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TICKET GIVEAWAY: Low Roar live @ The Mint this Wednesday! [Los Angeles]

Low Roar is the new project of Ryan Karazija. The former frontman of Audrey Sessions will be performing live at The Mint in Los Angeles this Wednesday, November 9th. We wouldn’t dare miss it and neither should you. Just give us a shout by 2pm PST Tuesday the 8th and we’ll enter you to win a pair of tickets for the set! Also, definitely recommend checking out Low Roar’s self-titled debut LP now available on Tonequake.

Low Roar – Tonight, Tonight, Tonight (Edit)

Low Roar : (Facebook)

The MINT info and fix (HERE)

reviewed by b3

11-07-11

Low Roar – Patience x Low Roar

Songwriter Track Reviews

Low Roar is the new project of Ryan Karazija. His forthcoming self-titled debut is a stunning example of pensive songmanship. Formerly of Bay Area band Audrey Sessions, Ryan had moved to Iceland where he ultimately found his voice with Low Roar. A voice that’s delicate yet dauntless. Get familiar with Low Roar and be sure to pick up the LP on November 1 as the first release on Andrew Scheps’ new Tonequake label. Forthcoming US West Coast tour dates below:

11/2/11 – San Jose @ The Blank Club
11/3/11 – Oakland @ The Uptown Nightclub
11/6/11 – San Louis Obispo @ Frog and Peach
11/7/11 – Hollywood @ Hotel Cafe
11/8/11 – San Diego @ Tin Can Ale House
11/9/11 – Los Angeles @ THE MINT
11/10/11 – Echo Park, LA @ LOT 1

Low Roar – Patience

Low Roar – Low Roar

Low Roar : (Facebook)

Rating 9

reviewed by b3

10-27-11

Ari Roar – Implode

Rock Track Reviews

The inimitable Bella Union will release on May 25th Calm Down the debut LP from Dallas artist Ari Roar. The warm tones and unhurried song construction/arrangement “Implode” aesthetically bring to mind for us bands like Whitney and Real Estate. Spin “Implode” below.

Stream the best new songs in emerging music with our Top 12 of the Week playlist

reviewed by b3

04-02-18

B3SCI TOP 50 ALBUMS OF 2011

B3Sci Mixtapes blahblahblahscience Electronic

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.

01. Adele – 21 (Buy It) (Read)

02. The Weeknd – House of Balloons (Buy It) (Read)

03. Drake – Take Care (Buy It) (Read)

04. James Blake – James Blake (Buy It) (Read)

05. Kendrick Lamar – Section.80 (Buy It) (Read)

06. Gil Scott-Heron & Jamie xx – We’re New Here (Buy It) (Read)

07. WU LYF – Go Tell Fire on the Mountain (Buy It) (Read)

08. Jay-Z & Kanye West – Watch the Throne (Buy It) (Read)

09. The Horrors – Skying (Buy It) (Read)

10. M83 – Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming (Buy It) (Read)

11. Wye Oak – Civilian (Buy It) (Read)

12. Girls – Father Son, Holy Ghost (Buy It) (Read)

13. Real Estate – Days (Buy It) (Read)

14. A$AP Rocky – Live Love A$AP (Buy It) (Read)

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

16. PJ Harvey – Let England Shake (Buy It) (Read)

17. The War on Drugs – Slave Ambient (Buy It) (Read)

18. Charles Bradley – No Time For Dreaming (Buy It) (Read)

19. Metronomy – The English Riviera (Buy It) (Read)

20. SBTRKT – SBTRKT (Buy It) (Read)

21. Oneohtrix Point Never – Replica (Buy It) (Read)

22. The Vaccines – What Did You Expect From the Vaccines (Buy It) (Read)

23. Destroyer – Kaputt (Buy It) (Read)

24. The Antlers – Burst Apart (Buy It) (Read)

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

26. Beyonce – 4 (Buy It) (Read)

27. Wild Flag – Wild Flag (Buy It) (Read)

28. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds (Buy It) (Read)

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

30. Clams Casino – Instrumentals (Buy It) (Read)

31. Gillian Welch – The Harrow and the Harvest (Buy It) (Read)

32. Low Roar – Low Roar (Buy It) (Read)

33. AraabMUZIK – Electronic Dream (Buy It) (Read)

34. Active Child – You Are All I See (Buy It) (Read)

35. Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues (Buy It) (Read)

