Arizona’s Authority Zero have become international icons while staying true to their roots By Troy Farah Published on 01/12/2012 in Flag Live

With hit singles like “One More Minute,” “Revolution,” and the Wall of Voodoo cover “Mexican Radio,” Authority Zero are arguably the most popular band to come out of Mesa—and they’re especially familiar with any kid who got into skateboarding or punk around the turn of the century. Noted for their mix of reggae, ska-punk and their Spanish and Portuguese inspirations, the four-piece admit a deep admiration for Sublime, Pennywise and Bad Religion, making them a distinct . . . → Read More: Punk Heaven]]>

Arizona’s Authority Zero have become international icons while staying true to their roots
By Troy Farah
Published on 01/12/2012 in Flag Live

With hit singles like “One More Minute,” “Revolution,” and the Wall of Voodoo cover “Mexican Radio,” Authority Zero are arguably the most popular band to come out of Mesa—and they’re especially familiar with any kid who got into skateboarding or punk around the turn of the century. Noted for their mix of reggae, ska-punk and their Spanish and Portuguese inspirations, the four-piece admit a deep admiration for Sublime, Pennywise and Bad Religion, making them a distinct and flavorful semi-local act.

On the road with Voodoo Glow Skulls for their Black Coffee, White Knuckles Tour, Authority Zero will be making a stop at Flagstaff’s Orpheum Theater on Sunday along with the Glow Skulls, Colorado punk band Skyfox, and Flag favorites Telescope and Tonsil Yeti.

Though once calling the streets of Mesa home, the band is now scattered (with the exception of bassist Jeremy Wood): guitarist Brandon Landelius lives in Amarillo, Texas, drummer Jim Wilcox resides in Chandler, Ariz., and frontman Jason DeVore lives in Tempe. DeVore says growing up, they made the best with what they had, but it wasn’t always glamorous.

“A lot of our hometown love and pride is there wasn’t anything crazy cool about Mesa, but we did the best we could and had the most fun we could,” DeVore explains. “Just a bunch of crazy kids, just going out, partying it up, playing music, skating, just doing what we could do to find fun. It made us who we were and it created this band, so we couldn’t ask for a whole lot more, honestly, the way it all came up.”

The band has indeed come a long way. From getting songs in video games like Tony Hawk’s “Underground,” which was “cool” and “kinda weird,” to international tours, to their highest-selling album yet, Stories of Survival. Now, Authority Zero is bigger than ever, but not without a few bumps in their road to stardom. Many members have come and gone, two went and joined the Air Force, but few had as much influence as founding member and guitarist Bill Marcks, who departed in late 2008.

“I think it’s a natural change, in all reality,” DeVore says. “Luckily those things we wrote together and played together for so long, that each of our styles rubbed off on each other a lot. We changed a lot actually. It’s been three years now, [other] people have come and gone in that time.”

The band has experienced a lot of coming and going in the last five years, which made it seem to DeVore like Authority Zero was on its last legs. But the group remained strong, “kept a positive head about it,” and then wrote their best-selling record. And for a punk band that’s been around as long as they have, (an almost unheard-of 17 years) it’s no easy feat to do all this without getting stale.

“There’s a new guitar player [Brandon Landelius] and the fans know that and you know that inside,” DeVore says. “We’re a bunch of fans of the bands we grew up listening to and watched change. You get freaked out or pissed off and you wouldn’t want to hear anything to do with it. When we got some good feedback on [Stories of Survival] and it ended up being one of the biggest records we’ve done in that respect; it opened a big door of opportunity and hope for the future of this band.”

The title, Stories of Survival, refers to various things, but to DeVore, his own personal survival story was the band itself.

“To see it just die after all the ups and downs, to me, that really wasn’t an option,” DeVore says. “It was just trying to figure out the right thing to do with it and how to progress and move on. That really is what a lot of that record has to do with, a lot of the shit we went through and personal things that we’ve been going through as well.”

Another defining point of the band has always been politics and activism, at least on the surface. Underneath, DeVore admits politics have never been a huge issue, even with “Revolution” appearing on Rock Against Bush Vol. 1, a 2004 modern punk compilation released during George W. Bush’s reelection campaign. The band instead promotes the idea that if you want something changed, take personal action.

