Sidney Gish Concert Review

Last Saturday, Sidney Gish engaged a large crowd of Dickinsonians and Carlisle residents. With a set list written on her forearm, Gish played many of her most popular songs, with audience members dancing and singing along with her. Songs such as “Persephone” and “Not But For You, Bunny” drew cheers after the first couple seconds. She riffed off her own recorded songs, such as “Sophisticated Space,” adding new jazzy twists to her typical rhythm. 

Check out a snippet of her concert below!

The crowd loved her, evidenced by her massive merch line. The concert was a huge success, and WDCV loved having Sidney on campus! 

 

WDCV’s next concert will be March 1st at 5:30pm with Alice Kristiansen! Join us in the Allison Community Room!

Spotlight on Lake Street Dive

Last Tuesday night, July 11th, the attendees of the Majestic Theater in Gettysburg waited excitedly for 7:30 to finally roll around. The theater was packed; even those sitting in the farthest seats, like me, were surrounded by enthusiastic fans. Much of this excitement filling the theater flowed into the air when finally the lights dimmed and people walked onto the stage. Instruments were tuned, throats were cleared, and as the show lights lit the faces of the band Lawrence, the upbeat music began. 

Lawrence, a pop-jazz sibling duo from New York, set the scene for the bigger act to come. Gracie, the amazing vocalist with an extremely wide range, bopped around the stage, dancing with the saxophonists and trumpeter, while her brother wailed away on the keyboard. Though their sound compares similarly to pop music of today, their R&B and jazzy twist created an exciting and upbeat atmosphere that got the whole crowd cheering. Though they only played a couple of songs, their force and stage presence stuck with the audience, even once they were off the stage.

Lawrence brought the audience to their feet, but the band we were all waiting for, Lake Street Dive, drove us to dancing in the aisles. The moment Rachel Price and her three other insanely talented band members took the stage, the excitement in the Majestic Theater was through the roof. They sound like they belong at outdoor festivals, where the audience dances along, barefoot in the grass, to their rhythmic beats and relaxed tone. Even when playing their slower, more melodic tunes, the members of Lake Street Dive possessed a cheery, passionate aura that inspired others to continue their dancing and swaying. Last year, Lake Street Dive came out with a new album, Side Pony, and they played many tracks from it, such as “I Don’t Care About You,” “How Good It Feels,” “Call Off Your Dogs,” and of course the namesake, “Side Pony.” Sprinkled in throughout the set were some of their classics off their older album, such as “Bad Self Portraits,” “Seventeen,” and “Better Than,” and they ended the night with one of my favorites, “You Go Down Smooth.” Throughout the concert, audience members were bopping along to the music, and some more enthusiastic fans were swinging their arms around to their favorite songs. But it wasn’t until the second to last song, “Call Off Your Dogs,” that people started dancing in the aisles. Only a couple at first felt the urge to get up, but once an older gentleman stood up from the middle of the audience and motioned the rest of the crowd to join him did we all dance along to the upright bass, the jazzy guitar, and the incredible strength of Rachel’s voice. The audience demanded an encore, and the whole crowd sang along to “You Go Down Smooth.”

It was an incredible performance by both Lawrence and Lake Street Dive; there wasn’t a dull moment throughout both sets. Both bands will continue their tour throughout America, staying a couple more nights on the East Coast until they venture towards the mid-West. If you ever get the chance to see them, you should take it!                                              

If you are interested in hearing more from Lake Street Dive, check out this NPR Tiny Desk Concert! Also check out their website for more cool info!

As for Lawrence, here is their website and how to listen to them for free!

 

If you have any questions, email Julia Ormond at ormondj@dickinson.edu. Thanks for reading!

ADDs of the Week for 10/22-10/23

I know I haven’t been exactly on top of my ADDs game for a while. A lot of senior thesis work and staring out the window has been occupying my time. Not to mention my attempts to break this caffeine addiction. It’s a little disturbing. Anyway, we have a lot of really great ADDs this week which you will be hearing over the air for a while, especially the ones I’m about to tell you allllll about. Because they are awesome. Didn’t I already say that? Anyway, here are this weeks top ADDs:

Titus Andronicus — Local Business: The long anticipated and accidentally recently leaked new album from punk rock Americana superband Titus Andronicus is here! This album differs from their other two albums because it doesn’t follow a set concept or narrative, but it is just as violent and rawly awesome as their other work. The subjects covered in the album’s themes range from an eating disorder to quitting smoking to lots of other things so nihilistic I can’t even begin to describe them all. Listen and punch a wall simultaneously to get the full effect.

