Band of the Week: LITE

[27 四月 - 3 五月]
LITE
Sounds Like: Math Rock
Drinking Buddies: Piglet, Giraffes? Giraffes!, Minus the Bear
Synopsis: 狂気のロック・ミュージック! 十分に言われる。
Makes You Want To...: ギター; 考える; 狂気に行きなさい。
[マイスペース]



This month, Voilà! is covering foreign bands!
1 日の週、聞くべき1 バンド。典型的なルーチンを知っている。
This week, the featured artist is LITE.


We've been to Sweden. We've been to Iceland. We've even been to South Africa. With Voilà!'s band of the week articles, all this month, we've glanced at some of the wildly eclectic, extremely unique music that comes from the rest of the world. And oddly enough, all of this music is in the English language, easily one of the most commonly spoken languages throughout the world. And once again, our opportunity at voyeurism to our foreign friends is coming to an end. But never fear, for there is one more glimpse set for us.

This is a band who should speak Japanese. But they don't sing. They don't need to. Language is not an advantage to their music - it is simply another cumbersome addition, and moreso, an unnecessary addition. Their name is LITE. Hailing from Tokyo, this math rock quartet has begun to make their name in the music world through a progressive sense of independent thinking and vibrant individuality. And it's working.

Their ensemble had its beginnings quite a long time ago, back in 2003, playing here and there, crafting their art and style. 4 years later, they're prepared to unleash a maelstrom of sound that they call music. Very intricate, very exact, very planned, LITE plays their own version of modern, instrumental math rock. Hasty and unrestrained, LITE pours out a fast paced and erratic, yet well constructed guitar taps and drum beats. Musical meals served in perfect portions, fast by themselves, but filling together. It's not a chance for your imagination to run wild, but for the imagination to enter a full-on sprint. LITE makes your mind hustle!

Presently, LITE is on tour. They'll play one last show in Tokyo before travelling across the Pacific to the United States! They'll be playing in New York City, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Cleveland Heights, and Detroit; if you're in the area, you're definitely not going to want to miss these shows. Then the quartet is back to Japan for more local shows in Tokyo and elsewhere in the land of the Rising Sun. They released their first LP, Filmlets, back in 2007, and quickly followed it with their sophomore release, Phantasia, the next year. Their latest is Live In Leeds, and you can snag this among their other albums right from iTunes! Or feel very free to visit LITE's Myspace, right over here.

Band of the Weeks: Dirty Skirts

[13-19 Apríl]
Dirty Skirts
Sounds Like: Indie-Pop
Drinking Buddies: Kings of Leon, Bright Light Fever, Interpol
Synopsis: Who says indie pop can't be enjoyed by everyone?
Makes You Want To...: sing; go on a roadtrip, read fiction.
[Myspace]



This month, Voilà! is covering foreign bands!
One week, one band. You know the drill.
This week, the featured artist is Dirty Skirts.


I admit, I found an anomaly in this year's grouping of foreign bands. I'm reviewing four different ones, of course. But as it seems, three of the four are anglophonic! How strange, eh?; I search out for some great choices in foreign music, and only one speaks a different language but English. But who says that's necessarily a bad thing? Maybe that further shows the blending of our international cultures. Maybe that shows exactly how closely we're moving together as a society in our digitally thriving, Twitter-oriented world. Maybe we... oh what the hell, let's talk music.

And we're talking African music today, my dear reader. No, no, not Esau Mwamwaya - Malawian remix-hip-hop might be on the far end of the spectrum (but amazing nonetheless). And we're not talking the ethnic African tribal music either. We're talking modern; we're talking unique and inspired; we're talking Cape Town, South Africa; we're talking about the Dirty Skirts.

Yeah, that's right - they're called The Dirty Skirts. This South African quartet hails from the southern coasts of the continent, and are all about bringing some serious indie rock. In a very Soft Pack sort of way, the Dirty Skirts present a very steady, progressive style of rock without the additives. Uncomplicated and endearing, with a focus on electric instruments and well written lyrics, the Dirty Skirts bring an African sound without playing off any foreign cliché of how African music should sound. They represent a sound similar to Interpol, a sound begging to get more attention.

