Break It Yourself

Andrew Bird

It’s been a while since I’ve positively reviewed an album. Sorry to have been such a downer lately, but nothing I had chosen to review really impressed me. When I decided to review Andrew Bird’s new album this week, I was eagerly hoping things would turn around because I really enjoy listening to Bird’s music. Thankfully, I wasn’t disappointed.

Break It Yourself is a typical Andrew Bird album. You get exactly what you’d expect from the singer/songwriter”: playful laidback melodies, philosophical lyrics, and whistling (it wouldn’t be an Andrew Bird album without the latter). And that’s very much a good thing. This is Bird’s sixth solo album, so why mess with what’s working. He’s not at the point in his career where he needs to switch up his formula that’s worked since the mid-90s. Though I was pleasantly surprised to see that on Break It Yourself Bird returned instrumental focus back to the violin, whereas on 2007’s Armchair Apocrypha and 2009’s chart topper Noble Beast he switched to guitar as his primary instrument. He shows just how sharp a violinist he is on one of the album’s standout tracks “Orpheo Looks Back”, which features a thrilling and remarkable violin solo midway through.

Break It Yourself is a strong album throughout from “Desperation Breeds…” all the way through the extremely lengthy “Hole in the Ocean Floor”, which oddly never feels like it’s meandering too much considering it clocks in at over eight minutes. The album’s closer “Belles” feels like as proper an ending to any Andrew Bird album with its lush and soothing xylophone chimes and crickets chirping in the background. Songs like “Give It Away”, “Sifters”, and “Fatal Shore” (not a Chili Peppers cover, though that would be just as intriguing) display Bird’s signature lyrics that are so much deeper after multiple listens, whether he’s musing about society and our reliance on currency or love and how it changes as we get older.

This album truly shines though when it really tries to grab the listener. “Danse Caribe” could easily have been a garbled mess, but Bird somehow manages to blend his signature folk sound with a little bit of Celtic and still deliver a track that makes me want to dance. “Eyeoneye” is the album’s catchiest track by far and delivers the biggest the hook, easily winning me over. It features the perfect blend of guitar, whistling (what else?), and introspective lyrics.

Overall, I’m very pleased to say that Break It Yourself is another solid album from Andrew Bird. It’s not revolutionary or game changing, and it doesn’t need to be. It’s the perfect album to usher in the spring season and can be enjoyed in various atmospheres, whether you’re relaxing on a lazy Sunday, trying to provide some good mood music on a date, or taking a long drive through the desert.

Recommended Tracks: “Danse Caribe”, “Eyeoneye”, “Orpheo Looks Back”

Hollowed Out Tree

Tracy Heartfelt Starr

by guest contributer Michael L.

This review is biased. Being from the same old town as Tracey Heartfelt Starr, I admit that I am already down for his lyrical products, whether they are greatness or madness. So, yes, I will vouch for him. However, I listened to his new album Hollowed Out Tree in its entirety (which was the first time I had made time for such activity in a long time) and was pleasantly surprised by its quality and realness.


Honestly, I took a leave of absence from listening to hip-hop, but after listening to Heartfelt’s new album for free on SoundCloud (http://soundcloud.com/heartfelt-1/tracks) I foresee a return. I am an undeservingly picky bastard when it comes to music, and thanks to some early schooling from the artist Heartfelt I have always been even more so with my hip-hop. Fortunately, this is hiphop; so it’s not so much about how many artists you like but which ones you can actually feel. This, like the many other characterizations and generalizations that may seem so fitting for hip-hop and the work of hip-hop artists, are not so suitable for Heartfelt’s work. Every time one tries to narrow down his style it seems to shift with each track, as if constantly staying one step ahead just to elude those of us who find comfort in categorizing the world around us; but I if I really had to summarize his style in one word, I would simply say “heartfelt” (in its literal meaning).


However, in order to convey a more tangible thought about the sounds Heartfelt makes, I will start with the usual—name dropping. However, in each case the comparison falls short in some way (but usually in a good way). For instance, his style parallels a younger and less stable Atmosphere, but not in any “cover band” sort of way; it is more like Heartfelt’s headphones and equipment are literally stained by years of listening to Slug’s beats, so he can be heard in the background like some kind of audio ghost. This is most prevalent in the beats of the gloomiest of tracks, particularly in “Dead Star” where the faint sound of Atmosphere beats can be heard in the background at the end of the song. His lyrical style also reminds one of a smarter-West Coast version of Eminem, but for all the right reasons! His honesty is similarly pure enough that people stop to listen and relate to the words that they themselves wish they could get off their chests; Heartfelt therefore speaks to our inner self and subs for our inner mouth piece.


