Might I Recommend: Army Navy

Looking for a sign that you're getting older? Here's one--the place you buy your clothing is the same place you buy your groceries and fill your prescriptions. Ah, the wonders of Target.

Thanks to their crisp whites, circular reds, and bouncy tunes, Target commercials have a way of making the everyday-everything store seem like it's the hippest place in town.

Los Angeles trio Army Navy could easily write an entire Target soundtrack on their own. Their songs are immediately infectious and toe-tappingly fun. Their sophomore album, "The Last Place," is solid front to back. Most importantly, it's impossible not to feel just a little better after having listened to it.

The Kooks Get Digital

 

Though they didn't form their band until the mid-2000s, The Kooks' brilliant debut, "Inside In/Inside Out" felt like it was released in the 1960s. The British four piece proudly wore their love of bands like The Kinks and The Rolling Stones on their sleeve as they created an infectious collection of tried-and-true rock 'n' roll songs.

After releasing a formidable follow up in 2008 ["Konk"], the band decided it was time for something different. For inspiration, they turned from their old-time favorites to modern artists like LCD Soundsystem and Lykke Li. The result is "Junk of the Heart," a new album The Kooks couldn't be more proud of.

Guitarist Hugh Harris took a few minutes to talk about the band's entrance into the 21st Century.

After two albums that pull so heavily from another time period, what made you decide to change directions for "Junk of the Heart?"

We're purist. And we were quite snobbish in the past toward computerized music and things that weren't analog. But we realized you can't really go through life like that. We wanted to expand and see what else is out there. We found that synthesizers can be warm and fuzzy and beautiful and distorted as much as the sounds that we love that come out of amplifiers. Through that process, we opened up our minds.  

This isn't what I'd call a "guitar record." As a guitar player, how do you feel about that?

We've had our guitar record. I love playing guitar but there is only so much you can do with it. It's an instrument that has been played. It's had it's day. I've really been getting into writing on the viola and writing string arrangements. I'm not saying indie music or guitar music is dead, but to us, we don't want to be regurgitating the same sound over and over again. Bands who are on their fourth or fifth album and still playing the same sound look so bored on stage. I don't want us to become that band.

After recording a studio album, what has been like trying to figure how to recreate it live?

It's been absolute hell. I got quite possessive over parts that I'd done [in the studio] and said, "I'd quite like to play that part." But then you realize that you don't have enough hands to play all the parts. The live shows are so much different now. They have elements of punk rock, like our old shows, but they seem much richer and much fuller with these new sonics. It feels great.

Have the long-time fans had any trouble with the sonic shift? 

No. Because the change hasn't felt drastic or contrived. At the heart of the writing is still the same ethic. It's about pop songs and an uplifting melody. The most fascinating thing about pop music is that it's totally genre-less. That's why we feel more like a pop band, because we can morph so many more genres.

How has this record affected what the band will do in the future?

I like that we paved the way to use processed beats -- real dance beats that make you want to move. All we've ever wanted is to make people dance. Also, the strings are something we haven't really done before and it's something we'd like to experiment with. We're not going to reinvent the wheel, but music always has to feel new and fresh. Otherwise, it goes stale so quickly.

Check out: See the World [YouTube]

Brandon Flowers is a Mormon

There are plenty of famous Mormons out there. You've got your sports stars like Steve Young, politicians like the Mittster, and actors like Napoleon Dynamite. But not many rockstars (Gladys Knight is not a rock star and The Used's Bert McCracken has left the faith).

Brandon Flowers has been linked to Mormonism since the early days of The Killers, but has rarely addressed the issue, other than to say he was raised in the faith.

Starring in one of the LDS Church's "I'm a Mormon" ads is a bold move. On both sides. I can't imagine that the spot will do much to bolster Flower's rock 'n roll cred, and it's an interesting move for the Church, which doesn't exactly cater to the rock world.

I guess that's why I'm so impressed by it. Kudos to Flowers for being willing to talk about his faith and a bigger thumbs up to the Church for recognizing that there are Mormons out there who may be more inspired by The Killers than David Archuleta.

And as long as we're talking about The Killers, here's a link to one of my favorite songs (and favorite video) by the band, Read My Mind.

A Few Thoughts on Life From Joe Queer

Long-time punkers The Queers will stopping in Salt Lake on December 3. In advance of the show, Joe Queer and I swapped some emails this morning.

