The Bands That Set The Mood

Before Your Arms Are My Cocoon took the stage, two other bands played which set the atmosphere for the night. At 7:00 o’clock, the band The Fall of Babylon from Dubuque, Iowa, began their set which involved deep and muddy bass notes, rich and grungy guitar power chords, and lively drum beats, which all laid under neath the harsh screamo vocals from their two lead singers. The multi-instrumentalist filled band readjusted instrumentation and singers after each song. The highlight of their set was the last song they played, which just involved an acoustic guitarist, and one of the lead singers. Although the song carried less energy than their previous ones, but they displayed great, raw emotion and it was very unique compared to the first part of their set. The variety and shifting of multi-instrumentalists made for a dynamic and entertaining set from the young band.

Local Iowa City screamo band, thisworldisnotkind, then took the stage playing several songs that were similar to the band that played before but with more of an emphasis on longer songs that built tension as they went on. The four-person band featured a bassist playing prolonged bass notes that rung through your whole body, a guitarist playing spacey chords and riffs, a (dynamic) drummer, and more screamo vocals from the lead singer who also used a trumpet occasionally to add variety to their set. Again, the highlight of their set was the last song they played, which started with a trumpet medley over a slow and deep instrumental from the other musicians, continued to slowly build energy as the vocalist began singing, and finally culminated in an explosive ending that was full of moshing and exploded the energy of the room through the roof. These two openers brought the energy that was needed to prime the audience for Your Arms Are My Cocoon.

Your Arms Are My Cocoon Takes The Stage

After much anticipation, Your Arms Are My Cocoon began their set with their song snowy!, a song featuring a midwest emo style guitar riff and Odom’s trademark screamo vocals. The live version of this song featured an extended ending matched with heavier drums than you can hear in the released version. The crowd jumped, screamed, and moshed as a saxophone solo whaled over top of the climactic ending of the song. It was an incredible opening song that dipped the audience’s toes in the water of the beautiful set to come. 

The band continued their set with many songs off their new album, including muffled beneath the sound of the ocean, junebug and swan dive. The middle section of their set is where the band really flaunted their ability to be dynamic on stage. They displayed a playfulness during their performance that perfectly fit the style of music, including Odom running into the crowd with his guitar multiple times while people were moshing, beautifully prolonged saxophone solos and medleys over all of their songs, and extended versions of their songs that had the ability to blow the walls down of the small room we were all packed into. At this point the band had the audience watching in a trance, unable to step out of the steaming hot, compacted room even if they needed some fresh air to not miss what they would do next.

Finally, the band concluded their set with the song death of a rabbit, which resulted in the highlight of the entire night. They turned the 6 minute and 14 second song into a 10+ minute sweeping ballad. The song began with restrained guitar strumming, soft vocals, and a bed of electric piano chords that built up to an explosive climax that could’ve gone on for hours and no one in the audience would have been upset. The screeching of the saxophone, the screaming from Odom, the abrasive drumming, and heavy bass notes all in that intimate setting made for the perfect end to an incredible night.

No amount of listening to their music will top seeing this incredible band in such an intimate space. These four phenomenal performers perfectly utilize their mix live and prerecorded electric instruments and are dynamic enough performers to create a completely unique concert experience, unlike anything I have seen before. If you ever get the opportunity to see these guys in concert, do not hesitate and take the chance.

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Fellow Chicago band Blind Equation played right before Your Arms Are My Cocoon. The two bands toured Asia last year together and often feel like they meld well, going hand in hand. Playing their cybergrind tracks, some old some new, they coated the audience in digital bliss. It was as if it was ripped from the screen of an old 2009 MySpace profile page. It provided a perfect preemptive feeling for the set after, awaiting death.

the rabbit is born, innocent and sweet.

Distorted speech spoken through a Software Automatic Mouth echoed out into a loosely packed Gabe’s, introducing the birth of the rabbit. Clad in wedding gowns and emo haircuts, gentle guitar riffs opened around thrashing screams and saxophone. Following the glowing arc of energy, a fevered buzz passed around between band and audience members with the set composed of vibers, jumpers, and crowdkillers alike. I got bonked in the head, which is the hardest knock to the noggin I’ve taken since, poetically, the last time Your Arms Are My Cocoon was at Gabe’s. Bright poppy synth tracks blared in between songs, a transition both musically fractured and bizarrely energetic. Golden spotlight reflected around the saxophone, shining over the bell and glittering off brass keys. Circling the roar of drums and screams, it threw out riffs after runs into arpeggios, a point of brightness guided within noise.

i am sorry.
this rabbit is mine.
our love is mine.
this city is on fire and there is nothing i can do.

