I am entirely excited for CocoRosie’s performance tomorrow at the Gothic in Denver. I’ve yet to behold the musical explorations of the Casady sisters live, but I sense that it will be epic. Their music is sultry, experimental, impassioned, and one-of-a-kind. The resonances of Bianca and Sierra’s angelic and otherworldly vocals amid their curious, fantastical realm of effected sounds and tones is true art.
The duo’s name comes from nicknames their mother gave them when they were young, Bianca “Coco” and Sierra “Rosie”. The girls reunited in Paris in 2003 to collaborate and create. The story is quite romantic. Bianca, who was then 2, living in Brooklyn and hadn’t seen much of her older sister for the past 10 years, had grown restless and decided to invite a change. She chose to travel the world and showed up in Paris where 24-year-old Sierra was studying voice. The two sisters sequestered themselves in Sierra’s bathroom, the most acoustic and isolated room in the apartment, for the better part of 2 months and soon completed their debut album, La Maison de Mon Rêve (2004).
Since then, the girls have toured the world, sharing their gorgeous and unrecognizable fusion of hip-hop, opera, electronica and pop. Sometimes it sounds as though you are listening to a field recording equipped with foreign noises, scratches, and faded vocals floating in the background. Other time it’s as though Billie Holiday has come back as a tiny girl obsessed with rhyme. Their third work, The Adventures of Stillborn and Ghosthorse (2007), was aptly produced by legendary Icelandic sound engineer, Valgeir Sigurdsson, who has excelled at capturing the anomalies and eccentricities of the Bjork. The duo recently signed with Sub Pop records to release their fourth full-length album, Grey Oceans (May 2010).
CocoRosie’s music is a reflection of Bianca and Sierra’s relationship with each other and this is what inspires its magic. It’s a means of expression for the intense and complex energy that runs between the two sisters. Originally, the girls performed as a duo with Sierra singing, playing the guitar, piano and harp, and Bianca singing and manipulating children’s toys, electronic and percussion instruments, and other unusual noisemakers. They more often now perform with a variety of backing musicians who take the roles of bassist, synth player and beatboxer.
Costuming is a constant within the world of CocoRosie, another part of the performance that I can’t wait to lay my eyes on. Bianca has been making her own clothes since she was 15. In Paris, the sisters are revered as fashion icons and regularly make the covers of style magazines. But unlike many of the women who surround them, the two are more likely to take and make their attire from 2nd hand stores than from the shops on the Rue Faubourg Saint-Honoré.
So off to the Gothic to experience a world of unicorns, rainbows, fairies and angels and everything else that is CocoRosie. Don’t miss them as they voyage throughout the U.S. and then Europe.
Jun 21 – Gothic Theater, Denver, CO
Jun 22 – Urban Lounge, Salt Lake City, UT
Jun 24 – Vogue Theater, Vancouver, CA
Jun 25 – Showbox, Seattle, WA
Jun 26 – Wonder Ballroom, Portland, OR
Jun 29 – Regency, San Francisco, CA
Jun 30 – Rio Theater, Santa Cruz, CA
Jul 1 – Belly Up, San Diego, CA
Jul 2 – Orpheum Theater, Los Angeles, CA
Jul 17 – Montreux Jazz Festival, Montreux, CH
Jul 18 – Villa Ada, Roma, ITALY
Jul 19 – Spazio 211, Torino, ITALY
Jul 20 – Wagenhallen, Stuttgart, GERMANY
Jul 21 – KulturZelt, Kassel, GERMANY
Jul 23 – KulturArena, Jena, GERMANY
Jul 24 – Archa Theatre, Prag, CZECH REPUBLIC
Jul 26 – Gödör Klub, Budapest, HUNGARY
Jul 27 – Arena Open Air, Vienna, AUSTRIA
The Westword Music Showcase is Denver’s very own version of SXSW, albeit a smaller one. The yearly event, hosted by the free alternative weekly across 8 blocks of the Denver’s Golden Triangle neighborhood lasts just one day. But don’t let this take away from the fact that it is one of the best events in the area to take in the burgeoning Denver music scene and catch some amazing national acts as well. And it’s cheap. Just $15 in advance and $30 day of.
