Review - Animal Collective: Fall Be Kind EP

Rating: 6.8

Animal Collective has never cared for much beyond sharing the unadulterated joy of creating music. Their fans can be thankful for this and their proliferation, having released eight full albums since their 2000 debut as well as four EPs, while earning their place in the upper echelons of music. Not many bands get mentioned in the same breath as Radiohead, or with the same reverence.

The band's last EP Water Curses seemed like something of a companion to 2007's acclaimed Strawberry Jam, showing a band at the same strange high just a few short months later, but with the looser compositional standards that an EP provides. Likewise, with its gentler sound and demeanor, still eccentric but lacking roughness, it's easy to compare this record with the band's Merriweather Post Pavilion, released earlier this year.

Earlier records from this band were defined by their incorporation of ostensibly hellish sounds and extreme dissonance into a wonky world music/pop formula without compromising the benevolent feel of the music. MPP, on the other hand discarded tactile dissonance almost entirely, relying more on classical musical styles of dissonant build-up and resolution for its effect. Like all Collective releases, the recorded succeeded on the strength of its textural strength and melody, though some of the color was gone.

Fall Be Kind clearly follows this pattern, giving the band a playground to sate its tendencies toward drone, occasional mid-song shifts and cacophonous displays of drum and vocals that seem to beat most chamber pop at its own game while remaining delightfully unconventional. Unfortunately, without the rigid construction, and the wonder of unpredictable musical violence Animal Collective has offered on all of their releases, Fall Be Kind comes off only a little bland and unmemorable. It isn't that the music isn't topnotch, for the most part, but that this style has already been done on Merriweather Post Pavilion and more effectively; for every nice instrument blast or vocal harmony that excites me, I can't help but think of a moment on the previous LP that pulled off the same maneuver just as memorably.

In a vacuum Fall Be Kind would be impossible not to recommend.

---Dustin Steinacker

Time Capsule: Serart

Serart (2003)

It's easy to like world music, but often difficult to get really enthusiastic about it. It's a given that music in foreign tongues and tones helps us to build a kinship with the human race and makes us feel cultured to boot. But it's difficult to deny the perspective barrier between an artist a hemisphere away and the listener picking up her LP on a whim. Ergo, the the thrill of exploring new cultures and sounds often subsides long before you take the disc back to the library.

But Serart is folk music unlike any other, a collaboration between famed Armenian musician Arto Tunçboyacıyan and fully half of the members of System of a Down. Despite what you may expect given this description, it's legitimately soulful and contemplative, incorporating some traditional elements as well as some modern trappings without cheating either. Serart celebrates culture and heritage while remaining fully entertaining in its own right - it's a soulful, intelligent album, well-written and produced without being overly-glossy or feeling calculating. Arto gives the project focus without repressing Serj's natural tendencies to squawk and meander appropriately, resulting in a very forward-looking record that nevertheless expresses a mostly-shared cultural heritage without alienating the Western listener.

--Dustin Steinacker

Three Weeks

Here's our interview with local Utah band and my personal friends, Three Weeks!

    -Where did you come up with your band name and is there some meaning behind it?

       It was a late night and we were in a silly mood.. we were talking about putting things off, and procrastinating.. our drummer at the time made the statement.. "yeah dude.. it's like three weeks til sunday..."  And we thought that's could be kind of a cool name.. so we were 3 Weeks til Sunday for several years, until we we released our album last April.. at which time we dropped the til Sunday part, and now we are just THREE WEEKS.  It's more user friendly for people announcing us and stuff.. the name got confusing for people sometimes..

- Who are some of your musical influences?

        I grew up listening to the Beatles, Eagles, Kansas, Journey.. you know the classic rock that our parents love.. so that really is the biggest influence in my writing.. trying to write songs that are catchy, and hopefully timeless.. other more modern influences would include Eve 6, Fountains of Wayne, and the Killers.

- Do you have a certain theme or feel for your current album?

     The album is called Alive Again.. and in it we deal with archetypes like  Rain, birth, resurrection... the album was produced in a time of great growth for the band, and preceded  some even bigger changes and bigger growth.  It really represents our first real steps and address to the world.

- Describe your sound/genre.

     We just call it chill rock.. it's all pretty easy to listen to..

- Who are the members of your band and their roles?

      Bryce Wood- Lead singer, guitar, songwriter
      Austin Wood- Keys, guitar, vocals, songwriter
     Christian Hathaway- Bass, vocals
     Kent Scott- drums, vocals
     We also have a full tech team that runs our light and sound headed up by Mark Lusk, Joseph Ditton, and Stuart Olsen

- What would you like to accomplish or achieve with your music?

     Show the world that there is more to listen to than just hip hop.. that music really can mean something again.  I look back at the songs that have had an impact on my life, and it's those songs by the Beatles, Simon and Garfunkle that high school kids are showing to their teachers saying.. "Listen to this new band!  They have this awesome new song called Sounds of Silence!"  I want to help people rediscover the real magic of music.

- What is your creative process like?

     I do most of my composing with my brother Austin.. Some songs almost write themselves, while others have to ripen on the vine.  I get a lot of my ideas in the shower of all places:)  Usually one of us will have a concept for a song, and we get together, and just hammer it out.

- What instruments do you use (technical specs for the nerds)?  

     I play a Talman thin body electric acoustic, and I also play a squire telecaster.  Our keyboard is a Yamaha.. nothing fancy, our bass is a Fender vintage precision bass, and our drum kit is a pearl with zxt symbols.  I sing into a sure beta 58 mic, the back up vocals run on pg 48 mics, and our system is a combination of behringer, peavy, and crown boards and amps, with Kustom speakers.

- If you could work with anyone, living or dead, who would it be?

Paul Mcartney!

- What's on your MP3 player currently?

     I actually don't have one!  I'm still in the stone age!

- Any upcoming concert events or releases?

     We will be doing a concert on Dec 4th up Utah State University Campus.. cost is $5.00 at the door, and all public is welcome

- Any final thoughts, shoutouts, tips or words of advice?

     Never be afraid to pursue your dreams.. I started writing music because I wanted to do a band, but wasn't good at playing covers.. it's amazing what you can accomplish when you put your mind to it.  Do it for the love of it.

     Please check out our website threeweeksrock.com, and find us on facebook.. we do have a fan page for the band, or add me personally.  We have a lot of videos from past shows and stuff.  If you want us to come play just email me or facebook me!  Thanks much!