The last time I saw you guys play, I was impressed by how many old school fans keep coming out to the shows. How do you keep things new and interesting for fans who have seen you play a dozen times?

We usually change the set up and throw in different songs each night. Also we only play about 40 minutes so no one gets bored.

What is it about punk rock that keeps it going from generation to generation?

 
I think the energy attracts a lot of people. Punk was about being able to see thru the bullshit of day to day life and that appeals to a lot of people as well. Plus it's so irreverent and fun.

What is about punk rock that first attracted you to it? What do you still love about it?

Like I said, the energy is something I love. It gives me a reason to get outta bed in the morning. Always excited to see what's around the bend in the river each day.

What was the experience like re-releasing the early material? Did you like revisiting those old records? Do you feel like they sound better now?

It was kind of fun to listen to them again. I don't listen to our albums except when doing a new album.

Over the years, have you ever regretted any of the band's political incorrectness (e.g., the name of the band, "Love Songs for the Retarded," etc.)

 
No. I hate political punk bands. It's just a shtick for them. I don't think any of them even believe the bull---- they spew. Kids listen to it to feel like they know more than the next guy and they're enlightened more than the average shmuck on the street. The last place I'd go is a punk show to learn and listen about politics.

What's next on the horizon for the band? Any new music on the way?

We're out all winter pretty much on tour. Recording a new album next spring. After that my plans are unclear-I may tour the Congo.Thanks!!!

R.I.P. Heavy D, 1967-2011

Dear Dwight "Heavy D" Arrington Myers,

Thank you for playing a bit part in my life. I was nearing the end of my elementary school days in the early '90s. When birthdays came around, the cool kids bought cassette singles as gifts. Miss Karen Brochinsky bought me a copy of your semi-slow jam "Is It Good to You." I didn't love the track, but I loved your sense of style (e.g., flowy shirts and semi-Hammer pants). And now, even 20 years later, your big hit, "Now That We Found Love" still gets stuck in my head after just hearing the title. So, thank you.

Rest in peace, big guy.

Peter Wolf Crier: More Drums, Please

Peter Wolf Crier is not the band it was just nine months ago. When the duo played Salt Lake City last January, frontman Peter Pisano had just completed his debut album, a record filled with heartfelt lyrics and haunting falsetto vocals. He had written the songs in isolation in his Minnesota home before turning to producer/percussionist Brian Moen to put his ideas to tape. The resulting album, "Inter-Be," was a low-key indie gem.

After seven months of heavy touring together, Pisano and Moen were ready to get back in the studio. The effects of the road, however, linger on the band's sophomore release, "Garden of Arms." While Pisano's whispy tenor is still front and center, the songs are backed by an edginess that was largely absent from the band's debut.

"Once we were performing in clubs, we got louder," Moen explains. "That was my fault, probably," he adds with a laugh. It is difficult to underestimate the percussive strength Moen brings to the new album.

Moen says that though he played drums on "Inter-Be," he anticipated Pisano performing the songs as a solo act. As a result, he tried to keep the drums as unobtrusive as possible. Now a full-time member of Peter Wolf Crier, Moen was says he was able to "insert more of myself into the record."

"Garden" was not only impacted by Moen's playing, but by Pisano's approach to writing the songs. While "Inter-Be" was written sporadically over the course of a year, the new album was written in just a month.
"It's more of an immediate snapshot," Moen says of the record. The duo brought in an outside engineer to relieve Moen of his double duty of producer and performer, which meant the pair were able to "pour ourselves into the ideas entirely," he says. "It was much more fulfilling as an artist to just focus on making the best record."

And now it's time to get back on the road. Because "Garden" is even more intricate than its predecessor, Moen and Pisano will be joined by onstage by a keyboardists and Pisano will split time between keys and guitar. While many drummers are happy to be pushed to the back of the stage, Moen has had no problem being 50 percent of the focal point.

"Anyone who has seen me play knows I'm a pretty heavy stage presence," Moen says with a laugh. "[Playing as a two piece] has allowed me the space I'd be taking up anyway."

Last Name London, First Name Theophilus

A black cowboy hat and tight Wrangler jeans isn’t exactly what you’d expect to see on the cover of a hip-hop rec­ord. But as Brooklyn-born MC Theophilus London sees it: “It’s not about hip-hop.”

