Brotherly Love Set in Drop D

Bromances aren't hard to find in a city known for it's "brotherly love."

And with close-knit bands like Circa Survive and August Burns Red citing the city as home, it's obvious that there is more to this town than just cheesesteaks and TastyKakes.

Apparently, there are lots of dudes walking around with guitars screaming about their feelings.

PREM!ERE is no exception. Comprised of CAPA High School peers and long-time friends Will Tham (guitar), Jimmy Nghieu (guitar), Gary Le (bass) and Brand Ho (drums). Fully formed in the fall of 2009 with my addition as lead vocalist, it wasn't long before we were relentlessly composing songs and practicing on a weekly basis. 

But as all good things, my time with the band came to an end a year later in 2010, leaving the remaining members to continue where they left off. In the subsequent years, they've secured vocalist Chris Lee and have been promoting themselves across the internet incessantly while booking shows at local venues such as The Legendary Dobbs and the Troc.

Recently I caught up with Jimmy and Chris to discuss cutting their first [self-produced] demo, opening for Hawthorne Heights and the collapse of the local scene:

 
Their first demo is being recorded in their practice space, which affords a lower production cost but comes with it's trials and tribulations.

"It takes Will like two weeks to do recording for just guitar parts [for one song]...It sucks that we don't have like an actual room for recording," Jim stated.

But that's the least of their worries. Booking shows seems to come pretty easily, except for the fact that a lot of their fans can't come.

"The people that like us are either too far away, or they're under twenty-one," Jimmy explains.

But there are good times to be had as well.

The boys revealed their most absurd moment backstage at a show and internet haters (we're looking at you Think Basic). Being an all Asian band, there have been some good and bad reactions. At a show a few months back, some random guy in another band approached them with, "Hey, look, a bunch of Asians! We're gonna do some karate!" Chris recalled.

Laughingly, Jimmy recounted, "We made some guy break another band's clipboard over his head. There were some other bands upstairs and they were doing mailing lists or something. So we were like 'fuck them.'"

And apparently, members of the local rock outfit Think Basic, spammed the PREM!ERE facebook wall with some racist bullshit. But of course, that's the card that gets pulled when the band in question sucks. PREM!ERE's musicianship and instrumentals alone put Think Basic's to shame.

It's like telling Hugh Heffner he's old.

He's still Hugh Heffner.

All in all, PREM!ERE are just a bunch of South Philly kids trying to make something out of nothing. They're on the right track so far and if you jump on the bandwagon now, you can be one of those fans that knew them way back when.

For more info on the band, check out their Facebook, Twitter and Reverb Nation, where you can download free tracks.

Now Playing: Back and Fourth (Demo) 

METRIC: Shutting Up And Carrying On

After hearing and seeing the video for Synthetica's lead single "Youth Without Youth", I was not excited for METRIC's fifth full-length album, Synthetica.

“Youth Without Youth” comes off as synthetic and an almost non-earnest attempt at “being indie.” Prog-rock guitar riffs and heavy synth blended with vocalist Emily Haines’ wispy vocals are just not my idea of a good lead single.

  

Album opener "Artificial Nocturne" is moody and ambivalent, teetering between uptempo melodies and a dark message. Lines like song opener “I’m as fucked up as they come” almost make you question what you can expect from Haines and co for their fifth full-length.

METRIC at the Trocadero Theatre, 2009
copywrite Jess Dooley

It isn’t until track 4, the charming “Breathing Underwater,” that I begin to regain my faith in this album. It reaches back to the Live It Out days, where the band were all delayed guitars, fast tempos and tight instrumentation and Haines’ strongest songwriting moments.

This is not to say I want METRIC to keep making the same album.

But if I had the chance to hear the second coming of Live It Out, an album that was the quintessential woman’s coming of age album from the indie/alternative scene, I’d jump at the chance.

I think the problem with Synthetica is that there is too much experimentation and not enough direction. The (over) production of Haines’ vocals (“Lost Kitten,” “The Void”) strips the airy sweet and raw sound associated with the band and the singer.

But there are a few tracks that salvage the record.



Emily Haines, 2009
copywrite Jess Dooley



“The Void,” “Nothing But Time” and “The Wanderlust” highlight the band's knack for making the indie pop that jumpstarted their career. The album’s title track “Synthetica” has an incredible instrumental and is just fun to listen to when Haines’ lyrics are dissected—it is the perfect underdog anthem (“I’ll never let them make a loser of my soul…I’ll keep the life that I’ve got”).

“Clone” is a nice departure from the faster songs on the album and has a cathartic, relaxing feel to it.

All in all, I’d say I can wait for METRIC’s next release. Synthetic seems like we came in the middle of an extended transitional period.

