"YEAH! YEAH! YEAH!"
The new Rotary Downs album, "Cracked Maps and Blue Reports," is a more epic album than their previous three full-lengths. The songs are longer and more open-minded, comprising attractive songwriting choices like sudden twists, blackouts, and reprises.
"Maps" is also a more ethereal addition, thanks in part to co-vocalist Tiffany Lamson's "oohs" and "aahs." The band reaches for beauty through harmonies and psychedelic sound layers that build through songs and send a chill with their overwhelming colors. There's more vocal tracks, overdubs, and sound collages, making it clear the Downers have been mastering the studio. This is a better produced album, a headphones album(you'll need at least 3 or 4 listens to appreciate the nuances). The group is more comfortable with auxiliary instruments(synthesizer, electronic drums, xylophone, woodblock, metal percussion, triangle, shakers, church bells), and thanks to the mixing and the occasional coupling of Lamson's voice, lead vocalist James Marler's lyrics are thankfully more distinguishable than ever.
As far as I can hear, and that might not be very far, guitarist Chris Columbo has put away his pedal steel guitar and instead focused on tight-knit, catchy lines, swashes of noise, and splashes of guitar heroics. Bassist Jason Rhein and drummer Zack Smith pulse together and are responsible for a stop and go/push and pull that, along with nods to Afrobeat, Dance, and Hip Hop, makes the album unpredictable and fun.
Rotary Downs play their CD Release Party at One Eyed Jacks tonight with Givers and DJ Art Damage.
NEW JAMES HALL SINGLE AVAILABLE
JAMES HALL AND THE FUTURA BOLD CD RELEASE PARTY
APRIL 16TH
ONE EYED JACKS
10 P.M.
"Euroskank," the first single off James Hall and The Futura Bold's new album, is now available for listening at
http://www.myspace.com/thefuturabold
LIVENEWORLEANS.COM AT FOBURG
LiveNewOrleans.Com presents 3 nights and 13 bands at The Blue Nile Upstairs as a part of The Foburg Music Festival. Doors at 7 and show at 8 on March 12, 13, and 14. $8 cover for each night. Schedule:
FRIDAY
8--Lovehog
9--King Rey
10--A Living Soundtrack
11--The Happy Talk Band
SATURDAY
8--Steve Eck and The Midnight Still
9--Hurray for The Riff Raff
10--Big Blue Marble
11--Glasgow
SUNDAY
8--Hugo
9--The Bellys
10--Signals
11--The Show is the Rainbow
12--Big Rock Candy Mountain
Noir Collective presents Foburg, a brand new 3-day alternative music festival held in 8 or more venues on and around Frenchmen Street on March 12-14, 2010. Foburg will feature rock, indie rock, and alternative artists from the greater Gulf South and national touring artists on their way to SXSW in Austin, TX, which is the following week.
MARCH AND BEYOND AT THE CIRCLE BAR
March 11--AWESOME COLOR WITH TYVEK PLUS MOTION TURNS IT ON
http://www.myspace.com/awesomecolor
http://www.myspace.com/tyvekmusic
http://www.myspace.com/motionturnsiton
March 13--MOTO WITH MISSING MONUMENTS AND DIE ROTZZ
http://www.myspace.com/moto
March 14th--FAMILY PORTRAIT
http://www.myspace.com/officialfamilyportrait
March 15th--MONOGOLD
http://www.myspace.com/monogoldmusic
March 16th--SCREENS WITH Aa PLUS ONE MACHINE
http://www.myspace.com/screensscreensscreens
http://www.myspace.com/alittlea
March 17th--YULA BEERI WITH RATTY SCURVICS AND DEATH BY ARROW
http://www.myspace.com/yulabeeri
March 19th--WOODEN WAND WITH LUKE ALLEN PLUS STEVE ECK
http://www.myspace.com/woodenwand
March 21st--ROYAL BANGS WITH SILENT CINEMA
http://www.myspace.com/royalbangs
http://www.myspace.com/silent cinema
March 23rd--VIVIAN GIRLS WITH WETDOG PLUS HAPPY BIRTHDAY
http://www.myspace.com/viviangirlsnyc
http://www.myspace.com/wetdogthebest
http://www.myspace.com/brattleborohousecartoon
March 24th--SEEDY SEEDS WITH PEASANT PLUS PAPER BIRD
http://www.myspace.com/theseedyseeds
http://www.myspace.com/peasant
http://www.myspace.com/paperbirdband
APRIL 15TH--WHITE COLLA CRIMES WITH THE LOCAL SKANK
http://www.myspace.com/whitecolla
http://www.myspace.com/thelocalskank
APRIL 18TH--CASIOTONE FOR THE PAINFULLY ALONE
http://www.myspace.com/cftpa
MAY 9TH--JACUZZI BOYS WITH THE BELLYS
http://www.myspace.com/jacuzzi boys
http://www.myspace.com/ilovebellys
MAY 10TH--GROWING
http://www.myspace.com/growingsoundnyc
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