It might seem hard to believe that a band that has been together for a little more than a year, can have gained such a large following, selling out shows where ever they go...until you hear their music. Simply put, The Head And The Heart make wonderful neo-folk music that is full of life and energy and warmth, it just radiates. There is also this wonderful authenticity to their songwriting and their performances that makes you feel like each one of these songs is the most important one they have ever done. This is an excellent debut album through and through.
Down In The Valley
The Donkeys, Born With Stripes There is something about The Donkeys that I really like. I just can't figure out exactly what it is...I guess that I would equate them to comfort food. It is not the fanciest or the most exotic or even the most flavorful, but it just always tastes good and right. And the Donkeys' music is a lot like that; Nothing fancy, but really satisfying. The band has this great late '60's, early '70's psychedelic rock sound that makes these songs feel so familiar to me. Songs such as New Blue Stockings and Ceiling Tan stand out for this reason, but songs that sound a bit more contemporary, like Don't know Who We Are, are just great. Don't Know Who We Are
Back in 2009, The Antlersreleased their amazing album, Hospice. It was a concept album that told the story of someone who was very sick and at the end of their life. It was a deeply personal album for Peter Silberman, the creative force behind The Antlers. It was dark and haunting and beautiful and I was so drawn into the story from both a lyrical and musical perspective.
After almost three years, Silberman and The Antlers are back with Burst Apart. While the album is not another album that draws in the listener with a linear storyline or concept, it is another amazing collection of songs.
Relationships don’t seem to come easy to Silberman. Being loved and or not being loved haunts him and he struggles through these songs to make sense of what he wants or needs. In French Kiss he sings “Everyone I loved kept me tangled in my heart, You’ll tie that knot a bit too loose, not enough to tease apart….Come on. Everyone I hold, holds me strangled, sweet and smart. I’m not a puppy you take home, don’t bother trying to fix my heart.”
Burst Apart
Silberman has a dynamic voice that can pack an emotional punch especially when he goes up into his falsetto range. His vocals along with his gorgeous and lush guitar work carry and convey the weight of his words and feelings.
Every Night My Teeth Are Falling Out
As the album progresses, Silberman shows glimmers and signs of a man who realizes that he may not be able stand alone. Whether he wants to or not is an entirely different matter. As the album comes to a close with Putting The Dog To Sleep, he is putting himself in someone else’s care, like a wounded animal that needs someone to care for it. He sings, “Well my trust in you is a dog with a broken leg, Tendons too torn to beg for you to let me back in. You said, “I can’t prove to you you’re not gonna die alone, But trust me to take you home, To clean up that blood all over your paws.” Silberman response to them both with “Put your trust in me, I’m not going to die alone….I don’t think so….”
Parentheses
Happy endings are nice, but not always real or realistic. While this is certainly the case within world that Silberman writes about, but it not the case when it comes to the band's music. Like on Hospice, The Antlers’ music on Burst Apart is richly textured and can soar in a way that many bands can only aspire to achieve. In this respect, this is another very happy ending for The Antlers creatively.
Fleet Foxes are finally back with a follow up to their self titled debut album, one that sold over a million copies world wide. I Liked Fleet Foxes. I really like Helplessness Blues. The band's music, often described as neo-folk or folk-rock, centers on richly textured songs that feature beautiful, choral-like harmonies (Think Simon and Garfunkel) that have a certain Ethereal quality to them. On Helplessness Blues, songs are more focused, lyrics are more personal and poetic, and the harmonies reach new heights.
I have been a big fan of TV On The Radio for many years. Blending musical styles that range from hip-hop and soul to rock and psychedelic jazz, the band has created a unique sound that has pushed musical boundaries and has always sounded fresh and exciting. This was perfectly illustrated on their amazing 2008 release, Dear Science. On their new release, Nine Types Of Light, the band has pulled back on their boundary pushing ways a bit and seem to be using self imposed restraints. I would be concerned about this, if the album was a miss, but it is not. It is another great album that shows that sometimes restraint is the missing ingredient. Will Do
I first heard Federico Aubele’s music in 2009 when he released Amatoria. This was a wonderful album and it made me go and explore his earlier works. What I love about his music is the way he so successfully fuses musical styles and elements. Argentinian tango, bolero, reggae-dub bass lines, hip-hop beats, and electronic elements are all woven throughout his music.
