Let Our Hoax Eclipse

Drakes Hotel “Let Our Hoax Eclipse” (DH Music)

From the opening tape hiss, programmed drums, and deep throbbing bassline, this new Drakes Hotel album feels classic – like a lost classic post-punk album from the likes of For Against or Comsat Angels, but no, it’s pretty recent.  The fifth Drakes Hotel album was released in November of last year – two years after their amazing Love’s Not Lazy EP – but I am just getting around to writing about it now, because of losing three months of music enjoyment due to health issues.  What a welcome collection of music this is top return to!  This collection is tight, urgent and inspired and their best work since 2007’s Tell Me Everything.

Have you ever left a concert – all energized and amped – to an unknown album being played as exit music on the big speakers with too much bass and wondered to yourself if it may be the best thing you’ve ever heard?  This could be that album.  The first four songs are sheer brilliance lyrically and musically, but it’s not until the album’s middle point, where things slow down a little and we are treated to “Scuffed Hips” and its chorus beginning with a soaring “In that space between us” that the narcotic appeal truly sinks its teeth.  Amelia Drake’s spectacular and otherworldly vocals are as haunting as the dark lyrics, while Chris Y’s guitars are as complex, layered and strikingly catchy as ever.  This is a cohesive and timeless collection high-lighted by the Kitchens of Distinction reminiscent “Nothing of Comfort,” which is utterly beautiful.

I am so thankful that under heard artists such as this Midwestern couple continue to make such inspiring and exciting music.  Now let’s reward them for their efforts with a much larger audience.

(http://www.drakeshotel.band/)

Drakes Hotel "Nothing of Comfort"

All I Remember is Waiting

The Heart Wants

All I Remember is Waiting

(Junefourth)

It was maybe a little over a week ago when I felt like giving up this act I act of writing about music releases that have me currently inspired and excited.  The entire point of writing these things is to help expose musicians to a wider audience.  Of course, silly me, I forgot to go out and find an audience.  However, after either receiving news of upcoming albums by favorite artists, learning about some intriguing new artists, and then picking up a few new items last week, I decided that I just don’t care.  I’m going to share my thoughts anyway and hope to connect at least one person to a band somewhere along the line.  Good music gets me every time.  I cannot shut up.  Amongst the new items, the most immediate release comes from The Heart Wants, because this collection is being released as a digital download only.  So much of the music I buy on vinyl or CD is via mail order, so I often have a lag time between release date and actual arrival.  It’s also immediate in sound and has been on repeat around here for the entirety of the last week.

The debut album from The Heart Wants is actually a solo outing by Chris Y from Omaha’s Drakes Hotel.  If you are one of the only ones out there who have read any of my rough, unschooled music writing over the last several years, you will know that I am a big proponent of this fantastic duo (see references galore here).  Chris Y is the multi-instrumentalist / sound guy from that group, who very occasionally takes over lead vocals, but now we get the opportunity to hear more and not surprisingly, this is really enjoyable.

All I Remember is Waiting is not a far cry from Drakes Hotel, so if you’re already familiar and a fan, this is a must.  What may be the most startling is the sheer pure pop that we are introduced to from the get go.  The opening song, “Astronomical” has the familiar Drakes drum machine and the sparkling meshing of guitars and keyboards, but Chris Y eschews some of the veneer of mystery and intrigue and goes straight for the catchy direct hook and a chorus that is wordy, but still gets lodged into repeat mode into the consciousness.  And don’t get me started on that upwards bound guitar line and the chiming bridge.  This rivals the best pop nuggets of Ian Broudie’s sometimes brilliant Lightning Seeds 25 some odd years ago.  The similar sounding ‘Tales Like Factories” again provides busy breathy harmonies during each verse, before opening up into a direct hit chorus (which features an Amy Drake appearance on backing vocals).  I’ve never so happily sung “your heart dies” to myself so much.  Another three minute upbeat pop single comes along with “Evil Friends,” which closes with a majestic orchestral style keyboard flourish that for some reason reminds me of the beautiful instrumental second half of New Order’s goofy “Every Little Counts” (Brotherhood 1986).

The amazing music and lyrical imagery that help make Drakes Hotel so impressive continues unabated throughout All I Remember is Waiting.  “Leave the Scene” is a mid tempo exploration and reflection about ridding oneself of life’s regrets, mistakes and stumbles.  The clever chorus of “leave the scene on the cutting room floor” is a nice idea, but then we begin to realize that song is really a plea to an unrequited love and the palpable sense of loss and impending heartbreak makes the idea of getting rid of certain “scenes” more urgent.  “Currents in Shade” a dark sounding slow burning song that introduces some striking piano into the musical mix and evokes the darkness of a Joy Division song.  Elsewhere, the piano returns prominently on the album’s dramatic centerpiece, “Stay Home.”  The “Procession”-style keyboard wash of “Stay Home” augments the heavy crashing of piano chords (reminds me of the piano on The Hurting – era Tears for Fears - think “Ideas of Opiates”), but instead of feeling the menace of the oncoming storm, this song provides warmth and comfort, especially when the guitars and drums kick in.

