Showing posts with label mikal cronin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mikal cronin. Show all posts
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Pitchfork Music Festival: Day 1 Preview


With the American festival scene currently flourishing, it seems that there is a gathering dedicated to nearly every genre and musical niche. For music fans looking to catch the next wave of young buzz bands as well as established indie legends, Chicago's Pitchfork Music Festival offers one of the most eclectic, genre-spanning lineups. This year's edition is no exception as thousands will descend upon Union Park for performances from acts like Mac DeMarco, Parquet Courts, Solange, Phosphorescent, Bjork, Yo La Tengo, and R.Kelly. Festival goers will also be eager to check out amenities such as the CHIRP record fair, poster shopping at Flatstock, or the opportunity to bid on memorabilia at the Rock for Kids charity tent.

With a full weekend of music ahead, here's a look at the sets were looking forward to most on opening day:

Frankie Rose- 3:20pm (Blue Stage)

The Brooklyn singer-songwriter formerly of garage rock bands Dum Dum Girls and Vivian Girls brings her new blissful, synth heavy sound to the blue stage to open the festival. After releasing her well-received debut LP, Interstellar, last year, she has been able to seamlessly change artistic direction. For fans looking for heavenly vocals paired with dream-pop melodies reminiscent of Beach House, look no further.

Trash Talk- 4:15pm (Blue Stage)

At a festival full of experimental performers such as Bjork, Joanna Newsom, and Julia Holter, a California hardcore punk band will undoubtedly stand out and deliver a set full of some of the heaviest, most intense music of the day. The Sacramento band formed in 2005 and released their debut full length in 2008 with Chicago producer Steve Albini. Since signing with California rap collective Odd Future's record label and touring with Tyler, The Creator, they have seen a significant rise in their profile, becoming known for their stage presence that holds true to hardcore's founding ideals.

Mac DeMarco- 4:35 (Green Stage)

Everyone's favorite Canadian goofball, Mac DeMarco, bring's his light-hearted slacker rock to the green stage in what is sure to be a perfect late afternoon setting for the Montreal songwriter's breezy, summery tunes. His latest album, 2, released via Brooklyn's Captured Tracks label, is one of the best guitar-pop releases in recent memory with instantly memorable melodies on track's like "My Kind of Woman" and "Ode to Viceroy". From touring in an old Volvo station wagon, to crashing on couches, and generally crude and unpredictable stage behavior, he has gained a reputation as indie's most lovable sleaze with a surprisingly strong pop sensibility.

Mikal Cronin- 6:15pm (Blue Stage)

The San Francisco garage rocker and Ty Segall band member released his second solo effort, MCII, earlier this year, a strong effort featuring some of the best melodic power-pop of the young songwriter's career. The usually heavy fuzz rocker made the transition to a lighter, straightforward pop song incredibly well and fans will be eager to catch a glimpse at the artist's change of pace since performing with Ty Segall at last year's festival.

Bjork- 8:30pm (Green Stage)

Always imaginative, and notoriously avant-garde, the Icelandic artist will close out the day with what is sure to be one of the weekend's strangest, most ambitious performances. Expect the classics like "All is Full of Love" and "Hyperballad" as well as her newer, more electronic leaning work. Fans should be in store for a celebration of the groundbreaking singer's 20 year career.


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Top Ten May Album Releases


With summer just around the corner, May always brings a special influx of new music that will decidedly be anthems of the solstice; music to cook out, run, swim, play frisbee, and wake up hung over to. 

