, well beyond their debut.

Aesthetically, At Mount Zoomer is more refined, though not as immediately grabbing, as the band vowed, “no singles.” Still, in their time with their other projects, it’s clear that their songwriting skills continued to develop and evolve, and they bring with them the quality of experience. The melodies are more alluring, the sound is cleaner, and overall presents itself as more professional. At Mount Zoomer is considerably more upbeat, due in large part to Wolf Parade’s more frequent use of piano instead of heavily processed synths, though the synths are certainly still there.

There’s discernible difference between the two songwriting forces, but when compared to the alternative (two songwriters without distinct personality), this shouldn’t be considered a negative. Ultimately, their themes are compatible and they’re using the same musicians, so there aren’t enough variables to result in choppy pacing. (more…)

Popularity: 7% [?]