The album closes with two of my favorite songs.  “Amelia” is a combination love song and plea for access into the thoughts and mind of his object of affection.  The dramatic chorus is an alarming juxtaposition to the gliding effortless sounding flow of each verse.  Meanwhile, the perfect set closing “Light is Low’ provides a solemn and resigned farewell.  It leaves the listener satisfied, but filled with lingering thoughts and questions.

Again, if you’re already a fan of Drakes Hotel, this will be right up your alley.  If you’re not, well, you should be.  Word has it that a new Drakes Hotel album is on the horizon, so Chris Y’s foray into creating The Heart Wants album only gives us all a chance to hear more of this incredible music!  Couldn’t ask for more.

(theheartwants.bandcamp.com/releases  or cdbaby.com/cd/theheartwants)

The Heart Wants "Leave the Scene"

 

Love's Not Lazy

It’s fitting that I have spent this entire Sunday so far listening to music.  I just learned that Lou Reed has passed away.  Without the music he and John Cale, Sterling Morrison and Maureen Tucker created as the Velvet Underground, pretty much none of the music I so enjoy today would be the same.  They are the predominant influence for the styles that I generally gravitate – music that can be harsh and pristine at the same time; music that can be simply constructed but filled with complex stories and emotions.  Reed’s influence is so massive that the entire feed of my Facebook page right now is filled with tributes from nearly every artist or band that I “like,” all of them proclaiming a love of his music. 

This sad news came to my attention just as I logged in to my computer to write a new music synopsis.  It is one meant to be an experiment.  Since I’ve started whatever this Blogger page is, I have begun each year with a listing of my favorite records of the prior year.  As each year ends, I wait too long before writing the 40 or so pieces for each artist in the “countdown,” and I always feel stressed and burned out by the end of it.  My goal, at this point (I am not good at promises or proclamations), is to begin 2014 by writing about new music, as it comes into my life, as the year progresses, instead of saving it all up till the end.  My hope is that this will sharpen my writing and listening skills, keep me more connected with the music that inspires me, and lessen the load at year’s end.  I’m certain that I will question my motives for writing about music at all during the several expected points of discouragement that will overtake me along the journey.  Yet, I know that no matter what, it is my love of music and passion for trying to share that love that will keep me returning no matter what – whether I want to or not.  This experiment will change the way I listen to and absorb music and maybe this will reignite my spark.

So, here it goes: The home recording husband and wife duo, Drakes Hotel, currently residing in Iowa, was nice enough to send me an advance copy of their new CD EP and it moved me to try to write a piece about it.  It will be released on November 12^th.

Drakes Hotel

Love’s Not Lazy EP

(DH Music)

Drakes Hotel is on a hot streak!  This five tracker, their first EP, comes a little over a year after their last full length, Logic Adopts Senses (my #17 pick of 2012, seen here), which is ahead of their release every 2-3 years track record.  They must be feeling inspired, because this EP includes some of their best work yet and word has it that they will be releasing a series of EPs in the near future, as well as doing some touring in the new year.

The EP starts off with the extended melancholic “The Night Train Home,” where Amy Drake’s unique, strong and stellar vocals are placed fully out in front of the mysterious and haunting soundscape underneath.  This song would make a perfect soundtrack for a night time train ride - lost in thought, because it absolutely evokes that feeling of reflection and decompression. 

The upbeat “Young Taste” is up next and finds DH getting right to the point with a fairly straightforward rock song that screams single!  The lyrics are thought provoking.  It seems to be spelling out some relationship troubles within each verse, while the chorus (which includes near power chords!) stretches the theme to a potentially more universal problem with relationships in general in a world of social media and over sharing. 

The centerpiece, “Leave It Dark,” includes everything there has ever been to love about this duo.  The sing-a-long chorus is not only full of wisdom, but is catchy as hell, while the simple repeated piano refrain creates a solid tuneful base for Chris Y’s stellar guitar work that reaches for the stratosphere throughout – reminding of the graceful striving cascades that the House of Love created with “Love in a Car’ oh, so many years ago. 

It’s amazing how much variety Drakes Hotel achieves with their modest recording tools, but “Sense Non Sense” is a huge sounding song that is full of open space and an atmospheric keyboard line that instills a sense of intrigue that is so attractive about their music.  Maybe this song would be better served as the hit single with its huge musical climax and its tale of a dying relationship, which is succinctly and memorably told (“We had a lack of progress / on a bed of promise / all we used to be got all fucked up”).

Finally, the EP closes with the dramatic and hopeful sounding “Sick Apart,” which again addresses relationship issues and miscommunication or lack of within, but seems to find that there can still be a strong enough core to survive and even thrive.  When Amy sings near the end “Keep holding me…I’ve wanted you for so long,” it feels as though everything will be alright.

Please do yourself a favor and track down this music (their last three albums can be found at CDBaby.com).  It is a journey well worth the price of admission.

(facebook.com/drakeshotel  /  twitter.com/drakeshotellive)