The cover for his debut album, “Timez Are Weird These Days,” isn’t just a bold fashion statement, but also serves as an homage to the 1982 release by Leon Ware. London says Ware, best known for producing Marvin Gaye’s “I Want You” and writing a hit for Michael Jackson in 1972, has been a “huge inspiration” on his career.

Though his new record could comfortably sit next to releases by Lupe Fiasco or Kanye West, London has more eclectic influences ranging from The Smiths to German electronic pioneers Kraftwerk.

“This is bigger than just a rap record,” London says of his debut. “It’s taking pop-culture references and mashing them all together like a mad scientist would do.”

London has welcomed interesting collaborators into his musical lab, including TV on the Radio’s Dave Sitek and Holly Miranda. “Rappers featuring rappers is boring,” he says simply.

He even brought in Sara Quin, half of the sister duo Tegan and Sara, to contribute to a track. “I love her music,” London says of Quin. “I wanted to take her out of her element and put her in my element.”

London never seems out of his element, whether he’s performing as the opening act for Nas or playing a cameo gig on the CW’s “90210.” But performing is just a small part of what’s on the horizon for the young star.

When asked about his plans beyond his current national club tour, London rattles off, “Another mixtape by the end of the year, a new EP at the start of next year, an album in the summer, [and] tons of collabs.”

Oh, and he’s putting out a line of jewelry through his LVRS clothing company. Each of the new pieces will look great with a black cowboy hat.

Lemonheads Revisit 'It's a Shame About Ray'

The Lemonheads
With the Shining Twins
Tuesday, Oct. 25, at 9 p.m.
Urban Lounge

If you’re too young to remember the early ’90s, here’s a quick history lesson: There were a bunch of scruffy dudes in Seattle who took Black Sabbath’s big riffs and added a few extra layers of fuzz and feedback. They wore Doc Martens and screamed a lot and the media found a catchy little title to describe it all: grunge.

But before, during and after grunge there was a band called The Lemonheads. In the late ’80s, the three-piece act from Boston was basically a punk band, in the vein of The Replacements or Hüsker Dü. While bands all around them started playing heavier music, the Lemonheads got softer.

In 1992, the band released “It’s a Shame About Ray,” an album of upbeat pop songs that stood in stark contrast to the teenage angst of the time.

Frontman (and the only constant band member) Evan Dando found a way to fit the world into songs that rarely made it past the two-minute mark. There were bouncy rockers, soft-hearted ballads and flirtations with country music. With the addition of a ramped up version of Simon and Garfunkel’s “Mrs. Robinson,” the album was the perfect package.

“It’s a Shame About Ray” should have been the start of big things for The Lemonheads. But it never happened. The Lemonheads released two solid post-“Ray” albums, but Dando’s descent into drug abuse became a distraction and led to the undoing of the band.

Fortunately, it wasn’t the end of Dando. After a long hiatus, he released an endearing solo album in 2003 before reviving The Lemonheads name for a self-titled record in 2006 and a covers album in 2009.

Nearly two decades later, things have come full circle. Dando is back on the road, performing “Ray” in its entirety. The tour may be a throwback to another era, yet the songs sound just as good as they did during the height of flannel and goatees.

Let’s hear it for second chances.

Polar Bear Club: More Bark than Bite

On record, he’s gruff. His raspy growl is filled with aggression and anger. But on the telephone, Polar Bear Club frontman Jimmy Stadt is soft-spoken, polite, and thoughtful.

In a few hours, Stadt and his band will be taking the stage at the Oakland Metro Operahouse, but right now he’s stuck in San Francisco traffic. Stadt has been criss-crossing the country for so long, traveling to and from venues has become second nature.

“The first tour I ever went on was when I was 17. We toured the U.S. for a month and then we did it again the next summer,” Stadt says. “I don’t know if I can remember pre-band life.”

“I like the day-to-day [part of touring]--seeing new people in new places, but so much of my time is spent in and around where the club just happens to be. There is still so much that I haven’t seen, even though I may have been to the same city 10 or 12 times.”

Polar Bear Club has been touring basically nonstop for the four past years, both as a headlining act and as support for like-minded groups such as The Gaslight Anthem. The band did, however, break long enough to record their highly-anticipated (and brilliantly executed) new album, “Clash Battle Guilt Pride.”

Though there was plenty of hype surrounding the new record, Stadt says the pressure didn’t get to the band. “There’s always this hype or buzz--whatever that is--that’s always in the back of your mind. But it doesn’t affect our songwriting. We’ve always made music that meets our expectations and excites us,” he says.

