Recommended Watch: Locke

Locke, starring Tom Hardy, is not blockbuster material. Hardy is the sole actor on screen the entire movie as we ride along his drive from work to London, not home to where he would normally be headed. I won't reveal the exact reason he's not going home, but he makes a life altering decision and now must deal with the fallout. He has a series of phone calls to make and receive as the drive unfolds. We hear his boss, co-worker, wife, boys, and the instigator to is decision. (Love Ruth Wilson, who plays his wife to perfection.)

Given the fact that Locke was filmed in several single takes, Hardy's performance is even more impressive. After a summer of big movies based on previously published materials, it was refreshing to see something original and human. It is small in place and time, but not impact.

Find it in the catalog!

Nicholas Sparks: Who Dies? The Lucky One Edition

  Disclaimer: It goes without saying, you shouldn't read this post if you haven't seen the movie and knowing the deceased party will ruin it for you.  Also, you probably shouldn't read it if you think The Notebook is one the most romantic books/ movies ever.   

Author Nicholas Sparks has another movie adaptation out (just in time for Mother's Day!).  I know what you're thinking- all of his plots are the same!  A couple falls in love, they hang out a lot on North Carolina beaches, kiss passionately in the rain, and at least one person dies.  But don't be so cynical.  The Lucky One is completely different!  It takes place in Louisiana not North Carolina!

Premise: The Lucky One follows hunky Marine Logan Thibault (Zach Efron), who finds a picture of a beautiful woman in the dirt while fighting in Iraq.  He plans on returning the picture to its owner, but it doesn't appear to have one.  However, Logan becomes extremely lucky after finding the picture- even surviving a deadly battle that killed two of his friends.  When his third tour of duty is over, he decides to track down the woman in the picture to thank her.  But once he meets the woman- a spunky, single mom named Beth (Taylor Schilling), he decides to romance her instead.  Because that isn't creepy at all! And then they probably hang out a lot on the beach and lock lips in the rain and all that other boring stuff that happens in Nicholas Sparks books. But let's get to the important question- who dies?  (Serious spoiler alerts after the jump!)

Actor Spotlight: Viggo Mortensen

A brief primer on why Mr. Mortensen is significantly cooler than you are:

• He is fluent in at least three languages (English, Danish, Spanish), and is conversant in several others. His performance in the 2006 historical film Alatriste is one example of his mastery of the Spanish language.
• He was married to Exene Cervenka, co-founder of the influential Los Angeles punk band X. This, in itself, places him in a fairly rarefied realm of coolness. To exceed that level of cool, you'd pretty much have to be Exene Cervenka.
• He is a photographer, painter, musician, and published poet. (These are not vanity projects; his earliest book was published in 1993, long before his role in The Lord of the Rings made him a household name.)
• He was in Young Guns II. If you don't think that's pretty cool, then you really need to watch Young Guns II. (You don't need to have seen the first Young Guns, and you don't need to care about Westerns.)
• His brief performance as Lalin, a paraplegic ex-gangster, opposite Al Pacino in Carlito's Way evinced more genuine pathos than any other moment in the entire 144-minute film.
• He played the role of Lucifer (yes, that Lucifer) in the 1995 film The Prophecy, and managed to not seem completely ridiculous in doing so. No small feat, if you think about it.
• His performance in A History of Violence, the actor's first collaboration with director David Cronenberg. Mortensen convincingly plays his character as a small-town everyman, until the plot convinces you otherwise.
• His performance in Eastern Promises, the actor's second collaboration with director David Cronenberg. Look for a false note in Mortensen's portrayal of compromised Russian gangster Nikolai Luzhin. You will not find one.
• Along with Johnny Depp, he may be the only human being who can get away with curiously sculpted facial hair. (I am not advocating this.)
• In A Dangerous Method, his most recent collaboration with Cronenberg, he played the towering historical figure Sigmund Freud. His take on the character was nuanced; calculating without seeming calculated; amusing, but without any trace of parody. (I'm legally required to point out that Mortensen's co-star in A Dangerous Method is the Media Corner favorite Michael Fassbender.)
• He participated in the documentary film The People Speak, in which actors and musicians perform dramatic renditions of the words of every-day Americans. His reading of a letter written by the family of a man who died in the World Trade Center attacks is deeply moving.
• His performance in The Road, an adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's grim  post-apocalyptic novel. Mortensen powerfully portrays the unnamed father's relentless determination to protect and provide for his son.

