Songs from Changing of the Seasons are honest and clear. Ane Brun's latest record is not a 20 layer production, it has no reliance on vocal doubling or synthesizers. Just guitar piano and vocals holding our attention. Her guitar picking folky and hypnotizing. Ever so tastefully simple string instruments back her arrangements like italics in a passage of text. Her voice is crisp then warbly then melodic all clearly chosen with the precision of brain surgeon. She uses tensions like her back pocket secret weapon. Smoothly sailing between comfort and dissonance without apology.
Her songs are an early morning drive through the country side on what will be a hot day, the periferal thoughts of impending battles that lay ahead. The determination to take them by the horns - head on - with conviction and confidence. There is no fear in Ane's voice. She is prophesizing. Speaking from experience, she tells it like it is. She is your good friend laying down the hard but true advice.
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Music
- Speedsquare - Be Cool
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Writing about this record kind of gives me a headache, I mean where do I start? How do I try to explain that every track is different? Aside from the production quality, it’s all over the place. I’m probably just being way too forgiving, but none of the above deterred me. I was sure I could get through it, cause you know… Speedsquare did a good job and stuff. This record is best described as Acid-Jazz-Trance-Experimental.
Be Cool opens with “Broken Legs” a ska influenced song with horns, off beat pianos, and lax vocals. The song is pretty groovey. I mean it’s not something I’d just jam to on any day of the week, but like in those times when you’re not sky high nor super down, just somewhere mellow, indirect, in between-it’s great. The second song completely drops that whole ska thing, and now we’re in a off beat alt-rock experimental bit. The same song “Place” eventually mellows out into a ballad with child chorus-esk sounding rounds. This rolls straight into the rolling and chip chop piano part of “Population”, a random and funky tune with a descending piano lick that returns for each transition in the song. More interesting - from the early childish nonsense part to the mid-slow jam part with slacker like vocals, there were plenty of parts to tie together. The song finally turns to a feedback of chaotic trumpet sax and mad laughter. The silver lining is somehow they bring it back to the simple sweet piano all over again.
Halfway through the record “Romance” really removed any of the romance I might have had at the time as I heard the lyrics “Michelob Ultra is bad for our culture, TV’s a vulture feeding on our dead brains”. There was no more denying it. These guys are fucking around. I’ll admit they do it well, and I can’t help but enjoy the humor. Seriously though - UGH what am I gonna do with this? How do I see it fitting into my days? At first I was thinking I could pull it out on the easy afternoons. Now I think it needs to be 4am after a brain blast of a hot day when my mind is hanging on one thread of a brain cell.
If I had to extract one song out of them all and call it a favorite, I’d choose “Let It Be”. I don’t know why, something about the –you’re not going to get this (bonus points if you do)- Pink Floyd-eskness of it. It really brought me back to a place I’ve only been when listening to “Breath” off Dark Side.
Totally crazy, YES. A good conversation starter.. maybe? Creative and original if only because it’s nothing else… totally.
- Thomas Hillard
www.speedsquaremusic.com
As published on The Red Alert - Make A Rising - Infinite Ellipse And Head With Open Fontanel
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With an eclectic compilation of instruments, and an eerie harmonious set of vocal talent, Make a Rising’s Infinite Ellipse And Head With Open Fontanel introduces a colorful culture all of their own.
Intricate guitar change-ups and understated back-beat drum patterns
make for a truly unique and transcending listening experience. With nearly each member of this band contributing to the singing, the voices fill out an ample and multi-toned sound that is still riddled with a haunting effect. If Modest Mouse had a sophisticated, less outspoken, opera-loving brother, it would be Make a Rising.
Classical instruments that are many times only used for the occasional intro or outro are laced throughout the tracks, and tie the vocals to the guitar and percussion with soothing yet energetic melodies. Infinite Ellipse And Head With Open Fontanel is for the dedicated instrumental lover, as the vocals are not the lead of the music, but used as thoughtful and tasteful interjections. The saxaflute and accordion allow this album to claim its stand-alone
qualities, and make for dramatic and unexpected change-ups.
If the violin isn’t accenting the guitar, it picks up where the guitar has left off to transition the music into swaying bridges and repetitions. The strong point of this CD is that each member of this band is accomplished with more than one instrument, which allows for infinite possibilities, and a broader canvas in which to spread their musical passions and abilities. These tracks showcase a delicate and organized collection of musical endeavors that have followed a strict recipe to remain thoughtful and pleasing to the ear. This
Philadelphian brotherhood has a rising fan base that has been brought
to new heights by the release of this CD.
