Spotlight: The Silver Comet

One of the most pleasant surprises of our Vans Warped Tour experience this year was our fortune in discovering a hardworking young group from Atlanta called The Silver Comet. The quintet describes their sound as “soul-infused alternative rock,” and between their lively set and the exciting promise shown on their My Fear Of Flying EP, these up-and-comers definitely left an impression. The band – as of yet unsigned – is out on Warped all summer, doing their own merch, travel, and business after putting out two EPs last year on their own, as well.

It’s hard enough playing before noon at Warped, but I can’t imagine it’s much easier when you’re an unsigned band just trying to win over new fans day by day. However, the band managed an impressive energy and technicality, and, though the crowd was relatively small, their stage presence and bits of theatricality were an excellent way to start the day. Lead singer Parry Kitt was a true delight, his R&B-infused vocals soaring over searing guitars and pounding drums on songs like the rambunctious “End Of Me” or powerful ballad “Come Back Home.” The best part? It’s all unbelievably catchy.

We had an opportunity to catch up with Kitt and talk to him about his band and how The Silver Comet came to be since their humble inception in August 2010:

Dirty Projectors – Swing Lo Magellan

Every now and then an album that gets a ton of hype and buzz will slip right past my radar upon the initial excitement surrounding the record. Fortunately for me, my discovery of Swing Lo Magellan, the sixth studio album by experimental indie group Dirty Projectors, didn’t come too long after the buzz surrounding the album. The New York-based group had never really grabbed my attention before. Their 2009 full length, Bitte Orca, was met with rave reviews, but the album never seemed to do much for me. Since that was my first exposure to the band, I ended up never really giving their back catalogue a chance. With Swing Lo Magellan, however, the band has me seriously reconsidering my prior assessment of their work.

The most interesting thing about the album is just how hard it is to pin down what kind of album it is. At its core, I’m tempted to call this a folk album, but the production surrounding the songs says otherwise. Opening track “Offspring Are Blank” opens up with a simple stomp-clap beat, but rather than instruments providing the music, we get nothing more than some soulful “ooh’s” to back up frontman Dave Longsreth’s crooning. The chorus explodes into a thick guitar riff and then dives right back into the barren verses. The mix of styles here is pulled off brilliantly and leaves you scratching your head wondering “what exactly is this?” The answer doesn’t matter. It’s simply great music.

Plenty of other moments on this album will leave you wondering what exactly you’re listening to as well. From the urgent and flat-out odd drum beat of “About To Die” to the disjointed drum beat of “Just From Chevron” backed by what sounds like a banjo, you can quickly realize just how many different styles are being meshed here. But like I said earlier, at its core, I’m tempted to call this album more folk than anything. While the production offers some weird curveballs for the listener, much of the instrumentation found on the album is very organic, and we see instruments ranging from your standard electric guitars to swelling strings and even a prominent presence of wind instruments. You can’t deny the ambition behind this album, and specifically the ambition behind Longsreth, who both wrote and produced the album. His vision comes to life throughout the 12 tracks here, and the ride is about as enjoyable as can be.

Dirty Projectors aren’t for everyone. Their unique brand of experimental-indie-folk could easily leave you with a sour taste in your mouth. However, it could just as easily leave you wanting more. Swing Lo Magellan is an album that people will be heralding as the one of the best of the year come December, and the kind of album people will be claiming they don’t “get” the hype surrounding. Regardless, this album will be brought up in many discussions surrounding end of the year lists, and most of that traces back to the inability to really pin this thing down. If you think you would be up for something a little more off the books than you’re used to, give this a chance, and if you’ve already written off Dirty Projectors you should give this a chance too as it is easily their most accessible. But when it comes to the Dirty Projectors, that may not be saying much.

Interview: Make Do And Mend

My Car And My Guitar recently had the chance to sit down with James Carroll, who plays guitar and sings in Make Do And Mend. The band recently released their second studio album, Everything You Ever Loved. Carroll chatted about working with Rise Records, the album’s artwork, subbing watching artists on the Vans Warped Tour for listening to his iPod, and the way in which musical influences affect the band’s dynamic. Though he can’t pick a favorite song on the new record, you should listen to the album and decide on one for yourself, and then catch the band as they continue touring throughout the rest of this year.