Best of 2011: Hollywood Hunks

Of course, we love these actors for their souls and/ or talent, but they aren't that difficult to look at either.  Below we highlight our achievements in handsomeness (or more accurately, affable nerdy charm) in TV and film.

Hunk Criteria:

• Made a movie or appeared in a currently running TV show (sorry, Jon Hamm!) in 2011.
• Has a decent filmography (competence is sexy!)
• Makes interesting role choice. 
• Handsomeness.
• Sense of humor.

To even the playing field a bit, I'm excluding several actors that I've talked about at length before (some might say excessively).  Sadly, Paul Schneider, Andrew Garfield, Sam Rockwell, Adam Scott, and Jesse Eisenberg are excluded from the list. They are all, however, totally dreamy (seriously, call me any time guys!).

Achievements in Handsomeness Television:

5).  Zach Gilford as Matt Saracen from Friday Night Lights. 
I pretty much have a crush on every single guy on Friday Night Lights, it's hard to just pick one (Okay, Tim Riggins, if you twist my arm).  That being said, Matt got cuter in the last season.  Maybe it's the whole artist thing or perhaps just Zach Gilford's increasingly floppy hair.

Check out Friday Night Lights or one of Zach's films.

4).  Jake M. Johnson as Nick from New Girl. 

With his relaxed hipster look (Nick loves flannel shirts and hoodies), he is adorable in a guy-next-door sort of way.  Nick manages to be both a straight man to Jess (Zooey Deschanel) and Schmidt (Max Greenfield) and a jaded, neurotic mess. 

Check out New Girl, Tuesday nights at 8PM on Fox.

2).  Josh Charles as Will Gardner from the Good Wife.

Matt Czuchry as Cary Agos from the Good Wife (tie).  
It's hard to choose between these two Good Wife guys.  Will Gardner was definitely my favorite in Season 1. Partly because he's played by Josh Charles, who I've had a crush on since Sports Night, and partly because he was so sweet and lovelorn about Alicia (Julianna Margulies)- even though she was still married and he's her boss.  However, his character seems to be getting increasingly shady.  Still, he looks sharp in a suit.

Meanwhile, Cary seemed immature and conceited in season one.  But in the following two seasons, his character has gained considerable depth.  I really enjoy his relationship with Kalinda (Archie Panjabi) on the show.

Check out the Good Wife or one of Josh Charles's films.

1).  Timothy Olyphant as U.S. Marshall Raylan Givens from Justified.
Never have cowboy hats looked so good!

Check out Justified or one of Timothy Olyphant's other work on film and TV.

Concert Review: The National, Wye Oak and Local Natives at the Aragon Ballroom, 12/6/2011

Last Tuesday night, Brooklyn based indie rockers, the National, played a sold out show at Uptown's Aragon Ballroom.

Even though the National has been one of my favorite bands for about six year now, I never quite got around to seeing them live.  At first, it was just pure laziness on my part, but for the last couple of years there have been some serious obstacles in my way: like only playing Chicago for Lollapalooza (port-a-potties and poor sound quality, I think not) or playing the exact same night AND time as my other favorite Ohio rock band- the Black Keys.  Excuses excuses, I know, but I was getting seriously worried I'd never see them live. So when the Aragon gig was announced, I was super excited that not only were the National playing Chicago again (and indoors!), but they had two bands I liked a lot opening for them! 

Baltimore duo Wye Oak started off the evening a little bit before seven.  Their album, Civilian, was one of my favorite albums of this year, but I was even more impressed with their live show. Jenn Wasner's vocals really popped in a live setting and her guitar playing was phenomenal. The band had incredible sound for a two person outfit, especially considering the Aragon's barn like acoustics and that poor Wasner spent most of the set being half- electrocuted by her mike.

Next up were L.A. based indie poppers Local Natives. Out of the bands, they were probably the one I was least excited to see. I enjoyed their album, Gorilla Manor. But they are a little too upbeat and accessible for me to listen to on a regular basis.  But in concert, they were adorable and the audience really enjoyed their set.   Local Natives singer Taylor Rice had an easy going and affable stage presence (and looked vaguely like James Franco with a mustache).  It was probably smart to have them sandwiched in between two more lugubrious acts.  They were the only band that you could dance to and not look weird (though many tried and failed to prove otherwise). 