— Thomas Hillard
www.myspace.com/makearising
As published on The Red Alert - Ane Brun album review Changing of the Seasons
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Songs from Changing of the Seasons are honest and clear. Ane Brun's latest record is not a 20 layer production, it has no reliance on vocal doubling or synthesizers. Just guitar piano and vocals holding our attention. Her guitar picking folky and hypnotizing. Ever so tastefully simple string instruments back her arrangements like italics in a passage of text. Her voice is crisp then warbly then melodic all clearly chosen with the precision of brain surgeon. She uses tensions like her back pocket secret weapon. Smoothly sailing between comfort and dissonance without apology.
Her songs are an early morning drive through the country side on what will be a hot day, the periferal thoughts of impending battles that lay ahead. The determination to take them by the horns - head on - with conviction and confidence. There is no fear in Ane's voice. She is prophesizing. Speaking from experience, she tells it like it is. She is your good friend laying down the hard but true advice. - Quiet Village "Silent Movie"
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Quiet Village
Silent Movie
(!K7)
Silent Movie is the 59 minute mind trip of a record by Quiet Village - comprised of members Matt Edwards (a.k.a. Radio Slave) and Joel Martin, who borrowed the record’s name from a 1997 release by Martin Denny (also known as the king of exotica/lounge music). The UK-based duo claim their creation takes influence from Italian film soundtracks, BBC library music, disco edits, acid rock, vintage soul, and easy listening. While all of those may not be easily validated, the variety and randomness of the combination totally eludes a clear picture of what awaits your ears on this one.
In many ways the fusion of sounds and effects in Silent Movie do evoke what could be expected of the soundtrack to an Italian silent movie. I’ll dare to say they’ve found the secret recipe that made Röyksopp’s Melody A.M. a cult classic. Somewhere in the secret sauce lies such things as the incorporation of disco beats and jazz beats with the occasional animals/sirens/speech FX. Fade that in and out with rough guitars, ambient noises, and Victrola needles popping endlessly and you too might be cast me off into a spooky world and other similar head trips. After a few songs I felt like I finally understood the direction and wildness that was in store and then “Too High To Move” lured me into deeper madness with (I’m not surprised… ) someone laughing uncontrollably in between sections with spoken word and a loungy melodic piano in the background.
Silent Movie wouldn’t be caught naked on a dance floor but mixed in with any number of beats at a higher RPM I could imagine the ambient-in-your-face-FX mixture sending anyone into high grounds. Take note DJs: there’s gold in these hills! And there’s something for everyone, I can definitely hear Jason Bentley spinning “Can’t Be Beat” in a late night Metropolis show. Likewise “Victoria’s Secret” is dying to be used as a background interlude between tracks on Morning Becomes Eclectic while Nic Harcourt reads the upcoming events.
These guys aren’t new, but Quiet Village is definitely making their debut. The future of Quiet Village is hard to tell but they’ve set an interesting stage. There is room to go so many places from here, and with so many different angles in each song of Silent Movie I imagine they might find any number of strong points in the record to plot the way of the next record.
— Thomas Hillard
www.myspace.com/quietvillage
As published on The Red Alert
- Peter Moren & Tobias Froberg (Troubadour - May 3, 2008)
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We’re in a high tide of great new international music. With so many bands and artists, a search for the latest and most talked of is totally daunting. If you started one of these searches in the depths of the Swedish folk rock circuit you might be lucky enough to stumble upon Tobias Fröberg or Peter Morén. My personal jealousies about the Swedes aside, it’s nice to have something new to love about the land of tall beautiful people. Fröberg and Morén are just some of these great original sweet/indie/poppy songsters to bestow their influences upon us.
Fröberg released his first record For Elisabeth Wherever She Is in 2004. Since the first record Fröberg has produced and recorded many other artists. He has also released two more albums of his own including the May 13th release and his self produced Turn Heads. With Fröberg, the well runs deep, he is clearly a multi-tasker with way more then meets the eye.
It’s embarrassing but true; I’d never been to Troubadour before coming to see this Swedish double bill. I prefer smaller rooms where the artists are still trying out new ideas and the audience ratio of fan to newcomer is one in ten. It was a pleasure to discover the venue after everything I’d heard about it because the crowd was just right. Not too many people and not painfully empty. Now I can admit it, I love the “Troub”, there isn’t a bad spot in the house and on this oh-so-Swedish night, this magnified the intimacy in just the right way.
Fröberg's band was slim, calm, and tight. A standard ensemble of bass, drums, keyboard, and Tobias on acoustic electric guitar. Instead of grabbing onlookers with action and wow, his band used stillness and quiet like a death blow. Between songs he broke out of character (or was it in?) with smiles and humor in his soft Swedish manner. But in song he was true; he shared universally experienced lessons of life and in doing so stitched everyone in the room together for the entire set.
