Perfect Summer Soundtrack – Week 7

Again, I’d like to reiterate that unless you have all of these songs on your iPod or have rigged up some ingenious contraption that allows you to carry your laptop on your bicycle, this playlist may just be a waste of time for you.  At the very least, you can close your eyes and imagine the scene while sitting at your desk.  Totally your call on that one.

The Bike Ride Through the Country Playlist

Allow me to preface this playlist by noting that while I have been through the country, and have in fact ridden a bike, I have yet to combine the two into one awesome, soothing experience.  But having knowledge of both parts of this one activity gives me enough of a reason to post this playlist.  It’s got the predictable highs to keep you going, as well as some accompanying lows that will hopefully allow you to better appreciate your surroundings.  

Week 1 – Rooney’s Self-Titled Debut (Beach Trip, Road Trip, Skateboarding)
Week 2 – The Picnic Playlist
Week 3 – Of Montreal: The Sunlandic Twins (Road Trip Sing-a-longs, House Parties, Frisbee Tossing)
Week 4 – The 4th of July Party Playlist
Week 5 – The Pump Me the F*** Up! Playlist (Mountain Climbing, Fight Clubbing, Wakeboarding, Kayaking, Parachuting, Murdering, Running)

Week 6 – The Elected: Sun Sun Sun (Road Trip)

The Top 5 Most Disappointing Bands

It is a sad but true fact of the music industry, that some artists will never be able to live up to their early successes.  I’m not so much talking about one hit wonders, but rather bands who were able to make a few decent albums before falling off into obscurity and making only terrible music.  Some of my favorite songs of the last decade or so now leave a sour taste in my mouth when I think of where the people responsible for them now reside.  So without further ado, I present to you the Top 5 Most Disappointing Bands.

#5:  The Cardigans – To the most mainstream of listeners, The Cardigans had one big hit.  Fair enough.  But if you listen to their first few albums, you’ll find a that they had more to offer than just “Lovefool” (including a cover of “Iron Man”).  Songs like “Carnival” displayed a childlike wonder at life, a sort of doe-eyed whimsy that the band was never able to fully recreate in their later albums.  The critical verdict on Grand Turismo, Long Gone Before Daylight, and Super Extra Gravity are pretty clear: they pale in comparison to their first few albums.  There are a few loyal fans out there who still like what they hear, but when I tried to sit down and review Super Extra Gravity a while back, I just couldn’t listen to more than a few songs without getting bored or uninterested.  Tough break for a band that still gets regular plays on my iPod…”Lovefool,” of course.

#4:  The Dresden Dolls – The Dresden Dolls did the opposite of The Cardigans.  Rather than change their sound or try to expand upon it, they kept everything exactly the same for their sophomore album, Yes, Virginia.  Unfortunately, the band didn’t analyze their own music to realize that it’s uncannily gimmicky.  A person can only listen to so much German cabaret music before throwing in the towel and switching to something a little more easy on the ears.  When listening to Yes, Virginia, you can literally hear songs trying to recreate the intensity of a song on their self-titled debut, or others trying to recreate the hopelessness.  It’s all rather sad, or disappointing if you will.  With the release of No, Virginia, due in May, we’re almost guaranteed to be treated to the same repetitive nonsense.

#3:  Rilo Kiley – Believe me, I’m completely disappointed in Rilo Kiley.  The band that I used to cite as one of my favorites doesn’t even crack the Top 50 with their new Fleetwood Mac-wannabe music.  In many ways, I’m most disappointed in this band because they didn’t just make bad music, but made a conscious decision to sell out (more info on that HERE).  But they still gave me three incredibly solid and endearing albums that remain among my favorites to this day.  The top two on this list, well… they gave me much less to enjoy and therefore disappointed even more greatly. 

#2:  No Doubt – Every time I see Gwen Stefani on TV or read about her on the internet, I’m just heartbroken at what she has become.  The once punk-rocker chick who used to throw manic fits on stage and make teenage boys swoon has become a diva of epic proportions with her own clothing line, Japanese posse, and excessive bling.  Still, the most depressing aspect of it all is that she not only left her band No Doubt behind to embark on these endeavors, but she drove them into the ground before breaking off to go solo.  Tragic Kingdom is a classic album by almost all accounts.  It was followed by the less-successful, but still pretty decent, Return of Saturn.  Rock Steady is where things started to go downhill, however, with the band putting more of a focus on electronic, danceable songs rather than sticking with, or evolving their rock sounds.  It’s a shame.  The band is currently back together making an album that should be out sometime next year, but my hopes aren’t high.  I really can’t see Gwen going back to who she was in the early 1990s.  I’m almost sure she’ll be prancing around on stage in high heels and sunglasses at every show.  Too bad.

