Concert Recap: Washed Out with Memoryhouse

Washed Out started his expansive spring tour on a high note with a packed crowd at the Cats Cradle. Last time Washed Out (aka Earnest Greene) performed there was as an opener for Cut Copy, playing only a brief set. This time fans got to hear a mixture of 11 tracks, all from Life of Leisure (2010) and Within and Without (2011), which were rearranged for live performance. Additionally the audience got a more complicated lights display, and a band seeming more grown up since their last visit. 

Earnest Green performs alongside his wife, Blair 

As with any of Washed Out's songs, the echoing vocals melted into the dreamy synthesizer sounds. Blair Greene, Earnest Greene's wife, accompanied him on synthesizers, as did their bass-guitarist from time to time. Washed Out also featured a live kit-drummer but they were down one synth player since the last time I saw the band. Musical rearrangements and Washed Out's usual unintelligible vocals made figuring out songs a mere guessing game, but made the show more unique, nonetheless. They opened with "Echoes" from Within and Without while keeping the crowd moving with "Get Up" and "Feel It All Around", both from Life of Leisure. "Amor Fati" had fans clapping to the beat during a vocal bridge and Washed Out finished strong with an encore featuring "Hold Out" and "Eyes Be Closed".

Memoryhouse

Canadian trio Memoryhouse opened the show. Their sound was spot on with their albums. The crowd was very engaged and hardly said a word or cheered between songs, befitting of the mellow, sometimes somber feel of their songs. Lead singer, Denise Nouvion, played keyboards and her Canadian drawl carried through as she sang. The band openly promoted Sub Pop Records, attributing their tour with Washed Out to sharing the same record label.

Washed Out Set List

• Echoes
• Get Up
• Far Away
• New Theory
• Before
• You'll See It
• Soft
• You and I
• Feel It All Around
• Amor Fati
• Encore: Hold Out & Eyes Be Closed

Artist Review: Alabama Shakes

If you took Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings and mixed them with the Black Keys you would get a band like Alabama Shakes. Brittany Howard's vocals are filled with soul and passion and that goes well with the heavy, southern guitar (Heath Fogg) and strong drums (Steve Johnson). While they have an older soul/southern rock sound, Alabama Shakes are a very young but talented band.

Brittany Howard pretty much founded Alabama Shakes while playing the guitar back in high school in Athens, Alabama. She soon approached bassist Zac Cockrell and they started playing/writing music together after school. Desperate for a drummer they approached a local music store worker, Steve Johnson, who agreed to join and they quickly started making recordings. Before opening for Heath Fogg's band, the Shakes (earlier name), asked Fogg to join their band as well. Soon Fogg was a full time member and the band changed their name to Alabama Shakes in 2009.

After releasing their first EP, Alabama Shakes, in September 2011, the band got national recognition and soon started playing in cities like New York and Chicago. Their single, "You Ain't Alone", got used for a Zales' 2011 holiday jewelry commercial. By February of 2012, Jack White noticed the band's great sound and had them make some recordings at his own personal studio Third Man Records.

After all their early success, last Tuesday (April 9th) Alabama Shakes released their first LP Boys & Girls. I think the band has a great sound and Brittany Howard's lyrics are wonderfully expressed in her energetic, free range voice. This band has taken a lot of older music genres (funk, soul, Motown, and rock) make them fresh and youthful again. If you enjoy these music genres then this quickly successful, young band is for you.

Cut Copy Bassist Releases First Solo EP

Ben Browning, bassist of Cut Copy, recently released his first solo EP, Lover Motion. Gus Franklin and Haima Marriott embellished tracks in post-production while Cut Copy keyboardist Dan Whitford added retro synthesizers to enhance that classic 80s sound. 


The first track, "I Can't Stay", features a catchy chorus and funky bass and drums that would fit well on any Cut Copy album. "Night Dunes" is a slow yet grooving electronic interlude while "Feels Like" is an upbeat tune, feeling like it danced its way right out of the 1980s. "Mistaken Images" makes me imagine The Beatles with synthesizers. And wrapping up the EP is "Bullet Island" which builds from two guitars into intense talk-back between synthesizers, guitars, synth drums, and Browning's thumping bass guitar. The EP is quite dynamic and very enjoyable to listen to. Lover Motion was released on Cut Copy's very own record label, Cutters Records. Browning is currently based in Melbourne, Australia. Check out Cut Copy's website for solo tour dates.


Ben Browning - Lover Motion by Cutters Records

Upcoming Show: Washed Out with Memoryhouse at the Cat's Cradle

Ernest Green aka Washed Out

Washed Out will be at the Cat's Cradle on April 16 with Memoryhouse.The last time I saw Washed Out he opened for Cut Copy at the Cat's Cradle. The performance was great, albeit short, leaving much more to be desired. I told my friends I felt that the next time he was on tour he would likely be the headliner. Lucky for fans, that is now the case. 

Washed Out is Georgia native Ernest Greene's stage name. He began creating music in his bedroom studio in 2009, moving up through the ranks of the music world via music blogs and MySpace. From 2009-2010 he released three EPs, the second featuring his most popular tune to this day (Feel it All Around from Life of Leisure). In 2011 he shook up the music world with the release of his first LP, Within and Without (Sub Pop Records), which peaked at 26 on the U.S. Billboard 200. Washed Out typically travels with an accompanying band so I would expect the same for this show.