36. Raphael Saadiq – Stone Rollin’ (Buy It) (Read)

37. Cults – Cults (Buy It) (Read)

38. Radiohead – The King of Limbs (Buy It) (Read)

39. Florence + The Machine – Ceremonials (Buy It) (Read)

40. Alex Clare – The Lateness of the Hour (Buy It) (Read)

41. Nicolas Jaar – Space Is Only Noise (Buy It) (Read)

42. Jhene Aiko – Sailing Soul(s) (Buy It) (Read)

43. The Stepkids – The Stepkids (Buy It) (Read)

44. Freddie Gibbs – Cold Day in Hell (Buy It) (Read)

45. Gardens & Villa – Gardens & Villa (Buy It) (Read)

46. Laura Marling – A Creature I Don’t Know (Buy It) (Read)

47. Kurt Vile – Smoke Ring For My Halo (Buy It) (Read)

48. Foster the People – Torches (Buy It) (Read)

49. Explosions in the Sky – Take Care, Take Care, Take Care (Buy It) (Read)

50. Friendly Fires – Pala (Buy It) (Read)

reviewed by b3

12-27-11

B3SCI STAFF PICKS: Top 10 Albums of 2011

blahblahblahscience In the Mix

2011, it’s been real! To kick off our b3sci 2011 year end coverage, we start with Top 10 albums lists from each of b3science’s seven contributors. (We’ll detail our overall site picks in the next few days). 2011.

Troy:

01. Drake – Take Care
02. The Weeknd – House of Balloons
03. M83 – Hurry Up We’re Dreaming
04. Metronomy – The English Riviera
05. A$AP Rocky – Live Love A$AP
06. PJ Harvey – Let England Shake
07. James Blake – James Blake
08. Kendrick Lamar – Section.80
09. SBTRKT – SBTRKT
10. Active Child – You Are All I See

Mike:

01. WU LYF – Go Tell Fire to the Mountain
02. The Vaccines – What Did You Expect From…
03. Jay-Z & Kanye West – Watch the Throne
04. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds
05. Low Roar – Low Roar
06. The Weeknd – House of Balloons
07. Wye Oak – Civilian
08. Explosions in the Sky – Take Care, Take Care, Take Care
09. Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues
10. Raphael Saadiq – Stone Rollin’

Chris:

01. WU LYF – Go Tell Fire To The Mountain
02. Girls – Father, Son, Holy Ghost
03. Giraffage – Comfort
04. The Vaccines – What Did You Expect From..
05. Washed Out – Within and Without
06. James Blake – James Blake
07. The War On Drugs – Slave Ambient
08. The Postelles – The Postelles
09. Harrison Hudson – American Thunder
10. Caveman – CoCo Beware

Trevor:

01. James Blake – James Blake
02. A$AP Rocky – Live Love A$AP
03. Wale – Ambition
04. Raphael Saadiq – Stone Rollin’
05. Harrison Hudson – American Thunder
06. Fiore – Fiore
07. Benjamin Francis Leftwich – Last Smoke Before the Snowstorm
08. M83 – Hurry Up We’re Dreaming
09. Mike Higbee – Secret Life
10. Chris Wollard & The Ship Thieves – Chris Wollard & The Ship Thieves

Erin:

Let’s be honest. I probably didn’t listen to ten complete LPs this year that I would somehow deem “best” – it just isn’t in me anymore, maybe. I did, however, have enough musical bests paired with actual full records I loved to complete a top ten. Let’s review my 2011 faves: there are ten, they are not ranked.

tUnE – yArDs, W H O K I L L (4AD)
If someone forced me to name my best record of the year, I’d bet this would be it. While I’ll never get over the late 90s stylization of her musical pseudonym, Merrill Garbus made songs that said things I wanted to hear couched in melodies and harmonies that push me from Africa to doo-wop to “America.” There is true joy in the music she makes, even if she’s talking about eating disorders or inner-city violence. High up on the “things I danced to alone in my room” list of this year.

turntable.fm/Spotify
While I’d consider turntable.fm mostly dead in my day to day life, it ruled my world for a few weeks over the summer. I heard more great stuff I know I would’ve never come upon on my own, but I guarantee you it wasn’t in dubstep rooms. I spent time chatting and playing jams with friends I wouldn’t see for months. Turntable gave me all of the plus factors of a 1996 chatroom backed with a way better soundtrack than I would’ve had then. Spotify swooped in a few weeks later, and now I find myself listening to nearly anything I want at any time while creating playlists with friends throughout the day. Not as immediate as turntable, but somehow less of a time suck. I don’t love the ads, but I know I can get rid of them if I want.