10. Small Black - Limits of Desire
Post-Chillwavers Small Black have finally given us a fresh studio record with Limits of Desire, due out May 13 via Jagjaguwar. The latest single “Free At Dawn” lends itself to poppier melodies, as lead singer Ryan Heyner's vocals seem a lot crisper, but maintains its poise, setting itself up for moonlit replays. The album artwork is especially striking as a nude woman and man are depicted hugging on opposite sides of a ladder, which a press release says represents “a moving depiction of connectivity and interaction in the 21st century and it serves as a sort of source code for the record”. Listen to “Free At Dawn” below:

9. Baths - Obsidian
Will Wiesenfeld aka Baths will follow-up his much adored 2010 LP Cerulean with Obsidian, due out May 28 via Anticon. The 24-year-old producer/songwriter continues in his smooth and bubbly fashion of beatmaking on the latest track “Miasma Sky,” which is equal parts low-end bass and ethereal vocals from Wiesenfeld. Listen to the track below:


8. Daft Punk - Random Access Memories
Yeah, a lot of you are going to fucking hate me for putting Daft Punk at the eight spot, but with all these secretive shenanigans and a half-decent single featuring Pharrell (who I mildly like, but lost all hope for when he decided to sing "Get Lucky" three times in a row in Brooklyn a few weeks ago), I really doubt this album will live up to all of its outrageous, swooning hype that internet servers are buckling under. In all seriousness, I am pretty stoked on Random Access Memories (due out on the 21st via Columbia), and I also really do love the fact that Daft Punk are using their uncommunicative gestures and fame to make the event of an album release so relevant and exciting, 'cause let's face it, we're all getting a little sick of being able to stream an album a month before it comes out. What's the point right? Listen to "Get Lucky" below:

7. Alex Bleeker and the Freaks - How Far Away
When we talked to Real Estate bassist Alex Bleeker at last year’s Pitchfork Festival in Chicago, the songwriter talked about his forthcoming album with his band of Freaks and his intense fondness (obsession) for everything Neal Young and Crazy Horse. And now that his sophomore album How Far Away is due out on the 28th, it's easy to see how that was all manifested, especially on “Don’t Look Down,” which you can hear below:


6. Mikal Cronin - MCII
Garage rocker Mikal Cronin is back with his superb sophomore record MCII, which is out now via Merge. The Ty Segall bandmate and recent BFA graduate has expanded his outreach a bit on the new record, adding a few instrumental bells and whistles while maintaining his jangle-rock roots. “Weight” is an especially cheery tune with plunky piano lines and a fresh chorus with guitars ablaze. Listen below:


 5. Savages - Silence Yourself
“Your head is spinning faster on the end of your spine until you have no face at all, and yet if the world would shut up even for a while perhaps we would start hearing the distant revue of an angry young tune, and recompose ourselves.” This adrenaline-inducing line is how frontwoman of London outfit Savages Jehnny Beth intros “Shut Up”, a reeling blend of distorted guitar riffs and enticingly vivid bass lines. Their debut album Silence Yourself is impressively expansive, and wields a ‘tude straight out of the 70s NYC punk scene. Silence Yourself is available here. Watch the video for “Shut Up” below:

 4. Majical Cloudz - Impersonator
Majical Cloudz is certainly one of the biggest surprises of the last year. The Grimes collaborator and fellow Montreal native put out his Turns Turns Turns EP back in December, and has since been blowing up. The track “Childhood’s End” is one dark and vivid piece of songwriting. Devon Walsh’s deep croon is haunting amid chilling synth lines and when it’s put to this striking black and white video below it becomes something else entirely. Impersonator is due out 5/21 via Matador.

3. The National - Trouble Will Find Me
The sixth album from the Brooklyn indie rockers The National is due out May 20 and 21, and the latest single off the record “Demons” is the self-assured kick we’ve been looking for, even as 2010’s High Violet can still be seen in the rearview. The 14-track record comes amid an exciting time for the band, who were recently the subjects of a Tribeca Film Festival premiere that frontman Matt Beringer’s younger brother shot on tour with the group. Once the album is released later this month, The National will also embark on an extensive world tour, which you can see here. Watch the video for “Demons” below:

