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Upcoming Show!

Sat, 09 Apr 2011 14:09:12 +0100

Fiesta Brava is playing the Basement in Northampton a week from today. Mountain Movers are on at 8, then we're on at 9. Come hear some of the songs we recorded with Mark Alan Miller! More information on the new album will be up here soon. With pictures, really! (I promise!)

Fiesta Brava's Top 10 of 2010: #1

Mon, 27 Dec 2010 13:53:59 +0100

The Winter of Mixed Drinks by Frightened Rabbit

We were blown away by Frightened Rabbit’s 2008 album The Midnight Organ Fight, and the band quickly became a touchstone and favorite among us. When The Winter of Mixed Drinks was released in March, our expectations were high and happily this album delivers. Mixed Drinks is loosely a narrative album. Our sense is that the protagonist is at a low ebb, in severe emotional turmoil, and takes a trip to the ocean to experience a sort of rebirth and reaffirmation of life. Big stuff, this, and Frightened Rabbit’s dramatic, joyous, intense playing drive it all home effectively.

As always, much of the focal point is singer Scott Hutchison’s beautiful and plaintive voice, but the band backs him with an intensity—including gorgeous vocal harmonies—that is at once anthemic and intimate, a superb balancing act in full display during their sweat-drenched set at Pearl St in May. Listen to the epic introduction on “Skip the Youth” that reaches a dizzying and noisy crescendo before cutting to Hutchison’s voice over a quiet guitar and piano figure that is quickly joined by the other instruments before finally introducing the beat three minutes in. Listen to the wonderful bass riff and vocal interplay in “The Wrestle.” Listen to the cathartic release of “Nothing Like You” with its heavier guitar riffs and breathless pace. And see if you can keep yourself from pogoing to “Living in Colour” when the band launches into its propulsive beat. Bottom line: these are great songs, performed and recorded with bright, epic arrangements.

We've only seen this on a few end-of-year lists but it was very much greeted with widespread critical acclaim upon its release. We were just talking last night about the fact that a band like Mumford & Sons owes a lot to Frightened Rabbit, and those who have already found the former should really check out the latter. This album is filled with songs to sing along to, songs to have your heart broken to, and songs to fuel your optimism. Fittingly, the album ends with our protagonist ready to rejoin his life already in progress. “Why change if you can’t go back?” sings Hutchison on "Yes, I Would." And when the song and album ends, you feel ready to do just that.

Fiesta Brava's Top 10 of 2010: #2

Thu, 23 Dec 2010 14:45:34 +0100

The Suburbs by Arcade Fire

What can we say about this album that hasn’t already been said? It’s a Grammy-nominated international best-seller that has consistently placed on everyone’s end-of-year lists. Chances are you’ve already heard it. The NME accurately compares this album to R.E.M.’s Automatic for the People, “an album that combines mass accessibility with much greater ambition.” And that’s exactly right. There’s something here for everyone, and that’s why everyone likes it.

Still, remember that Arcade Fire are one of those bands—like R.E.M. and Radiohead before them—that surprised everyone with their ascent to stardom. Our rehearsals have been full of conversations about how a band like Arcade Fire ends up playing Madison Square Garden. Not because they don’t deserve it, or because it shouldn’t happen, but just because experience has taught us that this sort of thing is unlikely to happen to our favorite bands. It is the exception, not the rule.

In any case, The Suburbs is a great album full of ambition, yes, but also just filled with good songs that surprise in interesting ways, from the bouncy Beatles pop of the album’s opener and titular track, to the tricky time changes in “Modern Man,” to the simple Ramones buzz of “Month of May,” to the riff-laden “City with No Children,” to the now-familiar dramatic crescendos of songs like “Suburban War.” Arcade Fire clearly wanted to make a record that would burst through the bubble of youthful cynicism, and given the popularity of the album, they seem to have succeeded. “So young, so young, so much pain for someone so young,” Butler sings. “Well, I know it’s heavy, I know it ain’t light, but how you gonna lift it with your arms folded tight?”

