And you would really expect those in the crowd to want the duo to destroy the stage to their hearts’ content, especially after their wonderfully blistering surprise debut in 2010, Treats. And you might suspect that they would also see Reign of Terror, their sophomore LP, to be a driving force for even more fans to headbang to considering the lively, punky, and energetic tour in support of the album prior. But while there is no doubt that this still sounds like Sleigh Bells and it does sound in the vein of Treats, Reign of Terror just proves to be louder. Everything – from the distorted and echoed guitars to the anthemic vocal work from Alexis Krauss to the amount of musical color – is given an additional push for acceptability at the concert-level.

Is louder necessarily better, though? Approaching the next track, “Born to Lose,” we lose the crowd and receive repeated heavy guitar riffs that really only add to an already weighted and highly-saturated mix of intense drum beats and even poppier vocals. The melody is nice, and it strikes at the same distance that Derek Miller and Alexis Krauss have always performed, but over time it more or less bounces from one ear to the other without the fervor or the “Let’s play until we don’t want to” attitude that made Treats so lovingly off-kilter.

Not that a narrower focus on direction is entirely a bad thing. There are a couple tracks here on which blending their noise pop association with the attention to heavy metal antics works in Sleigh Bells’ favor. “End of The Line” is processed power-pop similar to the single “Rill Rill,” which itself featured a down-tempo beat with delicious vocals and ’80s synth-guitar, but it’s really the first track from the album to feel complete – and on their terms. The distorted riffs and key changes seem to melt within the construct, and even though you can assume you’re listening to the track under tighter control, the heaviness feels much more uplifted.

The single “Comeback Kid” is another track that really fashions this blend in the best way possible. Its fast attack is fierce with a very likable beat from the get-go, and it features the kind of freedom found on their first album. By freedom I mean that the notes and keys they use should probably never come together, but the fact that Sleigh Bells marry the sounds on a pop record is their most remarkable trait. With breezy lyrical progression, a badass mix of distorted and non-distorted jangly guitars, and a dreamy choral breakdown, “Comeback Kid” plays into the freedom like a kid running around on a playground, and it allows the listener to feel more at home than any other track on the album.

The last half of Reign of Terror once again drives into a case where more is less. It’s not that it’s unsatisfying or underwhelming, however; a track like “You Lost Me” is of particular interest with its processed throwback to ’80s pop, and the remaining tracks all feature bits and pieces one can pick out as having some kind of definition. But that’s just bits and pieces. Here, Sleigh Bells give the impression that their cohesion of heavier musical conception and noise pop has a substantial connection (for the most part), and now it always feels like they’re catering to the crowd. Perhaps it’s understandable given their success, but instead of playing for the sake of playing for themselves, Reign of Terror no longer becomes a record of filled tracks that you want to crank up to 11 – or at least not to 12 anyways.

It might be unfavorable to compare the album to Treats, but it’s difficult when we have a sophomore effort that more or less gives us the same dose with more power and weight. With the exception of a couple tracks, it makes for an experience that’s a bit excessive and at the same time restrictive, providing an effect that nearly wanes by the end of the album. Reign of Terror will make the rounds with more of what Sleigh Bells has to offer, but it’ll be Treats that listeners will return to in the long run.

Reign of Terror is now available via Mom+Pop Music, and be sure to look out for our upcoming concert review of Sleigh Bells’ performance at The Mayan in Los Angeles.

Sleigh Bells Tour Dates:

2/23/12: San Francisco, CA @ Regency Ballroom +
2/24/12: Seattle, WA @ Showbox at Market +
3/26/12: Toronto, ON @ Phoenix
3/27/12: Washington, D.C. @ 9:30 Club

* With Diplo and Liturgy
+ With Black Bananas (Jennifer Herrema from RTX)

For more info: Sleigh Bells Official Website

The strength of Visions, her first album for new label 4AD, and therefore one likely to establish her a much larger audience, is in Boucher’s ability to take these familiar and sometimes disparate components and reshape them into something that avoids simply being classified as another ’80s revival album. Visions is the work of an artist looking forward rather than backward, the work of someone who understands how to take what seem like very glossy, digital elements that are all surface and create something with an unexpected level of emotion and depth that stands up to repeated and compulsive listening.

On top of this, despite the album containing very few lyrics that obviously stand out as decipherable (Boucher uses her voice as just another musical element to manipulate) almost every song here is grounded in melody, and there are some pure pop gems on Visions. “Genesis” is like an exhilarating sugar rush, and “Oblivion” and “Vowels= Space and Time” both further display this addictive alchemy at the core of the album–intelligent layering, uncluttered production, an instinctive awareness of space–and they are both catchy as hell.