“If there’s something you want done, either politically or in your personal life, no one’s gonna do it for you, so you gotta do it yourself,” DeVore says. “That’s really where a lot of that influence comes from with ‘Revolution,’ about changing yourself to make the things around you different, if that’s what you want to see happen.”

And Authority Zero has seen a lot happen for themselves, having just wrapped up their third tour in Japan, where DeVore says he didn’t find any dirty panty vending machines (a popular rumor), but enjoyed the machines that dispensed beer.

“The crowds are nuts, man,” DeVore says with a laugh. “These kids

go apeshit. They may not speak a lot of English, you know, but they sing every chorus as much as they can and as loud as they can. And the minute you’re done, they just go dead silent, a kind of weird, eerie silence. Waiting and watching for you to tell them what’s going on or say something they can kind of communicate with you. But the minute you start playing a song, they just start going nuts.”

Their summer tour in Europe was equally successful, doing half the shows with Pennywise in 3,000-person capacity venues and the other half with the Adolescents in old-school punk venues barely large enough for 300.

Being far from home has one drawback, however – they haven’t had as much time to participate in Arizona’s punk scene, but according to DeVore it faded and now it’s coming back.

“It seems like bands are starting to work together again,” DeVore says. “For awhile it seemed like it was doing a little more of the dog-eat-dog. It seems like a lot of kids are going to each other’s shows again and try to build each other up. It was a pretty cool thing when we were coming up out of Mesa. Bands were truly working together and really trying support each other at the shows. It’s kind of what’s happening again.”

See Authority Zero and the Voodoo Glow Skulls Sun, Jan. 15 at the Orpheum Theater, 15 W. Aspen. Opening guests include Skyfox, Fight the Quiet and Tonsil Yeti. Doors for the all-ages show open at 6:30 p.m. and it all starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $18 in advance and $20 at the door. For more info, see www.authorityzero.com.

A conversation with the eclectic Tempe nine-piece Dry River Yacht Club

By Troy Farah Published on 12/15/2011 in Flag Live

Recently reunited in August, Dry River Yacht Club’s nine members embody the indie creed that “more is more” and band mates are there for more than just back-up vocals. Keeping in spirit with Gogol Bordello or DeVotchKa, the band plays their unique blend of gypsy tunes, a self-described mix of “acoustic symphony indie-rock on a dancin’ pirate’s rusty yacht”—and the nonet dress the part. Now the Tempe-based band are taking their gig more places than ever. Flag Livesat down to speak . . . → Read More: Sailing the musical seas]]>

A conversation with the eclectic Tempe nine-piece Dry River Yacht Club

By Troy Farah
Published on 12/15/2011 in Flag Live

Recently reunited in August, Dry River Yacht Club’s nine members embody the indie creed that “more is more” and band mates are there for more than just back-up vocals. Keeping in spirit with Gogol Bordello or DeVotchKa, the band plays their unique blend of gypsy tunes, a self-described mix of “acoustic symphony indie-rock on a dancin’ pirate’s rusty yacht”—and the nonet dress the part. Now the Tempe-based band are taking their gig more places than ever. Flag Livesat down to speak to Henri Bernard (percussionist,) Kristilyn Woods (bassoon) and Megyn Neff (violinist) about their new EP and the musical atmosphere in Arizona.

See the band at the Green Room, 15 N. Agassiz, Fri, Dec. 16. Opening the show will be King Snake, featuring members of Flagstaff’s Devil Dog Road. The show starts at 9:30 p.m. and is free. Dress like a drunk pirate and keep up that rowdy reputation, Flagstaff! For more info, seewww.dryriveryachtclub.wordpress.com or call 226-8669.

Troy Farah: What does the name of your latest EP Family Portraits/Calm Mutiny mean?

Henri Bernard: We had this hit we played in the car on the way home from a show in L.A. We thought of putting everyone’s baby pictures in there; we’ll call the album “Family Portraits.” Our cello player liked “calm mutiny,” maybe because it sounds like community. Family Portraits fits us. We’re a bigger band, but we’re all very tight. And Calm Mutiny comes out in our music, in reference to a mutiny on a pirate ship. And the sense of calm is there.

