The Neighbors

A couple of weeks ago, I watched The Neighbors at Sammy's in Rexburg. Adam Kaiser and Rachel Kaiser are The Neighbors and they play Indie piano rock. They play incredibly catchy songs and have fantastic stage presence. They are both multi-instrumentalists. Adam plays drums, keyboards, and sings. Rachel plays bass, keyboards, and she also sings. Rachel has most recently been touring with Brandon Flowers as one of his two back-up singers. When they first took the stage I was unsure if I would enjoy their music seeing just two keyboards and and a drum kit.  Once they got into their first song I was immediately impressed. All of the songs are synth-based with rolling drums. The choruses are huge and I was singing them for days after. I hope to see much more of them in the next years.

King Creosote & Jon Hopkins-Diamond Mine

Bob Boilen and Stephen Thompson of NPR have both said that this is their favorite album of 2011, thus far. With so many great albums coming out this year by veteran indie bands, it is testament to how great this album is. This is one of the most peaceful and beautiful album I have heard. King Creosote is the stage name of Scotsman Kenny Anderson. King Creosote has many devoted fans in his native Scotland, and has been making beautiful music for many years. Jon Hopkins is an electronic producer who has received massive attention in the last couple of years. This album has been in the works for the last seven years. Kenny Anderson said the album is a, "soundtrack to a romanticised version of a life
lived in a Scottish coastal village." It is easy to hear the love and emotion he has put into writing these songs about his home. Anderson beautiful lyrics and possessing brogue-tinged vocals are perfectly paired with Jon Hopkins production. With a mixture of acoustic guitar, accordion, and ambient sounds, Hopkins places all with restraint and precision. It is through these textures that the album rises above.

My Morning Jacket- Circuital

I hadn't spent much time listening to My Morning Jacket before I listened to their most recent album, Circuital. I had listened to a couple of their songs, and had heard they were good, I just didn't take the time to look further into them. That was until I heard they were coming out with a new album. Before the album came out, Rolling Stone wrote an article about their recording process for this album. Similar to Arcade Fire when they recorded Neon Bible, My Morning Jacket also recorded Circuital in a church. The openness as much heard as it is felt. In an interview with the lead singer, Jim James spoke about his love for 60's pop. With huge choruses in the songs, Holdin' on to Black Metal and Victory Dance, it is easy to hear where his influences come from. The songs are all infectious, and impossible not to repeat. Circuital is their sixth album, and they sound as fresh as a band ten years younger. Although, they are veterans, many still say they are one of the best live bands in the world.

The Head and The Heart: Live!

The Head and the Heart opened for Iron and Wine two weeks ago in Salt Lake City. I had only heard of the band a week before and just listened to a couple of their songs. If it had been anyone but Iron and Wine playing after, they would have stolen the show. The Head and the Heart are a six-piece indie-folk band from Seattle. For an acoustic-based band, I was shocked at the amount of energy they brought. In each song they had a beautiful three-part harmony. Each harmony was perfect, and each song was just as touching. Mid-way through their first song, when the bass player came in, I knew I was about to hear something special. I loved the bass-lines and really thought they kept the energy up, and the band moving. They started off with a song that I thought couldn’t be be topped, and somehow they managed to top themselves on every song in the set. By the last song, I was almost in tears, and I am sure I couldn’t live with myself if I cried at a concert. They are a band that is sure to get more attention, and touring with Iron and Wine will certainly allow them to reach new audiences, and a wider fan base.

Iron and Wine: Live!

Iron and Wine, which started as Sam Beam’s acoustic folk project, has transformed into a multi-layered 11-piece spectacle. Beam quickly became know for his lush melodies and picture-painting lyrics. Now, ten years later, he still has those beautiful melodies and heartbreaking lyrics, he just has a crack-bad with him. All of his music translated so gorgeously to the stage. His three horn members were all exceptionally talented and played multiple instruments. Their grooving horn lines are what drove the band. Marketa Irglova was one of the two back-up singers at the show. She is from the band, The Swell Season, and also in the wonderful movie, Once. It was an awesome surprise to see her, and listen to her perfect harmonies with Beam. During the set, Iron and Wine played both old and new songs. He revised all his old songs to fit the new band, and it was incredible to hear my old favorites done in new ways. Every song built on itself until it was a sprawling collision of sounds. It was inspiring to watch so many talented musicians play off each other. Through all the instruments and layers of sounds, Sam Beam’s flawless voice still sailed above the music. It was a show that i stood for two hours in awe and almost disbelief, and it was one of those rare perfect moments.

Other Lives-Tamer Animals

Two years after their debut, Other Lives comes out with Tamer Animals; an atmospheric and dream-like album. Jason Bentley of KCRW said, “There is a certain magic to Other Lives music.” And he is absolutely right.  In that interview with KCRW, Other Lives band members spoke about the painstaking process of recording their music. One member joked, “It’s hard to get the sound of a chamber orchestra when you only have one violin.” After their self-titled debut came out, Other Lives toured for around a year promoting their album. After, they holed themselves up in their Stillwater, Oklahoma studio and began working on Tamer Animals. They worked on this album for 13 months and self-produced it. Tamer Animals has a huge sound with many layers that all have a vital purpose. When I first listened to Other Lives, I immediately thought of Broken Social Scene, one of my favorite bands. The lead singer, Jesse Tabish, has a very absorbing and raspy voice. His voice is what really made me fall head-over-heels for the band. KCRW said their first album was the most criminally overlooked album of the year, and I hope this album will put them in the Indie limelight where they belong.