“Hi, I just wanted to introduce myself, my name’s Ricky, and I-” “-Oh, me too” responds Rivka Ravede, co-founder of Philadelphia-based indie/alternative band SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE. “No, I don’t think you heard me right. I said that my name’s Ricky.” “Yeah, me too.” A similar sense of humor comes from guitarist and lead vocalist Zack Schwartz (also co-founder), who, when asked what the name of the band’s drummer for the night was, responds simply “Zack.” “Well, tell Zack that he’s very talented and that he did a great job tonight.” “I will… not” answers Schwartz. SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE is spearheaded by the trio of Rivka, Zack, and vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Corey Wichlin, and performs with an additional drummer (“Zack”) and guitarist (Phil Warner) on their 2022 tour to support last year’s ENTERTAINMENT, DEATH. The record’s themes came through loud and clear, detailing what the cost of success means in the music industry in the most horrifically beautiful way. At 8PM on Friday night, opener Body Meat, an experimental producer and vocalist who specializes in abrasive synths and likewise harsh autotune vocals, warms up the crowd at The Secret Group with his unique 3-in-1 performance. This performance consists of production through soundboards (one of which he attacks with drum sticks) and synthesizers, vocals with his microphone, and dance synchronized to the music. The artist also attaches bike lights to his elbows, which perhaps even make his performance 4-in-1 with the addition of his own light show. Body Meat gives his all into his part of the show, expressing emotion through his physical movements as well as in his soul-piercing vocals. After Body Meat’s set, SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE steadily takes stage, tuning instruments and sound checking until 9PM. Then, with all band members ready, Zack Schwartz announces to the crowd, “Okay, so we'll… we’ll start now.” The first song of the night for the band is “ENTERTAINMENT,” also the first track on ENTERTAINMENT, DEATH. There is an incredibly true-to-source-material drum performance from Zack on this song, which is surprising to me given the fact that the actual opening to the track sounds literally like two robots in a boxing match. With this song, the band wastes no time in putting their best foot forward, demonstrating the supreme level of their on-stage chemistry. The band follows this up with “THERE’S NOTHING YOU CAN’T DO” and “WRONG CIRCLE,” also sequentially second and third on the record. With the former, SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE is on their A-game in every aspect of the performance: the synchronous guitars, the rhythmic drumming inducing movement in the audience, and the chillingly wailed lyrics of “I’ll be your friend!” to close the song. Rivka shows off her beautiful vocal abilities with “WRONG CIRCLE” in a taste of what’s to come for the rest of the night. Corey holds down the synthesizer for the night, soothing the crowd into a swaying motion at will with performances of more easy going songs like “THE SERVER IS IMMERSED” and “Nail I Couldn’t Bite” off of 2018’s Hypnic Jerks. Also contributing in guitar and vocal performance while live, Corey handles the drums for the band on the studio recording end of things. One of SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE’s best performances of the night came with “Twenty First Road Trip,” a cut from 2017’s Pleasure Suck. “Twenty First Road Trip” employs a shredding punk attitude, simultaneously maintaining an aesthetic pleasure with the surfing guitar chords as well as freshening the track with the band’s ability to switch the beat on the drop of a dime. I was excited to see that the band performed the title track “Hypnic Jerks,” given that it was my favorite off of the album. SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE did the track justice in a live setting, with every element of the track being done on the spot even with the odd time signature present on much of the song. This was one of the performances that also demonstrated the great height of the band’s ability to play off of one another’s energy levels. Zack Schwartz intersperses found footage vocal samples between nearly every song, much in the same way that Hypnic Jerks sounds. Aside from being the lead vocalist of the band, Zack plays a wide variety of guitars throughout the night, backed