Fiesta Brava's Top 10 of 2010: #3

Wed, 22 Dec 2010 00:19:40 +0100

High Violet by The National

The National pull off an interesting trick, balancing slightly goofy and confessional lyrics with a lush delivery that pulls you in and makes you care. Case in point: the beautiful “Conversation 16” boasts the refrain “I was afraid I’d eat your brains ‘cause I’m evil.” On paper, not so great, but delivered in Berninger’s characteristic baritone and underscored by the band’s dramatic arrangement, it totally works. This type of balancing act hasn’t been pulled off this well since… well, probably since Matt Johnson’s The The.

Mostly, High Violet offers more of what we’ve come to expect from The National, and we’re not complaining. The few experiments that exist on this album don’t always work (e.g., the distortion-heavy and somewhat muddled mix of “Terrible Love”)—an opinion the band seems to share, since they have already released an alternate “deluxe” version with different mixes of some of these songs—though some of the slight departures work better, like the Sufjan Stevens-inspired piano composition “England.” Oddly enough, the second half of this album seems much stronger than the first, after the band mostly settles into what they do best. All in all, The National deliver another solid album, and given its experiments, one that is likely to be followed by a great leap forward into the next phase of their sound.

Fiesta Brava's Top 10 of 2010: #4

Wed, 22 Dec 2010 00:17:56 +0100

Together by The New Pornographers

Quick quiz: What band successfully integrates influences like The Beach Boys, Ramones, The Who, and Queen? Well, you already know the answer, but seriously—who else can pull this off, dropping sophisticated, dramatic pop constructions into an energetic rock ‘n’ roll stew? One listen to “Your Hands (Together)” and you’ll see what we mean. It’s as if Keith Moon, Brian May, Joey Ramone, and Brian Wilson formed a band. Yeah….see what we’re saying?

Together finds The New Pornographers in excellent form, returning somewhat to the energetic bounce of 2003’s Electric Version while showing off what they’ve learned from the explorations of the last two albums. As in all NP albums, the compositions are sophisticated yet filled with catchy and accessible melodies; the harmonies are plentiful; the arrangements are complex yet still within the confines of concise pop; and the energy is infectious. NP continues to churn out songs that never go where you expect them to, but without being too jarring or labored. All four singers turn in spot-on performances, and Dan Bejar’s songs and performances on here seem more of a piece with the remainder of the album than in the last few offerings. This is one of those rare albums that make an immediate impression but also bear up to repeated listens, with each one yielding some new as-yet-unheard piece of the whole. And you know what? If you don’t like to think too much about music, you can just put it on and sing along—because if you put it on, you *will* sing along. Trust us.

Fiesta Brava's Top 10 of 2010: #5

Sun, 19 Dec 2010 20:15:59 +0100

Champ by Tokyo Police Club

This summer, Tokyo Police Club released their second album, Champ, and critics continue to sing the band's praises. As with their previous releases, Champ mines upbeat melodic guitar pop that is in keeping with the band's youthful presence while simultaneously moving to deepen and expand their sound, presumably with an eye toward their future and designs on longevity. Good move, especially for a band that was labeled "sci-fi pop-punk" upon their debut.

This is an album we haven't seen on any end-of-year lists yet, and that's a surprise. Champ was released to almost universal acclaim, with a score of 71/100 on Metacritic; it received a handful of positive reviews in high-profile publications like Rolling Stone; and the band is known for their enthusiastic festival sets and devoted fans. Throw this one in your car stereo to hear what the Onion A.V. Club calls a "compelling, joyous listen" and see if you don't start looking for TPC tour dates near you.

Fiesta Brava's Top 10 of 2010: #6

Sun, 19 Dec 2010 20:16:11 +0100

Contra by Vampire Weekend

Almost a year after the release of Vampire Weekend's second album to almost universal acclaim, we are bombarded with Christmas-themed commercials using the album's "Holiday" in a bouncy context that undercuts the song's original sense of danger and themes of empire and revolution. If this song finds its way onto people's Christmas music playlists this season, Grandma will find herself dancing to the words, "A vegetarian since the invasion, she'd never seen the word 'bombs' blown up to 96-point Futura." A pretty bizarre picture.