The Dirty Skirts are world travelers, that's for certain. They have a respectable fanbase in the UK, and are quickly building one in the United States with promotion as well as performances at certain musical events called South by Southwest. But for now, the Dirty Skirts remains in Africa, entertaining their local lovelies in and around Cape Town. They currently have three albums, including their eponymous release, as well as On a Stellar Bender, and their latest release, Daddy Don't Disco. You can fetch these on emusic, or even on iTunes if you prefer. And of course they have a Myspace! Check out their stuff - may I recommend "Homewrecker?" - and have a wonderful weekend.

Review: Chase This Light - Jimmy Eat World

When people think of the band Jimmy Eat World (and by people, I mean the average music enthusiast, not hardcore fans), the tune of "The Middle" pops into their head, and they envision a pop-rock band from eight years ago, not knowing that they've since released two amazing records, and before had three others less noticed. True, the hit single did land them in the realm of stardom, allowing many, me included, passage to their great music. But after Bleed American (since retitled simply Jimmy Eat World), and the follow-up hit album Futures, comes their best record yet in Chase This Light, which was released in October of 2007 (but never too old to review it).

The album begins with the single "Big Casino", obviously the most recognizable of all eleven tracks, but also probably the most "rock" song on the record. As the album progresses, we are delighted by a very balanced array of sounds from slower melodies-- "Gotta Be Somebody's Blues" -- to the more upbeat, pop-rock hits like "The Middle"-- "Always Be", "Carry You", "Here it Goes", etc. It may seem vague, and somewhat unoriginal to say that an album is very widely spread, but it is nothing less than true when it comes to Chase This Light, when one second you are rocking out to a great chorus, the next the drums have disappeared and you are merely being serenaded by intense guitar and vocals.

What stands out so much about this album, at least to me, is how easy it is to listen to. Not one song comes across to me as least favorite, but rather each song begs to be my favorite after each listen. Furthermore, not only does it flow incredibly from song to song, they all sound amazingly happy-- that is, as the sun begins to shine increasingly more in beautiful Oregon, I can listen to the entire album through over and over while never ceasing to smile and bang my head in time. Currently, and probably for a long time, my true favorite song is "Always Be", whose chorus is just so uplifting that I can't help but mouth the lyrics every time they come up. But, as I said, each song is so great that to choose a favorite is meaningless. It's followed by "Carry You", which seems to get better as the song goes on, and hits a peak as the last chorus ends-- this is typically where Jimmy Eat World (or JEW for short) is at their best, when the song has been building for a few minutes, they seem to just outdo themselves and an explosion of emotion breaks out.

The song to follow this one, "Electable (Give it Up)", again repeats my frustration, a very catchy lyric repeating "give it up!" throughout the song. "Gotta Be Somebody's Blues" is kind of jammed in between the ten faster, upbeat, songs, but not to say that it is out of place. The song alone demands respect with its attention to detail, a great skill JEW employs throughout their softer songs, adding to them beautiful lyrics, and some cool effects to brighten them up. "Feeling Lucky" acts as sort of a reprise of "Let it Happen" or "Electable", retreating to the upbeat pop-rock song, and again employing great harmony vocals. "Here it Goes", along with "Chase This Light", and "Firefight", act as great builder-ups to the finale-- each have very catchy choruses, particularly "Here It Goes". "Dizzy", the last track, is the dream of all pop-rock drummers (like me), not too fast, but not too slow, a perfect tempo to play to. If I had to choose a 2nd favorite, it might be this song-- not only does it use great drum technique, the lyrics are great, the chord progression is perfect, and like all JEW songs, the chorus is just right for the rest of the song. I especially enjoy the lyrics, "I tried, but it rang and rang / I called all night. On a pay-phone, remember those / from another life."

I highly recommend this album, along with the rest of their discography. But personally, having been a fan of theirs for a long time, and being well versed in their collection, I love this album the most. I cannot stress enough how well this album plays together, from start to finish-- not a moment of dissatisfaction, not a second of displeasure, just insanely catchy, pop-rocky genius for 40 minutes straight. And what's not to love about that?

Video: "Stripes" - Bell Orchestre

Ahhh!!!


Reader, dear reader, I've got to be really frank here. I hate thunderstorms. With either an immense fear or an obscene naïvety, I simply can not stand the wild and wicked tempests that often frequent the North Texas area. It's not the rain, I swear; it can rain all the live long day, and I'll be in a great mood; a good shower is wonderful. The lightning... the thunder... for me, in any case, that would be the "different story." Blasts of electricity and loud clapping explosion sounds are not intriguing to me. Sorry.

