Mention that you’re going to a Hanson concert and you hear, “You mean those ‘MMMBop’ kids?” Yes! I mean those “MMMbop“ kids! They are not kids anymore. Now in their 30s, they are celebrating 25 years on the road- they still make and play music and have a very loyal fanbase. This was obvious from the sold out crowd at the Fillmore in Philadelphia.

In 1992 with Isaac on guitar, Taylor on lead vocals and piano, and Zac on drums, the Hanson brothers took the stage at Tulsa’s Mayfest and sang several songs a cappella. They were ages 11, 9, and 6, respectively. In 1997 they released Middle of Nowhere, putting them in the hearts of millions of (mostly) young girls. At age 15, I was one of those girls screaming in the crowds of their shows, watching everything on TV about them and postering my walls with the faces of these heart throb brothers. Hanson is still going strong, even after creating their own record label, 3 Car Garage Records, and taking the plunge of indie label life.

This past Thursday, September 28th, Hanson took the stage at the Fillmore. There were no openers and the trio played relentlessly for about two hours- a perfect 25th anniversary gift for fans. This show would mark my 38th time seeing them, which is the most times I have ever seen a band. Zac took the stage first, followed by Issac, and then Taylor. They immediately rolled right into the song “Already Home” from 2013’s Anthem and the 2500 capacity venue screamed in happiness. There was top notch energy for a good portion of the beginning of the show with other hits like their second single in 1998 “Where’s the Love”, the Ray Charles-esque “Thinking ’Bout Somethin’” from 2010, and their ode to Marilyn Monroe, “This Time Around”, from the 2000 album of the same title. Out of the 28 songs they played, songs from Middle of Nowhere were featured the most, including songs like “Look At You”, “Weird”, “Madeline” (my personal favorite), and of course the tune with sweet melodies that made them popular, “MMMBop”.

Hanson ran through the mighty setlist of some of their catchy pop tunes with a solid audio mix. They brought attention to their full-bodied vocal harmonies and the small differences between tracks. Other songs that really rocked the house were the pop-soul number “Get the Girl Back”, the love-sick ballad “Save Me”, and the swinging rock song “Hey” where Taylor gets the audience to yell Hey! along with him on the chorus. Taylor is very good at getting the audience to participate in the show. They follow along with the jumping he does on parts of “If Only”, the arm circling during the lyrics ‘…it goes round and round and round” in “Where’s the Love”, and the clapping during “Shout It Out”. Better yet, almost everyone in the place was singing along to every song. It’s also undeniable that the crowd loved every second Zac was singing because there was an incredible roar during his songs.

Throughout the show, Taylor thanked the crowd sincerely for sticking by them on their journey. He dedicated their newest single “I Was Born“ to those who were made fun of for liking Hanson. “This song is about who you wanted to be, before you had that job you have — before all the shit you have to deal with, and for those who got shit for liking Hanson,” he said.

In my many years of seeing this band, they have never disappointed in giving fun and stunning performances. I have never seen two shows the same. They switched things up by playing some songs acoustically like for “On and On” and then traded instruments on “Juliet“ where drummer Zac sang and played piano and Taylor hopped onto the drums. As a tribute to the band’s earliest days, even pre-instruments, Hanson performed a tight a cappella version of “Rockin’ Robin.” The tributes weren’t over either, as they then fired off a hat tip to Chuck Berry with “Johnny B. Goode” and closing the night out with another high energy song “Lost Without Each Other”.

Frankly, I am very proud of these guys and amazed as a fan who has grown up along with them through their career. Hanson has shown an incredible amount of growth, diversity and talent in their 25 years as a band. Even though they don’t have the same size crowds as when that first national album dropped, they have fought through the pains of high end record labels to figuring out how to survive on their own. Not only as multi talented musicians, but also as business people while continuing to please loyal fans and gaining new ones along the way.

