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Review: The Antlers @ Mack Sennett Studios on 8/15/14

Pandora Presents The Antlers At StubHub's Next Stage

On the night of Friday, August 15, Pandora listeners were treated to a special invite only event showcasing The Antlers live at the Mack Sennett Studios in Hollywood.

The Brooklyn band brought their dreamy and tranquil sound to an excited Los Angeles crowd. Attendees were treated to a radiant performance. There were flashing lights and a colorful set-up which mirrored the emotion of the music. The Antlers delivered a wistful feeling in a positive manner, inspiring nostalgic thoughts as lead singer Peter Silberman sang in his signature falsetto.

Now on their fifth studio album, the crowd (those that were actually listening and not taking advantage of the open bar) responded well to new tracks from the new ‘Familiar’ album. ‘Familiar’ has a good vibe to it and fans appreciated the new album with minor dance/body movements throughout the entire night.

Review By Geovani Donaires
Photos By Imeh Akpanudosen/Getty Images for Pandora

The Antlers newyork (Official)

Pandora Presents The Antlers At StubHub's Next Stage

Pandora Presents The Antlers At StubHub's Next Stage

Pandora Presents The Antlers At StubHub's Next Stage

reviewed by
08-19-14

Tricky – Parenthesis feat. The Antlers

reviewed by
09-05-13

The Antlers – Every Night My Teeth Are Falling Out

antlers

So, I feel like I gave The Antlers’ 2009 LP Hospice a few listens and kinda liked it, but being real, never really got into it. Additionally, I tend to avoid bands of the indieverse in that sort of indie/lo-fi/folk-fi wasteland that have animals in their names ( ____ Deer, Wolf _____, Frog _____ Goat) or animal body parts or bodily functions, etc. So hearing the excellent “Every Night My Teeth Are Falling Out” (ain’t that a bitch?) was a really nice surprise. Understated guitar distortion frames a percussive rhythmic melody that you’ll have a real shit time trying to keep out of your head. Try it.

The Antlers – Every Night My Teeth Are Falling Out

The Antlers: (Official) (Myspace)

Rating: 8.3

brown8

reviewed by
04-20-11

LIVE SHOW REVIEWS: WU LYF w/ Crystal Antlers @ The Echo, L.A. July 26th, 2011

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I tried not listening to WU LYF before their show @ The Echo on Tues, 7/26. Resistance was futile. To quote Alice Walker’s The Color Purple: “we are the ones we have been waiting for.” WU LYF’s debut Go Tell Fire To The Mountain channels this ineffable feeling of a universal consciousness, an evolved spirituality for the disaffected youths of the early 2000’s. If you haven’t given WU LYF’s LP a spin by this point, do yourself a long overdue favor. Songs like “Heavy Pop” and “Concrete Gold” (both of which have been on the Superhighway for 18 months now) gain a greater meaning when heard within the album’s overarching concept: a prodigal son kills his father the king then is turned away when he attempts to assume the throne.

You get more bees with honey than with vinegar. WU LYF’s reticence to speak to the media has officially begun to overshadow their music. Their recent Radio 1 interview is quite hilarious, but I could see the casual listener turned off by their caustic demeanor and not give the tunes a proper spin. Transparency is the only answer to speculation. With a level of popularity comes great public expectation, which none of us can control, for such is the nature of human epistemology.

Crystal Antlers’ impassioned set tided fans as they streamed into the venue. Although they weren’t originally listed on the bill, a solid majority of attendees were inside by the third song from the Long Beach, CA natives. We initiated a spirited discussion RE: idea bands vs. song bands – it’s only fitting that an idea band like Crystal Antlers would open for fellow idea band WU LYF. Such distinctions, while often counter-intuitive, prove extremely helpful in this case. By this I mean WU LYF would never tour with The Vaccines or The Arctic Monkeys, for example, since they operate on opposite ends of the indie spectrum.

I was afraid that WU LYF might sound a little sloppy live, since they’ve only played about three dozen shows. I was quite surprised by their tightness and how true they stayed to the LP. This speaks volumes for their unique sound which, despite paying homage to SST, early Modest Mouse, The Pixies, Tom Waits etc., could never be classified as derivative.