Before the National set, they had a live video of the band hanging out backstage.  It had a strange effect on the audience.  At first we calmly watched the video, then slowly started cheering louder and louder to cajole the band out of their dressing room- like a pre-concert encore. The band took the stage around nine and played for a solid hour and a half.  Singer Matt Berninger looked sharp in a suit coat, vest, tie, jeans and oxfords.  Casually holding a wine glass in his hand through the evening, he looked like the dapperest man in indie rock (Hamilton Leithauser better up his game).  The band opened with "Runaway" from their most recent album, High Violet.  But their set drew from throughout their career, including tracks from their more obscure early records like "Murder Me Rachael" from Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers and "Son" from their self-titled debut. 

Second Annual Beardys: Hollywood edition

Last year, we compiled a list of the best facial hair in music.  While, the beard trend continues to grow, even invading the once clean cut J. Crew catalogs, the facial hair landscape in music hasn't really changed that much since last year (minus Dan Auerbach retiring the gingerbeard!).  So, instead this year's beardys will focus more on the bewhiskered in film and television.

First, we do have three musical award updates first though:

Best Ginger Beard (Issued in memory of Dan Auerbach's Beard): Robin Pecknold from the Fleet Foxes.
On a non-facial hair related note, I'm totally digging the Fleet Foxes' new album, Helplessness Blues. 

Best Creepy Uncle Mustache:  George Lewis Jr., Twin Shadow.  He also wins the Steven Patrick Morrissey Award for best pompadour in popular music.

Check out Twin Shadow's excellent debut album,  Forget!

Best Beard in Rap: Rick Ross
Check out one of his albums!

Fret not, for more discussion of beards in music, check out New York Mag's excellent Beard Symposium. 

Now, the Beardys go to Hollywood:

Most Swoon-worthy beard:  Ryan Gosling.
I'm not saying that Ryan Gosling has a face that launched a million beards, but how many dudes under the age of forty had a beard before Half Nelson?  And now every hipster in the city of Chicago is happily bewhiskered...hmmm... But Gosling does know how to wear a beard right.  Without a beard, he looks too clean-cut and boyish, but with stubble, he's just the right amount of rugged.
Check out the dreaminess in one of his films!

Best Brooding Beard: Michael Fassbender, Jane Eyre.
Most of the time, Rochester just rocks the mutton chops, but when the going gets tough, he channels his inner mountain man.  Sadly, I could not find a picture of Rochester with a beard, but below is my mock up. You'll have to see the movie to get the real deal:

Check out one of his films!

Album Obsessions

While I almost always have a pile of albums in my "to listen to" bin, lately, I've been a bit overloaded.  At one point, I had 20 albums I was working on.  Thankfully, there were a lot of really great albums to be found in bunch.  Here are the albums that stood out and are still a part of my play list: 

Forget by Twin Shadow.
Find it in the catalog! 

Forget pretty much won me over from the first notes of the opening track, "Tyrant Destroyer."  Between the catchy synth riffs and George Lewis Jr.'s Morrissey-esque croon, this album highlights the absolutely best elements of 80s New Wave music.  The tone is bittersweet and nostalgic, making it great late night listening. 

Tracks on repeat: "Tyrant Destroyer," "At My Heels," "Slow," and closer "Forget."

Tell Me by Jessica Lea Mayfield.
Find it in the catalog!

This album was recommended to me by fellow Media Corner blogger, Jason, and it was produced by my favorite gingerbeard guitarist, Dan Auerbach (from the Black Keys); so naturally it was required listening. Tell Me is less folksy than her debut, With Blasphemy So Heartfelt (which I also like quite bit). There is some excellent guitar work on this album and poppy sounding synth on songs like "Grown Man" and "Nervous Lonely Night."Lyrically, this album is quite dark, though somewhat relatable. 

Tracks on repeat:  "Grown Man" stood out the most to me on first listen.  It's catchy, though I find the lyrics mildly creepy.  The last three songs ("Tell Me," "Run Myself into the Ground," and "Sleepless") are also favorites of mine.

James Blake by James Blake.
Find in the catalog! 

I checked out this album for the shallowest of reasons... James Blake is adorable in a nerdy, British way (it's totally the floppy hair!).    Also, the video for his cover of Feist's "Limit to Your Love" was awesome.   This album definitely blew me away.  Thanks in part to his soulful (albeit heavily processed) vocals, reminiscent of Bon Iver's Justin Vernon, Blake presents a uniquely emotional take on electronic music. 

Tracks on Repeat:  "I Never Learned to Share,"  "To Care (Like You)," "I Mind," and "Measurements."

Phosphene Dream by Black Angels.
Find it in the catalog!

I guessed from the head spinning cover and the name that this band would probably be some kind of 60s garage rock band in the vein of the Black Keys and Black Mountain.  I was right, but man, this album rocks!  Phosphene Dream is a dark, gritty psychedelic ride that would be at home on a Nuggets compilation (if it was not made 40 years too late).