#1:  Live – Back in March, we at Audio Overflow revealed our love for Live’s 1994 masterpiece, Throwing Copper.  What you may not be aware of is how god awful the band got after releasing that album to the world.  It’s one of the most heartbreaking tales of alternative rock, maybe even worse than Kurt Cobain being an idiot (too soon?).  Secret Samadhi had about 3 decent songs on it, including the beautiful “Turn My Head,” and The Distance to Here had “The Dolphin’s Cry.”  And that’s it, folks!  Never mind that Live has released 3 albums since then.  Did you even know that?  Probably not unless you watch American Idol.  The depths that the band has fallen to is depressing.  I mean, who names their album Birds of PRAY?  I think the best thing for the band to do would be to pull an Alanis Morissette and milk that one shining star in your discography for all its worth.  I’m talking an acoustic version, a live version, maybe even a version where you have guest vocalists come on and pay tribute to it.  When that’s all you got, you do what you can.  Poor guys.

Moods – Depressed

There’s a difference between being sad and being depressed, and that mostly has to do with the state of mind of the individual. You see, when you’re sad, you typically want to be happy. However, when you’re depressed it often means that you’re more than willing to stay in that state of depression. Of course, I’m speaking specifically of the “teenage angst” form of depression and not the more serious medical condition.

So for all those teens out there who are willfully depressed for the attention they receive, here is a playlist to feed that depression. Just what Dr. Cale ordered! There are some songs to make you numb, some that make you angry, but all of them should do the trick!

My Rock Band DLC Wishlist

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that I’m a huge video game nerd and that I have this thing for a little music game called Rock Band.  For those of you who just awoke from a coma, Rock Band is a video game that uses peripherals that mimic the motions of real instruments.  You can sing and play guitar, bass guitar, and drums…kinda.  Hell, you all know what Rock Band is, and if you don’t, just read my lengthy review of it.  Anyhow, one of Rock Band’s cooler features is its downloadable content (DLC); essentially songs that you can download and add to your game.  More often than not, these come in the form of Track Packs, organized by artist.  With that said, let’s get on with it.  The following list is My Rock Band DLC Wishlist.

5:  Band of Horses Pack – Band of Horses are a real rock band.  They don’t play around on their instruments.  They know what they are doing.  However, they’re not going to go off on a 10 minute Dragonforce solo either.  Their music is typically balanced, with equal importance placed on vocals, guitars, and drums.  That’s why I feel like they’d be a perfect fit for Rock Band.  That, and I totally love singing along to this stuff!

Songs Included:

“The General Specific”

“The Funeral”

“Cigarettes, Wedding Bands”

4:  Franz Ferdinand Pack – Admittedly, my fondness of Franz Ferdinand has wavered over the years.  Back in 2004, there was hardly a time when I didn’t have their debut album playing.  But things change, and albums wear out.  Still, that doesn’t mean that I’ll keep them off my list.  Quite simply, Franz has put out some of the most inescapable jams of the last decade.  It’s a shame they’re not already in the game.  Here’s how I’d alleviate that:

Songs Included:

“Take Me Out”

“This Fire”

“Do You Want To?”

3:  Rilo Kiley Pack – It’s no secret that I completely despise Rilo Kiley’s attempt at trying to be Fleetwood Mac.  “Under the Blacklight” is laughably bad, and for all of you reading who were introduced to the band through that album, I apologize on their behalf.  They didn’t mean it.  Believe it or not, if you go back and listen to their earlier albums, there’s quite a collection of indie rock jams.  Nothing too rockin’ and always with a little bit of country, but unabashedly fun tunes nonetheless.  Here are the songs I’d pick to go on such a track pack.

Songs Included:

“Portions for Foxes”

“Science vs. Romance”

“Paint’s Peeling”

2:  Cursive Pack – I am completely unashamed of my girly obsession with Tim Kasher and the guys of Cursive.  It’s indie and emo, but not so emo that you go running for the scissors.  Unlike most emo bands, however, Cursive has talent.  Kasher presents his vocals with such earnestness, such force that your head has no choice but to bang, your hand no choice but to ball into a fist and be thrown into the air repeatedly.  The rest of the band ain’t so bad either.  All Rock Band needs is a cello or brass peripheral.  But then I’d never leave the house.