Like the new batch of tunes on Turn Heads, Fröberg's performance was a mix and match of hard and soft, personal then telling and often reflective - a momentary open door to his life and spirit without dilution or distortion. From one song to the next it was a serene landscape of experience and feeling. Optimism and sadness were served then broken up with bright innovative sequences of pop and indie rock, and then curled right back into times of losing fun to heartbreak. At this point I must sound totally whipped - which very well could be, but keep in mind the singing accent of a European raised on British and American pop always gets me.
In the final song Fröberg took a solo on keyboard and within minutes Peter Morén - the headliner for the night - came out to play a fresh set of songs which no doubt had a good chunk of Fröberg’s mastery in them too. To top off the “man behind the curtain” effect, it was of little surprise to see Fröberg appear on stage again, only this time to sit at Morén’s drum set.
Peter Morén is best known for his contribution to Peter Björn and John's (PBJ) track “Young Folks”; a song that had everyone who listened to Top 40 radio last summer whistling the oh too familiar melody like it was disease. It’s interesting to hear Peter Morén in his own element. No doubt it’s the same voice from PBJ - only the content of the message is far deeper. Instead of a drum track to dance to and poppy bass line, Morén’s instrumentation is quieter, more acoustic. His posture is still and almost stoic and he stares intently as if confessing to the audience.
I’m horrible at picking out lyrics the first time I hear anything new. Thankfully Morén put his guitar and lyrics in the forefront upstaging the occasional 2nd guitar or clap track provided care of Tobias. This central focus on the words and melody helped me to hear what the songs were about tremendously which is great because Morén's songs have a lot to say.
Both Fröberg and Morén seem humble and in it for the music which is so refreshing. They are focused heavily on the silence and elements around them. They compliment each other in so many ways. On this pleasant Saturday night they brought a wonderful new taste to the occasionally stale indie pop scene in Hollywood. Catch these guys on their next swing through town, and you’ll find yourself - and a new reason to love the Swedes.
— Thomas Hillard
http://www.myspace.com/petermorn
http://www.tobiasfroberg.com
As published on The Red Alert
- The Little Ones (Troubadour - May 15, 2008)
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It was only shortly before I had been given the assignment to review the Little Ones live at the Troubadour that I had heard them. When I downloaded their 2006 release Sing Song I was hooked before the first track was entirely stored in my iTunes. There was no warm up time required, and I could play it for friends in the car. We all caught the bug on the spot. If they were a drug, they’d be happy indie rock crack.
The Little Ones emit this radiance of carefree positivity with their poppy live element made in a home style cooking music recipe of hand clapping, tambourine shaking, harmonies with guitar and keyboard married melodies. Sometimes (before seeing them live) I would take their name way beyond any obvious connotation and imagine them as little lemmings working hard to satisfy their great lemming leader. All the while singing these cheerful whistle-while-you-work-ish hymns.
As it turns out much to my surprise when they came on stage at the Troub, they weren’t lemmings at all! They are the five member combination of Ian Moreno, Brian Reyes, Ed Reyes, Greg Meyer, and Lee LaDonceur. With the exception of Ed (lead vocals and rhythm guitar) and Greg (drums) they all mix up their instruments between songs, bouncing from bass to percussion to keyboards, which caught me off guard. I hardly noticed the switch ups, maybe cause I was still in such disbelieve that they weren’t lemmings. Or maybe it’s because they officially got me to achieve spin tingle which in my ratings system of 1-5 is like an 8.
As a band in general and especially as a live band The Litte Ones were a treat of all treats. They came on after Ra Ra Riot, who have been touring with them all spring supporting The Little Ones' April 2008 release Terry Tales & Fallen Gates. Ra Ra Riot warmed up the room and then The Little Ones stepped it up a notch, firmly experienced in the know-how of putting on a show for the less then easy LA crowds.
You know how it can be disappointing to see a band live for the first time because they sound EXACTLY like they do on their record? I have this problem frequently; some people argue that they think it’s great, but I personally expect something new and intriguing. Even just some awesome stage presence soothes this demon of mine but I need anything to put the frosting on the cake that is a live performance. Anyhow, The Little Ones played their songs note for note, but they brought it! They have such a happy uplifting feeling to their whole ensemble, in person it was obviously not just some mastery in the studio. They are all smiles - bobbing heads, a family living in perhaps the better moments of their life as they ring each song out for the masses. The peak of this experience was when they played “Cha Cha Cha” easily my favorite song off Sing Song, it was at the moment they were singing the “la la la la’s” in full harmony that I got the spine tingles. Good work, boys - that ain’t an easy feat these days.
— Thomas Hillard
www.wearethelittleones.com
As published on The Red Alert
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Tech Bio
Founder/Principal of Web Designer L.A.
CTO/Consultant for Life Preserver
Thomas Hillard, founder/principal of Web Designer L.A. and CTO/consultant for Life Preserver, a digital-archiving firm, has attained his professional stature through hands-on development of countless application-rich websites, superior team-building abilities and a natural-born knack for client and user service.
