Dark Is What They Aim For: Tired Pony's Moody Debut

Band names fall into hundreds of different categories, from pop culture references (Au Revoir Simone) to names created just to please the ear (Mates of State). In the case of indie super-group Tired Pony, the name stems from the sound, which in this case is the dominating mood of the music. The image conjured by the name is one of an overworked, overburdened animal, sides bruised by the scores of impatient children it has balanced on its back. And the set of songs it refers to is one marked by a comparable weariness, a kind of premature ageing, a sudden and insisting exhaustion.

Anyone who has heard Gary Lightbody live knows that he has got some serious pipes. So, the prospect of the Irishmen's voice placed in a new context is something to get excited about, especially because that new context includes members of Belle & Sebastian and R.E.M. But Tired Pony doesn't deliver any dramatic changes, with melodies and rhythmic patterns often reminiscent of Lightbody's work as Snow Patrol's lead singer. Their innovation is the addition of bluegrass instrumentation - mandolins and dobros, banjos and fiddles. The movement from Snow Patrol to Tired Pony is still a lateral one for Lightbody, particularly when it comes to his songwriting. Fans of his work will recognize the "lovers in a storm" imagery in album opener "Northwestern Skies" from A Hundred Million Suns' "Lightning Strike," explored in fairly similar ways.

The Place We Ran From, released this month, disappoints in that it seems to satisfy an emotional impulse more so than a creative one. Weariness is not uncommon in the musical world; the constant traveling and pressure of being under observation tend to foster that kind of exhaustion. But ideally, the music should transcend that restlessness, that unhappiness, by operating on a creative level. It could offer some sort of redemption, an exit strategy. This is not the case for Tired Pony, who often seem to let the emotions drive (rather than simply inspire) their music. Though the songs do arrive to some sort of cathartic height every so often, the builds are too slow and we may find ourselves waiting through the first three minutes of "Get On The Road" to get to the last minute and a half. The Place We Ran From can feel somewhat like it's indulging the weariness, like it glamorizes the gloom.

Of course, there are some high points to the album that make it worthwhile, and worth the wait for those of you who are stateside (US release is set for September 28th). When the album does swell to the aforementioned, much anticipated cathartic heights, it really is quite good. All in all though, it is time for Lightbody to move out of his comfort zone of moody musicality.

Melany's grade: C+

-Melany

The 10 Songs You Don’t Want To Get Stuck In Your Head

Whether it’s because they’re objectively bad or because you never want to be caught absentmindedly singing them to yourself, there are definitely some songs that you just don’t want to get stuck in your head. I have the terrible habit of having the most unfortunate melodies stuck in my head at the most inopportune moments: right before a midterm or final, just before I head to bed, in the middle of a conversation, in that moment right after the professor has called on me but I haven’t started to speak yet… These are the songs that fragment themselves into little pieces of a chorus or verse and run tiny laps in your mind until you just start to tear your hair out in frustration.

This list is composed of songs that have proved particularly troublesome for me in the past few months. I’m sure there are plenty others that could be here, so feel free to post your choices in the comments!

With Arms Wide Open, Creed

Once this song’s stuck, it’s hard to shake. It could be Scott Stapp’s gravelly “man voice,” or the hackneyed string arrangement, or maybe the Tolkien-esque music video. Whatever the cause, the guitar solo and the chorus immediately after it were stuck in my head for a good portion of this past April. This is not a song you want anyone else to know you’ve ever heard before. Nickelback’s Photograph comes in a close second. I never have been able to figure out what the hell is on Joey’s head…

Baby, Justin Bieber

I’ll be the first to admit that if Justin Bieber were not Justin Bieber, I would probably like this song. The song’s chorus is catchy, Ludacris does a great verse, and the instrumental track balances perfectly with the vocals. But the catch is that it is Justin Bieber, and he recorded these songs about true love at the age of 14 or 15. I can’t take it seriously. Neither should any 14 year-old girl.

My Humps, Black Eyed Peas

Horrifying.

Best I Ever Had, Drake

I love Drake, I really do. But did he have to go and make his catchiest song have one of the least socially acceptable choruses ever? You can’t go singing this to yourself just anywhere.

Tik Tok, Ke$ha

Ke$ha’s rise to fame on this single is qualitatively the worst development in pop music in recent memory. You’ll probably never meet a person who likes this song, and yet everyone knows the opening lines. Everyone. Her voice is irritating, her style is uncreative, but that chorus is unnervingly catchy. I just really hope that P Diddy never wakes up feeling like Ke$ha, or else his next album will be made up of electro-pop dance music with autotuned singsong vocals about partying and being generally useless. Oh wait… that’s exactly what Last Train to Paris is going to be. For shame, Diddy. For shame.

