Filed under: Issue 22 | Tags: 20 Feet Tall, Annuals, Architecture in Helsinki, Beach Sail Cycling, Bonfires, Broken Social Scene, Cults, Dignified Dignitary, Erkyah Badu, evan paschke, Flash Delerium, Flesh & Blood, Freddie Gibbs, Freelance Whales, Generator ^ First Floor, go outside, Goodbye Sweet Dreams, Hunx and his punx, I've Got Your Number, Just a Fool, Meth Ghost & Rae, MGMT, No Going Back, Our Dreams” Delerium — “Royal Flush, Passion Pit, Portugal. The Man, Professional Victims, Roky Erickson, Rosie and Me, Rox, Scratches and Dents, teardrops on my telephone, The Apples in Stereo, The Beep, The District Sleeps Alone Tonight, The Ghetto, the Postal Service, World Sick
Part of our Issue 22 coverage!
CHECK OUT THE ISSUE PLAYLIST BELOW THE CUT (more…)
Filed under: Issue 22, Issue 22 Reviews | Tags: being for the benefit of mr. kite, bossanova, Brian Eno, Congratulations, Electric Feel, iTunes, Kid A, kids, MGMT, oracular spectaular, Pixies, psychedelia, Radiohead, scooby doo, song for dan treacy, The Beach Boys, Thom Yorke, Time To Pretend, Timothy Leary
MGMT's Congratulations: ""
Part of our Issue 22 coverage!
WE GIVE IT: 12/20 Watts
PREVIEW: CLICK here for MGMT‘s website
MGMT have been pretty open about what their latest release aims to be: a retort against their success. By doing so, they take their place alongside practically all the bands in pop-music history, groups career-fated by the critical litmus test of What Comes after the Big Single(s). In their own particular situation, MGMT’s radical shift is somewhat reminiscent of Radiohead’s – not just in the sense of changing sounds drastically after the breakthrough album, but in the sense of changing at the start of a new decade.
The bands share the dilemma of having been popular halfway-through one era, only to find themselves precariously uncertain about how to kick off another. MGMT are certainly not timid when it comes to taking a drastic detour in sound, but their boldness does not automatically equal innovation – or even (more…)
Filed under: Releases of the Week, Uncategorized | Tags: art-punk, Brian Eno, Congratulations, Flash Delerium, I found a whistle, MGMT, minimalism, Oracular Spectacular, Paul Westerberg, Psychadelic Rock, Time To Pretend
20 Watts Reviews MGMT's Congratulations
PREVIEW: Visit MGMT’s MySpace
WE GIVE IT: 13/20
It was a tense buildup. There were the negative reports on new songs live, the pretentious trash-talk, the name itself, and then of course the leak. Today, the long-anticipated, and much-debated, follow-up from MGMT finally sees a release. So what happened? They didn’t take the easy route continuing their resume of unbalanced albums of psychic freakouts and potential chart-toppers, for starters. Instead, what has emerged is an uncompromising album of pop references and a determination to keep the music firmly rooted in the “left-field” territory.
You get the feeling that they’re not going back to “Kids” when they lead the album off with a guitar riff worthy of Paul Westerberg. The album continues down that path, making nods to Television and the rest of the New York art-punk scene, as well as Brian Eno (also the name of one of the album’s highlights, a zany romp of harpsichord, organ and guitar) and company. Tracks like “Flash Delirium” channel the disparity, building unbalanced segments into a captivating, but often perplexing whole. The fascination for me lies, however, in the band’s newfound minimalism. Oracular Spectacular tried to cram as many polyrhythms, noises and effects into each song. Now, it’s almost as if they’ve shelved their penchant for texture in favor of an expedition into variants on song-craft. No idea lasts for too long, and often bridges into what occasionally is a dead end. However, when it works, it really works, especially on the captivating “I Found A Whistle,” which shimmers in a way that recalls the track “Kids” shining off the floor of a linoleum hallway from a distance.
It’s a gamble making an album this obtuse in the face of commercial demands. There are thousands out there who just wanted 10 more tracks of “Time to Pretend” and an excuse to wear facepaint and feathers at a rock show. Now, those kids have to come to terms with the fact they’re dealing with a pair of artists who wear their influences on their sleeves, and aren’t going to stay within one box for long. For that, I guess I’ll have to say kudos , and give MGMT dues on a title they might have half-knowingly deserved all-along. There’s a lot of beauty and a lot of exploration going on here, as well as a fair share of mistakes, but there’s also enough to keep you listening, and more than enough to beat the sophomore slump. Now it’s just a matter of channeling that energy into a concise focus, and MGMT might emerge the pop starlets they’ve already insisted on making themselves.
-Dan Creahan
Filed under: Releases of the Week | Tags: Black Light, Bryan Ferry, David Bowie, Friendly Fires, Groove Armada, Klaxons, Ladyhawke, LCD Soundsystem, MGMT, Nick Littlemore, Roxy Music, SaintSaviour, the white stripes
Groove Armada's sixth album is a positive adjustment for the band
PREVIEW: VISIT Groove Armada’s MySpace
WE GIVE IT: 16/20 Watts
It took over two and a half years, but Groove Armada’s Andy Cato and Tom Findlay have finally revealed their new sound with Black Light. The group’s sixth studio album features heavy 80s dance beats mixed with low-key lyrics. In comparison to previous albums, Black Light contains a new songwriting style while also maintaining the flair that fans have come to expect.
