After watching the Jayhawks squeak past Davidson yesterday, I rushed to Milwaukee to catch Explosions in the Sky (lovingly referred to as “EITS”) play the Pabst. I got settled in just in time to see the excellent opener, Lichens.

Lichens is Rob Lowe. He layed down a twittering of bird sounds over a deep bass that continued through the twenty minute song/set. On top he layered riffs and wordless vocals. At times, the rhythm and harmony sounded faintly middle eastern, but as a whole, the experience was unclassifiable.

EITS took that stage and opened quietly, which I respect. They could have walked out and torn up the stage straight away, but they decided to approach things more delicately. For the next hour and a half, they swung between raucous and calm, anthemic and utterly solitary. And no one knows better the value of a hard stop. They create a single melody and then rip it, turn it, tear it apart and squeeze every last drop of juice from it. At times, they played while sitting on the stage, hopping up when they hit the big riffs.

Their music is deeply personal, for them and for the audience. Yet no matter how introspective their music is, it’s clear that the true experience is about the balance between the band and the crowd. They closed by swinging the stage lights out over the audience, as if to say, “you’re in this too.”

Leave us a comment and let us know what you thought of the show.

Photo: Austinist
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Myspace: Explosions in the Sky
MP3: Explosions In The Sky – “Welcome, Ghosts”
MP3: Explosions In The Sky – “Your Hand In Mine”

Find MP3’s at The Hype Machine or buy stuff from Strictly Discs | eMusic

(travis)

Hot Chip take a break from remixing every song every where to release a new album, Made in the Dark, out Feb. 5.

They are known for the unique, infectious, tongue-in-cheek electro-pop. While still electro-pop and unique, this release is both less infectious and less tongue-in-cheek. There’s no real track that catches my ear and makes me instantly hit the loop button. However, the album feels much more cohesive than The Warning and Coming on Strong. The album still has the requisite dance tracks (see, “Hold On” and Ready for the Floor“), but there are also surprises. For example, they show a softer side with the beach-at-sunset ballads, “Made in the Dark” and “In the Privacy Of Our Love.”

No worries, they still have their humor and their tongue firmly planted in their cheek on “Wrestlers” but songs like that now seem to be the exception rather than the rule. Regardless, it’s still a strong showing from a band that is riding the wave of electronic infused pop.

Myspace: Hot Chip

Find MP3’s at The Hype Machine or buy stuff from Insound | eMusic

(travis)

Starting Feb.1st, you can pre-order the aptly named Love Your Abuser Remixed from Lymbyc Systym, the followup to their 2007 Love Your Abuser disc. Glitchy, trippy electronic music is Lymbyc Systym’s forte. Here, they invite over some friends and produce a disc that captures the wide range of electronic, post-pop thats out there these days.

The disc opens with a horn-heavy The One AM Radio remix of “Astrology Days” reminding us again that he can mix traditional music (such as a brass section) with electronic elements in ways that teach us something about both. Other highlights include a thoroughly-medicated sounding This Will Destroy You remix of the title track and a Bibio remix of “Truth Skull.” Finally, the dance version of “Rest Easy / Age Kindly” breaks out around minute two in a remix by Back Ted N-Ted.

The track that I have on loop though is The Album Leaf‘s stripped, sparse version of “Fall Bicycle.” They’ve taken a good track by Lymbyc Systym and turned it into a stand-out The Album Leaf song.

Full track list:

1. Astrology Days (The One AM Radio Remix)
2. Birds (Lymbyc Systym Remix)
3. Fall Bicycle (The Album Leaf Remix)
4. Truth Skull (Bibio Remix)
5. Love Your Abuser (This Will Destroy You Remix)
6. Rest Easy / Age Kindly (Back Ted N-Ted Remix)
7. A Day At The Beach (Reference Remix)
8. Idle Wires (Lymbyc Systym Remix)
9. …So We Can Sleep (Daedelus Remix)

Lymbyc Systym is currently on a “Southwest Tour” (read: anywhere warm and definitely not Wisconsin, unfortunately) with This Will Destroy You.

Myspace: Lymbyc Systym

Find MP3’s at The Hype Machine or buy stuff from Insound | eMusic

(travis)

Big Madison concert news:

Stars will play at the Barrymore on Friday, March 28.

Tickets: $20 adv (includes a $1 donation to a non-profit) / Tickets on sale Friday, Jan. 25.

They are touring in front of In Our Bedroom After the War.

Torquil Campbell, Stars frontman, about their songs: “… no matter how grim it is, it’s your life, and we have to try to make it beautiful for three-and-a-half minutes.”

Not satisfied with three-and-a-half minutes, we’ll sign up for the whole evening.

Find MP3’s at The Hype Machine or buy stuff from Insound | eMusic

+Remember to bookmark our shows page for all your Wisconsin concert announcements+

Last night, it was five degrees below in Madison. [insert a joke here about a cold night but a hot show] I mention the weather to demonstrate how devoted Madison fans are. Even with arctic temperatures, the High Noon was packed.

White Denim opened the show. I was running behind but everyone I talked to reported that they were great.

Six-member White Rabbits took the stage in their prep-boy collared shirts and v-neck sweaters. Ruddy-cheeks and carefully parted hair. Their music is counterpoint to their style. They riled up the crowd with a rambling sweaty rock sound, heavy piano and guitars – a little like the Spinto Band, but harder. They were a bit over-enthusiastic and lost a little control. But mostly, they played like headliners. If I had went home then, the night would have been complete.

Then The Walkmen showed up to remind us what true headliners sound like. They were tight and controlled. While White Rabbits seemed high-energy, The Walkmen truly poured everything out on stage. Frontman Hamilton Leithauser had reaching, screaming vocals that still managed to be Bob Dylan-esque. The Walkmen were enjoying their sub-zero time in Wisconsin, they were coming off a night in Milwaukee where they discovered shotskis.

If you wander out in true Wisconsin winter to see a show, the bands better deliver. Last night, Madison were treated to two, and probably, three bands that did not disappoint.

Myspace: The Walkmen
Myspace: White Rabbits
Myspace: White Denim

(travis)

On January 8, Sia, of Zero 7 fame, released her new solo album, Some People Have Real Problems.

The smoky, jazzy feel of other recent Brit female artists – Amy Winehouse, Joss Stone – is found here as well. It’s hard to say who came first, some of the tracks on her 2002 solo album – Healing is Difficult – had that style as well. Here, the opening track, “Little Black Sandals” is a standard jazz-pop gem that would not be out of place on either of those artist’s albums. As a whole, this album has fuller, rounder sound than her breakout 2005 – Colour the Small One. Those people who came to Sia because of the ethereal, spacey Breathe Me will be disappointed. That type of piano based, slowly building song is nonexistent on the new album. Of course, I’m particularly biased since I prefer the glitchier, even spacier, Four Tet and Ulrich Schnauss remixes of the song.

The absolute standout is the catchy, hidden track – Buttons. As the video shows, she’s having a little more fun, she relaxes, and it shows.

Myspace: Sia

Find MP3’s at The Hype Machine or buy stuff from Insound | eMusic

(travis)