A Rainbow of Records

With the exception of records like Lazaretto, which features a hologram, reverse play direction, and hidden bonus tracks, and Strange Little Birds with it's Jaguar etched D side, your average record is a black vinyl with nothing special. Sure, there are various weights which can effect life and quality, but to look at, other than the center label, your average record is pretty much indistinguishable from any other.

But with the re-emergence of the vinyl scene, there have been improvements in the quality of records and one of the features that is fairly common now is a colored disc. Translucent or opaque, every color of the rainbow, color splashed, and even picture discs. Now I've read the complaints that this produces a lower quality sound. And I'm also a supporter of the idea that you should buy an album because of the music on it, not for a colored disc. But that being said, if the music is still there and listenable, why not? I love the idea that a record can be visually stimulating in addition to the audio.

So I say go for it. Theme your record: A White Russian Big Lebowski Soundtrack or A Green How the Grinch Stole Christmas Record. Have limited edition colors for those that get in early like Young the Giant. How about a grungy green and black splash to match the feel of a Teenage Time Killers album. Or a picture disc like The Darkness to show off the album art we love.

I know my collection is a rainbow of colors. And I think that's a great thing. I plan on adding more colors in the future (if anybody wants to trade a purple Blink-182 California for a plain one, let me know).

Broods with Jarryd James at The Metro

Thanks to 101WKQX, I found myself heading to The Metro on a Monday night to see Broods with Jarryd James. I had seen Broods this past June as part of a ten band set at PIQNIQ, a 101WKQX event. At the time, Broods second album, Conscious (see review here), was still a week from being released. Based on the singles Free and Heartlines, I bought the album and had considered buying tickets to this next show. I was waiting until after work to purchase the tickets and 101WKQX called just after lunch. A pleasant turn of events.

Jarryd James

Genre: Alternative Pop R&B

Stage Presence: A little awkward

As a listener, I enjoy Broods for more of their upbeat songs, but appreciate the vocals and rhythm that go with some of their slower pieces. Jarryd James falls right into that second group and provided easy listening to open the event. The vocals are very strong with a very mellow energy to the overall feel. I ended up picking up a copy of his Album "High" in order to give things more than just a once over. The biggest struggle I had was the stage presence. After I was able to get over the Obama shroud around the keyboardist's stand, I noticed that Jarryd James posture seemed very contained. He seemed a little uncomfortable in front of the crowd. Holding tight to his microphone most of the time, I would've liked to see a little bit more movement or energy with the performance. Because the vocals and backings were definitely there.

A nice pickup in the middle of the set was a a song, 1000x, that featured Georgia from Broods. This brought the audience in a little more and even though Jarryd James still seemed reserved, he did seem to be more comfortable on stage when partnered with the headliner. Honest opinion, there are two things separating Broods and Jarryd James from opener and headliner: Energy and Confidence. If Jarryd James can find that comfort on stage and add a few numbers with some energy, there's no reason fans that love Broods shouldn't jump right on to that bandwagon.

BROODS

Genre: Electronic / Indie / Pop

Stage Presence: Are you sure it's a Monday night?

One of the benefits of seeing Broods as a headliner was getting to hear more of their catalog. When I saw them last, they were only able to play six songs. Admittedly, that meant you got a set of their higher energy songs, but it almost meant you didn't get to experience the full ability Broods has. This time around, the set included seventeen songs with a three song encore (set list reference). This meant a full Broods performance which included 3 phases.

The first phase feature Georgia in a dark jumpsuit singing six songs that had good flow and energy but tended to be what I would consider darker numbers. But, if you notice the shot above, Between the lighting and Georgia's performance, this opened things very well. It got the audience listening and engaged without having to kick the energy super high and cede to bring things back down which can often drain an audience mid set. One of the songs to note during this section was Freak of Nature. On the album,this song features Tove Lo who did not make an appearance at the show. This isn't surprising, but it's always interesting to me how an artist will handle a song featuring another artist. In the case of Jarryd James, Broods was here to perform so they did the number together. In this case, I would venture to say they knew Georgia had the vocal strength to carry to song without Tove Lo and that's the option they took. And it worked out well.

