CMJ » Genna Al Tai

BMI Showcase @ Arlene’s Grocery: October 20

Genna Al Tai — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 17:32:50 +0000

The Young Evils, photo by Chris Becker

The BMI showcase graced Arlene’s Grocery on Day Three of CMJ 2011, and what started off as mellow turned into pure raucousness. One of the earlier acts in the evening, St. Louis’s Pernikoff Brothers did a pretty stellar job of warming up the crowd with its fluid folk-rock. Consisting of brothers Tom and Rick along with pal Dan Germain, the Pernikoff Brothers held everyone’s attention with rich, slow-paced melodies. Included in the group’s set was the track “On My Way,” which was one of its more energetic songs of the evening.

As Arlene’s continuously got busier (making it increasingly hard to get a drink), the night continued on with Seattle’s the Young Evils. With some beautifully constructed melodies and pretty hilarious lyrics, the Young Evils picked up where the Pernikoff Brothers left off. A strong stage presence and chemistry definitely added depth to the Young Evils’ performance, and lead singer Mackenzie Mercer showed off her vocal variety with songs like “Dead Animals” and “Touchtone Lovers.” Though the set only lasted for about 15 minutes, the members of the Young Evils definitely had their say and were able to seriously warm up Arlene’s with their easy-going charm.

Next on Arlene’s roster was the Brooklyn-based band Ambassadors. Made up of members Sam Harris, Casey Harris, Noah Feldshuh and Adam Levin (note: different from the Maroon 5, Adam Levine), Ambassadors exuded a charm that was equal parts Young The Giant and Born Ruffians. During its set, the band played some upbeat pop tracks that included “Unconsolable” and “Falls,” which definitely showed off the vocal gusto of the lead singer. As its set progressed, Arlene’s was at capacity and the atmosphere definitely picked it up a notch with the band’s happy-go-lucky style of pop. With good sound quality and a warm stage presence, Ambassadors is definitely a band to stalk during the madness that is CMJ 2011.

All photos by Chris Becker

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Lissie @ Webster Hall: January 28, 2011

Genna Al Tai — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 17:31:26 +0000

Photos by Zev Shmitz

This past summer, I was fortunate enough to get to talk to Lissie over the phone and ask her about her upcoming album Catching A Tiger. Now seeing her live, Lissie’s stage presence was just what I’d expect coming from the polite, humorous, patient and generally mild mannered songstress I got to speak with.

On stage, the singer was gracious and funny; a rare find in today’s music industry, where silicone and sparkles reign supreme. Lissie’s first song of the evening, “Wedding Bells” showcased her voice beautifully and she might have actually done a better job than Hank Williams did with his original.

One of the most impressive aspects of Lissie’s performance was the speed in which she could punch out her lyrics. Though her songs tend to be soft and melodic, Lissie’s performance was energetic and animated. After she performed “Loosen the Knot” and “In Sleep,” it became clear to the audience that it was nearly impossible to ever hate this woman. It seemed like she actually possessed—gasp—an affection for her fans. For her encore, Lissie performed “Oh Mississippi” and “Pursuit of Happiness,” which resulted in eruptions. As the show was starting to wrap up, I heard a couple of 50-something year-old men (an unexpected site in Webster Hall) exclaim how much they liked Lissie. Well, with her harmless sass and obvious talent, who wouldn’t?

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I Was A King – Old Friends

Genna Al Tai — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 12:39:53 +0000

Ever since its 2007 debut, I Was A King has been heralded as a producer of jovial, carefree power pop. Old Friends, the Norwegian duo’s third album, is a testament to this with its wondrous brass orchestration and folksy vocals. Frontman Frode Strømstad has a way of incorporating melodies from the ’60s and ’90s indie pop to produce something that sounds both vintage and experimental. Compared to the likes of Teenage Fanclub and Dinosaur Jr., I Was A King has a little of the Shins and Sufjan Stevens in its music as well. That could partly be due to the fact that the very man himself, Mr. Stevens, collaborated with I Was A King in previous projects.

