The Last Goodbye: Album Review

Last month, electronic duo, Odesza, released their latest album The Last Goodbye. Their last album came 5 years prior with 2017’s A Moment Apart. It was during that time that I got into Odesza and ended up seeing them 4 times between 2017-2019. I was excited in the spring when they announced their latest album, and much like others was wondering if the title hinted at the end of Odesza? After listening though, I can say the title has much more to do with the meaning behind the album than the band.

Each of Odesza’s albums have a solid foundation in their dreamy, indietronica sound but vary slightly. The Last Goodbye is no different. It has that well-known Odesza feel, but with a slightly funkier, edgier sound. I think it’s a bit heavier on the future bass as well. A few of the songs, like “The Last Goodbye,” “Equal,” and “Behind the Sun,” give me Flume vibes, which I’m kind of a huge fan of.

I have to say the album didn’t quite “hit” at first for me, but took a couple replays before I found a song or two that I really liked. “Forgive Me” is my favorite on the new album. It’s an elctropop banger. “Better Now” is another favorite. It feels like it could have fit on A Moment Apart but ended up landing on their new record instead.

Odesza’s comeback this year was highly anticipated. The group recently embarked on a tour in support of the album with drumline in tow. I was able to catch a show last week and was dancing almost the entire time. They’re so fun live and their production was even better than I remembered. I feel as though fans are really digging this album as much as any past Odesza album, so I think it’s worth a listen. You’ll definitely find a song you enjoy, as there are plenty of different sounding songs and energies on the record. As Odesza said in a recent interview, this album definitely isn’t “The Last Goodbye.” It’s “about stepping back in, returning to each other in celebration,” which is exactly the effect it’s having.

Coachella Band Preview: Lane 8

We’re just under 4 weeks away from Day One Weekend One. I hope you’ve been fine tuning all the details for your Coachella plans and have also been listening to the bands and artists you want to see nonstop. I definitely have. I leave for Coachella exactly one week before the first day of Weekend One and I’m feeling the excitement build with each passing day. I have a few other fun plans in the works beforehand too which helps pass the time. This week I’m previewing a deejay who was scheduled for Friday in 2020 and now scheduled for the same day in 2022, Lane 8.

Lane 8, also known as Daniel Goldstein, from Denver, Colorado started producing music around 2012 when he caught the attention of an A&R executive from the record label Anjunadeep, a sub-label of Above & Beyond founded trance label Anjunabeats. He released his first record, Rise, in 2015 under the label. He then began releasing music under his own label This Never Happened. He created the label following his Little By Little tour to build an independent label presence in the deep house genre. Many artists on the label have toured with or opened for Lane 8.

His 2018 record Little By Little was the first album to be released under his own label, followed by Brightest Lights in 2020 and most recently Reviver in January 2022. His music falls into the deep house/progressive house genres, but I feel like his music is also comparable to the dreamier electropop Odesza style of electronic music. I think it kind of bridges both genres at times rather than being straight deep/progressive house. It’s the beats that surely designate him into the house category.

As I mentioned, Lane 8 helps to kick off both weekends with Friday sets. Expect to see him at the Sahara tent. I’d anticipate a late set from Lane 8. I would even anticipate there being some overlap with main stage headliners for his set. Nonetheless, I think it’ll be a great performance. It’ll be his first time back at the festival since his Do Lab performance in 2015. Safe to say the Sahara tent is definitely a step up from Do Lab. Here’s a few songs you’ll want to know before you vibe out at his set:

1. Road
2. Fingerprint
3. The Rope
4. Run
5. Survive
6. Oh, Miles
7. Little By Little
8. Atlas
9. Brightest Lights
10. Don’t Let Me Go

Palo Santo: Album Review

It’s been 3 years since Years & Years released their debut album Communion. They’re finally back today with their sophomore release Palo Santo. Often, upon listening to an album for the first time, I’m not sure what to say about it. A lot of times it’s because the album needs to grow on me. I just started listening to this new Years & Years album about a half hour ago and I’m already in love though. It’s a gem. I had a similar feeling when I listened to Lorde’s Melodrama for the first time. That album was nominated for a Grammy for album of the year last year so as you can tell, I already have great expectations for this new Years & Years release.