It seems to me with a name like Dry River Yacht Club, and the fact that you guys are definitely focused on being a very local band, that Arizona is very important to you and I want to know what it means to you.

Henri Bernard: We take a lot of pride from being in this music scene. I think that all of us see the potential in the Phoenix music scene and we take a lot of pride in being one of the main bands that can draw attention here and represent it elsewhere.

You give the city of Phoenix a few labels and few booking agents and I think the city has a lot of powerhouse bands that can go on the road. They don’t have the people to help them as much—that’s the thing that Phoenix lacks. These bands are drawing sometimes three, 400 people here. That’s a big testament to what’s going on musically. What I love is that you’ve gotta play great all the time because there’s so many bands that are so hungry to be so good around here that you’ve got to keep it moving. “What am I doing to keep a following going, what am I doing to keep it stronger, bigger instead of just getting comfortable?”

How do you feel about bands from Phoenix that got big, left and kind of forgot about Phoenix?

Henri Bernard: Like Miniature Tigers or Gin Blossoms? I don’t think they ever abandoned Phoenix. I know Scotty Johnson of the Blossoms still does some open mics, so I don’t think those guys ever really abandoned Phoenix. Their view changed, Mill Avenue changed—where they came up.

I can only imagine when Mill was only music venues, all about music, all about a culture versus Abercrombie and Fitch. I guess that’s culture, but I don’t think it’s conducive to building a thriving arts and music community.

Exactly. It’s very heavily mass produced and it’s not local.

Henri Bernard: But for a band like Miniature Tigers, I remember Charlie Brand when he wasn’t huge. I understand as a musician why you might need to take your band somewhere where you can get the necessary exposure to get functioning professionally.

I think a lot has to do with how you sell your band when you do that. If you still say you’re based out of Arizona or somehow rep that you got started in Phoenix, I think that does a lot of good for the city.

Those are big labels and big opportunity and it’s awesome that bands from our little nest have gotten into those places. I don’t think any of those guys lost their roots, they just had to take a job when they got to go: “This is the offer, this is what we’ve been looking for for 10 years.”

How familiar are you with Flagstaff’s music scene?

Kristilyn Woods: I think Flagstaff’s cool because of the scenery and just the nature of the town brings together a lot of artistic people that stay there for reasons other than a thriving music scene. It’s a cool little bubble of really creative minds.

Henri Bernard: And the shows in Flag are always awesome. The kids come right to the stage, they’re ready for it and they’re always open minded for new bands. Tempe’s awesome and I don’t mean anything negative, but sometimes I think if I had seen that band in Flagstaff, I would have seen more dancing and less stiffness. They just get crazy, rowdy. If you’re trying to have an awesome show I think you want those rowdy folks, clapping and stomping and screaming. It’s amazing energy and makes it so much fun.

In Rotation

The very best of the 2011’s musical offerings

By Troy Farah Published on 12/22/2011

Well, now that he’s almost gone, I can talk all I want about 2011 behind his back. What a long year. I can’t really say it was good or bad, but just somewhere in between. Pretty neutral. The Arab Spring led to some pretty neutral results. Occupy Wall Street, also pretty neutral. The Iraq Invasion is wrapping up, but the War on Terror gets more and more frightening over here. So, pretty neutral.

Although, in the long run we should choose to . . . → Read More: In Rotation: Best of 2011]]>

In Rotation

The very best of the 2011’s musical offerings

By Troy Farah
Published on 12/22/2011

Well, now that he’s almost gone, I can talk all I want about 2011 behind his back. What a long year. I can’t really say it was good or bad, but just somewhere in between. Pretty neutral. The Arab Spring led to some pretty neutral results. Occupy Wall Street, also pretty neutral. The Iraq Invasion is wrapping up, but the War on Terror gets more and more frightening over here. So, pretty neutral.

Although, in the long run we should choose to champion what was exceptional, and few things were as exceptional this year as these album releases. That’s right, it’s Flag Live’s Best Music of 2011.

