Three Imaginary Girls - Interscope

M.I.A. and the art of terrorism

Jon Harthun — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 14:56:40 +0000

It turns out Sri-Lankan hip-hopper DeLon seems to think she's more into "blowing up" than you think.

Made of Bricks

Erik Gonzalez — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 05:04:15 +0000

7.8

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000V3L0ZK/wwwthreeimagi-20

katenash08mar.jpg

It is very difficult to get past two things when it comes to Kate Nash:

She is ridiculously adorable.
She wrote a fabulous pop song.

"Foundations," by itself, can almost carry the weight of her U.S. debut Made of Bricks and really, Kate Nash is what she is: a pop singer. She dabbles in the 60's soul revival sound like the Pipettes like on "We Get On," she gets a little more modern on "Mouthwash," driving along with her piano and warbling voices. However, she pretty come across the same way in every song: cute, charming and vulnerable.

Sure, she can take some revenge on her head like leaving the heat off when they pass out drunk, but she still comes on back to him. Kate Nash has just really figured out how to write a great pop song that isn't too grating and maddening after repeat listening, which, in itself, is a talent that few possess. I suppose there are a lot of people who will abhor Kate Nash for her quirky-but-mainstream style, but I can't get past the infectious nature of her music.

Kate Nash has just really figured out how to write a great pop song that isn't too grating and maddening after repeat listening, which, in itself, is a talent that few possess.

The Pipettes finally release US full-length debut, and tour to celebrate

imaginary dana — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 20:12:26 +0000

UK lovey pop-tastic triplets The Pipettes have just announced that they'll finally be releasing their full-length debut We Are the Pipettes in the US on October 2nd, on Interscope Records. To which I say, it's about damn time!

Major label debuts

Erik Gonzalez — Fri, 20 Oct 2006 07:00:00 +0000

8.6

tvontheradio06oct.jpg

TV on the Radio — "Return to Cookie Mountain" {8.6}
Buy it!
{Interscope}

DJ Shadow — "The Outsider" {6.3}
Buy it!
{Universal}

The Rapture — "Pieces of the People We Love" {8.2}
Buy it!
{Universal}

By Erik Gonzalez

In the never-ending battle between major and indie labels, much territory is lost and won over the course of a few years. Heck, after the reorganization of the big guns in the early 00's, it was supposed to be a golden era for the indie labels as the majors shed those bands that just never seem to live up to the jump from the little pond to the big ocean. However, somewhere along the way, the majors seem to have decided that, "Hey, maybe we want some career bands instead of another 1,000 Avril Lavigne and Simple Plan clones." So, as quick as you can say "…And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead" (OK, maybe that's not too quick), the majors have scooped up a pile of bands that made their name on stalwart indie labels like Touch & Go, DFA, and Mo!Wax, among others.

So, here we are. In case you missed it, September saw the release of three albums that were much-anticipated major label albums from some indie champions. However, considering the major labels care about the indie press as much as they might care about, well, the welfare of small green plants in Uganda, we tend not to get a lot of these types of releases... but it doesn't feel right to just, well, ignore them. So, I will sum up these three albums in one paragraph each, just to keep us all in the loop.

TV on the Radio: Return to Cookie Mountain

Sometimes you can tell from the first 30 seconds of an album that it's going to be great. That's entirely the case for TV on the Radio's Return to Cookie Mountain, where the deep beats, twisted horns, and falsetto harmonies of "I Was A Lover" open up into a fuzzed out utopia of sonic experimentation. TVOTR join Modest Mouse and Built to Spill as some of the few truly independent bands on a major label, not giving up an inch in their new home, as they continue to build songs out of the richly complex melodies and harmonies that have TVOTR the favorites of all the cool kids. Songs like "Playhouses," "Wolf Like Me," and "Wash the Day" exhibit the bands wall-of-sound, while quieter gems like "A Method" are rich with a musicality that could, in other people's hands, just sound like, well, bad college acapella. If there's anything that can truly be classified as indie "prog rock," TV on the Radio is the bellwether, taking a synthesize of electronic, rock, and anything they can get their hands on into a collage of remarkably depth and texture.

