Melodrama | Blackfire Research

Music Review: Bleachers, “Gone Now”

August 11, 2017

New Jersey native, Jack Antonoff, has finally released, “Gone Now,” the highly anticipated Bleachers sophomore album. Antonoff began Bleachers as a side project while on tour and enjoying success as the lead guitarist for the indie-pop band, fun., who are best known for three hit singles in 2012: “We Are Young,” “Some Nights,” and “Carry On.” For Bleachers, Antonoff released a debut single, “I Wanna Get Better,” in early 2014 which became an instant chart topper. Since his Bleachers debut album, “Strange Desire,” Antonoff has been busy co-writing and producing for major artists like Taylor Swift and Lorde, as well as moved out of his parent’s house (at the age of 27) to live in Brooklyn with girlfriend Lena Dunham. With the release of “Gone Now,” Antonoff takes center stage once more. The album – which is about transitioning from adolescence into adulthood (and ultimately saying goodbye to childhood) – is filled with 80’s inspired melodies and synths, reprises, and spoken word interludes. There are a few highlights in “Don’t Take The Money” and “Everybody Lost Somebody,” but overall, the album feels one-noted. But don’t feel too bad: Antonoff has had some major successes in 2017, most notably, his producing and co-authorship of Lorde’s latest album, “Melodrama.” Sometimes your art soars; other times, it may fall flat. http://www.bleachersmusic.com/

Bay Area Concert Buzz: Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival 2017

August 8, 2017

For Your Entertainment

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Since the summer of 2008, San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park has played host to the Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival. Like other well-known outdoor festivals (like Coachella and Lollapalooza) Outside Lands takes place over the course of three days and boasts an abundance of high profile performers on multiple stages. Unlike other festivals, Outside Lands bills itself as a “celebration of Music, Food, Wine, Beer, Art, and Comedy,” meaning, there’s something there for everyone (even if that something is getting drunk off Napa Valley Merlots at the Wine Lands pavilion).

The festival will be taking place this weekend: Friday August 11th, Saturday August 12th, and Sunday August 13th. This year also marks the 10th anniversary for Outside Lands, and with an all-star lineup, it’s sure to be one big celebration.

The festival begins on Friday August 11th, with everyone’s favorite virtual group, Gorillaz, headlining. Their latest album, “HUMANZ” was released this past spring. Known for their creativity and unique performances, Gorillaz is the perfect group to kick off this year’s festivities. Also performing on Friday: legendary hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest; summer music festival indie favorites Alt-J and Fleet Foxes; as well as celebrated pop group Belle and Sebastian.

The Saturday lineup brings rock and heavy metal to the festival, with rock and roll hall of famers, Metallica, headlining in the evening. Queens of the Stone Age, and Alt/electronic pioneers, Empire of the Sun, are also taking the stage earlier that day. But Solange – whose late 2016 album, “A Seat at the Table,” debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 Chart and earned her extensive critical acclaim – is the artist I’m most looking forward to seeing on Saturday.

On Sunday, the final day of the festival (which is typically the most laid back of the three), Jack Antonoff’s indie-pop side project, Bleachers, will perform. In addition to releasing a new Bleachers album, “Gone Now,” in June, Antonoff has been hard at work producing and writing for other artists over the past few years, most notably – Sara Bareilles, Taylor Swift, and Lorde. Speaking of Lorde – the twenty year-old music sensation who just released her sophomore album, “Melodrama” – will be sub-headlining that day. Lorde is known for her dramatic, captivating live performances, and to say I’m excited to see her is quite an understatement. The final act of Outside Lands 2017 will be classic English rock band, The Who, taking fans on a journey through their iconic body of work, from “My Generation” to “Tommy” and “Who’s Next.”

For more information on the festival and to purchase single day tickets or 3-day general admission, visit the Outside Lands Website.

Music Review: Lorde, “Melodrama”

August 4, 2017

Featured Music Friday

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It’s no secret that Lorde is wise beyond her years. When she penned her debut single, “Royals,” she was fifteen years old; sixteen when she achieved international recognition as the leading musical talent of her generation (shortly before his passing, David Bowie took her hands in his and told her that she “sounds like tomorrow.”) With her 2013 debut album, “Pure Heroine,” the world was introduced to not only a gifted songstress, but a peculiar person who somehow understood the complexities, ironies, triumphs, and tragedies of one’s teenage years – all while still living it. To say that there was pressure for the young artist to achieve that same level of success for her next project is an understatement. For four years, the then teenager obsessed over her highly-anticipated follow-up. During this time, she moved back home to New Zealand, experienced her first heartbreak, tried to be a normal teenager, met Jack Antonoff of Bleachers and fun., moved to New York to record her album in his and Lena Dunham’s Brooklyn Brownstone, and ceberated her 20th birthday. The culmination of all this is “Melodrama,” a powerful look into young adulthood. The album centers around a raucous house party and it’s partygoers – a microcosm of all the elation and devastation experienced during one’s later teenage years. “Melodrama” is Lorde transitioning into adulthood. In the album’s first single, she gives herself the “Green Light” to let loose for one night before picking up the pieces of a failed relationship and moving on the next morning; on “Liability,” she wonders if she’s too much for other people, even unworthy of friendships and love. The album is beautifully produced by Antonoff – staying true to Lorde’s aesthetic and breaking all the conventional rules of pop music by mixing house piano with banger beats. “Melodrama” is an album about discovering one’s place amongst all the noise and chaos of the world – especially young women fighting for autonomy in a society where their voice isn’t always taken seriously.

Check out Lorde’s website here: https://lorde.co.nz/