For more info on the band, check out their website, Twitter and Facebook pages.

--J

Changing Tunes, Changing Times

It felt like there used to be a formula to being an indie music singer-songwriter: Guitar-player + quirky songwriting – strong vocals + an open mic night and volia! Instant circuits opening for other indie bands and before you know it, an independent record label deal. But William Beckett circumnavigated all that by fronting The Academy Is... for 7+ years before the outfit disbanded in 2011.

Unlike most frontmen for bands that break up, Beckett didn't suit up with a new lineup, a pretentious name and break a lot of hearts with how devastatingly bad their first release was before they, too, broke up.

He started fresh.

As a solo artist.

Like many musicians in the alternative scene, William Beckett is getting older.

Even with his public persona, it was apparent that Beckett had an equally vivid personal life.

He became a father in 2008 and was investing serious time in that aspect of his life with his time off.

But it is said that it is particularly hard to walk away from touring.

The hunger just grows inside an artist.

To walk away from the career you've started is something no one should have to find out and I bet William wasn't looking to start down that road anytime soon. 

Especially after being dropped from the Fueled By Ramen label he'd been signed to for nearly 8 years with TAI.

In April, after a year of writing, Beckett released the Walk The Talk EP with a brief video documentary supporting his decision to continue writing and playing music.

He traveled and played in Manila, the UK, and all over the US for crowds of fans.

And last month, Beckett released his second EP of the year, Winds Will Change.

With both EPs, listeners get to see the side of Beckett that was missing from The Academy Is... He showcases much more of his heart-on-his-sleeve nature, which is refreshing when we think back to Santi.

The only thing I'd like for William to return to is his more descriptive, almost story-telling songwriting style.

Both EPs have high peaks ("You Never Give Up" from Walk and "Dig A Hole" from Winds) but I'm not completely sold yet.

And that is what full lengths are for. So patiently we shall wait for news on when Beckett's first solo album will debut.

For more news on William Beckett's trajectory, follow him on Twitter | YouTube | Tumblr.

Now Playing: Scarlet (Tokyo) - William Beckett | Winds Will Change EP

--J

Reveling in Royalty.

If you’ve been busy living under a rock or so absorbed by all things punk that you’ve forgotten that other genres existed, this is that once in a blue moon break from the norm.

Childish Gambino, better known as “actor, writer, rapper” Donald Glover (or “Troy” from Community) has released some killer tracks in the past, most notably “Do Ya Like” for which he sampled Adele’s “Melt My Heart To Stone” to create a moody, sexy hip-hop track, “Bonfire” and “Heartbeat” (for which he has been nominated for his first VMA Award). 

After signing to Glassnote and releasing his label debut, CAMP (which is his 3^rd full-length album, if you don’t count all the mixtapes and EPs prior to its release), Gambino had some downtime between writing for various TV programs, touring all through last spring and summer and production and studio engineering engagements he’s involved in.

To say he’s busy is an understatement but not nearly as much as doubting his ability to serve up a dope album, which is actually what I did in my review of CAMP last fall.

(Please note: I have since learned from my mistake.)

After hearing “Unnecessary” (featuring ScHoolboy Q and Ab-Soul), for the first time late in spring, I wasn’t completely sold on the idea of Gambino dropping another mixtape on July 4^th. It’s so far away from the nerdy hipster rapper we grew accustomed to through Poindexter, Culdesac and EP.

But once I got ROYALTY in my possession, I didn’t listen to anything else.

CG manages to create a seamless record filled with all the characteristics we praise him for: no auto-tune, conscious lyrics, excellent song features from music industry veterans (Beck, Bun-B, Ghostface Killah, RZA) and rookies alike (Chance the Rapper, Danny Brown, ScHoolboy Q, Ab-Soul).

CG’s flow is harder and less prone to awkward structures.

But don’t fret: the metaphors are still as obscure, culturally relevant and introspective as his previous works.

The samples and instrumentals transcend everything else the industry is producing these days, easily solidifying Glover as one of the best producers of his generation.

Even fellow awkward comedian Tina Fey’s guest spot on album closer, “Real Estate” isn’t out of place (or anything less than hilarious).

Basically, with songs ranging from mellow (“Make It Go Right”, “Silk Pillow”) to introspective (“We Ain’t Them”, “Black Faces”) to summer car ride anthems (“One Up”, “Toxic”) will pacify any music listener.

Now Playing: Royalty | Childish Gambino

Recommendations: "Make It Go Right" feat. Kilo Kush | "Silk Pillow" feat. Beck | "Shoulda Known" 

For more on Glover’s music, go to Childish Gambino Lyrics where you can find download links for nearly all his albums, follow Donald on Twitter, or keep an eye on his personal website/blog.

--J