Hailing from Egersund, Norway, it’s curious how I Was A King chose New Jersey to record its third album. Recording in Daniel Smith’s Familyre Studios in Clarksboro, NJ, the whole process took less than a week. As a result, Old Friends is a wonderfully put together album that is reminiscent of I Was A King’s old work, but features some unexpected experimentation. Spanning from 15 second “Kontari” to appropriately drawn out “Learning To Fly,” I Was A King is skilled in the art of hypnotism. As you listen to Old Friends, you can’t help but get lost in its guitar rhythms and upbeat, pristine vocals. Showing the listener just that, “The Wylde Boys” showcases the band’s talent in mixing hazy, thumping guitar with bouncy pop melodies. Another stellar track on Old Friends, “Here To Stay” offers a more mellow approach to the duo’s music and seems to teeter on the edge of folk pop. In terms of instruments, I Was A King basically uses everything from violins to banjos to trombones. An album that uses so much in so little time, Old Friends has everything to offer.

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Monotonix – Not Yet

Genna Al Tai — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 12:55:36 +0000

Banned from many of its hometown venues, Tel Aviv’s Montonix has returned to rock the western hemisphere with its latest album, Not Yet. Escaping the suffocating confines of its homeland’s noise policies, Montonix decided to tour the United States and Europe alongside bands that include Silver Jews and Ted Leo And The Pharmacists. Known for its raucous live shows and eye opening stage antics, Monotonix is the very definition of pandemonium. But just because the band likes to set its equipment on fire does not mean they don’t take their music seriously.

Monotonix’s second full length album, Not Yet, has all the thumping energy of debut Where Were You When It Happened? At times, Not Yet could do with some variation, but lead singer Ami Shalev does a smashing job at keeping up with the full throttle pace of the band’s latest work. Recorded by engineering extraordinaire Steve Albini (Nirvana, Pixies), Not Yet epitomizes the band’s don’t-give-a-damn persona. Amongst hazy guitar rhythms and pounding beats, Shalev has a vast vocal range that can go from a well trained scream to a drawn out growl. “Nasty Fancy” sets the mood with melodic grunting and constant unrest; “Give Me More” also exhibits some uncontrollably fast vocals and epitomizes the energy of Monotonix. Alas, the listener only gets a time-out with their very last track “Late Night,” where Shalev and company put the breaks thumping vivacity that makes up the rest of Not Yet. Montonix’s latest installment is just as spirited as its live shows, but doesn’t include all the sweat and fear of burning to death.

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Q&A: Young The Giant Has Stories To Tell

Genna Al Tai — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 17:14:34 +0000

Hailing from Irvine, California, Young The Giant, made up of Sameer Gadhia (vocals), Jacob Tilley (guitar), Eric Cannata (guitar/vocals), Payam Doostzadeh (bass) and Francois Comtois (drums/vocals), first met in high school where band the members played at local venues and contributed to their thriving local music scene. Since then, YTG released its very first album, Young The Giant (Roadrunner), and had the good fortune to work with music legend, Joe Chicarrelli (My Morning Jacket, the Shins). With a couple of outstanding sets at CMJ Music Marathon 2010, Young The Giant has proven itself, time and time again, to be comprised of a bunch of energetic live performers.

Despite the attention, Young The Giant seems to be taking the road to success one step at a time. Lead singer and YTG lyricist, Sameer Gadhia, explains what that’s been like so far.

One of the first things that struck me is that you’re such a diverse band, ethnically speaking. There’s some Indian, Persian and French thrown in there. How have your varying backgrounds influenced your music?
Although there is no deliberate funneling from our ethnic backgrounds (Middle Eastern bastardizations of Islamic prayer, or MIDI controlled tabla beats), I really believe the cultures that we represent and feel a part of have influenced the more subtle aspects of our writing. The narratives that enrich the driving forces of our descendants [and] the stories of our parents and how we were raised has much to do with the music we were weaned on; the lyrics and melodies that struck a chord with our old stories. Our backgrounds create a mesh of what makes us tick, and therefore provide stories for us to tell.

