Yesterday, I was “In the Club” with White Williams. Alfred University’s Knight Club to be exact. After enduring a pretty generic rock band playing pretty generic rock songs and freshmen who had a bit too much energy and a bit too much inclination to mosh to absolutely anything, White Williams arrived. With very few lights on the small Knight Club stage, it was hard to see, but he looked particularly elfish with his button up shirt and rolled up dress pants. He and his two cohorts began what seemed like a sound check at first before launching into a sonic assault of electronic noise and bass explosions. White Williams was armed with what looked like a suitcase with a keyboard, lap top and some mean electronics, while one of his cohorts wielded a guitar with ample effects pedals and the other wielded a high hat, a snare and a sweet looking drum trigger pad.
Whether it was due to the Knight Club’s muddy sound, or the stripped down nature of White William’s live performance, each song off of his debut LP “Smoke”, was transformed into sublime noise rather than sublime electro-pop. His relatively well known singles “New Violence” (The version he played featured samples of Alfred’s Bell Tower) and “Violator” were transformed into throbbing kick drum and snare affairs with a synth loop squiggle here and a guitar lick there. Even though the tight, clear sounding, grooves of his album were pretty indisquishable, the songs were still enjoyable, transformed into noise band type remixes. It wasn’t quite what I expected, but you have to have to commend an artist who surprises his audience, even if it is to mixed results.
Jon Middleton and Roy Vizer are in a folk pop band. Their band is called Jon & Roy and they are from British Columbia, Canada. Jon sings and plays guitar while Roy plays drums and percussion. Their song “Another Noon” was used in a Volkswagen commercial for their Eos vehicle. It’s an interesting selection for a car commercial as their music is relatively mellow whereas most car commercials have some kind of upbeat electronic/rock songs. I think the method works though, as Jon & Roy provide a calming atmosphere amidst a sea of volume turned up way too loud.
Their music accompanies the end of summer particlularly well. I can imagine campers living out thier last day fishing off of a small row boat and reclining around the campfire until the remaining embers burn out. Thier music isn’t anything revolutionary but it does fill the niche for contented late night drives home.
Klumpfisk returns with an sublime dream pop take on up and coming Swedish pop songstress Lykke Li. The original versions gentle clank is replaced with a wide open ambience and some raw guitar work.
This snippet came with the remix:
“To those of you who appreciate genuine handcraft in these times of mass-produced nonsense, Klumpfisk presents yet another trip to the shores of the Baltic Sea. Made from small amounts of matter, but from larger amounts of time, before you lies a beautiful example of what a pop song of 2008 could or could not be. If this doesn’t make you shiver, either your brain or your nerves may be damaged.”
Chicago based electro pop-group Walter Meego is comprised of Guitarist/singer Colin Yark and Keyboardist Justin Sconza. Imagine a quirky singer songwriter fuzed at the hip to a keyboard and drum machine; that comes pretty close to what Walter Meego sounds like. Just add in some sweet guitar riffs, some vocoder, and it becomes pretty clear that Walter Meego is a winner.
Yesterday, I was “In the Club” with White Williams. Alfred University’s Knight Club to be exact. After enduring a pretty generic rock band playing pretty generic rock songs and freshmen who had a bit too much energy and a bit too much inclination to mosh to absolutely anything, White Williams arrived. With very few lights on the small Knight Club stage, it was hard to see, but he looked particularly elfish with his button up shirt and rolled up dress pants. He and his two cohorts began what seemed like a sound check at first before launching into a sonic assault of electronic noise and bass explosions. White Williams was armed with what looked like a suitcase with a keyboard, lap top and some mean electronics, while one of his cohorts wielded a guitar with ample effects pedals and the other wielded a high hat, a snare and a sweet looking drum trigger pad.