They are always doing special events even when they are not touring. Hanson Day weekend in their hometown of Tulsa, OK caters to fan club members. At Back to the Island, you spend a week with Hanson on a Jamaican Island. So even if you miss out on the tour, there are many other ways to spend time with these creatively accomplished men. The band’s music is unapologetically old school classic rock made safe, smooth, and satisfying – like a sonic comfort blanket.

The set list:
Already Home
Waiting For This
Where’s The Love
Look At You
Tragic Symphony
Thinking ‘Bout Somethin’
Been There Before
This Time Around
Weird
Go
Madeline
Juliet
Strong Enough To Break
Penny and Me
Watch Over Me
Save Me
On and On
I Was Born
A Minute Without You
Get The Girl Back
Hey
MMMBop
If Only
Fired Up
In The City

Encore:
Rockin Robin
Johnny B Goode
Lost Without Each Other

Second Son

Reviewed by: Max Miller

Singer-Songwriter Neil Holyoak was born with the kind of name that means you need to grow up to be either a folk singer or a porn star. Holyoak chose to do both. He is a folk singer in the literal sense and a porn star sheerly of the mind, helping listeners reach a climax with his wistful lyrics. His father was a steam engine. His mother was America itself. When he was a boy, his uncle made him shoot his beloved dog Spot, and it was that same day he vowed to join a labor union, for he knew then that the workers must stand united. People criticized Bob Dylan for going electric. Those same people criticized Neil Holyoak for going vegan for one summer back in ‘09, before changing his mind because he “missed hamburgers.” None of this is remotely true, of course, save for his name being Neil Holyoak. But goddammit, no one ever just mythologizes artists anymore.

From the surname Holyoak comes the name Holy Oak, a band name only lamentable in that I often conflate it with Wye Oak or Holy Ghost! or both. And from Holy Oak comes Second Son, the project’s fourth full-length (fifth, if you count 2014’s Rags Across The Sun, which was billed under Neil Holyoak). In spite of the framing of Holy Oak as a group effort, the project really revolves around Holyoak himself as he rotates through musical collaborators as rapidly as he rotates through homes — he currently resides in LA (doesn’t everyone?), but has spent time in Montreal, British Columbia and Hong Kong. This time around, he has enlisted master producer Howard Bilerman, known for his work with Leonard Cohen, Wolf Parade, Nap Eyes and some unpopular group by the name of Arcade Fire.

Bilerman helps craft lush nests of twangy guitar and reverberant organ in which Holyoak’s voice might roost. Holyoak possesses the kind of perfectly untrained voice of a Neil Young or Jason Molina, and, indeed, the kind of triumphant sadness of records like Magnolia Electric Co. or Tonight’s the Night can be found on cuts like “Basilisk” or “Dead Time.” The title track drifts along on a waltzing river of strings and electric guitar arpeggios as a gaggle of ghostly backing vocalists beckon listeners to throw themselves into the water. The short, yet plodding “Laughing Man” features both oddly-futuristic synth pads and mournful horns. It’s a densely-produced record, is what I’m getting at.

And it’s a good thing Second Son is so immaculately arranged, because, at the end of the day, as great as this record sounds, and as many legendary songwriters as it recalls, Holyoak’s lyrics rarely cut you to your core the way some of his predecessors’ did. One of his best lines, ironically, comes in the acoustic ballad “Isabelle,” where he sings, “Isabelle always told me not to worry / When I was writing songs / She said, ‘If you write a bad line / Well, don’t hurt yourself over it.’” Holyoak doesn’t write bad lines, per se, but he often writes vaguely about sadness, the past, redemption and uncertainty — all par for the course when it comes to this type of music. Each of these subjects has an inherent weight to it, but it seems as if Holyoak merely coasts on that implicit heaviness instead of finding a way to deliver a really killer line that hits the listener while they’re down.