His lyrics and dialect are also noticeably distinct from many other white hip-hop artists, whom are mostly either exaggerating in stereotypical white goofiness or are significantly influenced by urban styles (yea, I said it). Instead, Heartfelt strikes a pleasant and very genuine stance that he makes his own. This seems to position himself more as an everyday person and even a hip-hop outsider at first, but his lyrics dissect and diagnose hip-hop in songs like “Natural Selection” with such lethal accuracy that anyone can relate, whether they are an expert “insider” or someone just looking in who feels it. However, in other tracks about hip-hop it seems he does not set out to make it the main focus of the track, and his reflective critiques do not sound like passing digressions from his main message; he still raps about his life, but it just so happens that his life is hip-hop. This leaves the listener begging for the fresh air that is Heartfelt’s critical focus and honesty to touch many other things in our lives as well as to extend his worries of the future, such as with the track “Smokers Cough” which speaks truth to the ills of cigarettes.


Heartfelt therefore lives up to the literal meaning of his performer name (and his real middle name) “Heartfelt” through his lyrics. He also has a salient passion to live up to the symbolic meaning of his last name, which is pronounced the same as “star”, through his passionate performances. Despite the degree to which Heartfelt went from being a young fan in the crowd at hip-hop shows to actually performing on stage next to his idols (such as Sage Francis), he refuses to grant himself any breathing room until he considers himself a star. This is certainly something we are all made insiders to with his new album Hollowed Out Tree.

Favorite tracks: “Natural Selection, “A Soldier’s Retreat”

LA Concert Update

We've got quite a plethora of acts who have announced tours recently. Here are some show's coming to the Los Angeles area in the near future:

First up we have Irvine's very own Thrice playing at Club Nokia on Saturday, June 16th. Tickets are currently on sale and range from $21.49-$31.50 + fees.

R&B singer Lalah Hathaway will also be playing at Club Nokia on Friday, April 6th. She is currently touring in support of her 6th studio album Where It All Begins, which was released back in October. Tickets go on sale Friday 3/2 and cost between $21.50 and $36 +fees.

And now something for the electronic music fans. British dubstep duo Nero will be playing a dj set at 4th and B in San Diego on Tuesday, April 17th. I know it's not an L.A. show like the headline would imply, but I thought I'd include it because they won't be playing a local show due to contract commitments with Coachella. Tickets go on sale Friday 3/2 and will cost $41.75-$58.80.

Hardcore punk band Off! will be playing an intimate hometown show at the Whiskey A Go Go on Tuesday, May 8th. The band plan on releasing a new album later this year at an unannounced time, but the fact that they will be playing for audiences means that they will likely be debuting some fresh material. Tickets go on sale Friday 3/2 and will cost $21.

On Monday, May 14th indie rockers The Drums will be performing at the El Rey Theatre in support of their sophomore album Portamento, which was released back in September. Tickets go on sale Friday 3/2 for $20.

Indie pop act Destroyer will also be coming to the El Rey Theatre on Wednesday, June 6th. Tickets go on sale Friday 3/2 and will run for a cheap $25.

Brooklyn noise pop duo Sleigh Bells (whose new album I recently reviewed) will be performing at the Fox Theater in Pomona on Wednesday April 4th. Though I am not the biggest fan of their new album, it has been received pretty well by most critics. Tickets go on sale Saturday 3/3 for $33.15.

Fear not, country music fans. I've got you covered. Billboard chart topping Zac Brown Band will be taking their act to the big stage at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater on Sunday, April 15th. Tickets go on sale Saturday 3/3 and range from $40-$112.25

LMFAO will be taking their annoying ass Party Rocking Tour to the Staples Center on Saturday, June 5th. For anyone that wants to lose a few IQ points, tickets go on sale Saturday 3/3 and will range from $29.50-$69.50.

Old school metalheads rejoice! Iron Maiden is touring once again and will be playing the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Irvine on Thursday, August 9th. Tickets go on sale Friday 3/2 and will range from $40-$156.50.

And finally, recent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Guns n' Roses have just announced a trio of Los Angeles shows. Unfortunately, this will be the current empty shell of a GnR lineup and not the classic lineup that is likely to appear at the HoF ceremony. Nevertheless, Axl Rose and crew will be playing the Hollywood Palladium on Friday, March 9th, then play the Wiltern on Sunday, March 10th, and wrap up the string of shows with a performance at the House of Blues Sunset on Monday, March 11th. Tickets for each show go on sale Friday 3/2 and will cost a whopping $97.05, $101.70-$171, and $144 respectively. While the ticket prices are unreasonably expensive, keep in mind that these are pretty intimate shows for such a big band.