This year’s event has one of the best lineups to date for indie fans with headliners including Ghostland Observatory (Austin), Dirty Projectors, and Neon Indian. Other stand-out local acts include The Still City, Eleanor, Hello Kavita, Taun Taun, and Kill Paradise. See below for Lux’s picks for this year’s Westword Music Showcase.
High Places exist within a realm of experimental sounds. Repetitive samples, home-crafted percussion, and minimalist vocals imbue their sparse electronica-pulsating world. The outcome feels both foreign and warm. Mary Pearson and Rob Barber have together created a unique sound steeped in soft, wispy female vocal melodies, brisk beats, and rhythmic lines produced on folk percussion and household objects. It is music inspired by beauty and nature, whose artistry leans towards organic resonances. The subtlety of their music whispers images, allowing the listener to fill the landscapes with their own contemplations. This association might bring to mind the amorphous, dream-inspiring work of Animal Collective’s Panda Bear.
Live, the two create layered recordings with Pearson manipulating her vocals with delay and reverb, playing hand percussion, and creating and controlling various loops. Barber triggers percussive sounds from his drum pads, adds ambient vocals, and plays an array of rhythmic instruments to create the certain tone that is High Places. The songwriting is expansive and fluid, while the musical ideas produced are concise. A state of meditation is encouraged by their creations and this seems apt as Barber has been on record saying that music is pretty much the only thing that calms him down and enables him to relax.
High Places’ self-titled debut was recorded in Pearson and Barber’s Bedford Stuyvesant neighborhood apartment in Brooklyn in 2008. And the music has that true, artsy Brooklyn feel. The two met in 2006, when Pearson was living in Michigan and both were pursuing solo projects. Once she moved to New York, they began collaborating, exchanging ideas and giving each other little bits to work off of and respond to. Their unexpected first performance came in May of 2006, when Rob was offered a gig that he didn’t want to play alone. A demo and U.S. tour dates came soon after. In 2008, the group signed with Thrill Jockey Records to release their debut and, shortly thereafter, a collection of singles under the title 03/07-09/07.
The band’s most recent record, High Places vs. Mankind (March 2010), offers a new era of the band’s experimental pop. It takes their music to a more densely atmospheric place with slow dance-heavy grooves. The sound is more mature, more complex, with Pearson’s voice more prominently set against High Places’ thick psychedelic landscapes.
The recently transplanted from Brooklyn to Los Angeles where they frequent the mountain-filled parks that now surround them. The pair’s name actually refers to a place where one has a better vantage point and can gain broader perspectives, so this spot seems apt. Their music tends to speak of their love of mountains, rooftops, and other metaphorically high places. Yet the sounds of the city aren’t far away, which likely prompt the ever-present looping of industrial utterances within their music.
Denver-based songwriter/singer/musician, John Common and his band, Blinding Flashes of Lights, will be debuting their new record, entitled Beautiful Empty, at Casselman’s in Denver, CO on January 16th, 2010. The CD release will be a collaborative event that offers independent music, film and visual art, all related to and inspired by the new record. The band features John Common (vocals/guitar/keys), Jess DeNicola (vocals), Wes Michaels (cello/sax), Adam Revell (keys), Jimmy Stofer (bass/vocals) and Carl Sorensen (drums). The band will be joined on stage by a string section and other musical guests. Also playing that night are two popular Colorado artists, both who are superb: Achille Lauro and Danielle Ate the Sandwich.
Tickets are $15 presale and include an exclusive bonus EP (digital download), a copy of the new CD (given at the door) and other surprises on the night of the show. Tickets are $20 day of show and come with a copy of the new CD and the fabulous surprises, but no bonus track.
Earlier this fall a collaborative short film festival was organized for this event, named the Beautiful Empty Short Film Conspiracy. A call went out to Colorado-based independent filmmakers who shot and submitted their short films, all inspired by and incorporating songs from Beautiful Empty. A handful of the most interesting short films will be shown throughout the night of the CD release.
The event will also feature box art by 60 artists from across the U.S. who were invited to create unique works of art inspired by what would eventually become the new record, Beautiful Empty. Each artist was sent a simple wooden box, along with early stage lyrics, images and music. They then mixed it all together into a beautiful collaboration called the Common Box Project. The final exhibit of the Common Box Project will happen the night of the CD release inside the venue. For more information visit .
