Clark Lamson

72 stories

MusicAlbum Review: FKA twigs— M3LL155XArt relies on experimentation for its continued growth.Clark Lamson · Aug 26, 2016

MusicAlbum Review: Anderson Paak, MalibuEqual parts illustrious and excessive, genuine and humble, Malibu builds on the boozy charm of Paak’s debut, Venice, doubling down on atmosphere and lush, live instrumentation.Clark Lamson · Feb 3, 2016

BandWagon’s Top Ten Albums of 2015Alabama Shakes: Sound & Color Our Top 10 begins with the sophomore release of Alabama Shakes, the effervescent Southern rock outfit that exploded into our lives with the debut…Clark Lamson · Jan 8, 2016

MusicAlbum Review: Rubedo – Love is the AnswerEpiphany can come in a myriad of strange and unexpected ways.Clark Lamson · Dec 7, 2015

MusicTop Tunes Thursday: Will Butler — PolicyAs the year comes to a close, all us music geeks can finally start openly discussing the “best of” lists that have been taking up valuable storage in our brains.Clark Lamson · Dec 3, 2015

MusicAlbum Review: Fuzz – IIIf you’re a regular reader of our Top Tunes Thursday column, then you’ve heard me talking about my adoration for the side project.Clark Lamson · Dec 2, 2015

MusicTop Tunes Thursday: Khruangbin — The Universe Smiles Upon YouWhile I find the majority of instrumentals have a regional style, not always glaring, but almost always present. L.A. jazz, Delta Blues, the sample heavy style of production prevalent in the East coast, generally speaking there’s something you can grab on to. Khruangbin plays like a musical atlas, sending fiery frets to Japan, then Brazil, and back over to Africa. The eighth track, cheekily titled “The Man Who Took My Sunglasses,” almost creates the illusion of needing them. Blinding sun beams reflect off polished surfboards and sparkling fret boards, cutting through swirling cigarette smoke on its way. Four tracks earlier, guitarist Mark Speer cools the jets to a low roar, infusing in its exhaust at first a wiff of the Far East, then an utterly American crashing collapse of guitar, amp, and kit.Clark Lamson · Nov 19, 2015

MusicTop Tunes Thursday: Coldplay — Adventure Of A LifetimeThe track is joyful in a resurgent kind of way. Driving leads and a surprisingly groovy rhythm for a pop band (let alone a pop band of such drear and atmosphere) cloud your mind like the smoke from a caterpillar’s hookah. It’s relentless and irresistibly toe tapping. Jam packed into their wooing, if not predictable, brand of pop are notes of Earth Wind & Fire, Phoenix, and fretwork from U2’s The Edge as well as modern pop titans, like Pharell, Justin Timberlake, and Daft Punk, especially the latter, considering their recent poppy-funky love affair. I feel the song chip away at winter’s frost, and as frontman Chris Martin heralds chorus after chorus of “I feel alive again!” I can’t help but agree.Clark Lamson · Nov 12, 2015

MusicTop Tunes Thursday: Alabama Shakes — JoeStylistically, the track actually falls nicely between the two records, meshing cozy Southern hospitality with smoldering soul. The tune kicks off slow, enchant us with us a gated chrous across shiny pickups. Not long thereafter, the incomparable Brittany Howard welcomes herself to the track. At this point, it borders on the clichéd to talk about the thundering soul machine that are the pipes of Brittany Howard, but the vocal, as is typical for most Alabama Shakes content, truly is the star of the show. Murphy works the crowd like melted ropes of taffy, jumping from croon to croan at the pluck of a string. It’s a joy to listen to her work, and the crowd feels the same.Clark Lamson · Nov 5, 2015

MusicTop Tunes Thursday: Fuzz — IITy Segal’s Fuzz looks to dustier paragons of noise like Sabbath, Wolfmother, The Hives and The Eagles of Death Metal and says “we’ll take it from here.” The sounds born within the mildewed and crawling horror swamp that is Segal’s musical brain can only be truly appreciated in the context of honestly curious rock exploration. When you’re talking about pushing the guitar to its structural and audial limits, about reaching to the very corners of our musical expectations and poking a finger over the line, Ty Segall is the only one we millennials can claim for our own. Like the artful goofballs of old (Bowie, Reed) Segall is relentlessly catapulting himself from project to project, with no love lost in between.Clark Lamson · Oct 29, 2015