WZRD

WZRD

It’s been a while since we’ve last heard from Kid Cudi. After taking some time off after Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager and getting sober, Cudi returns in 2012 for what he hopes to be a big year. His first release of the year is under the name WZRD, a psych-rock collaboration between himself and producer Dot Da Genius (who also co-produced Kid Cudi’s first two Man on the Moon albums).

There’s no sugarcoating it: this is a pretty bad album. Which it is. Cudi even admitted that he suffered from writer’s block for 5 months before he started writing for WZRD. That struggle is evident in the corny lyrics delivered in the first few songs, “High Off Life” and “The Dream Machine.” Gone are the days of the lonely stoner. These songs celebrate Cudi’s sobriety as he realizes that he can make it without marijuana in his life, which is fine. But, the lyrics here seem so weak and cliché that it really drags down the album, which is especially perilous for a new band on their first album.

As the album meanders onward, the first decent song comes in the form of “Teleport 2 Me, Jamie” with it’s catchy hook and sampling of “Under Your Spell” by Desire. After that, Cudi delivers a patchy and impossible-to-live-up-to cover of “Where Did You Sleep Last Night?” by Lead Belly. Nirvana should’ve been the last band to cover that song, seeing as how they even outdid the original.

All this wouldn’t even be that bad if the instrumentals were halfway tolerable. Which they weren’t. Every song on Kid Cudi’s Man on the Moon: The End of Day had an incredibly catchy beat and was much more different than any other mainstream hip-hop artist. That’s what made his album so great (and the fact that it was a clever concept album, which I’m a sucker for). Unfortunately, Cudi can’t translate that unique sound into alternative rock. None of the tracks wee able to stand out in a good way here. Every track sounds half-baked (pun intended) and unmemorable.

I’ll never knock a guy for going to rehab to fix an addiction. In fact, I commend Kid Cudi for taking control of his life and realizing that he needed to change his habit. It’s just too bad his songwriting muse had to hit the road with the marijuana. But who knows, maybe Cudi has since found his groove and will be able to redeem himself with Man on the Moon III later this year.

Recommended Tracks: “Teleport 2 Me, Jamie”

Reign of Terror

Sleigh Bells

After receiving very positive reception with their 2010 debut Treats, Sleigh Bells return with their sophomore effort Reign of Terror. The duo of Derek Miller and Alexis Krauss had stated prior to its release that Reign of Terror would draw from metal influences. Sure enough, you can feel that influence from the get go.

We get a decent opener in “True Shred Guitar” with its crowd-buffering guitar riffs. We then dive into “Born to Lose” where the subject matter takes a dark turn toward suicide accompanied by pounding bass pedals intermittently. Very metal.

The album is at its best with arena thumpers “Crush and “End of the Line”, the latter of which is more of a traditional pop song than anything else on Reign of Terror. Kind of like what “Rill Rill” was on Treats. Sadly, this is the peak of the album’s greatness. Make no mistake, Sleigh Bells delivered on their promise of metal influences. It’s very evident in most of the songs, especially on the second half of the album. From the dark songs about death and suicide (“You Lost Me”) to the powerful guitar riffs and thudding kick drums (“Demons”) the Brooklyn duo really made sure to cover the basics of metal-inspired tunes. Sadly, the album just fell flat. Like the thud of a kick drum. The least three songs on the album all blended together for me and were not very memorable.

I’ll admit that I wasn’t that big a fan of Treats. It had its few good songs, but as a whole the album sounded like a garbled bunch of noise. However, as I was listening to Reign of Terror I wanted to go back to Treats and if I do, I’ll probably appreciate it more. Sleigh Bells did try to do something different with their sound here and I applaud the effort from Miller and Krauss. I never got the feeling they were phoning it in by any means. This album just suffers from too much repetitiveness in its beats and ultimately can’t redeem itself.

Recommended Tracks: “Crush”, “End of the Line”

Born to Die

Lana Del Rey

I can’t remember an artist in my lifetime who’s been as polarizing as Lana Del Rey. You can’t get a performing gig on SNL without attaining a big fan base (especially without even having put out a record at the time). Alas, haters love to hate her. I mean they REALLY love to hate her. So many blogs and forums have made it their mission in life to tear her apart, even though Del Rey (a.k.a. Lizzy Grant) only released a handful of tunes under her current moniker. And after Del Rey completely tanked on SNL, it seemed the haters had won the battle.

