Pour les fans de Rock, Pop, Indé et Alternatif, Pays, et Folk & Blues.
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The first piece of music ever recorded and released by The All-American Rejects was known as the blue album, it was a rough demo selection of twelve songs, some of which would be included Same Girl, New Songs EP. The young band gained attention from this collection and after backing from producer Tim O'Heir they released their self-titled album in 2003.
The first album was a commercial success, peaking at #25 on the US Billboard charts and dented the UK charts too. It featured the band's first small hit 'Swing, Swing' which was a bigger success in Britain. The follow-up album 'Move Along' remains their peak US chart position, placing at #6 upon its release in July 2005. It holds a double platinum selling certificate in the States thanks to the help of three hit singles, 'Move Along' 'Dirty Little Secret' and 'It Ends Tonight'.
The third album 'When The World Comes Down' did not reach the top 10 on the US Billboard as its predecessor had yet it features the band's biggest international single 'Gives You Hell'. The track reached #5 on the US chart and #18 in the UK as well as appearing on various charts around the world, it was the fifth most downloaded song of 2009. 'Kids In The Street' was released in 2012 and became the band's first appearance on the UK album charts top 40.
Lord Huron are simultaneously a band out of time, and a band absolutely of this time. Their brand of rustic, atmospheric Americana is absolutely illustrative of this, as it is classic sounding music that, by now anyway, sounds absolutely natural playing alongside Lorde and their touring partners Alt-J on alternative radio stations. However, this is also a band named after a lake that Ben Schneider, the main songwriter and leader of the band, grew up visiting. He learnt to play music while sat on its banks, a campfire burning gently next to him. That’s undeniably an image that could come from a Huckleberry Finn novel, but on the other hand, at what other time period other than now could you take a band and make an entire Alternate Reality Game to compliment the music?
That’s where the thrillingly modern aspect of the band comes in, and the truly astonishing thing is that it’s, by and large, all come from the mind of Schneider and very few others. Born in Michigan, Schneider’s childhood was colonised by music and art, but as he grew older music became more and more of a hobby. He studied visual arts at the University of Michigan and once his course was over, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in visual arts. It didn’t go quite according to plan, and he ended up as the art director of a small Los Angeles advertising agency, developing ad campaigns for pizza restaurants and an online poker tournament.
However, his creative side was well and truly revitalised with the discovery of Alternate Reality Games, or ARG’s. These are interactive stories told through a number of different mediums where players have to piece the story together through interaction with other players. ARG’s have been put together by everyone from Nine Inch Nails to Steven Spielberg, and Schneider decided to try his hand at a couple of his own. These also didn’t quite go according to plan but with the scale involved, including hiring actors, designing websites, making a small museum exhibition among many others, that’s entirely understandable.
In 2010, he took a week off from the hustle and bustle of L.A to return to Lake Huron, and it was on those same banks that he learnt to play guitar on, that he recorded three songs that he’d been working on over the past several months. Those three songs would later comprise the entirety of the “Into The Sun” E.P, which he released onto the internet by June and dispersed some CD copies of the E.P into the merch stalls of some California music festivals, one of which fell into the hands of the San Francisco based music blogger Yours Truly. With the blog’s promotion the songs started to get a lot of people’s attention, and in November, Scheider put out his second E.P, “Mighty”.
As the attention around the Lord Huron project grew, Schneider decided to combine what he knew about ARG’s with his growing reputation as a musician. However, soon he was faced with a far more traditional problem for a solo artist. His newfound fans wanted him to go on tour, and he didn’t have a band. He called the only musicians he knew, some childhood friends of his who’d formed a band called Okemos, and went out on their first set of tour dates soon afterwards. Soon afterwards, he made his first music video for the band’s song “The Stranger” and released it in January 2011, the enigmatic effort alluding to a lot of what would later become the bands fictional backstory.
The band continued touring and performing for the rest of 2011, building up a strong reputation as a quality live act and by January 2012, they had signed to IAMSOUND Records. Their debut album “Lonesome Dreams” was released in the same year, and ever since then, the band have been one of the most genuinely fascinating acts in modern rock. The music stands up on its own merits but it’s the trappings around it that are truly astonishing, a silencing answer to the criticism that, in today’s internet based only music culture, we’ve lost touch with the mystique of rock and roll. They’re a band that could never have really existed until now, and they’re genuinely pushing the boundaries of what a rock and roll band is capable of. For that, they come highly recommended.
The pair came together in 2004, whilst they were both studying at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, US, with Matt Johnson taking keyboard duties whilst Kim Schifino played drums. Developing their sound through live performances, touring with the likes of Meneguar, the duo soon attracted the attention of the I Heart Comix label. Their self-titled debut album then appeared in 2006, followed by several festival appearances at the likes of Siren Music Festival and Lollapalooza which helped build a cult following into the following year.
Continuing to tour relentlessly in the following years, Matt and Kim still found time to head to the studio in 2009 to record their second full-length, "Grand," which was released on their new label, Fader. Breaking into Billboard's mainstream album chart at number 165, Matt & Kim had started to find a growing number of fans outside of their cult following.