MusicTop Tunes Thursday: Edge of Daybreak — Eyes of LoveIn 1979, a group of musicians bound by circumstance gathered in earnest to craft their first album.Clark Lamson · Oct 22, 2015

MusicTop Tunes Thursday: The Garden — hahaThis week, I stumbled across Orange, California duo, The Garden. Founded by twin brothers Fletcher and Wyatt Shears, The first couple of vexing seconds told me I had found a winner. I wouldn’t describe the clattered natterings of The Garden weird (though you wouldn’t be wrong to do so), so much as unexpected. It doesn’t matter what you’re doing or listening to at the time, The Garden is a non sequitur.Clark Lamson · Oct 15, 2015

MusicTop Tunes Thursday: Denzel Curry — 32 Zel / Planet ShroomsTwo weeks ago, while I was researching the newest Little Simz record (review here) I came across a list of “rappers to watch for.” Little Simz was featured for her E.D.G.E EP and…Clark Lamson · Oct 8, 2015

MusicTop Tunes Thursday: Big Grams — Self TitledI’d like to see the “to do list” for this record. It must read something like: “1. Make awesome music. 2. See #1.” Yes, it’s simple, but it’s simply fun. If Big Grams set out to make music to dance/copulate to, I think they hit the nail on the head. Phantogram released their most recent record last year, and the last time OutKast put out new music, I was a Junior in highschool. (Wow, I’m old.) While there doesn’t appear to be any tour dates in Big Grams’ future, I guess you’ll just have to settle for playing this record on repeat.Clark Lamson · Oct 1, 2015

MusicTop Tunes Thursday: Little Simz — A Curious Tale of Trials + PersonsImagine you know someone who wants to be a world renowned rapper.Clark Lamson · Sep 24, 2015

MusicTop Tunes Thursday: Beirut — No No NoWhen I find a new artist (whether it be a new single, a new album, or by recommendation) if I can, I like to start at the beginning of their discography.Clark Lamson · Sep 17, 2015

MusicTop Tunes Thursday: Travis $cott — RodeoWhen your first public appearance has you labeled as a protege of Kanye West, it’s safe to say you travel with heavy expectations on your shoulders. When Travi$ Scott was revealed as one of the top producer’s behind West’s blistering thrash-rap opus, Yeezus, the countdown to his solo album began. While his debut EP Owl Pharaoh failed to impress, his follow-up Days Before Rodeo did much to increase the appetites of Scott’s swelling fanbase. Now, two plus years after the source of his fame, Travi$ Scott has released his highly anticipated solo record, Rodeo. Without giving too much away, it lives up to the name.Clark Lamson · Sep 10, 2015

MusicTop Tunes Thursday: Benjamin Clementine— At Least For NowToo often when discussing our musical greats, we forget where they came from.Clark Lamson · Sep 2, 2015

MusicTop Tunes Thursday: Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats — Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night SweatsIn the early summer of 2010, my best friend bought me tickets to see one of my favorite performers at the time, Tallest Man on Earth.Clark Lamson · Aug 27, 2015

MusicTop Tunes Thursday: Teen Daze — Morning WorldThe morning can be rough for some people. Your bones are creaky, your vision foggy. You might be hungry, and you almost definitely have to pee. The whole thing just feels like a hassle. For most of my life, I was one of these people. I don’t know, maybe it comes with age or something, but now some of my earliest moments of the day end up being some of my favorite moments. The sun’s barely awake, and already, people all across the newly glowing portion of the country are getting up to start their day, just like you. That thought and a cup of coffee often gets my days started fairly well. This quiet meditation, and the feelings that surround it, are the thesis of the new Teen Daze record, Morning World. This is Teen Daze’s (who goes by the monomous “Jamison” in professional life) first full length release since 2012’s Glacier.Clark Lamson · Aug 20, 2015