Date: Saturday, January 16th, 2010 Location: Casselman’s Bar and Venue (26th and Walnut, Denver, CO) Music: John Common & Blinding Flashes of Light, Achille Lauro, Danielle Ate the Sandwich Film: The Beautiful Empty Short Film Conspiracy Art Exhibit: The Common Box Project Tickets: $15 presale / $20 day of show. Price of ticket includes a copy of the new CD, other surprises and an exclusive bonus EP (digital download) for those who buy tickets in advance Doors: 7pm / Show starts at 7:30pm Ages: 21+ Buy tickets:Casselman’s | John Common
Listen to some gorgeous tracks off the new album. It is thoughfully written and the vocal harmonies between Common and DeNicola are almost as stunning here as they are live.
The alt-country indie rock of These United States has a way drawing you in. Lead singer Jesse Elliot’s sultry, twangy croon drives each song, riding upon the band’s velvety slide-guitar laden version of Americana. It’s his laid-back charm that is both heartfelt and open, along with the sophisticated, seasoned sound of the band that catches. At moments I hear Tom Petty, but the closest comparison I can find in current music, is that of Delta Spirit.
Elliot’s writing process arises from his interest in the English language and his desire to create narrative arcs. The songs are filled with stories and characters that reference everything from Custer, Johnny Appleseed, and Jesse James, to Mark Twain and Tecumseh. Elliot conjures up ideas of saddle-riding sinners and silent heroes, all the while loquaciously commenting on everyday existence. As Elliot told NPR, “I’m a big fan of aesthetics, of just the way words sound, the way that phrases string together, the way that we use language.” And referencing the writing process, “It’s a way of coping with the serious amount of information that exists in the world these days. Stitching it together in some big, chaotic patchwork is kind of how I make sense of all the pieces that are flying our way and everyone’s way every day.” The songs are hopeful and demonstrate that These United States are still discovering pieces of gold in our dispirited country.
The band calls both Lexington, Kentucky and Washington, DC home. Elliot is both the founding and core member, filling out his vision with musicians and friends from both locales. He originally formed the group with David Strackany, who records as a singer-songwriter under the name Paleo. In just two years, the band has played 500 plus shows across the U.S., U.K., and northern Europe and appeared at SXSW, the CMJ Music Marathon, and the U.K.’s prestigious Glastonbury Festival.
With their third full-length release in 18 months, These United States are flowing with creative output. Each meticulously crafted album reveals a variety of musical approaches and the care that went into the recording process. They explore a variety of sounds, all riding within enticing southern-edged rock, sometimes soft and subtle, always filled with a sense of well-intentioned urgency. A Picture of the Three of Us at the Gate to the Garden of Eden was recorded by Elliott and Strackany in basements and hallways in Elgin, IL, Iowa City, IA, Washington, D.C., and Chicago, IL. Picture was released March 4, 2008 and just 6 weeks later, the band was in a Lexington recording Crimes as they had more material they wanted to work with. Crimes came out that September and received praise from Paste Magazine, Pitchfork Media, and NPR, despite (and in many cases because of) its sonic departure from the group’s debut. In February 2009, the band began recording its third album, Everything Touches Everything, in Arlington, VA, released in September 2009.
I saw Imogen Heap on Sunday for the first time since she performed at the Fox Theatre in Colorado back in 2006. I was blown away then by the eccentric ingenuity and musical explosion that is Imogen Heap, and last night was no different. Imogen performed as part of the live radio show, E-Town, which gives viewers an intimate look at featured artists. Musicians perform 5-6 songs and are interviewed by the host in front of a live audience. Imogen connected immediately with fans both with her quirky humor and by revealing unfiltered thoughts, whether it be her nervousness or how she commands her various gadgets, all with that alluring English accent.
Here are some tracks off Imogen’s latest album, Ellipse(2009), recorded in the basement studio of her elliptically shaped family home, which she bought several years ago. Coincidentally, the studio used to be her old play room! Love it.