Their third record, "Sidewalks" was released only a year later, with the album becoming a critical and commercial success, peaking at number 30 in the Billboard 200. The album's strength was bolstered by the duo's provocative video for the single, "Lessons Learned," in which the pair wander around the streets of New York City completely nude, before eventually running into the police.
"Lightning" saw Matt & Kim take over production duties for the 2012 release, also creating an album of remixes from the album released the following year. A fifth record proceeded in 2015, "New Glow," with anticipation building after the release of the lead single, "Get It."
Almost psychotic in his intense delivery Tyson, the lead for The All American Rejects begins his set acapella. He rolls on the ground writhing with his own seeming insanity before springing to his feet as the rest of the band begins playing. Waiting until the crowd is involved he begins stopping at almost random places in the song and allowing the audience to finish his phrases.
Tyson struts across the stage seemingly boneless and possessed by the music. He never misses a beat and seems to project an almost insane persona. Wide eyes he blows kisses to the crowd and grins like a Cheshire cat reveling in the screams of his fans. For his next song he is less animated but his eyes express so much more emotion. He stares into the audience and though he appears unseeing his eyes bore into my chest.
Mike and Chris have similar stares and their faces are screwed up with effort. It seems as if they are pushing the music from their very being rather than playing instruments. It is hard to tell where the musician begins and the instrument ends but in the moment I don't care for such details. Even when less animated Chris gestures almost frantically with his arms punctuating riffs, notes, and phrases and seemingly offering them to the audience. The experience is intense, emotional, and outside of the bounds of sanity. Limits mean nothing to this band and they are willing to rock you into oblivion with their passion.
Religious associations aside, Lord Huron concerts are sacred experiences. The five-piece indie folk band manages to create an otherworldly sound complete with bells, theremins, marimbas, and other instruments uncommon to the typical music of their genre while remaining relatively unassuming and pure.
Having been named for the expansive body of water, Lord Huron’s music clearly draws from elements of nature and its sense of endlessness. The sound is atmospheric and full enough to carry across amphitheaters should the band find that level of success, but Lord Huron has a history of playing smaller and more intimate venues that are then completely immersed in the intensity of the performance. The movement and spirituality of Lord Huron’s songs are felt through the entire audience. For me, their shows evoke fond memories of nights spent under the stars, and I truly believe anyone can find in them some degree of sentimental value.
Lead vocalist Ben Schneider’s voice is hauntingly beautiful in songs like “The Ghost On The Shore” without overpowering the rich instrumentation he narrates, but the harmonious vocals of “She Lit A Fire” create a modern adaptation of classic American Folk music.
It’s difficult to describe a Lord Huron show without including pretentious phrases like “moves your soul” or “out-of-body experience,” but those witness it will find there are few better words.
I was so excited to see Matchbox Twenty and I definitely was not disappointed. I grew up listening to their music and "Unwell" was probably the first song I ever knew all the words to. The Matchbox Twenty concert I was a part of wasn't like some crazy party. There weren't giant mosh pits and people jumping all around but it was special. It really felt like you were a part of something. The band, especially Rob Thomas (the lead singer), really wanted you to have fun. You could tell that they had fun too. Rob loved the words he was singing and the band loved the songs they were playing. They had a good mix of their earlier and later songs. It was almost impossible not to shout out all the words you knew to the songs. It really was impossible for anyone there to not be enjoying it. I think another important thing about a Matchbox Twenty concert is that the fanbase is not composed of people who could ruin your experience. No one there is going to make you feel uncomfortable. The fans aren't there to get super drunk or high. They're there to listen to the music they love and that makes for a great atmosphere.
Every Matt & Kim concert is an adventure, putting your life in the hands of a rabid, ridiculously enthusiastic crowd. You will emerge from the mosh pit (that is to say, anywhere on the concert floor - there is no safe zone) sweaty, battered, bruised, and elated. The couple is known for their crazy concert antics, and they never disappoint, interacting with the crowd for every song and turning even their non-hits into musical events. Kim, especially, the powerhouse of the couple, absolutely refuses to sit still, jumping around the instruments, standing on her drum kit, and crowd-surfing. (crowd twerking?!) while at times you may fear for your life in the kicking, waving bunch of fans, even someone unfamiliar with their music will find it impossible to not enjoy the sheer energy and excitement they bring to the show. There are sing-alongs galore, 90s hip-hop interludes, and dance breakdowns to spare. Needless to say, it's not a show to take your parents (or your kids) to, but it's an endlessly memorable one. Matt and Kim both encourage and sass their screaming fans, mocking them (ok, us) for our cheers and enthusiasm but also raking it in. Still, they keep the onstage banter going in between - and even during - songs, making for a show that is not just musically memorable but funny as well. As expected, their music is by no means "thoughtful" or particularly impressive from a creative standpoint, but it IS flat-out fun while staying just a bit edgy and their concerts reflect that perfectly.
Fun concert! Excited to see how Lucy and her band will grow and perfect their sound. Performed a new tune and played for about an hour. Great show along with Julien Baker who came on after.
The boys CRUSHED their First Ave headliner show. Lars crowd surfed on top of Bob the inflatable swan, they brought out a choir and horn section for Wake Up, and they played a couple of unreleased tracks. What a night.
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