The saxophone bound the band together for the duration of the set, a warm accompaniment weaving something sentimental within and around the frenetic energy, before softening into a muted lull. A forlorn duet between sweet bells and a gentle guitar cut through somber air, building once more into hyper thrashing. Energy ebbed and flowed from miserable outcry and a gentle sweet melancholy, traversing through the quiet despair as music confronted pain and past with scattered cries. The sweetness is born from sadness.

Sweet nostalgia gives us a reason to reminisce through sepia days lit in summer sun and Nintendo consoles. Beneath the gilded layers of that fuzzy warmth lives a deep yearning, a bitter regret for the youth passed by. Your Arms Are My Cocoon, built from a teenage bedroom, reaches past false comforts of bygone warmth. They weave their yearning by collapsing into the underlying despair haunting that bedroom, each song blaring a torrent of past agony into the Gabe’s upstairs.

Bleeding in that halcyon feeling, I was reminded how miserable the youth I yearn for was, how days tumbled over each other into pathetic years of anxiety and frustration. That sadness metamorphosed, it evaporated off my stained sweater while dripping down into my socks. Around the music intertwining present and past, the acidic nostalgia smoothed the bitter edges to sweetness. Your Arms Are My Cocoon embraces the scarred stain, a memory of how sadness is born, is changed, but never dies.

the rabbit is dead. the person i once loved is gone. if only i had the guts to stay.

Here this rabbit is dead. Here this music is gone.

Again we brave the bitter chill, to hop along beside ourselves back to our burrows.

The post Your Arms Are My Cocoon: birth/rabbit/death in Iowa City appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Their resplendent approach is immediately noticeable throughout the immaculate buildup of the opening track “She Looked Like Me” with relaxing, pulsating synths that build up to explosive horns in the middle of the epic song. Despite making more grandiose musical choices, they still haven’t lost the catchy melodies and bridges that have always laid at the core of their music. This is best exemplified on “Death & Romance”, which might go down as the best pop song of the decade. The bright keys and catchy hook of this track centered around themes of eternal love is close to perfection with its psychedelic backdrop. “Image” is another catchy pop song with amazing bass lines that makes it nearly impossible to resist dancing.

There are many ways to objectively review an album, but the most absolute way to determine the quality and appeal of is to hear it played live. Fortunately, many students at the University of Iowa, including myself, were blessed with the opportunity of seeing them play live during the annual homecoming concert put on by SCOPE. Not only did the performance live up to my high expectations of the group, but they exceeded them by a large margin. Mica Tenenbaum’s vocals were ethereal, and the instrumentation was also cosmic with Matthew Lewin delivering on the keys and guitar.

Hearing songs off the album such as “Killing Time”, “Fear, Sex”, and a more punk like rendition of “That’s My Floor” with live guitar and drums showcased the artistry that is sometimes overlooked in their discography. The quality of the live vocals and rhythm sections were show stopping and gave new life to the songs as they evolved from the studio versions. The set was incredible with colorful, gleaming lighting fitting of their music, and came to a perfect end with the triumphant and bouncy track “The Ballad of Matt & Mica”, which gives a euphoric synopsis of the duo’s own personal lore.

In what has seemed like a major year of pop revivalism, Magdalena Bay deservedly stands at the forefront of a year of music loaded with incredible releases. It is one of the best things to witness in music when musicians at their artistic peak manage to effectively translate a cohesive, yet opulent vision to an album both conceptually and musically. This record delivered on all fronts and improved upon their first album in almost every way possible. In case you’ve never heard anything like it before, this album is pop music fleshed out at its highest level, balancing thoughtful and introspective songwriting, maximalist song arrangements, and catchy melodies that will be permanently inserted into your brain.

Official Maurice Crawford Score: 9.0 / 10

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The calm didn’t last for long.

After the second song, “Take It,” began, a few audience members stood and made their way up to the edge of the stage. Then a few more. Dozens moved towards the front of the theater until around the first ten rows and aisles were flooded with standing concertgoers.