A lot of times the sound on a second record might diverge after creating a solid debut. Palo Santo isn’t that at all. It’s an electropop masterpiece. Olly Alexander’s hypnotizing vocals make each track stand out. The beginning of the album has songs that make you want to get up and dance, while the middle is filled with songs that really create a soulful, electronic vibe. Those tracks almost remind me of something Banks or Bishop Briggs would put out. They just have more of an electronic dance feel than you’d hear from both female powerhouses. Then the album picks up the energy again and finishes with a bang. Honestly, there’s not one song I haven’t liked. It’s that good.

Lyrically, LGBTQ themes come to the forefront. With Communion, those notions were subtle. Palo Santo is the opposite. It’s almost a “coming out” of sorts even though lead singer Alexander is already an out gay man. Between this album and Hayley Kiyoko’s Expectations the LGBTQ community has plenty of music representation this year and honestly both albums are killer without that being a focus. It’s just a plus.

I didn’t plan on leaving my home today, but I might make an exception to go pick up a copy of Palo Santo. It’s one of the best records I’ve heard all year next to Vance Joy’s Nation of Two. I highly recommend it to everyone. Go listen on Spotify or Apple Music! Download a copy! Buy a copy! Just check this shit out. Years & Years have officially made a strong comeback in 2018.

Gravity Can’t Hold Us Down

This Friday I’m attending my second ever electronic show. I probably wouldn’t be going to this show if it wasn’t for my friend’s love of electronic music and Odesza (the group we’re seeing) and the little vacation we’re going on. Nevertheless, it’s happening and because of it, I got into the electronic group.

Odesza is comprised of electronic music duo Harrison Mills and Clayton Knight. Mills and Knight met while they were both students at Western Washington University and began making music together as Odesza during their senior year. The band name was made out of an alternate spelling of Mills’ uncle’s ship that sunk.

Odesza’s self-released first album Summer’s Gone was released on September 5, 2012, two months before they played their first show. Their first EP My Friends Never Die was released a year later. In the fall of 2013, the group opened for Pretty Lights and then embarked on their first headlining tour the following year. It was a quick start for Odesza who gained popularity through streaming sites like Soundcloud and Spotify and by word of mouth.

In September 2014, Odesza released their second full length album In Return and played a sold out headlining tour that fall in support of it. The group also began playing music festivals as well beginning with Sasquatch! Music Festival in Gorge, Washington in 2013. They have since gone on to play Coachella, SXSW, Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, Firefly, Governor’s Ball, and several others.

This past September Odesza released their third full length album A Moment Apart and announced a world tour in support which began on September 14th in Auckland, New Zealand, after a preview of the new live show in May at the legendary Red Rocks Amphitheater. The tour has since made their way into the United States and the album was recently nominated for a Grammy for Best Dance/Electronic Album. The track “A Line of Sight” feat. Wynne and Maisonair was also nominated for a Grammy for Best Dance Recording. The group was previously nominated in 2015 for Best Remixed Recording, Nonclassical for “Say My Name (RAC remix)”.

As electronic artists, Odesza fits in the sub genres of electropop, indietronica, chillwave, and future bass. Their style is sort of like a blend between electronic music, indie music, and pop music filled with synth lines and subtle rises and falls of energy and bass. Their new album has a several collaborations which account for the vocals on their tracks. Their songs create this dreamy, nostalgic type of feeling regardless of whether the tracks have vocals or not though.

I first heard of Odesza in late 2015 when a family member who I hadn’t talked to in years asked if I liked them after I told him I was attending an alt-J concert in the coming month. I told him that I didn’t and he told me how awesome they were. Then we started talking about something else and I never even checked them out. To be fair, at the time I was dealing with a lot of other things so I just kind of forgot about it. I first listened to Odesza in late September-early October of this year, shortly after the new album release. I liked the song “Higher Ground” and added it to my workout/new music playlist on Spotify. It was only about 2 weeks later that my friends and I had planned a trip to New York City and bought tickets to see them in Brooklyn.

Since purchasing tickets, I’ve listened to Odesza a lot more. We received a free copy of the new album with our tickets so when that came in the mail I put the CD in my car for a while. I also recently purchased their sophomore album too and have been binge listening to it.  It’s safe to say that I definitely became a fan. I’m beyond stoked for Friday night. I can’t wait to see what kind of energy they’ll bring by playing in a large scale venue like the Barclays Center, but I’m sure it’ll be epic. I’m also just stoked to see this band play with my friend and to witness her fully in her element as an electronic music fan.