Instead, we got a brief respite that turned into an acoustic set.  This was an unexpected change of pace as most of Broods features heavy but well balanced electronic effects. The best part of this is that it gave a chance to really hear and focus on the vocal abilities. It may only have been a two song acoustic break, but it was a very well planed an executed decision. Short enough to let the audience appreciate every bit of it but long enough that it didn't feel forced in any way.

Following the acoustic set, things picked up a bit and transitions from dark to light both from lighting and Georgia's outfit. Bonus points to another artist that finds a way to get an outfit change in during the middle of a set. It adds to the performance and gives the image that an artist feels different energy for different parts of their performance. The audience can definitely key into this. With that said, the audience bought into this transition and the energy in the venue reflected what Broods put out. With songs like Recovery, Heartlines, We Had Everything, and Full Blown Love, Georgia utilized the entire stage, moving back forth to get the entire audience feeling the energy for the back half of the performance. For the record, Heartlines is just as catch live and it was exciting to have it towards the middle of the set. A set up for other songs people will definitely recognize coming up. Closing out the set prior to the encore was of course Free which was as strong as could people. The attitude and strength behind the vocals and lyrics crossed with that driving beat make it easy to feel the vibe of the performance.

For an encore, the audience was treated to three songs: Four Walls, Bridges, and Couldn't Believe. Bridges is the most well known song off their debut album "Evergreen" and I appreciate that they chose to make it part of the encore, allowing the main performance to focus on the new album (although, with a seventeen song set, you're getting a lot of both albums). And closing everything out was Couldn't Believe. I was getting anxious to hear this song and was excited to have it be the last song. It's light and has probably the highest energy off of Conscious. Being tired at the end of a Monday night show after a day of work, this brought me back to life before the drive home.

But, we can't go home without first making a stop at the merch stand. Already having a shirt and signed album, this stop was for the previously mention Jarryd James CD and to see what other odds and ends were there. A variety of T-shirts, bags, and even some autographed items were available for purchase. A great selection of items available to show your love for the New Zealand brother-sister duo, Broods.

The Struts with the Arkells at Bottom Lounge (Lolla after show)

As I've mentioned before, I was unfortunately unable to attend the 25th anniversary of Lollapalooza but I was able to take part in two after shows. Thursday, the first of four days of Lolla featured an after show with The Arkells opening for The Struts at The Bottom Lounge. I decided to head to the venue way before the doors opened to get some dinner and have a few drinks. After a three hour drive from the suburbs (delays thanks to rain and an accident on 90/94), I arrived at the venue, had a schnitzel sandwich, some Three Floyd's beers, and a four hour wait until doors. Time went by surprisingly quickly as the staff was friendly and there was a Sox / Cubs game on. The best part about waiting was realizing that a line was forming outside, but I would get to skip it: The show was 17+ so anyone over 21 and at the bar would get in line first. I got to enjoy some of The Struts soundcheck while I waited and it only affirmed that the show was going to kick ass.

When doors finally opened, things filled in at the venue pretty quickly, but it never really got more than 70% full. There was always a clear path at the back from one side to the other, which was convenient as the bathrooms are opposite the doors. My buddy Dan would eventually show up, exhausted from a full first day at Lolla. He provided some insight into how the after show felt for the actual Lolla goer. It made sense why the venue wasn't packed - some of those who had gone to Lollapalooza had probably baled because they were too tired.

One thing I'd like to apologize for is that I don't have many performance pictures (I don't have any of the Arkells) and those I do have aren't great quality. I got caught up in the performance.

