We got a surprise early release from Alt Press today with the debut of "I Lied" by Mikey Way's new project Electric Century. "I Lied" is an earnest electronic pop song with a dark undercurrent that, if transcribed into a visual aesthetic, would lie somewhere between Tron and a dark room filled with balloons and twinkle lights. In an exclusive interview with MTV, Mikey revealed that Electric Century has been a long time in the making- almost two decades. Adding another merit to his record of creating memorable band names, Mikey developed the idea for the band in 7th grade, and had been sending snippets of music to Dave Debiak for years before the band officially came to fruition. You can listen to "I Lied" on the AP website now, and the song will be released on iTunes on February 26th. Electric Century features Mikey Way, Dave Debiak, and Justin Siegel, and their debut album, produced by D James Goodwin will be released later this year.
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While scanning the Warped Tour Battle of The Bands website this summer, I was considerably taken with the music scene developing in North Carolina. My previous experiences with North Carolina had been limited to sand dunes and ducks, so this new chance to explore the state through its up-and-coming musicians was a welcome one.
One of the most noteworthy trends coming out of North Carolina is the mixing of ambient and post-hardcore, which creates an atmospheric, blizzard- like tunnel of sound. The emo/pop punk scene is strong too, as evidenced by a slew of features in Alt Press magazine covering bands like The Hotelier and Messenger Down. Below, find some of the top tracks from North Carolina natives: Neon Trees have released the video for their new song "Sleeping With a Friend," and it's as aesthetically transportating as the song is sonically. Take Salvador Dali, Andy Warhol, 80's music videos, Don't Hug Me I'm Scared, fever dreams, pastel filters, and Tyler Glenn's consistently strong suit game, and you'll have "Sleeping With a Friend," which trades a straightforward storyline for an complete emotional atmosphere that pairs perfectly with the song's heady, intoxicating sound. One woman can make my heart beat and stomach jump just by existing, and that woman is Chantal Claret. The last time I saw her perform, she was still the frontwoman of now defunct band Morningwood, opening for Mindless Self Indulgence in 2012. Since then, she's released The Pleasure Seeker EP, and a full-length album The One, The Only. Her headlining performances as a solo artist have been limited to Los Angeles until this week, when she made her New York debut at the Studio at Webster Hall. I keep formulating a way to describe the show, thinking I'll pull the classic "but the highlight of the night was..." but every time I think I've whittled the voluptuous, full figured show into a Vogue model, I throw down the chisel and send myself back to sketch again, because every moment hid a highlight. Chantal commands a room with her theatrics and powerful voice, which culminate in a performance and sound that combines the best elements of the late Morningwood aesthetic, 60's girl groups, jazz, and just a dash of punk rock. A friend described it best- she didn't dance to the music, the music danced to her. In such an intimate setting (and by intimate I mean church-style basement with notoriously spotty acoustics) there's no room for error, and not a single one worked its way out of the cracks. Chantal's voice was powerful, her skits were on point, and her command of the room never wavered. She's not afraid to get weird, and her risks are rewarding for everyone involved.
Several new songs were on the set list, including one that has yet to debut in Claret's home of Los Angeles. She instructed us not to tell California that piece of information, but I'm pretty sure about two people read this blog, so the likelihood of this reaching the west coast is slim. Claret also covered Andre Williams' "Jailbait," and her powerful voice was best on show here, where she managed to make spoken word more brassy and bold than ever thought possible. The entire selection of music was superb, but favorites included my national anthem "Real Girls," call and response "Davy Crockett," and "Pleasure Seeker," for which she had the entire audience seated on the floor as she serenaded her father, a sweet touch to a powerful night. Fall Out Boy played three acoustic songs on a platform in the middle of the pit, one of which they were joined for by Travie McCoy of Gym Class Heroes. Last night, in a frenzy of subway fumes and the particles of perfume still clinging to our sweat-beaded skin, we emerged in Brooklyn to the roar of crowds who at long last had found the recipe for time travel. And as the lights dimmed and the screams buckled under the weight of drum beats and hardened vocal chords, the world was made right by the return of our personal rock and roll.
The night took several turns- the appearance of an unexpected hero (Marky Ramone took the stage for two Ramones songs, probably the biggest and most spectacular surprise of the night), the sudden intimacy of a private acoustic moment, and the explosive bombast that arena rock shows once drew lifeblood from. The reunion of Brendon Urie and Patrick Stump onstage, going belt-for-belt on 20 Dollar Nosebleed, was a sight and sound to regenerate the soul, one that was worth waiting for. |
AuthorEmily Becker Archives
July 2015
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