I highly recommend checking out Odesza, but especially this new album. There’s a reason it was nominated for a Grammy. Even after listening to In Return several times, there’s just something special to A Moment Apart that Odesza’s been working towards since their inception. You’re bound to find at least one song you like. It’s that good and it’ll only be a matter of time before Odesza hooks you for real.

 

 

Melodrama: Album Review

Last Friday Lorde released her highly anticipated second full length album, Melodrama. The announcement of the album came in March shortly after she released the album’s debut single “Green Light”. In the mean time she also released two other singles, “Liability” and “Perfect Places”.

So far the album has been received with high praise and it’s only been out for a week. I was away for a work trip last weekend so I first listened to the album last Thursday night/Friday morning on Spotify. I loved it. I knew I was gonna head out immediately once I got home to purchase it. I bought it Wednesday. It’s a fantastic album. It’s everything you could ever want from Lorde, especially as a follow-up to Pure Heroine. The songs are emotional, catchy, and have that edgy sound Lorde is so well known for.  It takes listeners on an emotional roller coaster from start to finish. It will have you dancing with songs like “Green Light” and “Supercut”, singing to “Perfect Places” and “Homemade Dynamite”, crying while listening to “Liability”, and loving everything else in between.

Lorde created the album with well-known producer/musician, Jack Antonoff. He has production credits on almost every song on the album. I’d be surprised if this album doesn’t earn the Lorde/Antonoff duo a few Grammy nods. I highly recommend purchasing it as soon as possible. Make it one of the soundtracks to your summer. It’s that good so stop reading, go listen, and fall in love with Melodrama.

Coachella Band Preview: Tove Lo

This is it. The final blog post before the big first weekend. I make my journey out there in two days and I can’t wait to be among that festival atmosphere. Hopefully I get a chance to see one or two of these amazing bands or artists I’ve previewed, but I keep my expectations low to avoid disappointment just in case. The final artist I decided to preview is a Swedish singer/songwriter known as Tove Lo.

Tove Lo, whose real name is Ebba Tove Elsa Nilsson, first came on to the music scene in 2014. Her career journey started way before that though. While growing up she went to music school and even became friends with Caroline Hjelt, who went on to form Icona Pop. By the end of her teenage years she formed the rock band Tremblebee. After the band broke up she decided to go after a songwriting career and earned a publishing deal with Warner/Chappell Music in 2011. Through that she often wrote and recorded her own compositions which lead to her eventual record deal.

Her stage name comes from a nickname she had growing up. Tove is part of her real name and Lo is the Swedish word for Lynx, which was her favorite animal growing up. Tove Lo’s first performances were in London and at SXSW in 2014 right around the time she released her first EP Truth Serum. The EP contained one of her most popular hits, “Habits”, which she released independently even before the EP came out. The track was re-titled “Habits (Stay High)” for Truth Serum and earned her breakout success as one of the hottest new artists of 2014. Her debut album Queen of the Clouds was released on September 24, 2014. It had much success making the top 20 on album charts in the U.S., the U.K., and Sweden. In Sweden the album is certified platinum. Towards the end of 2014, Tove Lo joined the third leg of Katy Perry’s Prismatic World Tour as the opening artist.

By early 2015 though, the breakout artist needed to take a little time away from singing as she had to have surgery on her vocal chords to remove cysts that had developed. Near the end of the year she was back at it touring across North America in support of the re-packaged edition of Queen of the Clouds which was released in October of 2015. The year rewarded Tove Lo with two Grammi Awards (Swedish version of the Grammys) and a Grammy nomination for her writing credit on Ellie Goulding’s song “Love Me Like You Do”.

In 2016 the Swedish singer announced she would be releasing her second album later in the year. She toured as the opening act for Maroon 5 to promote the upcoming release. She released the first single from her new album Lady Wood in early August called “Cool Girl”. The album was released on October 28, 2016. Tove Lo recently went on a solo tour in support of Lady Wood and has plans to join Coldplay’s upcoming tour as an opening act this summer.