Imma Be, Black Eyed Peas

Imma be, Imma be, Imma Imma Imma be. Imma be, Imma be, Imma Imma Imma be. Imma be, Imma be, Imma Imma Imma be. Imma be be be be Imma Imma be. Imma be be be be Imma Imma be. Imma be be be be Imma Imma be. Imma be, Imma be, Imma Imma Imma be. Imma be, Imma be, Imma Imma Imma be. Imma be, Imma be, Imma Imma Imma be. Imma be be be be Imma Imma be. Imma be be be be Imma Imma be. Imma be be be be Imma Imma be. Imma be, Imma be, Imma Imma Imma be. Imma be, Imma be, Imma Imma Imma be. Imma be, Imma be, Imma Imma Imma be. Imma be be be be Imma Imma be. Imma be be be be Imma Imma be. Imma be be be be Imma Imma be... in primal scream therapy if I have to listen to this ever again.

Ignition Remix, R. Kelly

Part of this track's catchiness comes courtesy of Dave Chappelle’s side-splittingly funny spoof. I can't divorce that video from the real thing. Both Ignition and its parody are so smooth and, in completely different ways, hilarious. Possibly the most laughable line: “So gimme that toot-toot, lemme give you that beep-beep.” Simply enchanting. Makes me want to give someone that toot-toot. Look what you’ve done to me, R. Kelly.

Drop It Like It’s Hot, Snoop Dogg ft. Pharrell

Snoop Dogg talks like a preteen girl here, raising the terminal inflection of that chorus loop so it sounds like a question every time. Drop it like it’s hot? Drop it like it’s hot? Drop it like it’s hot? No, I will not drop it like it’s hot, Snoop. Now stop asking. Go back to your wife and kids and contemplate the innumerable contradictions between your music and home life. Or, if that's too weighty, just think of another small country to rent.

Life’s a Bitch, Nas

This is the best track off Illmatic, Nas’s groundbreaking debut album. Which should mean that I’d be happy to get this stuck in my head… But it’s just so depressing. Having the line “life’s a bitch and then you die” on constant mental replay while doing those ACCT 101 practice exams in a secluded Van Pelt study carrel can sink you into a nihilistic funk pretty quickly. What other hip-hop songs can inspire such existential angst?

Stanky Legg, GS Boyz

Look up the definition of “stanky legg” on urbandictionary. If the name of the song and the appearance of the dance weren’t already repulsive enough, that will ruin any positive or even humorous associations you had with that song. Just make it stop! Please!

-Juan Carlos

2010: Nothing New?

2009 was an extraordinary year for music. From crazy electro-pop to electrifying indie rock, we were treated to some truly breathtaking stuff as the decade ended. This year, however, is a different story. It’s not necessarily that the music has been worse, but, so far anyway, it has been much less groundbreaking. Take a look at three of the best albums of the year to this point: ‘Teen Dream’ by Beach House, ‘How I Got Over’ by the Roots, and ‘The Wild Hunt’ by The Tallest Man on Earth. At their most creative, each improves on an existing sound – it doesn’t invent new ones. Beach House puts a wonderful spin on the relatively standard indie rock formula of clean, colorful guitar lines and a distant rhythm section. The edge on this record comes from Victoria Legrand’s vocals, but they aren’t enough to make ‘Dream’ revolutionary. The Roots perfect jazz-hop on their latest release, but it’s not the first time we’ve heard this sound. Actually, it’s not even the first time we’ve heard the Roots play this way. The Tallest Man on Earth writes soulful, clever ditties and accompanies them with very fine acoustic guitar playing. This is certainly his best outing yet, but it isn’t innovative. If anything, it reminds us that there’s still a place for the acoustic songwriter in the pop lexicon.

There are a few months for 2010 to change the way we think about music, but the odds don’t look good. We may have to settle for a year of albums that were great listens but didn’t provide new frontiers of sound.

- Jesse Javna

Review: "Lights" and "Barricade" by Interpol

Interpol has had a rough summer. First, most of their opening dates for U2 were cancelled because of Bono’s back surgery. Then Carlos D, their bassist and most iconic bandmate, left to pursue “new goals.” Without him, the band was rendered largely faceless to many fans. Even with his move from militant chic to more relaxed, normal dress, he remained an aesthetic center of the band, the one who defined what Interpol is all about. Fortunately for us, he recorded the upcoming album with the band, even if he’s not touring with them.

