The final day of the KahBang Music, Art & Film Festival was all about contrasts: electronic versus acoustic, large versus small and the expected versus the unexpected. The afternoon acts that alternated between the main and secondary stages ranged from intimate solo performances to bumping techno raves. Kicking off the main stage attractions, OurStage artist Lady Lamb The Beekeeper offered up a set of emotional, bare-bones tunes that featured only her and her Fender Jaguar. Just across the way, wearing their signature business attire and Stormtrooper helmets, DJ collaborative Lazerdisk Party Sex transformed the outdoor field into a daytime club scene.

Dave 1 of Chromeo (Photo courtesy Exquisite Photography)

Undoubtedly the biggest contrast, however, was between the two closing acts. Montreal-based electro-funk duo Chromeo unleashed a wave of impossibly catchy pop songs that seamlessly combined electronic and organic sounds. In the course of any given song, band members Dave 1 and P-Thugg would switch effortlessly between guitar, bass, synth, laptop and drums. Though all of the instrumental change-ups could easily seem distracting, both members adeptly managed to make them seem perfectly natural. Chromeo’s set flowed flawlessly through cuts from their most recent Business Casual record as well as older songs from their first two albums. They even managed to pay homage to past synth-rockers Dire Straits by segueing the intro riff from “Money For Nothing” into their hit “Bonafied Lovin’ (Tough Guys).”

After Chromeo’s powerhouse performance, the KahBang audience eagerly awaited the atmospheric rock of My Morning Jacket. While the longer-than-normal wait between the two sets seemed a bit out of the ordinary, few could have actually expected the bizarre events that took place backstage. After opening the show by playing solo on a vintage Omnichord, singer-guitarist Jim James announced that drummer Patrick Hallahan had taken ill from some bad shellfish and needed to be rushed to the hospital. Forced to do without their drummer for the entirety of the show, the band performed a mostly acoustic set while a stuffed bear took Hallahan’s place on the empty drum throne. My Morning Jacket were certainly determined to play no matter what, however their problems soon proved far from over. Throughout the night, Jim James was plagued by technical difficulties with his acoustic guitar that forced the band to stop and start again at various moments.

Jim James (Photo courtesy of Brooklyn Vegan)

Despite the numerous setbacks that threatened to derail My Morning Jacket’s set, the band soldiered on admirably and took advantage of their acoustic setup to deliver heart-wrenching renditions of tunes from their recent release Circuital as well as songs from their mostly acoustic debut album The Tennessee Fire. Particularly affecting was a haunting version of that album’s “I Will Be There When You Die” that featured guitarist Carl Broemel on pedal steel.

Though Chromeo’s seamless electronic grooves could not have been further from My Morning Jacket’s halting acoustic set, both acts succeeded in their own right. My Morning Jacket particularly stood out for showing the audience exactly how a world-class band conducts itself when disaster strikes. The festival being almost entirely free of disturbances, it’s ironic that the main casualty of the weekend involved a member of the headlining act. Following James’ request to send out “positive vibes” to Hallahan, we here at OurStage wish him a speedy recovery and hope that the next time we catch My Morning Jacket, they’ll be able to rock out in full force.

Adrina Thorpe, singer-songwriter from California, has been involved with music for a long time. Originally a classically trained musician, she fell in love with songwriting at the tender age of six. Since then, she has turned this love into a craft that she approaches masterfully. But it is not her songs which make her so special; it is her incredible voice that conveys emotion with such intensity and passion that makes her stand apart.

Her vocal ability is off the charts. She has such a powerful voice, but she sings in a way which is never forceful or overbearing. Her voice is flawless—not only can she carry a tune, she can work with her voice to create many different effects. At times her voice is soft and gentle, other times it pierces through you, giving you shivers. Thorpe has an amazing way of picking and choosing the right moments to let her full vocal power out. Obviously, this ability comes from familiarity with her voice and, of course, from practice. Because of her vocal control, Adrina’s second album Halflight & Shadows, which was released in 2009, is incredibly interesting to listen to. From a song like, “Everything Changes” which is more upbeat to ”Midnight” which is hauntingly beautiful, you never know what pleasant surprises you’ll find when you listen to the album.

Continue reading ‘Vocal Points: A Single Voice Rings Out’

Paris Hilton.

Kim Kardashian.

Heidi Montag.

Julianne Hough.

In a world where making a record is as easy as starring on reality TV, and even easier when you have your own show, Rebecca Black was bound to happen.

Don’t worry. Black, the fourteen-year-old from Anaheim, California, who made us wonder if she was making fun of shallow pop stars or being one herself in her viral YouTube video “Friday,” hasn’t gotten her own reality show. Yet. But isn’t it only just a matter of time?