I can’t say anything negative about their live performance. Absolutely phenomenal! Their music is imbued with this creative imperative i.e. they make music not because they want to but because they have to. Every measure is joyously cathartic. Those who know the lyrics sing along; everyone else stands transfixed, bobbing to the backbeat. If only they’d done a cover of “Flip Your Wig” or “Teeth Like God’s Shoeshine”, I would rate their performance a perfect 10, but maybe that’s asking too much. Let us hope that WU LYF tour more of America next time around, so they can share their talents with more disenfranchised youths, the listeners who need their music the most.

WU LYF could be the biggest band on the planet if they wanted, but they already are in the hearts of their most devoted followers. – Chris Gedos

WU LYF – Dirt (BBC Radio 1 Session 20/7/11)

Wu Lyf england: (Official) (Myspace) (Facebook)

July 26, 2011 @ Echo Set List:
LYF
Cave Song
Summas Bliss
Such A Sad Puppy Dog
Spitting Blood
Dirt
14 Crowns For Me And Your Friends
Concrete Gold
Heavy Pop
Scissors For Your Hair
We Bros

wu-lyf-echo1

crystal-antlers-echo

RATING: 9.9

brown93

reviewed by
07-27-11

Keaton Henson – Dear… [LP]

By Gareth O’Malley

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I’m not sure why it is – maybe I sympathise, or even identify with it – but I find myself drawn to the kind of intimate devastation that lies at the heart of Keaton Henson’s debut. My favourite album of all time is The Antlers’s Hospice, and one of my favourite debut albums from the last three years is Learning by Perfume Genius. All three of the aforementioned records are difficult to listen to, but what sets Henson’s album apart is that, while the heart-wrenching sadness of Peter Silberman (The Antlers) and Mike Hadreas (Perfume Genius) was covered up by lo-fi production, before they moved on to other things – the follow-ups to both of those albums were markedly different – the production values of Keaton Henson’s Dear… mean that every word leaves the reclusive singer-songwriter’s lips is clearly audible.

Keaton Henson does no press, would rather that he didn’t have to play live, and was prepared to never let anyone else hear these songs, originally recorded in his bedroom. He didn’t get his way, and that’s worked out very well indeed. ‘Get distracted by my music, think of nothing else but art / I’ll write my loneliness in poems if I can just think how to start,’ he says on “Small Hands”; and in two lines, Henson has summed up the essence of his debut. It is an intensely personal record: 10 songs which consist a solitary guitar, a quavering, soft singing voice, heartbreaking honesty, and little else. Embellishments are few and far between, only ever employed – as on “Not That You’d Even Notice” – when they will exacerbate the effects of Henson’s music; otherwise, they are completely unnecessary.

Lead single “You Don’t Know How Lucky You Are” seems most reminiscent of Mike Hadreas’s work; melodically straightforward, yet focusing on guitar and instead of piano, and absolutely drenched in self-reflection: ‘Do you know your lip shakes when you’re mad? / And do you notice when you’re sad? You don’t like to be touched, let alone kissed.’ There are moments when Henson explicitly refers to himself, as he does on the upsetting “Flesh and Bone”, a song which, more than any other on Dear… is excruciating to listen to, as the singer paints a picture of a life – and a body – falling apart: ‘My body’s weak, feel my lungs giving up on me / I’m worried it might just be something my soul needs.’

I very much doubt there will be anyone out there who’s able to listen to Dear… without having some sort of emotional reaction. It’s so intense and reflective that one gets the sense that Henson is well within his rights not to play it live, or at least not tour it until he feels ready; the unsettling “Party Song”, written from the perspective of someone who’s just gone through a messy break-up but has been invited to a party by his ex, who now has a new lover, is harrowing stuff. If he doesn’t feel comfortable with singing lines like, ‘I’m afraid I’d kill your lover while your back was turned … I see pictures now, of the two of you, and it makes me sick,’ on a stage, that’s all fine. His reclusive nature, and the depths of his inner turmoil, are made easier to understand by his debut album – but he has also created a truly beautiful listening experience, and should be applauded for that. In more ways than one, Dear… is astonishingly brave.