Songs Included:

“Dorothy at Forty”

“Art is Hard”

“Driftwood: A Fairy Tale”

1:  Muse Pack – I highly doubt that there’s a band out there more suited for Rock Band than Muse.  Their music never fails to disappoint, and they are doubtlessly the most “rockin’” band on this list.  The most difficult thing about putting Muse on the game is deciding which of their countlessly impressive songs should make the cut.  “Knights of Cydonia” is out because it’s already on Guitar Hero III and the vocals are kind of “meh.”  Fortunately, I’ve devised a list so awesomely sinister that the folks at Harmonix can’t help but oblige.  Bwahahaha!

Songs Included:

“Time Is Running Out”

“City of Delusion”

“Citizen Erased”

Oh, and in case you were wondering what all this nonsense sounded like, enjoy this nice little playlist to start off your weekend.  Fellow nerds, I’m wondering.  What songs would you add to Rock Band?

Winners of the 4th Annual Cale Awards.

Well folks, after a month of polling, campaigning, and annoying you with updates you don’t care about, the 4th Annual Cale Awards have finally finished. Below you’ll find the winners according to the general readership of Audio Overflow, as well as my own personal pick for each category. Thanks to all of you who participated! Have a Merry Christmas!

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Readers’ Pick:
1st – Britney Spears: Blackout
2nd – Boddicker: Big Lionhearted and the Gallant Man
3rd – Interpol: Our Love to Admire

Cale’s Pick:
Boddicker: Big Lionhearted and the Gallant Man – Because I’ve been trying to think of worse albums for the last 10 months and I’m still coming up empty. It’s the single worst thing I’ve ever heard!

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Readers’ Pick:
1st – Britney Spears – “Toy Soldier”
2nd – Boddicker – “Bon Vivant”
3rd – Maroon 5 – “Kiwi”

Cale’s Pick:
Boddicker – “Bon Vivant” – Because I’ve been trying to think of worse songs for the last 10 months and I’m still coming up empty. It’s the single worst thing I’ve ever heard!

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Readers’ Pick
1st – Rilo Kiley: Under the Blacklight
2nd – Feist: The Reminder
3rd – Air: Pocket Symphony

Cale’s Pick:
Rilo Kiley: Under the Blacklight – I waited 3 years for a new Rilo Kiley album and what I got was a mediocre attempt at trying to sound like Fleetwood Mac. Personally, I’d aim a little higher.

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Readers’ Pick:
1st – Caribou: Andorra
2nd – LCD Soundsystem: Sound of Silver
3rd – ContraNova: Infinity in all Directions

Cale’s Pick:

ContraNova: Infinity in all Directions – I went in expecting the worst, and came out with one of the most memorable and lasting musical experiences of the year.

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Readers’ Pick:
1st – The Decemberists: The Crane Wife
2nd – The Flaming Lips: At War With the Mystics
3rd – The Pipettes: We Are the Pipettes

Cale’s Pick:
The Decemberists: The Crane Wife – It wasn’t my album of the year in 2006, but I’ve been surprised to find that it is just as good today as it was way back then. Perhaps better.

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Readers’ Pick:
1st – The Flaming Lips
2nd – Of Montreal
3rd – The New Pornographers

Cale’s Pick:
The Flaming Lips – What can I said that I haven’t already ranted about? The Lips are the best live act I’ve ever seen in my life, and when I saw them a few months back I was spinning for days. Pure 100% awesomeness.

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Readers’ Pick:
1st – Spoon – “The Underdog”
2nd – Bjork – “The Dull Flame of Desire”
3rd – Okkervil River – “A Girl in Port”

Cale’s Pick:
Architecture in Helsinki – “Hold Music” – The brass in this song is strong and biting. Playing at triple forte to enhance an already out of control song has never sounded so good!

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Readers’ Pick:
1st – Explosions in the Sky: All of a Sudden I miss Everyone
2nd – Animal Collective: Strawberry Jam
3rd – Radiohead: In Rainbows

Cale’s Pick:
Animal Collective: Strawberry Jam– It’s such a strangely satisfying album. One that makes absolutely no sense, and yet it makes even less sense to deny the genius of it. It is, quite simply, amazing.

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Readers’ Pick:
1st – Band of Horses: Cease to Begin
2nd – Dillinger Escape Plan: Ire Works
3rd – Smashing Pumpkins: Zeitgeist

Cale’s Pick:
Dillinger Escape Plan: Ire Works– Band of Horses? Seriously? It’s a great album, but Dillinger Escape Plan would eat them alive, regurgitate them, and then sacrifice the regurgitation to Vulcanus! That’s what this category was really all about.