For those of you who aren’t familiar, Interpol was at the helm of the post-punk revival that took over the independent music scene a year or two after the garage rock style of the Strokes canonized indie rock with their album Is This It in 2001. Interpol’s album Turn On the Bright Lights, released in 2002, drew infinite comparisons to Joy Division, often seen as the one band that defined post-punk: sharp, angular basslines; monotonous vocals; sparse, often amelodic guitars; and tight, straightforward drumming. All this was hip in the late 70s and early 80s, but had largely faded out of the mainstream by the late 80s. Interpol brought this style back, and with that first album helped ensconce the post-punk sound as a core for much of the decade’s indie rock bands.

It’s been a long 8 years since then, but Interpol has managed to stay afloat, unlike so many of their early-2000s peers. Their lead single "Barricade" from their upcoming self-titled album was leaked onto the internet within the past week, and it’s a welcome sonic shift for Interpol. Their previous album, Our Love to Admire, was an unfortunate drift into unfamiliar territory for the band. From the look of this single, they’ve returned to their strengths.

The throbbing bass is what keeps "Barricade" from falling into the trap of their previous album, Our Love to Admire, which was largely composed of aimlessly plodding tracks of indeterminate structure. Carlos D keeps things on point here, and his perfect interplay with Sam Fogarino’s drums keeps Daniel Kessler (guitar) and Paul Banks (vocals/guitar) from getting carried away with their more ambient leanings. They keep the reverb to a minimum, and maintain their simple chordal strumming underneath everything. It all constitutes a move back to the concise format of their earlier songs. They could still afford to cut from the second half and make the chorus more distinctive, but "Barricade" is a lot better than anything they’ve done in the past three years.

What’s even better is that they’ve managed to distill the strongest elements from Our Love to Admire into a listenable, engaging form for this album. Their other single, "Lights", is a more controlled, focused take on the atmospheric facet of their style that took over Our Love to its detriment. This song actually goes somewhere. Paul Banks appears to have brought in some of the styling from his solo album and synthesized strong motifs and riffs into these more spacious songs. Would I still listen to "Lights" at almost any point, like I would with anything on Turn On the Bright Lights? Probably not. You have to be in the mood for it. It isn’t something infectious enough to rival their older material. It definitely does not need to be as long as it is (5:38), and it only gets really moving after four minutes. The whole gaining-momentum-to-a-sonic-climax thing isn’t one that they do too well, but they’re getting (marginally) better at it.

Interpol made the future difficult for themselves when they released their first album. Aside from being an amazing, game-changing piece of work, it restricted their aural palette to the barest of bones. The whole album was so strict in its instrumental and structural parameters that it left Interpol little room to evolve while staying faithful to their sound. Their second album was a slight misstep, their third a much larger one, but it seems as if their fourth album will mark a return to a more comprehensible, coherent evolution from Turn On the Bright Lights. We’ll have to wait until September 7 to hear in full, but based on these two tracks, I’m optimistic.

Juan Carlos’ rating:

Barricade: B+

Lights: B (but an A for effort and improvement)

-Juan Carlos

Barricade:

Lights:

Nerdstalgia: Darren Criss at The Living Room

My childhood officially ended in the summer of 2007-- the limbo summer between the carefree days of high school, and well, Penn, but more importantly, the last Harry Potter summer. Since then, I have always tried to find ways to recreate my childhood, a tendency that Darren Criss calls “nerdstalgia.” No one does it better than he does; if you go to his YouTube channel, you’ll find a series of acoustic Disney covers. And let’s not forget his claim to fame — he stars as Harry Potter in “A Very Potter Musical,” a play he helped write and produce with his friends at the University of Michigan and which became an Internet phenomenon last summer. The musical lovingly and, might I add, hilariously spoofs the Harry Potter saga, featuring a bromance between Voldemort and Quirrel, a flamboyant Dumbledore with a poster of Zac Efron in his office, and, as promised by the opening number, a “totally awesome” soundtrack. Criss and his friends, who call themselves Team StarKid, released the much-anticipated “A Very Potter Sequel” on YouTube last week.

Two weeks ago, I went to see Criss’ free show at The Living Room in New York City, and I left thinking that it was a show I would definitely be willing to pay for the next time around. Criss owned the stage with easy charisma that perfectly suited the intimate and casual atmosphere of the venue. Though he played a short set of only ten or twelve songs, he performed each song with energy and passion. His lone acoustic guitar never sounded bare and more than filled the small room and his piano numbers were equally resonant.

