Japanese violinist Kishi Bashi crafts indie pop music that is full of warmth, exuberance, and a misty eyed sense of wonder. Most importantly, it's just plain good fun. The focus track from his latest, Lighght, loops and winds its way through bang up violin playing along with a delightfully delectable chorus that shows off Bashi's killer falsetto. But perhaps my favorite part is when he breaks it all down near the end and throws in an acoustic guitar backing that builds to the final chorus. It doesn't sound like something that should work at all in theory, but he executes it to perfection. See for yourself:
Showing posts with label Kishi Bashi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kishi Bashi. Show all posts
Friday, August 15, 2014
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
Indie pop violinist Kishi Bashi's live set has you bopping off the walls
Kishi Bashi is one of those silly, zany artists who you can't help but break out in a big goofy smile for, and I got to catch him Friday night at Mercy Lounge. Otherwise known as Kaoru Ishibashi, he's been a touring member with Of Montreal and also in Regina Spektor's band, but it seems he's doing pretty well on his own.
Clad in his pink tuxedo and bowtie, he wowed the crowd by incorporating his vividly realized violin skill into whimsical, dream coated indie pop songs. His new album, Lighght, more heavily favors synthesizers and Phoenix style dance beats.
He was able to touch the ceiling with his soaring upper register, which gave him room to maneuver on cuts like "Bright Whites," which sounds like a gleeful take on The Beatles' White Album era, and played "Neon Genesis for Him and Her," about how the world was created through two people's love for one another.
But the night's most gorgeous moment came from the final song in the main set. The quiet, beautiful magnificence of "Manchester," drifted through the performance chamber as he croons, "My favorite part is when I die/ in your arms like a movie/ tragic, but now the story has its proper end." It gently builds to a powerful final cascade of violin work.
His encore was the standout event of the evening, however. He had us all bouncing around and dancing during "The Ballad of Mr. Steak," a silly synthesizer driven cut about a steak who just wants to spend his life dancing before he is eaten. Then he did a cover of "Live and Let Die," before closing with "It All Began With a Burst," in which he let us sing the zany high pitched parts.
He relied heavily on tape loops, looping the violin parts. He had a banjo player, Mike Savino, but it didn't sound like typical country banjo playing. When I could hear it, it sounded more like Calypso inspired playing. He had flashing red and green Christmas lights inside his banjo that lit up while he played. Bashi would stop to do some random improv here and there between songs. At one point, he and Savino were playing off one another and were totally feeding off each other's energy.
When it comes to songs that rely more heavily on studio effects, however, its clear that he's still working on figuring out how to translate it to live stage. The lack of acoustic guitar in the band clearly effected the timbre of certain cuts, and not for the better. "Q&A" felt much emptier without it, while "Philosophize In It! Chemacilze In It!" required a near re-write for the second half of the song.
This was one of my favorite songs from him, with one of my favorite aspects of it being the acoustic guitar breakdown near the end. But instead of that he broke into a very brief jam session, and then delivered the final lines with a whimper.
That stuck out as the biggest weakness of his set was that certain songs didn't translate as well without guitar. The banjo player was talented and was a great showman, but the instrument itself didn't seem to add much to the performance. It tended to get swallowed up by the rest of the mix.
Clad in his pink tuxedo and bowtie, he wowed the crowd by incorporating his vividly realized violin skill into whimsical, dream coated indie pop songs. His new album, Lighght, more heavily favors synthesizers and Phoenix style dance beats.
He was able to touch the ceiling with his soaring upper register, which gave him room to maneuver on cuts like "Bright Whites," which sounds like a gleeful take on The Beatles' White Album era, and played "Neon Genesis for Him and Her," about how the world was created through two people's love for one another.
 |
| Kishi Bashi and banjo player Mike Savino, play well off one another. |
But the night's most gorgeous moment came from the final song in the main set. The quiet, beautiful magnificence of "Manchester," drifted through the performance chamber as he croons, "My favorite part is when I die/ in your arms like a movie/ tragic, but now the story has its proper end." It gently builds to a powerful final cascade of violin work.
His encore was the standout event of the evening, however. He had us all bouncing around and dancing during "The Ballad of Mr. Steak," a silly synthesizer driven cut about a steak who just wants to spend his life dancing before he is eaten. Then he did a cover of "Live and Let Die," before closing with "It All Began With a Burst," in which he let us sing the zany high pitched parts.
He relied heavily on tape loops, looping the violin parts. He had a banjo player, Mike Savino, but it didn't sound like typical country banjo playing. When I could hear it, it sounded more like Calypso inspired playing. He had flashing red and green Christmas lights inside his banjo that lit up while he played. Bashi would stop to do some random improv here and there between songs. At one point, he and Savino were playing off one another and were totally feeding off each other's energy.