On his new album, Berlin 13, Federico expands and pushes the bounds and use of the electronic and dub elements as he explores a very difficult period in his life. I found this to be very intriguing. Federico’s music has always originated from a very emotional place. And I think about the construction of songs using these types of elements as being very technical and academic and not emotional. But on Berlin 13, Federico has successfully incorporated these elements to create a collection of songs that are dark, moody, atmospheric, and emotional.
When I talked with Federico about his music and the album, I learned that in many ways, Berlin 13 is an album that has been a long time in the making.
Federico was born and raised in Buenos Aires. When he was 12 he started playing the guitar. By age 17 he was really looking to challenge himself and expand his knowledge base, so he turned to classical music.
“Most of it I found to be utterly boring. It is a language that is so old, I found it really hard to connect with most of it, but I was trying to somehow find something that I would like. I started listening to all these pieces by the Viennese composers of the early twentieth century, a period that ran through the start of WWII when they all had to leave their homes. They were creating this whole new language. It was amazing! After the war, composers in countries like occupied Germany, France, and Italy started experimenting more with their music and moving away from traditional harmonies, which had a lot of rules. In the 1950’s they started working with very early electronics stuff like radio waves and very, very early prototype synthesizers.”
Federico said that today, this may not seem so impressive, but back then no one was doing this. He became fascinated with composers like Schoenberg, Stockhausen, and Ligeti and their exploration of atonalism, electro-acoustic music, and tone clusters. “A lot of the stuff that we listen to today, even in popular music…certain details…we take for granted, especially with electronic music.“
Federico really connect with these composers and their pieces. “They became part of my musical universe. And I definitely felt that my previous records did not reflect this in a clear way…this piece was missing, so I have tried to incorporate this on this new album in a clear way.” He said that it ended up creating a darker mood for the whole album.
The mood and tone of Berlin 13 is definitely darker and more ambient than Federico’s previous work for sure. This darker feel reflects Federico's state of mind and the period of time when he lived in Berlin.
Bohemian Rhapsody In Blue
Federico first went to Berlin in 2001 to explore the city’s rich electronica music scene. While there, he experienced some type of life crisis. While Federico did not want to talk about what took place, he said that it completely altered him. “I was pretty shocked when I left Berlin for Barcelona. It’s like the bomb exploded and then I left. I really picked up the pieces and began to process it all when I was in Barcelona.”
Federico said that experiencing this crisis and responding to it was fundamental to his growth and helped him evolve on a psychological level. “It takes time, and it is a painful process, but once you go through it you come out stronger. And you learn a lot about yourself.”
I had read Federico describe what he experienced in Berlin as being transformative and a kind of rebirth. I asked if this was in a musical sense or something more fundamental?
“It is hard to separate one from the other. What affects your personal life affects your music. And what affects your music affects your life. As a musician, music happens all the time. Whether you’re moving or picking up the pieces in the middle of a crisis, being happy or being sad. Every moment of your life has a particular mood and that of course translates into your music.”
Federico left Berlin in 2004. After leaving, he went on to record other albums that did not directly have to do with his time in Berlin, musically or emotionally. I asked him why Berlin 13 is here now after so many years?
“It took me a long time to process everything that happened. In a way, it doesn’t happen on a conscious level, it is just there. At some point it pops up. What makes it come to the surface is a mystery. I am not really sure why. It’s just an internal reordering. All of this stuff seemed to come up again and that’s how I got in touch with it again.”
I asked Federico when he makes an album like this, which is a departure in certain respects from his previous work, if he is concerned about alienating those who have followed and enjoyed his music over the years. He said that as an artist, his main responsibility is to be true to where the music is taking him and to follow that path.