Girl Talk

All Day

I didn’t listen to anything as much as I did this mixtape wonder from Gregg Gillis, the master mashup man who produced this jerky, high-powered remix. A whopping 372 samples were used in the space of 71 minutes, introducing a new song every 12 seconds. Unlike many mixes, All Day strays into so many contradicting genres it’s mind-blowing. You’ll hear Blondie and Black Sabbath, Ke$ha and Kraftwerk, Prince and Public Enemy, just to name a few. Gillis is redefining what it means to sample other artists and he’s got a sound almost everyone can relate to.

Danger Mouse and Daniele Luppi

Rome

Some side projects this year, no matter how creative, seemed a little forced or unimpressive (was Watch the Throne really that surprising?) but Rome, the five-year pet project of Danger Mouse (the producer of the Gorillaz’ Demon Days and the other half of Gnarls Barkley) and Daniele Luppi (an Italian composer) kept the soul of Rome alive. Inspired by the spaghetti western soundtracks (including “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly”) of Ennio Morricone, the album features Jack White and Norah Jones giving a counterbalance of bluesy guitars to the album’s dramatic opera.

Cinematic, instrumental tracks like “Morning Fog” or “The Matador Has Fallen” sound just as beautiful as White on “The Rose with the Broken Neck” or Jones on “Season’s Trees.” It’s not often that so many different elements can marry like this—it’s as daring as it is enchanting.

Tyler, the Creator

Goblin

Even with all the rape, murder, rampant drug abuse, suicide and hatred spewed on Tyler, the Creator’s second album, the hardest thing to get over is it was almost entirely produced by a kid that still can’t legally buy a drink. That’s OK, because he’s straightedge, anyway. Still, his lyrics are the some of the most biting satire in hip-hop now that Eminem’s lost his edge and started producing songs with—blech—Bruno Mars. Minimalistic beats and dark, violence-heavy rap are what old school hip-hop used to be. Tyler and the rest of the Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All posse are bringing it back. Love it or not, it’s powerful stuff.

Mogwai

Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will

I adore that album title. I adore post-rock, a genre of instrumental, jam-out rock. I’ve never heard a post-rock song I didn’t like. It’s just so interesting when a band’s total focus isn’t what lyrics they’re throwing out there, but instead conveying a message purely through fuzzy guitar riffs, through drawn-out drum solos, through synthesizer dreamscapes, through music. Believe me, I focus more on lyrical content than anything else, but when that’s absent and you can produce something as uplifting and cumulative as Mogwai, something like “Rano Pano” or “How To Be A Werewolf,” well, that’s what it’s all about, isn’t it?

Lou Reed and Metallica

Lulu

Just kidding!

The Black Keys

El Camino

Isn’t it cute when you meet someone and they’re all like, “Man, love those Black Keys,” and you’re like, “Oh, really? That’s so weird that we have that one random thing in common!” But secretly, you know everyone loves the Black Keys. And there’s damn good reason.

El Camino, the Ohio duo’s seventh album, is only the third to be mastered in a studio. The Keys are known for how speedy they record, yet because of their commercial success withBrothers, they anxiously spent a lot more time than usual thinking about song arrangements. This is the closest thing to patience Dan Auerbach, the guitarist, and Patrick Carney, the drummer, have ever churned out.

And it shows through on tracks like “Little Black Submarines,” which takes its time to kick in with razor-sharp guitar riffs or the high-pitched whines on “Run Right Back.”

Even with less of a blues influence, El Camino ends up sounding little different from previous releases. The Black Keys are using a formula that works, yet there’s not likely to be a complaint from anyone.

Gorillaz

The Fall

Unlike the overproduced turd that was Plastic Beach, Gorillaz’s The Fall was a quiet, subtle release. A throwback to the virtual band’s self-titled debut, nearly the entire minimalistic 45-minute release was recorded on an iPad, expressing frontman Damon Albarn’s loneliness while on tour in America. The portrait these London-based apes paint of the US is (thankfully) apolitical, including short and sweet gems like “Phoner to Arizona,” “Amarillo” and “The Parish of Space Dust.” Perhaps The Fall was an apology for getting so big-headed, but it’s more than that—it’s evidence that simplicity wins over commercialism, even if it doesn’t steal the spotlight.