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Readers’ Pick:
1st – Kanye West: Graduation
2nd – El-P: I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead
3rd – K-Os: Atlantis: Hymns for Disco

Cale’s Pick:
Absaining – I didn’t really hear any hip hop this year that I enjoyed. K-Os was good at times, but not his best, so I can’t credit him for that.

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Readers’ Pick:
1st – Caribou: Andorra
2nd – Justice: †
3rd – LCD Soundsystem: Sound of Silver

Cale’s Pick:
Justice: † – While all of the top three are great albums, I have to say that I enjoyed Justice’s log-awaited debut the most. Big ups to Caribou too though, that album is stunning.

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Readers’ Pick:
1st – Okkervil River: The Stage Names
2nd – Iron & Wine: The Shepherd’s Dog
3rd – Loney, Dear: Loney, Noir

Cale’s Pick:
Loney, Dear: Loney, Noir – It’s folk from Sweden, poppy folk, singer-songwriter folk. Hell, it’s just good.

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Readers’ Pick:
1st – Stars: In Our Bedroom After the War
2nd – Apples in Stereo: New Magnetic Wonder
3rd – Beirut: The Flying Club Cup

Cale’s Pick:
Field Music: Tones of Town – It’s brilliantly composed and executed, and one of the most relentlessly enjoyable albums of 2007! Not bad for a pop album.

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Readers’ Pick:
1st – Spoon: Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
2nd – Tegan and Sara: The Con
3rd – The New Pornographers: Challengers

Cale’s Pick:
Band of Horses: Cease to Begin – I missed out on their debut, but I was fortunate enough to hear this one. It is without a doubt one of the best albums of 2007, and sure to please most everybody.

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Readers’ Pick:
1st – Radiohead: In Rainbows
2nd – Apples in Stereo: New Magnetic Wonder
3rd – Smashing Pumpkins: Zeitgeist

Cale’s Pick:
Radiohead: In Rainbows – Probably the only award that Radiohead actually deserves this year. The hipsters are out in full force, proclaiming In Rainbows to be the second coming of Christ, but it’s not. It is an awesome album though, and a long time coming for Radiohead.

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Readers’ Pick:
1st – Of Montreal: Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
2nd – Bright Eyes: Cassadaga
3rd – Stars: In Our Bedroom, After the War

Cale’s Pick:
Of Montreal: Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? – It may not have been Of Montreal’s most artistic cover to date, but everything from how the album is opened, to the insert, to the clear, glossy sleeve it comes packaged in is beautiful.

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Readers’ Pick:
1st – St. Vincent
2nd – Feist
3rd – M.I.A.

Cale’s Pick:
St. Vincent – This really isn’t even a contest. Annie Clark not only put out the best female album of the year, but one of the best…period. She is 2007’s Shara Worden.

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Readers’ Pick:
1st – Iron & Wine
2nd – LCD Soundsystem
3rd – Loney, Dear

Cale’s Pick:
Loney, Dear – His debut album here in the states was absolutely breathtaking from start to finish and he’s got one of the most unique styles in music today. That’s why I love it!

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Readers’ Pick:
1st – St. Vincent
2nd – The Twilight Sad
3rd – Dan Deacon

Cale’s Pick:
St. Vincent – She put out an album that most established artists only dream about; a perfect album with clever lyrics and beautiful performances on both vocals and intruments. Annie Clark blew away the competition, and ended up winning this category with over 70% of the votes tallied: the most lopsided category of the year! That’s how good she is.

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Readers’ Pick:
1st – Feist – “1,2,3,4”

2nd – Band of Horses – “Is There A Ghost”
3rd – Architecture in Helsinki – “Heart it Races”

Cale’s Pick:
Feist – “1,2,3,4” – Feist should be writing a letter right now to whoever directed this video. It should read, “Dear director, thank you for making my career. I love you.”

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Readers’ Pick:
1st – Radiohead

2nd – The Besnard Lakes
3rd – Of Montreal

Cale’s Pick:
Band of Horses – 2007 is the year that first heard and fell in love with Band of Horses. They may not have had the best album of the 2007, but their music will stick with me for years and years to come.

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Readers’ Pick:
1st – The New Pornographers – “Challengers”
2nd – Of Montreal – “Heimdalsgate Like a Promethean Curse”
3rd – Feist – “1,2,3,4”

Cale’s Pick:
Find out on December 31, 2007 in the Top 31 of 2007 Countdown

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Readers’ Pick:
1st – Radiohead: In Rainbows
2nd – Of Montreal: Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
3rd – Band of Horses: Cease to Begin

Cale’s Pick:
Find out on December 31, 2007 in the Top 31 of 2007 Countdown

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Again, thanks to all of you who voted! And thank you for reading Audio Overflow.