When it comes to songs that rely more heavily on studio effects, however, its clear that he's still working on figuring out how to translate it to live stage. The lack of acoustic guitar in the band clearly effected the timbre of certain cuts, and not for the better. "Q&A" felt much emptier without it, while "Philosophize In It! Chemacilze In It!" required a near re-write for the second half of the song.
This was one of my favorite songs from him, with one of my favorite aspects of it being the acoustic guitar breakdown near the end. But instead of that he broke into a very brief jam session, and then delivered the final lines with a whimper.
That stuck out as the biggest weakness of his set was that certain songs didn't translate as well without guitar. The banjo player was talented and was a great showman, but the instrument itself didn't seem to add much to the performance. It tended to get swallowed up by the rest of the mix.
Friday, July 11, 2014
Totally Unauthorized 2014 Mid Year Recap: Top 25 First Half Albums
The 2014 musical year started off slowly, but has gradually been shaping up into what may be another excellent year. It hasn't been as good as the past two years, although 2013 was a banner year and may not be topped by decade's end. That said, 2014 has still seen some great releases. Here are my favorites from the first half:
At
this point, Jack White is who he is. You know what to expect from one
of his records. The best thing about Lazaretto is that it doesn't waste the audience's time; it gets right down to business by focusing on his greatest strength - rocking hard. White tosses in flourishes of folk and country to supplement his infectious brand of blues rock, weaves in
interpersonal lyrics, and mixes it with some of his best guitar playing
to date.
This is a fantastic album to crawl inside of and get lost within. Efrim Menuck of Godspeed You! Black Emperor brews up post-rock in the vein of his flagship band, but this mix boasts more of a hard edged, punk rock vibe that is sometimes whimsical and sometimes ominous. Add a sense of child-like wonder and a theme loosely based on the band's home of Montreal, and you have one of the year's most unique and inspiring albums.
This
is the biggest and boldest sound Merrill Garbus has had yet. Her
patchwork pastiche of world music and electronic influences, coupled
with her dizzying drum work merge together to create a mix both
intoxicating and impossible to ignore. After two fantastic albums I was hoping she'd knock it out of the park here. It ultimately doesn't live up to its predecessor, w h o k i l l, but for your buck, you won't
find an album with a louder sense of style than this.
This may be the most unique entry on the list in the sense that this is more like reading a short story as opposed to a musical experience. Benji takes a look into who Mark Kozalek is, recounted over various ruminations about his family, losing loved ones, and youthful loves. There are also more specific events including discussing the Newtown shootings in an exchange of letters with a fan, or feeling out of touch while seeing his friend Ben Gibbard of The Postal Service in concert. The level of detail Kozalek recalls is stunning, and he complements it with gorgeous finger picking.
Easily the girls' best effort yet. The harmonies are wondrous enough alone to merit this a spot on the list, but there's also an alluring vintage feel to much of this album. Sometimes they sound pensive, at others they sound like they were born to play the Ryman, but mostly their music moves along with a determined grit and heads held high. Their last effort, The Lion's Roar, suffered from consistency issues, but this time there's not a weak track to be found.
4. Swans - To Be Kind
Swans are tough as nails and impenetrable, but they make no apologies about who they are. That said, there is still some great dark art rock here, alongside some of the year's most sweat soaked riffing. Michael Gira's haunting cadence rings out from the shadows. It's oppressive yet fascinating simultaneously. At times there are more straight ahead numbers at and at times it's really esoteric, but it's equally difficult not to find yourself sucked in by swans' sinister vortex.
This
is the album that's been on everyone's list this year, and for good
reason. Her rose tinted art pop might color her as a little weird and off kilter, but Annie Clark's fourth album is perhaps her boldest yet. She's wistful and provocative with an intoxicating sense of confidence, and at the end of the day she's irresistible because she's a knockout songsmith crafting a dizzying collection of
fragrant rock and roll.
This has been my go to jam this year. I was initially drawn into the band thanks to their white hot single "Hanuman," which led to me exploring their previous album, 11:11. This one is much more relaxed and low key, but no less breathtaking in terms of aesthetic or technicality. I like this record whenever I'm upset, or agitated or anxious about something; it helps mellow me out. But I also love it for the sheer splendid beauty of its arrangements. I am surprised that no one is paying
attention to this one after the success that their previous two albums
had. It must not be the type of sound media outlets are looking for,
which is a shame. Because to me, it sounds better than any record
released this year.
