FYM PRESS PLAY: THEORETICS • NEW EP • PLENTY OF ANYTHING • SEATTLE HIP HOP

On their latest release Plenty of Anything, Theoretics (a talented 7-piece crew of musicians) continue to capture the heart and spirit of Northwest Hip Hop. Listen to our new favorite jam Lights On, off the new EP below:



Plenty of Anything, showcases a variety of sound in six tracks. Slow-burning instrumental (late night) landscapes pair seamlessly with three rapid-fire jams (featuring dominant dual-emcee lyrical uprock).

Theoretics band member Birch Pereira gave FYM some insight behind the new release: The idea behind the EP, or at least the 3 vocal songs, was to show off the entertaining side to Theoretics and move away from the serious tone of our first album. I switched over to playing synth bass as well and naturally some more d&b elements came out and the emcees really got a kick out of writing to that fast tempo stuff. 

The two instrumentals "Bus Evlav" and "Harkon" came out of a project I've been doing where I've been creating new music on the computer by manipulating samples of our previously recorded material. Most of the time it's unrecognizable to the original source, but Bus Evlav is a remix of a song that we recorded on our instrumental side project Vunt Foom called Sub Valve Release. Check out their bandcamp page HERE.


Listen to the entire EP above, purchase it from iTunes HERE. If you didn't catch Theoretics at their packed EP release party at the Showbox (Market) November 9th, be sure to see them perform live at Neumos December 16th with Blackalicious (buy tickets HERE)! Cheers, FYM.

FYM PRESS PLAY: JAMES WHETZEL • WANNA BE STARTIN' SOMETHIN' • SEATTLE WA ° USA

It's no secret we are a fan of Seattle's James Whetzel, and his recent cover song adventures. In 2012 Whetzel has been on an impressive creative mission! He has reworked notable tunes like: Depeche Mode's People Are People, Rich Jensen/Yacht's Psychic City (Voodoo City), and Austra's Beat and the Pulse, turning them into vibrant new classics. Listen to his latest Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' (Michael Jackson) below:


Whetzel gave FYM some feedback, reflecting on his most recent sonic journey—I am proud of the track. In some ways it may be my most representative track. Sort of funny that it would be a Michael Jackon cover. In any case I was psyched to get my obsession for intricate and beautiful beats, sarod, and nice vocal melodies mixed with some humor and positive vibes.

Purchase Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' on iTunes HERE, and discover the other three cover tunes on his Bandcamp page HERE. AND if you are a super fan of Whetzel like we are, pop over to SIFF's Uptown Cinema in Queen Anne Seattle this Sunday, November 11th. Dziga Vertov's 1929 silent masterpiece MAN WITH A MOVIE CAMERA will feature a live soundtrack performed by James Whetzel himself!

FYM ON THE LIST: DARK DARK DARK ‡ EMILY WELLS ° LIVE IN SEATTLE WASHINGTON USA

Seattle packed the Crocodile Monday night for a double bill featuring Emily Wells and Dark Dark Dark. Emily Wells, the talented multi-instrumentalist who as recently as a couple months ago headlined a show at the same venue, went on first with her one-woman band. She has quickly amassed a strong following here with her violin, beats, toy instruments and strong vocals, as she has become the queen of looping. Even her mother came to the show to see her.

The highlight of her show was a stripped down new song Los Angeles, a gorgeous ballad that simply featured an electric guitar and her vocals. Upon completion of the song, one member of the crowd authentically yelled out “nice” to which the rest of the crowd, and Ms. Wells, embraced it and casually mocked it for the rest of her set. She ended her show with a cover of Little Willie John’s Fever done in classic Emily Wells fashion, one part contemporary jazz, one part classical and one part hip-hop.

Dark Dark Dark are on the road touring to support their latest album Who Needs Who. The band’s innocent beginnings came when Nona Marie Invie and Marshall LaCount decided to leave their native Minnesota to fulfill their desire to go to New Orleans; both places collectively influence their first two albums. 

When talking with Mr. LaCount, he was humbled and honored with my comment that their music could easily pass as an audio version to photographer Alec Soth’s Sleeping by the Mississippi.

The basis of Who Needs Who is the break-up of Invie and LaCount while on their last tour. No track exemplifies the album as a whole as How It Went Down, a hauntingly beautiful song that will find its way onto some soundtrack soon enough. Listen to the track below: 

 

While the easy thing after the relationship ended would have been to break up the band, the common belief that heartbreak equals good art, or a great album in this case, holds true.

There’s no doubt that Invie’s voice is the forefront of the band’s sound. However, it was interesting, knowing the backstory, to see the dynamics of the band on stage. Walt McClements, the accordion player, stood center stage with the rhythm section behind him separating the founders of the now quintet. The physcal separation of the former couple, whether purposefully or not, made their sad songs touchingly tragic.

Whoever inaugurated the idea of Emily Wells and the Dark Dark Dark tour together knew what they were doing. It's a rare double bill for the venues they’re playing. The sophistication of modern experimentation fusing with classical music and hip-hop from Emily Wells got the crowd moving. While Dark Dark Dark followed up by allowing the crowd to absorb their straightforward old-world sensitivity.

Good show. Good night.

-James (J.D.) Scholten

FYM ON THE LIST: FIDLAR • THE HIVES • LIVE AT THE FOX THEATER • OAKLAND USA

FYM was beyond stoked to discover that Los Angeles buzzworthy band FIDLAR was going to be on the same bill as The Hives last week in Oakland California. That evening, FIDLAR's super-charged garage rock whimsey was a perfect counterpart to their Swedish tour mates.

FIDLAR which stands for "Fuck It Dog, Life's A Risk" put on a great live show,  rockin' out signature tunes like Cheap Beer featuring the catchy little chorus—I drink. Cheap Beer. So what. Fuck you!



Watch the campy too kool 4 skool teenage/soCal/stoner anthem No Waves, music video above. The only thing that would make this video better would be adding a few clips of Gleaming the Cube into the mix.

Look for FIDLAR's debut full-length due out in early 2013 via Mom & Pop. In the meantime, visit their bandcamp Here and their tumblr Here.

Up next The Hives came out to headline this fine evening in Oakland, and were dressed to the nines as usual (featuring suits and top hats). The Hives do not disappoint LIVE—not only do they dress the part, but they also put on a heavily kinetic rock performance.

Howlin' Pelle Almqvist takes the lead and plays the part of the preacher and the crowd as the choir to follow his every move. Their single Tick Tick Tick Boom brought the house down literally—as Pelle told the audience to take a seat, just before bringing fans to an explosive state of excitement as the opening notes of the tune broke in.

Hate To Say I Told You So was another obvious crowd pleaser, with the entire audience going bananas during the song. The Hives most recent album Lex Hives is out now, feel free to stream on spottily HERE. They Live! Cheers, FYM.