The British musicians didn’t do it alone, though—all of the 11 original songs on Black Light boast an impressive list of guest artists. GA works with SaintSaviour and Nick Littlemore four times over the course of the upbeat, tell-all album. Roxy Music frontman Bryan Ferry collaborates with the musical pair on “Shameless.” The track combines French-speaking seduction with a more lax sound and less vocals than other songs on Black Light. Coincidentally, Ferry’s Roxy Music was named as one of their inspirations for the release, among other artists like Friendly Fires, Klaxons, Ladyhawke, LCD Soundsystem and MGMT. (more…)
Filed under: Editor Picks | Tags: Broken Social Scene, Camera Obscura, Dirty Projectors, Dr. Dog, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Garfunkel and Oates, Girls, Kid Cudi, LCD Soundsystem, Massive Attack, MGMT, Minus the Bear, music festivals, My Morning Jacket, OK GO, Passion Pit, pavement, Sasquatch!, She & Him, Tegan and Sara, terrifying forest-beast, the mountain goats, The National, The New Pornographers, The Temper Trap, The xx, Vampire Weekend, Why?
- Get ready, get set, Sasquatch!
PREVIEW: VISIT Sasquatch’s Web site
I just realized that the thing I want most in the world (aside from a house with a pool filled with Jell-O [seriously]) is to go to SASQUATCH! (and no, I’m not just terribly excited, the name actually has an exclamation point).
Now, hold on, I know where this is going.
“No Isabel,” you’ll say, rolling your eyes. “Sasquatch is a terrifying forest-beast, not an event you attend.”
To which I say, you’re wrong. Sasquatch! is a music festival in Quincy, WA with tremendously impressive line-up for its three day run. A quick glance at the list of artists attending assured me that this is the festival to go to. To hell with tuition and fiscal responsibility. I want to go to the Memorial Weekend festival that’s hosting not only My Morning Jacket, Vampire Weekend, The National, Broken Social Scene, OK Go, and Minus the Bear, but also, WHY?, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Garfunkel and Oates, Massive Attack, Pavement, LCD Soundsystem, Tegan and Sara, Kid Cudi and Dirty Projectors.
[Pause to catch your breath and wipe the tears of joy from your face].
The xx, Girls, MGMT, She & Him, Passion Pit, The New Pornographers, Camera Obscura, The Temper Trap, Dr. Dog, and The Mountain Goats, among others.
Did I have to make that list so long and dramatic? Yes.
Are you packing the cooler and gassing up the car? You should be.
Check out the full list, to further your freak-out.
– Isabel Alcantara, Photo Editor
Filed under: Editor Picks | Tags: 3Oh!3, Cobra Starship, Common, Drake, Editor's Picks, Keri Hilson, Kid Cudi, LMFAO, Ludacris, Lykke Li, MGMT, Miike Snow, Modest Mouse, Mos Def, Passion Pit, Phoenix, Pit Bull, The Newshouse, The-Dream, UU, Vampire Weekend, Weezer
No, Passion Pit is not going to be the big "surprise" act for Block Party this year.
The Drake announcement for Block Party was expected, but what wasn’t expected was the hush-hush mystery of a “surprise middle act.” The act will be named later, but there’s enough information available to break down the mystery. The Newshouse’s Otto-Tune blogger, Nathan Mattise, does a solid job of analyzing the possible candidates that might be the surprise act. It’s more than speculation, because Mattise refers to the student survey posted online, highlighting UU’s thought process to fill out the lineup.
Drake was on the list for UU’s headlining act, along with Common, Kid Cudi, Ludacris, MGMT, Modest Mouse, Mos Def, Phoenix, Vampire Weekend and Weezer. We know how this played out.
However, the list for the possible supporting acts goes as follows: 3OH!3, Cobra Starship, Passion Pit, Keri Hilson, LMFAO, Lykke Li, Miike Snow, Pitbull and The-Dream. Now, it’s easy to eliminate candidates by process of elimination based on their tours already scheduled, and who is available for April 30th. It also makes sense for the band to be near by Syracuse, NY at a nearby date.
Let’s break it down:
Filed under: 20 Watts Radio | Tags: 20 Watts Radio, A Pretty Girl Is Like..., Answer to Yourself, Back to the Life, Beach House, BLK JKS, Cold Cave, Cold War, Cooler Than Me (Gigamesh Remix), Dan Deacon, Daphnia, Deadbeat Summer, deer tick, Falling From The Sun, Front Porch/Back Porch, Gentle Sons, In the Summertime, King of Carrot Flowers Pt. One, Lake Michigan, Lakeside, Life Magazine, Lil' Hipster, LMFAO, Longform, M79, Magnetic Fields, manchester orchestra, MGMT, Mike Posner, Mouth's Cradle, My Papa's Waltz, My Parents Lied, Neon Indian, Neutral Milk Hotel, norway, Phoenix, Red F, Rogue Wave, Rome, Slow Club, Smith Hill, Spoon, stars, Team B, Tessellate, The Album Leaf, The Antlers, The Dodos, The Hold Steady, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, The Real People, The Rural Alberta Advantage, The Soft Pack, the static jacks, the white stripes, The Youth, Tokyo Police Club, Untitled, Vampire Weekend, Weekends And Treehouses, When I Go, Where Have You Been?, Yo La Tengo, You Can Make Him Like You, Young Prisms, Your ex- lover is dead
20 WATTS RADIO: THURSDAY Feb 4th ON AUDIOCANDY
Hear the show recording here
Preview: Make sure you check out Audiocandyradio.com
It is Thursday night and 20 Watts Radio is on Audiocandy. Make sure you tune in and don’t miss out on our great selection of awesome tunes. We’ll be bringing you some very important updates about the Syracuse music scene you really must hear. So if you are thinking of what to do this semester we have we the inside scoop. Show starts at 10pm sharp: OUR BRAND NEW AND AWESOME TIME SLOT ON AUDIOCANDY. To tune in Click Here.
Show Playlist Below:
16. Back to the Life- Spoon