The Arkells
Gene: Rock

Stage Presence: Interactive

The Arkells opened for The Struts and, as with most shows I attend, I had very little idea who they were. I had checked out a couple of songs online, but knew I wouldn't memorize them in time so I figured I'd just take it for what it's worth. The Arkells are a Canadian band whose most popular single is Leather Jacket. Overall, not knowing any of their songs didn't prevent me from enjoying them. Their songs were good music and played well live. They had a few defining moments that I want to point out. First was a huge plus: the "air" guitar share. Just before one of their songs, the lead singer disconnected his guitar and handed it to the audience for them to pass around, take pictures, "play" along. This was a bold (hope nobody brakes anything) but great way to enhance the audience's experience and bring them in to your performance. Loved it. The next moment was a bit of a down. The Arkells have a really solid keyboardist. They brought up Billy Joel and he proceeded to do a mini jam, but it left me disappointed I didn't get a Billy Joel medley with all the good hooks and some solid keyboard jams in between. But one missed cover gives way to another and probably the highlight of the set: Dancing in the Dark. Want to get an audience hyped? How about a cover from The Boss. We'll sing along. We'll jam. You just give us the music, we'll do the rest. And The Arkells did a really solid cover here. The music and vocals were on point. Great way to keep the energy up. Especially leading into some of their more popular songs. Good execution on their original stuff (at least, good enough that I think their decent songs). Would I see them as the headliner on the bill at a small venue? Sure. Would I add them to my library? I'd think about it. Will they earn a prominent spot on my most played? Probably not. But a great opener for sure.

The Struts
Genre: Rock

Stage Presence: Phenomenal

Disclaimer: I've been waiting to see The Struts live for over a year and have probably listened to the album all the way through 20-30 times since it's come out. So my expectations were high, but I also love the music they're playing. Let me just say they did not disappoint. I mean, what other rock artist does four outfit changes during a set? Luke Spiller, the lead singer, is a rock star and knows it. He executes up front backed by some really solid musicians. His ability to get the audience involved is something of legends. If The Struts had been around in the previous generation, we'd be arguing whether Queen or The Struts put on a better show at Wembley. Blasphemy, I know, but they really are that good. Their style puts them right with Queen, The Rolling Stones (who they've opened for, and soon Guns and Roses), and Joan Jett. The entire album is good and I was hoping to hear every song off it. Every. Single. Song. So that did leave me disappointed. I really wanted to hear Mary Go Round, but I respect that they didn't play it. I mean, it's after midnight the day of a huge music festival. A power ballad probably isn't the best idea. The rest of the set? Flawlessly performed. And I mean performed. This wasn't just a concert where they went through the motions, played the songs, and called it a night. The Struts put a show that was engaging to sight, sound, and soul. 

They made some bold choices with their set as you can see with their set list: Could Have Been Me and Kiss This were in the first half of the set. With a performance this late, playing the two most popular songs early risks losing an audience. But that's the beauty of having an entire album that's good: People will still stick around to hear the rest. It also helped that the audience was lead in a series of call back vocalizations that were, to be honest, quite challenging. Credit to Luke for being able to sing them, but credit to a good audience for playing along. Near the end of the set, Luke had the entire audience lower down so that we could jump back up to start dancing, but while he had everybody down, he also took a moment to show off his outfit. I found this to be playful so late into the performance ("Check out this kick ass outfit I'm wearing!") Overall, The Struts should be on your "To See" list. The Dirty Sexy Summer Tour is probably the best thing you'll see all summer, probably all year.

When 1:30AM hit, the performance ended (no true encore), and I did a quick stop at the merch stand before exiting. Five or Six different shirts were available (including a tank top), drink koozies, the album on CD and vinyl, and tour posters. I picked up a shirt and a tour poster, but I was disappointed they didn't have a certain shirt available ("Who the F___ Is Luke Spiller?") but a good selection none the less.

Once again getting home around 3AM, I was thoroughly satisfied with the show. The performed at Lolla the following afternoon with the performance streamed by Red Bull TV (I have yet to find a replay of it). Rumor has it they'll be back in Chicago sooner rather than later for a No Dough Show courtesy of 101WKQX, but that's an unconfirmed rumor. If they're in your area anytime soon, I highly recommend checking them out. And give the album a couple of listens first. It'll make singing along more fun.

Broods - Conscious

Yesterday afternoon my copy of Broods Conscious arrived in the mail and I had every intention of posting about it but life happens. So, getting excited for it today, I decided to find out when they'll be in town next and they play The Metro next Monday, August 8th. I thought about picking up tickets but wanted to see if anyone else was available to go. The local radio station, 101WKQX, had other intentions as they called later to inform me I had won tickets to the show. So, after you're pumped from the album review, pick up some tickets (I'll see you there) and then be on the lookout for a post following the show!

Broods is electronic / pop / indie brother-sister duo comprised of vocalist Georgia Nott and multi-instrumentalist Caleb Nott. Broods is based out of New Zealand and Conscious is their second album, the first being Evergreen. I was first exposed to them at 101WKQX PIQNIQ earlier this year.

