{"id":1298,"date":"2013-05-03T19:51:01","date_gmt":"2013-05-03T23:51:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/students.com.miami.edu\/~reviewing\/?page_id=1298"},"modified":"2013-05-03T19:51:01","modified_gmt":"2013-05-03T23:51:01","slug":"sixties-music-returns-with-indie-rock","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/students.com.miami.edu\/reviewing\/?page_id=1298","title":{"rendered":"Sixties music returns with indie rock"},"content":{"rendered":"

Posted May 3, 2013<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

By KEVIN SANDS<\/p>\n

Ah, the 1960s, with long hair, wild psychedelic colors, and the Smothers Brothers. Do you miss that era?<\/p>\n

Well, if you\u2019re looking for music that suggests that era, you\u2019re in luck. In the last six months, there have been an exceptional number of albums that harken back to that well-worn time without sounding derivative.<\/p>\n

But don\u2019t expect to see any of these albums in the Billboard 200 chart anytime soon. The 1960s seem to mostly be back in the wild and wonderful world of \u201cindie rock,\u201d a term so broad that it\u2019s almost meaningless. But, save for one track appearing in a recent Blackberry commercial, these albums are better known by the type of people who wear Ray-Bans and consume hummus by the truckload.<\/p>\n

The 1960s, of course, was the first era of music to draw people in for its anti-Vietnam message. It was psychedelic, it was hip and it was modern. Clean guitars, buzzy organs and simple drums were the norm.<\/p>\n

Though it was released last year, it would be incomplete to have a discussion about 1960s throwback albums without talking about Tame Impala\u2019s \u201cLonerism .\u201d In the studio, Tame Impala is almost entirely the work of one person, Kevin Parker, of Perth, Australia.<\/p>\n

“Elephant,” by Tame Impala<\/a><\/p>\n

Given that Parker mostly works alone, it\u2019s fitting that much of the album is about loneliness. \u201cLonerism\u201d features song titles like \u201cMusic to Walk Home By,\u201d \u201cShe Just Won\u2019t Believe Me,\u201d and, of course, \u201cWhy Won\u2019t They Talk to Me?\u201d Even the cover, which features a vintage photograph of a closed gate in France, reinforces that theme.<\/p>\n

\u201cLonerism\u201d features synthesizers galore, but not in the 1980s New-Wave style that\u2019s been en vogue since the late 2000s. Rather, the synths are of the hazy, mod, 1960s variety that suggests one of the Merry Pranksters\u2019 \u201ctrips.\u201d Also, it doesn\u2019t hurt that Parker sounds more than a bit like John Lennon.<\/p>\n

Altogether, \u201cLonerism\u201d is nothing short of a masterpiece. Parker has enough pop sensibility to make catchy, vintage hooks on songs like \u201cApocalypse Dreams\u201d and \u201cFeels Like We Only Go Backwards\u201d that keep the listener hooked for months on end.<\/p>\n

One thing that ties \u201cLonerism\u201d with the other albums is a general respect for the \u201csound\u201d of the 1960s without sounding too much like any one particular band. From here, though, things deviate. While \u201cLonerism\u201d gets much of its inspiration from Todd Rundgren and the Beatles, Foxygen’s third album, \u201cWe Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace and Magic,\u201d takes more influence from the Rolling Stones, the Kinks and even Bob Dylan.<\/p>\n

“Shuggie,” by Foxygen<\/a><\/p>\n

It’s hard to hate the type of music contained on \u201cWe Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace and Magic.\u201d Even at the first listen, the Californian band’s psychedelic rock feels like an old, comfortable pair of shoes. On songs like “On Blue Mountain,” with its retro groove, or “Oh Yeah,” with a chord progression that owes more than a little debt to “A Whiter Shade of Pale,” it’s easy think you’re just hearing some forgotten gem from, for example, \u201cLet It Bleed.\u201d<\/p>\n

But, as stated before, Foxygen doesn’t just sound like a shameless classic rock throwback band. Rather, they smartly update that sound and put indie rock sheen on it. For example, on “San Francisco,” singer Sam France isn’t singing about the old tropes of the Grateful Dead, LSD and other aspects of the late 1960s. Instead, he says that he’s left the city, singing “That’s okay, I was bored anyway.” All of this is warbled over a minimalist, vintage pop background.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace and Magic\u201d isn’t one of those albums that attempts to mope about existential angst, to belt out funereal odes about lost lifestyles, or to thematically advocate for a cause. It’s really just a fun jolt of neo-psychedelia about good times. And what’s to hate about that?<\/p>\n

“Don’t Play With Guns,” by the Black Angels<\/a><\/p>\n

On the other hand, some people prefer the type of slinky garage rock that eventually spawned punk rock. If you are one of those people, The Black Angels\u2019 \u201cIndigo Meadow\u201d might be for you.<\/p>\n

The songs on this album, like the wonderful \u201cDon\u2019t Play With Guns,\u201d are harder and a bit more intense than the previous two albums. On that song, the combined buzz of organ and electric guitar reminds one of the influential \u201cNuggets\u201d compilation. The influence of The Velvet Underground is clear, too; astute listeners will note that the band\u2019s name is a reference to \u201cThe Black Angel’s Death Song,\u201d by the Velvet Underground.<\/p>\n

Compared to the previous two albums, Indigo Meadow feels slighter, but it\u2019s still a good deal of fun. It\u2019s a great distillation of the Velvet Underground, Question Mark and the Mysterians and Love into a fun album that would do well on any road trip.<\/p>\n

“Swim and Sleep,” by UMO<\/a><\/p>\n

Finally, for those looking for a bit more of a mellow take on the 1960s, look no further than Unknown Mortal Orchestra\u2019s \u201cII.\u201d The product of musicians from Portland, Ore., and Auckland, New Zealand, \u201cII\u201d is the group\u2019s uncreatively titled sophomore effort. Like The Black Angels, Unknown Mortal Orchestra (UMO) is evocative of the garage and psychedelic rock found on \u201cNuggets.\u201d However, II\u2019s lo-fi neo-psychedelia represents a completely different side of \u201cNuggets\u201d: the type of unrefined, fuzzy pop that made songs like \u201cPsychotic Reaction\u201d into hits.<\/p>\n

Though it was released in winter, many songs on \u201cII\u201d bring to mind the type of long, aimless summer days spent mostly outside. Take, for instance, \u201cThe Opposite of Afternoon.\u201d It starts off slow, but then builds into a steady, chill groove that feels easy and comfortable. It\u2019s sometimes hard to pull off chill lo-fi rock without it sounding, for lack of a better word, deflated. On \u201cII,\u201d UMO succeeds.<\/p>\n

So, next time you hold a 1960s throwback party, you might want to hold off on the Troggs and go with any one of these modern groups.<\/p>\n

THE ALBUMS<\/strong><\/p>\n