What she does have is a level of fame—or infamy, depending on how you want to look at it—without having any discernible singing talent. Before it was yanked from YouTube in June over a dispute between Black and her former record label, Ark Music Factory, her “Friday” video had logged some 161 million views. Black became an Internet favorite, with article after online article devoted to her and her music—well, her song. Some people loved her; some people hated her; everyone was talking about her. Everybody’s still talking. Katy Perry even invited Black to costar in her “T.G.I.F. (Last Friday Night)” video.

In late July, reports started coming in that rapper Soulja Boy dropped a whopping $35 million on his own private jet. What’s more, the young rapper was to trick out his new whip with an additional $20 million, tricking out the G5 with 4 liquor bars, Italian leather seating and flat screens up the wazoo. As it turns out however, the veracity of the story started to be called into question shortly afterwards and was debunked early last week by one of Soulja’s reps.

Not quite...

There’s a couple of reasons why we should’ve seen this one coming: for one, the concept of Soulja Boy having $55 million to drop on anything in 2011 is a little surprising (in fact, while Soulja’s spokesperson confirmed that the story was untrue, Soulja himself was slapped with a lein for taxes owed to the IRS). Also, the story was originally reported in gossip blog TMZ, and though it sounds like they had the wool pulled over their eyes as well, shame on everybody for jumping on what now appears to be an elaborate publicity stunt.

However, this whole story got us thinking about some of our other favorite hip hop artists and the money they’ve dropped in the name of a lavish lifestyle. Opulence, extravagance and luxury is the name of the game—from the hood to hood rich to just plain rich. And many of our favorites fit this description to a T.

One of those top earners, Bryan Williams aka Birdman, has certainly earned his wealth; built less on album sales and more on his position at Cash Money Records and his tenacity and success as an entrepreneur. He’s worked hard so he probably felt like getting something nice for himself as a gift. Last August, Birdman bought himself a $1.5 million dollar diamond encrusted, 900 karat watch. A $1.5 million dollar watch might seem a little much but bear in mind that there’s only two of this watch in the world. The other owner? Elton John.  Check out the video after the jump for a quick peek into William’s swagged out trailer and the watch in question.

Continue reading ‘These Rappers Are Living Large’

In almost thirty years of musical collaboration as They Might Be Giants, John Flansburgh and John Linnell have been involved in a mind-boggling array of projects.  They have won two GRAMMY awards, written numerous TV show theme songs, released the first ever full-length online-only album and recorded three albums of children’s music.  After such a varied and successful career, it might seem like the band would be content with resting on its laurels, but the Johns have no intention of stopping just yet.  We caught up with Flansburgh to discuss the band’s relationship with technology, their close work with producer Patrick Dillett and the need to preserve the classic pop song format.

OS: The producer of Join Us is Patrick Dillett, who has worked pretty consistently with you for the past twenty years.  How has his continued involvement influenced the band?  What keeps you coming back to work with him?

Miley Cyrus is no stranger to controversy—when she isn’t busy creating country-pop hybrid hits, she’s getting caught on camera making offensive faces or on video taking monster bong hits. (Or facing scrutiny for smoking a cigarette or getting hacked and having illicit photos circulated around the Internet…) But she made headlines last week for a slightly nobler reason after she tweeted a picture of her new, pro-gay rights tattoo accompanied by the 18 character message “All LOVE is equal.”

Miley even responded civilly to one fan who didn’t exactly agree with the message behind the new ink, tweeting, “Where does it say in the bible to judge others? Oh right. It doesn’t. GOD is the only judge honey. ‘GOD is love.’”

If you find yourself confused by where this display of maturity is coming from, well, you probably aren’t alone. But the eighteen-year-old songstress has taken to Twitter to drop knowledge on her followers before. This June, she hopped up on her soapbox to oust Urban Outfitters after they donated to the political action committee of notoriously anti-gay senator Rick Santorum. “Love that everybody is hating on Urban Outfitters,” she tweeted. “Not only do they steal from artists but every time you give them money you help finance a campaign against gay equality. #SHADYASHELL.”

Of course, there’s always the possibility that this latest declaration is nothing but a well-timed publicity stunt. Engaging one of your fans in a theological discussion on Twitter and announcing that you’re starring in and producing a God-themed comedy two days later? Preety convenient there, Miley. And yes, it brings up the eternal question, “Why do we care about celebrity opinions, anyway?” We get it: there’s no way that starring in a Disney Channel comedy qualifies you to engage in political debate. But you have to admit that it’s pretty ballsy of the young Cyrus to risk alienating her fanbase like this. After all, what if fewer people go to see her upcoming film because of her opinion on gay rights? While she’s often the center of controversy, at least this time it’s for something she believes in, not because one of her “friends” leaked questionable video content to TMZ. You go, girl!