After the show, I spoke briefly to Criss. With the best intentions to communicate how much I enjoyed the show, I stupidly said something along the lines of “I enjoyed that more than I expected to.” Darren, if you’re reading this, I meant that in the best possible way. Not being too familiar with Criss’ repertoire, I went to the show hoping to hear a song or two from AVPM. Criss did not disappoint on this count. Along with a fervent performance of “Not Alone,” a favorite from the musical, he gave the audience a preview of the upcoming sequel, an immediately catchy song he prefaced with, “This song is supposed to be sung by a girl,” before crooning out the lyrics “I’m the coolest girl in the world!” But even Criss’ personal acoustic music was a pleasure. “I Still Think,” probably his strongest song, was full of hooks and clever melodies, and “Human,” which Criss wrote when he was fifteen and admittedly sounds like it, was nevertheless endearing. Criss ended his show with very subtle rendition of “A Whole New World.”

His ability to combine playfulness and maturity is Criss’ unique talent, one that definitely shone through in his performance.

You can check out “A Very Potter Musical” (and soon the sequel) on YouTube, and you can also find Criss’ very musically talented brother in the band Freelance Whales.


-Mary

Nothing to Be Desired

For the most part, tracing the genealogy of contemporary bands is straightforward. These days, save for a few black sheep, most bands’ patriarchs tend to be The Strokes, The Shins, The White Stripes, Franz Ferdinand, Interpol, etc. And yet, in a New York music scene where heterogeneity is constantly strived for but rarely reached, School of Seven Bells have created a sound all their own. They have achieved Uncategorizability, a level of innovation granted to a select few artists.

Ok, so maybe they’re a little categorizable. Perhaps they’re at the heretofore undefined midpoint between Bourne Identity soundtracks and Sigur Ros. And one certainly wouldn’t be ostracized for saying they’re an airier version of M83. Regardless, they’re new, different, and (above all) good.

At worst, Disconnect From Desire, their latest album, is a collection of songs that blend together because everything sounds the same. But at best, it’s the optimal relaxing background music (or perhaps foreground music, depending on the situation) for bed-lying, car-driving, and/or existential window-looking. This music is beyond chill – more than atmospheric. It’s stratospheric. Exospheric even. Up here, you may forget why any band even chooses to have a guitar track in their songs.

School of Seven Bells is vocal-centric, so the use of anything other than voices is extremely limited. There’s a bassline, perhaps a synth, and not much else. Employing front-twins’ Alejandra and Claudia Deheza’s celestial vocal chords as the primary means of melody ends up being a whole lot more practical than it is artsy – which is a surprisingly difficult balance to tip in one’s favor. Their voices on tracks like “Windstorm” will blow you away, if not for sheer awesomeness, then at least for pure novelty. Disconnect from Desire may not change your life, but it will open your ears to new possibilities.

Joe's Grade: B

-Joe

All Summer Long: My Favorite Warm-Weather Songs

Music and summer mix wonderfully. They have a symbiotic relationship – on their own, each is lovely, but together, they form a bond that can inspire spontaneous dance parties and turn the average road trip into the adventure of a lifetime. When you’ve finished your schoolwork and you’re ready for summer, it’s time to crank up the tunes.

I’ve put together a list of my 10 favorite summer songs to facilitate a June, July and August full of everything from surfing to sleeping in. They have served me well in the past and I hope they will do the same for you. At the risk of undermining my whole post, however, I encourage you to remember one important thing about music: songs are only as important as you make them. The best songs will be the ones that you have the most fun with – say, the ones you play at that awesome bonfire, or a sick 4^th of July banger, or while drinking a brew on the beach. Those are the ones that go down in history. So go ahead, sample my tastes; but when August comes to a close, make sure you have found your own as well.

10) ‘Even The Losers’ – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

After the long lead-up to June finally ends, it often seems like anything is possible. Tom Petty, perhaps the coolest loser in rock, sums up that feeling in a self-righteous declaration that anyone can get lucky. Since we're all losers in our way, it's nice to be reminded that being lame won't necessarily prevent us from having a rad summer.

9) ‘Time Is A Runaway’ – The Alternate Routes

This alt-pop tune didn’t make much of a splash when it was released, but it’s a personal favorite. The sound is simultaneously huge and sweet, with cascading guitar chords drenched in reverb and delay to create a mood reminiscent of the first few minutes of a summer sunset. Detractors would call it over-the-top pop, but it’s really just a warm reminder that summer doesn’t last forever.