Tracks on repeat:  "Bad Vibrations," "River of Blood," and "Telephone."

21 by Adele.
Find it in the catalog!

Sure, I have a few Amy Winehouse songs in my iTunes, but I've never been huge into the British retro-soul genre.  But everyone loves Adele.  She puts a modern spin on soul and her songs occasionally have very witty and sassy lines.  Also, as an enthusiast of heartbreak songs, it's hard to pass up a break album this good!

Tracks on repeat:  "Rolling in Deep," "Turning Tables," "Set Fire to Rain," and "One and Only."

Music Roundup: Top Shows of 2010

I was originally going to post on the top five shows of the year; but then I realized I have only been to six shows total. So rather than praising the best of the best, I'd really just be dissing one band (sorry, Beach House, you did not make the cut).  Overall this has been a really good year for live music, shows ranged from really good (Beach House) to supremely awesome (see list).  Below are the top three concerts I've been to this year:

3).  Jens Lekman and Air France at Empty Bottle (January 2, 2010). Swedish crooner Jens Lekman is a real crowd pleaser; proving himself to be even more funny and charming live than on his albums.  Jens played pretty much every song you'd want him to (i.e. "Black Cab," "Postcard to Nina," almost all of Night Falls Over Kortedala), and none of his so-so songs (in spite of one girl feverishly requesting "F-Word").  I was slightly disappointed no one yelled out requests for "Kanske är Jag Kar i Dig" (loose translation: Maybe I'm in love with you), but thankfully he played it anyway.  Jens must have boundless energy as he managed to perform three encores, ending with an intimate take on "Maple Leaves." 

2). Black Keys and the Morning Benders at Metro (August 7, 2010).  Regular Media Corner readers know that we are not shy about our affection for this duo from Akron, Ohio.  And they sound even more awesome live, even with a less than ideal closing song choice ("Sinister Child").  I have tickets to see the Keys one more time to this year, so they still have a chance to get the top spot (especially if Dan Auerbach breaks out the steel guitar and plays "The Lengths").
Read the original concert review. 

1).  LCD Soundsystem and Hot Chip at the Aragon (October 25, 2010). Monday night shows are usually very low energy, but this was the exception.  LCD Soundsystem did a nice job of balancing songs from all three of their albums.  The audience was definitely the best out of all the shows I've been to this year.  And then there was the light show, which was so spectacular that they had to post a warning on the door.   Read the original concert review. 

Showman of the year:  Erlend Øye.  Dan Auerbach can play a mean guitar.  Jens Lekman can captive an audience with Scandinavian twee-dreaminess.  But only Øye would have a dance-off with audience members to Paul Simon's "You Can Me Al".

Biggest regrets:  The National at House of Blues (August 7, 2010). I've been a fan of this band since 2005, yet I haven't caught them live yet.   This year I was forced to choose between the National and the Black Keys, and I chose Keys.  Still, I hope the National plays Chicago again soon (and not just at Lollapalooza).

Heartbroken, in disrepair: Songs for the lovelorn and lonely

"What came first, the music or the misery? People worry about kids playing with guns, or watching violent videos, that some sort of culture of violence will take them over. Nobody worries about kids listening to thousands, literally thousands of songs about heartbreak, rejection, pain, misery and loss. Did I listen to pop music because I was miserable? Or was I miserable because I listened to pop music?"

-Rob Gordon, High Fidelity

Unrequited love isn't the biggest injustice in the world, though those suffering from it may disagree.  Previously, I posted on songs written from the perspective of the person leaving a relationship.  Today we look at the flip side of the coin: songs about being dumped or never even noticed in the first place.  Since nothing inspires art like heartbreak, the pool of songs for this list is considerably larger.  There is seemingly endless supply of songs and albums devoted to love gone wrong.  So while being spurned may sting, there is certainly no shortage of stuff to listen into while you are wallowing in disquietude.  Below are some of my current favorite rejection-inspired songs.

Black Keys and the Morning Benders at Metro, 8/7/10

While the Black Keys were in town last weekend to play at summer music festival behemoth Lollapalooza, they also played a late night show at the Metro in Wrigleyville. I am a pretty big fan of the duo from Akron, Ohio, having previously expressed my love for their stellar album Rubber Factory (seriously, listen it to it!).  However, summer music festivals aren't my favorite, something about the combination of port-a-potties, the hot summer sun, and poor sound quality just doesn't appeal to me.  So naturally I opted to see the Metro show instead and was one of the lucky few non-Lolla attendees to snag tickets. 