“Eight” and “Circumambient” introduce a darker side to Boucher’s music, demonstrating her uncanny ability to shift the tone without ever jarring. Visions is first and foremost an album rather than a collection of songs (something which is becoming more of a rarity in the iTunes generation). “Symphona IX (my wait is u)” is a startling concoction, backed my an immensely danceable beat but haunted at times by a ghostly choir that hardly qualifies it as obvious dance floor material. That song and “Nightmusic” show Boucher at her most experimental, and the latter song is notable for featuring a rare heavy bass tone that is never allowed to dominate the track’s production. It makes a nice change from those fratboy dubstep producers who think that skull-crushing bass is the only way to an electronica fan’s heart.

And then just before the outro comes “Skin,” a gorgeous return to the heart as focus, with a vocal that is clear and full of longing. It might be the most human song on the album, and its placement near the album’s end after its drift into more left field fare only serves to heighten the track’s impact. It works best as a culmination of all of the strengths of Visions. Grimes is a singular and unique talent, one who should not be punished for occasionally recalling the ghosts of Enya and Cindy Lauper (two very odd moments on an otherwise very fine album). Her signing to 4AD and subsequent step-up should serve as an inspiration to the Garageband generation. Our post-internet saturated music industry may give voices to too much mediocre home music, but there will always be an audience for the good stuff.

For more information on Grimes, including details of her Los Angeles show on Friday, visit her website.

I’m a bit disappointed that I have to wait until OCTOBER to see her here, but I am certain she will not disappoint. Did you see her Superbowl halftime show?

It was outrageous! I can’t wait to see what kinds of stunts she’ll pull during her world tour. Will spaceships and horses be involved? Maybe she’ll sing from a sailboat on a synthetic ocean. Although really I would be content if she just sang my dance favorites from the ’80s and her ballads from the ’90s while wearing a black gown.

Apparently if you order tickets online for her show, you will receive a choice of a digital or physical copy of her new album, MDNA, with every ticket purchase. That is enough to sweeten the deal for me, for you, and for anyone else who loves Madonna.

For more Madonna news, visit her Official Page.

Fun. – Some Nights

Sleigh Bells – Reign of Terror

Cursive – I Am Gemini

Field Music – Plumb

Grimes – Visions

Damien Jurado – Maraqopa

Sinead O’Connor – How About I Be Me

Galactic – Carnivale Electricos

Lambchop – Mr. M

Busdriver – Beaus$Eros

Starting with the upbeat, Portuguese song “Janela,” the groovy Brazilian beats permeated the room. Carla looked simple yet elegant in her tie-dye gown, like a woman who is down-to-earth and grounded. She carried herself so comfortably on stage, and her presence was warm and inviting. Her three charismatic backup singers added much to the festivities of the evening. Alberto Lopez rocked the cajon while Jeremy Bieber accompanied Carla on guitar, adding layers of depth to her songs.

Carla’s second song translated to “Something Like You” and was filled with longing. She sang other songs from her soon-to-be-released album, Circulo, and I loved her sense of humor during the between-song banter: “If I were a rich woman, I’d buy you a drink, but instead I’ll offer you my CD for sale!” She showed versatility in her musical style, performing a Bill Withers’ song, “Just Another Day to Run,” but my favorite song of the evening was “Gone.” It had a provoking message carried through interesting chord progressions.

I didn’t have a chance to talk to Carla much that evening though I really wanted to congratulate her on a great show, but I did have the opportunity to interview her last week. If you want to learn more about her interesting background, check out the interview.

Although Carla’s new album, Circulo, has not yet been released, you can listen to her other music on her Official Page.

The album begins with “Astronomic Club,” a wacky track that has a hint of old James Bond movie in it, and next comes what might just be my favorite track, “Seven Stars.” The drumbeat sounds haunting until the vocals come in, which turn the track into a song you’d listen to when you just want to chill. You forget that it is part of a film score until a man booms, “Twenty seconds and counting,” and then proceeds to count down to zero.

“Retour Sur Terre” is a sweet, half-minute-long track, filled with nostalgia like a Napoleon pastry. “Parade” is an upbeat, fun, psychedelic track that sounds like a time capsule taking you back to the 1960s. “Moon Fever” calms my nerves, especially after the crazy sounds I’ve experienced thus far, and “Sonic Armada” is another quirky, retro tune similar to “Parade,” but a little busier and space-ier. “Who Am I Now” (as its title would have you think) evokes introspection. The melody is melancholic and dissonant, but still cool. I do like dark, after all.

“Decollage” comes next, which fittingly feels like the opening of a suspenseful movie. “Cosmic Trip” is just that: a trip out to space, complete with a familiar female voice saying, “Welcome to the Astronomic Club.” “Homme Lune” is an ethereal 18-second track that ends before you can even taste it. The last track, “Lava,” is a dramatic piano-based song with an orchestra behind it that morphs into something almost rock towards the end. It is the perfect finale to this amazing album, and I truly felt like I had just returned from a voyage to the moon!

