Results tagged “Islands” from Fade Away Never

Vapours (September 22, 2009), is the Islands upcoming third studio album release.  Jamie Thompson has returned for the album.  Thompson was involved in their debut, Return to the Sea (2006), but departed "amicably from the group shortly after the album was released, and 2007's Arm's Way found the band turning in a new direction towards lushly orchestrated, guitar-driven prog-rock."  Their record label Anti- claims the album as "a record that flits back and forth between moody synthesizers and drum-machine-heavy beats, while remaining firmly rooted in the classic pop sensibilities and multitude of melodic hooks that Islands is known for.  This is the group's most stunning work to date." 

"No You Don't" seems a tale of a drug addict looking for his fix.  Usually when people write lyrics, it is about some turmoil they are going through.  For the band to write lyrics regarding crushing, sniffing, and injecting variations of drugs, can't be a good sign for the sobriety of these musicians.  Life on the road can be a constant struggle in fighting temptations.  People constantly throwing drugs and themselves at you, make it quite difficult to be prude and sober.  The content is quite heavy but the sound is automatically addicting.  

TOUR DATES: (* w/ Jemina Pearl - former Be Your Own Pet singer)

08-19 Bell House - Brooklyn, NY

08-22 Sunset Junction Street Fair - Los Angeles, CA

10-09 Roseland Ballroom - New York, NY

10-19 Chop Suey - Seattle, WA *

10-23 Bottom of the Hill (day show) - San Francisco, CA

10-24 The Troubador - West Hollywood, CA *

10-27 Mohawk - Austin, TX *

10-28 Rubber Gloves - Denton, TX *

More Tour Dates here.

MP3: Islands - No You Don't.mp3

A couple of recent likable albums on heavy rotation are the Islands' Arm's Way (May 20, 2008) and Death Cab for Cutie's Narrow Stairs (May 9, 2008).  When I am old and wrinkly I will listen to these two albums and think of this summer. 

The Islands have mastered the essence of timing.  They know when to slim down their heavy guitar and drum sounds to let their songs breath.  Particularly in "Abominable Snow" they tend to alter tempo changes to allow for empty space.  They perfect these dynamics by sometimes playing simpler guitar tremors then a few seconds later playing more aggressively and faster.  Singer Nicholas Thorburn is very descriptive with his gory lyrics.  He tends to talk about blood, guts, death, and body parts.  Nonetheless the album is diverse and interesting. 

Another impressive album is Death Cab's Narrow Stairs.  Their most notable album to date is Transatlanticism (2003) and after their last upsetting album Plans (2005) I had almost given up on these boys.  Much to my chagrin I purchased their new album anyways.  It was a pleasant refurbished surprise.  This album, Ben Gibbard seems to talk about personal failures instead of the more mythical lyrics he has used previously.  An open diary that a listener always thrives for, to be let into the psyche of the writer's personal life.  A nice production add-in is how they fade from one song directly into the next.  A trick they used on Transatlanticism between the songs "Tiny Vessels" and "Transatlanticism."  It's also shed on this album between "You Can Do Better Than Me" and "Grapevine Fires."

Death Cab TOUR DATES in CA: (with Rogue Wave)

06-20 SDSU Open Air Theatre - San Diego, CA

06-23 Nokia Theatre - Los Angeles, CA

MP3: Death Cab for Cutie - Long Division (Seattle Session).mp3

Side Note:

There will be a Sigur Rós ticket presale at 9am EST on June 20, 2008 through their website. 

Sigur Rós TOUR DATES in CA: (more dates will be added)

10-01 Copley Symphony Hall - San Diego, CA

10-02 The Greek Theatre - Los Angeles, CA