Along with her own success, Tove Lo has also been involved in many successful collaborations with artists such as Nick Jonas, Coldplay, and Flume, as well as earning songwriting credits for many well known artists such as Ellie Goulding, Hillary Duff, Victoria Justice, Lea Michele, and Icona Pop. One of her most successful collaborations came in 2015 when she sang on Swedish DJ Alesso’s track “Heroes (We Could Be)”. The single had high chart success in Sweden, the U.K., and the U.S.

Tove Lo’s music style is an alternative style of pop music. It might be considered synthpop or electropop. It definitely has an electronic influence and is a bit darker than your standard pop music as well. A lot of her songs have this sexual type of feel and sound. I’m not saying that’s the intention with her music either. Her style is just perfect baby making music.

I don’t remember when I first heard of Tove Lo. I know I knew her song “Habits (Stay High)” before anything else. I didn’t really like the song though, which is probably because I would only ever hear it on mainstream pop radio. Even though I’m not a huge fan of listening to that type of radio, I have a guilty pleasure song or two that gets overplayed. “Habits” was not one of those. “Talking Body” was though. I first heard “Talking Body” on a Spotify playlist and I really liked the song. It was even part of my work out playlist for a while. I never really got hooked on any of her other songs though, but I think at that point I appreciated her as more of an alternative pop artist.

So for the second week in a row why am I previewing this artist that I’ve never gotten into? In fact compared to Two Door Cinema Club, I don’t even own any of Tove Lo’s records. Well it’s pretty simple. Tove Lo plays Sunday at Coachella and I’ve only previewed two other Sunday acts, Lorde and Grouplove. If I had the whole festival to just hang out and see music, there would only be 2 performances that I’d really wanna see on Sunday which frees up a ton of the day. My familiarity with Tove Lo would make me want to check her set out. I think she’ll put on a great set and I definitely suggest you check her out if you have time on Sunday. Here’s a few songs you might want to know first:

1. Habits (Stay High)
2. Talking Body
3. Cool Girl
4. True Disaster
5. Influence
6. Moments
7. Not On Drugs
8. Got Love
9. Heroes (We Could Be) (w/ Alesso)
10. Say It (w/ Flume)

 

 

Coachella Band Preview: BROODS

We are officially less than 2 months away from Weekend 1 of Coachella! The hype is increasing at this point and yesterday it increased for me too. I’m proud to say that I accepted a position to work at Coachella in its entirety (meaning both weekends)! I’m beyond stoked. However that being said, even though I’ll be out in the desert once again, I’m going to have some serious business to take care of. I have no idea if I’ll be able to see any music at all, but being in the Coachella atmosphere is a gift in and of itself. At least now you’ll know who I would be seeing if I get a chance out there. Anyway with this building anticipation, it’s time to ramp up that listening and preview another band playing the festival this year for their first time, BROODS.

BROODS is a brother-sister band duo who come from Nelson, New Zealand. Georgia Nott (lead vocals) and her brother Caleb (backing vocals, production, multi-instruments) grew up in a music-oriented family. They even performed in an ABBA tribute band growing up and were a part of an indie band while in college. Both ended up eventually dropping out of college to pursue BROODS. Their band name was suggested by their manager but has a relevant double meaning which they love. It relates to family but also deep upsetting thoughts that the siblings resolve through music. They formed the band in early 2013 and released their debut single “Bridges” by October of that year. The duo worked early on with music producer, Joel Little, who also worked with Lorde on her single “Royals”.

They released their debut self-titled EP in early January 2014 after signing a deal with Capitol Records/Polydor a month earlier and then toured the UK, North America, and Australia for the better part of 2014. Some of their tour gigs were in support of acts like Haim, Ellie Goulding, and Sam Smith. Their debut album, Evergreen, was released in August 2014. It debuted at No. 1 on the New Zealand Album Chart. In 2015 they returned to North America to tour making several stops on the festival circuit along the way. None of those included Coachella however, making this year their first Coachella appearance.

After the release of their debut album, they immediately began working on its successor. With a tour filled 2015 though, it wasn’t released until June of 2016. The album, Conscious, features collaborations with fellow 2017 Coachella performers Lorde (writing) and Tove Lo (singing) (surprise guest anyone?!). Both albums earned BROODS several New Zealand Music Awards. Since their debut on the music scene, the duo has racked up a total of 10 of the awards, along with 2 more nominations that didn’t result in wins. They were also nominated for the APRA Silver Scroll Award in 2014 but lost.

