The Grebes "WinterNights" and "Colony" Track Reviews

The Grebes are releasing a new ep entitled DarkDays//WinterNights on September 13 and previous to that release they premiered two new songs on bandcamp. "WinterNights" and "Colony" and they are so good.

The band mixes folk with indie and they do it so well. "WinterNights" has a nice slow burn to it. It builds up to so many points where it should flow over the top into something massive but The Grebes always keep it controlled which I think works even better. The build up to the overflow happens to much and it's really great to see a band hold back without holding back. The musicianship and vocals are always on too.

"Colony" got me completely fucked up. I won't lie. I got chills, and after reading the facebook post about the song itself it hit even harder. All I can really say is that it's really wonderful to see a person who has dealt with heavy abandonment and who has channeled those feelings and has created something so powerful and inspiring. My hat goes off to you my friend. Thank you for this.

Stream both of these songs on bandcamp.
See them on the 14th at the Middle East.

Julien Baker and Phoebe Bridgers Live at 3S Artspace, Portsmouth, NH 4/23/16. Show Review + Photos

Julien Baker and Phoebe Bridgers played an amazing and emotional show last night in Portsmouth, NH at 3S Artspace.  I am ashamed to say I didn't hear of Phoebe until I saw she was touring with Julien. Well lets just say I'm very happy that the two toured together not only because the show was incredible but because Phoebe is an amazingly talented artist. The two could have been sisters or close cousins, and are cut from the same cloth. Listening to their voices there are a lot of great similarities but enough differences in their approach and song writing to keep you fully invested in both equally.

Bridgers opened the show and played some songs alone before bringing out a friend on drums whose name escapes me (sorry dude but sweet drumming and your voice harmonized really well with Phoebe's). The singer songwriter, dressed all in black and sporting purple hair told of her and Baker's adventures in a cemetery and the Portsmouth salt flats before singing through a good chunk of folk and indie inspired sad songs including a cover of a song the punk band she's also in wrote. Songs like the single "Killer" off her debut 7" under the same name, which was put out by Ryan Adams' label Pax-Am, and "Georgia" were mesmerizing. Bridgers contains herself on stage with not a ton of moving around, and it's hard not to be completely sucked into her performance. I really look forward to more releases from her in the future, and at 20 years old I'm sure there will be a plethora of them.

Baker came out not to long after Bridgers ended her set and by that point the stragglers in the back of the room had all moved in. I saw Baker perform back in January in Boston and that show had a lot of energy in it. The crowd was more energetic. This show felt stripped down, but in a good way. It felt more personal and it appeared that Baker felt the same way. It was an emotional course for both her and the audience. Baker played through a slowed down, intimate version of "Blacktop" that was bursting with emotion. Songs like "Rejoice" and "Everybody Does" were explosive with Baker singing at the top of her lungs and getting lost in the performance. Two new songs were played with Baker being at her most vulnerable. Singing below the mic, and being visibly over-run with emotion, it was beautiful and inspiring.

Baker closed her set with the entire attending audience singing "Something" along with her and it was a moment to hold on to. The group became one with the artist we were all there to see. It's different then attending a punk show or even a large venue concert where everyone is belting out tunes. This was personal. A quiet choir singing together crammed in a small venue and leaving it all out there.

A quick break and Baker and Bridgers came out together to perform the Elliott Smith cover of "Ballad Of Big Nothing" she recorded for the Say Yes! Tribute album. A wonderful collaboration of two amazingly talented artists singing undoubtedly one of their biggest influences. A perfect ending to an incredible show. If you missed it, you missed it.

You can see more of my photos from the show here and here.

See Julien Baker and Phoebe Bridgers play tonight in Cambridge, MA at The Sinclair and check out one of the few remaining dates on their tour.

Get Julien Baker's Sprained Ankle from 6131 Records
Get Phoebe Bridgers Killer 7" from Pax-Am Records
Say Yes! A Tribute to Elliott Smith will be out 10/14 on American Laundromat

Julien Baker at the Red Room. Boston, MA 1/23/16

Julien Baker played the Red Room at Cafe 939 last night 1/23/16) in Boston, MA. It was perhaps the most emotional and inspiring show I've ever been to. The snow was coming own hard outside and driving sucked but that didn't stop a packed crowd from filling up the venue.

The pop duo Gracie and Rachel (and Shawn) opened the show. The group plays really nice indie-pop with orchestral elements (violin) and minimal percussion. Definitely worth checking them out.

Baker followed soon after the duo +1 finished their set and moved their instruments.

Before I get into the show itself I just want to point out that Julien Baker is one of the most modest, genuine, artists / performers that I have seen. You can see the honesty pour out of everything she plays and sings. It's a definite breath of fresh air and based on the crowd of people who were digging the show, it's definitely noticed and felt by everyone else.