DJ Shadow: The Outsider

Okay, I have to admit it. DJ Shadow has jumped the shark. After nearly perfect pedigree with possibly the best album in the 1990's (Endtrouducing), you could almost feel that Shadow was due for a mistake, but The Outsider is beyond my wildest nightmares. Not that it's a bad album as such, but for a guy like DJ Shadow, it can, at times, seem appalling the same way something like Moby's Home album was completely inexcusable. It seems like DJ Shadow has fallen in love with krunk and he's not ashamed to show it, but its his attempts at straight rock like "Artifact" that stand out as wholly unpleasant. There are, actually, a few gems hidden in the noise, such as the hyphy barnburner "3 Freaks" with Keak da Sneak, the downright sinister "Seein Thangs" with a surprisingly menacing David Banner and the electro-krunk on "Turf Dancing" (maybe it's the Davis namedrop in it that made me notice it). What happened to DJ Shadow, that's my question? Is he really just a composite now like some people think of Shakespeare? The Outsider lacks the grander scope that DJ Shadow album are usually rich in, but maybe he just can't concentrate anymore. Whatever it is, I hope this is just a detour.

The Rapture: Pieces of the People We Love

We all like to dance. All right, maybe not all of us, but the Rapture sure do — even more now, even out of their safehaven at DFA Records. There seems to be a little more Talking Heads in the Rapture stew, along with a few songs produced by Danger Mouse (then again, what hasn't he produced this year and he even got away with sneaking some Cee-Lo into the title track). Luke Jenner sounds a less like Robert Smith on Pieces…, restraining his voice from the manic ups-and-downs that careened through Echoes, and it works quite well. Instead, we get a more focused Rapture that puts together an album that's is much more even than its predecessor. Songs like "Getting Myself Into It" are the most like the synth-pop that marked Echoes, but its on tracks like "Whoo! Alright – Yeah … Uh Huh" that the band hits their stride, making a nearly perfect dance song, right down to the title. Jenner seems to be channeling a soul diva when he sings people don't dance no more/they just stand ‘round like this/they cross their arms and stare you down/and drink and moan and piss and you know that the Rapture, if given the opportunity, would kick all those hipsters arses that just feel too cool to dance the night away.

CD reviews of three indie acts — TV on the Radio, DJ Shadow, and The Rapture — who have just released their debuts on major labels, with varying results.

Single Reviews: A Spring Mix of New Music

Erik Gonzalez — Mon, 03 Apr 2006 07:00:00 +0000

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000EHQ7L0/wwwthreeimagi-20

Ah, nothing like the coming of spring. Flowers start poking their heads out of the ground and bursting forth with color that we've missed since the end of the summer. The air begins to warm with the re-emerging sun. People slowly come inching out of the their winter seclusion to venture into the "outdoors". And, most importantly, labels start releasing albums in anticipation of the summer concert season. If you're like me, this spring is rather exciting, with enough new music coming out to make a llama swallow with discomfort. So, to get you up to date on what to expect, I thought I'd drift through my iPod's "New Music" playlist and report to you on some of the more anticipated new singles for the impending change of season.

"Gold Lion" by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs from the album Show Your Bones {8.0}
Buy it!
{Interscope Records}

If anyone were to tell you that the Yeah Yeah Yeahs are due for an atomic-scale explosion with their new album, then they are either the type that gathered intelligence for the Bush administration on Iraq or quite delusional (I suppose those two types of people are more or less the same come to think of it). Not only did they come this close to superstardom with their debut, but they are fronted by a dead-sexy (albeit somewhat frightening) leader singer in the form of Karen O and they know how to write catchy tunes. That being said, "Gold Lion," the first single off of their new disc, is a little bit of a disappointment on first listen. It lacks the passion of "Maps" or the intensity of "Date with the Night". It reeks of snazzy studio production. It, in fact, sounds like a revamped version of Love & Rockets "No New Tale to Tell". However, if you let the song spin through a few times, you find yourself inevitably singing the song in the shower. Or the kitchen. Or on the bus. Or in your sleep. Yes, they have another hit. Enjoy the Yeah Yeah Yeahs before they become the next-generation No Doubt (hopefully with the Gwen Stefani-hip hop mutation potential).