When I first approached Metro, I saw a line winding pretty far down Clark St.  I've attended shows that were sold out before, but never quite this popular.  California indie rockers the Morning Benders opened for the Keys.  I've been enjoying their most recent album, Big Echo, throughout the summer.  It's a nice blend of shoe-gazer and 60s pop-inspired harmonies that manages to sound both old-fashioned and fresh at the same time.  The band had more of a forceful, guitar heavy sound in concert and performed a really enjoyable set.  Lead singer Christopher Chu was a sarcastic but genial stage presence that slowly won over an initially indifferent crowd.  Also, I feel obliged to mention that the Morning Benders are pretty cute in a skinny hipster sort of way.  I'd recommend the band to fans of the Arctic Monkeys, the Shins, or Beach House.

During the break between the Morning Benders and the Black Keys sets, I noticed that the girl in front of me kept looking up in the balcony with a mixture of surprise and (I thought) disgust.  I assumed someone was doing something stupid, so I looked up there too.  Much to my surprise, I saw the pretty, brooding face of Ed Westwick aka. Chuck Bass from Gossip Girl.  I felt sort of bad for him, because Chicago audiences aren't quite as cool to celebrities as in New York and L.A.; people were gawking and taking pictures.  Also, he was stuck up in the balcony rather than being able to rock out in the pit like the rest of us.

The Black Keys took the stage a little after midnight.  Their set featured songs from all six of their albums, though their most recent album Brothers was definitely the focus; they played about 10 songs off of it.   They played primarily singles from their older albums, making the show a good primer for newer Keys fans.  However, as a nerd, I couldn't help but wish they played some deeper cuts too.  Nonetheless, this was definitely an awesome show.  I've always been impressed by Dan Auerbach's guitar work, but live, I was blown away by how amazingly talented he is. He's the equivalent of all four Midlake guitarists in one impressively bearded guitar player.  The Keys started out as a duo and were later joined on stage by a touring bassist and guitar player.  I can't say I really noticed a radical different in sound between the two piece and four piece Black Keys. Dan and drummer Patrick Carney are able to rock enough on their own.  Highlights of their set include: "10 A.M. Automatic" from Rubber Factory, "I Got Mine" from  Attack and Release, a cover of Junior Kimbrough's "Everywhere I Go" from Thickfreakness, and "She's Long Gone" and "Everlasting Light" from Brothers. My only real quibble with the set was the closer, "Sinister Kid," which is my second least favorite song off of Brothers ("Unknown Brother" is my number one and thankfully wasn't played).  It's not a terrible song, but with an incredible song catalog, they could have done much better (like "The Lengths").  Also, it has sort of a weird rhythm, so there was lots awkward dancing going on in the crowd.  Still this was definitely among my top two shows of the year so far. 

The audience for the show was definitely on the rowdy side.  Most of the people had attended Lollapalooza first, so they were more than ready to party, and it was a guy-heavy crowd.  The show started out crowded and wound up stuffed to the brim.  Between the geeky, in-place dancing done by most the audience (myself very much included) and the sizable crowd, most of the audience was pretty sweaty by the end of the night.  It was a fun and enthusiastic crowd that sang along with most of the songs and cheered wildly for everything, except Dan's confessed Lady Gaga love.

Kings of Convenience at Metro, 6/10/10

Norwegian folk duo the Kings of Convenience played at Chicago's Metro theater last Thursday. The concert was originally scheduled for last February, but had to be postponed because band member Eirik Glambek Bøe came down with swine flu.  The show was definitely worth the wait.

I'm a moderate fan of the Kings of Convenience.  I was first introduced to the band because band member Erlend Øye toured a couple years ago with my Scandinavian indie rock crush, Jens Lekman.  Erlend's awkward charisma and awesomely bad dancing intrigued me.  I am a fan of the Kings' two older albums, Riot in an Empty Street and Quiet is the New Loud.  They have a quiet, peaceful, melancholy sound that is really nice when you're in the right mood.  I also enjoyed Erlend Øye's techno side projects including the Whitest Boy Alive and his solo album Unrest.  However, I haven't really gotten around to listening to the Kings' new album, Declaration of Independence, even though it's their first record in five years and has been out for almost a year. Which is to say that I wasn't the biggest fan there or the most familiar with the material, but I was interested to see how Erlend's charms held up with material that was darker and less danceable than his solo efforts.