2. Deerhunter - Monomania
Fact: Bradford Cox cannot make a bad record. Whether he’s releasing his ever-fluctuating works with his Deerhunter pals, or blowing minds under his Atlas Sound moniker (I highly recommend 2011’s Parallax), the man is nothing but prolific. Not only is Cox stretching his stylistic boundaries into harsher punk territory on Monomania (out now via 4AD), he continues to fuck shit up in an increasingly self-aware and ingenuous indie culture that he claims is bastardizing its daring punk ancestors. Yeah, the man might be a tad insane, but he bleeds genius, and Monomania is something magical. Listen to the title track below:

 1. Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires of the City
What can we say about NYC quartet Vampire Weekend that hasn’t already been said? While they’re widely treasured in the indie tweeosphere, they’ve also accrued the naysayers due to their J Crew-saturated, Upper East Side prep and privilege, but there’s no arguing against the fact that, like Deerhunter (and totally unlike Deerhunter), they’re consistent. Ezra Koenig and company have compiled two incredible albums in the classic debut self-titled LP and 2010’s Contra and with tracks like “Ya Hey” and “Step” already stuck in my head, I honestly don’t think their sophomore effort Modern Vampires of the City will disappoint. The album is due out May 14, but you can stream and pre-order it now over at iTunes. Watch the lyric video for “Ya Hey” below: 

Tom Dennis
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Album Review: Mikal Cronin - MCII


After spending the better part of a year as a member of indie stalwart Ty Seagall’s touring group, one man band Mikal Cronin follows up 2011’s hazily psychedelic self-titled debut.  Although MCII sees him cleaning up his sound significantly, that doesn’t mean that Cronin has forgotten the power aspect of the “power pop” equation.  Just in time for summer, MCII is a bright, focused, full bore rock record that highlights Cronin’s unique ways with melodies and instrumentation.

Because Cronin has taken on the role of auteur, playing all the instruments himself (aside from the strings, whose parts he still composed himself) and overseeing the production down to the most minute detail, MCII is a remarkably consistent listen.  Every song here has a strong hook and small, but noticeable, touches that distinguish it from stereotypical “power pop” records.  In addition, most likely thanks to Seagall’s influence, Cronin hasn’t forgot to add significant amounts of fuzz to both the guitars and drums, providing a welcome garage rock edge to everything here.  Elsewhere, strings, bouncy piano, slide guitar, and more appear, only enhancing the summery feel.

Despite the upbeat nature of most of the music, Cronin takes a more desperate tack lyrically throughout MCII, detailing a guy who’s growing up, looking for direction, taking on more responsibility; MCII is essentially a treatise on maturity.  Opening the record with a tune titled “Weight” helps solidify that theme, offsetting the sprightly bounce of the tune itself.  This paradoxical style continues on “Shout It Out”, Cronin declaring “time is running low, and I’m getting closer to the door,” as  jangly guitars and harmonies cascade around his sweet lead vocals, culminating in a chorus declaration of “shit goes on and on and on.”

“Am I Wrong” and “See It My Way” continue the high quality, the former sounding like an outtake from The Rolling Stones’ Between The Buttons, thanks to some off-kilter piano playing and fuzzy guitar soloing, while the latter is a glammed up acoustic strut that explodes into a Weezer-esque chorus of wailing guitars and earnest vocals.   “Change” is one of the standouts on the album’s latter-half, a hard charging punk tune that still retains Cronin’s tunefulness, these qualities carrying over to follow up track “I’m Done Running From You.”  But the album’s most affecting highlight comes in its most low-key moment, the acoustic plaintiveness of “Don’t Let Me Go,” whose title again reinforces the insecurity and doubt present in Cronin’s work.

The balancing of light and dark is key to the success of MCII.  However, there doesn’t need to be any greater understanding of the song’s themes to make the record enjoyable; it’s surface elements are immediately appealing, which makes repeated listens rewarding as the record reveals its darker layers over time.  MCII is a great achievement in a young career that only continues to grow in promise. And it’s a hell of a fun listen, to boot.

Grade: A-



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