And that's the problem here. Western listeners continue to have problems reconciling their ideas of "serious music" and "dance music," and make no mistake--Vampire Weekend is both, much like The Clash before them. This album ups the ante for VW, whose debut was fresh and fairly idiosyncratic. While continuing the band's characteristic rhythmic interplay, VW and producer Rostam Batmanglij have created a sonically adventurous work that truly uses the recording studio as an instrument. There is hardly a verse or chorus here that repeats itself in terms of arrangement, instrumentation, and touches of aural flourish. Anchored by VW's knotty but catchy compositions, this results in a listen that is immediately accessible but also bears up to repeated listening. The combination of sophisticated melody, dance rhythms, layered production, and world music influences brings to mind middle-era XTC, a comparison of which any songwriter would be proud. There is always more to discover in this album, and it deserves its popularity. Let's just hope we don't hear the band's "Horchata" in a commercial anytime soon.

Fiesta Brava's Top 10 of 2010: #7

Sun, 19 Dec 2010 20:16:25 +0100

Come Around Sundown by Kings of Leon

Kings of Leon spent the last seven years courting the limelight only to find, like many before them, that they prefer to be outside of its harsh glare. Credit the band for taking the opportunity to turn towards each other and make an insular album that only seeks to satisfy themselves. There is no “Sex on Fire” on this album, and that’s a good thing. While the band’s lyrics still have naysayers (hey people, it’s called “rock ‘n’ roll” for a reason!), that’s never really been the reason to tune in. Caleb Followill’s voice is one of the most pleasurable listens in contemporary rock, and the guitar interplay between him and cousin Cameron Followill on this album is full of tasteful invention. There’s less to do here for the rhythm section than in the past, but overall KoL turn in an interesting direction and deliver an album that, despite what the critics are saying, is really more living room rock than arena rock, and more like their contemporaries Band of Horses and My Morning Jacket than a reach toward the grandiosity of U2.

Fiesta Brava's Top 10 of 2010: #8

Fri, 17 Dec 2010 01:05:15 +0100

Heaven Is Whenever by The Hold Steady

“This record, I think actually was us aging gracefully. Some of the lyrics come from a place of a little more wisdom, being 38 and at this point having a lifetime in rock ‘n’ roll,” stated Craig Finn. And no doubt, from the beginning notes played by slide and joined by arpeggiated chords on guitars, you can tell Heaven Is Whenever boasts a more measured and relaxed approach for The Hold Steady. That doesn’t mean they trade in their trademark anthemic choruses or classic rock influences, however—this is still unmistakably a Hold Steady album.

With the departure of keyboardist Nicolay, the songs on Heaven Is Whenever have a welcome sense of breath and space that work well with Finn’s continued narratives. And the band takes advantage of that space by taking some more chances with their production, including backwards tracks and expanded instrumentation used with a sense of restraint that well represents the themes of the album sonically. Maybe this album wasn’t quite the departure Finn said it would be, but everyone agrees The Hold Steady have turned in a nice concise and consistent album full of rock ‘n’ roll hooks, and the music geeks in us can’t help but respond to songs about listening to music--Ass Ponys, Pavement, and Hüsker Dü, among others—all tied together by the word “heaven.” Nicely done.

“Sit down on your floor and listen to your records,” intones Finn. We’ll do just that.

Fiesta Brava's Top 10 of 2010: #9

Thu, 16 Dec 2010 02:26:25 +0100

As Posted on December 15, 2010 on Facebook.com/fiestabravamusic

Infinite Arms by Band of Horses

Could less fuss have been made over one of the most beautiful albums of the year? Q Magazine called it a "strangely domestic affair" and it's true. This is less a Friday night album than a Sunday afternoon one. Perhaps that is why you don't hear people raving about it in the same way they do the new Sufjan Stevens or Arcade Fire, two albums that are much more overtly ambitious. But despite its lack of flash or hype, Infinite Arms has quietly garnered positive reviews and become a major international success.

Bridwell said, "With this record it's a real band that I'm part of. No one's going anywhere, everyone's contributing to the songwriting process," and you can hear it. The band's arrangements are at once subtle and lush, inviting positive comparisons to Brian Wilson-era Beach Boys. Curiously, critics continue to tread water with Neil Young comparisons, but BoH doesn't ever sound as ragged and unruly here as Young. If anything, this is Americana Chamber Pop. Listening close, you get the sense that BoH was interested in crafting a classic pop masterpiece in which every sound played by every instrument was carefully and lovingly considered before being placed in the mix. Given this, the fact that they also managed to make the whole album sound casual and effortless is a rare feat.