“With this record, I don’t think the thought was even in the back of our minds. We truly had such a great time making this record and I’m really proud of it. I can truly say that I wouldn’t even care if no one likes it, because no one can take the experience away. On our previous records, I don’t know if I could say that with the same certainty.”

Stadt says the band felt more confident in the studio this time around. “We used to go in the studio and there was tension and we couldn’t lift the weight of it in some moments. Now we just go in and follow our gut and it’s nice and it’s easy and it’s fun."

Just as Polar Bear Club has grown more comfortable in the studio, Stadt has grown more comfortable as the voice of the band--even if what he has to say might scare him a bit.

“I’m at a point as a lyricist where if something scares me, I know I need to keep it. If I’ve written a line that I’m afraid of revealing, I know that’s a keeper. There’s so much bullsh-- that goes into a normal, modern day--so many compromises and white lies and the grind. When I’m sitting down and writing words, that’s the one time where there’s nothing of the grind that’s affecting me. It’s just all true self, or at least the search for the true self.”

“I’m learning that that fear is good,” he adds. “If there’s a line that scares me to the point where I wonder if I should even say it, I know that someone out there is going to need and it connect with it. And maybe the fact that I had the courage to say it and to work through it will help them with an issue. I’m not so scared of it anymore.”

As Stadt is studying his own heart, he’s also learning from the bands he looks up to. Though filling the opening slot on a tour is not the most glamorous gig, Stadt says there was plenty to learn from the headliners.

“I remember one thing being such a revelation for me,” he says. “We were on tour with the Gaslight Anthem, [during] our first big support tour. I remember watching the singer and seeing him smile onstage, and I realized I had never thought about that. I wonder if I ever smile on stage? I don’t think I do. That’s sort of important. Wow, I don’t need to be so angry on stage. It’s probably alienating to people. I’m having fun up here, I should be showing that to people. It’s little things like that you pick up from other bands.”

Sounds like a nice guy just got nicer.

Song of the Day: The Naked and Famous - Young Blood

I'm a sucker for music that makes me feel like I am in high school, about to embark upon the most important night of my life.

This is ironic because in high school, the most important night of my life may have been the time Matt Slivka and I (the two un-muscle-i-est guys at Murray High School) decided to go to ShopKo and buy our first-ever wife beater tanktops and wear them around the SugarHouse Movies 9 on a cold January night.

How's that for a music video idea?

Viva Voce: Why Not Start a Band with Your Husband

Viva Voce’s music feels like the embodiment of the Pacific Northwest. The husband-wife duo’s songs rise effortlessly from the damp mist of down-tempo folk into bursts of sun-drenched psychedelia--and then back again. Not bad for a couple of kids from the deep South.

After meeting and marrying in Alabama, Kevin and Anita Robinson pulled up ties and headed to Portland in 1998, the same year they released their first Viva Voce demo tape. Though their new home has certainly found its way into their sound, it hasn’t replaced their Southern charm.

Their new record may bear the ultra-heavy title “The Future Will Destroy You,” but Anita Robinson speaks of it (in a kind-hearted Southern accent) with love and care. In fact, each of her responses--from how to self-produce a record to fighting with her husband about who gets to write the bass lines--is delivered with such humility and kindness that it’s easy to forget that she mercilessly shreds guitars for a living.

Anita holds most of the vocal reigns on “Future,” a task that was shared more evenly between the couple on previous records. “It just worked out that way,” she says of her added time behind the mic. “After doing Blue Giant [the Robinson’s folk band side project] for a year, where Kevin is the singer front and center, I think I was inspired to step up and be more of the front person. It worked out well, I think. I feel very proud of it lyrically.”

The Robisons wrote, recorded, and mixed the new record in their home studio in Portland. Though the band usually welcomes feedback on songs and mixes from friends and musicians, “Future” was an isolated affair.

“With this record, we just sort of hibernated,” Anita says. “We were feeling really confident about it and didn’t feel the need to [seek input]. Hopefully, the fact that we did everything by ourselves and didn’t really look for any outside opinions, people will feel like we did the right thing. We feel like we did.”

Anita says she and Kevin and had the same goal for “Future” that they’ve had for each of their albums. “What we always try to do is put out a record where every song stands on its own and it’s not a record where people say, ‘I really like that second song and I really like the last song.’ We want our albums to be full of songs where you can’t wait to hear the next one.”