Photo by: Wendy Bevan

What’s really interesting about Le Voyage Dans La Lune is the process in which the band wrote the score, apparently watching the film over and over again for a month. The film was pushed to premier earlier than expected (the Cannes festival in France was in May), so the duo had a very tight deadline to finish the album, but it looks like the pressure pushed the band to do great work because the Cannes audience loved it, and so did I, and so will you!

The album dropped on Tuesday, February 7, and if you’re a huge fan of Air, I recommend you get the album/DVD version, since there will only be 70,000 copies of it available worldwide.

Scene from Le Voyage Dans La Lune film

Le Voyage Dans La Lune film screenings:

Feb. 21 – Filmbar – Phoenix, AZ
Feb. 18-May 20 – SITE, CAA Arts Centre – Santa Fe, NM
Feb. 25 – Aero Theater @ American Cinematheque – Santa Monica, CA
Feb. 25 – Noise Pop Festival – San Francisco, CA
Feb. 28 – Northwest Film Forum – Seattle, WA
Mar. 03 – Cornell Cinema – Ithaca, NY
Mar. 04 – The Flicks – Boise, ID
Mar. 10, 13, 16 – Paramount Center for the Arts – Peekskill, NY
Mar. 18-Apr. 3 – Green Mountain Film Festival – Montpelier, VT
March 23-27 – Miami Beach Cinematheque – Miami Beach, FL
Apr. 18 – International House – Philadelphia, PA

For more info on the band, visit their Official Page.

If you’re curious to see a snippet of the restored film, check it out on NPR’s website.

Chiddy Bang has had a breakthrough year. After releasing their first album, The Preview, in 2010, the duo spent most of 2011 touring the world and making appearances at music festivals such as Glastonbury, Bonnaroo, Bamboozle, Lollapalooza, and Austin City Limits.

Don’t miss your chance to catch Chiddy Bang at the Troubadour this week. They are one of the most energetic acts I’ve ever had the opportunity to see in concert. Chiddy is a lyrical whiz: the last time I saw him he wove “In ‘N’ Out” and “Steve Jobs” into the same freestyle rap. It was impressive to say the least.

Leave us a comment with an email address you check frequently below, and one lucky winner will get to watch Chiddy Bang live in concert this Wednesday at Los Angeles’ own Troubadour. GOOD LUCK!

For more info on Chiddy Bang: Official Site

In October, they brought Deadmau5, Feed Me, and Avicii to Petco Park for a Halloween show right on the tail end of Deadmau5′s Meowingtons Hax Tour, providing a solid alternative to Insomniac’s Escape From Wonderland and what would have been an epically popular GoVentures Monster Massive featuring Armin’s 9 hour “Mirage” set.

Then for New Years, they did it again and threw OMFG!, a brand new NYE party at the San Diego Sports Arena that featured a lineup of names that made plenty of people repeat the event title out loud: Fedde Le Grand, Bart B More, Hardwell, Porter Robinson, R3Hab, and 16 year old French Youtube sensation Madeon. Again, a viable option for anyone who wasn’t too interested in White Wonderland’s predominantly housey lineup or for those who hadn’t recovered from the bitter sting of last year’s Together As One and the frustrating event logistics (though I’m glad to hear that this year’s TAO went off without any major hiccups).

So here these mofos come again with their declaration to the Southern California EDM-heads: “Bitches, we’re here to throw a party!” And oh will they. With a solid lineup of Dirty South, Bingo Players, Tommy Trash, Nicky Romero, and late announcement special guest KNIFE PARTY, there are definitely a lot of people looking forward to this President’s Day Weekend rager. And best of all, San Diego’s politicians haven’t gotten their panties pretzel twisted yet and the event will go from 8pm – 4am instead of 2 when the alcohol stops pouring.

Regardless of anything, there’s a few things I’m looking forward to today: Music so upbeat and intense that I will physically feel my soul be shaken like I were under the care of a British nanny, and forearm length surf & turf burritos from JV’s Taco Shop. Remember, surf & turf burrito. NO RICE.

Ok. Music time.

Nicky Romero – “Toulouse”

Nicky Romero’s been enjoying a steady climb to high levels of familiarity, and for good reason. His melodies are catchy and infectious, the buildups will have you sweating balls, and his use of aggressively mechanical sounds vs. hummable melodic lines is seamless.

Bingo Players – “Cry (Just a Little)”

This throwback house track samples Brenda Russell’s “Piano in the Dark” and makes you feel like you’re in the ’80s, except no one has nasty poofy hair. Skrillex hair is a far more prominent problem however. Love this song and am excited to see the Bingo Players live for the first time. Plus, how could you hate on anyone that the EC Twins look up to?