The 5 Worst Songs of 2007

Generally speaking, 2007 has been a really great year for music. We’ve seen great albums from Of Montreal, The New Pornographers and other established bands, as well as some surprises from newcomers like St. Vincent. Amidst this lineup of great albums though lies a small, but terrible collection of songs that never should have existed. Now I’m just one guy, so I can guarantee you that I haven’t heard all the worst songs that 2007 has to offer, especially since I try to avoid bad music at all costs. But from the albums I’ve listened to and reviewed this year, the following songs stand out as the 5 Worst Songs of 2007.

#5: Rilo Kiley – “15” – Musically, “15” is a fairly decent song. It’s in no way impressive, or even memorable, but it’s not downright bad. What is bad about “15” is the lyrics. Who would’ve thought that a love story about a male twenty-something falling in love and having a physical relationship with a 15-year old girl would be the year’s pop anthem? Only Jenny Lewis apparently, who when performing the song live feels the need to get the crowd into it by waving her hand in the hopes of reciprocation. It’s just that Jenny forgot one thing. It’s not sexy, it’s creepy (and pretty much illegal). No one wants to hear about a 15-year old child who is “ripe like a peach” and “down for almost anything.” No one except sex offenders and 13-year old boys, that is. That’s not exactly the audience I’d be targeting if I were Rilo Kiley.

#4: M.I.A. – “Jimmy” – M.I.A.’s abysmal cover of “Jimmy Jimmy Aaja” (from the 1980’s Bollywood flick, Disco Dancer) was so bad that it stood out as the worst track on Kala, an album that I wasn’t too fond of to begin with. I have to give her credit for trying to branch out from the straight-up grime/hip hop style that she’s known for, but the pseudo-disco production and over-sexed “Jimmy” moans pretty much guaranteed the song a spot on this list. The story behind Maya’s connection to the song is pretty cool and all, but someone along the way should have had the foresight to axe this one before it made it to the record (much less a single). I don’t know. Maybe it’s just me. I’m definitely one of the few music bloggers/critics out there who isn’t completely in love with M.I.A., so that’s a possibility.

#3: Britney Spears – “Toy Soldier” – Ugh. I’m already pissed about the fact that my review of Britney’s new album was overrun by the moronic-majority over at Amazon.com, and then the other night I go jogging with my sister only to find that she has Britney on her iPod. Am I the only one left in the world who has the good sense to not buy into this garbage? Anyways, of all the songs on Blackout, none was more cringe-inducing than “Toy Soldier,” a song in which Britney resorts to the tried and true “I need a soldier” song (and by tried and true I mean entirely overused). It’s bad enough when she’s rapping “peek-a-boo he good” like an illiterate human being, but by the time she’s singing “I need a really bad ass soldier” you just kinda have to gouge your ears out and cry yourself to sleep. It’s just one of many examples of songs on Blackout that shouldn’t have ever been penned. But hey! You can dance to it!

#2: Maroon 5 – “Kiwi” – In case you haven’t noticed yet, I’m a pretty big fan of lyrics. It’s my policy that if the lyrics are a joke, 95% of the time the song will be also. Never was that more apparent this year than on Maroon 5’s “Kiwi” in which Adam Levine tells you everything you didn’t want to know, and probably a little bit more. So when he says he wants to be a “stronger and faster lover,” I’m pretty sure he’s talking about getting his pelvis up to about 100 TPM (Thrusts Per Minute). Ok. Fine. But then he takes it one step backwards in the chorus and says “Sweet Kiwi, your juices dripping down my chin.” That’s just gross! No one wants to hear about that Adam! Not a single solitary person other than yourself. Keep it where it belongs. In the bedroom, in your mind, and out of our thoughts. Thanks!

#1: Boddicker – “Bon Vivant” – Being a pretty big fan of indie music, you wouldn’t think that the one song on my list that was actually put out by an indie artist would be the worst song of the year. But you’d be wrong, because a lot of indie music sucks. Case in point, Caleb Boddicker. I’ve never reviewed an album as low as Boddicker’s 2007 debut, Big Lionhearted and the Gallant Man (1 out of 10 Stars), as I usually find enough about an album to enjoy to at least give it a few stars (Britney got 3). But Boddicker just upped the suck so much that I couldn’t find one single song that I enjoyed for even a few seconds. Of all of the atrocious songs on the album, “Bon Vivant” is the worst and one of the worst I’ve ever heard in my life. Boddicker doesn’t sing his lyrics, he howls them. He barks them. On “Bon Vivant” he howls, “The fooooooooooooooood tastes so gooooooooooooooood,” sending fingers flying towards the skip forward button. When showing it to family and friends, they begged me to turn it off before I finally did. What other song garners that sort of knee-jerk response? Maybe the “Nails on the Chalkboard” song that I just made up in my head, but other than that, nothing.