Keaton Henson england (Facebook)

Rating 8.75

brown93

reviewed by
04-09-12

B3SCI TOP 50 ALBUMS OF 2011

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Although we’ve come to the end of the road, still Adele we can’t let you go. We’ve reached 2011’s closing hour and now it is time: b3sci presents it’s Top 50 Albums of 2011. No one’s even come close to having the year Adele’s had. The most albums sold in a single year since 2004, two of the biggest singles of the year, etc, a truly international breakthrough both commercially and critically on a level we haven’t seen in a long time. Adele, our girl, the crown is yours. 21 is b3sci’s Album of the year.

So where the fuck is Adele on many of these respected-indie-press-dude best of lists? That period between Nov 2010 when “Rolling in the Deep” first broke and the lead up to the album’s release in late January, Adele ruled the blogosphere, the fold was united. Then “RITD” got overplayed to the point of absurdity, your mom bought the record, probably your grandma bought it too; those bros that listen to Foo Fighters and Deadmau5 started bumping “Someone Like You” out their trunk. Soon, the “wrong people” liked 21 and Adele’s brief moment atop the indiesphere was over. Right.

Thanks for reading this year, y’all. We’ve got some big plans for 2012. Stay tuned. Much love.

adele-211
01. Adele – 21 (Buy It) (Read)

the-weeknd-house-of-balloons
02. The Weeknd – House of Balloons (Buy It) (Read)

drake-take-care
03. Drake – Take Care (Buy It) (Read)

james-blake-james-blake
04. James Blake – James Blake (Buy It) (Read)

kendrick-lamar-section-80
05. Kendrick Lamar – Section.80 (Buy It) (Read)

gil-scott-heron-and-jamie-xx-were-new-here
06. Gil Scott-Heron & Jamie xx – We’re New Here (Buy It) (Read)

wu-lyf-go-tell-fire-to-the-mountain
07. WU LYF – Go Tell Fire on the Mountain (Buy It) (Read)

jay-z-kanye-west-watch-the-throne
08. Jay-Z & Kanye West – Watch the Throne (Buy It) (Read)

the-horrors-skying
09. The Horrors – Skying (Buy It) (Read)

m83-hurry-up-were-dreaming
10. M83 – Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming (Buy It) (Read)

wye-oak-civilian
11. Wye Oak – Civilian (Buy It) (Read)

girls-father-son-holy-ghost
12. Girls – Father Son, Holy Ghost (Buy It) (Read)

real-estate-days
13. Real Estate – Days (Buy It) (Read)

aap-rocky-live-love-aap
14. A$AP Rocky – Live Love A$AP (Buy It) (Read)

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15. Sepalcure – Sepalcure (Buy It) (Read)

pj-harvey-let-england-shake
16. PJ Harvey – Let England Shake (Buy It) (Read)

the-war-on-drugs-slave-ambient
17. The War on Drugs – Slave Ambient (Buy It) (Read)

charles-bradley-no-time-for-dreaming
18. Charles Bradley – No Time For Dreaming (Buy It) (Read)

metronomy-the-english-riviera
19. Metronomy – The English Riviera (Buy It) (Read)

sbtrkt-sbtrkt
20. SBTRKT – SBTRKT (Buy It) (Read)

oneohtrix-point-never-replica
21. Oneohtrix Point Never – Replica (Buy It) (Read)

the-vaccines-what-did-you-expect-from-the-vaccines
22. The Vaccines – What Did You Expect From the Vaccines (Buy It) (Read)

destroyer-kaputt
23. Destroyer – Kaputt (Buy It) (Read)

the-antlers-burst-apart
24. The Antlers – Burst Apart (Buy It) (Read)

tune-yards-whokill
25. tUnE-yArDs – w h o k i l l (Buy It) (Read)

beyonce-4
26. Beyonce – 4 (Buy It) (Read)

wild-flag-wild-flag
27. Wild Flag – Wild Flag (Buy It) (Read)

noel-gallaghers-high-flying-birds-noel-gallaghers-high-flying-birds
28. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds (Buy It) (Read)

