Review: Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday (our artist of the week)

Happy Birthday

A-

 

            As opening songs go, it’s definitely hard to beat the catchiness of “Girls FM,” which draws you into Happy Birthday’s debut self-titled album like a siren at sea, or perhaps more appropriately, a tween’s overexposed cleavage at a high school party.   Happy Birthday drips with infectious indie pop sentimentality, accompanied by intermittent shrieks of mild punk.  Maybe it’s the lighthearted, playful tone or lyrics that evoke the classic teenage struggles of pimples, crushes, and insecurity, that make Happy Birthday so accessible and charming.  (Personal favorite line: “Close your eyes, concentrate, I’m sending you subliminal message…. To your heart”).  In any case, Happy Birthday is just appealing and inventive enough to become a real hit.  The album never gets quite as good as “Girls FM” or “Subliminal Message,” but it’s definitely chock full of enough catchy melodies and funny twists to keep you interested (including a song entitled “Maxine the Teenage Eskimo”).  The falsetto croons of “2 Shy” and “Perverted Girl” evoke a pop sentimentality with undertones of a more lo-fi of Montreal or MGMT.  However, for me, Happy Birthday gets off track when it tries to be more waily punk, as in “Cracked,” although I suppose it fits with the teen angst theme.  The possible exception to this is  “Zit,” whose lyrics “Now I wanna break shit/ Don’t want to make shit/ Just want to waste it, yeah” are just amusing enough to work.  Also, the album is so heavy on hooks and harmonies that it can get a bit tiresome after a while.  Nevertheless, Happy Birthday doesn’t take itself too seriously, and you can’t help but join in the fun; it’s definitely a crowd-pleaser apt for a solid recommendation. 

-- Gina Bull

"Under the Influence" Fridays 10am-12 on WGTB

Concert Review: Woods w/ Real Estate at Rock and Roll Hotel

Woods (and Real Estate) @ Rock n Roll Hotel

March 27, 2010

 

Music Director's Note: REAL ESTATE is playing on campus, in Bulldog Alley, THIS SATURDAY NIGHT now that they're done touring with Woods, and we are selling tickets all week in Red Square for only $3! Make sure you pick one up because this is a show you won't want to miss.

Woods is one of the few shows that remind you, Oh, so that’s what a concert is supposed to be like.  Don’t get me wrong, I still love disappearing into the earthy drones of Woods within my headphones, but if you haven’t seen them live, you still have half your heart to give.  Woods’ sound achieves a distinct texture, like toes digging into damp moss and crackling campfires and haunted houses…you can see how they’re losing themselves in the music and can’t help but feed off of that energy.

On March 27^th, Woods and Real Estate came together at the Rock ‘n Roll Hotel for the last show of their tour.  One of the greatest parts was the visible camaraderie they had; it was clearly a parting of sweet sorrow (also, I’m a sucker for bands who become buddies on tour, so damn cute).  I love both these bands individually, but note to disrespectful audience members: Woods was the headliner, and not without reason.   A little background: Woods is a psychedelic folk rock band from Brooklyn (Buschwick, not Williamsburg!) and a seasoned veteran of the lo-fi scene with five full albums since 2005.  In fact, their singer/guitarist Jeremy Earl founded the queen of all lo-fi labels, Woodsist.  So if you haven’t heard of them, it’s about time to give them a chance. (cont'd after the jump)