10/5/07: Rilo Kiley – Houston, TX

Did I mention I saw The Flaming Lips Live about 2 weeks ago?

That sentence pretty much sums up my experience seeing Rilo Kiley live for the very first time. Granted, pre-2007 Rilo Kiley is one of my favorite bands, oh, ever, and they were really very talented live, but there was just something missing. Confetti, giant balloons, crazy spectacles, enormous hands; those sorts of things. It wasn’t like I was expecting all of these things, but after seeing The Flaming Lips just 10 days earlier, Rilo Kiley just seemed boring!

But I’m getting ahead of myself. The evening started out with a very talented new band called Art in Manila. The band sounds like they very well could be the next Rilo Kiley, albeit a toned-down, less country version of Rilo Kiley. They are made up of a bunch of members from other indie rock bands that you may or may not have heard of (The Good Life, Azure Ray, etc.). They are fronted by former-Azure Ray member and all-around cutie patootie, Orenda Fink. Their music was very polished though, at times, very unaffecting. Still, they got me interested, and I fully intend on checking out their music in the near future.

After Art in Manila, I got kind of tired of being the tall douche who blocks everybody’s view. Plus, about 16 or 17 thirteen year old girls rushed up to where I was standing, and I suddenly found my somewhat spacious area a little more cozy than I would have liked. I moved to the back of the venue.

The next band, Grand Ole Party, had a very cool sound. Made up of 3 members, the lead singer is also the drummer, and her vocals absolutely blew me away. Her voice sounds surprisingly like Aretha Franklin’s. Likewise, the band’s music was very soulful and funky with hints of blues thrown in occasionally. They had a very cool sound. Unfortunately, while the music the band produced was pretty cool, their performance was lacking. The guitarist and bassist had their feel planted the whole show, occasionally moving their upper body, but never really reacting to the music in a way that would seem appropriate. A lot of the bands’ songs ended up bleeding into one another too, and it all started sounding a bit repetitive after a while. That being said, they still blew me away and I think they could have a bright future ahead of them. (Their debut album was produced by Blake Sennett of Rilo Kiley.)

But of course, I didn’t drive 45 minutes to see Art in Manila and Grand Ole Party. I did it to see Rilo Kiley, a band with whom I was basically in love with until a little album called Under the Blacklight came out. Even though me and the band aren’t really speaking anymore, I wanted to go and see them live. I’ve been wanting to for a while. And to be honest, they really didn’t disappoint all that much.

The band played a total of 20 songs, 8 of which were from their latest album. To my surprise, a lot of the audience seemed to be fans of their recent stuff as well. I know I’m not the only long-standing Rilo Kiley fan to feel a little disappointed in their new stuff, so this leads me to believe that a lot of the people who came to see them are new fans of them. Good for them, right?

Anyways, Rilo Kiley is absolutely perfect live. Jenny Lewis’ vocals are just as gorgeous as always when they need to be, and obnoxious when she wants it to be. I expected nothing less, and was not disappointed at all. Almost 3 years ago, I had the opportunity to see Blake Sennett and The Elected play live, so I already knew he would be fun to watch live. Boy, he sure does love playing that guitar of his!

I was also glad to see that Orenda Fink and Kristen Gundred (of Art in Manila and Grand Ole Party, respectively) were incorporated into Rilo Kiley’s show. Orenda did backup vocals, guitars, synthesizers, and even played trumpet on “It’s a Hit.” Kristen was mainly restricted to backup vocals and congas, but it was still nice to see. It was also nice to see Blake sing “Ripchord” (ukulele and all) and finally get that song the attention it deserves. The band was kind enough to play 6 songs from The Execution of All Things and 5 from More Adventurous, though I was pretty disappointed to hear that the only song they played from Take Offs and Landings was “Wires and Waves” (you had Orenda on the trumpet, you should have played “Don’t Deconstruct”…AHH!!).

But of course this wouldn’t be much of a review if I didn’t have anything negative to say about the band, and the night was not without it’s share of questionable decisions. For example, why on earth would you play “15?” Or better yet, why would you sing it all sexy-like and try to get the crowd all into it by waving their hands (it is about statutory rape, right)? It just doesn’t seem like the tried-and-true crowd pleaser that Jenny wanted it to be.