similarly by Corey. Zack also adds the flangers and echo effects onto vocal performances, demonstrating his desire to accurately represent the studio recorded version. The band also previews one of their newest singles following ENTERTAINMENT, DEATH, “THE DOOR IS CLOSING.” Similar to “Twenty First Road Trip,” this track shows the band’s collective talent in their ability to switch up the tone of the performance at will. “I SUCK THE DEVIL’S ****” does more of the same; in the beginning, Corey’s vocals lead the charge in the punk-rock mentality of rebellion. Switching to Rivka’s more heartfelt section, SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE again swiftly changes the mood, sequencing the changes in line like dominoes. The band takes a brief intermission on stage while the suave, sensual track “I Still Can’t Sleep” by Bernard Herrmann, the main theme to Martin Scorsese’s “Taxi Driver,” entrances the audience. Zack Schwartz shouts out Body Meat for his guest appearance, and gives tribute to the last three days they have with him on tour (following their Dallas, TX show, indie rock band Deeper will take Body Meat’s place). SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE’s best performance of the night comes with their closer “Fell Asleep With a Vision.” I failed to understand this track as a studio recording, but their live performance improved my perspective of the track by leaps and bounds. With the entire band taking the phrase “save the best for last” to heart, it’s evident that each and every member of the stage put their all into this one: Zack Schwartz strikes a chord not only with his guitar, but also with his passion-invoking vocals; Corey Wichlin, back to the wall now, rips the guitar with every ounce of care he has; Rivka Ravede’s hair shaggs over her face as she falls to her knees, tearing the bass apart; not to mention Phil on the guitar and Zack’s drums, who play an instrumental role in maintaining the quality and hype level of the performance. Put simply, this was my favorite concert I’ve ever had the privilege of attending. SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE emphasizes the importance of truly putting on a show, clearly drawing as much effort as they can into not only showing the audience a good time, but also having fun themselves while doing so. The band’s chemistry is not something to be taken for granted; everything is in sync and on point, with the amount of dedication each member places into their part matching one another.
Tl;dr: SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE rocks. View the partial recording here.
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After discovering SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE’s terrifying (yet terrific) project from this year, ENTERTAINMENT, DEATH, I was excited as ever by the prospect of delving into the band’s prior music. What I didn’t expect was the stylistic differences that the group’s 2018 album Hypnic Jerks would show. Only relating sonically to the new album in the slightest possible ways, Hypnic Jerks displays some of my favorite alternative/indie rock tracks that I’ve been exposed to all year.
Hopelessly cryptic lyrics load track after track on this project, which are interlaced with oddly haunting vocal samples that sound as though they come straight from some home video. Not only does the eerie instrumental help cast these samples into a spooky shadow, but the samples themselves seem misshapen; the things said seem like fragmented sentences put back together in the most confusing, creepy possible order. This can be seen on the album’s stellar opener “Nail I Couldn’t Bite,” where a child declares “Good evening ladies and gentlemen / I’m here talking to you, but I’m not.” This track is an excellent display of what’s to come overall in the project: great indie rock chord progressions, nihilistic views, and glorious vocals. Other examples of the odd sampling are included at many points on the record, such as in “D.O.U.B.L.E.U.R.O.N.G.,” where a grandfather that sounds only vaguely human tells a cautionary tale of his three irresponsible grandchildren. Though this is likely the weakest track on the album, as the second half doesn’t offer much in terms of songwriting to redeem the first half which drags on with this interlude/skit, it still feels necessary in giving the album a bit of a breather. The slow-paced ending to the song helps in doing this, preparing the listener for an even