PJ Harvey, Let England Shake (Island/Vagrant)
Overwrought concept albums can be a drag. (Confessional: I am a long-time PJ Harvey fan, guilty of knowing all of the words to “Rid of Me” by heart at a very young age.) If someone had told me a concept album by Harvey about England, bloodshed and warfare would be one of my favorite releases this year, I might have been a bit perplexed. The melodies, language, and instrumentation around this record, however, do more to transport listeners rather than alienate them. “Inaccessible” is a word often used to describe records, and I could see how some of Harvey’s records may be that way. This, however, works magic.

Jay-Z & Kanye West, “Why I Love You” (Roc-A-Fella/Roc Nation/Def Jam)
I know this record is on everyone else’s list, and that’s fine, but only one of its tracks got repeat plays with me. The production on Watch The Throne is amazing, I can’t deny it, but nearly nothing about that record sticks for me. I revisited it months after it leaked and I still couldn’t get into it as a whole. Jay-Z and Kanye West are two of my all-time favorites and I thought this record would be my dream. It wasn’t. “Why I Love You”, though, is a jam. Great sample, great chorus, okay-enough rapping.

Iceage, New Brigade (What’s Your Rupture?)
There will never be a time in life that I don’t like channeling my inner teenage dude. I know he’s there, just waiting for me to listen to the Stooges for another few hours or cackle while watching episodes of Beavis & Butt-head. 24-ish minutes of gothy punk energy (the longest track at 3:08), Iceage are my Ramones for 2011.

Drake, Take Care (Young Money/Cash Money)
I can’t stop playing this record. Merrill Garbus and Drake might have to duke it out. I thought Thank Me Later was lackluster – too much bravado and cameo, not enough actual persona. With Take Care, though, I feel like Drake is getting back to a place where he’s comfortable: an introspective, lonely look in the mirror at fame and alienation from where he thought he was a few years ago to now. On hip-hop records I’m usually disappointed if they’re not full of bangers but this one tempers enough production with the same amount of restraint.

Willie Mae Rock Camp & Kelly Clarkson, “Since U Been Gone” (RCA)
Over the summer, I volunteered for the first time at Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls in Brooklyn. I spent an exhausting and fulfilling week making sure a bunch of 8 & 9 year olds made it to their instrument class, ate their lunches, and sort-of listened during workshops about the blues, gender, and other topics regarding women in music. Every counselor had her musical kryptonite and everyone very quickly found out Kelly’s jam was mine. I danced & sang to it all week when it played during various end-of-day dance parties, and one of the campers and I shared it as our best memory of the week from songwriting class. At the showcase wrapping up camp, the volunteer band played it as their song for soundcheck. I belted it just as I had every other day.

Party of Helicopters at Death By Audio, Williamsburg, February 13, 2011
I got my knees slammed into the stage all night long at this show, with terrible bruises to show the next day, but it was well worth it. They are my favorite band from my most formative years, the one whose album art my body will carry to my grave; every opportunity to relive that time while seeing them live is worth it. Even though they’ll never play “A New Kind of Power” for me no matter how many times I request it, I don’t care. I love them. Forever.

Björk, Biophilia (One Little Indian/Polydor)
There was a time growing up that I spent most hours lying on the floor in my room listening to records. Bjork was always a part of this ritual, and listening to this record sends me back to that time in my life (I am full of memories this year). “Crystalline” is a perfect hybrid of Telegram-style remixes and Vespertine vocals. “Cosmogony” hearkens back to the antics of Medulla. Everything is nostalgic, but everything is new. The David Attenborough-narrated companion iPhone app is an excellent companion if you can’t make up your own visuals in your mind.

Sharon Van Etten, “Serpents” (Jagjaguwar)
Seeing her play this live last Tuesday only further got me stoked for her record next year. Her voice is the most haunting to me, and this is that quality at its finest. Percussion and expansion of her sound into what it is on this track alone (I hear you, Aaron Dessner) bode well for the rest of Tramp. Can’t wait.