Duerte has been making a splash in the alternative scene since 2015 after a collection of songs on her Bandcamp page gained a following. These nine songs were eventually re-recorded and released with a record label as her debut album, Turn Into. Duerte has since released dozens of singles and a second album, though the first under her moniker of Jay Som, Everybody Works.

“Take It,” a dreamy folk piece with a deep emphasis on guitar, wound to a close with applause in the newly formed mosh pit. “Ok, hi,” Duerte responded with a slightly frazzled chuckle. The crowd continued to cheer her on as she smiled from behind her guitar.

Joining in the awe of the moment were the three members of her touring band, featuring Oliver Pinnell on guitar, Zachary Elsasser on drums, and Dylan Allard on bass. “Alright, this is tight, this is sick,” Pinnell remarked of the standing audience.

The next two songs, “Nighttime Drive” and “I Think You’re Alright,” had the audience swaying and clapping along. Duerte’s style maintains lavish compositions of warm sound. Simple backing beats show off evocative guitar sections and her effortlessly mellow vocals. One of Duerte’s earliest singles, “I Think You’re Alright,” started off slow and intimate before growing into a rousing combination of drums and distorted chords, the music imitating the imperfect relationship the lyrics describe.

The young, Los Angeles-based artist pulled the hood of her sweatshirt over her head as she began one of her more well-known pieces, “The Bus Song.” This aching song waits for love, pining for someone who is still trying to sort out their feelings. Duerte’s expressive voice sliding around a higher range calls out to an unrequited crush: I just want you to lead me / And I just want you to need me.

Duerte ended her set with an upbeat closer, breaking out of her peaceful persona a bit. The song still featured her consistently smooth vocals but had more of a rock edge. As the band held onto the last notes amidst applause, Duerte did her best rock star impression, sticking her tongue out and repeatedly strumming the same chord on her guitar alongside the rolling of drums. Duerte then left the stage with a smile, calm once again, leaving all those in the theatre with a beatific glow.

The post Jay Som @ The Englert Theatre 4/5/2019 appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Kenzi Rayelle started out the night strong with an acoustic folk sound. Rayelle amazed the audience with songs accompanied by ukulele, guitar, and mandolin. Passionate during the higher points in songs and tender during softer sections, her vocals were mesmerizing throughout the set.

Originally from Indianola, Iowa, Rayelle has a unique indie sound that blends together aspects of folk and punk genres with relative ease. Her voice has a twinge of Lana Del Rey tone with its velvet timbre. Rayelle also contributes to design for both Fools Magazine and Scope Productions, a fruitful member of Iowa City’s artistic community.

Next up was Corbin Phillips. Several friends crowded around the stage to show him support, cheering and clapping as he started. Phillips was powerful on acoustic guitar, which contrasted wonderfully with his mellow voice. He was adept at using looper pedals, creating percussion-like sounds with his guitar and formulating layered harmonies to underscore several melodies.

Though he was performing solo, Phillips is a member of local band London Fog, with bandmates Emi Bendler and Brett Eikenberry. The band has an acoustic indie sound and released an EP entitled Snow in December of 2018, which Phillips wrote the music and lyrics for. Eikenberry was also at the event and joined Phllips on the stage for a few songs, supplying guitar and trumpet to the half hour set.

The two beanie-clad performers played together comfortably, some songs with combined vocals and others featuring just Phillips. Mixing jazz and indie styles, Phillips gave a varied performance that had the crowd clamoring for more. He ended the set involving the audience, leading a sing-along that had each half of the restaurant harmonizing with the other.

Lily DeTaeye closed out the night with a thrilling mix of guitar, piano, and harmonica. She started with a piece accompanied by Eikenberry on trumpet, a first-time collaboration on the song. The rest of the set included songs from her 2017 EP, an acoustic cover of “Little Black Submarines” by The Black Keys, and selections from an upcoming album she is currently working on with Jim Eno’s Public Hi-Fi in Austin, TX.

Relationships, past memories, and female empowerment drive many of her lyrics, giving each song a particularly emotional edge. DeTaeye is equally skilled at slow, ballad-like songs as she is with upbeat tracks. Her robust alto voice takes lower notes to the fullest while tackling the higher range with a delicate control.