"You Have Killed Me" by Morrissey from the album Ringleader of the Tormentors {7.7}
Buy it!
{Sanctuary Records}

I have to admit, I have long had a mancrush on Morrissey. I honestly have no idea why. I wish I did. I'd be the first to admit I was pleased (and a little shocked) at his renaissance with his 2004 album You are the Quarry. Who knew that so many of us have been salivating for the return of Mr. Gloom himself. Now that Moz has realized that the world really does love him as much as he loves himself, he's come back much quicker with the early frontrunner for "Best Album Title of 2006," Ringleader of the Tormentors. The first "You Have Killed Me" pulls no punches, it more or less is an extension of the Quarry sound, rich with guitars and Morrissey smooth-as-silk voice. Sure, his lyrics are still ridiculously over the top: I entered nothing/and nothing entered me/'til you came with the key/and did you best/but as I live and breathe/you have killed me. Yes my friends, Morrissey has become the Frank Sinatra of alternative rock and this is his "My Way".

"Goin' Against Your Mind" by Built To Spill from the album You In Reverse {9.0}
Buy it!
{Warner Brothers Records}

You have to give Doug Martsch credit. Only a certain type of person can get away with having the first single from two major label albums clock in at over eight minutes long. Unlike Perfect From Now On's dirge "Untrustable/Part 2 (About Someone Else)", the first song to be released from Built to Spill's You in Reverse is a veritable barnburner. "Goin' Against Your Mind" starts off with a reckless abandon that we haven't heard from Built to Spill since There's Nothing Wrong with Love, with throbbing drums and dueling guitars that crashing in like waves during a storm. It is a full two minutes before Doug's vocals even come in, but the complexity of the song makes the 8+ minutes fly by. The song is broken up by a quiet interlude where the bass drives the music as Doug laments When I was a kid I saw a light/floating high above the trees one night/thought it was an alien/turns out to be just God before the tempo kicks back to have the song roar to a close. It seems that Built to Spill has finally found that balance between the sprawling epics of Perfect and the infectious rock of Love.

"When You Wasn't Famous" by The Streets from the album Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living {9.2}
Buy it!
{Vice Records}

Mike Skinner has learned something that many rappers never learn: rap about what you know. Sure, A Grand Don't Come for Free was brilliant, but is anyone going to believe that with the uberstardom that the Streets have attained worldwide that Mike Skinner would be concerned about losing a thousand quid? Heck, he probably lights his massive joints with £100 notes. So, what is a man to do? Write a song about how easy it is to get girls when you're famous. And, if you want to get back to feeling like you are famous, starting dating with other celebrities. Honestly, who of us can't relate with that sentiment anyway? (Ok, maybe not.) What makes "When You Wasn't Famous" so great is the infectious production - the marching beat and flute - it might be the first foray into highland Scottish hip-hop. Teamed with some of loosest rapping Skinner has ever recorded and some downright comical lyric like I realize with you the truth can be a whole lot worse than the flak/my whole life I never thought I'd see a pop star smoke some crack, the Streets might have dialed in the song that makes them huge stateside. Ah Mike, if only we knew what celebrities were talking about, but at least you're having fun these days.

If you're like me, this spring is rather exciting, with enough new music coming out to make a llama swallow with discomfort.

Hopes and Fears

imaginary jessica — Sat, 21 Aug 2004 07:00:00 +0000

8.2

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000268QB2/wwwthreeimagi-20

B000268QB2.01._AA240_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

The first time I heard Keane, I was struck by the intense familiarity of their music. Not familiar in the generic "oh I've heard this before" sense of the term; rather, Keane's songs are like something remembered from a dream — ethereal, rich with meaning, bordering on celestial. With only piano, keyboards, drums, bass, and the highly expressive vocals of Tom Chaplin, this three-piece concocts glamorous, full-sounding tracks imbued with bittersweet beauty.

While comparisons to fellow sonorous Britpop bands Coldplay and Travis continue to run rampant (and rightfully so, to a certain extent), don't think Keane's music is simple mimicry. The exquisite talents of Tim Rice-Oxley on piano, keyboards, and bass, when combined with Chaplin's achingly beautiful vocals and Richard Hughes' sparingly perfect drums, let Keane create not just songs but atmospheres, swirls of music that engulf you as you listen. Musically, Keane is intricate and lush, moving far beyond formulaic (dare I say, sophomoric?) commercial favorites. What's more, Keane achieves its sound without any guitars (save a bass for rhythmic enunciation). Lyrically, the songs possess both complexity and charm — Chaplin manages to articulate universal sentiments about everyday life in a manner that inspires empathy in the listener, without sounding common or maudlin (which is far more than I can say for certain bands who write annoying and impossibly sappy hit songs about colors and bad luck with weather).

