Young the Giant an Academic Conversation

I know it deviates from my usual blog posts but I'd like to take a minute to talk about Young the Giant and their new album Mind Over Matter. They aren't local but they did recently do a show here in Columbia!

Album Review and Cultural Analysis: Ennui Go by Can't Kids

Ennui Go by Can't Kids is an album with a variety of themes, sounds, and styles. It is mostly a very energetic album with ample cello and guitar interlaced between many of the songs. The vocals throughout the album vary greatly within the songs, some songs opening with a softer vocal and becoming louder toward the middle, evolving into shouting like in the opening track "O Mama," and others starting very loud and abrasive and alternating between periods of shouting and then singing like "More Soda." Their song "Alison Wonder" off the album is a bit of an outlier from the others from the beginning as it starts out with a very 80s metal style guitar riff and with an even more punk style than the others in terms of lyrics and vocals. Just the name of the song "Alison Wonder" when spoken hurriedly sounds like "Alice in Wonder" and seems to be a reference to pop culture surrounding the book Alice's Adventures In Wonderland by Lewis Carroll and further alludes to it in the first two lines with lyrics, "ennui go down the homophonic rabbit hole, COME ON! down the homophonic rabbit whole!" first making an allusion to Alice's descent into Wonderland through the rabbit hole.

Genre Analysis

Tomahawk of Praise by indie/friendship folk-pop band, Those Lavender Whales, is a testament to the folk genre in many ways. It employs the same genre mixing quality and spirit of reinvention as many other folk albums. The native cries, clapping, and other obscure hoots and hollers in their songs are reminiscent almost of the freak folk genre, but the powerfully unifying lyrics remind one more of a sort of innocent campfire folk. The instrumentation is mostly subtle which creates an emphasis more on the voice and the overall sound than just the instruments. They mostly use guitar, some banjo, and simplistic vocals to create their desired sound. The riffs are usually very calm and simple and rarely do they become rough, tense, or full of turmoil. They are obviously influenced by folk artists similar to bands like The Head And The Heart, Iron & Wine, and with the same fun energy as Ben Folds. What they bring to the table as a folk-pop band consists of strong messages of friendship and morality, the importance of community, and a sound that is able to bring you back to that childlike state of mind you possessed many years ago. This is an enlightening twist on the genre because it allows the kind of hopeful optimism of children to penetrate the grind of every day existence as an adult. This music, like the music that has come before it, is full of life and fun, but integrates clever cute lyrics and some interesting interjections of sound in many of their songs. I admire their willingness to stick to a theme, but essentially create this friendship based, culture mixing, and genre hopping sound. Using the Native American references in the album to inject some native culture into their instrumentation was a smart choice. Although I do not think they have redefined the folk-pop genre, I do think they take a unique approach with their lyricism and their mixed instrumentation. I feel that their first album Pilgrims, Friends & Blood Ties takes a slightly more unique approach to folk-pop than their second, however I believe that Tomahawk of Praise has many a redeeming quality.  The fact that I have only just heard of this band and have only just started listening to this album has made it difficult to completely categorize their music, but why would I want to do that? Music is not just to be categorized into genres but to add new meaning to life and create new pieces of auditory art to appreciate. Should we really label art down to the last brushstroke? I think not. Those Lavender Whales take a genre that has been gaining popularity in recent years and made it their own. They know their story and are prepared to share it with the world. They are brave, employing elements of experimental folk to spice up their music. To lean toward the world of freak folk is to have courage, especially because of the rise in folk-pop popularity and the urge to conform to society’s standards of popular music. 

Album Review- Tomahawk of Praise by Those Lavender Whales

This sophomore compilation from the self-proclaimed friendship-folk band, Those Lavender Whales, is an interesting album comprised of traditional folk elements with an emphasis on our relationships with those around us. Its whimsical approach comes off as cutesy sometimes, but the album has a good blend of songs and themes. The album seems to center mostly around family and friends and includes songs about making family proud, the hardships of being a parent, the difficulties of being a child, and the importance of friendships. The song Exist highlights the importance of relationships especially with lyrics like, “it’s that the group of us would not exist without the helping hands we lend to one another” show the love for a circle of people that become your support group. This album is very much, at its core, about love. It is about many different kinds of love and the feelings that arise from such. It also conveys a sense of childlike wonder in most of its songs. It is much more cheery, upbeat, and faster than their first album Pilgrims, Friends, and Blood Ties. My favorite song off of this album is Mountain which seems to be the heaviest of the songs, but it is enjoyable for its use of heavy electric guitar and well-orchestrated vocals.

Welcome!

Fairly Local is a musical outlet dedicated to Columbia, South Carolina's local music scene.  Created by me, Celeste Gross, a student at the University of South Carolina, it will feature prominent and up-and-coming artists of all genres in the sphere of Columbia's local music. I will write my own reviews of featured artists in local magazines and newspapers such as the Freetimes and Daily Gamecock. These will include album reviews, song reviews, interviews, and my experiences at live shows. Live show reviews will be from every Columbia venue that I have access to, this includes: Newbrookland Tavern, The Music Farm,  Although I'll be focused primarily on local musicians, I will also occasionally write about small-time touring artists coming to Columbia who are trying to get their name out there. 

Being a part of my local music scene has always been incredibly important to me, so I hope to show people that supporting your local music scene can be a great experience and help them realize the importance of supporting local musicians. All great musicians started out in their local music scene! I also hope to turn people onto some great new artists that are easily accessible and can be seen right here in Columbia! Get out there people! See some shows and support your local scene!