Recommended Tracks: Upon Viewing Oregon’s Landscape With The Flood Of Detritus, My Eating Disorder, In A Big City, (I Am The) Electric Man

RIYD: Andrew Jackson Jihad, Bomb the Music Industry!, Japandroids

Paul Banks — Banks: This is the front man of Interpol’s solo album, and let’s just say he works even better alone. A more simplified sound, Banks’s voice still adds a lot of the allure that has fans drawn to his band Interpol as well. There’s something a little 1970s about this album as well.

Recommended Tracks: The Base, Over My Shoulder, Young Again

RIYD: Turtle Giants, Interpol, Blonds

Chelsea Wolfe — Unknown Rooms: A Collection of Acoustic Songs: Okay, this girl is like Lykke Li and Cat Power had a baby after listening to a lot of Grimes. Though the album is primarily acoustic, her voice and layering of harmonies make this album a lot richer. There is a lot of raw emotion juxtaposed with clean cut structure. This album is perfect for studying or pretending to be studying but actually just stressing out while staring up at the ceiling. Highly recommended.

Recommended Tracks: Sunstorm, Flatlands, Boyfriend

RIYD: Cat Power, Lykke Li, Tegan and Sara, EMA

The Two Rapstresses We Can’t Get Enough Of

And coincidentally, they have similar(ish) names: Iggy Azalea and Azealia Banks aka Yung Rapunzel

Iggy Azalea, real name Amethyst Amelia Kelly, is a native Australian only 22 years of age. Despite her youth, she has already gained an avid underground following with a free mixtape available for download as well as her EP Glory which is also available for free download. Iggy was recently signed to Grand Hustle Records, the record label founded by TI in Georgia. Her rise to fame has been mostly due to her videos going viral on Youtube, and her sound is as fun as it is fierce. Her main influence is Tupac Shakur.

See her video with TI for Murda Bizness here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzI9VQUHJkU

Follow her on twitter here! https://twitter.com/IGGYAZALEA

Meanwhile, Azalea Banks is an American rapper/singer/lyricist from Harlem, NY. She is currently signed to Interscope/Polydor records. She is a young up and coming artist as well–she is only 21 years old! From a young age, Azalea was interested in theater and performance, but she eventually left high school early in order to pursue a career as a rapper. Azealia has a mixtape titled Fantasea as well as an EP released on Polydor/Interscope titled 1991.

See her video for Liquorice here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPaXn2XR-P8

And follow her on twitter here! https://twitter.com/AZEALIABANKS

The Avett Brothers at Innsbrook Snagajob Pavilion 7/20/2012

Almost a week ago now, I had the chance to see ever-energetic and delightful Avett Brothers perform in concert. I had yet to see them live, and after hearing wonderful things and crying over the online ticket purchase only briefly, I was able to see them in all their bearded glory.

Despite the kind of monotonous and nap inducing opener Jessica Lea Mayfield, The Avett Brothers came on with “Will You Return” and it was like a bomb went off in the pavilion (in a good way). Everyone was dancing, even the dads in their lawn chairs with beer sloshing everywhere. It was a hot and humid night, but halfway through their set it started drizzling slightly, and it was practically a scene from Singing in the Rain.

The set list in its entirety is below:

1) Will You Return
2) Traveling Song (slow)
3) Down With The Shine
4) Love Like the Movies
5) January Wedding
6) Salina
7) At the Beach
8) Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise
9) Live & Die
10) Laundry Room
11) Sally’s Lover
12) Ballad
13) Closer Walk
14) The Fall
15) Colorshow
16) Go to Sleep
17) Kick Drum Heart
18) Slight Figure Of Speech
————-
19) Please Pardon Yourself (slow)
20) Paranoia
21) And it Spread
22) Talk on Indolence

This band is amazing because whenever they play their songs live, they always seem to change some of the lyrics. After stalking the forums on the band’s website after the show, I even found some live recordings so all of you avid fans can watch for yourself. Included is the recording of their new song “Live and Die” set to be released on their new album which comes out in September.