8) ‘Anytime’ – My Morning Jacket

'Anytime' is appropriately titled – it's one of those tunes that fit every mood. It'll wake you up if you're sleepy, pick you up if you're heartbroken, and feed your fire if you're ready to rock out. Since you never know what's going to happen during summer, it's a great choice for a mix. Beyond that, it really is a fantastic song; Jim James and MMJ have an uncanny feel for making modern rock that draws on southern influences like the Allman Brothers and The Band. But their sound is all their own, and this song is a perfect example of what makes them special.

7) ‘Damn It Feels Good To Be A Gangster’ – Geto Boys

This song has only one purpose – to make you feel cool. In my adventures with silly hip-hop songs, 'Damn It Feels Good' is the best at changing one's demeanor from average homeboy to original gangster. You might recognize it from the cult-classic film Office Space, in which Peter turns G and decides not to come to work anymore…which eventually leads to a raise. Warning: results not typical.

6) ‘The Boys Are Back In Town’ – Thin Lizzy

For those of us lucky enough to be in college, summer often means going home. This is the perfect track for hitting up your old stomping grounds or reminiscing with friends about how cool you were in high school. Though they're occasionally roped in with heavy metal acts like Black Sabbath, Thin Lizzy distinguish themselves by adding colorful melodies and funny narrative lyrics to their power chords. In this case, the result is a track that rocks, but in a strange, sweet way. They never matched the success or quality of this song, but then again, most bands don't write anything this good at all.

5) ‘Surfin’ USA’ – The Beach Boys

Any of the Beach Boys’ classics will do just fine for fun in the sun, and the ballads (namely “Warmth of the Sun”) are ideal for evening strolls in the sand. But this one holds a special place in my heart. Mankind has often asked what would happen if “everybody had an ocean”, and in this Chuck Berry-inspired piece of rock candy, Brian Wilson and Co. answer: we’d go surfing. Plan to hit the sand during the sunny months, but if you don’t make it, you can always listen to the Beach Boys – which, in truth, may be the next best thing.

4) ‘In a Big Country’ – Big Country

There are those of us who have explored the great outdoors, and there are of those of us who should. Summer is the prime time to go camping with friends or take a long road trip, and this song is an essential travel accessory. A true gem that has never received its due, I believe this is one of the more underrated rock songs of all time, not to mention the perfect track for an excursion into the wilderness. It’s hard to have more fun than exploring nature and blasting ‘Big Country’.

3) ‘Summer In The City’ – The Lovin’ Spoonful

From the slam of the opening keyboard riff to the distant car horns in the bridge, “Summer in the City” is a mosaic of warm-weather sounds. The Lovin’ Spoonful mix a cup of blues-inspired rock, a batch of pop perfection, and a pinch of attitude to concoct a true classic. You don’t have to be in a city to enjoy it, but no song presents a better picture of metropolitan summer – from the muggy, hot days, to the cool, magical nights. Mark Sebastian’s thoughtful lyrics, though presented playfully, are timeless: “Don’t you know it’s a pity the days can’t be like the nights in the summer, in the city…”

2) ‘1979’ – The Smashing Pumpkins

There’s something magical about being young in summertime. Perhaps it’s the absence of responsibility, or the freedom that clear skies afford – or both. In any case, the Smashing Pumpkins flawlessly capture the upside of youthful angst on this, their magnum opus. Breezy guitar riffs combined with a soothing electro-beat provide the ideal background for appreciating those lazy summer days when having nothing to do feels divine.

1) ‘Born to Run’ – Bruce Springsteen

Summer is about being adventurous, and no song in the popular music catalog incites more youthful bravery than this classic. As masterful as he is at crafting rock tunes, The Boss can get long-winded at times, and it’s obvious when he’s trying too hard. But there’s none of that here. Every drum roll, every wail of the sax, and every howl Springsteen lets loose are perfectly placed. Together, they make something greater. “Born to Run” is rock n’ roll at its peak – in four and a half minutes of blazing passion, it inspires us to seek out the mystical parts of existence that make life beautiful. You can’t ask for much more in a summer song.

A few honorable mentions, and their function:

‘4th of July’ – Robert Earl Keane

Great for getting the patriotic juices flowing on Independence Day.

‘Walk In The Park’ – Beach House

Pretty self-explanatory.

‘So Hard To Find My Way’ – Jackie Greene

Forget your worries and embrace the warm weather.

‘Boulevard’ – Jackson Browne

Inspiration for exploring a new city.

‘The Frog Prince’ – Keane

Uplifting if things aren't going exactly as planned.

- Jesse Javna