more amazing half of the record. The immediately lovable “Poly Swim” drowns me in the most delightful way, romanticizing the act. The soft bell chiming upwards in the song comes from the stars, bringing you floating in a pool towards the cosmos. I especially love the few points in the verse at which band frontman Zack Schwartz appears to break down, emphasizing the lyrics as though to make them seem the most important (“This will only bring you pain / … / This will only bring you down”). A point on the record which was not so charming straight away for me was the title track, “Hypnic Jerks.” Though it isn’t necessarily a low accessibility song, it took a few listens to realize how special this one is. Taking a more fast-paced approach to what is likely the most indie rock cut on the album, the track opens with isolated droning synths, then quickly moves on to an upbeat, knocking percussive performance. This track is the most solid all around, with addictive vocal deliveries, lyrics (“Take my eyes and flush them out / Paste them to your wall”), and guitar twangs. An indie folk direction is taken on “Mantra Is Repeated,” where we get our first instance of a vocal performance from bassist and occasional vocalist Rivka Ravede. Weaving her lines between Schwartz’s, Ravede’s singing plays a beautiful contrast both through the sweet melody and warming delivery. Another healthy dose of Ravede’s angelic voice comes with the varied soundscape that is “(Without You) In My Pocket.” This one is a journey, making its run time of under 4 minutes seem infinitesimal. It plays a role similar to that of “I SUCK THE DEVIL’S C***” on ENTERTAINMENT, DEATH, as this track also managed to pack what sounds to be an entire album into one song. Fitting so many great ideas into such a short time span should be illegal. Shoegaze elements make their way on to “Can I Receive the Contact?,” which is perhaps the most openly comedic track on the project; the one-off chorus seems like a desperate effort to get someone’s human touch. Whether or not this is meant in a romantic way is unspecified, but it is funnier to imagine this as an attempt to court a potential partner. The only other point at which I find problems besides “D.O.U.B.L.E.U.R.O.N.G.” is the curt track “Fell Asleep With a Vision.” Somehow, this is the band’s most popular track, a fact that incessantly baffles me. Though it isn’t bad once it gets its momentum going, the moment is utterly short lived as it ends in just over a minute. This is all without mentioning the somewhat awkward start the track gets off to, as it takes off without warning; this can be a good quality in some tracks, but doesn’t work for me here due to how rocky it comes off. This record goes out on a great note with the final two cuts, “Monumental Shame” and “It’s Gonna Find You.” Similar in tone to Tame Impala’s “Led Zeppelin” (but not necessarily in vibe or lyrics), “Monumental Shame” is another distinctive indie folk track. Though it’s alike to “D.O.U.B.L.E.U.R.O.N.G.” in that it gives the album a breather (the last one this time), “Monumental Shame” is different from “D.O.U.B.L.E.U.R.O.N.G.” in that it doesn’t drag on in any way and actually contributes to the consistency of the project. The album’s ever-appropriate closer “It’s Gonna Find You” leaves the best impression possible, akin to the title track in that it’s very solid all around. The instrumental break to end the album pulls one last rabbit out of the hat, invoking feelings of contentment in me that no other point on the record had. This album has such a diverse musical and emotional range to offer, and I’m not even sure that I’ve discovered them all. Hypnic Jerks is a great listen for any alternative/indie rock lover. Though ENTERTAINMENT, DEATH may have this one beat in terms of artistic merit and exploration, Hypnic Jerks is unquestionably my favorite SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE record so far. SUMMARY: Dipping into a varied indie graveyard soundscape, SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE pulls out the stops for Hypnic Jerks and delivers one of my favorite indie rock albums I’ve heard all year. RiYL: Yves Tumor, Car Seat Headrest, Lomelda Recommended tracks: Hypnic Jerks, Poly Swim, It’s Gonna Find You
Taking a page out of Mac Demarco’s book, Loving crafts a gentle, lo-fi indie rock project in their self titled debut. The sunset vibe of many of the cuts here provide for an incredibly relaxing and enjoyable listen.