Bruce:

01. The Kills – Blood Pressures
02. Elbow – Build A Rocket Boys
03. The Airborne Toxic Event – All At Once
04. The Vaccines – What Did You Expect…
05. Foster The People – Torches
06. TV on the Radio – Nine Types of Light
07. The Black Keys – El Camino
08. Sleeper Agent – Celabrasion
09. The Rapture – In The Grace Of Your Love
10. The Wombats – This Modern Glitch

11. Honorable mention to My Morning Jacket and Teddybears

Elliott:

01. Alex Clare – The Lateness of the Hour
02. Nero – Welcome Reality
03. Thievery Corporation – Culture of Fear
04. SBTRKT – SBTRKT
05. Tyler, the Creator – Goblin
06. Bassnectar – Divergent Spectrum
07. Dave Nada – Blow Your Head Presents: Moombahton
08. James Blake – James Blake
09. M83 – Hurry up, We’re Dreaming
10. Crookers – Dr. Gonzo

reviewed by b3

12-21-11

Bruce Rave reviews Nathaniel Rateliff @ the Regent Theater, Los Angeles 09/10/15

Live Show Reviews

Review by Bruce Rave

To say that Nathaniel Rateliff’s LA show was a hot ticket would be to put it mildly. Originally slated for The Echo, the concert was relocated to The Regent Theater in downtown LA to handle a larger sold-out crowd. A few short weeks had passed since Nathaniel and his Night Sweats broke the buzz meters with their Jimmy Fallon performance. The throng was psyched for this show, with a huge roar going up when the band took the stage. With the crowd knowing what the band are capable of, the set delivered on its hype. The guys are tight and they have a good time. Nathaniel surprised the country with his slick dance moves on TV, but those moves were more limited through the course of a full show. Their “S.O.B.” radio hit started to blow up after Fallon, and the band wisely saved it for the set’s final tune. Yes, they nailed it and when the band left the stage a recording continued with drums and the “oh oh oh oh” hook the song is known for. With the crowd singing along, fists pumping, the band returned and in the same tempo broke into their cover of The Band’s “The Shape I’m In”. What happened next was masterful. Nate Rate and his gang hit us with a reprise of “S.O.B.” without skipping a beat. One of the most effective encores I’ve seen in ages. Almost the entire set scored, and a personal fave was their “Howling At Nothing” from the band’s self-tltled August album. There was a slight momentum loss about two-thirds into the set. I turned to a friend and said what they really needed at that moment was an uptempo-super familiar cover that highlighted their stellar horn section. What came next was the opposite, a slower track that didn’t resonate. Of course the show ended with a tremendous bang. “Nate Rate” are blowing up in a hurry and only a few minor adjustments are required as they play larger and larger venues.

Check out Bruce’s weekly “Go Deep” radio show; air dates and times for “Go Deep” as well archived past shows can be found on Bruce’sblog. Don’t forget to follow Bruce on Twitter too!

Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats (Official)

reviewed by b3

09-24-15

Years and Years @ Rough Trade, New York 01/27/15

Live Show Reviews

Review and photos by Cher Dunn.

Snowpocalypse in NYC last Monday ruined a lot of plans for music fans, causing cancelled shows including Years & Years highly-anticipated first show in the US at Le Poisson Rouge. Fans with tickets for their show Tuesday at Rough Trade held on for hope, but were also told their show would be cancelled. Until the day of, when things turned around for the better.

Noticing the media hype outshined the actual storm, Rough Trade decided the show must go on, and a very excited London-based electro pop trio Years & Years told their fans to indeed come to the show that night. With all busses and transportation to NYC cancelled, I drove with friends from Philly. After seeing Years & Years play Dot To Dot Festival last year in Nottingham and getting a taste of their new music over the past year, I knew this show was going to be memorable.

We arrived at the venue at 8pm, with no opener fans gathered and danced to the pristinely curated mix Rough Trade blasted from the speakers that made everyone want to buy every record in the store. In the store gathered many fans who purchased tickets for the Le Poisson Rouge show, or were to slow to get tickets, hoping to get if any ticket holders didn’t show up. By the time the band took the stage, the venue was packed upstairs and down. There was a buzz and excitement in the room you couldn’t bottle, it was explosive, and so was the show we were about to see.

The band took the stage to roars from the crowd. When the band started playing on of their first singles, “Take Shelter” singer Olly Alexander smiled and looked surprised that the Brooklyn crowd was singing back all the lyrics at the top of their lungs. This continued into their next track “Desire”. It didn’t stop there- throughout the set, the crowd new the worlds to all of their released tracks, and their much loved cover of Blu Cantrell’s “Breathe”. The crowd got a taste of new tracks from their upcoming debut album which made anticipation for the album release reach a new level.