Vans Warped Tour: Maryland Heights, 7.5.12

It seems to me that if Warped Tour is in town, then “perfect” weather definitely isn’t. Sure, it keeps the day from being overly pleasant while checking out a delightful lineup filled with old favorites and hardworking newcomers vying for the chance to be heard. Maybe the years I’ve spent battling cool showers or stifling heat to experience the craziness that is Warped for one day is just a product of growing up in the Midwest. While to me it seems to be just as much a part of the experience as everything else, I’ll move beyond discussing the far from temperate conditions that revealed sweat glands I didn’t previously realize existed. My Car and My Guitar is about the music, and we had the chance to check out the 2012 Vans Warped Tour when it stopped Maryland Heights, Missouri on July 5th.

Clams Casino – Instrumental Mixtape 2

The Internet has become a very valuable tool in the music industry, especially in the genre of hip-hop. Artists can collaborate with each other without ever being in the same studio while producers can provide beats to artists without ever leaving the comfort of their own home. One of the most notable of the “bedroom producers” spawned from this Internet era is New Jersey native Mike Volpe, or better known as Clams Casino. Volpe got his start in the hip-hop world by making beats and sending them out to any rapper he could find on myspace. One of the first rappers to take notice was none other than cult icon Lil B, a much-hyped “bedroom producer” himself. Lil B’s “I’m God” is largely responsible for the gain in popularity Lil B saw back in 2010, and the unforgettable Clams Casino beat played a pivotal role in this increased popularity.

Make Do And Mend – Everything You Ever Loved

It’s always interesting to me when a band puts out a new record and immediately you know something has changed, but you’re not quite sure what it is. It is unmistakeably the band you were expecting but something just feels…different. It’s not necessarily for better or for worse. Well, not yet anyway. All you know is that something is different and you don’t know what it is. This more or less sums up the way I felt upon my initial listen of melodic punk band Make Do And Mend’s sophomore album Everything You Ever Loved. Since releasing their well received debut End Measure Mile back in 2010, Make Do And Mend has toured the world and signed to Rise Records. Oh yeah, they also wrote a new album. And you know what? It’s really good.

Azealia Banks – 1991

It’s probably fair to call young NYC rapper/singer/general person of interest Azealia Banks a bona fide phenom at this point. Between the overwhelming praise for debut single “212″ and its instantly-viral video late last year, the ups and downs of her Twitter fights and management/label confusion, and her much-hyped Coachella debut, Banks is a difficult figure to ignore. However, despite a sprinkling of songs debuted around the internet, we haven’t yet seen anything really tangible from her – just copious amounts of buzz and a couple infectious tunes.

That is, until now.

Banks’s long-delayed debut EP, 1991, finally saw the light of day two weeks ago, and I couldn’t help but immediately react with a twinge of disappointment: Only four songs? Two of which she’s already released as singles? For being her quote-unquote “official debut,” – not to mention in the grand scheme of the Azealia Banks Inevitable Superstardom Countdown Watch – it’s a pretty small splash.

Killer Mike – R.A.P. Music

On the title track of hip-hop artist and Atlanta native Michael Render aka Killer Mike’s sixth studio album R.A.P. Music, the veteran southern rapper proclaims “I’ve never really had a religious experience, in a religious place. Closest I’ve ever come to seeing or feeling God is listening to rap music. Rap music is my religion. Amen.” If rap is a religion, then R.A.P. Music could be the bible, because everything that makes hip-hop music so compelling is present throughout the 12 tracks of this album: technical rapping ability, top notch production, a message that carries weight, and being just an overall enjoyable and exciting album to listen to.

The Early November – Reunion Tour @ Metro Chicago, 5.29.12

The Early November actually playing shows for the first time in far too long? Well, that’s a treat in and of itself. With a lineup rounded out by current pop-punk darlings The Wonder Years, melodic punk trailblazers The Swellers, and indie-rockers Young Statues, this short tour is sure to be the talk of the scene for the summer months to come. We at MCMG got a chance to check out this excellent lineup on their Chicago date, and it certainly lived up to every bit of the hype. Check out our review and more pictures below:

Band To Check Out: The Royalty

There’s a lot to like about El Paso, TX’s The Royalty. Between their fuzzy, punk-influenced surf rock and their more Motown-influenced pop numbers, the band’s music is engaging and they put on a thrillride of a live show. Lead singer Nicole Boudreau’s voice soared with the power of a much older chanteuse on every song, yet she brought a youthful energy in her role as frontwoman while the band jammed on behind her. The rambunctious fun of “I Want You” gave way to the sultry swagger of “Please Lie,” and before you know it, they were closing with the upbeat and danceable “Bartender” without a dull moment in between. I walked in barely familiar with their music, and would see them again in a heartbeat.

-Evan

Their new full-length, Lovers, came out May 8th on Victory, so pick it up.