The Kills

Blood Pressures

Alison Mossheart’s voice is sex. Her heart is as black as her cigarette-choked lungs, and her dark, leather-bound poise on Blood Pressures is one of the spiciest things to hit the airwaves this year. “Future Starts Slow,” a rickety, dirty train ride underground bleeds into “Satellite” which saunters like a Tom Waits song with less creepy old man (that’s not a dig, however) and more self-destructive nymphomaniac. “Last Goodbye” leads us into the darkest alleys, dive bars and cheap hotels that breed hungover despair.

Forget the Dead Weather—Mosshart doesn’t need Jack White to be at her finest. Even ifBlood Pressures isn’t the best the Kills have done, it’s still got more saucy sexuality and bad**s swagger than any whips or chains Rihanna owns or any fetish Lady Gaga thinks is original.

And that’s about it, for me, personally. Honorable mentions include Cake, Battles, Esben and the Witch, David Lynch, Panda Bear, St. Vincent, Childish Gambino, MellowHype, the Strokes, Justice and far too many others to list here. Here’s to next year, music makers and fans—let’s make sure we do just as well before the Apocalypse.

A visionary director’s creepy side project and sonic spacey narcissism

By Troy Farah Published on 11/24/2011

David Lynch

Crazy Clown Time

Rating: 3/5

If a director ignores music, he’s hardly a director. It follows that David Lynch, whose films epitomize the phrase “avant garde” as much as they represent the words “[expletive] confusing,” pays so much attention to what melody is going on in the background. It’s not weird (or even news) that Lynch has been expanding his creativity to a different territory, this time with his solo record debut: Crazy Clown Time. Lynch has recorded music multiple times before, several . . . → Read More: In Rotation: David Lynch and M83]]>

A visionary director’s creepy side project and sonic spacey narcissism

By Troy Farah
Published on 11/24/2011

David Lynch

Crazy Clown Time

Rating: 3/5

If a director ignores music, he’s hardly a director. It follows that David Lynch, whose films epitomize the phrase “avant garde” as much as they represent the words “[expletive] confusing,” pays so much attention to what melody is going on in the background. It’s not weird (or even news) that Lynch has been expanding his creativity to a different territory, this time with his solo record debut: Crazy Clown Time. Lynch has recorded music multiple times before, several times for the movies “Twin Peaks” and “Inland Empire” and once with superstar producer Danger Mouse.

That creepy old man vibe Lynch gives still abounds, but even John Q. Public could pick up this album and enjoy it. That is, if Public can swallow something like Flaming Lips or Beck, this should be cake.

Karen O of Yeah Yeah Yeahs fame sings on “Pinky’s Dream,” adding an agitated edge reminiscent of “Lost Highway.” And if Lynch added the talents of more than one artist, it wouldn’t make this album seem like something he did while bored, but more of an expansive project.

With a light, yet steady beat, “Good Day Today” is like a Lynchian Black-Eyed Peas song—but that’s hardly an insult. It has the simplistic optimism without being annoying, only the lyrics do get redundant quickly. In fact, Crazy Clown Time is riddled with repetition. Either it’s because Lynch is so deeply interested in meditation and mantras, or he’s just not paying enough attention.

Creepiness abounds on songs like “Noah’s Ark” or “Speed Roadster,” where Lynch sings about stalking people he hopes to make miserable. And he definitely goes into weird and uncharted territory with “Strange and Unproductive Thinking” sounding slightly like Radiohead’s “Fitter Happier.”

Lynch doesn’t have much in terms of vocals, many of his tracks sounding Auto-tuned. An electro-pop album is a weird genre for a man like Lynch to choose; after all, his main musical obsessions seem to be ’60s vocalists like Roy Orbison or Nina Simone, usually not much modern selection. Perhaps Crazy Clown Time is a commentary on the current state of music, or maybe it’s just a weekend project for the abnormal director, but like all things Lynchian, it’ll require your own interpretation.

M83

Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming

Rating: 3/5

Named after the spiral galaxy Messier 83, M83 truly embodies the atmospheric weightlessness of being lost in space. For their sixth release, M83 also employs a lot of dreamlike ambience, given the title is Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming and pillow visions are a main theme.