On the whole, Second Son is a fine album, and every instrument present on it, including Holyoak’s voice, sounds just great. If it were more gripping lyrically, the album could push Holy Oak to become one of those names you see on just about every festival line-up of the summer. But between songs made up of empty platitudes and songs like “Just Married” that attempt to employ a Sun Kil Moon-like stream-of-consciousness to evoke depth, there’s just something lacking that can’t be ignored. But that’s okay. The central takeaway of “Isabelle” is that songwriting isn’t an activity you either do or don’t do. It’s a process.

Rating: Listenable

Self-Titled

Reviewed by: Jane Roser

The name may have been tweaked a bit, but nothing else about this enchanting country roots band from Asheville, NC has changed. They still have the same line-up- Platt (vocals, guitar), Matt Smith (pedal steel, electric guitar), Rick Cooper (bass) Josh Milligan (drums) and Evan Martin (keys). They still deliver a feisty, witty, hard-knock life realism on their records and this eponymous release, their fifth, is like the continuation of a classic serial novel you just can’t put down.

The first track, “Birthday Song”, is an optimistic and candid look at what it’s like to grow older while counting your blessings to still be alive and kicking. Platt wrote this song right before her thirtieth birthday: “I know you worry, but what’s your hurry, baby? We’re all gonna get there in the end. And if love is the seed, the fruit is gonna taste so sweet.”

I’m grateful that”Rare Thing”, a charming love song commissioned from Platt by fan David Whittaker for his wife Holly, is included as it adds an extra jolt of depth, dignity and just all-around sweetness. The band even graciously included a lovely dedication to the couple inside the physical album.

My favorite track is “Eden” and I must have listened to it at least five times because it’s just bloody brilliant, cheeky and slightly heart-wrenching all at once: “Don’t keep a TV ’cause the news is always bad and it teaches us to want all the things we’ll never have” and then the storyteller asks to be let “back inside that garden, I won’t eat anything that’s fallen from that goddamn tree.”

The successes of Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters previous two albums 2015’s Me Oh My and 2016’s On The Ropes have helped the group climb up the charts, including placing #35 on the Top 100 Albums played on Americana Radio in 2016, and that wave of accolades from fans and critics should continue with this fantastic new release.

Rating: Bad-Ass

Revolution Come… Revolution Go

Reviewed by: Lauren Rosier

There’s no doubt that Gov’t Mule is an iconic American band and Warren Haynes is one of the best guitarists of today’s overall music scene. On Revolution Come… Revolution Go (Fantasy Records), Gov’t Mule delivers one of the loosest and hard-hitting albums of their catalog.

The band began recording this record on Election Day last year in Austin, TX while the rest of the country watched as the next President-Elect was being revealed. Haynes’ previous experience playing with artists like country artist, David Allan Coe, the iconic Allman Brothers Band, and writing for country legend, Garth Brooks, has clearly influenced his work with Gov’t Mule.

Haynes has this incredible ability to write well-crafted and insightful lyrics and melodies that are bold and honest in regards to the band’s overall image and sound. Bassist Jorgen Carlsson, keyboardist Danny Louis, and drummer Matt Abts deliver expertly crafted melodies that reinforce the band’s innovative lyricism throughout the entire record.

The band does not hesitate to deliver the initial punch on “Stone Cold Rage” with its bold guitar licks and bass lines. Throughout the record, the four-piece sweeps through various styles, tempos, and modes, that remind the listener that Gov’t Mule is one of best hard rock bands in American music history.

When Haynes writes about American society, politics, and life, his songs are incredibly well-crafted and insightful, depicting his beliefs through metaphors and clever imputation. On “Drawn That Way”, his lyrics [“…cartoon savior, no matter what you say/you’re not really a man of God/you’re just drawn that way…”] deliver ambiguity while also being coy.