The husband/drummer and wife/guitarist also had the same power struggle that they’ve had with all their records, Anita admits with a laugh. “When it comes to tracking the record, it’s usually just a matter of who gets to do what--who gets to play bass lines or melody lines with on the keyboard. We fight a little bit over that because we both like to do those things.” In the end, even that worked out. Kevin got the bass and Anita got the keyboard.

For the next month, Viva Voce will tour the new record throughout the U.S. While most bands suffer from the homesickness caused by leaving loved ones behind, Anita and Kevin run the reverse risk--spending too much time with their significant other. Anita, however, says boredom is never a problem.

“There’s never a dull moment, especially on tour. Every day is a new adventure.” And then she adds, “I can’t get bored with something I’ve dreamed of doing my entire life.”

That dream is what took the Robinsons from Alabama to Portland in the first place. “We lived in Nashville for a while and it just never really felt like home. It didn’t feel like a place where we could put roots down. A lot of people want to travel and go and see what it’s like to live in different places, but just feel stuck and stranded. I’m grateful that I had the freedom to give it a shot. And it worked out great.”

Portland is equally enamored with Viva Voce. Case in point, visit a Portland Timbers soccer match and you may hear the crowd singing the refrain from the band’s ode to Portland, “Rose City,” a capella. (Or, if you’re not in the neighborhood, you can visit their website to hear a recording.)

“It’s kind of an honor,” she says of the song-turned-anthem. “It’s sweet and endearing. It makes us feel, more than ever, that Portland is our home and that we belong here.”

Song of the Day: Streetlight Manifesto - One Foot on the Gas/One Foot in the Grave

Just about every day, I look at the thousands of songs on my iPod and think, "I don't want to listen to any of you."

Scrolling through the tracks this morning, somehow it just felt like a Streetlight Manifesto day.

I'm a sucker for both singer Tomas Kalnoky's clean voice and his raspy punk rock screaming, both of which get a little time on this one. Streetlight Manifesto is probably the only band in punk rock history who actually pull off five-plus minute songs.

P.S. If you can handle a few (well-placed) swears, my favorite track on this album is The Receiving End of It All.

Weezer v. Kermit the Frog

It didn't surprise me at all to see Weezer contributing a song to the upcoming Muppets movie soundtrack--it is called "The Green Album," after all.

I didn't, however, expect to see Alkaline Trio on the track list. Alas, the band who is usually inspired by death (and sometimes thinks I'm their stripper), offers up "Movin' Right Along." I was a little less surprised when I realized bassist Dan Andriano was doing the singing. He's always been a softy. He also has a new solo record out. It's pretty good. You can hear a couple of the songs on his Facebook page.

NPR is streaming the Green Album here.

Song of the Day: David Bazan - Won't Let Go

For much of his Pedro the Lion career, David Bazan used third person narrative for his tales of disception and infidelity. On his first solo full-length, he switched to first person and the songs were about losing his faith, becoming an alcoholic, and generally letting his wife and family down. Maybe that's why this love song to his wife feels so gripping.

Might I Recommend: The One AM Radio

If you like midtempo, melancholy electronica (a la Hot Chip, Postal Service), you should probably give The One AM Radio a listen.

I interviewed the band a couple of week's ago. I got some of the most intelligent music-guy answers in recent memory. I guess the lead singer's Yale education paid off. You can read the full article here.

I love the slightly snarky response to this simplistic question:

ME: Is it a happy album?

HIRWAY: No, it’s not a happy album, but “happiness” and “sadness” rarely ever come to me in pure form. That’s one of the side effects of no longer being a teenager.

---

You may want to check out these tunes as well:

When You're Sleeping (YouTube)
Everyone But You (YouTube)

A Boy Named Goo

Have I ever revealed that I'm a closet Goo Goo Dolls fan? Well, now it's out there.

I interviewed Goo Goo bassist Robby Takac in advance of their show in Park City...

Long before the name Goo Goo Dolls was permanently attached to the phrase "platinum-selling artists," the threesome was just another bar band in chilly Buffalo, New York. That all changed, however, thanks to a slew of massive hits in the mid-'90s and early 2000s, including "Name," "Slide," and "Here is Gone."
As the band nears it 25-year anniversary, bassist and founding member Robby Takac wonders where all the time has gone.