Many slow, stumbling guitar passages are found on Loving, including on the record’s opener “Sweet Fruit.” With the folk tone of the vocals and part of the production on this track, it has me questioning if perhaps I treated folk too harshly when I tried giving it a listen not too long ago. This track segues into the slightly frightening opening vocals of “Forgot Again,” which soon give way to dreamy production and intonation. Though the lyrics here are likely describing the feeling of being at a loss for words as a result of being in the presence of someone very beautiful, I wonder if the writers were simply inspired by the phrase “I forgot what I was going to say.” Although the vocals of “The Not Real Lake” are trying on my ears from the get go, with a dull oral delivery and a vocal filter that even further magnifies this lackluster quality, the production is quite beautiful. Again, this one would bode well when played outside in the evening (perhaps even at a lake?) while the sun goes down. “A Long Slow Little Wave / Citizen, An Activity” offers no lyrics, but once again shines on the production front. The first song that stuck out to me on the project, the simple but dreamlike chords make for one of the better instrumental performances throughout. Conversely, we see one of the better vocal performances on the next cut “She Refused to Say.” Engaging imagery of shadows dancing and tin can telephones contribute to a very poetic lyrical set, which seem like a direct translation from the music itself. My favorite cut here, “Bowlly Goes Dancing Drunk into the Future” was my introduction to Loving. The boyish tonal delivery taken with a few of the lyrics feel especially confidential, with the request of the listener to “talk freely” in a very shy and self-conceited manner. The project sadly saves the worst for last, with the awkward “Where Everybody Goes” not having much going for it at all. Thankfully, the track seems to be over before I know it most of the time. Additional problems arise on this project when trying to distinguish what it is about each track that makes them great individually. Overall, the record is solid - however, this doesn’t entirely excuse Loving from using really quite similar sounds over and over on the record. The tracks are enjoyable, but what good does it do to repeatedly create the same songs? I do like this record. The personal vocals paired with the equally warm production makes for a great listen (almost) all the way through, and has me excited to listen to more of the group’s music. I just hope that, going forward in my listening experience of other music by Loving as well as with the group’s music going forward, that the songs are more distinguishable from one another. Tracks to listen to are “Bowlly Goes Dancing Drunk into the Future” and “She Refused to Say."
Irish indie rock band Two Door Cinema Club presents a mixed-bag track listing on their 2010 debut album, Tourist History.
This project starts off with a very strong three track run in “Cigarettes In the Theatre,” “Come Back Home,” and “Undercover Martyn.” The first of these opens with a trilling set of guitars pinging off of one another, before the track up with a sharp lead guitar; this pairs wonderfully with a knockout drum kick. Lead singer Alex Trimble translates these elements of the music into words by detailing the infatuation phase of a relationship, which was only possible because of a cigarette. “Come Back Home” follows up with high energy by describing troubles in the same relationship, leaving the audience to wonder what happened between the first track and this one. This song features my favorite drumming throughout the album, as well as one of the more versatile vocal performances. Hearing “Undercover Martyn” again for the first time in years was a treat, as it’s a song that gives me a great sense of nostalgia for music I never knew the name of when I was young. As I’m sure was intended, this one strikes a personal chord with me as an introvert; it almost feels as though Tremble is reaching out personally to tell the listener to get out and pursue new passions, using the name Martyn as a metaphor for the relating audience. The track listing soon settles down with “Do You Want It All?” Here, the band seems like they’re going for a vibe similar to that of Jimmy Eat World’s “The Middle,” but the track appears rushed both in lyrics and instrumental. There is an awkward jump from verse to chorus at almost every instance, throwing off the listener in a way that isn’t necessarily good. The following cut “This Is the Life” is a return back to the prominence of the first few songs, with a feel good sensation and a brilliant call-and-response chorus between the vocals and guitar. “Something Good Can Work” is a somewhat bland take, not bothering to venture toward any interesting area of production or vocals. This is followed by “I Can Talk,” a decent song that appears heavily influenced by The Strokes. The opening guitar riff sounds like definition math rock, progressing logically up a set of stairs. Although I don’t feel that I enjoy it as much as other tracks, the vocal performance here certainly strikes me as the most peculiar one created for the project. It may seem like a bad thing to copy and paste tracks in any context, but in terms of the song “What You Know” including practically the same chord progression as “Undercover Martyn” except using a guitar, I actually like it. I would even go so far as to say that I enjoy “What You Know” more, out of the two. With the resourceful instrumentation, this track is an irresistible groove and would bode incredibly well in social situations. I also believe this song to have the best lyrics out of any song on the album. Conversely, the following “Eat That Up, It’s Good For You” has the worst lyrics; the track can be somewhat salvaged by the instrumental, however, with an excellent climactic outro. “You’re Not Stubborn” is a rather mild closer, with tame vocals that come off jaded as well as another uneventful instrumental. I can appreciate many of the great moments presented on this project, as the highs are high. Indeed, the greater songs here give off a wistful quality which I’ve found myself enjoying recently, like in tracks such as Phoenix’s “1901.” However, much of the remaining portion of the track listing pales in comparison to the rest of the album. In conclusion, this album is great when I edit the track listing on my own to create a more consistent version. Highlights from Tourist History to take a look at are “Come Back Home,” “What You Know” and “This Is the Life.”