Another thing I noticed was that the band seemed to be noticeably more into their older stuff than the songs off of Under the Blacklight (with the exception of “Breakin’ Up” which they all seemed pretty excited about). When they played songs like “Moneymaker,” “Silver Lining,” and “Dreamworld” they seemed distant, but when playing songs like “It’s a Hit” or “Paint’s Peeling,” they were completely and undeniably into it. I wonder if I was the only one who noticed this. Also, did anyone else think Jenny looked like a frumpy home school girl in 80s workout attire? Anyone?

The band even took turns playing Jenny and Blake’s side-projects’ songs. They first played “Rise Up with Fists” from Jenny’s solo debut, which was followed shortly by “Greetings in Braille” from The Elected’s first album Me First. I’m a huge Elected fan though, and they totally butchered this song, in my opinion (seriously, my homemade cover of it was better…and it sucked).

Overall, though, Rilo Kiley was really great live and I’m glad I finally got the chance to see them! If you’ve ever been a fan of Rilo Kiley and you’ve never had the opportunity to check them out live, then I highly recommend you do so. Just be sure that you don’t see The Flaming Lips 10 days earlier, because that will totally ruin your experience! Seriously, at one point in the show the drummer popped a giant, confetti-filled balloon and I thought “That’s it?” That’s how spoiled I am!

Anyone Want to See Rilo Kiley This Friday?

Rilo Kiley will be performing LIVE this Friday, October 5th in Houston, TX at Warehouse Live. I have one ticket for sale.

That’s for the people who may be Googling “Rilo Kiley Tickets, Houston.” Here’s the deal.

I bought two tickets to go see Rilo Kiley this Friday, but it turns out I only need one. So I’m stuck with an extra ticket and no one to give it to. All of my Rilo Kiley-lovin’ posse already have their own tickets.

If you live in the Houston area and would like one ticket to this SOLD OUT show, shoot me an e-mail at audiooverflow@gmail.com. I will sell it to you for $15 ($3 off + more if you count convenience charges), and give it to you at Warehouse Live prior to the show on Friday night. I’m an honest guy and everything so don’t worry about me screwing you over. I just don’t want this ticket to go to waste.

If you’re interested, send me an e-mail and I’ll respond to it within a couple of hours. I’ll give you my cell phone number so you can contact me on Friday, and all that good stuff. First come first serve. The first person to send an e-mail saying that they want the ticket will get it.

That is all. See you Friday!

–Cale

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Rilo Kiley: "Under the Blacklight"

Three years.

Three years ago, I walked out of my local record store with a brand new CD in my hands. Having been a fan of Rilo Kiley’s first two albums for a while, I knew that I had no choice but to buy “More Adventurous” and support one of my favorite bands. I was instantly captivated by the more polished sound that the band presented on that album. Songs like “Does He Love You?” and “More Adventurous” have become all-time favorites for me. To say the very least, it was an impressive album. It has been three years, and like most Rilo Kiley fans, I have been eagerly anticipating the return of Rilo Kiley. At last, it’s finally come with “Under the Blacklight,” an album in which Rilo Kiley tries to expand their sound further into the pop realm.

The album begins on a high note, with the beautifully crafted “Silver Lining.” More than any other song on “Under the Blacklight,” this one captures the essence of classic Rilo Kiley. There is a catchy hook, a little bit of country flare, and everybody in the band seems to blend well with one another. There is no part of the song that feels out of place or unnecessary. Of course, it’s also immediately noticeable that Jenny Lewis has toned down her typically eccentric writing for a more accessible alternative. Still, the song manages to satisfy and is sure to keep even the most skeptical of Rilo Kiley fans happy. For the time being, at least.

“Close Call” finds Jenny Lewis overpowering the rest of the band with unnecessary and obnoxious “oohs and ahhs.” On any other Rilo Kiley album, she’d be obnoxious by writing long, intricate lines and trying to squeeze them into a single phrase, but that was always part of her appeal. Here, she’s just flat out not trying as hard (or perhaps too hard to be something she’s not), and it shows.

The album’s first single, “The Moneymaker” has already drawn mixed reviews from Rilo Kiley fans. Some praise it for it’s sharp contrast to their established sound, while others criticize it for the exact same reason. While I’m still not entirely sold on the song, it has grown on me over the last month or so. My biggest complaint with it is not the simple riffs, but the completely unsatisfying lyrics. I read an interview a few days ago where the band stated that they pretty much wrote the whole song in 30 minutes. That’s not surprising, considering that in a Rilo Kiley song about porn stars, the best hook they could come up with was “She says ow, ow, ow…hell yeah!”