Don't write Keane off as merely derivative. When a band takes an existing genre and goes beyond previously established understandings of that sound, as Keane has with Hope And Fears, the label "derivative" just doesn't fit. Keane redeems the soaring Britpop musical trend (a trend that, until Keane came along, I enthusiastically shunned) by infusing the genre with a greater sophistication.

As an album, Hope And Fears is very all-of-a-piece; each track dovetails neatly into the next, leading you along a path that is at once familiar and foreign. The mood wanders from song to song; melancholy ballads like "We Might As Well Be Strangers" live peacefully next to more uptempo — albeit still poignant — tracks like "Everybody's Changing." A subtle apprehension and longing underlies Hope And Fears throughout — Keane makes manifest the vague disquiet and expectation that accompanies reflection on future days. It's a gorgeous album, a strikingly impressive debut LP, and a must-have for anyone who enjoys listening to pure beauty.

With only piano, keyboards, drums, bass, and the highly expressive vocals of Tom Chaplin, this three-piece concocts glamorous, full-sounding tracks imbued with bittersweet beauty.

Tyrannosaurus Hives

imaginary stella — Thu, 12 Aug 2004 07:00:00 +0000

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0002IQ1PS/wwwthreeimagi-20

Hives.jpg

The roaring Hives are back! The Swedish five-piece that stormed the revival of the garage rock movement like a ball of fire — claiming to be the most important of all the bands in that genre — have another album out, and thus another chance at proving their words to be good. So far they're doing well.

Their latest effort, Tyrannosaurus Hives — their first on a major label — is finely polished, but in a way that lets the band's raw edges shine through. They kick into high gear with the first track, unrelenting with their pace and intensity until the conclusion of the disc.

Tyrannosaurus Hives radiates one hit after the next. The band is 'on' all the time: perfectly tight, harmonized and mixed. Singer Howlin' Pelle Almqvist's scratchy shrieks, his voice cracking at least once on every song, are a natural fit to the crunchy garage rock. You can feel the energy coursing through the tracks — envision Pelle strutting around the stage almost as though you were at a live show rather than listening to a recorded album (see TIG's review of the most recent Seattle performance, below!). Tyrannosaurus Hives vaults The Hives to the top of their game, and the album could go on to be one of the best of 2004.

The band howls, thwacks, rallies through the disc. "Abra Cadaver" throttles up to open the album, followed by the impulsive jam of "Two-Timing Touch and Broken Bones" (though I could swear Pelle utters something about "monkey balls" in that one, the lyrics tell me differently). "Walk Idiot Walk," the first single off the record, has one of the catchiest riffs in years. It's a true Stones tribute, but there's never anything wrong with that. "A Little More For Little You" is danceable with a guitar treatment that Peter Frampton would love (or sue over — it's pretty darn close to the distinctive "Show Me the Way" line). "Diabolic Scheme" presents the only departure from the fast-tempo structure: it is a slow dirge in comparison with the pace of the others. Crazed strings and darkness permeate this track-the closest thing we'll probably ever hear to a ballad from The Hives.

There is much speculation as to just where The Hives originated. Are they a "formed band" or not? Is there truly a mystery guy who, a decade ago, sent each of the members a fateful letter, telling them to show up at a specific location and they would become the biggest punk band in the world? Or is this all a marketing ploy?

A little history: The band, Almqvist, Vigilante Carlstroem (guitar), Dr. Matt Destruction (bass), Chris Dangerous (drums) and Nicholaus Arson (guitar), was reportedly put together back in 1993 by Randy Fitzsimmons, a guru who helped create the look and sound that is The Hives. Let's call him "imaginary Randy." According to the band's bio, the summoned guys even had to learn instruments — after making it into the band. They are, if you will believe their press, a hipster version of the Backstreet Boys. Truth be told, they don't even write their own songs (imaginary Randy reportedly handles these duties, too).

