Performer Mag

from things like bouncy balls, video game arcades and puppy love. The Portland-based band’s glitchy electro-pop album features melodies evoking HelloGoodbye, only with an increased vocabulary of colorful, off-kilter electronic accents. The album all but burps into existence on “All Directions,” with croaking, funhouse synths paving the way for Erik Carlson’s boyish vocals and playfully enthusiastic female backup vocals. “Rivers May Rise” travels across a complicated blend of electronic cowbells, siren synths, and warped vocals; meanwhile, “Get That” slowly oscillates a simple, sweet music-box melody – sung in Rufus Wainright-style earnest – over gritty tweaks and buzzy, bass synths. “We Say it Ourselves” is a power-pop ballad that only breaks from an onslaught of bright synths and twinkling keys for brief stripped down bridge towards the end. Although Carlson’s vocals tend to subside behind the chaos of instrumentation, they come through strongly across a syncopated hip-hop beat in the song “Parallel Lines.” The lively mood of the album winds down with “Living Room.” A blend of keyboard steel drums, bass synth and subtle “doot, doot” female vocals is the most satisfying moment on the album – and the ideal close to an album busy with video game synths, frenetic drum machines and relentless vocals. What Dancipation Proclamation lacks in vocal variation, it makes up for with an eagerness to experiment and a knack for interesting musical texture. (SoHiTek) -Lulu McAllister www.myspace.com/dblplusgood

Gunfight!

Hide Your Empties Recorded live in a driveway in upstate New York | Produced by Gunfight! | Engineered, mixed and mastered by Seth Mintz Let’s mix some genres shall we? So you have some New York punk and then add an ol’ cowboy Western edge and finish it off with some indie cred. Sound odd? Well it exists as Gunfight! The scratchy, screechy vocals that sound like indie rock star Muppet (watch yer back Animal) work amazingly well with the fast-paced twangy guitar and the hopping drums. So well that it pushes the band past what could be misconstrued as a gimmick to a legitimate record with original, catchy songs, each standing quite well on its own.

50 MAY 2009 Performer Magazine

“All You Need” is a song you could play in one of those trendy dance clubs, scenesters know what I’m talking about, but also line dance to it too (not ironically). The yee-haw vocals paired with a rockabilly guitar that seemingly took advantage of a dirty garage band one drunken evening taps along at a beat that would make any ADD sufferer jealous. “Vaccine” is a yodeling slower number with Strokes-type guitars to give it that certain attitude. Except unlike The Strokes, Gunfight! actually sound like they enjoy what they’re doing. It’s a great song to drag your dame across the dance floor with. Or, more likely, down shots of hard liquor. “Take Off” begins with lumbering guitar/horse lollops that strum into a fast, energetic party that any hipster worth his/her headband would dance too or even willingly splash their PBR. And then we come to the guns-shooting “Flash,” with a raucous guitar solo that would make Hawaii-era Elvis jealous. Finishing off with “Empties” we get lead singer Drew Mintz’s squawk, unfettered by the instruments. Standing quite well on its own, it’s the sort of voice that cries out to be mimicked. So he should probably trademark it (is that even possible?). The rest of the song allows for each band member to stand out on his own, letting guitars take the lead and then drums, with the bass keeping the rhythm throughout. Hide Your Empties is the sort of record a more pretentious magazine would call tour de force, but since that basically tells you nothing, it’s really just four guys having fun, inventing new ways to make music interesting and a little weird. -Leyla Hamedi www.myspace.com/gunfightband

The songs meander from one song to the next organically, but still maintain their own sonic independence. And when viewed as singular entities, most tracks weave and dance with power and grace, employing unique harmonic devices, stark dynamic shifts, lush arrangements and powerful, soaring vocals that flood and draw back the changing tides within the songs. “Jellyfish” embodies this ideal by successfully bridging two seemingly disparate verse and chorus ideas. The intro/verse offers an eerie, banjo-plucked, minor key texture that makes us think we are in for something entirely twisted. But the mood suddenly changes as the defiant, uplifting retort explodes and declares that “You won’t get the best of me / I’ll take my feet with me.” This is a powerful, redemptive chorus that storms through and ushers in light from the previous darkness. One slight miscue, though, is evident on “Tahiti” in its over-extended, dissonant guitar bridge that has no place at the song’s outset. Not all great musical themes have to be set up by an introductory motif. A delay of grandeur, though, is much better than gaining none at all. And as we are finally tossed into the joyous verse and chorus that is the salvation of “Tahiti,” we contentedly wonder why we had to wait so long. Just throw us in guys. We can swim. (self-released) -Michael Oliveri www.myspace.com/magicmagicband

My Second Surprise Time to Move On

Magic Magic

Mixed by Craig Schumacher at Wavelab Studios in Tucson, AZ | Mastered by J.J. Golden at Golden Mastering in Ventura, CA

Produced, recorded and mixed by Craig Hlady at Tower Production and Recording in Boston, MA

My Second Surprise’s sophomore release, Time to Move On, follows 2005’s Avoidance as a Way of Life. Headed by Ayal Nistor, the band traversed several countries and even acquired an Israeli Grammy before finally settling in San Francisco. Similarly, Nistor’s latest release offers a level of eclecticism only a series of well-wandered paths can produce, as Time to Move On marches elegantly across 10 tracks of lush folk rock.

Magic Magic

Great music is not about virtuosity or minimalism, lyrics or melodies, well-conceived song forms or whimsical improvisation. It is about choosing how you balance and execute these forces (plus many others) to generate a powerful synchronicity that affects and inspires your audience. To that end, Magic Magic’s self-titled album is a success for the ambitious and immensely talented band.

