Passion Pit, a commentary

Guilty pleasures. We all have them.
They're the type of habits we like to keep in secrecy to avoid public scrutiny, but also to keep its sanctity - it is yours and only yours.  No explanations asked, allowing you to fall back on them when in need of comfort.  Yet, it's important to realize that the operative word here is guilty.  They're usually mind-numbing, lo-fi, pleasure generating rituals... we fall like flies hypnotized by the light.


My guilty pleasure? Well... I have several, but for practical purposes I'll admit that I follow Gossip Girl (I know I'll regret admitting it, more so having a written proof).  Now, a week ago I was filling my heart with hollow joy, when I was shocked, more like perplexed by the sound of a familiar tune.  Yes, the featured song of the week that gave closure to the addictive sitcom was "Moth's Wings".   Passion Pit on Gossip Girl.  I felt mildly betrayed/disappointed... like something had been stolen from me.

No no no, I'm not being ridiculous, do allow me to expand.  I saw Passion Pit at the Great Scott on May 15th, a secret show before they embarked on their national tour.  They emanated energy and love and dance and music... they were at home!  Hate to use cliche analogies, but it was a true diamond in the raw.  Now, everywhere you click you see Passion Pit.  "The Reeling" was nominated for Breakthrough Video for the 2009 MTV Music Video Awards, not to mention they were also featured on the front cover of last week's Improper Bostonian.

Where am I trying to go?  No.  Sell-outs is not the word I'm looking for.  They are being exposed to the public and their PR staff is doing a great job.  They are making it big and I am ecstatic for them.  But, even they can be overplayed.  THIS is the upsetting part, to see how artists are idolized and then destroyed by "the machine".  I came across this video the other day...  MGMT making a fool out of themselves.  

I enjoy dancing to MGMT, I do!  But, really? Passion Pit is usually compared to MGMT because I guess both can be catalogued as separate strands of dream/dance pop.  I hope it is just a comparison.  I know it is.  I trust Passion Pit will know better.


And in the mean I must say... Quality TV or not, Gossip Girl can be considered a measure of success.  It's 'hip' and it's streamed across borders.  So, I vow to thee and say, Dear Passion Pit:  Congrats, guys!  You made it. Be careful not to go through the roof, and remember your peoples, who saw you roaming around Allston Village.  Oh, and do come back. Please do.

Musical Demagogy: Future of Music Policy Summit 2009...

Part of my morning routine involves reading the international news section in several online publications.  So, like many avid readers, I'm used to hearing about world conferences, protests and gatherings about world peace, animal preservation and global warming, not to mention the endless meetings to make the underdeveloped more developed brought by the G-7, G-5 and so forth.  They are all good causes.  The bottom line is that, like Michael Jackson once said, we are trying to make this world a better place.

To my delight I came across a rather interesting set of panels revolving around MUSIC.  Hosted by Georgetown University, the Future of Music Policy Summit '09 hosted several speakers involved in the music industry - radio hosts, producers, managers, executive directors, and music curators.

I did not personally attend the event, but listened to several panels via live-webcast thanks to web.illish.us, and found one particularly interesting.  NPR Music: Making music Matter on-Air and Online, was particularly relevant to today's stance.  The main focus? The media as an effective vehicle to reach those unreachable through the radio tower.  Many people can agree with me that internet has revolutionized the music industry, to the point where the MySpace revolution and file sharing has forced record labels to find alternatives to get revenues (cause clearly record sales are no longer profit generating).  In fact, artists do not necessarily seek record deals, hence the "indie" revolution - indie = independent, get it? haha (you'd be surprised as to how many people don't know this etymology).  Bob Bailen, Host and Creator of NPR's All Songs Considered, delivered what to me is the biggest dilemma of many online listeners:  The amount of music on the web is overwhelming.  The problem is not how to expose listeners to new music, but get them to care for music - how to become tastemakers, gatekeepers, music curators!  and... being highly democratic/realistic, the need for radio stations to serve their right niches.

The summit also considered the importance of websites -like CONSPICUOUSLY- that feature music, just for love of music, not seeking revenues.  The bloggers of the world are now considered main drivers of the music industry and bridges between the three main components of the music industry:  artists, fans and investors.