Knife Party – “Fire Hive”

I love Knife Party. A lot. Probably too much. The electro pet project of Pendulum’s Rob Swire and Gareth McGrillen has taken the electronic music world by storm, completely blindsiding everyone with a free download EP of songs that employ everything from iPhone ringtones to sounds that I can only describe as balloons having sex and a “don’t give a rat’s ass” attitude. They commit full on assault and battery on their listener’s poor senses from start to finish, and they’re absolutely my most anticipated set of this evening. Just listen to “Fire Hive.” It’ll hurt, but you’ll love it.

Kill The Noise w/ Skrillex & 12th Planet – “Right On Time”

I first saw Kill The Noise at Burning Man in 2009 at Root Society’s Tower of Babel stage. They absolutely tore the house down for a crowd of 5,000 dusty, fur-clad party goers, and I couldn’t be more excited to see them again. Below is a track that might drive you into a panicked frenzy with a seriously manic buildup that kicks you back just in time for the laid-back, hip hop-inspired breakdown. Silly as hell and absolutely beautiful.

To purchase tickets and learn more about tonight’s event, visit LED’s home page for more information! Tickets are still available, and YES, VIP actually means open bar!

Europa is a tribute band to Santana, which if you consider Santana’s unique grooves and instrumentation, is not easy to pull off. Well this band is definitely the real deal with seven members, four of which are percussionists (drummer, timbalas, congas, and handheld instruments), a legendary bassist, a killer keyboardist, and of course, a frontman who can sing and play excellent Santana guitar riffs. I heard that some of the members actually performed with Santana too!

House Of Blues Feburary 15th 2012 from JOSEPH CARRION on Vimeo.

The band started off their set with the song “Jingo,” and even though the keyboardist had technical difficulties, you wouldn’t be able to tell because the percussion section, with the help of the groovy bassist, kept the crowd going until the sound engineer figured it out. Then the next song, “Evil Ways,” got everyone dancing along. And when I say everyone, I mean everyone. Young kids, parents, grandparents, and everyone in between in all colors were at the show! I was really surprised to see a big, diverse crowd, given that it was a Wednesday night and it was super cold for Los Angeles standards.

I was expecting the band to play only old Santana stuff, and they did quite a bit of that (“Samba Pa Ti” and “No One to Depend On”), but they also played contemporary Santana stuff too (“Smooth” and “Game of Love”). Of course my favorite song was “Black Magic Woman,” and I almost felt like I was at a Santana show circa 1975. All I can say is that I have changed my mind about tribute bands thanks to Europa, and I recommend that you see them if you hear of their next show!

For more info on Europa: Official Site

The world loves a tragic hero, and Whitney Houston fit the role. From her overnight rise to fame on the merit of her innocence, beauty, and talent to her peak as “Queen of the Night” with sold-out world tours and starring Hollywood roles to her eventual residency on the front page of tabloids, her audience sat with baited breath for each new development.

With the release of her 2009 comeback album, I Look To You, (which never garnered the radio play it deserved), the world held out hope that their star was once again on the rise. All too soon, videos of her tour supporting I Look To You began circulating the internet. A heavy hammer of criticism fell on the performances she was giving. She lacked the sustainability of her early career. Her voice wasn’t what it used to be. Giving it all in her youth, she wasn’t left with much in her 40s. It seems Houston’s death is but the final scene in the sick drama we created – the final fall from grace played out on TV screens and Facebook news feeds.

Whitney Houston was not perfect, but that is perhaps what set her apart from her diva contemporaries. Mariah has whistle tones, trills, and tricks. Celine has arguable vocal perfection. Whitney, on the other hand, had soul, spirit, and brought a human element to her music. She chased risky notes in live settings, and therein was her genius. Unexpected and exciting, her performances kept audiences on the edge of their seats and filled with breathtaking anticipation. That is how Whitney brought a house down.

Every time I turn around, a new performance surfaces, and I’m blown away by the sheer talent this woman possessed. Mainstream or Broadway, originals or covers, Whitney Houston could make over any song in her own fashion. Changing the time signature of the national anthem, she sang arguably the most iconic version ever performed. Dolly Parton’s lilting Number 1 country chart topper, “I Will Always Love You,” became the epic ballad of a generation when Whitney put her voice to it. Whitney Houston was incapable of absolutely nothing – except living forever.

Nobody with ears with which to hear Whitney’s voice was untouched by her passing. This sort of tragedy transcends all divisions of class, politics, race, and nationality. In private moments, we take the time to listen to our favorite song or watch that once-in-a-lifetime performance, and we realize that a star like Whitney Houston never fades as long as we keep the legacy alive and the music playing.