Time to Move On opens triumphantly with “Bring the Sunshine.” A horn section trumpets over a pulsating piano and jangling hi-hats as a

sweeping chorus erupts with Nistor’s vocal polyphony. The songs exhibit a comfortable swing that’s mournful at times, as if they jump between a lazy day in the park and a sad scene in a film. Typical of the overall album, “When Your Crew Has Sunk Your Boat” exhibits a melancholy yet relaxed feel - somber lyrics with light instrumentation. This feeling continues on “All Your Rivers,” where Nistor exudes a chilling sense of intimacy as he sings in a low breathy voice, “So you had me / Sure tried to hold me down / And I liked it / But then you just turned around.” A violin creates a swelling effect that wrenches at the heart, cutting effectively at a harmonious breakdown backed by only a slight tinkling of keys. Closing on the aptly titled, “Time to Move On,” the album exists as a journey of itself – lonely moments concluded with the closure of finding its place. My Second Surprise has traveled its fair share to find success on Time to Move On. And with solid musicianship and strong songwriting, one should never for a second be surprised. (self-released) –Keane Li www.mysecondsurprise.com

O+S O+S

Produced by O+S and Michael Patterson | Mixed by Brian Gardner O+S (pronounced oh plus ess) is the new project on Saddle Creek Records from Azure Ray’s Orenda Fink and Remy Zero’s Cedric LeMoyne. It’s common knowledge that Saddle Creek has a sort of “style” for its artists, and O+S is no exception. They’re haunting, they’re catchy, and they’re indicative of what any Saddle Creek fan would want from the record label. In the opening track, “New Life,” Fink coos softly, “I still walk with my eyes shut / Just to see how far I’ll go / before I stumble / I still like to drink all night / to say the things I won’t / In the daylight.” This is the kind of song that opens a moody movie, or is the soundtrack to your breakup. It’s one of those introductory songs to prepare the listener for the remainder of the album, so it was a smart decision to put it first. “Toreador” and “Permanent Scar” keep the electronic vibe going, while “The Fox” and “Survive Love” take the softer option.

Most of this album could fit into those classic movie parts where the girl gets the guy at the end or when the credits start to roll. O+S has created something familiar, but entirely new at the same time. Obviously, the record’s vocals resemble that of Azure Ray’s, but it’s in a completely new medium. Orenda Fink’s voice not only complements the varying instrumentals, but completes them. This isn’t one of those albums you’d want to bring to a party, but it’s definitely one that would accompany you on a long car ride. (Saddle Creek)

A fan of collaborating with other bands and musicians (Beach House, Casiotone for the Painfully Alone, Cass McCombs) Quever had friend and labelmate Alex Scally (of Beach House) assist with some of the arrangements for the album. On the title track of the album, “You Can Have What You Want,” Quever sings “You can have what you want and throw the rest away.” With this album, he has taken what he’s wanted from the past and created a body of songs that takes you on an adventure in the present. (Gnomonsong)

-Haley Navarro www.myspace.com/opluss

-Jackie Miehls www.myspace.com/thepapercuts

Papercuts

You Can Have What You Want Recorded and mixed at Pan American Recording Studio in San Francisco, CA | Mastered by JJ Golden If an album can take you on a journey to a different time, place and mood, Papercuts’ third full-length album You Can Have What You Want is one of them. San Francisco singer/ musician Jason Quever’s dreamy pop invention takes you on a trip that at times feels like the 1960s or a California summer spent in solitude. Led by his haunting voice and strong melodies, the songs have a tendency to stop time and transcend the hyperactive, electronic-dependent modern world. Rich with arrangements and vintage instrumentation, the psychedelic pop songs are a homage to the past, both musically and culturally. It’s evident in the use of the organ, slower rhythms, analog recording style and the heavy use of reverb. Quever manages to breathe life and style into each track, while maintaining a cohesive flow that makes for more of a trance-like experience than it does a song-bysong listen. One of the more poppy songs, “A Dictator’s Lament,” is reminiscent of The Doors with the organ in the background and Quever’s hypnotizing vocals at the forefront of the storytelling. A standout track on the album (also the longest, coming in at just less than six minutes) is “The Machine Will Tell Us So,” in which Quever’s vocals lead to an epic chorus that induces chills and stays in your head long after the song has ended. The strength of this song and many others on the album solidifies the fact that Quever has what it takes to make his own kind of pop music that is classic and subtle, ebbing and flowing between darkness and light.

Ryker Jones

The Tragedy of the Memory For those who think classical and rock music are mutually exclusive, Ryker Jones’ The Tragedy of the Memory is proof they can work together. Indeed, they can have a passionate and sensual love affair. A refreshingly unique blend of classical guitar and richly textured indie rock, The Tragedy of the Memory fluctuates between acoustic minimalism and soaring walls of sound. Enveloped in it all is Jones’ whispery vocals, sometimes recalling a less ragged Elliott Smith, often layered in warm intricate harmonies. The diverse array of songs range from the jovial strumming and Beach Boys harmonies of “Why You Walk Alone” to the mournful waltzing “Help Me Continue,” in which Jones’ sprightly classical guitar is nowhere to be found. Jones’ dexterity on the guitar is showcased in the album’s only instrumental piece, “Canon,” a beautifully arranged tapestry of classical guitar melodies. Sometimes simple and to the point and at times abstract, Jones’ lyrics are consistently strong. In “Help Me Continue,” words and phrases repeat like a broken record (“Would you tell me, would you tell me …”), evoking the desperation of a breakup victim who is literally falling apart. The everrepeating string of lyrics on “System” succinctly encapsulate a stifling, uninspired society: “System is valuable to ensure immunity to ensure security … No choice now it has been proven that there is no need for novel thoughts at all.” Occasionally, as in the last song “Tomorrow,” words are lost in the sheer density of instrumentation. Only at these moments does one wish

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