Years & Years are a band you need to see live. The show is so visual, it’s hard to take your eyes off multi-instrumentalists Mikey Goldsworthy and Emre Turkmen as they change instruments throughout each song creating sounds that make Years & Years shows an absolute dance workout. Not only does their sound deliver, the amount of passion and energy Olly Alexander illuminates from stage is contagious. He sings each song with soul and conviction while dancing around the stage, and sounding that good while dancing that well is no easy feat.

Listening to the crowds reaction after the show ended, it’s safe to say that everyone in attendance really felt like they were a part of something special and we were. Years & Years are bound to blow up this year, deservedly so, and I am proud to say I was at their first show of many in the US.

Years & Years will be coming back to the US to play SXSW in Austin, TX in March with more shows including NYC to follow.

Years and Years (Facebook)

reviewed by b3

02-02-15

Giveaway: La Roux – ‘Trouble In Paradise’ Limited Edition Signed Poster

Electronic Live Show Reviews Pop

Fans of British synth group La Roux have been patient, very patient. Five years after their acclaimed self-titled debut, La Roux now triumphantly return with ‘Trouble in Paradise‘. It’s an artfully approached album which marks songwriting and production as much as it does the synth-y electronic-pop roots for which La Roux has come to be known.

To celebrate the release of ‘Trouble in Paradise’, B3SCI is giving away a limited edition autographed lithograph of the artwork that you see above! To win just email us here with ‘LA ROUX CONTEST’ in the email title and let us know your favorite song on ‘Trouble in Paradise’. Check out the full album stream on iTunes Radio if you haven’t yet. We will pick our winning submission at random by August 1st. Good luck!

You can also catch La Roux now on tour with New Order. B3 writer Brian Litwin recently caught the show in Los Angeles at the legendary Greek Theatre. Below is a recap of the show:

REVIEW: La Roux + New Order @ The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, CA. 7/13/2014

The Greek Theatre, an iconic jewel of the LA music scene, stage was graced by both up-and-comers and legends on Sunday night, July 13. Brit synthpop act La Roux shared the stage that evening with the storied Salford band New Order, creating a most memorable night for all in attendance.

Coming up on her new album release, ‘Trouble In Paradise’, Elly Jackson AKA La Roux opened the show, performing in front of an eager LA crowd who, at first, seemed most keen to see 80’s Brit New Wave rockers New Order, but Elly came out and got down to business. Firing off new singles from the upcoming July 21st release, “Uptight Downtown” and “Let Me Down Gently”, La Roux earned the crowd, creating new fans with every key stroke of the synth. Closing out the set with the undeniable hit “Bulletproof”, La Roux found a new fans in an old mainstay.

It goes without saying, the legacy that New Order and Joy Division have established for themselves, will forever be known. New Order came out to a packed and uproarious crowd that night. Starting off with “Elegia”, the audience was right in it. Playing a career-spanning set, Bernard and the gang proved they may never lose what they have, and they had a great time doing it. Truly impressed by the showmanship and overall professionalism, it was a dream come true for most fans in the audience. Personal favorite moment of the show was the excellent cover of the Joy Division single “Isolation”. – Review By Brian Litwin

reviewed by b3

07-22-14

Review: Arctic Monkeys @ the Wiltern in Los Angeles on 9/29/2013

Live Show Reviews Rock

When Arctic Monkeys dropped their first album Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not in 2006, it was one of the hottest debuts the UK had ever seen. No big surprise that like most popular UK bands things haven’t developed quite as quickly for Arctic Monkeys here in the US. Still, here we are in 2013, and the band is at a point where they can sell out a respectful three nights staight in Los Angeles at the 2,300 capacity Wiltern Theater. A big part of their continually growing American profile is the acceptance of their most recent AM album, a release that just might top many year-end lists.

Always a winner live, the Arctic Monkeys has evolved into the kind of precise, energetic machine that not only rocks the floor of a venue from front to back, but also wills the normally quieter balcony audiences to pretty much ‘lose it’ just as well. Opening the show to a roar of familiarity was AM‘s first single “Do I Wanna Know”. The UK second single “Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High” also was a highlight that Sunday night, September 29. While the band’s sound has morphed into a more dark, and largely mid-tempo vibe with a bluesy feel over the years, the guys are wise enough to maintain the party atmosphere throughout their live show by performing their early songs like “I Bet You Look Good On the Dancefloor”, “Dancing Shoes”, “Teddy Picker”, and “D is For Dangerous”.