But there is beauty in that which is terrifying, that's for sure. Lightning can be incredibly gorgeous; Bell Orchestre knows this. The Montréal collective recently put out their latest album, As Seen Through Windows, and the electrifying, invigoratingly eclectic album springs melodies so imaginative, they'll have you spinning in circles. But I digress - on the aforementioned album, the introductory song is humbly titled "Stripes." This introductory song is the imaginative single for Bell Orchestre's new album, as they introduce their latest video.

In the video, Bell Orchestre offers us the beauty of thunderstorms. As the songs goes straight into the rhythms of strings, a fusillade of vibrant lightning photography is broadcasted faster than you can imagine. And it turns the almost completely random, violent bolts of electricity, into less of a science, and more of an interpretive dance. This is the point of the discussion where it becomes difficult to describe the beauty of instrumental music paired with eye-shockingly beautiful imagery. It's something you don't want to miss. Visit Bell Orchestre on Myspace. They even have a Facebook! But most intriguing is this video. Watch "Stripes" on Voilà! right now; maybe your imagination can dance like lightning.


Bell Orchestre - Stripes

Band of the Week: Sprengjuhöllin

[13-19 Apríl]
Sprengjuhöllin
Sounds Like: Indie-Pop
Drinking Buddies: Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, Andrew Bird, Fanfarlo.
Synopsis: Hvers vegna svo alvarlegur, Sigur Rós og Björk. Gleðja!
Makes You Want To...: singur; ganga í garðurin; dansa.
[Myspace]



This month, Voilà! is covering foreign bands!
Einn vika, einn band. Þú vita venjain.
This week, the featured artist is Sprengjuhöllin.


Iceland. How much do you know about it? Sure, it has long held the title of best standard in living in the entire world for quite some time. Yeah, I guess their economy kind of collapsed recently. But that's not what I mean for you to think about when I motion my query. I want to know what you know about this mysterious, curious country lost between North America and Europe, placed firmly on the black coloured, volcanic soil that was first colonized by those old Norse. I'm asking how much you know of the unique people, culture, and language; think about it! These are the folks whom are odd enough to eat wild puffin, as well as brave enough to eat slátur; these are the folks whom are used to things like geothermal heating and the Ring Road; these are the folks whom who are cool enough to still use a Þ [thorn] in their language, and have the most complicated sounding names I've heard of: example, Ísafjördður (which I think means "Isaf's Fjord").

Musically, we've been exposed to brief glimpses of the mysterious interior of Iceland. There is Björk, with her eclectic electronica and ether-esque music which makes you scratch your head and wonder. Her liberalism and activism is a fresh take on the rest of the world, a perspective that could only have been fostered in the lonely Icelandic lands. Then there's Sigur Rós, the wildly esoteric post-rock band which surpasses any and all expectations of understanding. Sometimes they sing in their native tongue; sometimes they don't sing in a real language at all. But all their music represents the modest culture, yet overpowering, lonely, desolate beauty of Iceland. But with all this heavy, thought-filled music, one might think that the Icelandic people are all a serious lot, who don't know how enjoy themselves with a proper bit of silliness.

And how far from the truth that is. A truth that Sprengjuhöllin hopes to make very much evident. Sprengjuhöllin hails from the Icelandic capitol of Reykjavík, where they hang out and make some of the newest, most novel indie-pop in the Atlantic (as well as elsewhere, of course). Their sound is light and jovial, bringing about a perkier side of Iceland that the more serious musicians can't express in their heavily orchestrated songs.

But don't let these other bands fool you, Sprengjuhöllin is also a very serious band. The quintet got their starts back in 2005, but saw their real successful outburst in 2007. Similar to the build-up of Fanfarlo over in the UK, Sprengjuhöllin released three singles in short succession, and quickly rose in popularity on the Icelandic music scene. Following their singles was the release of their debut, full length LP, Timarnir Okkar, and was met with resounding success, and is now one of the better selling records in the country. They followed this release with their sophomore release in 2008, called Bestu Kveðjur, filled to the brim with more delightful tunes (and a really epic album cover).

