Pattern is Movement interview and NYC ticket giveaway!

I recently had the privilege of interviewing Chris Ward (pictured left), the drummer of Pattern Is Movement. The talented Philadelphia duo is currently taking a much-needed break from three years of nearly constant touring and they are spending their summer in their home town recording their next album, hopefully coming out early next year. This time, they're doing it a little bit differently - instead of lead singer Andrew Thiboldeaux (pictured below) writing the music and then them shaping the songs together, Andrew is already recording most of his parts first and then Chris will be putting down the drums afterward so that he has more than just a shell of the music to inspire his drumming. "During our live show, my drumming is in direct response to his playing, so we felt like we should keep that energy for the record. So instead of mapping out my drums exactly, let's just take some of the emotion that is created by his parts and let's see what I do with it."

Pattern Is Movement has evolved a great deal over the years. They started out as a 5-piece and now there are only two of them. Their sound has also evolved from angular "math rock" to more melodic, emotional rock (that still contains fairly complex rhythms). "When we started the band, we were in our early 20s... and I think we were all into music that was challenging, so we liked the whole notion of 'math rock'... I think, as a young musician, there's just a desire to kind of show off what you can do. But then I think we started wondering if it could deliver an emotional drive. So now we're more worried about delivering that emotional drive, rather than showing off... I don't want to put up any more walls, I want people to see what we're saying. I think that's what make a good song, or a good album, is when you don't put up a lot of walls to protect yourself, you just kind of give them your emotion, give them your heart."

The first time I discovered Pattern Is Movement was when they were on tour with St. Vincent (that's what these photos are from), which I thought was a pretty genius combination. Apparently Pattern Is Movement also toured with her a while back as her original back up band (they played as Pattern and then they backed her up). "Andrew and Annie have such a musical connection. They both seem to want to show beauty but they're ok with the darker side of beauty. And I think that's what breaks [Annie] away from the major label stuff... There's a darkness to Annie's music. There's an underbelly. And that's the same thing with Andrew. He's all about kind of lush, gorgeous melodies, but he's also about kind of the tension that surround those beautiful melodies... And I think that's what they're both geniuses at: exploiting the tension inherent in all senses of beauty. My drumming in some ways is in direct relation to that. My patterns naturally create some tension rhythmically against the beauty."

CONTEST!!!

For those of you in the NYC area, there's still a chance to see them this summer, even though they're taking time off. They will be performing two concert cruises (with optional open bar) on Friday, July 16th (I'm hoping they'll cover "I'm on a Boat" but I didn't think to ask Chris if they would). And we're GIVING AWAY A PAIR OF TICKETS to the 7pm show. To enter, please email us with the sibject line "I'm on a boat!" in the subject line and your full name in the body by 11:59pm on Tuesday, July 6th. The winner will be announced on Wednesday. After they're done recording, Chris is hoping they can tour Europe, and they've also had offers in Asia and Israel, so definitely hit up their few remaining US shows if you can because they may not be around for a while.

Jenny Ono [mp3] - ( Amazon / iTunes )

New Pattern Is Movement track!

Ever since I saw this Philadelphia duo open for St. Vincent last year, I have been completely obsessed with Pattern is Movement. They definitely stand out as one of the most unique bands that I've ever encountered: they look like lumberjacks and yet they make beautiful, flowery but distinct music with incredibly complex rhythms and rich, multi-layered vocal harmonies. I expect to see great things from this band (we put them on our bands to watch for 2010 list) and while their genius may never be appreciated in the mainstream, I think they will continue to build a solid indie following in their own right. 

In keeping with everything I've said thus far, here's a lovely new track from them called "Light of the World." It will only be available at the merch table of their shows as part of a limited tour-only EP release with other unreleased tracks (including a David Bowie cover - intriguing!). They will soon be heading on tour with another indie band that I love, Via Audio (see dates below).

Light of the World [mp3]

TOUR DATES:
02/23/10 - Washington, DC @ DC9
02/24/10 - Philadelphia, PA @ Kungfu Necktie
02/25/10 - Brooklyn, NY @ Union Hall
02/26/10 - Boston, MA - Middle East
02/27/10 - Hamden, CT - The Space
02/28/10 - Buffalo, NY - Big Orbit Soundlab
03/01/10 - Toronto, ON - The Drake
03/02/10 - Cleveland, OH - Beachland Tavern
03/03/10 - Bloomington, IN - Bishop
03/04/10 - St. Louis, MO - Billiken Club @ Saint Louis University
03/05/10 - Milwaukee, WI - Club Garibaldi
03/06/10 - Depere, WI - Baba Louies
03/07/10 - Madison, WI - The Frequency
03/09/10 - Chicago, IL - Schuba's
03/10/10 - Dekalb, IL - The House Cafe
03/12/10 - Kansas City, MO - Record Bar
03/13/10 - Columbia, MO - The Blue Fugue
03/17/10 - Austin, TX @ SXSW
03/18/10 - Austin, TX @ Hometapes SXSW Showcase
03/19/10 - Austin, TX @ SXSW
03/20/10 - Austin, TX @ Hometapes Friend Island
03/21/10 - Mobile, AL - Alabama Music Box
03/23/10 - Columbia, SC - The Whig
03/25/10 - Charlottesville, VA - Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar

Artists to Watch in 2010

For the last of our lists this year, we have artists that have shown promise and/or generated buzz, and that we're expecting to see interesting things from in the year to come. So, just in time for the New Year, we present you with "Artists to Watch in 2010":


Ellie Goulding
21-year-old Ellie Goulding has already been chosen as one of the 15 best rising music stars on BBC's Sound of 2010 list. She's been generating tons of buzz over the last few months, and with an electro-pop sugary sound, musicians like Little Boots and Marina and the Diamonds (more about her below) are often mentioned alongside her. Her first single "Under the Sheets" was released a couple of months ago and her debut set to release in March, so, like we've said before, expect this one to hit big.

Under the Sheets [mp3] - (no online purchase available in US)

Marina and the Diamonds

"I Am Not A Robot" was one of Lise's tracks-on-repeat this last summer, and like Ellie above, Marina and the Diamonds have also made BBC's Sound of 2010 list. People love her for her don't-care-what-others-think attitude and robust, thickly vibrato-ridden voice, but Lise is still waiting to be impressed with a live performance, although perhaps that will change in this upcoming year. Until then, you should at least check her out if you are unfamiliar, cause there is no doubt you will be hearing more about her in 2010.

I Am Not A Robot [mp3] - (no online purchase available)

Heathers
This Irish twin girl duo, named after the infamous '80s movie starring Winona Ryder, is kind of like Tegan & Sara 2.0, but more folky perhaps. They're how I imagine Tegan and Sara were when they were just starting out - talented and adorable, keeping things simple but lovely, with rocking acoustic guitar and awesome vocal harmonies. It sounds like things are starting to pick up for them in Ireland and we're hoping that they'll pick up for them here in the US too, so that they'll come back stateside for a tour again soon.

Veronica [mp3] - (iTunes)

Drink Up Buttercup

Em first saw Drink Up Buttercup by chance back in May, instantly loving them, and has watched their audience grow and expand at shows in NYC in August and November. They are worth seeing again and again live because they have such great energy as they bang and plang and clang on everything from your typical keyboards and guitars to the less typical garbage can tops, tool boxes and plastic maracas. Their EP is superb and hopefully we can expect a full-length album from them in 2010.
Sosey Dosey [mp3] - (iTunes)

Pattern is Movement
Much to our surprise, these two lumberjack-looking guys make the most elaborate, fanciful, delightful and downright bizarre music we've possibly ever heard. It certainly wasn't what Em was expecting when they opened for St. Vincent earlier this year, but they ended up blowing her away and we can't wait to hear more from the Philadelphia duo.

Jenny Ono [mp3] - (iTunes)

Local Natives

One of LA's top indie acts that are ready to break out in a big way, all 4-part harmonies and pounding toms. They're already popular overseas, having toured the UK and Europe in 2009, and they've just been signed to NY label Frenchkiss Records (home of The Antlers, Passion Pit, The Dodos, etc.) They played a soldout show at the Echo the other night - their last US show until the domestic release of Gorilla Manor (February 5) - and any Angelenos who made it out will be lucky enough to say they were there first.

Camera Talk [mp3] - (Amazon)

Marching Band
Unlike a lot of the Scandinavian music we receive here at GFP, this isn't dark, experimental, or haunting. Marching Band's music is for the most part poppy, pretty and highly enjoyable. It will definitely leave your head bopping and your toe tapping, and since a lot of amazing stuff is coming out of Scandinavia right now, I think we can expect to see them fair well here in the US.

Gorgeous Behavior [mp3] - (iTunes)

Avi Buffalo

One of our writers, Diana, has been into Avi Buffalo for a little over a year now and we can't wait to see what SubPop does for them in 2010. Seeing Avi play his Fender Jaguar will make you envious that you're not 19 years old, winning folks over with a high falsetto and lines like, "you are tiny and your lips are like little pieces of bacon."
What's In It For? [mp3] - (iTunes)

Fredrik
Their album Na Na Ni was on our Best Albums of 2008, and their album Trilogi was supposed to come out this year, but has been pushed back to January of 2010. So keep your eye out for that. The one track they've released from it is even more haunting, dark and stunning than the highly experimental Na Na Ni, and we've heard that the rest of Trilogi is supposed to follow suit.

