Sunday, May 25, 2008

Ladyhawk - Or The Sound Of My Senses Being Overloaded
 

My brain isn't as, shall we say, "busy" as Noah's.  I can barely process all the external stimuli, no less take notes about the analytical processes running up the vine of the old mind-grapes.  This weekend, there were a couple of big sources of stimuli that overloaded my senses.

Sensual Overload #1 - An Illegal Aside

The new Hold Steady album leaked this week.  While I'd hardly condone a quick Google search to find the leak, I will say that what I've heard of it sounds great.  But I think we all knew it was going to be stellar, it is the Hold Steady after all.  It's great that indie rock is getting so much attention, and really gaining ground as a genre, but somebody has to save Rock N' Roll right?  If it weren't for the Hold Steady, I don't know what I'd do, especially with Bruce Springsteen tickets being so expensive.

Sensual Overload #2 - Ladyhawk

Friday night I saw a Canadian band you might know called Ladyhawk.  While their lyrics can't quite compare to the Hold Steady, they're definitely another source of rare edginess in this era of twee-pop (*cough*the Pipettes*cough*).  Nothing against happy-jams, but every once in a while I'd like to hear amplifiers being overloaded.  I'd like to hear vocals so drenched in liquor that I can almost smell it.  I take my music raw.  Like my meat.

Ladyhawk recorded their latest album, Shots, in an old abandoned farm house.  How's that for raw.  And as for alcohol-influenced?  Trust me, this album couldn't pass a breathalyzer to save its life, and don’t even think about letting it get behind the wheel.

Now there are essentially two reasons that I like my music raw.  First, there's a simple, barbaric joy in hearing a band, quite simply, rock the hell out.  This first song, I Don't Always Know What You're Saying does a pretty good job of satisfying that urge.  With the stick-click count off and the epic solo guitar riff it's hard not to bob your head a little bit.  The palm-muted power chords should get your heart pounding, and by the time the chorus kicks in, you’ve thrown your fist up in the air, rocking out like an idiot in your desk chair.  Seriously, did no one else have this reaction?  No one at the show was rocking out like I was either!  I blame twee-pop.

:Ladyhawk - I Don't Always Know What You're Saying:

The second reason, is that there is a certain sense of intimacy that comes with rawness.  It's not the same "emotional" intimacy you'd expect from certain bands of the "emotional" persuasion, but it's the recording itself.  This next song S.T.H.D. captures that feel fairly well.  Sure, it follows the same rock-out formula of the first track, but for some reason, I feel almost like I'm there with the band, watching from the pig pen as they keep cranking the volume up.  A good recording captures "the room."  You know when wine snobs mention they can taste the "aged" element of the wine – the "wood" taste?  A good room sound is a lot like that.  It's not quite an essential part of the sound, but without it music sounds fake, it sounds manufactured.  Listen close to the rhythm guitar and vocals in the beginning, and you can actually hear the room around them - you feel as if you're watching the music be made.  It helps if you turn on some barnyard noises, I suggest a "The Cow Says 'Moo!'" toy and a bottle of whiskey to thoroughly enjoy this album.

:Ladyhawk - STHD:

Sensual Underload #1 - A Side Note

On a side note, did anyone happen to catch A Skin, A Night.  After our little National rally last week, I was admittedly pretty excited.  But the film turned out to be something entirely different from what I had expected.  It was hardly about the band, or Boxer, at all!  It was interesting, but more from a cinematic perspective than anything.  That's all well and good, and I must say, Vincent Moon has some skills behind the camera, but next time I'd prefer it not be advertised as if it were a documentary about the making of an album, when it's not.

- John Michael Cassetta -

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