BROODS style of music is primarily indie pop with a mild electronic influence. Georgia Nott’s vocals are soft and hypnotizing to listen to. If I had to compare them to other artists, I would say their current sound is kind of like BANKS/Lorde/Tove Lo meets St. Lucia, but with a more BANKS/Lorde/Tove Lo sound than St. Lucia. It’s really just a few songs from their latest album that give off a St. Lucia style indie pop feel than their debut, especially the song “We Had Everything” (I mean come on…don’t you start hearing “Closer Than This” with that intro?).

I first heard of BROODS in late 2014 when a person I follow on twitter tweeted about how good the band was. I, of course, checked them out and loved their sound. I downloaded the songs “Bridges”, “Four Walls”, and “Mother & Father” and listened to them periodically. Over the last year I added two songs from their new album to my iTunes and again listened to them as they played on my “Most Recently Added” rotation.

I’ve never been a super fan of BROODS, only a casual listener, but I’ve always liked what I’ve listened to. If I have the opportunity to see BROODS live in a festival setting, I’ll definitely see them. As I said before, this is their first time playing Coachella. They play Friday. I’m not sure what kind of crowd they’ll attract in their first appearance at the festival, but I don’t think it will be overwhelming. So if you’re up to listen to some indie pop from the siblings Nott then check them out. You won’t be disappointed. Here’s a few songs to get you ready for their set:

1. Bridges
2. Heartlines
3. Mother & Father
4. Four Walls
5. Free
6. We Had Everything
7. Freak of Nature (ft. Tove Lo)
8. Never Gonna Change
9. Couldn’t Believe
10. Everytime

Bonus: Ease by Troye Sivan ft. BROODS

I Was A King Under Your Control

Before I get started, let me just say, I’m not a fan of EDM. I know I’ve said this before. Just making you aware that the next band I’m about to talk about goes way beyond my comfort zone so to speak. I’ve been digging them recently though. It all started the other day when one of the people I follow on instagram posted a picture with the caption as lyrics to a song. Of course, my naturally curious music loving self needed to check out what the song was and who sang it. Thankfully someone posted a comment with the band name. The band was Years & Years.

Comprised of vocalist/keyboardist Olly Alexander, bassist Mikey Goldsworthy, and synth player Emre Türkmen, Years & Years hails from London, England (yep another solid British band). They were formed in 2010 and debuted their first single in 2012, “I Wish I Knew”. Since then, the group released several singles, the most successful being “King” in January of this past year. It reached number one on the UK Singles Chart in March. They released their debut album, Communion, a little over a month ago on June 22nd.

Despite being around for a few years, these guys are just now breaking onto the scene. The genre that comes to mind to describe this band is electropop. Their songs are full of synth and have that upbeat pop feel. You might even consider it house music. Their sound also has this early 90’s feel to it and reminds me of something I’d hear on the radio during my yearly trips to Williamsburg, VA in my early childhood. They’re on that EDM spectrum for sure, but not so far as to say they’re like Deadmau5, Skrillex, Kaskade or David Guetta. These guys aren’t DJs. They’re just an electronica band.

The first Years & Years song I listened to was “King”. It was their most played on Spotify. I went with that to get a feel for them. I was immediately turned off from what I heard. Electronic music isn’t my style. I didn’t vibe it. However, a few hours later as I began my workout routine and turned on my workout playlist, I started thinking about “King”. It was kind of stuck in my head, so I went for it. I added it to my playlist. It’s definitely a great workout song. Since it’s been on the playlist for the past week, I’ve heard it plenty of times. I love it now. I’ve also given their other songs a chance and surprisingly, I like them. It might just be a phase, but for the moment, I’m gonna roll with it. I recommend giving these guys a listen, especially since they’re relatively new and I have a feeling this won’t be the last you hear of them. In case you were wondering, they’re touring across the U.S. very soon with dates from the middle to the end of September. It may even be worth seeing them live. If you’re like me and you don’t really enjoy their music style, I still say give them a shot. You might be surprised at yourself, just like I was. So here’s what you need to listen to:

1. King (so so catchy)
2. Desire
3. Shine
4. Border (this was actually the song that was quoted on that insta post, which I eventually figured out after going through a bunch of their songs)
5. Gold
6. Ties
7. I Want to Love