A Californian band called Franklin for Short opened for the group. I had not heard of them before, but they were very impressively bearded.  I half-expected them to sound like Leonard Skynyrd, but they had more of a conventional indie pop rock sound mixed with some alt-country twang.  The band is sort of a blend of twee indie (they have a song named after everyone's least favorite gift, "Electric Blanket") and neo-hippie (hence the beards).  I started out tolerating them, but their general affability, good lead guitar work, and use of the theremin won me over enough.

The audience for the show was different than I envisioned.  Somehow I didn't think that a semi-obscure, Scandinavian folk duo that sounds vaguely like Simon and Garfunkel would have a mostly male, mostly preppy fan base (polo shirts abounded).  Especially not one that loudly shouted and wooed like they were attending a sporting event.  There were times, several in fact, that the audience was louder than the band.

The Kings took the stage a little bit before 8:30 and played for over an hour and half.  Musically, the show was a little less than perfect.  Metro is a larger concert venue and was packed full of rowdy super fans; the King's delicate sound wasn't quite big enough to fill the room.  They also had some technical problems, including Øye's guitar making an irritating feedback noise.  Still, that wasn't really my draw to this show.  Bøe and Øye have known each other since they were fifteen (both are in their mid-30s now), so they had a lived-in onstage chemistry and peppered their performance with humorous stories about each other.  Gangly and bespectacled, Erlend Øye looks like one of the least likely rock stars in the world.  However, he is probably one of the most charismatic performers in indie rock.  Øye's persona definitely emphasizes his awkwardness.  However, he was able to captivate the audience with his off kilter comments and nerdy enthusiasm. At one point, he made the comment, "You are a very strange audience," prompting an audience member to yell back, "You are very strange too!"  Erlend could only nod his head in agreement.

The band played a variety of songs from their different albums, but material from their most popular album, Riot on an Empty Street, was best received by the audience.  Later during the show, Franklin for Short joined the Kings to play back up and finally gave them enough sound to fill up the room.  Additionally, it allowed Erlend to showcase some of his awkward dancing skills.  The highlight of the evening was the closer, a cover of Paul Simon's "You Can Call Me Al."  During which, Erlend encourage the audience to form a dancing circle which he jumped off stage to join.  Along side with Dan Deacon and Greg Gillis (aka. Girl Talk), Øye is one of the few indie rockers with enough pizazz and lunacy to be a genuine rock star.

Dads Behaving Badly: A Look at Cinema's Worst Fathers

Looking for something to watch this Father's Day?  It's probably best to avoid any of these movies:

 Don Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando), The Godfather Trilogy (1972-1990). Air guitar enthusiast and mob boss Don has a twisted take on family values.
The Godfather (1972).
The Godfather. Part II (1974).
The Godfather. Part III(1990).  

Noah Cross (John Huston), China Town (1974). He impregnates his own daughter and then makes her give up the kid while making the whole situation seem like her fault.  Nice guy. 
Find it in the Catalog!
 

What We're Listening To: High Violet by the National

The National are a quintet of displaced Ohioans currently residing in Brooklyn.  They have an intimate, moody, tense sound, but they don't descend into lugubriousness.  Singer Matt Berninger's deep baritone has been compared to everyone from Leonard Cohen to Ian Curtis.  They have a little bit of a post-punk, Joy Division revival sound that was very cool in New York around the turn of the Millennium.  However, the National have a classic and refined approach to that sound.  They also know how to rock a good string arrangement.

I've been a big fan of the band since the their third album, Alligator, and their fourth album, Boxer, is one of my all time favorites.  Which is to say, that my expectations for this album were fairly high.  Because of their somewhat reserved rock sound, appreciation for their albums tend to build with repeated listenings.  I enjoyed High Violet the first time I listened to it, especially the single "Bloodbuzz Ohio" and catchy opener "Terrible Love."  But I liked the back half of the album more than the slower, restrained first half.  Songs like "Sorrow," Berninger's love song to the emotion, grow on you slowly.  That being said, High Violet has a bigger and more immediately accessible sound than Boxer, which is full of tension and mood with few hooks. 

