New Song by Here We Go Magic "Falling" (New Album Out & NYC Tour Date October 24)

Michael Bloch & Luke Temple (Photo via Secretly Canadian)

New York based indie band Here We Go Magic released a new album last week, Be Small (Secretly Canadian) and the infectious kicker of a tune "Falling" is a welcome new earworm. It opens with a wobbly synth intro and a buildup of percussive lines, until an explosion of layered vocals brings an energetic burst into song about the high-powered pull of love that affects everyone -- depicted in the video as directed by Sam Kuhn.

For the band's fourth studio LP, chief songwriter Luke Temple took a back-to-basics home studio approach with longtime collaborator Michael Bloch, adding Austin Vaughan on drums. The trademark buoyancy and optimism of the group belies the vast amount of groundwork and musical expertise invested in their catalogue. I witnessed their sweat inducing set on stage a few years ago during Crossing Brooklyn Ferry at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (after choosing songs from the last album, A Different Ship, for my Summer 2012 New Music Playlist).  Catch Here We Go Live in concert this Saturday, October 24 at the Bowery Ballroom and see for yourself!

BAM's Crossing Brooklyn Ferry 2013, Closing Night April 27 w/Highlights Video

Striking a People Get Ready pose with Steven Reker afterwards

Upon arrival at the Brooklyn Academy of Music for the closing night of Crossing Brooklyn Ferry, I headed up the escalator to the BAMcafé for a set by People Get Ready.  But after checking the schedule via overhead projector, I learned that the band had been bumped up into the Opera House space -- right time, wrong venue. This simply made me proud of the Brooklyn group, who I saw during the festival last year as well as a performance at New York Live Arts.  On this much larger stage as a six-piece, the band could better incorporate the choreographic embellishments to music by Steven Reker, who entered the stage with a microphone over his shoulder, dragging the chord. His solo singing introducing "A Squandering” quickly made way for a joyous group aesthetic, which incorporates movement as part of the music making.  Catchy tunes such as "Windy City" and "Uncanny" were punched up an extra notch with an unbridled percussion. I could have done without the guitar solo however, (it was slung over a dancer's shoulder and banged around) as both the sound and thought of injuring an instrument pained me.

Projected schedule for handy reference

The larger crowd for a Saturday night made it more difficult to skip back and forth between spaces, so I opted to stay put for rest of the night.  Another Brooklyn-based band, Here We Go Magic, was next up in the Opera House.  The quintet began with a slow instrumental jam that launched into one of my favorite songs, “Make Up Your Mind.”  Loose live jams built into wild crescendos of sound, as the orchestra pit began to fill with people from their seats.  A cover of Robert Wyatt’s “Just As You Are” brought an impassioned plea by singer Luke Temple and a weighty emotional response from the band.  The group ended their set with the frenetic energy of “How Do I Know?”

Matthew Hauk of Phosphorescent followed, opening up with the alt-country twang of “Terror In the Canyons (The Wounded Master).”  He asked everyone how they were doing, flaunting his Alabama roots in a Southern drawl and nodding his head with the answer that came in applause.  Hauk admitted to having a cold but his voice’s raw power was still in evidence and there was quite a back up band behind his own guitar: organ, piano, drums, bongos, and bass. “Song for Zula” did not disappoint as an anticipated highlight of the set. Hauk presented this tale of heartbreak with storytelling gestures while spotlights swirled on stage until it all plunged into darkness at the end.  “Ride On, Ride On” followed with a thumping pulse and Hauk’s blistering guitar solo.  Another dream sequence appeared with the floating harmonies of “Sun, Arise! (An Invocation, An Introduction)” before the charge of “A Charm/A Blade.”  Hauk introduced the band with the flourish of a ringmaster, addressing the audience “Ladies and Gentlemen” and allowing each member to shine before ending the set.

Dance Party!

TV on the Radio also rose to the occasion as the headliner for the night, playing old as well as some new songs.  Filling the stage with seven members with ample equipment, the band lit into a hyper version of “Halfway Home” to kick things into high gear.  Singer Tunde Adebimpe strutted the stage to engage the fans immediately, flailing his long limbs and keeping that sinewy body in constant motion.  Hits such as “Wolf Like Me,” “Second Song,” “Will Do,” and “Caffeinated Consciousness” were rolled out like shiny trophies, before making way for a Prince cover and some “fresh cuts” as Adebimpe called them.  The music rumbled through the Opera House like a subway train, as both fans and band worked up a sweat.

Since this year’s crowd skewed a bit older, I was wondering if the dance floor at the after party in the BAMcafé would be very crowded but not to worry.  Baio (as in Chris Baio, bass player for Vampire Weekend) kept the music flowing, pulsing beats echoing the twinkling lights in the arched windows.  Members of Here We Go Magic looked like they had been celebrating in earnest since their set – their casual stage look now a rumpled mess.  Also on the floor were both curators for the festival, Aaron and Bryce Dessner, dancing while receiving earfuls from various well wishers.  I hadn't spied them since they bounded into the lobby on opening night, after playing a few songs with The National for Jimmy Fallon's "Late Night" show.  It was nice to see that they could actually relax a little bit, with another Crossing Brooklyn Ferry in the books.  Highlights video as well as one of a favorite moment from the festival, Phosphorescent's "Song for Lula," below.