The music aficionado in me — the one who is vocally against 'performers' who call themselves 'musicians' — screams mightily at this fact. But I cannot deny how incredibly good they are. When the music comes on, my tapping toes hardly care that someone else wrote the songs or that these five were handpicked from a prodigal lineup of aspiring rockers.

Which brings me, and I'm sure countless of other Hives fans, to wonder: is this story for real? Or is it part of the schtick? The Hives exude egotism — so much so that it seems improbable that they would stoop to the level of having someone else write their songs. At the same time, like most bands, wouldn't The Hives profess their brilliant songwriting ability if indeed they really penned the tunes? So what gives? (And an imaginary aside: so many bands are founded by two brothers. If The Hives were "formed," what are the odds that imaginary Randy would have selected both Pelle and bro Nicholaus Arson for the lineup? Not counting the Knight brothers from my middle-school crush NKOTB, I say the chances are slim.)

Whatever the case, The Hives have perfected the 1960s garage sound for the 21st century. And even if they do turn out to truly be a 'formed' band (gasp!) — they still rock.

"Walk Idiot Walk," the first single off the record, has one of the catchiest riffs in years.

Best of 2003: Top 10 Imaginary Albums of the Year

three imaginary girls — Fri, 03 Jan 2003 08:00:00 +0000

The top ten releases of 2003 as voted on by you, our imaginary readers!

#1 The Postal Service — Give Up (Sub Pop)
Winning our imaginary best of 2003 by overwhelming majority, the Postal Service gorgeously blend the electronic delicacy of Dntel with the effortless vocal bliss of Ben Gibbard (plus stellar girlie cameos from Jenny Lewis and Jen Wood).
{official website} * {buy it} * {tig review}

#2 The Shins — Chutes Too Narrow (Sub Pop)
The sophomore effort from James Mercer et al lived up to lofty expectations and was well worth the two-year wait for this crystaline, poppy, Kinks-esque songwriting masterpiece.
{official website} * {buy it} * {tig review}

#3 Death Cab for Cutie — Transatlanticism (Barsuk)
Oh that Ben Gibbard; look at him go, with two of the three top spots in our 2003 countdown! Death Cab offers yet another amazing blast of indie-pop perfection.
{official website} * {buy it} * {tig review}

#4 Radiohead — Hail to the Thief (Capitol)
Radiohead always evokes adjectives like "sonorous," "transcendent," "aware" and overtly in the case of their latest release, "politically infused." We're only sorry we don't have a live review because we couldn't bear to see them at the White River (Clear Channel) amphitheatre.
{official website} * {buy it}

#5 Outkast — The Love Below/Speakerboxxx (La Face)
As our wise friend Ollie Byrd said, "Outkast has a song out called "Hey Ya." It's the most exciting pop rock song since "Smells Like Teen Spirit" in 92, which was the most exciting pop rock song to come along since the sumptuous "Welcome to the Jungle" in 87." Amen!
{official website} * {buy it}

#6 The White Stripes — Elephant (V2)
Jack and Meg White have dazzled once again with their evolved blues-infused songwriting as well as their flawless peppermint aesthetics.
{official website} * {buy it} * {tig review}

#7 The Long Winters — When I Pretend to Fall (Barsuk)
For the second year in a row, John Roderick has created a darkly hook-and-harmony laden disc of metaphorical, wisely dysfunctional romantics. Just like us.
{official website} * {buy it} * {tig review}

#8 Yeah Yeah Yeahs — Fever to Tell (Interscope)
Yeah Yeah Yeah's blend the fashion focus of Dale Bozzio and the Cha Cha with a primordial yowl and that missing bass guitar, so key on so many trio releases this year.
{official website} * {buy it} * {tig review}

#9 The New Pornographers — Electric Version (Matador)
Vancouver's New Pornographers explode with infectious helium harmonies, catchy hooks, and Neko Case's matchless vocals. Every track is a stand-alone hit for your 2003 mixtape.
{official website} * {buy it} * {tig review}

#10 The Decemberists — Her Majesty the Decemberists (Kill Rock Stars)
Their songs are the "Lost Archives of the true beginning of rock & roll." They've created their own brand of songwriting that blends "the storytelling of folk through the rhythm of the sea shanty and regularly incorporating instruments like the upright bass or the accordian."
{official website} * {buy it} * {tig review}