It's always fulfilling to see that the leaders of the world and people up their in the hierarchy are actually considering what people want and need, and, especially, begin to evolve with the industry.  Change is good, and in this technological era, it's kinda hard not to go 2.0.

Grizzly Bear @ the Orpheum

To me, Veckatimest best translates as "Summer oh-nine".  It is the soundtrack of the social experiment I like to call my post-grad career, simply because it became the aural analogy to my everyday.


I've lost many hours of sleep to Veckatimest and I guess I owe this to a friend of mine.  You know how friends always say "You should listen to this band, they're awesome"?  Well, this is a friend whom I trust blindly - his music taste is pretty much implacable and very in tune with mine.  Came May and all he would talk about was how he could not wait to get Grizzly Bear's new vinyl; halfway down going to the record store, his bike got a flat tire.  This little monster was not capable of stopping him from his endeavor.  He was on a mission.  I was intrigued.  I had to listen to the quadrupeds.


Once I did, only two songs grasped my attention.  But I have learned my lesson in terms of new bands, you actually have to listen to the albums.  After a couple of nights I was swearing my undying love.  It only snowballed after that.  I acquired Yellow House and Horn of Plenty, too and it was a matter of time before I became acquainted with Department of Eagles, GB's singer/songwriter/guitarist Daniel Rossen side project [note: Listen to No One Does It Like You].  


Ultimately, I found myself not only liking GB, but talking about them non-stop and longing to have a sidekick with whom to share this musical masterpiece.


I guess it's not hard to see that I have a deep emotional connection associated with this band.  Knowing they had scheduled two shows in Boston was just mind blowing... I had to be there.   The first one kicked in early in the summer at the Berklee Performance Center, a place that has limited seating and was bound to sell out immediately.  The second one happened this Thursday.

The Orpheum was packed by folk lovers, indie aficionados, and hipsters... Yes! haha  But it wasn't the crowd what made it so special.  It was the over all environment, the feeling... ya know? It was like going to an underground show in an Allston basement with your friend's band playing - it was familiar, cozy and face-melting - not to mention that Ed Droste, being from Boston, gave it a local twist by dedicating each song to a Massachusett's related element, from the infamous Red Line to Arsenal Mall and, of course, the Red Sox.

Don't get me started on the visuals... Ah! The lighting...  The most important element in the stage set up were the dangling jars that eventually became like giant christmas lights twinkling according to the tracks.  I'm telling you, it was a basement gig... just slightly upgraded.
...and the music, of course.  


The surround sound given by the Orpheum was perfect for their music, which I like to say is orchestral indie pop.  Its all about instrumentality, plus, their theatricality was accentuated by the live versions of their heavy layered songs.  Droste's voice was melodic and vibrated with great strength and confidence... he's just a great singer.  Chris Taylor, the one-man band, is fascinating.  He moves from the bass, to the clarinet, to the flute, to the saxophone and back to the bass, while playing with audio gimmicks at all times.  Amazing.  And Christopher Bear, the drummer... wow.  I believe he is the largest reason I say orchestral is the operative word in their music.  His drums can be deep and harmonizing or quite the opposite, enticing and aggressive.  I'd dare to say that few drummers have been able to guide through a song from beginning to end without losing me, somewhat a hypnotic situation.  And, of course, Dan Rossen.  He is just the master of the guitar, and probably the main reason my all time favorite GB song is "Ready, Able".

I read an article a few days ago about Grizzly Bear... It read something like this: "It is feasible that, since the release of their deservedly beloved Veckatimest, no one does not like Grizzly Bear.  You could play them for your smelly calculus professor who only listens to Brahms..."  It made me laugh, but I can't say I couldn't agree more.


I really just hope this band doesn't fall in the category of one hit wonders that fade once this "indie fad" is over, cause, their honestly great... and live, even better.  Jaw-dropping, forgot I had to breath, can't stop staring kinda great.

ADDENDUM: Damian Ortega | DIY "Mexican Style"

One of the beauties of navigating the cyberspace is having the capacity to attain the unattainable... haha
Yes! In a way you are able to defeat the system from within.  Now, what do I mean by this?


Well... as is the case of many museums, the ICA has a strict no-camera policy for rotating exhibitions.  Only the fortunate ones with press passes can filter in, unlike the rest of us, simple mortals.  