You can fetch both Timarnir Okkar and Bestu Kveðjur on iTunes, or you can search around on emusic. Of course, Sprengjuhöllin has a Myspace. The latest news from the Reykjavík collective was about their trip to North America, with the special emphasis on their adventures down in South by Southwest. Besides this, the band has been quite silent. But that shouldn't stop you from enjoying all of their tunes, and even their videos! Even befriend them on Facebook, if that's to your liking.


And in a bit of Voilà! news, expect another feature article on another of the lovely line-up of foreign bands later this week. Until then, dear reader, peace.

John Mayer: Gooted

I'm fast to confide that I'm not particularly well versed in the musical repertoire of pop music phenomenon of John Mayer. Sure, I've heard my fair share, mixed about popular television shows, along with a few movies (I believe), as well as strewn to every corner of the radio music market throughout the states. How could I go without hearing someone so famous, these days? But I can't say that I've ever gone out of my way to personally listen to any of his songs.

No, for certain artists - such as Mr. Mayer - it usually takes a little push, or a different perspective, for me to truly realize their talent. Something outside of the maddening current of the mainstream (which makes Annan Water look like a stream (a Decemberists joke... excuse my nerdiness)). Something, to my eyes and ears, a bit more convincing. Someone with a light, inspirationally novel voice, who's willing to represent his own music to the best of his own ability.

That certain person I'm referencing happens to be Goot. Goot also has this long habit of covering different artists, ranging from his elders, in covers, including Marc Cohn, to a bit more silly covers such as the Backstreet Boys. Yet even though BBS (not the BSS, mind you) gets a spotlight shown on them by Goot, Alex Goot can seem to flawlessly represent them in the most intriguing and gorgeous way on his bubbly piano covers.

This time around, Goot has featured John Mayer himself, in a cover of Mayer's song "Neon." It's all acoustic, of course, a sole, soulful progressive play on piano. He plays it quick and lightly, speeding through the song with soft singing until the halfway point of the song, where the chorus comes in, and Goot happily breaks it down. It's every bit as great as you'd expect Goot to be.

You can check the amazing escapades of Goot out on his Myspace, of course, where's he happily converses with his fans, as well as makes some great music. He's even asking for suggestion on some covers; he loves cheesy pop, especially when it's easily transcribed to piano; why not pay him a visit and a suggestion? He also has a cover Myspace, where he posts his covers - can't go wrong with representing your fellow musicians, right? And sure, maybe you're a more visual person. Don't be disheartened, for Goot has a YouTube for his lovely self, where he posts quite a few covers as well. Tour around the Goot nation, and think of some challenging suggestions for covers for him, eh? Or at very least, check out Alex Goot's cover of "Neon" by John Mayer, righ there on Voià!; you won't be disappointed.

Finding Difficulty In Reality

There are a host of advantages and disadvantages to a music blog like Voilà!.


Here, we tend to do things just a tiny bit different. Us humble writers for Voilà! love to grace your lovely reader self with some of the neatest, most erudite, well written articles we can possibly provide, along with the best of the best news from the music scene. We do so in a very intellectual manner, and our articles are quite top notch and in depth. Sure, anyone can blabber and rant away an opinion to you all the live long day about M.I.A.'s baby's name, and of course you can get some fluffy, shallow, one paragraph long summary of an entire album. But Voilà! wants to go above and beyond such standard practices that are a mockery of the written musical review.

Just one problem... writing can be quite tough! And setting Voilà! to such lofty standards can put us in a pinch sometimes. Okay, yes, we don't exactly update every day. And if last week were any indication, sometimes it's entirely possible that we write next to nothing at all. We're plagued, reader. Plagued by the saddening reality of... well, reality. We're busy folks here, us silly writers. Between school, jobs, and other obligations, it can sometimes get cumbersome to maintain an avid hobby of diligent music literature. We try, but we have our faults too.

I know I certainly do, and we're not talking simply of the slew of grammatical* mistakes I know doubt leave lingering amidst my many articles. I've got a life too, y'know? Between wonderful film watching habits (curse you, Netflix; Heima; Slumdog Millionaire), awkward Japanese literature, (curse you Azumanga Daioh and S.S. Astro), general distractions (curse you Persona 4 and EVE Online), obsessive distractions (curse you, Omegle), a job (curse you, paychecks (jay-kay)), my studies (curse you, higher educational standards), and general living habits (curse you, sleep and hygiene), I for one have a very booked schedule to also maintain properly focused eye on the music that's changing every day. It's tough!

