Now It's On

Concert Review: The Juliets - Emagine Theater, Royal Oak, Michigan, 9/2/11

After seeing Jessica Hernandez and the Deltas, then Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. back-to-back at Arts, Beats & Eats, an indoor show with another of the Detroit area's best, The Juliets, seemed like the perfect cap to the evening. The heat outside was beyond ridiculous so it was nice to head inside to the air conditioning of the Emagine Theater in Royal Oak for an Arts, Beats & Eats after-party. 

Taking place inside the Skybox Lounge, the party also served as a promotion for the upcoming MI Fest '11 outdoor music and camping festival, taking place at Michigan International Speedway on September 17. The Raconteurs and Sheryl Crow are headlining this event, but there will be plenty of great local music represented there as well, including the aforementioned Jessica Hernandez, Bear Lake and The Juliets.

It had been well over a year since I last saw The Juliets live, which is way too long. In fact, the last time I saw them was at the release party for their self-titled debut album and first music video in early 2010 at the Majestic Cafe. This was my first time seeing this lineup of the band, with Jaclyn Phillips on drums and Ashton Hopkins on bass replacing Scott Masson and Kip Donlon respectively. As I expected, the fact these five have been playing together over a year now, has them sounding tight and polished live. Phillips and Hopkins make excellent additions to the band.

Their set was a good mix of songs from their debut and new ones from their forthcoming second album "Perfect Season". Musically, the band sounded as great as I remembered. The problem on this night, not really through any fault of theirs, was the venue just wasn't very suitable to live music. The mix was extremely muddy and Jeremy Freer's vocals were buried way too deep. It made it difficult to hear what he was singing during the new songs especially. His vocals also caused the bass drum to vibrate all night, making it even tougher to hear clearly. They sounded as good as I've come to expect from this band, but I'll have to wait for the album to truly 'hear' these songs for the first time. Credit to Freer and his bandmates for soldiering on despite the feedback, his piano cutting out and the overall lousy sound mix they had to endure most of the night.

After opening with an extended instrumental, showcasing Kaylan Mitchell on cello and Sarah Myers on violin, they went into "Who Needs Astrology?" then "This Just In", the first single from their debut album.The first new song of the night followed with "Heart In Heart", which they also released for free as part of their "Awaited Season EP" download.

They returned to their first album for "The Letter" and "Sweetheart" before a run of six new songs from "Perfect Season" starting with the gorgeous title track, the favorite thing I've heard so far off the new album. The new material continues the mix of baroque and classical pop the band hangs its hat on, but there is also a much heavier rock influence on a number of these songs. Freer had his electric guitar out often during the new material and its a welcome addition to their sound. One of the new songs also featured Sarah Myers in a duet with Freer on lead vocals. 

After the smashing "Fashion", The Juliets closed the night with "Evolved Into", one of the best from their fine debut album. It was nice to be able to see them live again, Freer is a helluva songwriter, and I'll definitely have to make an effort to get out and see them more as the lousy sound left me wanting another show. This is another of the best bands coming out of Detroit, how about next year they're actually playing an Arts, Beats & Eats stage? They surely deserve to.  

Concert Review: Jessica Hernandez and the Deltas - Arts, Beats & Eats, Royal Oak, Michigan, 9/2/11

A great night of Detroit area music at Arts Beats & Eats kicked off with another scintillating performance from Jessica Hernandez and the Deltas. I'll keep trumpeting this band until I'm blue in the face, they're that good. I'm surprised the nearby senior apartments didn't come tumbling down from the power of Hernandez' voice, truly one of the best female singers working in the area.

The Delta's, as well, are one of the tightest bands you'll hear around, and they have to be since Hernandez' music dips into so many genres. Songs go in and out of different styles within minutes, soulful to poppy to jazzy to bluesy and so forth. It's a wonderful, dizzying mix all capped off by that VOICE. Favorites from their self-released 2010 EP were played including "Moonstruck", "Face Off" and "Gone In Two Seconds" (though surprisingly not "In The City"), but the majority of the set focused on newer material the band has been working on, likely slated for their first full length release. Thankfully another of my favorites, "Neck Tattoo", was also in the set.

Hernandez, as she usually does, won the crowd over quickly. At one point during an insanely funky number, she insisted the entire crowd kneel down as the song broke down to a funky bassline and her voice. "I'm not gonna sing again until everyone kneels, I'm serious. I don't care if you're old" she demanded and she was obeyed. As the song slowly picked back up she gave everyone permission to rise, a funny moment and was cool to see everyone play along. 

It's hard for me to be impartial when it comes to Jessica Hernandez and the Deltas. But they give me no reason to be too critical, they always bring it live and are truly deserving of more widespread attention.They get raved over whenever they play around town, here's to hoping that rumored record deal happens sooner rather than later.

Concert Review: Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. - Arts Beats & Eats, Royal Oak, Michigan, 9/2/11

Just before they embark on their next national tour, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. played another local show, this time on the Main Stage at Arts, Beats & Eats in Royal Oak. Although there was no way they could top their album release party at St. Andrew's back in June, Josh Epstein and Daniel Zott put on another energetic set for the hometown crowd.