25. Mogwai - Rave Tapes
24. Beck - Morning Phase
23. Little Dragon - Nabuma Rubberband
22. Anathema - Distant Satellites
21. Damon Albarn - Everyday Robots
20. Freddie Gibbs & Madlib - Pinata
19. Mastodon - Once More Round the Sun
18. Lana Del Rey - Ultraviolence
17. Animals as Leaders - The Joy of Motion
16. Future Islands - Singles
15. Real Estate - Atlas
14. Lykke Li - I Never Learn
13. War on Drugs - Lost in the Dream
12. The Roots - ...And Then You Shoot Your Cousin
11. Badbadnotgood - III
10. Jack White - Lazaretto
At
this point, Jack White is who he is. You know what to expect from one
of his records. The best thing about Lazaretto is that it doesn't waste the audience's time; it gets right down to business by focusing on his greatest strength - rocking hard. White tosses in flourishes of folk and country to supplement his infectious brand of blues rock, weaves in
interpersonal lyrics, and mixes it with some of his best guitar playing
to date.
9. Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra - Fuck Off Get Free We Pour Light on Everything
This is a fantastic album to crawl inside of and get lost within. Efrim Menuck of Godspeed You! Black Emperor brews up post-rock in the vein of his flagship band, but this mix boasts more of a hard edged, punk rock vibe that is sometimes whimsical and sometimes ominous. Add a sense of child-like wonder and a theme loosely based on the band's home of Montreal, and you have one of the year's most unique and inspiring albums.
8. Tune Yards - Nikki Nack
This
is the biggest and boldest sound Merrill Garbus has had yet. Her
patchwork pastiche of world music and electronic influences, coupled
with her dizzying drum work merge together to create a mix both
intoxicating and impossible to ignore. After two fantastic albums I was hoping she'd knock it out of the park here. It ultimately doesn't live up to its predecessor, w h o k i l l, but for your buck, you won't
find an album with a louder sense of style than this.
7. Sun Kil Moon - Benji
This may be the most unique entry on the list in the sense that this is more like reading a short story as opposed to a musical experience. Benji takes a look into who Mark Kozalek is, recounted over various ruminations about his family, losing loved ones, and youthful loves. There are also more specific events including discussing the Newtown shootings in an exchange of letters with a fan, or feeling out of touch while seeing his friend Ben Gibbard of The Postal Service in concert. The level of detail Kozalek recalls is stunning, and he complements it with gorgeous finger picking. 
6. Kishi Bashi - Lighght
This is simply a splendid, joyous record. The product of Japanese violinist K. Ishi Bashi, known for his work in Athens psychedelic indie rock band of Montreal. He has long stood out with his signature style of guitar playing, and whimsical, feel good songwriting approach, but now he's expanded his sound by giving keyboards a much more prominent place in the mix. With Lighght, he puts forth an album that is like Wonderland in musical form, and is guaranteed to put a smile on your face.
5. First Aid Kit - Stay Gold
Easily the girls' best effort yet. The harmonies are wondrous enough alone to merit this a spot on the list, but there's also an alluring vintage feel to much of this album. Sometimes they sound pensive, at others they sound like they were born to play the Ryman, but mostly their music moves along with a determined grit and heads held high. Their last effort, The Lion's Roar, suffered from consistency issues, but this time there's not a weak track to be found. Swans are tough as nails and impenetrable, but they make no apologies about who they are. That said, there is still some great dark art rock here, alongside some of the year's most sweat soaked riffing. Michael Gira's haunting cadence rings out from the shadows. It's oppressive yet fascinating simultaneously. At times there are more straight ahead numbers at and at times it's really esoteric, but it's equally difficult not to find yourself sucked in by swans' sinister vortex.
3. Cloud Nothings - Here and Nowhere Else
If you're looking for a torrent of pure adrenaline, this album's for you. The Ohio indie rockers barrel full speed ahead with a harder hitting sound than ever before, tempered with catchy, effective song writing and strong hooks. And every now and then they show off their ability to launch into an extended post punk rage. For his part, frontman Dylan Baldi alternates between jagged edged screams and passionate clean singing in what is surely one of the most explosive albums of the year.
2. St. Vincent - s/t
This
is the album that's been on everyone's list this year, and for good
reason. Her rose tinted art pop might color her as a little weird and off kilter, but Annie Clark's fourth album is perhaps her boldest yet. She's wistful and provocative with an intoxicating sense of confidence, and at the end of the day she's irresistible because she's a knockout songsmith crafting a dizzying collection of
fragrant rock and roll.
1. Rodrigo y Gabriela - 9 Dead Alive
This has been my go to jam this year. I was initially drawn into the band thanks to their white hot single "Hanuman," which led to me exploring their previous album, 11:11. This one is much more relaxed and low key, but no less breathtaking in terms of aesthetic or technicality. I like this record whenever I'm upset, or agitated or anxious about something; it helps mellow me out. But I also love it for the sheer splendid beauty of its arrangements. I am surprised that no one is paying
attention to this one after the success that their previous two albums
had. It must not be the type of sound media outlets are looking for,
which is a shame. Because to me, it sounds better than any record
released this year.
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