Arctic Monkeys touched on all five of their studio albums throughout the night. Everything worked, with the moderate exception of the two slow songs they played in succession following “Dancefloor”. Historically, band leader Alex Turner is the kind of guy that can be a premier frontman just by standing and singing in one spot. Notable this time around at the Wiltern, he had become much more animated in presence. Alex has stated recently that he wants to play less guitar so that he can “prat” around the stage. A few years ago, the band played to a quiet but attentive main stage throng at Coachella. Alex showed his modesty by saying after the set that it was one of his favorite gigs. I was surprised by his reaction as I personally felt they deserved a far louder response.

Having headlined various festivals throughout this summer, Arctic Monkeys have got to be delighted with how things are going. And so must their fans. The merch lines at the Wiltern this past Sunday were far longer than the beer lines. Definitely a good sign for longevity.

Review and Photo by Bruce Rave

Arctic Monkeys (Official)

Hear Bruce’s “Go Deep With Bruce Rave” weekly new music show on Indie1031/Los Angeles and WSUM-FM/Madison. Details and archived shows can be found on his blog and be sure follow Bruce on Twitter too!

reviewed by b3

10-05-13

Looking Back @ Virgin Mobile FreeFest 2013

Electronic Live Show Reviews Pop

Reviewed by Brian Litwin and Charlie Walker

As fall approaches and festival season comes to a close, only several events from 2013 seem worthy of making note. The eighth annual Virgin Mobile FreeFest in Columbia, MD. proved to be one such experience for the books. Unlike other ordinary festivals, tickets to FreeFest are given away for free, and the over 50,000 fans that showed up raised over $1 million for the RE*Generation project, which helps the young homeless. Our adventure on Saturday, September 21 was memorable, as a torrential downpour for over 7 hours provided a nice change of pace from B3SCI’s usual sunny Los Angeles habitat. Check out our recap of happenings from Virgin Mobile FreeFest 2013 below:

GHOST BEACH

B3SCI alum and faves, Ghost Beach opened the festival in fine fashion. Beating the rain in the Dance Forest stage, the duo consisting of Josh Ocean and Eric “Doc” Mendelsohn brought their tropical, grit pop to the masses in Maryland. Playing hits like “Empty Streets” and “Miracles” the duo seems poised to make some serious noise. Reviewed By Brian Litwin

BLACK JOE LEWIS

As the rain steadily came down, so did the spirited jams of Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears, a southern, brass-filled psychedelic outfit from Austin, TX. With their bluesy, soulful licks, it made for an exceptionally refreshing performance given the mostly synth-heavy Virgin Mobile FreeFest line-up. Channeling his inner James Brown and the 60’s era with a tight band right on his heels, the vibe was intimate while Joe Lewis’s extended jam of “Skulldiggin” was a hit with the drying crowd underneath the Pavillion Stage. It was evident with the screams and extended applause that the revelers were captivated, engaged, and wanting more when the set concluded. Reviewed By Charlie Walker

CONGOROCK

Tucked away deep in the woods with the tree canopy’s above shielding some of the constant drizzle, the FreeFest Dance Stage hosted a solid array of acts, including a thumping, energetic performance by Congorock. It was completely bonkers as Rocco Rampino’s set absolutely crushed the late afternoon timeslot, dropping massive electro-house sounds with riveting punk breaks. This Italian producer had bodies moving and twisting every-which-way, clothes literally flying off, and arms thrusting in the air when he let loose with his remix of Zeds Dead & Omar Lynx’s “Cowboy” remix. It was a completely different environment in the forest as this enchanted bassland was full of neon’s and seemed so far away from the rest of the FreeFest happenings. Crush-mode for sure! Reviewed By Charlie Walker

THE AVETT BROTHERS

Completely owning their unique sound and maintaining their positive ascension over their 10-year tenure as a band, The Avett Brothers ripped through a stellar 16-song set in front of a capacity Pavillion Stage crowd for over an hour, with those on the lawn dancing in the rain. Scott and Seth Avett, along with Bob Crawford, played with precision and without boundaries during “Life”. As majority of us VIP attendees were imbibing in crafted moonshine cocktails, the fellas fittingly played a crowd pleasing “Down With The Shine”, and had everybody on their feet singing along and dancing to their hit “I and Love and You”. Does it get much better? Reviewed By Charlie Walker