The Des Moines native interacted with the crowd frequently, candidly telling stories about the inspirations behind her lyrics. The punchy “Downgrade,” she described, is about a past relationship with a fellow musician from high school. She talked about how another piece had recently been played in front of her class by a professor, unknowing fellow students commenting on whether they liked it or not directly in front of her. DeTaeye doesn’t let events like this affect her too much though, a beaming presence on the stage confident in herself and her sound.

A celebration of local voices on the rise, the entire night was full of support and joy. It seemed no coincidence that the onset of spring arrived alongside the warmth of these artists, who will hopefully regale Iowa City with more performances in the near future.

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Opening with one of her most popular songs, “Sleepwalker”, Byrne’s show helped me find the joy in her music. Each of her songs seemed livelier and genuinely happier live, as she exuded a calming euphoria. She made jokes about living in New York and referenced the “Double Rainbow” YouTube video. Apparently, she almost named “Follow My Voice” double rainbow, until a friend showed her that video.

Byrne’s intricate guitar playing was the only musical accompaniment, but it often felt like there were more players with her. At times, her guitar was playing so many notes it seemed impossible that it could come from only one guitar. Yet, Julie Byrne sat alone on the stage.

Her voice sounded strong in the space, delicate yet not hidden. She rose above her surprisingly robust guitar playing, which seemed more urgent. At times I worried her guitar playing would overtake her voice, but she was always present. Byrne’s voice was calming and beautiful in the space, which felt intimate. Audience members sat on the floor near her and milled around at the tables but kept silent. Once she began, the entire room felt entrapped in her playing.

At one point in the show, Byrne played a cover of Nico’s “These Days” a choice which both surprised me and made complete sense. The song, a beautiful and nostalgic ballad, fit completely with her set and was greeted with excitement from the crowd. Her voice seemed perfectly suited to the song and she slightly adapted it to fit her sound, yet no major changes were necessary. The song felt as if it belonged to Byrne in that moment.

After playing “These Days”, Byrne asked the audience what their favorite lyric from the song was before naming hers as, “I had a lover, I don’t think I’ll risk another these days.” Then, she went into “Emeralds” off of her album “Rooms With Walls and Windows” before coming back to continue her story. She spoke about the fear of being hurt inherent in Nico’s lyrics before exclaiming love was perennial. Joy and optimism overcoming doubt for her, a worldview cemented with the happiness of her show.

The set wandered throughout her two albums, yet it never felt disjointed. Byrne has a sound so defined that her older songs sounded right at home next to those off her most recent album. It never got stale, as her guitar playing switched around enough. Her lyrics also felt invigorated in the space, with audience members seeming to agree with her ruminations on loneliness and related to her wanting to escape New York.

Byrne ended her show with her song “Marmalade”, which was greeted with a loud cheer from the very hip-looking kid next to me. She continually thanked the audience and seemed surprised at the genuine and enthusiastic response she received. She shouldn’t have been; the show proved Byrne is adept at performance and deserves all the love she received that night. Her show was joyful and a delight altogether.

For another great Julie Byrne live performance, check this out:

The post Witching Hour: Julie Byrne @ The Mill 10/12/18 appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Started initially in 2004 by singer/songwriter and bandleader Justin Ringle, the Portland, Oregon based band has changed several times throughout its existence.

After bouncing between several rock bands around his home state of Idaho, Ringle moved to Portland and fixated on the acoustic genre.

A year later, another musician named Peter Broderick heard some of Ringle’s demos and offered to help add some instrumentations to the songs and build them up. Horse Feathers was from then on a duo, and the two released their debut album, Words Are Dead, in September of 2006.

Bringing in more people, Broderick’s sister Heather Broderick joined the band the following year on cello and the band continues to feature new members as time goes by.

After releasing another album entitled House With No Home with the independent record label Kill Rock Stars, Peter and Heather Broderick left the band one shortly after another in 2008 to pursue other musical projects.

The band gained the new members of Nathan Crockett, Catherine Odell, and Sam Cooper as instrumentalists following Broderick’s departure. A few more transitions have occurred since then, and the band now sits at five members.

No matter the members of the band, their commitment to creating inventive acoustic music has stayed constant.

Horse Feather’s music features a wide array of instruments with an emphasis on strings. The band’s pieces typically contain guitar but aren’t limited to them, integrating folk instruments including banjo, mandolin, violin, and others that give their music a unique sound.