“Breakin’ Up” is my favorite song on the album despite the fact that it’s plagued with an overabundance of fake-sounding background vocals. It’s disco-esque guitars and synths really prove that Rilo Kiley is capable of branching out and making a real solid pop song, even if the rest of the album is evidence to the contrary. When Jenny Lewis sings “Ooh, it feels good to be free,” I just imagine the song being performed live and think about how cool it could be. Of course, when I hear the background vocals repeating the same line without Jenny’s assistance, I gag a bit. Oh well, fair trade.

You’d expect a song called “Under the Blacklight” to be an unapologetic dance track, but it’s surprisingly one of the most toned down songs on the album. The song fuses an almost 90s alternative rock sound with a twangy country vibe to form what is a respectable ballad. Blake Sennett takes over the vocal duties on “Dreamworld.” A throwback to old Fleetwood Mac, it has a definitive 70s pop rock sound to it. I’ve always favored Blake Sennett’s songwriting and singing more than Jenny’s for some reason, and this song just seals the deal for me. It’s a nice break from Jenny’s vocals, which tend to wear thin on my ears on this album.

Never fear though, Jenny fans, she’s back on “Dejalo.” However, her vocals are noticeably out of place on this funky pop song, and once again the background choir vocals are just entirely unnecessary. Her lyrics are also inexplicably terrible here (“My mom is an atheist. If I stay out late, she don’t get pissed”). “15” tells the story that never needed to be told; that of a 25 year old boy being seduced by a 15 year old girl who is “down for almost anything” and “ripe like a cherry, bruised like a peach.” The music itself isn’t bad at all, even though Jenny is a bit overpowering, but the lyrics are really untouched territory in pop music (for good reason). Whether that’s genius or just dumb, I have yet to decide. But it’s disturbing either way.

“Smoke Detector” has a very distorted California beach rock feel to it, and I can imagine a bunch of people in one-piece swimsuits hula hooping and doing the twist to this one at some 1960s beach party. It’s a very different sound for Rilo Kiley, but that’s pretty much par for the course. “The Angels Hung Around” sounds like it could’ve been featured on “More Adventurous” until it comes to the repetitive chorus where Jenny simply repeats the title a few time. But it’s clear-cut country sound is enough to save it from the skip button, as it’s one of the few reminders of what Rilo Kiley used to sound like. The album closes with “Give a Little Love,” a song that utilizes simple electronic drums, handclaps, and synths. Jenny sings “You’ve got to give a little love to get a little love” in the chorus. Though the song may not “hit all the right notes” the first time through, I’ve found it to be a fairly decent song after a few listens.

As I’m sure you can deduce from reading, I have very mixed feelings for “Under the Blacklight.” In my mind, that makes it a disappointment, as Rilo Kiley has never gotten mixed reactions from me in the past. In an interview I read with Blake Sennett, he said that the band has played pretty much everything they could except for straightforward pop music. Being fans of the genre, themselves, the opted to give it a try and this album is the result of their efforts. After giving “Under the Blacklight” several listens, I think it’s safe to say that Rilo Kiley is better at what they used to play than what is presented here. The band’s creativity has been stunted by the petty demands of a genre whose fans offer little to no loyalty to the creators of their cheap thrills. Jenny Lewis in particular has sacrificed a lot of her creative and charming lyrics in favor of repetitive and easy lyrical hooks (“It’s gonna be a close call – Repeat,” “She says ow, ow, ow…hell yeah – Repeat,” “Dejalo, nuestra cosa – Repeat,” “Ready to go – Repeat,” “Danger, do the smoke detector – Repeat,” “The angels hung around – Repeat,” “Give a little love – Repeat, repeat, repeat!”)

“Under the Blacklight” is a disappointment in comparison to every other Rilo Kiley album to date. While the band is still better than 99% of the people who will now undoubtedly play beside them on the radio, for Rilo Kiley, it just seems like they took the easy way out. While I’m sure the term “sold out” will be thrown around by long time fans, I have no idea what the intentions of the band were when they recorded “Under the Blacklight.” All I know is that the Rilo Kiley I fell in love with barely makes an appearance on this album. While the album may grow on me over time, right now, it’s just not doing it. For me, “Under the Blacklight” is a disappointment three years in the making.

Recommended for fans of pop music and Rilo Kiley. Decide for yourself.

Key Tracks:
1. “Silver Lining”
2. “The Moneymaker”
3. “Breakin’ Up”
4. “Dreamworld”

5 out of 10 Stars