The set opened with the title track off her album, Sprained Ankle, which unfortunately for me was sold out (the LP) by the time I got to the merch table. Her voice is so good live as it is on the record. So much emotion. I brought my sister along and she couldn't get over her guitar playing. The tone and her playing is so good. She followed up with "Blacktop" and then "Rejoice" which was played due to a fan who had tweeted or Instagramed a comment about how she hoped Baker would play the song to make the night that much better. She played the song and even brought the girl a coffee but she had disappeared before she could give it to her.

The set also included "Vessels" and "Something" which were both super fucking good.

My favorite moments of the night were her performance of "Everybody Does." She got so into the song that they end turned into a full out rock out as she began to yell the vocals. The crowd sang along and everyone was really feeling it. "That was cool... thanks for keeping it real Boston," Baker said as the song ended.

My other favorite moment was when after a quick 30 second break after her set, Baker came back for one more and played my favorite song on the record, "Go Home." I have been watching live videos of her past performances and have not seen that one live. It makes sense due to the piano, but when she hit a pedal and I heard the piano track I almost lost it. Super emotional, super clean, super feels.

A great show from beginning to end. It;s always great to dig an artist and see them live and witness that they are not only extremely talented but genuinely humble and real.

I highly recommend seeing Baker play whenever you can and make sure to grab the record asap!
Read my review of Sprained Ankle.

Check this video of Julien Baker playing "Vessels" from the show.









*Photos taken by Adam W Gerhold (me).

Julien Baker "Sprained Ankle" Review

I remember reading one of the many "best records of..." articles on some website and I was going through and pulling up the links to the ones that sounded most intriguing. Well, Julien Baker's Sprained Ankle was one of them and is my favorite record I looked up on that list. I now because I still have them all written down. I listen to this record at least once a day. It's incredible.

"Blacktop" is is beautiful and haunting. I love the chorus part where Julien's voice and the guitar she plays follows this same run of notes. It's so nice. The simplicity of the recording is wonderful. It's just her and her guitar. The recording has this echo to it like she's in this room and you're chilling and it's so rad!

"Sprained Ankle" is the first song I heard on the record and I did so by watching the music video which is pretty cool. The first line of this song is so heavy and hits hard. There is this elaborate simplicity to these songs. They are so intricate and so so deep but there is this great minimalist quality. They aren't overproduced. Everything rules. Man I am repetitive, haha. Get used to it.

"Brittle Boned" has this great swelling quality where we start with this guitar plucking and then this second guitar comes in with an Explosions In The Sky echo thing going on. Later there is this part where the echo guitar goes away real quick and her voice is almost alone and I get wicked feels. Then there is this double voice thing where she is harmonizing with herself and this simple bass kick or floor tom thumps away followed by some choice cymbal hits and more fast passed strumming in that same EITS vein. This is one of my favorites as you can see by my run on sentences.

"Everybody Does" is more upbeat than most of these songs but that doesn't mean it's not hard hitting and sad. But so beautiful in a tragic way. This whole record gets me right in the feels, man. Julien, you kill me. In a good way. This one is short so play it a few times.

"Good News" is another perfect example of how great her voice is. It's like unsure and painful and so full but at the same time so vulnerable, Fuck commas. Haha. I can relate with this song so much. That feeling where someone's opinion matters when you don't want it to. And it shouldn't anyways. Shit.

"Something" is another one of my favorites. I watched a live video where she played it acoustic in some parking garage and it was so damn good. Another song I relate to, and I;m sure you do. "I can't think of anyone else." Tell me about it. Damn. The feels again. This song is perfection. The guitar and the vocals. "The ringing in my ears taste's like blood." "I thought I meant something." Man, I'm getting goosebumps from this one.

"Rejoice" has so real depth to it. She goes pretty hard in the second half of the song. There is a call to a god and a lot of unanswered questions and non-response. It's vulnerable, honest, and inspiring to say the least. Song writing at the top tier. This record blows me away.

"Vessels" is another really beautiful but haunting song. I've watched some live videos of this too and I fall into a trance. There are these great ambient guitar parts with some great tom work and again I get great EITS vibes. It's swelling, and so real and honest. There is so much depth beneath these songs. So many stories. So much.

"Go Home" is my favorite track and the closer. I really have no other words for this song. You really just need to hear it. Real. Honest. Vulnerable, Deep. Beautiful. The piano though. Oh man. And the last verse. I get full blown chills. I think I shed a tear the first time I heard this one. No shit. Swear. Full blown emotional train wreck. "I know my body is just dirty clothes."

This album is my favorite thing right now.
Thankful.

Get the record from 6131 Records.
Stream it here.
Julien Baker started her East Coast tour yesterday.
I'll be at the Boston show! You need to fucking go!