After hearing them at PIQNIQ, I decided to purchase the album as it wasn't available at the event (I did, however, get an autograph). There were various options in the Broods Store but I wanted vinyl and a t-shirt so that made the autographed bundle my choice, despite already having an autograph (conveniently, the signatures matched). The album outer jacket is a fairly simple design, as is the shirt, but that's fine with me. The album itself fits on one clear vinyl that comes in an inner sleeve feature Georgia and the lyrics on one side and Caleb with some thanks on the other. So, without further delay, let's get the album on the turntable and give it a listen.




Side A
1. Free
2. We Had Everything
3. Are You Home
4. Heartlines
5. Hold the Line
6. Freak of Nature (feat. Tove Lo)
7. All of your Glory

Side B
8. Recovery
9. Couldn't Believe
10. Full Blown Love
11. Worth the Fight
12. Bedroom Door
13. Conscious


Side A

Talk about starting strong right out of the gates. The album opens with pure vocals that are strong and full. Free has a lot of attitude and drives the listener into a power groove. Phenomenal song on it's own. As the second song comes in, things back off a little bit, taking the attitude off or free. Interestingly, this is where I first heard the backing vocals and they total make things whenever I listened for them. They provide a subtle undertone during the chorus. Are You home keeps the upbeat feel of We Had Everything but gets a little bit darker. The key is that we've started to flatten into a given pace. Which is when Heartlines comes on and it's chorus is infectious. It has great balance and flow to it (Side note - Heartlines was co written with Lorde). From Heartlines, Hold the Line kept the tone, but, to be honest, nothing particularly stood out to me about this song. I actually had to go back and do the second listen to refresh my memory. That is a downside to having 7 songs on one side is that the listener is processing a lot of songs all at once. Now Freak of Nature (feat. Tove Lo) begins to slow things down but it's a song built around a foundation of solid vocals. Although I'm sure there's music playing in the background, I was stuck in a trance of just listening to the voice carry the entire song forward. Rounding out Side A is All of your Glory. A slower that eases into the flip. Overall, the first 4 songs of Side A are a must listen. The Side A bonus is Freak of Nature with it's stunning vocals.

Side B
Things pick up again with Recovery which I got the vibe would be a good song to hear live. Not necessarily sing along with, but has a good vibe to dance with. You know how there's always a hidden gem on the B side? For me, that song was Couldn't Believe. It's high energy and fun and reminded me a great deal of CHVRCHES (there's some bias here as I'm really digging CHVRCHES at the moment). But it's a really good song that brought me right back into the album. Full Blown Love had to follow Couldn't Believe and I think it was a great follow up be only bringing the tempo down slightly and having a solid synth part driving the chorus. An interesting change from using the strong lead vocals to make things happen. The next song, Worth the Fight, is the song I play to give the audience a chance to slow down without getting bored. It still has a driving rhythm at a reasonable pace and once again the backing vocals shine through and caused me to want to listen close to hear them again. A great way to keep engaged without requiring too much energy. Things slow down more into Bedroom Door which had this weird pseudo french horn part to open and close the song. The big thing here was the harmonies / echoes with the vocals. Was that needed with how strong the vocals have been? No. But it did give me the chance to hear them in a different form which added depth and range to vocal skill set. The title track closed out the album and I feel like it did a decent job anchoring things. It feels like a spoken word piece until it ends up toeing the line of dubstep. I kept waiting for the "wubs" to kick in, but likely, the song managed to get close without crossing over and keeping things tasteful. Another style development that keeps me interested for what they'll do in the future.

Overall Conscious is a really solid album. You're getting at least 6-7 songs that are worth listening to multiple times. From an album structure standpoint, not great, but not bad. With a few slower songs and upbeat numbers on the same album, it's tough to transition back and forth but you also don't want all the same things next to each other as it mutes the differences. I think the big thing for me is that I could listen to either side of the record and be okay with what I got. Playing both sides? Well, I might put in the effort to skip things on the A side and queue things up on the B side.

Thanks for giving the read and hopefully if you like what I've said, you'll check out the album for yourself and be waiting for future posts. Be sure to checkout the 45s section of the blog where I review singles from artists who have reached out to me on Twitter.