Will You Return

Down with the Shine

Live and Die

Just A Closer Walk With Thee

Please Pardon Yourself

For more pictures from the concert you can see them on one of the photographer’s facebook here:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150924003341502.412537.138022931501&type=1#!/media/set/?set=a.10150924003341502.412537.138022931501&type=1

Man Man show review by Tessa

Last Wednesday I made the pilgrimage to New York City to see a show.  Fellow DJ, Kazakhstan Dan of Shuffle the Playlist and I decided to meet up and see Man Man with opening act Shilpa Ray and Her Happy Hookers at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn.  I had listened to Man Man in the past and enjoyed their newest album Life Fantastic so for $20 it made sense to check them out.  We were not disappointed.

This may have been one of the best performances I’ve ever seen.

We were tipped off that this show might be fantastic while we waited in line, three women were going around asking if people wanted their faces painted and handed out kazoos.  So with war paint on and kazoos in hand we entered the venue.

Man Man’s sound is something that to describe seems like a nightmare:  Think punk, indie rock, xylophone, and the circus.  It’s weird as hell.

Shilpa Ray opened and it was a huge surprise, Dan and I had both listened to her album and weren’t enamored but her live performances are something not to be missed.  She walked out in a blue romper and a garland of orange lillies around her head and proceeded to belt out her songs with a voice much to large for her tiny stature.  It was surreal and amazing.  Check out her music, you’ll enjoy it.

After the first act, the black cloths covering ambiguous piles on the stage were taken away, they revealed the oddest set we had seen.  The instruments were obscured by random objects; part of a tricycle, a hockey mask, lights, florescent tubing, one of the band members brought out a television, turned it on and stepped back.  On the screen there was a morose looking fellow with a bloody nose.  He stayed there the entire set.

The band stepped out and the backdrop lit up to reveal a constellation pattern. The band started slowly, with “Feathers” but quickly picked up the pace with “Piranhas Club” and kept at that tempo until “Haute Tropique.”  Honus Honus, the front man,  donned on a sparkling green ring master’s jacket and stood and looked at the audience for the first time.  As he sang  he articulated each disturbing word with hand gestures and shredded paper.  After that interlude, the tempo picked up again. They played almost every song from Life Fantastic but also played old favorites like “The Ballad of Butter Beans” and “Engrish Bwudd.”   Shilpa Ray came out and joined the band and Honus in singing “Steak Knives,” which was beautiful.

 

In total the concert was amazing, it was a real performance.  Contributing to this idea was the band’s distance from the crowd.  They barely addressed the audience except for “Haute Tropique” and to shoot a confetti canon.  Most of the singing by front man Honus was to some invisible point on the stage right.

 

Go see this band.  Now.

Ton-Taun’s Exporter

Ton-Taun, a four piece band from Lancaster, PA has released their sophomore album Exporter independently. A local band that most recently appeared and opened for Isis of Thunderheist last Friday for WDCV’s fall concert; The Perfect Storm, they succeeded to impress those select few who turned out for the free event. A band that released their first album barely over a year ago, a purely alternative rock sound is apparent along with modern influences like Modest Mouse and Wilco. However, the band itself is comprised of avid music lovers and listeners, and their other more subtle influences allude to the works of the infamous Miles Davis.

The premier track of the album, “Headdresses,” is pleasingly haunting yet repetitive. Soothing yet contradictory in its angst, it opens with steady guitar riffs and lyrics alluding to child-like images of finger-painting and feathers. With a pleasant harmony reminiscent of mindless whispering, Ton-Taun’s members sing of an assumed woman with a heart as hard as a diamond that one day the singer will tear out. The track ends with lead vocal Jordan Capizzi singing the repeated line “I was happy to see how scared you are of me, right now,” along with a reference back to the title of the song. The band actually played this song live at the concert, and the emotion and energy of the song shone through.

The sixth track of the album, “The Coca-Cola Factory,” could be considered a sort of sing-along drinking song for misfits and those of us who are more often than not down on our luck. Upbeat despite its melancholy lyrics, this track is catchy and easily relatable to any struggling, nostalgic college student. The song has a simple message, we were all meant for more than what we have or do, but something just went wrong along the way. It’s all a bitter twist of fate.

Young in terms of their years as a complete band but also experienced with two complete, original albums already under their belts, Ton-Taun has the potential to speak to a generation obsessed with consumerism, debauchery and the longing for a place in the world.