Band of the Week - The Joy Formidable

It's pretty weird, the innumerable outlets we have to find out about new (to us) music.  Not that long ago I feel like I was only finding out about bands I had never heard of by going to shows, compilation CD's, recommendations from friends, or even just judging an album by its cover and buying it based solely on the artwork.  For me to stumble on The Joy Formidable the way that I did just feels like a stupid anomaly dictated by the age that we live in.  I noticed that I had a new subscriber, or friend, or whatever on my YouTube account.  When I checked to see who it was my eyes were drawn to the first video in this person's playlist.  The still was of a short haired platinum blonde playing guitar and singing.   I mean I love The Cardigans, Maura Davis, and Kylesa and I really don't mean to sound sexist, but I'm just generally not into much music that involves female singers.  Most guys I know aren't.  Now I'm not really one to believe in fate or that serendipity has time for me, but for whatever reason I watched the video... and here we are.

As a three piece, The Joy Formidable attempt to create as much noise as 3 humans can possibly make live and on recording.  They are successful at both, but for different reasons.  On the recordings there is a lot of focus on electronic layers and while it does sound overdriven and noisy, the low end seems to suffer a bit.  When they play live efforts are made to encompass the electronic loops, but this is where a more raw sound occurs and where The Joy Formidable really flourishes.  On recording they may sound like a poppier Pixies or a female fronted Muse with Ritzy Bryan's vocals being akin to Björk mixed with one of the ladies from Ladytron (take your pick, doesn't matter which one), and this is what they sound like live, too, but with fits of improv noise ala Sonic Youth.  Also, the heavy hitting metal style drumming of Matt Thomas and Rhydian Dafydd's chunky bass add a pummeling that just isn't captured on recording.  Of course, all of this is what I've seen through videos since I foolishly skipped their appearance that was near me.  Don't you do the same.

Ritzy's doll-like attire definitely brings an element of surprise when The Joy Formidable builds up to their infectious choruses because though you might be expecting something kind of poppy and catchy, you aren't ready for the weight with which they deliver it.  Another aspect of their live act is that you can tell they are enjoying the shit out of themselves and having fun no matter the crowd size, reaction, or venue.  At the same time you can watch Ritzy transform as moments in the music seem to just take over her.  It's quite inspiring and genuine.

www.thejoyformidable.com/
www.facebook.com/thejoyformidable

(One thing I do feel the need to add which does detract from them a little bit is that The Joy Formidable is going to be featured on the next Twilight soundtrack.  That said and I still think they're worth talking about)

Where They Started: 2008's A Balloon Called Moaning

Where You Should Start: Doesn't really matter. Though, the latest release  
The Big Roar is the first to feature the harder hitting (and some times double bass-ing) Matt Thomas, it's really not that noticeable until you see them live.  I guess I do enjoy the songs on The Big Roar more, plus is also has the best tracks from the first release rerecorded. 

I'm just going to skip past "Essential Song" here and just give a few remarkable live videos.

The video I first got sucked in by:



I know it's the same song, but it's equally as impressive a performance.

Actually, just watch the whole SXSW performance, it's really great.

Also a must see performance on Conan O'brien where Ritzy tries to shove a guitar up Rhydian's butt:
http://teamcoco.com/content/music-guest-joy-formidable-destroy-stage-literally

They'll also be performing on David Letterman on the unholiest of days, October 6th.

Band of the Week - These City Limits

Pop music is evil.  I don't mean in the "destroying the industry" sense, but more in an infectious disease kind of way.  Especially when the band is initially masked as something else. You're lured in with clever and unique drumming and a darker chord progression than what you were expecting and now you're captivated.  However, the singer kicks in and, though good and intriguing, it's the kind of vocals where you just think to yourself that he's obviously trying to garner some mainstream attention.  You're hit with the chorus and there it is; the 4/4 drum beat and recognizable, yet forgettable riff and catchy vocal pattern. Then you black out and when you come to, you're whistling the chorus as you walk out of your room, or car, or mom's basement only to run back and press play again for the 18th time in the last hour (slightly over 3 minutes per song, the perfect pop length).  You're hooked (yes, that's where the term comes from) and you couldn't be happier about your slow demise into the realm of pop music.

Although the above scenario is what happened to me when I first heard These City Limits, I don't mean to criticize their pop sensibilities.  Their songs are anything, but forgettable and the vocals, though more accessible than most music I listen to, are definitely the most infectious part of the songs.  Having been a privy to guitarist/vocalist Randy Vanderbilt's musical output since the inception of his first band, Scarlet (back then they were called Blindfold Coalition and he was the drummer), I've been able to follow the growth of his musical genius through the years.  These City Limits have a sound that is similar to The Dear Hunter, and though they have that prog rock kind of feel, they don't really stray too far from the verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus song structure hinting at a Muse influence.  Vanderbilt's vocals are reminiscent of the aforementioned bands and when the choruses come in, the melodies sound like Finch's later material.  What sets These City Limits apart from those bands and other artists skirting the boundaries between pop and rock is that Randy hasn't completely abandoned that dark Scarlet guitar tone.  A few of TCL's riffs would have fit right in with Cult Classic.  Even the lyrics have similar apocalyptic themes.  It leaves These City Limits' music fresh without alienating the casual listener.


www.facebook.com/pages/These-City-Limits/217445531607424

Where They Started: From what I can tell, they're a relatively new band with just one demo. Fellow Scarlet alumn, Andreas Magnussen, mixed and mastered the recordings.

Where You Should Start: It's not quite the same, but I really like Scarlet and if you like These City Limits at all you should kind of move backwards through Scarlet's catalog since their last record, This Was Always Meant To Fall Apart, did have the most singing on it.  It's all good to me, though.

Essential Song: Listen to the whole demo below.  The first 2 songs are definitely my favorites.