2's and 4's: Two Way Monologue by Sondre Lerche

Written by Shabba Tuesday, 24 August 2010 09:49

Well.  Mitch has thrown down the gauntlet by opening our "2's and 4's" column with one of the best pop masterpieces ever.  Do yourself a solid and quickly make things right by getting 1972.  "Love Vibration" is sure to take you back in time where "Welcome Back Kotter" and summer night softball leagues were all the rage.

That was way back in 2003.  The next year, Sondre Lerche's "Two Way Monologue" invaded my headspace.  Any music lover that I come in contact with, I pass along my love for this album.  And I will do so for years to come.  From top to bottom, this album sounds like an effortless pastiche of wisdom and studio perfected wizardry from veterans like Steely Dan, The Beach Boys, and The Beatles.  I was utterly amazed to find out that Sondre was only 21 when this was released.

Twenty freaking one?!?  Are you kidding me?!?

Track 4, "Two Way Monologue", is the quintessential Sondre song.  It is 5 1/2 minutes of post-punk guitar licks, baritone sax, Cardigan-esque organ swells, and completely inane lyrics.  "Counter Spark" bubbles with eerie Stereolab electronics and demented angel wails.  "Stupid Memory" encapsulates beautifully the inner torment artists have when trying to reproduce that itch that needs to be scratched, while a pedal steel seems to be laughing at the conceit of it all.  "It's Too Late" sounds like the dude is just having a good old time at the mixing board throwing in blips, whirls, and whatever else he has at his disposal.  With any given song on this album, inescapable hooks and melodies will gnaw at you like the ear worm that it is.

Throughout the album, Sean O'Hagan of the High Llamas disperses his baroque string arrangements into the already complex twists and turns.  At times, its almost too much to take in.  The voice and phrasing of Sondre Lerche is really the thing that catapults this album into orbit.  English is not his primary language and it shows at times, but that is part of the charm.  Listen to "Wet Ground" as an example of how his voice is a band in and of itself.

2004 is the year that The Oatmeal Conspiracy began to emerge and I would like to think that the music found on "Two Way Monologue" and "1972" are the reason for this band.  We knew that if music like this existed, then it was worthwhile to pursue the dream.  Music like this is the reason to be. 

His official website

-Chad

2's and 4's: An Introduction to The Oatmeal Conspiracy's Listening Habits

Written by oatmealmitch Monday, 23 August 2010 11:26

So after making my way back to Raleigh from a Hellish 3-day vacation at Myrtle Beach,(seriously, worst vacation EVER), I decided it was time to introduce our ongoing Music Review segment called "2's and 4's". Years ago, when Chad and I first fell in musical love, we traded theories on the science of album song placement. You see, I said that the BEST song on most albums was Track 2. At least Track 2 was always my favorite song on my most favorite albums. Track 4 was Chad's sweet spot indicator. We used this theory when discussing records from then on. And our love bloomed. But that's a totally different story. So in making my way back from the Redneck Riviera, I cued up a "go-to" album on the old iPhone: Josh Rouse's stellar "1972". Now, this was one of the first albums that Chad and I really clicked on. It's pure pop genius. This is concept record about the 1970's and it delivers on all the best from that era. Pure AM indie pop. Rouse has a way with melodies that is sublime. The record is consistent from top to bottom. Track 2 (my favorite) is a straight up feel-good, roll the windows down and sing kind of song called "Love Vibration". Track 4, "James", is a beautiful song that paints a picture about a washed up drug dealer named James who just doesn't get it. The song has a flute solo for pete's sake. And it isn't cheesy! It simply works and it works well. Other highlights include "Come Back", "Under Your Charms", and "Rise". This album never fails to make me smile and feel better. It's a musical pick-me-up that is consistent after every listen. Check it out, I promise you won't be disappointed. If you are disappointed, shut your mouth.

2's and 4's. That's how we're going to lay it out for you. Not a freaking editorial, but just a little bit of "this is what we're listening to and why". We hope you like it.

As far as Oatmeal News, check us in action this Thursday at the Band Book Tour 2010.  This event is at Barton College in Wilson, NC with our good friends Triplewide and Elemental P. Click on the flyer below for more information.

www.joshrouse.com

 Later,

Mitch

All Your Bass Are Belong To Us

Written by Matt Levine Sunday, 15 August 2010 19:45

Well, as Mitch mentioned in our last installment, this past week was a busy one for The Oatmeal Conspiracy.  Monday night we did a little recording session to add some horn parts to a couple of the new tracks.  Andy Francis was in from Taiwan (no, seriously) and laid down some great trombone lines.  Andy played the trombone on "Bumble Bee" from Part of the Package.  It sounded really great.

Tuesday night we had a stellar show at The Pour House in Raleigh.  We teamed up with good friends TripleWide and Elemental P and the night couldn't have turned out better.  All three bands obviously came to play because every set was killer.  When we took the stage at 11:00 the crowd was primed and ready to rock and I think we delivered one of our best sets of the year so far.  Andy sat in on trombone extensively.  Around midnight we opened the stage to all the musicians and a pretty sick jam session ensued.  It was definitely one to remember.  We had a great turnout and I'd like to thank everyone who came out and made it such a blast. 

Meanwhile, Chad finished up a new round of mixes for the new recording project.  He really put a lot of work in over the past week and I was really amazed at how he had transformed what were rough tracks into shiny, new toys.  We are still in the phase of auditioning new additions and variations to the tunes and most are far from in the can, but it really is exciting to hear them take shape.  We were able to get the new versions on our iPods and take a few listens before heading up to Shady Shack for the weekend.

The trip to Shady Shack was another one for the ages, and as always, the events of the weekend will provide humorous fodder for another year.  Drinks were consumed, shit was talked, rivers were floated, perhaps babies were conceived, but without a doubt a good time was had by all. 

Up at the Shack, the band had some time away from the bustle of our daily lives to sit down and discuss the progress Chad has made on the new tracks.  We had some great discussion and, while the editorializing is far from over, we got a good head-start on it.  And thus we inch ever closer to the end product...

Matt

Oatmeal at The Pour House and Shady Shack 2010

Written by Oatmeal Mitch Sunday, 08 August 2010 20:49

This is a big week for the OC.  For starters, we've got our big show on Tuesday, August 10th at the Pour House with Triplewide and Elemental P.  It's gonna be good folks, so please come out.  We're going to do some recording tomorrow night while Andy Francis is in town.  We've got some horn lines to put down and we're taking advantage of Andy's skills on the trombone.  

But the highlight comes on Wednesday.  I get to pack up my boys and my dogs and head up to Mouth of Wilson, VA and the beauty of yes, that's right, Shady Shack.  It's that time of year and we're all due for a little R'n'R.  Some of our old friends are coming down for this year's trip and it promises to bring about some good times.  We'll make sure to give you a full report upon on our return. 

We've got some shows out of town in the next month that we'll be blogging about so sign up for the newsletter for our regular updates.  

We'll see you all Tuesday night at the Pour House!

Oatmeal Mitch