Young The Giant includes some pretty poetic lyrics. To what extent have you drawn from past experiences to create a lot of your songs?
For me, the lyrics process is a mix of conscious substance and nonsensical spontaneity. Sometimes the most heartfelt lyrics come directly from the subconscious without the need of thinking. Often, I start with one true phrase or line of a song. From there, I extend the phrase into a whole story; one that I might have been a part of, or perhaps one I imagined a fictional hero, or villain. Often, these stories tell of secret inhibitions and the desire to break from self-imposed walls. Sometimes they are just good old-fashioned love stories.

For your debut album you got to work with music legend Joe Chiccarelli, who has worked with greats like Tori Amos and the Strokes. What was it like working with someone with his amount of expertise?
At first it was scary and intimidating. We were criticized in ways we had never even thought of, and were constantly pushed to reach the next level. Looking back on it, none of us will ever forget the experiences we shared with Joe. He shaped us into better musicians, performers, and songwriters. It was also great fun hearing his stories about Bono, Jay-Z and Elton John. As Kanye says: “Bow in the presence of greatness.”

You’re signed to a metal-oriented label, but your sound is a far cry from Megadeath. Why did you pick these guys, and how’s that going for you so far?
We don’t believe in judging a book by its cover, especially if most of those other books with novelty names are just, well, a novelty. Roadrunner might be new to the game of alternative/indie (whatever that means) music, but they have a group very passionate and serious about our endeavor. They also have balls, and are willing to take risks. We respect that, in the light of an industry as manically anxious as a rampant gambler running from his bookie debts.

You’ve lived in a lot of different places. Did this inspire your music in any way?
We spent a full year writing the album. It was a very consuming process, and so naturally, our music was affected by the places we hung our hats at night. The songs we wrote at the beach, and the songs that harnessed the mentality of the beach (“Strings”, “12 Fingers,” etc.) are much lighter and more carefree, but are still drenched in a numbingly warm goo of foolishness in that carpe diem, How I Learned To Love The Bomb sort of way. We remember the times when we just sat at the beach, knowing the world was passing us by without a care, our brains cleaned with the splash of the surf. The times back in the suburbs of Irvine paint a more self-conscious, almost mournful and autumnal portrait of time (“Apartment,” “God Made Man,” “I Got”). Living in L.A. brought out the night in all of us (“My Body,” “St. Walker,” “Islands,” “Guns Out”).

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Acorn – No Ghost

Genna Al Tai — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 21:43:59 +0000

The latest Acorn album has the good graces to make the surroundings of its listener seem a little more rustic and Canadian (it was recored in a cabin up there), regardless of whether that listener is in the middle of Staten Island or is in a hut somvewhere on the Russian steppes. It opens with “Cobbled From Dust,” which sets the scene with its melancholic and realistic lyrics. Recovering from solemn songs like “Restoration” and “On The Line,” “Bobcat Goldwraith” is a loving little number with a balance of wind instruments and percussion. The entirety of No Ghost is filled with poetic verses about the usual triumphs and failures of love, and taken together amounts to an emotionally mature piece of work with a healthy amount of upbeat, exciting tracks to go with it.

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Israel Unlimited Showcase @ DROM, October 20, 2010

Genna Al Tai — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 11:00:17 +0000

It was a very kosher showcase at DROM NYC last night. Performing on the second night of CMJ, acts like Ivri Lider and Sagol 59 took to the stage to show off some of the best up and comers in the Israeli music scene. DROM itself is a pretty interesting venue. Situated in what seems like a basement at first, the music hall is misleadingly large inside.

One of the finest acts of the evening, Carusella, had a magnetic stage presence. There was a decent amount of hair flicking and head bobbing, but that wasn’t the sole reason why she was good. On top of some pretty intense guitar chords, the lead singer’s vocals were a good match for the spacious venue, and her voice carried out beautifully. Coming from Tel Aviv, Carusella is set to tour all of Europe this upcoming January, but they tore it up Stateside.

Another eye-catching performance came from Tamar Eisenman, who also calls herself “Eisenwoman.” Standing in the crowd, you definitely felt the girl power as Eisenman played some pretty impressive guitar chords. Maybe a mandatory year in the military isn’t such a horrible thing after all.

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