Evan Abeele and Denis Nouvion of Memoryhouse

Opening the show will be Memoryhouse of Ontario, Canada. The band began as a multimedia project with classical musician Evan Abeele and photographer Denise Nouvion. The band features drums, echoing guitars, piano, synthesizers, and cello. Nouvion's smooth wispy vocals are pleasant to the ear, and when blended with Abeele's flanged guitars melt the music into a dreamy aerial bliss. Memoryhouse released their first LP, The Slideshow Effect in February 2012 on Sup Pop Records. They are indeed a band to watch, as they are sure to be the next big thing in indie rock. Tickets and info here.

Memoryhouse

Album Review: Port of Morrow by The Shins

After five years of anticipation The Shins finally released a new album. Turbulent times followed the release of Wincing the Night Away (2007). After a domestic abuse incident with a live-in girlfriend, keyboardist Marty Crandall was booted from the band in 2009. Drummer Jesse Sandoval was also replaced that year.  Lead singer and front-runner James Mercer used this as an opportunity to explore a sound new to The Shins. Anyone expecting something similar to Oh, Inverted World (2001) or Chutes Too Narrow (2003) will find themselves quickly disappointed with Port of Morrow. This album is better listened to with no expectations of a sound similar to that of the past.


Though the lyrics and music were lackluster in some tracks (very few solid guitar leads), a handful came through as very good tunes. The tracks featured sounds that surprised me and piqued my interest. Simple Song was reminiscent of older Shins and the chorus reminded me of Gone for Good ("I found a fatal flaw/in the logic of love"). For a Fool is a neat track. It has a slow country feel to it with acoustic guitar throughout, though the chorus was a bit weak, "taken for a fool / yes, I was because I was a fool". Fall of '82 caught me by surprise. It has striking similarities to Steve Miller or Chicago with classic electric keys and organs. The drums and bass, played tightly together like a Steely Dan song, fed that retro feeling. The tune even featured a trumpet solo to tie is all together. 


Another notable tune was 40 Mark Strasse, featuring lots of acoustic guitar and that same retro feel that Mercer nailed in "Fall of '82". The vocals in the chorus were dreamy, with an echoing piano accompanying Mercer. It was around this point in the album that I realized Mercer wasn't going for that classic The Shins feel but rather something new, possibly a mix of power-pop and 1970s-era rock. Taken for what it is, Port of Morrow is something to be celebrated, afterall, this album was long overdue. However, it did fall a bit short of my expectations, for I am a fan of the old Shins. Even a continuation of Wincing the Night Away could have served them a bit better, but it is clear that Mercer is ready for something different and I respect that. I give the album 3 out of 5 stars. Port of Morrow was released March 20, 2012.

Artist Review (Forecastle Preview Edition): Bassnectar

For the past decade, Bassnectar (Lorin Ashton) has been creating many unique, electronic tunes. With a  freeform electronic and dubstep sound, Bassnectar is best known for his live performances, light shows, and community engagement. With 8 different LP's along with many remixes of other artist songs, Bassnectar is releasing his ninth album titled VaVa Voom on Tuesday, April 10th and with any successful live DJ there is a 2012 VaVa Voom tour this spring and summer. Luckily, for the people of Ohio Valley, his tour comes to Louisville at the beginning of Forecastle weekend and he will be headlining the Friday lineup.

For anyone who has never heard Bassnectar's music, it has very heavily electronic bass with many unique sounds mixed together. While I don't feel like his music is best for casual listening, it is fun music as there is a lot of energy and would be great to hear at one of his live shows.

Ashton's main musical influence comes from heavy metal and grunge bands such as Nirvana, Megadeath, and Metallica and it shows in his music. He has been creating genre-mixing music since the early 90's and has gained popularity through his live shows with music that consist of heavy tempos, lots of play with double time and half time and using electronic methods to embellish and reinforce other styles of music. Since 2009, he has been doing live shows constantly and has appeared at many music festivals and sold out shows around the world.

Bassnectar is also an active proponent of creativity, discussion, thoughtfulness, communication, health, education, safety, interaction, and critical thinking, and has fostered a community through his online discussion forum based around these principles. He has openly advocated for causes such as free press and true media, net neutrality, ending corporate personhood, public knowledge, and the non-profit organization Conscious Alliance.

Be sure to stay around for Bassnectar the Friday night of Forecastle weekend, as I am sure no one will want to miss his crazy ass live show.

Boombox - Bassnectar

The Churn Of The Century - Bassnectar

West Coast Lo-Fi Rides Again - Bassnectar

Upside Down - Bassnectar

Plugged In (Remix) - Bassnectar

Voodoo - Bassnectar

New Dirty Projectors Album in the Works

Dirty Projectors have a new album in the works, which is likely to be released this spring on Domino Records.


"Gun Has No Trigger", brings in a more well-rounded, less chaotic sound when compared to their last LP, Bitte Orca (2009). This song is more straightforward with little musical experimentation and a nice driving bass beat with crisp female harmonies. However, given their avant-garde indie rock tendencies, "Gun Has No Trigger" is likely not indicative of the upcoming album as a whole, but rather a small sliver of what is sure to be a great release. Dirty Projectors is based out of Brooklyn.
Dirty Projectors - Gun Has No Trigger by DominoRecordCo