The duo came out to a Detroit themed intro, complete with matching Detroit Tigers hats and jackets. In light of the sweltering heat, they joked it was too hot to stay in them and then ripped into their cover of "Almost Lost Detroit" to start the set off. As much as I like the album version, this song kills live. Still my favorite DEJJ song, "An Ugly Person On A Movie Screen" was next followed by the single "Morning Thought".

The two then addressed the crowd, with Zott saying he literally lives five minutes away from where they were playing, before Epstein dedicated their cover of The Beach Boys "God Only Knows" to their Detroit friends and fans. Epstein took center stage for the lead vocal on "It's A Corporate World" before they did an extended version of "Skeletons". There was no Skeleton Choir this time, but instead they made the entire crowd their choir as they got everyone singing along, with Epstein imploring people not to be shy or nervous to sing and dance.

A brand new song was played next, a dance/rock number about being lonely, perhaps the first taste of their next album? "Simple Girl" and "Vocal Chords" brought a lot of clapping along and dancing from the packed in crowd, before Epstein insisted the next song would get everyone dancing, even though it was the first time they had ever played it. The sick music geek in me recognized the drum machine intro instantly, it was a cover of the Whitney Houston smash hit "I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)", complete with Zott doing spins while singing a verse. Between this and their version of Steve Winwood's "Higher Love" they've been playing live, DEJJ are fully capable of pulling off an 80's cover album.

Like it usually does, the song that first got the band attention, "Nothing But Our Love", closed the set. As their shows always seem to be, this one was very well received, even though a good portion of the crowd by the time they took the stage was filled with teenie Panic! at the Disco fans, waiting for their closing set. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. now return to the road for a September U.S. tour before they head out for their first ever shows overseas, including stops in the UK and Iceland.    

Album Review: The Envy Corps "It Culls You"

The Envy Corps' 2008 full length "Dwell" goes down in my book as one of the all-time overlooked indie rock albums. It was one of the best albums released that year, but sadly only saw a digital release Stateside, and lost steam in the UK where they were signed to a major label deal, after it was delayed by Vertigo Records. Now the Ames, Iowa quartet are back with their first album since "Dwell" and they've done it again with one of 2011's best releases. "It Culls You" is simply a great album.

I'll get this right out of the way. Yes, good portions of this sound very Radiohead-esque. Luke Pettipoole's voice can even call to mind Thom Yorke in places. Radiohead have influenced countless bands so that is certainly nothing I'm going to hold against The Envy Corps in the originality department. I'd prefer to just focus on the music at hand here, comparisons be damned. 

With "It Culls You", The Envy Corps build on the sound of their past work while taking it in new directions, enough so to turn a casual fan into a diehard. It's the sound of a band moving forward, not stagnating. Luke Pettipoole has always had an intriguing voice, capable of being snarly one minute on a heavier track, and sweet the next in his falsetto on a quieter ballad. What stands out here as much as his vocals is his work on the bass. The rhythm section on this album, Pettipoole on the bass and Scott Yoshimura on drums, is amazing. Tracks like "Ms. Hospital Corners", "Dipsomania" and "Command+Q" are downright damn funky, not the first thing that comes to mind from their past work.  

The album opens with Yoshimura's beating drum and the crunchy bass of "Make It Stop", a song that switches gears about halfway through with a chorus of "Oooh's" before Brandon Darner and Micah Natera join in on guitars and keyboards for a cigarette lighters in the air, hands waving back and forth finale. Such a fantastic opener sets the tone for the rest of the album.

As nice it is to hear the band explore some new territory, they have also perfected the melodic rock they are best known for. "Give It (All) Up" has a sad, repeated synth line, insistent bass and a subdued, but emotional vocal performance by Pettipoole. "In The Summer" has haunting guitar circling around your head, with strings playing in the background to add to the lovely atmosphere set here. Both songs are nothing short of gorgeous.

The album closes with the 14 minute, two part "Fools". Part one, the over nine minute "Fools (How I Survived You & Even Laughed)" starts out rather laid back, with Pettipoole going in and out of falsetto, while bass, piano and tapping drums quietly back him up. The song explodes near its halfway point into a practically post-rock conclusion, searing, echoed guitars scream while a wordless refrain of "woos" is tailor-made to stick with you long after you're done listening. It's an epic conclusion, with Part II a sparse acoustic piece that adds a thumping electronic drum beat to its final minute.

Sometimes it is difficult to express in words how a particular album makes you feel. "It Culls You" staggered me on the first listen and its brilliance has only grown with each repeated play. It cements their place as one of the best indie rock acts working today. Three albums in and The Envy Corps only continue to get better with each release. That is a difficult task to pull off. This is a band deserving of your attention and an album I can't recommend highly enough.

"It Culls You" is being self-released by The Envy Corps. It was made available for download starting August 26, 2011 via the band's official website. You can also pre-order the physical release off their website which will start shipping October 3, 2011. 

Official Website of The Envy Corps (Download or Pre-order the album here)

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