Her music is gorgeously layered, atmospheric, electro pop filled with sound effects, bizarre instruments, and Imogen’s achingly ethereal voice. Her vocals, with the use of layering, become a shimmering orchestra of breathy coos, chirps, whispers and hums. Each song is heavily produced, incorporating elements of dance, rock and electronica, all with a feminine edge. In addition to manipulating electronic sounds, she works with organic ones, maybe water dripping or the sonorous ring induced by spinning her finger around the top of wine glass. Imogen constantly pushes her own sonic limits, which makes the music so endlessly captivating and mesmerizing, sending you adrift into a land of her own invention. You can feel her perfectionism and the pressure she places upon herself within each masterfully crafted sonic masterpiece.
Sunday evening, she played barefoot among an array of keyboards, laptops, gongs, a keytar, an Array mbira (based on the African thumb piano), and the curious “hang” – a flying saucer shaped, harmonically tuned steel idiophone. This quote from a 2005 interview, perfectly describes the soul behind the sounds. “I just love crafting and shaping sounds. Actually, many of the sounds that I work with start off as organic instruments – guitar, piano, clarinet, etc. But I do love the rigidity of electronic drums… I would record live drums, and then I would spend a day editing them to take the life out of them. I like to breathe my own life into these sounds, and I do try to keep the ‘air’ in the music. Some people think electronic music is cold, but I think that has more to do with the people listening than the actual music itself.”
The London songstress did not get on well with the music teacher at her boarding school, so she resorted to teaching herself sequencing, music engineering, sampling and production on Atari computers. She went on to study at the BRIT School of Performing Arts & Technology. Imogen made her solo debut at the celebrated Prince’s Trust Concert in Hyde Park in 1996, during which she performed four songs between sets by none other than The Who and Eric Clapton. i Megaphone came out in 1998, but she didn’t hit the spotlight until her electronic duo Frou Frou found itself with a song on Garden State soundtrack in 2004. 2005’s Speak for Yourself was inspired by her recent divorce and features the intoxicating single, Hide and Seek. I actually found out about Imogen from my 16-year-old cousin who told me that playing Hide and Seek during dance performances was all the rage. Both “Goodnight and Go” and “Hide and Seek” were featured on the O.C., after which “Hide and Seek” made its way to #1 on the itunes download chart. In 2006, Heap was nominated for two Grammy Awards and made a legendary appearance at Coachella.
The genius of Imogen Heap was ever-present on Sunday. Catch her on remaining U.S. dates if you can. Otherwise, start listening and don’t miss the next time she works her way through the U.S.
Nov 17 – Granda Theatre, Dallas, Texas (SOLD OUT)
Nov 18 – La Zona Rosa, Austin, Texas
Nov 20 – Exit In, Nashville, Tennessee (SOLD OUT)
Nov 21 – Square Room, Knoxville, Tennessee
Nov 22 – Variety Theatre, Atlanta, Georgia (SOLD OUT)
Nov 24 – Vic Theatre, Chicago, Illinois
Nov 26 – Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Toronto, Ontario
Nov 28 – Higher Ground, Burlington, Vermont
Nov 30 – Sixth & I Historic Synagogue, Washington, Washington DC (SOLD OUT)
Dec 1 – Theatre Of Living Arts, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Dec 2 – Webster Hall, New York, New York
Dec 3 – Music Hall of Williamsburg, New York, New York
Made it out to both days of the Monolith Festival. Crushing acts were Phoenix, Passion Pit, and Chromeo. Sets were packed and dance heavy. Phoenix’s electrifying Sunday performance on the main stage set them up to be huge in Colorado and beyond. Chance had it that MSTRKRFT cancelled, leaving the 2nd to last main stage slot open. Certainly feels fated that Phoenix played for the most sizeable audience of the weekend. Their lightning speed rise has been incredible to follow. Passion Pit’s surging set confirmed that the eletro pop craze is on. And Chromeo’s sex-saturated synth funk throw down triggered a dance freak-out from the crowd and had everyone smiling hard.
New favorites included OK Go (finally saw them live after all that YouTube hype), Health, The Walkmen, We Were Promised Jetpacks, Woodhands, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, and The Royal Bangs. Great to see Stars of Track and Field again after they took most of 2008 off. Other sweet catches included Thao with The Get Down Stay Down, Gregory Alan Isakov, The Grates, Tigercity, and Danielle Ate The Sandwich. The eletronica was also pumping with choice acts The Glitch Mob, Savoy, and Beats Antique.
The setting of Red Rocks couldn’t have been more beautiful and the bands knew and recognized it.
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