Review written February 3rd, 2016
It’s a rainy Monday night and the crowd at Shea Stadium in Brooklyn is thin, which is surprising since the evening’s lineup is promising. The twenty-five or so who did brave the drizzle stand in clusters of three and four, chatting quietly as pre-show visualizations resembling a horrific 80’s acid trip loop on a screen above the stage. The atmosphere is more like that of a low-key art gallery than a concert, and perhaps this is fitting, considering the style of rock that’s being featured here tonight.
At 8:30, Lost Gloves takes the stage and kicks off the show with a pop-punk number that reminds me of every garage band I’ve ever known, but the sound evolves rapidly through a series of quick songs. Fuzzy vocals throughout the set lend to the punk vibe, as well as the fact that the tunes are catchy and danceable. The influence of early 2000’s alternative is also evident. Lost Gloves sounds like Green Day one minute, and Phantom Planet the next, and they maintain the playfully furious energy associated with that era, remaining as frenetic as the neon visuals behind them. The 4 piece ensemble becomes more focused on the synthesizer as the set goes on, the music growing denser and trippier until the synth is as prominent as the bass. Lost Gloves finishes strong with a whimsically shrieking chorus from all instruments, rabid drums, and a fiery pulse that leaves the audience wide awake, and ready for the next act.
Howth immediately changes the mood, starting their set with a light song that feels like cosmic rain and begs for an outdoor venue. CSN-like vocal harmonies are complemented by airy guitar; the music is melodic and spacey. But the second number is a sharp contrast. Hard and fast-paced rock that cleverly switches flow from staccato to legato every few measures. Giving this performance their all in spite of the slim turnout, Howth showcases their expertise in the lighter elements of American rock with rolling rhythms and shapeshifting synchronicity reminiscent of Bob Weir and Phil Lesh. Long periods of instrumental play punctuate the set. Arresting allegro riffs are interspersed with sexy licks that wouldn’t have been out of place at the Avalon Ballroom in 1968. This is the first night of Howth’s February residency at Shea Stadium, and from the sound of it, I may have to come back another Monday and catch them again. Their music blooms throughout the show and and the last song is pure adrenaline, the kind of tune that makes me want to drive down an open freeway in the middle of the summer with the windows down.
The room is thick with anticipation as Oracle Room sets up their equipment. Around me fly buzzes and whispers about their previous shows. “Have you seen these guys yet?” “They’re really good.” The hype is not undue; I bought their 3 song EP, Have Everything, last week and have been listening to it constantly, sliding the titular track between Radiohead and Halsey songs on my playlists. The room goes quiet as the band takes up their instruments and singer/songwriter Alex Nelson adjusts the microphone a final time.
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| Left to right: Ian Milliken, Zach Fisher, Alex Nelson, Derik Lee, Justin Gonzales |
Oracle Room opens with a rich, intense instrumental crescendo that rockets the psyche to an astral plane. Ian Milliken, guitarist and cellist, takes his cello bow to his guitar and fills the room with layers of fibrous harmony. The sound unfolds like a different dimension, and the first two numbers are dark and penetrating. Brief, poetic lyrics tap into the vulnerable subconscious. These songs invite themselves into your brain, curl up and make a home there. Alex Nelson’s mezzo-soprano voice is pure starlight; her lark-like melodies reach the sky and flutter back to the stage with a vibrato subtle as a heartbeat. As mesmerizing to watch as to listen to, she moves back and forth between kneeling on the ground as if praying to entranced dancing as if possessed by some muse. Drummer Zach Fisher provides grounding drumbeats that sound rooted in ancient rituals, and the complexity of the changing rhythms is highly impressive. There are so many sounds occurring in this 6-piece ensemble that it is difficult to tell who is contributing what, but the result is remarkable. Nelson’s vocals soar over the fused harmonies of the strings behind her, high notes dancing like a brook over so many smooth pebbles. It’s the kind of performance that leaves one breathless and inspired, overcome with the sensation of aural beauty. I feel sorry for anyone who missed this show because of the rain.
After the show, I approach Nelson as she is helping clear the stage and ask if I can possibly interview her before she is playing sold out shows across the country. She kindly agrees. Below is a transcript of our interview, conducted over email, and edited only for grammar.
Q. What are the roots of your inspiration to write music?
A. My first guess is genetic, but the roots are very deep. My dad is jazz guitarist and composer, and his father played guitar as well. My dad writes A LOT of music, it's hard to keep up with him. We had a piano in my house growing up, and I remember writing songs at a very early age, and recording them on cassette. I started choir and violin as soon as it was offered in school and continued until I graduated. At some point people acknowledged I was a good singer in the classical/ musical theatre realms so I focused on that and didn't think more about writing my own material. I thought for a while I would be a jazz singer, and there was a point where I realized I was always trying to emulate some sort of voice - jazz, classical, musical theatre, whatever. I didn't know what my own voice was and what my own voice would sing. In my early twenties a good friend of mine sent me a guitar melody one night and I quickly wrote a melody and lyrics to it. It turned out really beautiful, and it was the beginning of me rediscovering myself as a songwriter. It was one of the first songs I performed in my first band as a front woman. It was like picking back up from when I wrote songs when I was a child after a long hiatus. I haven't stopped since. Someone once said creating music is like an itch, you have to scratch it.
