THE PRESETS: LIVE AT BOWERY BALLROOM
For you hoofers who haven’t heard this Aussie electro-pop new age synth outfit, the Presets are one band you positively need to see live. In fact, Discosalt commands you. The duo, consisting of Julian Hamilton on vocals, keyboards, clicks and beeps and Kim Moyes on drums, packed a very strong party bag of tight dance music into even tighter jeans last Thursday, June 5, 2008, at The Bowery Ballroom.
Julian goaded the crowd on, pushing buttons, slamming keyboards, howling and dancing around the stage like an entrancing epileptic new wave robot from 1983. And the crowd took the bait, dancing, jumping, singing along, crowd surfing and pouring as much ceremonial sweat into the observance as the performance. Highlights included “Steamworks”, “Kicking and screaming”, “A New Sky” and the anthem, “Are you the one”,all of which liberated so much energy, I wanted to quit my day job… and just dance. You will too, and you should.
The Presets on the Interwebs
MY MORNING JACKET: EVIL URGES
My Morning Jacket: Evil Urges
Label: ATO
Release Date: June 10, 2008
Almost three years have passed since the release of 2005’s moderately successful “Z”. During that time MMJ has formulated a plan for the future of rock and roll, upgrading their guns. From the outset, frontman Jim James relinquishes the reigns of lead vocals (the first time ever for a LP). The title track could be viewed as a summation of the album as a whole: kicked off with a deeper experimentation of synth-fused rock and falsetto vocals, transitioning to a trademark jam band solo. James explains it on the following track crooning, “I know it sounds confusing, but it makes a lot of sense.” The bulk of the album is constituted of more pop-friendly southern rock, channeling James Taylor on tracks like “Thank You Too” and placing string arrangements at the proper intervals. Most of which are likely candidates for expansive fifteen minute live solo odysseys. James gets personal with “Librarian”, and recalls earlier efforts with “Smokin’ From Shootin'”. However, the dark horse of the album is undoubtedly “Highly Suspicious” launched with an opening recalling Gary Numan and backed with Prince-esque vocals. When the dusts settles its explicitly obvious this is no quintet planning on digging in on one sound. MMJ is hungry, we haven’t seen the last.
-ABC
THE PRESETS: APOCALYPSO
The Presets: Apocalypso
Label: Modular
Release Date: May 13, 2008
Shake off your raver pants and get your glowsticks out of the freezer. The Presets continue to indulge in putting a gritty new edge on accessible synth. Thirty seconds after hitting the play button will most likely prompt you to get up out of your seat or preform some fierce ’87 style head-bobs or both. While Kim Moyes & Julian Hamilton studied classical composition they excel in its antithesis. After joining recently successful Modular Records in 2003, home to such acts as The Klaxons and fellow Aussies The Van She, The Presets have issued a slew of EP’s and remixes and 2005’s full-length Beams. But, with Apocalypso its clear that perfection has come with some (brief) work. The early album barrage includes singles “My People” and “This Boy’s in Love” both of which clearly demonstrate The Presets’ knack for layering updated samples on handy rhythms. Some time is spent in an experimentation, and in genre style as on “Aeons”. This release most certainly satisfies from cover to cover. Its clear that The Presets are ahead of the eightball in the recent wave of electro from the land down under. Do yourself a favor and give this one a listen.
-ABC
THE KOOKS: KONK
The Kooks: Konk
Label: Astralwerks
Release Date: April 15, 2008
Luke Pritchard wrote The Kooks’ hit song “Naïve” when he was only 16 years old, which after release in 2006 catapulted the debut album, Inside In/Inside Out into the UK Top 20 charts and introduced the band to the US. Three years later, the British pop band has released Konk, the band’s sophomore studio album produced by Tony Hoffer. Konk is a continuation of inside in/inside out. While it doesn’t propel the Kooks into any new musical territory, it still serves up some of the same catchy pop anthems that made their first album a success and confirms these blokes as more than one hit wonders. Initially, the title Konk, suggests the bands affinity for another British pop rock band, the Kinks, but it is actually the name of the London studio where they recorded. At its core, this is a pop album and that was the bands intent. These are songs written for girls about heartbreak and
love loss….and in such a way that you can double clap along to most of them. The first track, “See the Sun” is instantly catchy and is a good kick off for the album, but the singles, “Always where I need to be” and “Shine” are a bit of a disappointment and suffer when they pander to a mainstream audience. “Sway” stands out as one of the more memorable tracks for me with its heavier chorus that actually creates a swaying feeling. While lyrically, a lot of the songs are a bit bubblegum, Pritchard’s honest heartbroken voice saves the album and makes the band still seem interesting. And did I mention you can double clap to most songs?
JAV
SANTOGOLD: SANTOGOLD
Santogold: Santogold
Label: Downtown
Release Date: April 29, 2008
Santogold may just be the most exciting Philly export since Hall & Oates, her self-titled debut a testament. If after first listen you find yourself comparing much of Santogold’s (aka Santi White) debut to electronic peer M.I.A. then you’d be on the right track. The production work has been distributed to notables including the aforementioned M.I.A. and her Kala co-producer Diplo, explaining the great range in style from track to track. If not for the exceptional production, the vocals alone would transport you to a 1983 Cyndi Lauper show. She comes strong right of the bat with L.E.S. Artistes crooning, “Creep up and suddenly I found myself an innovator” over super-catchy indie pop beats. Before it’s all over she dabbles with dub on “Shove It”, nods to Eurythmics on “My Superman”, and revives mid-90’s alternative on “I’m A Lady”. At the end of the showing, she might as well clear her throat and state, “beat that” because this one is gonna be hard to top. If its implied that Santogold has something to prove, then she’s done it, and kicked us in the seat of our pants.
-ABC
FLEET FOXES: SUN GIANT
Fleet Foxes: Sun Giant
Label: Sub Pop
Release Date: April 8, 2008
This EP is both a warm up for the upcoming Fleet Foxes LP and a declaration of who they are, which is a musically more interesting version of the My Morning Jacket formula. All the atmospheric dude vocals are present, even the same vocal affectations, but musically this EP, song for song, is not mired in the Jim James songwriting formula, i.e., long assed stoned jams that don’t really work as stoner jams (i.e., not headphone friendly). Country rock, alt-country heavy (not light), the Fleet Foxes execute a totally listenable & extremely interesting counterpoint to a band that most seem to think wrote the book on modern CSN&Y rock. I love the balls, too. The Fleet Foxes are essentially 3M to the My Morning Jacket/Band of Horses school. They take what they do and do it better.
John Whitaker
