Robyn Can Dance All by Herself, Thank You Very Much

Here is the first of the promised Pitchfork reports! Aren’t we excited!

Photo by Sanchez and Kitihara

Robyn (that’s her toughened mug above) played to a good-sized crowd on Friday afternoon, and it was a highlight of the festival for me for two good reasons. First, she has slogged through many years of not being able to do what she wanted as an artist, and now that she can, the results are fantastic. Second, her music allows the taste-conscious to give in and enjoy some straight-up pop music, no apologies. It has more than enough sonic edge, deft emotional lyricism, and genuine personality  to keep it from landing in the laugh-off bin with, say, Ke$ha. Not to mention the fact that as a singer and songwriter, Robyn far outclasses the majority of pop songstresses gracing the radio waves. Her sense of melody and style is informed by her Swedish sensibilities and is uniquely her own. So there I found myself, in a crowd of “hipsters” and the like (who goes to Pitchfork anyway?) who seemed to be actually enjoying the show.

Thanks, Leigh Ann Hines

Robyn played the hour-long set like she meant it, bringing intensity to every song with nearly pitch-perfect performances, backed by a high-energy band including two drummers.

But there’s a reason that your little sister doesn’t know who Robyn is, or that karaoke machines wouldn’t be able to pull up any of her tunes. And the reason is that Robyn, hemmed in and shaped by big-studio interference for the early part of her career, is now doing exactly what she wants, how she wants to do it. If her performance at Pitchfork is any indication, she absolutely loves where she is and is content to let the career play out as it may, even if she never becomes the next Gaga. Actually, never mind; she’s too tasteful for that anyway.

I’m a dyed-in-the-wool pop lover, and I understand if not everyone can get past some of the more overt nods to dance-pop music. But at least try to understand how a song like “Dancing On My Own” could become a personal anthem of mine for a few days. The tune is practically a personal mission statement for Robyn, telling a story of being overlooked but soldiering through to be content as she is. And it’s a jam.

“Dancing On My Own” from this year’s (highly recommended) Body Talk, Pt. 1:

Dancing On My Own

And for those who wish to delve a little further, the recently released video for her new single “Hang With Me”:

Cheers,

Lincoln

In Which I Saw Delta Spirit Throw Down at the Metro on June 19th

When I first heard songs from Delta Spirit’s first album Ode to Sunshine, I was pretty darn impressed. Combining energetic arrangements, plenty of gritty Americana soul, and lead singer Matt Vasquez’s scrappy vocals, the band fills a unique place in the modern music scene, especially considering that the songs often touch upon spiritual themes. The cornerstone of Ode is not an upbeat song but the slow-burning “People Turn Around,” which grows in intensity until Matt and the whole band are wailing with the fire of possessed prophets, urging the world to consider its ways. I think we all could use a little repentance from time to time.

For a primer on the band, check out these incredible videos, made by the insanely talented crew over at La Blogotheque. The killer jam “Trashcan” was recorded on a freaking cable car, with electric results:

Delta Spirit – Trashcan from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

And the aforementioned “People Turn Around”:

Delta Spirit – People Turn Around from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

But we’re here to talk about the show and the new album History from Below. I have mixed feelings about the new album, which finds the band sporting a cleaned-up sound and songs that demand patience instead of providing instantly gratifying riffs. I think the album will grow on me. Seeing the new songs live didn’t hurt, with the band amplifying the emotional scope and intensity in the setting of a relatively intimate venue. By the end of the encore, the band had put any accusations of tameness to rest in a squalling, crashing fury of sound that was awesome to behold, especially as close as I was (do you see me? I think that’s me facing toward the keyboard at the very front).

J. Longstreet captures the action from above.

All in all, a terrific show. I leave you with a memento, one of the standouts from History that also translated well to the show via a thunderous cascade of drums at the end. Have a listen -

“White Table”

White Table

I love the way it explodes into life and keeps adding layers, the way the lyrics balance hope and cynicism.

Enjoy!

Lincoln

Pitchfork was a lot of fun.

This past weekend, I returned to the site of my inauguration into the world of music-festival-going at Pitchfork Festival. Held in Union Park in Chicago, this smallish fest is masterminded by the folks behind the Pitchfork music news/criticism website, which I may or may not draw upon as a fairly reliable springboard into the Music Jungle. My first festival ever was there last year, and it was an eye-opening experience (and not because of the fashion statements!). Several bands that I heard live for the first time there, such as The Antlers and The National, can now count me as an almost embarrassingly devoted fan.

Anyway, three pretty hot summer days were spent sweating, drinking copious amounts of water to make up for it, making new friends, and checking out plenty of good music new and old. Which, all things considered, isn’t such a bad way to spend three pretty hot summer days.

Either I’m lazy or I went a bit overboard last year (probably the latter), but I’m not going to give the play-by-play “reporting” that I attempted to do and failed to complete last year. What I will do is share, in an altogether haphazard fashion, some of the highlights and discoveries that accompanied this year’s fest. It’ll be just like you were there! (’cause if you’re reading this, I probably wish you were. Awww.)

On that unexpectedly saccharine note,

Lincoln

Jonsi Finds a Like-Minded Cause in Let’s Colour

Photo by Lilja and Inga Birgisdottir

Jonsi being, of course, the lead singer from the revered Sigur Ros, they of the Iceland and grandeur and Jonsi’s falsetto. He has departed from the band’s vision this year to indulge his own: one that is decidedly more of everything. More ecstatic, more indulgent, more busy. From the above photo, it’s evident that the visual aesthetic is important to Jonsi’s art. So it’s only natural that he has decided to license his music to a movement called Let’s Colour. Let’s Colour is dedicated to adding color to drab outdoor spaces around the world with a host of volunteers. Their promo video is fantastic: it’s ecstatic, indulgent, busy, and thus a perfect fit for “Go Do” from Jonsi’s album Go.

You see? I dare you not to go pick up a paintbrush.

Oh, and to give an mp3 just because I’m that nice, here’s the terrific “Animal Arithmetic” to provide a burst of, um, colour to your Friday afternoon.

Animal Arithmetic

Cheers,

Lincoln