WASHED OUT

I have heard only the best things about the Ernest Greene project aka Washed Out’s live performance. Following Ghost Beach, all of those rumblings came true. The set was tight and the groove was steady. Greene played tracks mostly off his recent 3rd studio album Paracosm. Though my likeness lies anywhere on the first release Life of Lesuire, the whole set made the younger festival crowd dance. Reviewed By Brian Litwin

CHVRCHES

Scottish three-piece musical group CHVRCHES took full command of their audience at the West Stage, living up to the buzz they’ve created as one of the most promising new bands of 2013. Playing their catchy, well-remixed track “Recover” and popular live version of “The Mother We Share” – Lauren Mayberry, Iain Cook and Martin Doherty received perhaps the most arousing reaction from the youthful crowd as they played music off their debut album The Bones of What You Believe, out September 24th on Glassnote Records. It was in the following moments that Doherty busted out in frenetic dance with Cook, Mayberry, and roughly 15,000 others following suit. Reviewed By Charlie Walker

VAMPIRE WEEKEND

Over on the main stage, poppy, preppy indie quartet of Ezra Koenig, Chris Baio, Rostam Batmanglij and Chris Tomson played to the over flowing (of people and rain water) Merriwether Post Pavilion. When the band finally appeared, they killed it. Being only three albums deep into their career, Vampire Weekend has a numerous amount of hits and singles. Listing off their setlist would be pointless; they played anything and everything. They also proved that they can and will be (soon, mark our words) a headlining act of festivals of this size. Reviewed By Brian Litwin

MGMT

Another were another act I had been dying to see live, and lucky for the rain drenched crowd they played the covered pavilion stage. Fresh off the their 3rd studio and self-titled release, Ben Goldwasser and Andrew Ban Wyngarden’s set sent shock waves through the soaked crowd. To little surprise, fans did not respond well to their newer songs, but become uproarious when playing hits like “Weekend Wars”, “Time To Pretend”, “The Youth” and “Electric Feel”. Though the coolest part of the set may have been the giant cowbell played by a Virgin Mobile-wielding-fan during “Your Life Is A Lie”. Reviewed By Brian Litwin

PRETTY LIGHTS

Finishing out FreeFest’s West Stage was Derek Vincent Smith aka Pretty Lights, who’s been profoundly touring the country after releasing his newest, highly anticipated album A Color Map of the Sun via Pretty Lights Music. With rainfall remaining steady, the crowd was radiating with smiles and eagerness of what would be the best display of lights, bass, and energy of perhaps the entire festival. Icing on the cake? The beautiful stranger beside me, dripping wet with glitter from head to toe, as she mischievously looks over at me and whispers, “Just wait for ‘Hot Like Sauce,’” as she grinned from ear to ear while pulling packets of hot sauce from her neon fanny pack. Reviewed By Charlie Walker

MADEON

This 18 year old French native may be the second coming of the great powerhouse that is the French EDM scene. Being so young, Hugo Leclercq has seen a lot in the touring circuit, but a continual 7 hour rain in the middle of Maryland, might be something new to him. No matter, the Virgin Mobile Freefest crowd went nuts, seemingly doing a rain dance to Madeon’s set. Playing a slew of popular club hits and his own “Pop Culture” and “The City”, Hugo closed the Dance Forest stage quite nicely to the drippy, muddy ravers. Reviewed By Brian Litwin

Virgin Mobile FreeFest (Official)

reviewed by b3

09-28-13

Interview w/ Little Daylight

Interviews Pop Rock

Brooklyn based collective Little Daylight have hit the scene with an indie-pop roar in 2013. Their first single “Overdose” was a beacon of early ’13, and following they debuted their live show at SXSW with subsequent touring with Charli XCX, Bastille, and Marina and the Diamonds. It’s no doubt this trio have been hard at work in anticipation of their debut, and recently released, Tunnel Vision EP. Team B3SCI recently had the chance to catch up with the band to briefly chat about a forthcoming album, life on the road — and of course NYC in the year 2213. Have a look at the conversation below.

B3SCI: We have to ask… is the band name based any bit off of the 1871 fairy tale by George MacDonald titled Little Daylight?