Climbing the tech skill-set ladder from constructing his band’s website during college to taking the first company he founded to a consistent #1 search ranking to launching a social-networking community, Hillard has trained almost exclusively “on the job,” developing both the technical aptitude and personal initiative that became apparent early in his life.
Hillard was born in Seattle but raised in Palo Alto, Calif., where his father worked for Hewlett-Packard. “My dad taught me how to use DOS and basic UNIX commands when I was five,” he recalls.
He pursued a course of independent study in high school that incorporated classes at the local community college. In 2003 he graduated from Boston’s celebrated Berklee College of Music, earning a B.A. in professional music, the culmination of a rigorous, self-designed program spanning performance, songwriting, arranging, engineering, production and business.
Family further spurred Hillard’s technical chops during this period. “I needed a website for my band,” he says. “My brother got me started – ‘This is a link tag; this is a paragraph tag … ’ I learned the rest through this new thing called Google.” Using the latest technology to educate himself about using the latest technology would become a constant for Hillard.
After graduation from Berklee, he moved to New York, where he not only adopted a dog but quickly established a dog-walking business, Dog Walker NYC, that eventually grew to more than 50 clients and a half dozen employees. He built the company’s website himself and soon mastered the fine art of search-engine optimization, evidence of which emerged when he claimed – and held – the #1 search result for the term “dog walker New York City.”
His success in this area motivated him to create Ekaweeka.com, a social-networking community and marketplace catering to arts-oriented entrepreneurs. At first, Hillard hired a designer and programmer to make the idea a reality. But when they dropped the ball, he found someone to pick it up via RentACoder.com.
Based in the Ukraine, this programmer enabled Ekaweeka users to sign up and create and revise accounts, as well as add, customize and remove pages, but more importantly, he showed Hillard how he could essentially take it from there. Hillard swiftly moved past his HTML, SEO and CSS skills to append commenting, messaging, photo-uploading and monitoring/responding-to-user-feedback capabilities. (Hillard loves to relate how, six months or so into his relationship with this Ukrainian programmer, he discovered that his tech mentor was a teenager.) Hillard credits this experience with putting him on the path to becoming a CTO. “I can hire programmers and communicate effectively with them on behalf of my clients because I’ve had to do it for myself.”
At the same time, his technical know-how ballooned. “Ekaweeka was my learning curve,” he confirms. “I figured out how PHP was communicating with the database and how to clone some of the things my programmer was doing. I was spending less and less money on his services and doing more and more myself. I got really into it and started reading about JavaScript and Ajax and a bunch of Web-development techniques, and then I started doing this stuff for other people.”
In April of 2007, he launched Web Designer L.A. (having relocated to Los Angeles in 2005), first lending his burgeoning expertise to a graphic-designer friend. His roster quickly expanded to include clients in entertainment, the arts, fashion, business consulting, asset management, wholesale distribution, spiritual development and other far-flung fields.
Hillard has been called upon not only to design, program and develop various online applications – contact-submission forms, text messaging, tagging, blogs, drag-and-drop content organizers, photo and friends galleries, RSS feeds and dynamic content to RSS feeds, webcrawlers, mobile phone and PDA functions, admin sections, dynamic Flash galleries with PHP using action scripts, automated scripts for website updating, automated dynamic template e-mails, store-locator zip-code searching – but also to produce and maintain company intranets, social networks and fan-site forums, in addition to web-hosting and consulting on server, security and green issues.
His work with EEM , the Web incarnation of which enables professional photographers to manage their portfolios online and upload content for client review, proved instrumental in preparing Hillard for his CTO position with Life Preserver, which he calls “a huge nervous system of digital memories.”
His responsibilities there encompass executive management of all research-and-development projects relating to the company’s internal and public web, software, network and mobile applications. He likewise collaborates with Life Preserver’s director of technology to steer the outfit’s various undertakings, including oversight of project requirements, budgets and deadlines.
“Life Preserver is very customer-service-oriented,” Hillard notes, “which is one of the reasons I wanted to work with them; it can’t just be about cool applications – you have to meet the customer’s needs on every level.” He’s demonstrated his own interpersonal skills putting together the company’s software-development teams, recruiting programmers globally as well as from Life Preserver’s Northeast L.A. backyard. In fact, Hillard is what one would call a “people person” and has, not coincidentally, worked in management and marketing.
In his spare time, Hillard’s been known to illustrate how necessity is the mother of invention by developing iPhone and Blackberry applications for assorted Internet concerns on spec. Other “extracurricular” activities include running his record label, surfing, and looking after Commie, the Chihuahua/Jack Russell mix who inspired the launch of his first business.