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| Alex Nelson, courtesy of the band |
Q. How does playing a live show differ from creating music in the studio, in terms of preparation and performance? HJ
A. I come from a background of live performance in music and theatre. It was really what fueled me to do music for so many years. It's quite a rush. I feel extremely comfortable on stage, it's probably where I feel the most comfortable. It's just a helluva lot of fun, and it's extremely rewarding when an audience resonates with the performance. In terms of preparation, I'm quite a stickler. I really don't believe in winging it, even improvisation comes from a place of discipline. I like to be extremely well rehearsed, and expect whomever I'm playing with to be as well. There is so much talent in NYC, one cannot afford to half ass it. On the other hand, I enjoy leaving a few doors open during a performance. I like to leave little pockets in the music which are available for spontaneity and improvisation. I don't want to play a set exactly the same every show. The pockets of spontaneity bring another layer of magic. The studio however, is just a totally different world. I didn't warm up quickly. Recording is extremely meticulous, time consuming, and it's really easy to over think everything and never finish! I love the records that are tracked live in the first couple of takes, you can really feel the life in those records, but it doesn't work for every type of music or artist. I'm a huge fan of Bjork, and she'll work on beats for an album for 3 years, 3 YEARS! That's the kind of tedious I'm talking about. The capabilities for recording right now are so vast that it's really like going down a rabbit hole. You really have to have a such a strong vision or a great team to work with to be able to get something finished that you're happy with. The learning curve in the studio is so steep that after every recording or mixing session I come out of it with a totally different opinion or perception than I had just the day before. I definitely have found the joy in recording, and being able to shape every single aspect of my creation, but I'm still learning.
Q. How does the online music market (Spotify, iTunes, etc.) affect your band?
A. I think it's great for the little guys like us. All of these platforms give us more opportunity to be heard. I'm grateful for platforms such as Bandcamp who will pay artists fairly, and seem to actually be rooting for the artist. I think when we're a money making band my opinion will be different. I do not agree with Spotify paying .002 cents to an artist per play. That's not right. On the other hand, for a new band like us, money is not yet a part of our experience making music, so I'm happy we can easily be found in the Internet vortex. I do struggle with the pressure to use Facebook and social media sites as a musician. It's sad that bands with more 'likes' get better gigs. On a surface level that makes sense I guess, but it's an added pressure that is time consuming and arbitrary to creativity and the bigger picture of life, it's really annoying. I was never a fan of Facebook before I had this project, so to feel that I have to use it in order to play shows, is a terrible feeling and really messed me up psychologically for a while. Now my mentality is for me to make the best music I can, play great shows, and trust that it will move us forward, not the number of our Facebook or Instagram followers.
Q. What do you like most/least about the local music scene in New York City?
A. I love that there is always a kick ass show going on every night, ALWAYS. And that's also the downside, there's always a great show going on, so how are you going to get people to your show rather than the other 100 shows happening on that particular night? It's a battleground for attendance and attention. NYC is over saturated with immense talent and that is its blessing and curse.
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| Press photo, courtesy of the band |
Q. You haven't been a band for very long, but your style is evolving. The Knot and Have Everything are two very different sounds. Which genres/sub genres would you like to experiment with next?
A. The Knot and Have Everything were both written and recorded long before I had my live band. All of it was composed by me, and much of the playing as well. Having the band has naturally changed the whole feel of the project due to what each player brings to the table. Our next recordings will sound more like a band if that makes sense, like a bunch of musicians working together to create a vision for a song. I don't really think in terms of genre when writing or recording, so I'm not sure what is next. We've lately been working in more of a long form style, longer intros and outros, and interconnecting songs, so that it feels like one cohesive movement, rather than a bunch of separate songs. I'm not sure if this will translate to our recording, I hope so.
Q. Who are some of your strongest influences?
A. I will pay my respects to David Bowie first. I'm a long time fan, but it's been wonderful to go back through his catalogue again after his passing. It definitely brought a lot of new inspiration. His range is incomparable. The other big ones are Bjork, Radiohead, Joni Mitchell, Nina Simone, Arcade Fire, Erykah Badu.
Q. I read in another interview that you'd love to add permanent backup singers and a dance troupe to your performance! Could you tell me what your ultimate concert experience looks like?
A. Sadly, the show you saw was one of the only ones I didn't have my singers with me! We're in a bit of a transitional period, but the backing singers will be back for our next shows. If I had the budget and proper venue, I'd like to have a slew of female backing vocalists, a live synced visual performance, and I have seen some beautiful shows where dance was incorporated, I'd love to include that element at the right venue. Throw a string quartet in there and I'm spent! I take a great deal of inspiration from Bjork's live shows, she's always one step ahead. I'm also planning do do some shows with very sparse instrumental, maybe just piano, and 6-8 female voices. I have written a lot of material just for voice and one instrument, so I look forward to showcasing that at some point.
Q. Is there anything we can look forward to seeing soon from your band? The next show, next single?
A. Oh I wish I could tell you about a big show I'm very excited about, but it's not confirmed yet, so get on the mailing list! Our next confirmed show is Friday March 18 for Out To See Festival near the South Street Seaport. We play at 9pm. We are also currently mixing two songs which we will release this year, and we're also tracking our first album later this year.
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Interested readers can check out Howth at Shea Stadium in Brooklyn Monday nights for the rest of the month, and get on Oracle Room's mailing list here.
Listen to the performance that got me hooked here, then go buy their EP on iTunes or BandCamp!
HJ
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