Trilogi [mp3] - (iTunes)

Castledoor

We still don't know why this band isn't signed. Their debut Shouting At Mountains was quite solid, and the 3 shows Diana attended of their June residency at Spaceland were easily the best shows she's seen this whole year. Nate Cole has all the charisma a frontman needs and more, and the songs are just an awesome mix of blues, rock, and pop. They've been going strong in the LA scene for a couple years now, so we have my fingers crossed that 2010 will be their year.
Skipping Stepping Stones [mp3] - (iTunes)

tUnE-YaRdS
tUnE-YaRdS, aka Merrill Garbus is incredibly intriguing to say the least. Her unique rhythms, complicated music and full voice make for an interesting listen. However, her debut album, Bird Brains, was made very much DIY-style, and while she certainly does quite well with very little, we would love to hear what she can do with some real production value behind her. Hopefully we will get the chance considering how much buzz she has gotten this year.

News [mp3] - (iTunes)

Surfer Blood

Their debut album Astro Coast is dropping January 2010, and having listened to a couple of the tracks, we wager that it'll probably take a few months for news to properly circulate about this band. Surfer Blood has somehow managed to encompass that guilty pleasure of 90's pop-rock sound of Weezer and Keane and structure it into a sophisticated-yet-carefree indie rock throwback with added fuzzy flair for the upcoming decade.
Floating Vibes [mp3] - (iTunes)

Gamble House
One of Diana's bandmates introduced her to Gamble House a couple months ago, and she recommends them to anyone who is a fan of pre-Veckatimest Grizzly Bear. This year they self-released an album of low-key indie/folk-ish music that goes beyond the standard vocals/guitar M.O., incorporating banjo, bells, keyboards and other little flourishes that reflect the band's jazz background. Definitely worth checking out.

Central Park [mp3] - (no online purchase available)

Phantogram

For a duo that has yet to come out with a full-length album, Phantogram sure has a pretty big following. A bit reminiscent of Blonde Redhead, their electro-dance-rock certainly will get you moving. They're great live and we look forward to hearing what they come out with in the future.
When I'm Small [mp3] - (iTunes)


Ravens & Chimes
So they were on our list of Artists to Watch for 2009 last year, but unfortunately they didn't end up coming out with any new stuff this past year. However, it is confirmed that they will be coming out with an album in 2010, so we are putting them on the list again because we love them that much. Hopefully, after going through some major member changes this year (only two of the people in this picture are still in the band but we can't find any more recent ones...), next year will be a successful one for them. Here's one of the songs off their upcoming 2010 album.

Hearts of Palm [mp3] - (iTunes)

St. Vincent @ Webster Hall

Wednesday night I had the pleasure of seeing the immensely talented St. Vincent play at Webster Hall. Opening for her was Pattern is Movement, whom I had never heard before. They were... bizarre... but I always mean that in a good way. When the two lumberjack-looking men came onstage, I definitely did not expect the floating experimental music or dancing falsetto that came from them. They are really something else, so much so that I can't even really think of bands to compare them to. The vocals are kind of operatic and the music is dramatic, heavy, light, poppy, dark, and avant-garde all at the same time. It's what I imagine the soundtrack would be if Stan Brakhage were still alive and directed a modern rock opera, but happier. Can you tell I'm really having trouble describing it? They seemed to have a pretty decent fan-base at the show and they were pretty much the perfect openers for St. Vincent - very talented, weird and unique. I'm very glad to have found them to add to my music collection. The only downside of being right in front of the stage was that I was literally being assaulted by the bass drum, which got distracting. Since I had so much trouble describing it, though, take a listen for yourself (plus I found this great Beyonce cover).

Bird [mp3] - (iTunes)
Crazy In Love (Beyonce cover) [mp3]

St. Vincent was, of course, amazing as usual. She really is a virtuoso, playing complicated guitar parts and singing complex vocal lines with ease. Plus she's simultaneously gorgeous, adorable and a little goofy. She played mostly new stuff, and I will say that I'm sad she didn't play my two favorites ("Jesus Saves" and "Paris is Burning"). She did do a couple of old classics though, particularly for the encore. And she played all my favorites off her new album. She may have played almost the entire album, actually. The highlights for me are the darker numbers where she rocked out a bit, such as "Actor out of Work" and "Marrow." For those of you who haven't heard her new album, Actor (which came out May 5th), definitely check it out. At first I didn't love it as much as her last album, but it's definitely growing on me more and more. Now that I think about it, that's probably how her first album was too. I guess I'm just not quite genius enough to appreciate the album to its full extent without multiple listens. This album is supposed to be inspired by Prince, but I only hear that in a few songs really. Most of the album seems more whimsical and less dark than her last one. I think another thing is that I always love St. Vincent's music even more once I've seen her perform it live, because seeing her talent in person is so thrilling, so I am sure I will be obsessed with Actor within the next few days.

Actor Out Of Work [mp3] - (iTunes)

And in case I don't sound obsessed enough, here's tons of pictures as more proof.