So I sincerely apologize for the lack of happening here on Voilà! in the recent weeks. This is mostly due to the ending of this semester (curse you, college), but it's not excuse to let you - my respectful reader - as they say - proverbially hanging. But come on, if Jeph Jaques can skip a day or two with guest comics and get paid for it, us Voilàians! can skip a few days and slum it. With patience though, I promise Voilà! is going nowhere; picture on a momentary lapse of sanity or a nap. Voilà! still is quite a'buzz with the recent rush of foreign music. Rumour has it that a certain Icelandic band should have a feature article later. I won't say who, to build suspense. I also hear whispers of reviews of several new albums including bands from Reykjavík, Montréal, London, and elsewhere, along with some movie reviews. Intriguing? Definitely.

I'll try to maintain some sort of flimsy schedule as well. How can you help, reader? Well, we're certainly always intrigued in recruiting new writers for Voilà!; drop us a line at [chris.voilamusic@gmail.com], let us know your interest, and maybe you could be a scribe of the musical variety on this silly blog yourself. Not a writer, but have something you'd like others to know about? Send a shout to the same email about a band that's interesting, or an album that's about to drop; the less we as writers have to do for work, the better (the less we have to buy is also a plus). Heck, if you just want to say hello, feel free to email. We're social!

Voilà! also has been trying to spiffy itself up in the downtime. We have a Twitter; did you know? There's an update thingy down there on the right. You can visit here. We also have a brand new What Is Voilà! section; it's still neat and new smelling, like blueberry muffins or new shoes. There's a shoddy concert calendar for the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, which is definitely out of date... it could be useful? How about our brand new label feature, which shows you every Band of the Week article ever! Sweet.

In other news, did you hear about Explosions In The Sky's birthday plans? How about the brand new Not One, But Two EP by Now, Now Every Children? Dallas Does Indie spewing Sword's SPAM all over the place? Fanfarlo's latest announcements on Reservoir b-sides, or that nifty acoustic performance in Simon's flat? C'mon folks, Voilà! may be getting a little lazy, but you've got to keep up! Have a nice week reader. Voilà! will probably show up again later in the week!


*when spell checking, this word was misspelled.

Band of the Week: The Je Ne Sais Quoi

[6 - 12 April]
The Je Ne Sais Quoi
Sounds Like: Indie-Pop
Drinking Buddies: The Boy Least Likely To, The Fine Arts Showcase, The Concretes
Synopsis: Livlig popmusik för dansande!
Makes You Want To...: sjunger; dansande; festa
[Myspace]



This month, Voilà! is covering foreign bands!
En vecka , en band. Du veta rutinen.
This week, the featured artist is The Je Ne Sais Quoi.


Je ne sais quoi, je ne sais quoi! It basically means someone has that "cetain something." And reader, I have found someone who has that je ne sais quoi. Why exactly I have bided my time so long to feature The Je Ne Sais Quoi! Such an injustice it has been, to keep news of such a glorious band. But now, The Je Ne Sais Quoi is leading the way for Voilà!'s foreign band month, where all our bands this month are as far away from the North American continent as you can get. Expect to see a mix of cultures and langauge, as well as some amazing music.

But enough about Voilà!, and more about The Je Ne Sais Quoi. Sure their name is francophonic, but these folks hail from Stockholm, Sweden. This anglophone quintet is all about making bubbly, intriguing, uplifting indie pop. Using a blend of electronics and steady beats, The Je Ne Sais Quoi captures the dance floor under your feet at its most musical. Their tunes are all about getting you body moving, and entrancing your lips to repeat their chorus at least once, if not the whole way through. It's all about invigorating the spirit, and The Je Ne Sais Quoi know exactly what they're doing and how to do it.

The Je Ne Sais Quoi is being a bit silent, as it were, right now. But this is after the grand release of their latest album, Rythmes, filled to the brims with bubbly indie pop. Why of course they have a Myspace!, and they have a lot of treats there just waiting for you to discover. They even released their amazing single, "Making Love With Time," on 12"; your record player has been begging for this EP, I assure you. And if that's not enough for you, wander over to iTunes and snag The Je Ne Sais Quoi's debut album We Make Beginnings. Go check The Je Ne Sais Quoi out! And keep your foreign dictionaries handy all month long, because you'll definitely need them.