Vinyl Notes

Last week VinylNotes reviewed the “No Child Left Behind” EP from Nico Vega. Last night we had a chance to see the trio from the MySpace Records burn the Viper Room down with a fired up performance.

The air was heavy, damp and electric. A voice from behind the curtain said “One minute to showtime,” and I looked around, glad I’d chosen to sit on the edge of the stage. As curtain opened, Aja took the stage, barefoot and clad in leggings and a leotard, the audience screamed in excitement. Starting the show on a relatively mellow note; Aja sat on a stool, center stage, with the mic in her face. It wasn’t long before Aja to hopped off the stool and used it as a percussion device before discarding it on the side of the stage as she stomped and strutted ’round, and growled into the microphone.

By the time the trio launched into “Medicine Man” - only the second song in the set - everyone, both the crowd and the band, knew this show was going to be full tilt. Aja, Rich and Dan - vocalist, guitarist and drummer respectively - could not hide their joy as the audience sang along to every word, rocking and swaying, hands in the air. As Aja stomped her foot to the sound of the kick drum and sang, “I don’t need no medicine man to chop my wood…” she grinned big - almost as if in shock - as the crowd pumped their fists and raised their voices in the air. “Gravity” and “Be Giving” sent the Viper Room into a frenzy with the audience jumping and banging their heads as Aja, Rich and Dan played for each other as much as for the concert goers.

(more…)

The Last Shadow Puppets is a side project of Arctic Monkeys lead vocalist, Alex Turner and Miles Kane, lead vocalist for The Rascals borne of a friendship mented during the Arctic Monkey’s 2005 UK tour. The duo’s debut album, The Age of the Understatement, is a futuristic throw back to 60s pop, with an epic sound fit for a James Bond movie.

Each song is a swelling, cinematic ballad. Combined with the perfect balance of sexy, dark, and brooding, The Age of the Understatement has an added level of maturity to its pop sensibility. Turner’s voice is edgy with a slight dissonance, while Kane’s has a smooth crooning timbre, together they meld their voices, shifting between subtle discord and soft harmonies.

The first single, “The Age of the Understatement” is representative of the underlying angst that also characterizes the album. With a full and galloping sound, the song marches on about a woman who seems much like Carmen Jones or Helen of Troy. She is seductive, cunning and dangerous; enough so to start a war. The woman is likely a metaphor for anything that would lead you astray with deception.

(more…)

Many, many people had high expectations for Coldplay’s most recent release, hoping that it will be bigger and better than the last. While some make appropos comparisons to U2, I like to examine Coldplay at it own merit of melody, soundscape and rhythm (even though I haven’t heard the album yet, hehe). The reviews are lukewarm to raving and buzz abounds.

Speaking of which, over the last couple of weeks the buzz about Coldplay’s latest LP has reached a deafening level climaxing with the news that Coldplay was being accused of stealing the melody for “Viva La Vida” from New York band Creeky Boards. According to numerous reports, Creeky Boards front man, Andrew Hoepfner, claims that the melody originated from his song “The Songs I Didn’t Write” and he even asserts that Coldplay’s front man, Chris Martin, was at one of his shows in October. Hoepfner, cleverly, posted a video on YouTube for us to compare the songs for ourselves. What do you think?

(more…)

Apparently Radiohead are fans of Portishead. Check out this video of Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood playing “The Rip” - Portishead’s latest single from Third.

Find more videos like this on w.a.s.t.e. central

Hat tip: NME.com

I’ve been hooked on Nico Vega since I heard about them six months ago from a friend at Listen In. Instantly I fell in love with vocalist Aja’s throaty, growling voice, and the infectious, high energy rhythms. I bought their EP No Child Left Behind the very same day.

The opening track “Gravity” is an anti-depression anthem and ode to anyone who has had people use words to tear them down. The negative energy, is like gravity… “a parallel on words” that eventually hurts.

Over time you could kill me
But I’ll resurrect so
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na
You ain’t never gonna thrill me
But you can kiss my ass so
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na.”

You are can’t help joining Aja as she declares in a frustrated frenzy

Oh-oh-oh, you’re bringing me down!
Pick it up, pick it up pick it up, pick it…
Oh-oh-oh you’re bringing me down!

“Be Giving” is nothing short of rockin’. Three minutes and 36 seconds of a guitar and drum heavy, throw your hands in the air, bang your head rockin’ goodness. Almost cinematic in quality, the music swells and retreats with martial abandon.

I’m gonna drive off naked with the top down
Even if I don’t make it to the next town
I gonna sleep on the floor tonight ‘cause
I don’t need a damn dime to survive on

(more…)

Unable to sleep in the middle of the night, I decided to appease my insomnia by getting some reading done. Imagine my surprise and excitement to find my feedreader loaded with news of Nine Inch Nails new album. The best part? It’s available on the NIN website as a free download. Yay!

If you are an avid NIN fan like myself this album – The Slip is especially for you. From Trent Reznor himself:

(more…)

Nine Inch Nails is now a big time rouge band - since its contract with Interscope expired in October - with a cult following and in what many have likened to a Radiohead-esque move, has released their latest ablum Ghosts I-IV, on their official website only. Ghosts is an instrumental collection of “almost two hours of new music composed and recorded over an intense ten week period” and Trent Reznor called it “a soundtrack for daydreams.”

While there are certainly parallels to Radiohead’s In Rainbows release, how quickly people forget that just under a year ago, NIN made a revolutionary move by making Year Zero available for streaming on their website as well as allowing fans the opportunity to “listen. Change the tempo. Add new loops. Chop up the vocals. Turn me into a woman. Replay the guitar. Anything you’d like.” Make no mistake, NIN is no stranger to pushing the boundaries of the music distribution.

(more…)