After rediscovering King Krule this summer, I can say without hesitation that I’ve become enamored with his music. My taste in slow, contemplative alternative music such as that made by singer-songwriter Archy Marshall has most likely stemmed from hearing a Soundcloud remix around 2016 of a live performance of “Border Line.” When I heard the original version for the first time in May, I could feel my ears prick up in recognition and excitement. On 6 Feet Beneath the Moon, Marshall stretches his voice to its limits and creates the most intimate of musical moments using his guitar.
Kicking off the record with “Easy Easy,” Marshall presents a guitar riff that wouldn’t be out of place when played on some sort of well-surfed beach in California. Akin to that on Pink Floyd’s “Interstellar Overdrive,” this progression is remarkably sticky, not easily leaving the listener’s head. The song also previews Marshall’s unique and enthralling style of singing, prompting some YouTube commenters to beg the question “Who gave this ginger soul?” The simple yet exceptional chord progression of the following track “Border Line” allows Marshall’s voice and satisfying lyrical choice to truly shine in complement. “Has This Hit?” was a track which I, at first, felt conflicted about; although parts of the vocal passages in this one can come off as over the top and even annoying, they are certainly some of the more aspirational attempts on the album. I’ve recently come around to the vocals however, and would also say that it’s one of the more beautifully produced tracks on the record. The following track “Foreign 2” shows off one of many of Marshall’s aliases, “Edgar the Beatmaker,” utilizing dreamy lo-fi production reminiscent of many great Soundcloud tracks. The album’s focal point arrives soon after, with the immediately personal “Baby Blue” shining in every aspect. With a soft percussive backing to the track and a lush guitar piece, Marshall crafts hauntingly unforgettable imagery: “My sandpaper sigh engraves a line / Into the rust of your tongue.” Originally creating this song under his “Zoo Kid” moniker, I’m glad Marshall decided to re-record this track for the album, as it couldn’t have come out more perfect. The dark yet beautiful “Cementality” proves that Marshall can make topics as dismal as suicide sound heavenly. Likely the most bare-bones track in terms of production throughout the record, it goes to show that Marshall is at his most consistent when performing over a minimalist environment of an instrumental. The track segues nicely into the phenomenally jazzy “A Lizard State.” On this song, we hear a peppy sing-rap delivery over an impressively left field instrumental turn, standing out like a spotted zebra in the context of the rest of the album. “Ocean Bed” is another great track, fitting right in with the overall sound of the record. Though there’s not much to say about this one, I’ll say that it does seem like it would play well in almost any relaxed social situation. The succeeding song “Neptune Estate” sees Archy begging a lover to stay with him another night over similarly-toned sensual jazz production. Unhealthy habits of wanting to be “used” appear here, showing that Archy is flawed like everyone else and may not always want what will be the best for him in the long term. Next in the track listing appears an incredibly underrated song from Archy, “The Krockadile.” In chord progression, vocal delivery, drum performance, and anything else you can think of, Archy goes to lengths to ensure that this track is flawless. Another 10 on the record, this song only further serves to have me enchanted with Archy’s genius and versatility, as this again sounds like nothing else on the entire album. In the falling-action portion of the record, “Out Getting Ribs” is Archy at his best. The most depressing and exposed song throughout the album, one can draw comparisons to “Baby Blue” in most aspects. This track could have acted as an excellent closer, as it has a tremendously satisfying ending with a guitar solo piercing the track altogether. However, I understand the decision to place the more calming “Bathed In Grey” to let the listener down easy from the soundscape of the record. Weaker moments in the track listing occur on songs such as “Ceiling” and “Will I Come.” The former is a listless track with not very much going on musically or vocally, in contrast with the rest of the record. “Will I Come” is an even more limp attempt, with vocals that fall flat as well as an out of place sample near the end of the track that feels thrown-in after the fact. Many tracks throughout the album contain short passages of the duo of Marshall and his guitar. This allows for warm, introspective moments in which he confides in his guitar, as well as allowing his guitar to confide in him. The intimacy provided in tracks by Archy Marshall is something I’ve never seen before on this level, and has opened me up to many new sounds and musical preferences in general. This album is a must-listen for anyone interested in singer-songwriter music or alternative music. My three favorite tracks from this record are “Out Getting Ribs,” “Baby Blue,” and “Border Line,” although I feel that there are even more perfect songs on the album.