The soulful “Pressure Under Fire” is a commanding call for unity among, not only Americans, but for human beings as a race [“a wise man said/the human race is the only race…”]. Haynes reminds us that “we’re all fighting the same thing” and that “we’re all traveling down life’s road/there’s only so much you can do by yourself/people, we got to share the load/we got to share the load.”

Haynes sings with clear intent, honesty, and passionate fire throughout the record most notably on “Pressure Under Fire.” He gets personal on “The Man I Want To Be” while channeling his work with the Allman Brothers on “Dreams & Songs.”

Through the voice of Warren Haynes and the music of Gov’t Mule, the band is able to create an intentional record that speaks to the masses. Every aspect of this album is iconic, classic, and reinforces the importance of Gov’t Mule in American music.

Rating: Iconic

Losing the Light

Reviewed by: Geno Thackara

Just looking at the Nightmare Police before hearing a note, you’d probably expect something punk. They look like a group of Angry Young Men with hardcore attitudes and the tattoos to prove it. And, well, you’d be mostly right. They’re loud, heavy and their frontman Ian Washington is willing to do a lot of screaming. However, it’s not just a matter of railing against the world. Their lyrics are willing to be a bit introspective about more personal issues – the struggles of addiction or imperfect friends who might let each other down. At least any anger in there is there for a good reason.

But you don’t even need to think about it that much if you’d rather not. It’s all played with fast-thudding drums, jangly chugging guitars and some nice tight hooks made for banging heads. Washington’s shouting might get tiresome after much longer if he kept the same tone without changing things up, but the band’s brash youthful energy is more than enough to carry the almost-fifteen minutes of Losing the Light. They make a rowdy listen that’s right up the familiar catchy alley of Weezer, Fall Out Boy or Teenage Bottlerocket. It’s an energizing jolt for the ears and a nice fun way to kick off your summer.

Rating: Listenable

Dave Depper

Emotional Freedom Technique

Reviewed by: Ziggy Merritt

A Portland native, multi-instrumentalist Dave Depper has had a storied career extending from collaborations with Sleater-Kinney’s own Corin Tucker to his recent gig as the new guitarist for Death Cab for Cutie. His latest solo effort, Emotional Freedom Technique, is singular even among his more recent work which includes the 2015 ambient composition, Utrecht Suite and the psychedelic rock album, The Ram Project. Combining post-Drive retrowave and perhaps even some of the ambient hangups left over from the Utrecht Suite, Depper’s third body of solo work is one part ’80s sci-fi soundtrack and one part richly realized love story.

Some initial misgivings come from that very exhaustive ’80s fetishization that hit its peak with Stranger Things but several memes and even more New Netflix Wave sendups later has reached critical mass. Listening to the opening track, “Do You Want Love”, it’s hard to ignore that comparison. However, Depper never lets that association become hopelessly indebted to the source material. Instead of the more aggressive and sinister pacing that S U R V I V E and the Chromatics are jointly familiar with, “Do You Want Love” is one of the record’s epics that emphasizes compassion and minimalism while gradually building in layers of glittery synth textures, bass lines, and percussion. It’s a smart and stimulating start that is careful not to overwhelm.

Traversing between that and the richly percussive and dance-ready single, “Your Voice on the Radio” opens up more layers of unheard depth in Depper’s sonic repertoire. Contracting the vocals of fellow Portland-native and collaborator, Laura Gibson, the track recalls a yearning for the warm summer months soon to be upon us. But it’s the title track that might be the most interesting takeaway from this album. “Emotional Freedom Technique” closes out its namesake with a combination of sweet synth melodies, guitar loops, and the surprise comfort of Telecaster twang. Here Depper’s vocals are rendered the most transparent here with lyrics that tie up the threads of longing woven throughout the album. It’s a snapshot of nostalgia that provides the closure that often goes missing once the needle reaches the end.