"It doesn't seem real," he says of the milestone, from a tour stop in Connecticut. "It's amazing how fast 25 years flies by." Though much of the past quarter-century has felt like a whirlwind, he still remembers the changes brought on by the band's breakthrough hit in 1995.

"After 10 years of driving around in a van, trying to convince every kid in town to come check out your band, [having "Name" on the radio] was huge." Unfortunately, the first thing he did with his newfound fame and fortune wasn't all that glamorous.

"I paid off my studio loans," he says with a laugh. "Those bill collectors were starting to get after me."
"Name" would be only the beginning of the band's reign of mainstream rock radio. Since that time, the Goo Goo Dolls have amassed 14 top-10 singles. Ruling the airwaves, however, does have some disadvantages.

He does have advice for young bands, however. "I hope the thing people take away from playing or touring with us is the idea that you've gotta work to make this happen. You can't stop doing the things that help make the connection with your fans -- reaching out, making people feel a part of what you're doing when you're on stage. Those fans are the ones that are going to make it possible for you to do this thing you love. You can't become so important that it's all about you. It's not about you. It's about everyone."

After 25 years, thousands of shows, and millions of records, there's no doubt the Goo Goo Dolls know a thing or two about keeping fans happy.

Album Reviews: Elway, Rural Alberta Advantage, One AM Radio

I get choked up just thinking about this clip.

Elway
Delusions

I’ll admit it. The only reason I checked out this Colorado band was because they’re named after my favorite Denver Broncos quarterback. The fact that the band delivers a solid debut album is just an added bonus. The strength of “Delusions” rests in its looseness. Elway churns out barroom punk rock in the vein of Hot Water Music or early Alkaline Trio, propelled by gruff vocals and catchy hooks. Though the record walks a path littered with broken hearts, the gang-vocal “whoa-oh-ohs” give an undeniable hope that everything is going to be okay. “Delusions” may not be wildly inventive, but still makes a great first impression.

For fans of: Lawrence Arms, Gaslight Anthem
Rating: 3 of 4
Check out: Passing Days (YouTube)
(And don't forget to watch the magical moment of "The Drive" by John Elway himself, shown above.)

Rural Alberta Advantage
Departing

A good band name should give a hint of what kind of music you play (see Megadeth, Sonic Youth, Geto Boys). True to its name, Rural Alberta Advantage gives off an earthy feel, but not in a Fleet Foxes, we-are-the-forest kind of way. “Departing” sounds more like a Bob Dylan record-- if he were to hole up in a cabin to make a dance record. The album is driven by a palpable tension between the vocals and the music--a singer who sounds like he should be accompanied by a banjo and a jaw harp, but instead fronts a band where the drums jump on the upbeat, xylophones plink joyously, and synthesizers sneak around in the background. It should be a mess, but somehow it makes perfect sense.

For fans of: Fleet Foxes, AA Bondy
Rating: 3 of 4
Check out: Under the Knife (YouTube)

The One AM Radio
Heaven Is Attached by a Slender Thread

Analog synths. Horns. Handclaps. “Heaven Is Attached by a Slender Thread” has all the makings of a typical dance record. But The One AM Radio doesn’t really do typical. Despite the upbeat ingredients, band leader Hrishikesh Hirway drenches the collection in lyrical melancholy. Somehow, the sadness just can’t compete with the persistent bounce. The album’s best track, “Plans,” ricochets off the walls like The Postal Service and “In a City without Seasons” feels like it was and conceived on the beach at sunset. There are brief moments with the music matches the solemnity of the message (see “The Heat”) but for the most part, despite his frowny face, Hirway can’t keep his feet from dancing.

For fans of: Hot Chip, Styrofoam
Rating: 3.5 of 4
Check out: Plans (YouTube)

Death Cab for Cutie - Codes and Keys

Death Cab for Cutie
Codes and Keys

Remember The OC? You know, with Marissa Cooper’s self-destructive tendencies and Ryan Atwood’s endless insecurities about growing up in Chino? And who could forget Seth Cohen, the lovable hipster with a passion for comic books and Death Cab for Cutie?

A lot has changed for Death Cab since they made an onscreen appearance on The OC, playing a gig at the show’s fictitious club, the Bait Shop, in 2005. Back then, Death Cab was a band who had earned a Seth Cohen-esque fan base by touring endless in a pre-MP3 Blog world. But they were also a band in transition--counting down the days to their major label debut and clearly on the verge of something much bigger.