Indie rock band Japanese Breakfast brings their A-game on Psychopomp. Though I feel a bit late to the game in listening to this record, I certainly feel glad that I discovered it at all. In just 9 tracks and 25 minutes, Japanese Breakfast showcases their ability to stun the listener with the beauty of their production as well as with the vulnerability of their lyrics, provided by band frontwoman Michelle Zauner.
On opener track “In Heaven,” Zauner speaks on the recent death of her mother, using heartbreaking imagery of their dog sniffing her now empty room and walking around confused. Juxtaposed with these lyrics, however, is a wonderfully upbeat tone taken with the production, with dreamy chimes and an up-tempo drum rhythm. The following cut “The Woman That Loves You” features perhaps the most emotional tone taken by Zauner on the entire record; begging the listener to do “as little harm” as possible to the woman that loves them, the lyrics read as incredibly personal and captivating. Taking inspiration from bands such as Silversun Pickups (specifically, their song "Kissing Families"), “Rugged Country” takes a more country/folk-sounding turn. The girlish, high-pitch falsetto provided in the album’s centerpiece “Everybody Wants to Love You” reminds one of childhood, immediately causing the listener to reminisce upon happier, simpler times. It also features a vaguely Oriental-sounding guitar riff to start off the track (and throughout), setting a great mood for the song. With further rotations of the song, it becomes difficult not to chant the lyrics to this one, either aloud or in your head. Title track “Psychopomp” serves as an interlude, splitting the record into two halves. Aside from being a great spacy, atmospheric-sounding track, it successfully sets up the following song, “Jane Cum.” Though it is likely my least favorite in the entire track listing, it is by no means a bad song; it contains admirable elements in not only vocal performance, as it is one of the best throughout the album, but also in use of violin strings. “Heft” is a more accessible song that would be great for introducing the listener to the overall sound of the album. With an opening reminiscent of the introductory riff in BROCKHAMPTON’s “SUNNY,” the song creates another lovely ambience. The beautiful production is again contrasted with dark lyrics, this time with Zauner begging the question if her efforts to become a better person will work, or if the same darkness will come. Again serving as a sort of alley-oop prelude for the following song, “Moon on the Bath” previews the mood of “Triple 7” quite well. Perhaps the one track I underestimated the most on first listens, “Triple 7” is a stirring letter to a lover that does not share the same intensity of passion towards her. She draws comparisons between herself and a slot machine, as she is being used merely for temporary pleasure and consequently is left unfulfilled in her relationship. Simply put, I can’t think of a way to make this one more perfect than it already is. Michelle Zauner develops themes of love, loss, and misery as a result of failing relationships throughout the album in an engaging and relatable way, making for one of my favorite listens all year. Standouts from this project include “Everybody Wants to Love You,” “The Woman That Loves You,” and “Triple 7.” |
AuthorEnrique Cardenas III Archives
November 2021
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