Teen-pop superstar Justin Bieber started heating up on YouTube at the age of only 12. His sweet voice and adorable image made him so popular that Justin Timberlake and Usher were fighting over him. But since signing to Island Records and upping his status from YouTube sensation to worldwide teen heartthrob, he has undergone many changes. Some were easy, but others required a great deal of work.

Usher, voice coach Jan Smith, and Bieber

Justin Bieber‘s voice was incredibly high at the beginning of his career, typical for a young boy who has not yet reached puberty. Since then, the inevitable happened—his voice deepened. While every kid goes through puberty, few go through it while subjected to such intense scrutiny. Since he rose to fame, people have speculated that Bieber’s musical career would end when his voice dropped. And after his noticeable voice-crack during his performance of “Pray” at the American Music Awards in November, it seemed that they may have a point. Instead of letting that performance bring him down, Bieber used it as a learning experience and invested in a voice coach to help him strengthen his voice and ensure his continued success.

His weapon of choice: Jan Smith (dubbed ‘Mama Jan’ by Usher, who is also coached by her). Smith has coached stars like Ciara, Rob Thomas and Trey Songz, and her work with Bieber has helped him to learn the difference between singing for fun and singing as a profession. When Bieber was initially discovered, he sang because he loved doing it. But now he has been forced to learn discipline and the necessary steps required to sustain a career based on his voice. This is why a voice coach is so essential for Bieber. He needs someone with experience to guide him in learning vocal technique and to make him practice every day.

Michael Jackson is a great example of a child star who was well disciplined. His voice started out as male soprano and he was able to sustain it with great success as a high tenor after his voice changed. Jackson’s voice coach for most of his career was Seth Riggs, who rehearsed with him for at least two hours a day, six days a week. This kind of training strengthens the voice and allows singers to be at their best despite the fact that they are performing day after day, week after week.

Bieber’s voice has already grown significantly, but it is time for him to mature and take responsibility for keeping his voice strong. He can rely on Jan Smith for help, but it will be ultimately up to him and how seriously he takes his voice training.

Go ahead. Admit it. The first time you heard Katy Perry‘s “I Kissed a Girl” way back in 2008, you knew that by the time the novelty of a song about dabbling in lipstick lesbianism ran its course, so, too, would the career of the straight woman who was singing it.

Then something strange and unexpected happened when the clock struck Perry’s 15th minute of fame: It kept right on ticking. How did she pull it off? I have a few theories.

No. 1. She’s shallow and proud of it. Unlike Lady Gaga, Perry won’t take credit for trying to save pop music, gay people or the world. She never pretendsthat her music is anything more than feel-good pop. Who else would invite Rebecca Black, the most-hated pop star who’s not really a star (“Friday,” which peaked at No. 58 on Billboard’s Hot 100, wasn’t the big hit everyone seems to think it was) to co-star in one of her videos (“T.G.I.F. [Last Friday Night]“)? “Firework” is about as deep as Perry gets—and lest she come across as too earnest, she tempered the semi-serious message with firecracking boobs in the video.

No. 2. She’s up with regular people, because she’s one of them. Gorgeous but not intimidatingly so, sexy without selling sex, Perry also manages to be quotably catty while still being likeable. Gaga is outrageous and memorable, but she keeps her emotional distance. For all her avowed egalitarian values, there’s something distinctly remote about Gaga, on and off her records. You don’t imagine yourself hanging out with her on a day off. Britney Spears has lived in a bubble for years. Beyoncé is too fabulous. And Rihanna plays with guns.

That leaves Perry to bring a little humanity to pop divadom. She doesn’t have to be photographed taking out the trash to convince fans that she’s just like them. She could probably have any guy in Hollywood or on the charts, but instead of hooking up with a genetically blessed stud of the moment (so Taylor Swift, so Miley Cyrus), she went and married Russell Brand, a goofy comic with a sketchy past.

No. 3. She rocks the singles scene. She lacks Adele‘s vocal power, and she uses many of the same producers and co-writers that her peers have been passing around for years (for the love of God, girls, give Dr. Luke a rest!). But Perry’s singles still stand out, and they’re sturdier than they might initially sound. “Teenage Dream” and “E.T.” don’t exactly blow you away on first or even the 10th listen. They burrow into your subconscious slowly. But once there, they don’t let go. (Ironically, Perry’s crowning musical achievement, the Timbaland collaboration “If We Ever Meet Again,” which I’ve seen fill dance floors from Buenos Aires to London to Melbourne, only went to No. 37.)

When Teenage Dream was released in August of 2010, the reviews were mixed to downright hostile. But Katy Perry is not an album artist. Her music is best digested in bite-sized nuggets. By the time Teenage Dream was logging it’s third No. 1 hit single (“Firework”), it had been nominated for Album of the Year at the GRAMMY Awards, alongside critical favorites by Eminem, Lady Gaga and Arcade Fire. Strong, distinctive videos pulled off without any assistance from hordes of gyrating dancers helped too. Look for her nine nominations at the August 28 MTV Video Music Awards (more than any other artist) to further boost Teenage Dream‘s staying power.