Ready for 2013 Crossing Brooklyn Ferry @ BAM April 25 - 27

In preparation for this year's Crossing Brooklyn Ferry, I wrote two posts for BAM's blog about some of the local bands scheduled to perform.  The first post focused on Phosphorescent and Parquet Courts, two bands featured on my Spring 2013 New Music Playlist.  I heard Phosphorescent's "Song for Zula" many times on The Alternate Side, KCRW and KEXP during this past week, as the heartache in the tune seemed to match the anguish over the Boston Marathon bombings and the ensuing manhunt that followed.  (For another amazing example of the healing power of music, check out the full video feed of Neil Diamond's appearance at Fenway Park to sing his "Sweet Caroline" with the Boston Red Sox fans last Saturday.)  Parquet Courts make a nice counterpoint, with an in-your-face life force that only young punk rock bands can deliver.  

The second post featured Here We Go Magic and People Get Ready.  In a sign that I really like a band, I  chose two songs by Here We Go Magic for my Summer 2012 New Music Playlist, "Make Up Your Mind" and "How Do I Know."  Both songs offer a playful attitude over an infectious beat, and I'm really looking forward to seeing them live. People Get Ready is making a return appearance -- I caught this energetic group last year in the BAM Café.  Their quirky indie pop crosses over into performance art during live gigs, as a piece at New York Live Arts was recently highlighted by NPR music.  

For full schedule and ticket info visit CrossingBrooklynFerry.com.

Summer 2012 New Music Playlist

Summer is in full swing with plenty of new music heating things up for the next playlist. A single from the much-anticipated Passion Pit album starts things off with the venerable Hot Chip next in line.  Newcomers Deep Sea Arcade, Teen Daze and Stepdad are definitely worth a listen, while more music from Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, Pomegrantes are always welcome additions. Link to listen here, enjoy! 

1. “Take A Walk” – Passion Pit

Boston area electropop band Passion Pit burst on the scene with their debut album in 2009, with a youthful embrace of danceable songs and Michael Angelakos’ soaring falsetto. This is the first single off the quintet’s sophomore album, Gossamer, introducing a serious approach to lyrics over the ever chugging beat.

2. “Night and Day” – Hot Chip

“Night and Day” is off the fifth studio album, In Our Heads, by the U.K. electropop band Hot Chip.  Alexis Taylor’s vocals float amid a layered dance groove and call backs galore to bring this dance frenzy to a close.

3. “Brains” – Lower Dens

Lower Dens is a Baltimore based indie folk band formed in 2010.  The quintet just released their second album, Nootropics, with this psychedelic tune providing an expanded, ethereal sound for the song list.

4. “Pass Away” – Pomegranates

Cincinnati band Pomegranates have stayed true to their indie rock roots since 2006.  This upbeat song with whoops of fun is off their fourth album, Heaven.

5. “How Do I Know” – Here We Go Magic

6. “Make Up Your Mind” – Here We Go Magic

Here We Go Magic is an indie rock band based in Brooklyn, New York.  These two infectious songs are off their fourth album, A Different Ship. 

7. “Dreambeat” – Peaking Lights

Wisconsin husband (Aaron Coyes) and wife (Indra Dunis) duo Peaking Lights recorded their latest album Lucifer in a professional studio, leaving behind the homemade tracks of last year’s debut release.  The experimental nature of the music is fully intact, however, as “Dreambeat” proudly displays.

8. “Man On Fire” – Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros

The Los Angeles band Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros recently convened to record their second album, Here.  Singer Alex Ebert fronts this folksy troupe of a dozen or so members, a fluid group befitting the casual nature of their songs.

9. “Girls” – Deep Sea Arcade

Schoolmates Nic McKenzie and Mick Weaver formed Australian band Deep Sea Arcade back in their teens.  The quintet’s sound is sun drenched indie pop, as this song off their first album, Outlands, reveals. 

10. “1997” – Saint Motel

Saint Motel is an indie pop band based in L.A. with a confident mantra utilizing plenty of outside influences for their first full length album, Voyeur. A/J Jackson’s smooth crooning vocals lead the charge for this four-piece group.

11. “Must Land Running” – Stepdad

“Must Land Running” is the audacious single off Stepdad’s first album, Wildlife Pop. This electronic pop quintet was formed by roommates ultramark and Ryan McCarthy in their Chicago apartment in 2009, but are now based in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

12. “Endless Flowers” – Crocodiles

“Endless Flowers” is the title track of the third album by this indie pop band from San Diego, California.  The wall of sound production brings a sunny vibe to the fuzzy rock groove, with strumming guitars and a persistent percussive backbone.

13. “Gold Morning Mend” – Ian McGlynn

Ian McGlynn is a singer/songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist from New Jersey, who just released his third album, Now We’re Golden. The song showcases McGlynn’s emotive vocals over an intricate indie pop sound.

14. “No. 1 Against The Rush” – Liars

Liars is a Brooklyn based three-piece electronic dance punk band, formed in 2000 by Californians Angus Andrew and Julian Gross.  This multi-layered song is off their sixth album, WIXIX (pronounced ‘wish you’).

15. “Brooklyn Sunburn” – Teen Daze

16. “Hold” – Teen Daze

Teen Daze is the solo project of music producer Jamison from Vancouver, British Columbia.  These synth compositions are from his first album, All of Us, Together, inspired by a book found in a thrift store called Utopian Visions.