The preparation for the big trip has begun. There is a wealth of talent at this year’s Coachella festival and I thought it was a good idea to start shining the light on some of them.
I’m going to start with a band I have not hid my enthusiasm for and who I believe will have an incredible set in the desert.
OTHER LIVES
Other Lives hails from Oklahoma and as such is no stranger to the open and hearty soul of the dustbowl. Their music is an all-encompassing orchestral masterpiece that all at once puts the soul into orbit but also plugs it into the core of things.
They hit all the right chords with me; I’ve always liked dramatic music. Large orchestration is like Spanish fly for me. I’m a sucker for beautiful strings, lonely soaring horns, large cymbals, choral style backing harmonies. Hell yes, pile that shit on. All ya’ got. Hit me on all my levels at 100% and then carry me away. Pretty please.
It isn’t just yours truly that sees the beauty in this band, they got the nod to open for Radiohead this year during the first North American leg of their tour in support of King of Limbs. I saw Other Lives in Vancouver just before Christmas 2011 and they laid a few new songs on us which leads me to believe they may have a few more, unleashed on the road with Radiohead, ready for Coachella.
This would be a great band to check out if you are heading to Coachella. And if you are lucky enough to have a ticket to Radiohead over the next few months, go early enough to see the opener; you won’t regret it. Want a sample of their goods? Check out the website they launched for their new album Tamer Animals; you can enjoy the video for the single For 12 and unlock further music as you go.
I think this band has a real future. Glad they will be in the desert with me.
THE WEEKND
This is the next act I’m jazzed about.
The elusive 21 year old talent whose mixtapes have been gobbled up and fawned over at rates unheard of for someone who is unsigned and looks to be in no hurry to be otherwise. Despite being attached creatively to many big name acts, The Weeknd doesn’t play by the same rules. Avoiding the circus and letting the music stand on its own, this artist creates an entirely different atmosphere around his work.
This guy is putting out R&B like I have never heard before. The influences you normally see in the genre are present, most notably his pitch perfect MJ falsetto, but the themes, tone, and words are much darker. No rose tinted shades on this guy. No neverland ranch. The Weeknd is hyper aware, and this translates from his view to his voice. It’s stellar work to listen to.
His trilogy of mixtapes has been released for free over the last year and each one holds an almost viciously open heart. His truths are told on the level with a tone that never gets lost to anger OR humbleness but instead allows for all warranted emotions to emerge. “XO/The host” off of third release Echoes of Silence does a particularly good job of having anger but not spitting venom wildly.
Also stellar from that album is “Montreal”, a song that incorporates the song “Laisse tomber les filles” just brilliantly. When you consider the lyrics, it’s a very inspired influence to include.
All three releases are worth picking up, but Echoes of Silence really hammers home the tone of unapologetic debauchery, truth, and a wisdom beyond years that makes The Weeknd so impressive. Also impressive is the well tempered modesty it takes to avoid the media machine and force the concentration to be on the work alone.
It should be a real treat to see this person whose mystique is almost as exciting as the changes he is making in the genre he adores. The mixtapes are so popular that the crowd often sings his lyrics louder than he can at live shows. I am hoping they shut up long enough for me to hear his voice live; because before he is a media mystery, he is an artist with a voice that is to be heard to be believed.
R&B with a dash of honesty that looks you dead in the eye. Looking forward to the new album due by the end of the year. In the meantime, I got this:
Yea I know I got my issues
Why you think I f-ckin’ flow?
And I’ma keep on smoking ’til I can’t hit another note
But until then
I got you,
Baby I got you,
Until your used to my face
And my mystery fades
I got you
So baby love me
Before they all love me
Until you won’t love me
Because they all left me
I’ll be different
I think I’ll be different
I hope I’m not different
And I hope you’ll still listen
But until then
Baby I got you
Stay tuned for more artist spotlights from the line up as we count down our way to April.
Words by: Jennie Orton