I wanted to listen to this album with a very open mind. Truth be told, I really wanted this album to be good just to put an end to the unfair backlash she's received over the past few months. Most of it had to do with her “fake” image and her stage name. It’s ridiculous how many people fake their image in music, so why does Lana Del Rey get so much shit for it? I don’t for one minute believe that Lady Gaga has always exhibited the weird and outlandish behavior does, yet she got nowhere near the amount flack Del Rey’s received when she broke out with "Just Dance". Speaking of which, Lady Gaga is not her real name. Neither is Prince. Nor Jay-Z, Bob Dylan, or Common. So why can’t Lizzy Grant perform under the name “Lana Del Rey”? But, I digress…

This review isn’t about any of that. It’s about Lana Del Rey’s first LP Born to Die and whether or not she can back up the hype that’s surrounded her since last summer.

Her debut album focuses mostly on problems with men. I use “men” very loosely because many of the songs give off a very teenage vibe. But, I’d feel so lame if I said “boy problems.”

I had already heard the title track “Born to Die” and “Video Games” prior to the album’s release and I honestly like them. I still stand by them now as both being good songs. Especially the latter, which offers an honest perspective of what it’s like to love someone so much and feel like something isn’t being reciprocated.

Unfortunately, I can’t speak so highly of the rest of the album. All of the songs are so one-note and don’t measure up to par with the aforementioned tracks. Born to Die is an album almost exclusively about love and boys and wanting to feel loved by boys. This is fine as a topic for a few songs, but honestly ends up falling flat because none of the songs are really memorable at all. They have the same slow, lusting rhythm without much variation. I’m guessing the idea was to focus more on the lyrics and sultry seduction in Del Rey’s voice rather than crafting a synthy pop beat. This is good in theory (like communism), but doesn’t work at all and completely backfires (like communism). The result is an album of boring and forgettable tracks.

It’s not that Del Rey doesn’t have a good voice. She just doesn’t exhibit much vocal range on any of the songs on this album. Then again, maybe she doesn’t have a good voice at all and the production crew did a great job of mixing and perfecting the vocals. Either way, by the time “Million Dollar Man” rolled around, I was so tired of hearing the same song about how fickle boys can be that I had given up hope that it would redeem itself lyrically. And it didn’t. The album hit a complete thud with such drivel as “This is What Makes Us Girls” and “Without You”, the latter of which contains the lyrics “Summertime is nice and hot / My life is sweet like vanilla is”. “Lolita” might be the worst of the bunch. It’s basically what you’d get if Ke$ha’s and Katy Perry’s songwriters collaborated.

I’m sorry to say it, but the haters have been vindicated. At least for now.

Recommended Tracks: “Born to Die”, “Video Games”

Given to the Wild

The Maccabees

Before finally listening to Given to the Wild, a lot of hype was being built around The Maccabees’ third album. London’s own indie rock sextet has become one of the hottest bands in the U.K. over the past 5 years. But let’s face it: there are so many buzz bands that have great debuts, pretty solid follow-ups, and then fizzle into obscurity by the time their third album is released. Naturally, I was wary of what I was about to listen to.

I needn’t have worried. The Maccabees have released what is the first truly great album of 2012 in Given to the Wild. Here, we are treated to a splendid, yet heartbreaking album about loss of innocence and coping with heartbreak. Singer Orlando Weeks really knows how to evoke all the proper emotions out of the listener when he tackles each of these themes with his soft and solemn tone.

The opening title track is a perfect segway into “Child”, the album’s second song which tackles the loss of innocence head on. Songs like “Feel to Follow” and “Go” show how truly in sync the band is from an instrumental perspective. The former is just pure bliss with dueling guitars and light drum battering that builds up to the finale of the song, while the latter has its own distinct beat and soaring guitar solo that builds up until only to slow down at the halfway mark. From there it’s lather, rinse, repeat for the second half of “Go.” Lead single “Pelican” is one of the faster songs on the album that focuses on taking what you can from life and enjoying it before our time is up. And the cycle repeats itself over and over.

The album really shines when it deals with heartbreak on one of the album’s best tracks “Forever I’ve Known”, where Week’s sings of knowing a relationship is over, but begs his lover “couldn’t you still try?” After one listen, I was hooked and it’s one of my favorite breakup songs to be released in the past couple years. On “Went Away” he revisits the same theme of love lost and clings onto the shambles of a broken relationship. And when it feels like all hope is lost on “Slowly One” the album slips into a nearly two-minute breakdown that sees the light at the end of the tunnel.

Though this is a fantastic album, it does not come without its flaws. The sound on many of the tracks feels very similar to each other, making it hard to distinguish between them. Fortunately, it’s a very relaxed and focused sound with shimmering guitars and steady bass lines that allow the album to be enjoyed anywhere and at any time. One listen may not be enough to hook you on Given to the Wild, but after a few plays it becomes hard to resist. Unfortunately it has yet to be distributed in the U.S., but will hopefully be available stateside in the not-too distant future.

Recommended Tracks: “Feel to Follow”, “Forever I’ve Known”, “Pelican”, “Slowly One”