Like any other pseudo-obsessive music fan, I have a tendency to check out the opening acts of upcoming concerts in the hope of discovering something truly phenomenal. The payoff comes once in a while when I click that play button on a bands MySpace page and beautiful waves of music stream from my computer speakers. I have to admit the experience is not as common as Id like, but there have been a few occasions, like when the Bowerbirds opened for Bon Iver at the Bowery Ballroom in July 2008, when the opening act does more than hold its own. I was particularly happy to discover that both the opening bands, Darker My Love and The Fling, at last weeks Delta Spirit show at Webster Hall totally rock. Woodys just covered Darker My Love here. This post is an ode to The Fling.
The Fling is Dustin and Graham Lovelis, Justin Roeland and Justin Ivey, four young lads from Long Beach, CA. Since 2008 theyve put out an EP, Ghost Dance, a 7″, Out of My Head, and in 2010 released their first full-length album, When the Madhouses Appear. Dustin, the lead singer and songwriter, has the unique capacity to compose songs that reflect a variety of styles, conjuring up influences as diverse as Pink Floyd and The Beatles. The band strikes a sonic balance with rich vocal harmonies, intricate chord structures and pure energy. Madhouses is also that ever so rare album that remains consistently good from start to finish. This is even more striking given the various niche genres/influences apparent on the disc. Wanderingfoot, Stranger, Devils Man and No Sleep are highlights for me. When the Madhouses Appear has quickly risen into my top-ten for 2010, and well see where it settles.
So, how did The Fling fare as an opener for Delta Spirits rollicking show last week at Webster Hall? Riveting is one word that comes to mind. The few of us who showed up at 8pm to hear their short 30 minute set were treated to a full-throttled experience, sure to be a preview of more to come.
A few months ago Oz posted about the lead track by a little known band called Pepper Rabbit. “Older Brother” is a mesmerizing piece of folk-pop that is at times stark and at other points fully orchestrated. The ukulele purposely moves along as horns and piano dance around it. It is a brilliant piece of songwriting that has been wearing out my repeat button and had me anxiously awaiting the full LP by this duo of Xander Singh and Luc Laurent.
I don’t want to say I was let down when I got the full version of Beauregard – just a little surprised. I expected every tune to suck me in like “Older Brother” and leave me grinning like I was on nitrous. But alas, that didn’t happen. Two things kept pulling me back this album, however: 1) The aforementioned Older Brother and 2) I had the same reaction with label mates Grizzly Bear. I kept going back to Vecktamiest due to the song “Two Weeks” and now I consider that album to be pure genius.
So I repeatedly set off on my journey with Beauregard, anxious to find something connect me to the album. On one of my early listens, I just focused in on Laurent’s percussion. Rarely do I say this about a drummer, but I found his percussion to be very soothing. The stability of his playing was a welcome respite as Singh layered a variety of instruments and looped vocals that kept my head spinning.
Then I was started to delve into the nuances of Pepper Rabbit’s songs. The way the keys that dance up your spine on “Harvest Moon” or the feeling of falling out of control on “In The Spirit of Beauregard.” The way the clarinet just lies beneath the banjo on “Snowalker” giving it a slight boost. Over the course of a few listens, I really began to enjoy the genius of this partnership. Every song seems to feature a different instrument and offer a glimpse of the creativity to come in the future. This is one of the best bands to emerge in 2010.
Alive As You Are is Darker My Love’s third disc. Fronted by Tim Presley, the band apparently changed their sound dramatically after Presley’s father’s death. Their first two albums were described as being born in the shoegaze territory. And while shoegaze is territory that I don’t care to delve into very much, Alive As You Are falls right into my comfort zone.
Its easy to hear the late sixties influences throughout the album. The influence of early Dead such as Workingman’s Dead and American Beauty are apparent throughout. “Even in my punk days, I would still listen to Workingmans Dead,” Presley says. “It was like a weird guilty pleasure.” Listen, we all have our guilty pleasures. Mine is The OC. That got me nowhere except for emotionally vested in Ryan Atwood’s life. Presley’s guilty pleasure yielded a damn good album.
The album starts off pleasantly enough with a number of catchy tunes, but it really begins to take off on the back end of the record. “Trail The Line” is a great tune in the vein of The Mother Hips. They even nail that slow California soul opening before launching into a wickedly catchy hook. “June Bloom,” the track that immediately follows, really hammers home that Hips sound and is fantastically catchy mid-tempo ballad.
So while I might not be able to give you any fantastic comparisons between their first two efforts and Alive As You Are, I can safely say that if you dig the sounds of the late 60′s and HearYa faves The Mother Hips , then you’ll dig this album. They’re currently on tour with Delta Spirit which should make for quite a nice night of music.
I tried to find a good Thanksgiving song as y’all head out to spend time with your loved ones. One of my favorite lyrics of all time comes from The Avett Brothers:
Always remember there is nothing worth sharing like the love that let us share our name.
Thanks for reading HearYa and for all your support. The comments and emails keep us going. We really appreciate ya. We’ll be back next week with a live session with The Black Angels and many more music recommendations. Happy Thanksgiving!
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