I mentioned Damian's exhibition here, but still felt I was laking the appropriate visuals to get my point across, so... here is a free pass to Damian Ortega's Do It Yourself.


WARNING:  The video is noteworthy because of the sneak peak it gives to most pieces in the exhition, but when it comes to the anchorwoman and the reporter... well... uptight and ineffective, to say the least.  I wasn't quite satisfied with the coverage and interpretation they gave to Damian's work.  He says you have to do your research for this exhibition... Did he?

Yeah Yeah Yeahs @ the Orpheum

So who needs Red Bull when you can have a fix of Karen O?


O... O... Oh my god.
When I first listened to It's Blitz I couldn't stop.  It became an immediate fixation.  I had to listen to it all-the-time... while reading, when walking, during a bike ride, even before going to bed.  It was my little secret delight.  Now, after seeing the Yeah Yeah Yeahs live for the second time, I can't honestly say this will become a healthy addiction.


I'm almost certain the rest of the Orpheum can relate.  The YYY's played most of the new album and a few from their previous hits, including "Cheated Hearts", "Honey Bear" and "Gold Lions".  And... opened with my favorite: "Runaway".


Karen O was unstoppable, Nick Zinner kept moving from the guitar to the synth and Brian Chase, well... I think we all owe Chase a big one for making "Heads Will Roll" a great dance-until-you-can't-dance-no-more song.  There was nothing that could stop EVERYONE from shaking it "like a ladder to the sun", not even the Orpheum's awful seating arrangement, which, by-the-by, gives you less leg space than many airlines in this country.

One minor detail... After seeing their performance live at All Points West, I must admit that their stage design is made for bigger spaces.  Everything looked crowded and the Eye just wasn't the same.


Of course, "Maps" had to be in the track list... oh... yeah...

Julian Casablancas | Going solo. Alone, Together?

For some, The Strokes are a religion.  I am NOT kidding! I've heard people say it out-loud first hand.  And if the Strokes are a religion, then that would make their frontman... the prophet? the Messiah? the chosen one?


Julian Casablancas - 11th Dimension



Julian Casablancas released his first single 11th Dimension on September 18th.   His PR staff must be deliriously happy because it seems that the entire blogging community is talking about it and fans have it on permanent loop.  What a tease! Keeping his followers on the verge of ecstasy, just waiting for the final release of his solo album Phrazes for the Young.


Like it? Yes. Love it? No.
You can't blame me for expecting a Strokes-esque single.  
It is rather jolly and we owe that to the synth - the 80's are back to stay!  Now, don't take me wrong -and this might sound pretty awful- but I was expecting something sinister, angry, playful and witty all at the same time... what I like to call optimism with overtones of realism and apathy.  Sorry for being so crude.


I'll remain faithful to the band... for the time being, but I'm stubborn and have detachment issues and I like my Casablancas with some Moretti, Hammond, Fraiture and, especially Valensi on the side.  Cut me some slack.


and... it's Friday.  So, like Julian says:

"Drop your guard, you don't have to be smart all of the time"

***NOTE:  He also released the album cover.  Now THIS I really like. No text , just great photography, high contrast, and muted colors blended with neon details.  The design makes Julian appear as the king and master of the music studio and for some reason, makes me think of Dorian Grey, Dada and collage.  Yup, a mixture of the classical and the new.

Damian Ortega | DIY "Mexican Style"

DIY -- Do It Yourself.

Trying to define, compare or begin to explain this acronym has been quite a challenge.  Even before writing this, I had a hard time arranging my thoughts and, to be completely honest, even after doing some research and going through sleepless nights thinking about it, I am still intrigued by its meaning.

I was given the awesome opportunity to be present in the curatorial/staff walk for the new ICA's exhibition Damian Ortega, Do It Yourself, where Ortega himself was giving a full disclosure of his works.  For art lovers, like myself, this was pure bliss.  And, I mean, is it possible not to be remotely interested in his exhibition when you are welcomed by his Cosmic Thing?  I was drooling all over it when I first saw it.

DIY is a term usually used for things related to home improvement, like building and repairing things without professional help - think about the Ikea phenomenon.  In art, it evokes ideas of breaking things down, reassembling, and manipulating everyday objects in such a way that they are brought out of their usual context.  Without getting into technicisms... DIY has a lot to do with ready-mades and the Duchamp and Damien Hirst legacy.