Matt Berninger is an interesting lyricist.  Many of his songs tend to be about banal subjects: relationship tension, work troubles, money problems, etc.  He has a stream-of-consciousness flow which makes his lyrics sometimes very specific but also difficult to pinpoint exactly what he's talking about.  While Alligator and Boxer seemed more self-deprecating and inwardly focused, High Violet looks to the outside world more.   "Bloodbuzz Ohio" address the economy, "I still owe money to the money to the money I owe/ The floors are failing out from everybody I know."  Meanwhile, "Afraid of Everyone" appears to be about the increased polarization in politics, "Venom radio and venom televison/ I'm afraid of everybody, I'm afraid of everybody/ They're the young blue bodies/ With the old red bodies."  Berninger then goes on to describe how this increased political tension influences his role as a parent, "With my kid on my shoulders I try/ Not to hurt anybody I like/ But I don't have the drugs to sort/ I don't have the drugs to sort it out."  Throughout the album, Berninger plays with apocalyptic imagery including floods ("Little Faith"), swarms of bees ("Bloodbuzz Ohio"), and zombies (well, brain eating anyway, "Conversation 16"). 

High Violet is full of tense, anxious and somber moments, but it is not a drag. While talking about the track "Sorrow" in an interview with the Onion's A.V. Club, Berninger said, "Sadness is not always the worst feeling.  Sometimes it's a really pleasurable thing to be overwhelmed with sadness."  This statement could easily be about the album.  It's an enjoyable, catchy, and beautiful album filled with serious and dark moments.  You'll know if you're the kind of mopey person who likes this stuff.

Stand-out tracks:  I'm still head-over-heels for "Bloodbuzz Ohio."  Berninger is great at writing biting love songs, "Terrible Love" and "Sorrow" are certainly two good examples of that.  "Lemon World" oozes with middle class complacency and boredom.  Closing track "Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks" proves to be as awesome as the name and has beautiful orchestral work in it.

 Recommended for fans of: Midlake, Interpol, Joy Division, Tom Waits, Wilco, and Tindersticks.

Find it in the Catalog!

First Annual Beardys: For Excellence in Facial Hair in Rock Music

It seems that every rock band these days must have at least one bearded member.  I'm not sure what's behind this surge in hirsute rockers, but let's celebrate the best of the bewhiskered anyway.

Best Beard, Group Performance: Midlake.
Their touring band has seven bearded/ mustachioed members, giving them a sizable win over the Seattle's hairiest band, the Fleet Foxes (who have a mere four beards in their band).

Best Beard, Individual Performance: Patrick Stickles from Titus Andronicus.

Albums We Love: Rubber Factory by the Black Keys

"The Black Keys play the kind of raw, sensual blues-rock that makes you want to hide your girlfriend and warn your mom."- Katie Hasty, Billboard Magazine.

 I am a recent convert to the Black Keys. For years, I avoided listening to them because they are frequently (and somewhat misleadingly) labeled as a blues-rock band, which conjures up images of Blues Traveler, John Mayer, the Doobie Brothers, and countless other acts that are really not my taste.  Thankfully, the Keys are less Blueshammer and more early Stones.  They have a gritty, sexy, primal sound that seems as rooted in 60s garage rock as it does Junior Kimbrough records.  All of their albums warrant a listen (or several), but Rubber Factory is a masterpiece as far as I'm concerned.

Rubber Factory got its name from the tire factory where it was recorded; the band hails from Akron, Ohio, former rubber capital of the world.  The album has a deliberately raw and unpolished sound; it feels as sweaty and smoky as a live show.  The Keys' sound is minimalistic and classic, but it's as powerful and well-crafted as bands that have layers and layers of sound. From the opening clamor of Patrick Carney's drums on "When the Lights Go Out" to the cool, Velvet Underground-y fuzz guitar on "Till I Get My Way," Rubber Factor is delightfully fun rock album.   "10 A.M. Automatic" is a catchy rock anthem on love turned sour; the video for the song, a parody on cable-access TV directed by David Cross, is pretty cool too. "Girl is on my Mind" is a simple rock lust song that wouldn't feel out of place on the Kinks Controversy.  My favorite track on the album is "The Lengths."  Dan Auerbach's slide steel guitar perfectly fits the mood of the song, which seems to be about the break up of a long-term relationship.  It's a haunting and quiet track on an otherwise noisy, rocking album.  The Key's cover of the relatively obscure Kink's song "Act Nice and Gentle" is another standout on the album.  No offense to Ray Davies, who is probably my favorite song-writer ever, but I enjoy this version much more than the original.  While the clean, poppy original is fine; the Keys' loose, country-tinged cover really brings the song to life. 

The Keys are a staff favorite, Jason recently wrote up their rap-rock side project Blakroc.  One of the things that I appreciate about the band is that seem more like music geeks than rock gods.  However, Rubber Factory proves that two nerdy kids from Ohio can make an album with just as much swagger and sex as anything released by the Stones.

Find it in the Catalog!