Rating: Bad-Ass

Cigarettes After Sex

Self-titled

Reviewed by: Lauren Rosier

In 2012, ambient pop four-piece, Cigarettes After Sex, released their first EP, I. Over the last few years the gossip around that EP has increased and has helped them move into a new place in their career. Founder of the band, Greg Gonzalez, had just recorded the EP in a stairwell of his Alma Mater, University of Texas El Paso, and captured that ambient pop sound well.

Following a move to Brooklyn and signing to Partisan Records, Cigarettes After Sex was able to start work on their debut LP, out today.

On the debut, the four-piece, comprised of Gonzalez (guitar/vocals), Phillip Tubbs (synths), Randy Miller (bass), and Jacob Tomsky (drums), delivers a beautiful collection of ambient dream pop, sticking to what’s created the excitement thus far.

The band opens the song “K.” that features dreamy, yet haunting melodies from the strum of reverb-soaked guitars. This general sound has proven successful and so is continued through the remainder of the album layered over Gonzalez’s wispy vocals.

One thing you can bet on is that there’s no shortage of love songs on this record. Gonzalez references his personal romantic experiences on the record resulting in a beautiful collection of solid love songs.

The track, “Each Time You Fall In Love”, is a musical memoir that depicts how each time he falls in love, he’s never completely satisfied, always looking for something more and not truly seeing his significant other.

The downtempo simplicity on songs like “Apocalypse” and “Flash” feature reverb-drenched guitars and wispy vocals, similar to Baltimore band, Beach House.

The track, “Sweet”, is a beautiful and elegant song where Gonzalez sings about a significant other and his love for them. “It’s so sweet/knowing that you love me/though we don’t need to say/it to each other sweet/knowing that I love you/running your fingers through your hair/it’s so sweet…”

Gonzalez and Cigarettes After Sex have created a well-crafted debut LP through its ambient pop, emotionally raw lyricism, and honesty. I am curious to see how the quartet is able to evolve after the release of this record in regards to the band’s sound and lyricism. There is no doubt, however, that this record will catapult this band into the spotlight.

Rating: Bad-Ass

Friday night was filled an abundance of killer live music throughout the city of Brotherly Love. For fans of the French alt-rock four-piece, Phoenix, the Fillmore in Fishtown was the place to be. On the bill was Phoenix and The Lemon Twigs (from Long Island, NY).

If you’ve never been to the Fillmore, it’s a beautiful, large space for live music. When you enter, there’s a space for merch tables and for concert-goers to congregate. Immediately upon entering, there is a full scale bar and then more bars on both sides of the large music space. Balconies hug the main floor which often feature VIP access including table service. Upon arriving around 8:30 PM, the venue’s main space and balcony were both crammed with music fans of all ages (this was an all ages show) who wanted to show support for the artists and live music.

The anticipation throughout the venue was contagious. As soon as the house music fell silent, the crowd roared with excitement. Phoenix took the stage around 10:15 PM, opening with the band’s title track and leading single, “Ti Amo”, from the their upcoming release of the same title. The band’s 14-song set was diverse and filled with songs from Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, Bankrupt!, as well as songs from Ti Amo.

The French quartet delivered an energetic, exciting evening that was complete with a full light show and fog machine for an incredibly epic performance. From the alt-rock vibe of the track “Lisztomania” to the ’80s, synth-tinged “J-Boy”, Phoenix’s set list was filled with hits and deep cuts from their catalog.

If there was any doubt that Philadelphia is a music city, there isn’t anymore. The crowd was very enthusiastic about both Phoenix and the opening band, The Lemon Twigs. The band took the stage around 9:00 PM and played a 35-minute set featuring songs off their debut Do Hollywood. The Long Island natives opened their set with the first track from their record titled “I Wanna Prove to You”, an upbeat, love-centered song that’s perfect for an opening slot.

The overall vibe of the entire show, from the crowd, venue staff, to the actual artists, was a lot of fun and the bands delivered solid sets of their best work.