The album has created a fifth Top 3 single and shifted more than 1.5 million copies in the US, and it’s still going as strong as, if not stronger than, the superstar albums that came after it. Rihanna has sold nearly as many copies of Loud (released in November 2010), but after three No. 1 hits, she’s struggling with the fourth and fifth singles, neither of which is likely to go Top 40. Lady Gaga’s Born This Way opened spectacularly in May, then cooled off quickly, with none of the singles repeating the success of the No. 1 title track so far. And poor Beyoncé. Her fourth solo album, 4, has yet to produce a runaway hit at all.

By the time Gaga is trying to extend the lifespan of Born This Way with an expanded limited edition release featuring five new radio-friendly tracks, Teenage Dream’s “Peacock” or “Circle the Drain” probably will be scaling the charts.

But will we still be singing along in 2015? That’s open to debate. Pop history is littered with artists who fell out of favor after two huge albums (see Debbie Gibson, Perry’s “T.G.I.F.” video mom). But even if Perry is just a pop footnote by mid-decade, she’s already surpassed everyone’s wildest teenage—or grown-up—dreams.

This year, two high-profile compilations of Buddy Holly cover songs will come out just months apart from one another, each to commemorate what would have been the Buddy Holly’s 75th birthday this year. The first of the two albums is last month’s nineteen-track compendium of covers, Rave On (Hear Music), featuring covers from a cavalcade of pop stars from yesteryear and today. The impressive list of contributors on Rave On is also its biggest weakness. By including a smidgen from this era and a smidgen from that, the album seems to suggest half a dozen or so vantage points without any of them feel authoritative. What do Paul McCartney, Kid Rock and Julian Casablancas have in common? Rave On’s only answer seems to be the vague declaration that they all share a love of Buddy Holly and that love lives “on.” But what is it about Buddy Holly lives on?

The album’s curatorial impulse seems to have been to attach as much star power as possible and thus includes both alta cockers and indie-rockers. It matters because “the Buddy Holly that lives on,” for the musician, largely hinges on who Buddy Holly was to them in the first place. On this album, we find as many musicians who first encountered Holly via Gary Busey in The Buddy Holly Story or via Weezer’s “Buddy Holly” song as they did through childhood memories of listening to Holly on vinyl or on the radio. The is a mish-mosh of point of views, with the exception of a few highlights—I’m thinking particularly of Patti Smith’s sumptuous take on “Words of Love” and Julian Casablancas’s reverb-rich, garage-inspired, rollicking racket, “Rave On”—produces more confusion than coherence. McCartney is probably trying to keep up with the youngsters in his quasi-rap-infused version of “It’s So Easy” and Lou Reed’s simply moribund take on “Peggy Sue” feels like he’s compensating too much in the other direction. Meanwhile, Cee-Lo channels Elvis as much as Holly in the steel drum-infused “(You’re So Square) Baby, I Don’t Care” and Modest Mouse manages to deconstruct “That’ll Be the Day” to the point of unrecognizability. Karen Elson’s rollicking “Crying, Waiting, Hoping” (backed by soon-to-be ex-husband Jack White) suggests an alternative direction the album could have taken: In the denouement of the a garage revival, wouldn’t it have been an interesting project for the leading acts of that movement to have paid homage to the father of garage?

Another star-studded compendium of Holly covers hits September 6, this one in cooperation with his widow, Maria Elena. Listen to Me (Songmasters) is another star-studded affair featuring Lyle Lovett, Zooey Deschanel, Stevie Nicks, Cobra Starship and the titular song, “Listen to Me” by Brian Wilson. It’s curious that the record along with Rave On were so inclined to trot out the headliners they did. Isn’t Buddy Holly headliner enough?

Sick of Sarah

In the continuum of all-female bands, Sick of Sarah falls somewhere between Sleater-Kinney and The Go-Gos. Their music isn’t the raw, shuddering post-punk of the former, nor is it the lip-glossed pop of the latter. It’s little bit of both. With their lo-fi edge and mainstream melodics, the Minneapolis band’s music is as prickly as it is catchy. “Bittersweet” is a shuffling, plaintive pop catharsis. It’s rough around the edges, but that’s part of the charm. With its jagged guitars, rioting drums, and breakneck pace, “Not Listening,” is a rebellious, in-your-face tongue lashing. But our favorite fit comes by way of “Breakdown,” a strident, percussive folk tempest that sounds like the product of an Ani DiFranco and Tommy Tutone collaboration. Once all the unbridled aggression has run its course, vulnerability sneaks in with acoustic ballads like “Paint Like That” and “Common Mistake.” Enjoy the calm while you can. With Sick of Sarah, another ass kicking is always around the corner.