big-krit-return-of-4eva
29. Big K.R.I.T. – Return of 4eva (Buy It) (Read)

clams-casino-instrumentals
30. Clams Casino – Instrumentals (Buy It) (Read)

gillian-welch-the-harrow-and-the-harvest
31. Gillian Welch – The Harrow and the Harvest (Buy It) (Read)

low-roar-low-roar
32. Low Roar – Low Roar (Buy It) (Read)

araabmuzik-electronic-dream
33. AraabMUZIK – Electronic Dream (Buy It) (Read)

active-child-you-are-all-that-i-see
34. Active Child – You Are All I See (Buy It) (Read)

fleet-foxes-helplessness-blues
35. Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues (Buy It) (Read)

raphael-saadiq-stone-rollin
36. Raphael Saadiq – Stone Rollin’ (Buy It) (Read)

cults-cults
37. Cults – Cults (Buy It) (Read)

radiohead-the-king-of-limbs
38. Radiohead – The King of Limbs (Buy It) (Read)

florence-the-machine-ceremonials
39. Florence + The Machine – Ceremonials (Buy It) (Read)

alex-clare-the-lateness-of-the-hour
40. Alex Clare – The Lateness of the Hour (Buy It) (Read)

nicolas-jaar-space-is-only-noise
41. Nicolas Jaar – Space Is Only Noise (Buy It) (Read)

jhene-aiko-sailing-souls
42. Jhene Aiko – Sailing Soul(s) (Buy It) (Read)

the-stepkids-the-stepkids
43. The Stepkids – The Stepkids (Buy It) (Read)

freddie-gibbs-cold-day-in-hell
44. Freddie Gibbs – Cold Day in Hell (Buy It) (Read)

gardens-villa-gardens-villa
45. Gardens & Villa – Gardens & Villa (Buy It) (Read)

laura-marling-a-creature-i-dont-know
46. Laura Marling – A Creature I Don’t Know (Buy It) (Read)

kurt-vile-smoke-ring-for-my-halo
47. Kurt Vile – Smoke Ring For My Halo (Buy It) (Read)

foster-the-people-torches1
48. Foster the People – Torches (Buy It) (Read)

explosions-in-the-sky-take-care-take-care-take-care
49. Explosions in the Sky – Take Care, Take Care, Take Care (Buy It) (Read)

friendly-fires-pala
50. Friendly Fires – Pala (Buy It) (Read)

reviewed by
12-27-11

Black Light White Light – One Fast Move Or I’m Gone

black-light-white-light-cover

If you were to stumble upon “One Fast Move Or I’m Gone” while surfing your local radio dial, you’d likely ask yourself – who’s that? In fact you may even have several educated guesses. The AAA ready track hits a sweet spot for modern rock and British guitar pop fans. The Danish collective have recently released their Rick Parker produced (Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, The Dandy Warhols, Von Bondies) debut LP, Infrared Daylight, and after having toured with Crocodiles and Crystal Antlers in 2011, are no doubt posturing themselves for an equally awesome 2012. Peep “One Fast Move Or I’m Gone” by Black Light White Light below as well as an intense music video starring some random Danish sheep dog.

Black Light White Light – One Fast Move Or I’m Gone

Black Light White Light denmark (Facebook)

Rating 8.3

brown8

reviewed by
12-14-11

Imaad Wasif – Go Insane (feat. Bobb Bruno of Best Coast)

beatlacompilation

Imaad Wasif and LA-based accomplice Bobb Bruno give The Doors track “Go Insane” a 21st century facelift, subbing it’s 12-bar like sections with some extra fuzzy breakdowns of psychedelic rock sickness. The track is a favorite off the recent BEAT LA double LP Record Store Day compilation which also features some great covered cuts from other LA-based artists including No Age, Crystal Antlers and more. Check it out!

Imaad Wasif – Go Insane (feat. Bobb Bruno of Best Coast)

Get BEAT LA via Narnack/Greatminds california (Info)

Imaad Waasif california (Official)
Best Coast california (Facebook)

Rating 8.5

brown8

reviewed by
12-01-11