Intricate instrumental backdrops showcase the talent of the band members and set up a lovely contrast to Ringle’s calming vocals. While some certainly pick up speed and energy, the majority of their tracks focus on a quaint and emotional atmosphere which bring listeners to a pleasant reverie.

In an interview with Mission Creek Festival, Ringle discussed how Horse Feathers has evolved over the years and his experience with it. He says he considered leaving the music industry altogether after touring in 2012, but decided to focus on having fun with music.

After playing a show with the band and some of his closest friends, Ringle had a realization in conjunction with the feelings that resulted from the high energy performance.

“We liked it, and the unusual feeling that I had after that show – which I think is referred to as ‘joy’ – became something I wanted to experience again. I shared more. I stopped editing myself as much.

The joy of playing live became its own reward, and I dared myself to allow that joy to shape the songwriting. In the end, I was able to let it go, and I don’t own it anymore. Which also feels like joy. That’s the way it was, and so it is with us.”

After Iowa City, the band will continue on a tour around the U.S., details of which can be found on the Horse Feathers website. Check out Horse Feathers at The Mill on April 5th, and be sure keep up with the rest of Mission Creek Festival events.

The post Mission Creek Festival Promo: Horse Feathers appeared first on KRUI Radio.

The most enthralling part of this experience was his medium. The entire soundtrack was just a guy playing drums really really well. My father had been a part of a heavy metal cover band when I was a child, so I have a pretty good amount of nostalgia attached to a drumkit.

When I walked into the Englert, I noticed that there were a lot of people waiting in line to buy tickets, as though they’d decided to attend last minute. A lot of people were standing around and talking as well, most of them middle-aged or older. The theater itself was comfortably vacant in the sense that it wasn’t crowded, but there were enough people there that it was still busy.

When the event started, Sanchez came onto the stage and was greeted with applause. He began by telling us he wanted to explain his history as a drummer and how he came up with the Birdman soundtrack.

He tells the audience about growing up in Mexico City and that he’d been drumming since he was five years old. He pursued drumming as he moved to the United States and that he became a US citizen two months ago. “The timing on that couldn’t have been better,” he proclaims with the loudest laughter that would take place that night.

He discusses that the director, producer, and writer of Birdman, Alejandro González Iñárritu, was particular about how he wanted the soundtrack to sound.

They would sit in a studio and work through each and every scene to make sure that it was how Iñárritu liked it but was also improvised to Sanchez’s liking. He then told us that he improvised all the time during these live performances and that we would be hearing things no one else had. A performance that was completely unique.

As the movie begins, it’s easy to tell how tied the drums are to the film. The first seconds of the movie reveal a quote, the letters revealed a bit at a time. With every beat Sanchez made, a new set of letters were revealed. There was such a clear amount of precision involved with the soundtrack, that it was easy to forget that it was being performed in front of us.

As the scenes of the movie continued, the percussion created the largest intensity in a way that none of the actors could’ve. Sanchez knew the movie forward and backward and was able to use his drums to elaborate on the film. They drew out movement in the scene, literally as the characters made gestures and slammed doors, and figuratively with their emotion.

The beginning of the credits was very similar to the intro when it came to the letters appearing with the beat of the drums. I thought about how it would be such an honor to know how my name sounded to Antonio Sanchez.

As the credits kept coming, Sanchez kept playing and created the most influential and intense part of the performance. At this point, I think he was improvising since there was nothing going on in terms of plot anymore. He was moving so fast and making such detailed rhythms that would change every two seconds. He was playing like nobody could tell him what to do, like his kit shared some kind of extension cord that connected to his mind. He just knew what he was doing, but gave off the impression that he was just experimenting with sound at the same time.

The only word that I can come up with to describe the performance is “phenomenal.” The movie itself was captivating, naturally, since it won Best Picture at the Oscars in 2015 along with three other awards. I left not understanding it, and I found it enthralling but obscure and fascinating but also really bizarre. The cinematography was beautiful, and probably the most appealing part of viewing it.

However, Sachez put his entire soul into playing his set and made a specific effort to put on a spectacular show. I can tell that he could have sat there after the credits had rolled past and drummed for us forever. Going to the Englert last night wasn’t about watching a movie, it was about listening to the music that was designed with it. I wish it could’ve gone longer.

Listen to the Birdman soundtrack here or on Spotify below.

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