The Last Living Man Alive Ever In The History of the World

On the heels of 2014’s Bloodlines EP, Buffalo, NY natives, Head North, return with a debut LP that is making waves in the indie rock world and amongst digital music outlets.

The Last Living Man Alive Ever In The History of the World is a concept record that circles around a vision of an “alternate world where God and love are forbidden.” For a debut, a concept record is pretty exceptional.

The four-piece, comprised of Brent Martone (vocals/guitar), Alex Matos (bass), Ryan Harris (guitar), and Ben Lieber (drums), have been working on the record since last summer, and even took a break to revitalize their creative juices and finished it up.

Head North understands how to draw a listener in and that shows with the opening track, “Sort of Medicine.” The song begins with dreamy keys welcoming the listener into the 15-song set. Then Martone begins the epic narrative of the record’s concept. His raspy, yet gentle, melancholy voice fits perfectly within the band’s collective sound between elegant indie pop and heavier indie pop/rock.

Upon listening to this record, I found it to be one of the most difficult reviews because it’s such a massive, epic narrative. The content and the story is deep, worthy of contemplation, and pondering life. The record, like any other album, took hard work to create. It’s a record that you must listen to in multiple spins.

Songs like “By Presidential Decree” showcase the band’s solid ability to deliver well-crafted indie pop rock, while the band changes gears on “The First One” with its honest lyrics about life. Martone sings “give up/tomorrow won’t last/it’s as far as forever/and it’s fading fast…” while on “Pulse”, the four-piece delivers a raw and rhythmic performance of pulsing beats, rhythmic drum and bass, heavy guitars.

This record is full of spoken word segments, arena rock, honest lyrics, tight arrangements, and it’s an incredibly well-crafted, well thought out debut record. It’s a lot to take in – in a single listen – you must listen to this record over and over and you’ll grasp different concepts over time.

I think this was a difficult review because the record is so multi-layered, multi-dimensional, and conceptual and does not have a single or even a few themes. It’s built of deep emotion, layers of various musical arrangements, and mature lyricism. The album makes you feel, think, and feel all over again – exactly what music is suppose to do to the listener. The Last Living Man… and Head North are definitely on the verge of something spectacular.

Rating: Bad-Ass

Relaxer

Reviewed by: Lauren Rosier

Since the band’s 2012 debut, An Awesome Wave, the British trio has experienced much commercial success from both media and fans alike, while also snatching a Mercury Prize for their debut.

The trio returns with their third release, Relaxer, an eight-song set, where they challenge themselves to expand beyond previous material. Unfortunately, their shortest album to-date isn’t the trio’s most cohesive collection. Their identity is lost as a band on Relaxer.

On the opener and lead single, “3WW”, the trio offers their take on a multi-dimensional folk song that opens with soft, melodic guitar, keys, and drums. The band almost tries to take on aspects of the alt-folk band, Fleet Foxes. Not without saying that the band takes more risks on Relaxer than previous albums, but it isn’t tight, and focused.

Their take on “House of the Rising Sun” is transformed into a soft, melodic folk number with little aspects of The Animals’ psychedelic version.

The band’s attempt to venture out into different avenues of music is apparent on the trio’s “Hit Me Like A Snare”. The track opens with drums and a triangle layered over top a psychedelic freakout. It’s so completely different than anything else the band has done.

You want a good groove? Listen to the track “Deadcrush”. The band delivers a commanding groove that you can’t get out of your head. Lead vocalist Joe Newman delivers a solid vocal performance layered over the sick beat throughout the track.

The closing track of Relaxer is, for me, one of the largely offbeat tracks I’ve heard from alt-J since their emergence in 2012. A strings section and orchestra isn’t exactly their style. It’s definitely a different side to the band and their willingness to challenge themselves is admirable. With that said, I don’t think that Relaxer is their best, most cohesive work yet; however, it still is alt-J and their creativity and uniqueness consistently shines on their third effort.

Rating: Bad-Ass