Dreams are pure narcissism. If you don’t believe me, try explaining to your coworkers how you

were dining with the president naked and then had to fight real-life “Space Invaders.” Most people will yawn, because dreams are experienced alone and they’re the output of ego, little else.

Similarly, Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming is an outpouring of M83’s frontman Anthony Gonzalez’s vanity. A double album, (a rare, lost and unnecessary art in 2011) he described it as a reflection of his 30 years of life and dedicated it to himself.

Each song has a twin, and thus, there is a lot of repetition, but in this case, it’s really hard to complain about. All I really mean is you won’t listen to this album from beginning to end because it’s like listening to it on repeat. Or maybe you will, given its catchy, yet diluted aura.

Giving a nod to shoegaze, minus the fuzzy guitar, M83 drowns their lyrics in reverb and overuse of crescendo to sound like a thousand angelic entrances. It’s nice in moderation, but somehow this feels a bit like mass.

Zola Jesus contributes to the album’s intro, which sets the stage up nicely for “Midnight City,” an antithesis to club music about clubs and music and dark skylines where “the city is my church.” And yeah, there are already dozens of club remixes of this single circulating the Web.

“My Tears Are Becoming A Sea” sounds exactly like you’d imagine: incredibly depressing and filled with a cataclysm of synths and cymbal crashes.

The most amusing song on this whole collection is definitely “Raconte-Moi Historie” (French for “Tell Me A Story,”) a spoken-word piece given by a young girl describing a frog with skin that can “change your world forever.” Either she’s describing some psychoactive amphibian like the Colorado River toad or the sapo tree frog or she’s going into detail about death. Probably both.

There’s no denying that Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming is ambitious and attempts to be as immense and spiraling as the outward arm of a galaxy and in some ways, this is true. For the most part, it’s all just the rush of a dream, waking to find yourself still in bed.

Wilco’s consoling pity party and too many turntables for DJ Shadow

By Troy Farah Published on 11/10/2011

Wilco The Whole Love Rating: 3.5/5

Like most Wilco albums, their eighth release, The Whole Love, requires multiple listens. Subtle-yet-complex arrangements spattered with bold, but depressing (and occasionally nonsensical) lyrics make this Chicago six-piece at times inaccessible. Yet, for The Whole Love, not all of the love is there.

“Art of Almost,” the album’s opener, would have made for a better record title. “Almost” captures Wilco’s efforts more clearly here—a rather colorless product with themes typical of Wilco, without the heart. “Art . . . → Read More: In Rotation: Wilco and DJ Shadow]]>

Wilco’s consoling pity party and too many turntables for DJ Shadow

Mediocre musical salvation and the empty message of the Chili Peppers

By Troy Farah Published on 10/13/2011

Switchfoot

Vice Verses

Rating: 3/5

Reviewing Christian rock is somewhat like analyzing Justin Bieber or the “High School Musical” soundtrack—of course it sucks, because it isn’t marketed to you. In a way, Christian rockers are kind of punk rock, because they don’t answer to anyone and they seem to care far less about money, but the majority of it that isn’t boring is merely imitating something else.

Still, I always felt different about Switchfoot. As a young teen, I wore out my copy . . . → Read More: In Rotation: Switchfoot and Red Hot Chili Peppers]]>

Mediocre musical salvation and the empty message of the Chili Peppers

By Troy Farah
Published on 10/13/2011

Switchfoot

Vice Verses

Rating: 3/5

Reviewing Christian rock is somewhat like analyzing Justin Bieber or the “High School Musical” soundtrack—of course it sucks, because it isn’t marketed to you. In a way, Christian rockers are kind of punk rock, because they don’t answer to anyone and they seem to care far less about money, but the majority of it that isn’t boring is merely imitating something else.

Still, I always felt different about Switchfoot. As a young teen, I wore out my copy of The Beautiful Letdown by playing it so much. “Meant to Live” is still a decent song with a message that borders between inspiration and a disenchantment with the material world. It seemed Christian rock finally did something right. So what happened? Why did this San Diego band go downhill?

Their eighth studio album, Vice Verses, doesn’t offer much beyond a vague discontent with modern living. Musically, it’s lackluster at best and it’s hard to figure out why exactly. Bands that have values aren’t always a turn off.