If you ask me, 2003’s ”Transatlanticism” was the band’s high-water mark. The songwriting was miles beyond its LP predecessors, yet the endearing roughness remained, like Ben Gibbard’s warbly tenor or the fuzzed-out studio experimentation. Not to mention that it included two of the best songs in the band’s catalog--the title track and the heartbreaking “A Lack of Color.”

After such a strong release, fans were poised to disdain their first big budget release, “Plans.” But it didn’t happen. It couldn’t happen. The looseness of early records had disappeared, but the songwriting was stronger than ever before and the production was painstakingly perfect.

Given all of the effort to make “Plans” a masterpiece, it’s not surprising that 2008’s “Narrow Stairs” headed in the opposite direction. Filled with rock ‘n roll abandon, it was a guitar album, fueled by some of the darkest lyrics Gibbard has ever written.

In 2011, things feel a bit more sunny in the Death Cab camp. Gibbard is now a married man and alcohol-free. Their new record, “Codes and Keys,” is the most upbeat in years. Beats skip along wistfully, like a band in love (“You are a Tourist”). At times, it’s all the Gibbard can do to not start dancing (“Some Boys”). Even tracks that are less immediate (“Doors Wide Open,” “Unobstructed Views”) still deliver a rewarding punch.

Much like “Transatlanticism,” “Codes and Keys” strikes a beautiful balance between traditional arrangements and studio embellishment; it would not be surprising to hear these songs played on an a piano or an acoustic guitar, but the layers of synths and noise give the tracks an added depth.

Somewhere, the writers of The OC are huddled together, trying to figure out how to bring the show back to life, just so Seth Cohen can tell the world how much he likes this record.

For fans of: Modest Mouse, Franz Ferdinand
Rating: 3.5 of 4

This Week's Music, Fleet Foxes, The Naked and Famous, Reaganomics

Fleet Foxes
Helplessness Blues

Though he’s only in his 20s, Fleet Foxes singer and leader Robin Pecknold is an old soul. His band’s sound echoes former times, channeling the folk of Simon and Garfunkel and paying homage to the intricate harmonies of the Beach Boys. While the group’s debut LP was an ode to the majesty of the forest and the sun, Pecknold turns inward on “Helplessness Blues.” His wanderings are filled with introspective questions, as he ponders both his youth (“Now I am older than my mother and father/When they had their daughter/Now what does that say about me?”) and his eventual death (“I woke up one morning/All my fingers rotten/I woke up a dying man without a chance”). The music matches the weightiness of the subject matter and every note is perfectly placed—lush harmonies, finger-picked guitar melodies, and Pecknold’s soaring tenor.  Having successfully reached the top of the mountain, it’s hard to see where Fleet Foxes will go from here. 

For fans of: Simon and Garfunkel, Bon Iver

Rating: 3.5 of 4
Check out: Montezuma

The Naked and Famous
Passive Me, Aggressive You

These New Zealand electro-rockers are a sneaky bunch. Their outstanding, ultra-dancey lead single “Punching in a Dream” would lead you to believe that the group is nothing more than a well-polished, hook-heavy pop group. While that would be enough, their debut record offers up even more. Dueling boy-girl vocalists Thom Powers and Alisa Xayalith are equally adept at getting dark and moody (“Frayed,” “The Sun”). And just when you think they might drown in their ‘80s goth-inspired angst, they come back with another dreamy bounce-along (“Young Blood”) that should become the soundtrack for every teenage soap opera. Here’s to a solid debut and plenty of unexpected surprises.

For fans of: the xx, Tegan and Sara

Rating: 3.5 of 4
Check out: Young Blood

Reaganomics
Lower the Bar

Metal-punk trio Ryan's Hope were trying to make a record when they decided to take a break from taking themselves so serious. They kicked the tempo up a few hundred beats per second and unleashed every junior high joke they could remember. The result is “Lower the Bar,” a record that is equal parts NoFX and stand-up comedy. Other than a few outliers, each song track clocks in at under 90 seconds. The band masterfully tackles pressing social such as programming on The WB, Ed Hardy t-shirts, and Robocop. The songs are catchy, slightly stupid, and perfect for the pit.