“I feel very comfortable in the darker moods in general. I find it really hard to make happier sounding music. I can’t get away with making happy songs and still be making good songs.” Federico laughed. “When I try making happy songs they end up sounding very dull.”
He did say that while the album is darker and more electronic than previous ones, he thinks that listeners can still recognize certain elements that are a significant part of his musical language.
Still present is Federico’s familiar Spanish Guitar playing. However, Federico said that with the dub base lines and the electronic elements, which have also always been part of his sound, he has pushed them more towards their limits. “As a creator that is what you need to do and do it in the most honest way. But there is always a risk.”
Berlin
I really appreciate the risks that Federico has taken with Berlin 13. I asked him if he sees himself creating more conceptual albums like this one in the future. He said that he did not know what was going to happen next. “I just start writing some songs. I never like to start writing with any rules.” In this respect, Federico said that he sees himself as more of a painter than a musician.
“A painter starts with paints and what ever technique he uses to create his art. It is not like there are 5 different painters painting the same painting. There is a guy who sits there and creates the whole thing. It can take him a month, a year, or whatever it takes to finish it. Then it is done and that is his work.”
Federico has certainly painted and conveyed a man struggling with his own demons and emotions on Berlin 13. Fortunately for him and for us, he has been able to work his way through them, through his great music.
Federico is on tour now in support of Berlin 13. If you have never seen him live you should.
4/25 Washington DC – Rock n Roll Hotel
4/26 Cambridge, MA – Regattabar @ Charles Hotel
4/28 Montreal, QC – L'Astral at Montreal Jazz Fest
Brett Dennen, Lover Boy My whole family and I are big Brett Dennen Fans. My kids still talk about seeing him performance at a Tully's coffee shop a few years back for a KMTT Mountain Music Loung segment here in Seattle. Barefoot, full of charm, energy, enthusiasm, and optimism, Dennen and his music are infectious. Dennen's sound has continued to grow with each new album as his backing band has grown in numbers, but musically he never strays too far from what he has done so well for so long and this is just fine by me. I do like the cool '70's vibe that he has brought to many of the songs on this collection and I just love the album overall....and so will you! Sydney (I'll Come Running)
The Kills, Blood Pressures I don't get to as many live shows as I would like, but nothing was going to stop me from seeing The Kills when they arrive in Seattle next month. Alison Mosshard and Jamie Hince are touring in support of their new album Blood Pressures. This album is another winner from the duo that blew me away with their last album Midnight Boom. While it is not really fair to compare The Kills to the White Stripes I will. Like Jack and Meg White, Mosshard and Hince find a way to do more with less in fantastic ways...and that is not a bad thing. Satelite
I'm From Barcelona, Forever Today
I'm From Barcelona is the biggest band in Sweden. Literally. And at 29 members, this band from Jönköping, Sweden, is also making some of the poppiest and happiest songs at home and abroad. One might think that musically, a band with so many members would be all over the place. This is not he case. The ten songs on Forever Today are so well conceived and they go together like a basket and a blanket on a summer's day picnic.
What I love about music is its power to transport me. Sometimes it’s unexpected, sometimes it’s exactly where I want to be. A single melody can unlock memories I didn’t realize I still carried, while certain chords or lyrics take me to another time or place. Some songs feel like home, offering shelter, while others deliver me to an unknown place or space, stirring emotions I can’t quite name. In this way, music isn’t just sound—it’s a sonic subway, delivering me to a station of refuge or one I never knew existed.
Music has always been an important part of my life. My family and friends knew this well, often asking me what I was listening to and what I liked. It was always humbling to be asked, and eventually, I gathered the courage to create this music blog—to put into words what draws me to certain music and why.
Over the years, my passion for writing has grown, along with my excitement for sharing musical discoveries. I hope your time here sparks excitement and leads you to a musical discovery of your own. More than anything, I hope your visit brings a little joy to your day.
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