Midlake at Lincoln Hall, 5/23/10

 On Sunday, May 23rd, indie rockers Midlake played Lincoln Hall in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood. Lincoln Hall is a smaller, intimate music venue housed in a rehabbed movie theater.  It has easy parking and probably the best bathrooms ever comma concert venue category.  For Chicago History geeks, Lincoln Hall is located directly across from the Biograph Theatre,where John Dillinger was shot and killed. Opening acts included former Czars front-man John Grant and Grandaddy front-man Jason Lytle.

John Grant collaborated with Midlake on his solo album, The Queen of Denmark.  Midlake's flautist/ keyboardist Jesse Chandler even played with him for one of his songs.  Musically, he's a interesting choice for an opener.  Grant sounds like a mix between Ben Folds and Elton John; so he's pretty firmly indie pop.  He also has funny, light-hearted lyrics (a la Jens Lekman).  I'm not a huge fan of that style of music (except for Lekman), but he was an entertaining performer and has a great voice.   Jason Lytle's low key and wistful set was a more natural fit with Midlake's sound.

The show started out pretty empty, but gradually filled up throughout the evening.  By the time Midlake performed, the venue was surprisingly packed for a Sunday night concert.  Lucky for me, I was one of the few people who arrived for the first set, so I got to be pretty close to the stage.  Midlake started their set at around 10 PM and played for around an hour and half.  Midlake is usually quintet, but their touring band is a septet including four guitar players!  Front man Tim Smith has a reserved stage presence, which makes sense for someone who writes songs about wanting to escape to the forest.  Smith introduced the different band members and thanked the audience for coming, but besides that he kept pretty quiet.  Guitarist Eric Pulido, who resembles a bearded John Krasinski, was responsible for most of the onstage banter.  He is a genial and funny stage presence, even taking time out of the show to wish an audience member a happy birthday.    

Midlake played songs from two of their albums the Trials of Van Occupanther and the Courage of Others.  I am a big fan of both albums, but they are pretty different sonically; Trials has 70s Fleetwood Mac feel to it and Courage is more of a 60s folk mixed with prog rock sound.  It was interesting to see how the band incorporated the sounds from both the albums into a cohesive set.  Midlake definitely downplayed the synth riffs on Trials, going for a more bluesy country sound instead.  The prog rock side of Midlake definitely comes out in concert, extended jam sessions were done to several songs including the opening of "Roscoe", "Head Home" and the heart-breaking closer "Branches."  These sessions really demonstrated the technical abilities of the band and gave guitarist Max Townsley the chance to shine. Also, they rocked pretty hard. Other highlights include "In the Core of Nature" which was accompanied by two flutes and a recorder (a rare sight at a rock show) and a twangier and more upbeat version of "Fortune."  The small venue created a perfect atmosphere for Midlake's serious, delicate sound.

Previously on Midlake:
What We're Listening to: Courage of Others by Midlake.

What we're listening to: The Courage of Others by Midlake

The Courage of Others is the third album by this folk rock quintet from Denton, TX. Their second album, the Trials of Van Occupanther (2006), was one of my favorites from the 00's. It had a sound that was a mixture of seventies folk rock (think: Fleetwood Mac, Neil Young) and Radiohead (lead singer Tim Smith has a Thom Yorke-esque voice).

With their newest album, the band takes on more of an English folk from the sixties sound (think: Fairport Convention). There is also a definite prog rock/ metal influence on the album, especially in the guitar work. The opening of "The Horn" even has hints of Blue Oyster Cult. Flutes make the music sound vaguely medieval, though they stop short of Renaissance Faire.

The mood of the album is bleak and somber. Seemingly about the sometimes difficult relationship between humans and nature, the Courage of Others makes a compelling argument for retreating into the woods.  Though their sound and natural themes are similar to indie darlings like the Fleet Foxes or the Animal Collective, Midlake is a not trendy band.  Their lyrics are earnest and their retro influences aren't particularly hip.  This is music made by bearded, cape-wearing men after all. 

Initially, I was disappointed that this album didn't have as many stand-out tracks as Trials of Van Occupanther, which had the instantly catchy songs "Roscoe" and "Head Home." Though not love at first listen, I find my enjoyment of the record grows each time I listen to it. My favorite tracks include "Core of Nature," "Fortune," and "Rulers, Ruling All Things."

Recommended for fans of : Fleet Foxes, Blitzen Trapper's song "Furr," Jose Gonzalez, Kings of Convenience, Nick Drake, King Crimson.

The Courage of Others (2010):
Find it in the Catalog.

The Trials of Van Occupanther (2006):
Find it in the Catalog.