Ortega naturally brings a lot of his Mexican heritage into his pieces; references to his natal country are not evident, but definitely present.  This survey of the last decade covers his Coke bottle sculptures, leather floor plans, mirror cubes, chair sculptures, videos and photographs... the list goes on.  Though, in a brief Q&A session he admitted to be identified, hence, driven to work with bricks.

I genuinely loved this show.  But, i know... Contemporary installation art can be scary and slightly confusing.  As a friend said, it's hard to be face-to-face with a piece that many times needs to be explained to be understood; a piece that isn't necessarily 'pretty', with bits and pieces of a foreign culture.

If you feel this when facing Ortega's work, then I say: Eureka! Success! He brought you out of your comfort zone, and triggered curiosity.  Maybe even made you questioned your own stance.  

The ICA will have his show 'til January 2010.  Enough to see it once, twice or maybe three times?

DAMIAN ORTEGA

WHITE CUBE PROFILE   |   THE PHOENIX' PHOTO GALLERY OF EXHIBITION

Urban Art: Surviving the Whitewash

And so the random encounters with the anonymous creatures continues.  Ahhh... beautiful.

Chorus Gallery | When Art and Bicycles Come Together...

I have recently acquired a new addiction: biking.  It's not about style or going green.  I fully admit that it came as the final solution for my final problem: boredom.  Being a recent graduate and "funemployed" all of a sudden was not that fun. My bicycle not only became a distraction in itself, it also led me to find new and bigger escapades.  Now I openly pledge my love for the two-wheeled vehicle.


Of course, when I heard Open Bicycles had reopened its doors in Somerville, I was lured to visit the store.  What came in as a true surprise was to see that the store had a gallery as part of its complex, the Chorus Gallery.  


It is a rather small exhibition space, much too small for my taste.  But it's never been about quantity, its about quality, right?  Upon navigating the interwebs and doing a little research, I noticed this gallery dedicates its space to eclectic, contemporary art.  Its artists have a clear design-related background and tend to focus on the city.  Broad enough?  Well, by "the city" I mean it has an urban feeling - the themes, the subject matter, the colors, or just the vibrancy of the metropolis present in the style.


The current exhibition Momentum is dedicated to Matt W. Moore known for his vektorfunk psychodelia.  Appropriately enough, Moore transfered his kaleidoscopic geometry to four bike frames, which accompanied his canvases.  I must admit I am an not a fervent follower of his style, but there is something about this exhibition that happened to attract me... a lot.  The canvases were static but there was an undeniable sense of movement in them.  An orderly chaos.


So by the time I parted, I was stuck with these rather interesting visuals.  On my ride back I couldn't help but think how dull some bike frames appeared to me... they needed some color, some vektorfunk in their lifes.

OPEN BICYCLE

"IT AIN'T THAT SERIOUS" OPEN BICYCLE SHORTFILM   |   SHORT DOCUMENTARY

The Grates - Aussies invade the Bean

One word: cute.
This is true! The vocalist of The Grates, Patience, is the embodiment of cuteness.  How can you resist a lovely, bouncy girl with an adorable, golden shinny dress and a yellow cape?  Her gleeful presence is just contagious.


The Australian band paid a visit to the Bean and shared the stage with three other local bands (Verb the Adjective Noun, Viennagram and, my favorites, YCBW) at the Mid East.


Their music came in as a lovely surprise.  I mean, it seemed they were unknown to the larger crowd, including myself.  Best description? In a few... they're a combination of pop with grunge, punk and electro. One thing is for sure: their energetic vibe is bound to infect all listeners.  


Patience  joined everybody on the dance floor, and they loved her.  In between a dancing frenzy, hilarious remarks about spirit fingers and elbow indicators for hi-fives, she became one of them.  "And they said Boston was a hard crowd.  You guys are amazing!" she said.


DO listen to their tracks and dare to dance to a couple of them... possibly with minor garments in front of a mirror "Cameron Diaz in Charlie's Angels" style.  And be on the look out! They've scheduled a full US-tour to keep on spreading the love the way only aussies can.


Note: Pay attention to their drummer, Alana.  This lovely lady is a-mazing!

THE GRATES

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