It isn’t Christian values holding Switchfoot back, but this has always stratified their focus. Their lyrics are vague enough to apply to not-of-this-world consumers and alt-rock audiences or basically anyone tired of mainstream culture’s focus on wealth and status. That’s why songs like “Selling the News” are so interesting, a deep criticism of journalism and anyone swallowing tampered versions of truth. As lead vocalist Jon Foreman says, “Substance, oh substance, where have you been/You’ve been replaced by the masters of spin.”

Still, that’s why we have Rage Against the Machine, Flobots and other anti-establishment bands—and they’re still listenable. Vice Verses fails on so many levels. “Dark Horses” is incredibly catchy, but still generic and half-hearted. Like many of their slower songs, “Restless” expresses the same longing for something more, done a hundred times already by this band. And ironically, “The Original” fits so many rock clichés into three minutes it’s laughable.

The medium is the message here. Switchfoot doesn’t have a problem with audience—they have a problem with balance. They struggle with balancing their Christian fans and the mainstream media they constantly critique. But most of all, they struggle balancing their encouraging lyrics with a musical style that stands out.

Red Hot Chili Peppers

I’m With You

Rating: 1/5

And here’s the exact opposite problem: talented musicians with nothing to say. With few exceptions, Red Hot Chili Pepper’s entire discography sounds alike. “Scar Tissue,” “Stadium Arcadium,” “Californication” and “Under the Bridge” are all cut from the same cloth and whatever attempt at rap rock on “Can’t Stop” and “Give It Away” is aggravating and overdone.

But Flea is one of the most talented bassists around and the way John Frusciante makes love to his guitar, it’s not fair to say that the Red Hot Chili Peppers are a mediocre outfit. For me personally, it’s my disgust with the band’s frontman Anthony Kiedis. He prances around like this jobless, shirtless scumbag boyfriend that used to sneak into my sister’s bedroom and yet would somehow always avoid getting caught and beaten to death by my father. Kiedis’ philoshophy on life, death and all in between is like a middle-school romance. Plus, he’s from Los Angeles. Enough said.

Still, even if you’re a die-hard Chilis fan and you sort of hate me right now, you should be repulsed by this half-assed attempt the band is calling I’m With You. First of all, Frusciante left the band (for good reason) and second, for their 10th album, it adds little and says even less.

With “The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie,” a song about one of Kiedis’ pagan girlfriends, we’re presented with a satisfying bass line courtesy of Flea, but it’s ruined by lyrics like, “You’ve got the wrong girl/But not for long girl/It’s in the song girl/’Cause I been gone girl.” Every second of this song sounds like it was torn from the pages of a guitar primer for teaching second graders about the weather.

“Ethiopia” is one of those attempts popular musicians make at seeming “worldly,” somewhat like Russell Brand lampooned in Get Him To The Greek. Except it isn’t a joke and the repetitive chorus, “E I O I O E I A,” sounds like someone can’t sing “Old MacDonald” or even spell Ethiopia. “Happiness Loves Company” combines the obvious (no way! Happy people like to socialize? Whoa!) with the lamest chorus of the year: “Stop jumping ’cause we got something to say … yeah.” Apologies to the rest of the band, but despite what he says, Kiedis clearly doesn’t have anything worth saying.

A hipster yawn and N.W.A’s heirs apparent

By Troy Farah Published on 09/15/2011

MellowHype

BlackenedWhite

Rating: 4/5

Self-descriptions like, “This album is packed with gun sounds, grams of coke and dead cops—the perfect soundtrack for mobbing on a dark Halloween night” is what makes the whole Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All (OFWGKTA) collective so enjoyable. Half the group ain’t even old enough to drink and they’re dropping albums more creative, ballsy and fun than almost anything hitting the airwaves.

MellowHype, one of many OFWGKTA’s branches, remastered their second album,BlackenedWhite, for a more proper release (read: . . . → Read More: In Rotation: MellowHype / Portugal. The Man]]>

A hipster yawn and N.W.A’s heirs apparent

By Troy Farah
Published on 09/15/2011

MellowHype

BlackenedWhite

Rating: 4/5

Self-descriptions like, “This album is packed with gun sounds, grams of coke and dead cops—the perfect soundtrack for mobbing on a dark Halloween night” is what makes the whole Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All (OFWGKTA) collective so enjoyable. Half the group ain’t even old enough to drink and they’re dropping albums more creative, ballsy and fun than almost anything hitting the airwaves.