LD: Now the cat’s out of the bag! Yes, we were drawn to the idea of lightness vs. darkness that is inherent in that fairy tale. This juxtaposition tends to find its way into our music.

B3SCI: The band made it’s live debut at SXSW this year. How was the experience being initially exposed in such a crowded festival style environment? How would you best explain your growth as a band since?

LD: It was awesome for us to be able to debut the band live at SXSW. We knew there would be the opportunity for a good amount of exposure in Austin, so we rehearsed a lot leading up to it. We set up a few warm-up shows under a different name in New York to get the kinks out. The whole experience went great and since then we finished and released our EP and have done a bunch of touring, with Charli XCX, Bastille, and Marina and the Diamonds. We are also at work on our full-length, which should be ready to release just in time for SXSW next year.

B3SCI: Speaking of touring with Bastille and Charli XCX, have things been any different on the road most recently now with the Tunnel Vision EP upfront on people’s minds?

LD: Yes, definitely. We can tell that a chunk of the audience now knows the songs from the EP. It’s a great feeling to play to people who know and love the songs and sing along.

B3SCI: Is there a particular track on Tunnel Vision that the band hold especially close to their heart? Is there a story worth sharing?

LD: “Overdose” definitely holds a special spot. It was not the first song that we wrote together, but it was the first one that demanded to be released. We had a bunch of songs recorded and ready to go, but we all knew that “Overdose” was something special. Once it was finished, we knew it was time to release it and begin the Little Daylight story.

B3SCI: Give us one guilty pleasure that has an influence in your writing today…

LD: Are there really musical guilty pleasures anymore? Lorde is on Z100, in between Katy Perry and Daft Punk. I think we’re living in a post-guilty pleasure world, which is a beautiful thing.

B3SCI: We’re hooking you guys up with a roundtrip ticket on our (very real) B3SCI time machine. Where are you going and why?

LD: The year 2213, New York City. Curious if it will be under water then.

*Interviewed by Brian Litwin

Little Daylight (Facebook)

Rating 8.3

reviewed by b3

09-28-13

B3SCI Top 50 Albums of 2012

B3SCI Best of 2012 In the Mix

50. Spector – Enjoy It While It Lasts

49. Ceremony – Zoo

48. Jeremih – Late Nights

47. Rah Rah – The Poet’s Dead

46. Yeasayer – Fragrant World

45. Django Django – Django Django

44. Grimes – Visions

43. Lucy Rose – Like I Used To

42. Two Door Cinema Club – Beacon

41. The Maccabees – Given To The Wild

40. The Fresh & Onlys – Long Slow Dance

39. Freddie Gibbs – Baby Face Killa

38. Usher – Looking 4 Myself

37. Poolside – Pacific Standard Time

36. Cat Power – Sun

35. Father John Misty – Fear Fun

34. Lianne La Havas – Is Your Love Big Enough?

33. Ellie Goulding – Halcyon

32. Actress – R.I.P.

31. Joey Bada$$ – 1999

30. Polica – Give You the Ghost

29. Purity Ring – Shrines

28. The xx – Co-Exist

27. The Tallest Man On Earth – There’s No Leaving Now

26. First Aid Kit – The Lion’s Roar

25. John Talabot – fin

24. Chromatics – Kill For Love

23. Bob Dylan – Tempest

22. How To Dress Well – Total Loss

21. Keaton Henson – Sweetheart What Have You Done To Us

20. Godspeed You! Back Emperor – Allelujah Don’t Bend Ascend

19. El-P – Cancer For Cure

18. Grizzly Bear – Shields

17. Schoolboy Q – Habits and Contradictions

16. DIIV – Oshin

15. Leonard Cohen – Old Ideas

14. Flying Lotus – Until the Quiet Comes

13. Sharon Van Etten – Tramp

12. Killer Mike – R.A.P. Music

11. Cloud Nothings – Attack On Memory

10. Michael Kiwanuka – Home Again

09. Spiritualized – Sweet Heart Sweet Light

08. Lana Del Rey – Born to Die

07. Fiona Apple – The Idler Wheel

06. Tame Impala – Lonerism

05. Jessie Ware – Devotion

04. Frank Ocean – Channel Orange

03. Alt-J – An Awesome Wave

02. Kendrick Lamar – good kid m.A.A.d City

01. Miguel – Kaleidoscope Dream

reviewed by b3

12-31-12