Arts & Culture
A trilogy of reviews: Old and new
Columnist
The Fleet Foxes
The Fleet Foxes may be one of the biggest breakout bands of 2008; another product of sub-pop. These people could be personally responsible for the glorification and popularization of the grunge movement in the early 1990s. They brought you bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden.
One aspect of what makes Fleet Foxes’ music unique is its intrinsically environmental vibe. Maybe it’s the way they sing about how gorgeous the sun is as it rises, the tranquility of the Pacific Ocean or how white the wintertime can be. Their harmonies breeze through the branches of our ears while their instruments hybrid together a perfectly tight-wound package using about 30 percent less plastic than its competitors.
Entertainment Weekly agrees that there is an aspect of transcendentalism that makes us think back to the simpler times and the osmosis idea of being one with nature.
“They are hushed and wistful, Foxes evokes the itinerant days of yore...you know, before gas cost four bucks a gallon,” reported Entertainment Weekly.
The peaceful and calming tone of vocalist Robin Pecknold could even make the Hulk leave his green skin and purple shorts to lie down and watch clouds go by with his foe, Juggernaut. This is a band to watch out for. With just their freshman album out, and it being so successful, the fact that it is catching so much attention is impressive. It will put some pressure on the group to produce another brilliant album, which shouldn’t be too big of an obstacle, as their music is compact, unpolluted, and simple.
The Honorary Title
On the other side of the United States reigns another band that is bound to keep making more noise, The Honorary Title. Their first album, “Anything Else But the Truth,” was a low budget, but a high quality album that really dug deep and showed a lot of potential.
On the first album Jarrod Gorbel played all the guitars, bass and all the vocals. Busier than former President Bush it seems, he had a mate of his play drums, almost like a Paul McCartney moment.
The Honorary Title’s second album, “Scream and Light Up the Sky,” was significantly better than their first because the band invited permanent members to relieve Gorbel of playing all guitars and bass, leaving him only with guitar and vocals.
When a band has four different brains working as one, the product is always without question more creative and innovative than just the one person’s ideas. It is evident on this second album; it finally found a fresh and seamless element it seemed to have been missing on the first album.
They are currently working on their third album, and I would personally keep an eye out for it. With all the experience they gained and learning they did working as one unit, and finally, add to the equation knowing what to do and what not to do will make them a weapon of mass destruction.
Feist
Feist may be best known for their song “1,2,3,4” the iPod commercial made famous about a year ago. Singer and songwriter Leslie Feist, 32, can really thank Apple for the commercial because prior to the commercial, the album, “The Reminder,” housing the single of “1,2,3,4” was selling at a rate of 6,000 copies a week. That number more than doubled after the commercial ran.
Feist writes perfectly ripe melodic and mellow songs that create an illusion that a person can vacation to Australia while never moving from their couch.
This wasn’t always the case, as she got her start playing and singing in a punk band. This is sometimes evident in the foundations and structures of her songs, but there is very little angst in her harmonious numbers.
Feist exports a soothing melody inside the notes that is invisible and irresistible; the music subconsciously lets one’s guard down. It’s almost as if Feist herself marches to the mind and gets control of it. Then, after conquering that, she blitzkriegs where she knows she can really reek the most havoc: the heart.
Maybe it’s the perfect balance of instrumentations, the perfect intonation and harmonies of Feist herself or the perfect knack that if listened to at the most appropriate time it can have immaculate consequences. She uses pianos, guitars, bass, drums and an intimate wind ensemble with a few strings that blend together seamlessly.