For fans of: NoFX, Rancid

Rating: 3 of 4
Check out: Don't Worry, We'll Play First

The Rock 'n Roll Photo Pass: Demystified

Two feet away from CAKE's John McCrea

One of the perks of being a barely-paid music critic is that I get to go to a lot of shows for free. When I work with a band's publicist on a concert preview, they usually ask if I want to be on "the list" for the show. When people think of the list, they immediately imagine Wayne and Garth hanging out backstage with Alice Cooper.

Alas, nay. (Though I did get to hang out on Streetlight Manifesto's bus once. Coolest. Experience. Ever.)

It just means that I show up at the venue and say to the ticket person or whoever, "I'm on the list." They find my name -  on an actual list - and let me in without paying. While this sounds great, about every fourth time, my name hasn't really made it to the list, which results in no small amount of awkwardness, especially if I've brought a friend with me.

Sometimes I'm also offered a photo pass. If asked in advance, I say I don't need one. The reason is two fold:

1. I just have a crappy little point-and-shoot camera and I'd feel dumb standing up on the stage taking photos with it. 
2. I have no idea what such a pass entitles me to. Do I go on stage? Do I poke around in front of the band? Do I hold my pass up (again, a la Wayne's World) and work my way to the front of the crowd?

 So when I'm given a press pass at the door, I just stick it on my shirt (to look cool) and do nothing with it.

At the CAKE show a few weeks back, I was handed a pass. I decided to finally be a man and take some pictures. I bravely walked up to a security guy standing by the stage and said, "Where can I go with this photo pass?"

He looked blankly at me and shrugged his shoulders.

Eventually, another lady come up and said, "You can take pictures at the front of the stage for the first three songs."

So I did. I stood in front of the lounging-on-the-grass crowd at Red Butte garden and pretended like I knew what I was doing. Not looking like an idiot became more difficult once I was standing next to a photographer from SLUG magazine, who did know what he was doing. But I hung in there.

For about 90 seconds.

About halfway through the first song, I had taken a dozen or so pictures, which seemed like more than enough. I went back to seat, successfully having overcome my oh-so-life-threatening fear of photo passes. I am a changed man.

One of my photos is above. The SLUG guy's pics are here. I feel like I held my own.

Beastie Boys - Hot Sauce Committee vol. II

Beastie Boys
Hot Sauce Committee, Pt. 2

Did I miss something? Where did the “Hot Sauce Committee, Pt. 2” come from? I didn’t even know there was a Pt. 1.

It turns out the band played a fast one on me. (Or maybe a slow one.) The Beasties were planning on releasing a two-part “Hot Sauce” series until Adam Yauch was diagnosed with cancer in 2009. While he recovered, the New York City trio retooled the project, releasing it as just one disc. (You can find Pt. 1 as an import, but before you shell out the extra $20 bucks, you should know it’s almost exactly the same as Pt. 2.)

For most artist, a two-year delay would certainly kill a record. Not so for the Beastie Boys. Like all their records, “Hot Sauce” exists in a strange time warp, somewhere between 1985 and outerspace.

The Beastie Boys have never felt obliged to fit into a definable category. Over the past 25 years, the groups has done pretty much done whatever they’ve wanted. Obnoxious hip-hop (“License to Ill”)? Sure. An eight-song punk rock EP (“Aglio e Olio”) that clocks in at 11 minutes? Why not. An ‘80s throwback album (“To the 5 Boroughs”) followed by a an instrumental record (“The Mix-Up”). Of course.

While each of those records had a very specific flavor, “Hot Sauce” is more reminiscent of “Check Your Head,” when all those various styles got dropped in a blender. The record starts on a high note with the funky “Make Some Noise” and the robotic “Ok.” It gets even better when they make room for a rare guest appearance, inviting fellow New Yorker Nas to add some bite to the attacking “Too Many Rappers.”

While the trio have kept with the same rhyme patterns since their early days (who else can still get away with using lines like “Let me introduce myself, I’m Ad-Rock?”), their music never stays in the same place. “Say It” sounds like a cover of Onyx’s 1993 hit “Slam” and “Don’t Play No Game” finds the group on a tropical island with Santogold.

“Hot Sauce” is wildly uneven. Things get murky in the middle third (the fuzzy “Long Burn the Fire,” the warbly “Tadlock’s Glasses”) and there are a few misses (“Crazy A%% S*&%”). But that’s a small price to pay for a record that is willing to take risks without taking itself too seriously.



For fans of: Run-DMC, Rage Against the Machine
Rating: 3 of 4
Check out: Make Some Noise (Vevo)