MellowHype, one of many OFWGKTA’s branches, remastered their second album,BlackenedWhite, for a more proper release (read: they got more money) and it truly stands out. The beats are simple, something maybe your brother could put together in Garage Band, but it’s a breath of fresh air compared to everything Auto-Tuned, over-produced and overblown you’ll hear blaring in overpriced clubs downtown. The way Hodgy Beats—the right half of MellowHype alongside producer Left Brain—layers his lyrics makes up for any “mellow” or monotone delivery in the background.

Starting with “Primo,” a slow-beat boast over the quality of weed these kids are puffing, doesn’t promise much until “Gunsounds” busts everything up with the noise, violence and chaos that OFWGKTA fronts. And if stuff like that bothers you, great! It’s supposed to! Hip-hop has pretty much always been about blowing off people’s heads and glorifying the ghetto. Get used to it.

BlackenedWhite reeks of amateur and the first half of the album is harder to get into, until “Deaddeputy” breaks in. Hodgy spits fast as Busta Rhymes on “Igotagun,” a song that surges with enough violence to give a rush as good as a drive-by shooting. And the sound of sirens bleeds into the album’s gem, “F666 the Police,” a throwback to N.W.A’s “F*** tha Police” and parts of Jay-Z’s “99 Problems.” Tyler, the Creator’s deer-splattering contribution and conversation with a mumbling, befuddled officer could match the wit of Eminem.

Shamefully, this remaster doesn’t feature the track “Chordaroy” because of Earl Sweatshirt’s contribution. The under-18 OFWGKTA MC was shipped off to boarding school by his overprotective mother and won’t allow his music to be released, which is kinda funny and probably means a second remaster will be in the pipeline. But when it comes to OFWGKTA, the more the merrier.

Portugal. The Man

In the Mountain in the Cloud

Rating: 3/5

Portland and psychedelia go hand-in-hand and Portugal. The Man carry that torch with all the indie flair a Pitchfork Festival could handle. The band has kept busy as an art-rock factory, releasing an album per year since their 2006 debut. The band went through a period of completely independent releases, but now they’ve signed to Atlantic Records to release their sixth studio recording, In the Mountain in the Cloud.

Perhaps it’s just a side-effect of a major label, but the psychedelic seems turned down a notch for a more radio-centric pop feel. Regardless, this album seems less like a nifty trip into the unknown—no Willy Wonka boat ride—and more like a processed, cut-and-dry record, the limpness of alt rock. But it’s not all disappointing.

The opener, “So American” can fit you gently into the grove of this bearded quartet, despite sounding almost identical to the G-Side “Stop the Dams” by the Gorillaz. The song’s nonsensical lyrics could be about Obama’s birth certificate or the blind ego of American attitudes, but it’s catchy enough with that “there’s a madness in us all” to make it a replayable favorite.

Next is “Floating (Time Isn’t Working My Side)” which is filled with many overdone “oh oh ohs,” the same cliché anthem of a hundred other indie bands. It probably has something to do with how well songs like this go over with audiences of stiff-standing, arms crossed hipsters—gives them something to sing along with or whatever.

Drowning in fuzzy guitar, “Senseless” really might leave you feeling like the title implies, but more like “I just left the dentist and can’t eat solid food for two hours” than “I choked on some Xanax and won’t be able to leave my bedroom till next Tuesday,” like the band was surely aiming for. “Head is a Flame (Cool With It)” is chill with its plucky guitar riff while trying to define cool and does a pretty decent job. “All Your Light (Times Like These)” is one of the album’s few redeeming tracks, proving Portugal hasn’t entirely forgotten how to break down.

In the Mountain in the Cloud is a weak attempt at musical creativity from a band that’s built its quickly begotten reputation on attitudes of independence. Maybe it’s the shakiness of moving to their new label or classic ennui from such rapid releases, but you’ll probably only have to wait a few months before Portugal. The Man gives it another shot. Let’s hope it’s better than this yawn.