Foo Fighters, The Joy Formidable and Social Distortion: Live At The Verizon Center

On 11/11/11, the Foo Fighters brought their Wasting Light tour to Washington DC.  A sold out Verizon Center would witness the band play one of their final shows before starting the Australian leg of their tour.  Along with opening acts The Joy Formidable and Social Distortion, this would most definitely be a concert to remember.

The evening had a less than ideal start.  After I forgot the tickets a ticket mix-up, I headed into the stadium, bought a Foo t-shirt, grabbed some barely edible arena food, and found my seat.  If only I would have known about the group of incredibly drunk men seated directly in front of me, who would eventually be ejected from the show.  Seeing these dim circumstances certainly had me worried about the concert.  Luckily, the music turned out to be a completely different scenario.

The Joy Formidable, a trio from Wales, kicked off the night with a thirty minute set of five songs.  While the majority of the seats were still waiting for occupants, the band played hard and loud.  Those who showed up on time to see them were the lucky ones.  Takes from their album The Big Roar, including "Cradle", "Whirring", and "Austere", filled the space.  The Joy Formidable were a great way to start the concert and their sound matches the tour flawlessly.

While the arena continued to fill, Social Distortion began to play.  Lukewarm at first, the band picked up momentum as they went on.  "Story Of My Life" was a turning point, as it led into a stretch of songs ending with the climax of their "Ring Of Fire" cover.  Social Distortion felt like an odd fit to fill the spot between The Joy Formidable and Foo Fighters.  I feel like the order of Social Distortion playing before The Joy Formidable would've made more sense.  Either way, the Foo Fighters were up next and everyone was more than ready.

It was evident from the first note of "Bridge Burning" that tonight was going to be something special.  Having grown up between Springfield and Alexandria, Dave Grohl declared this his hometown show.  With a sold out arena of dedicated fans, the Foo Fighters pumped out a set that clocked in at three hours.

The majority of their latest record, Wasting Light, was heard along with a massive selection of their biggest singles and classic tracks spanning across almost every album.  Identical to Wasting Light's order, the set's opening song flowed directly into "Rope" with roaring excitement from an overly eager room.  After the two opening acts and several stage changes, these two songs seemed to fly by at an incredible pace.  By now, ever single body in the building was either dancing, throwing up the horns, or screaming every word back to the stage.  A familiar set of "The Pretender", "My Hero", and "Learn To Fly" followed.  "My Hero" was the night's climax in terms of crowd participation.

The band pummeled through song after song only to be occasionally interrupted by the always captivating, and often hilarious, banter or backstory.  Drummer, Taylor Hawkins took over the vocals for "Cold Day In The Sun" and once again for a cover of Pink Floyd's "In The Flesh?".  "These Days" was transformed into a Veteran's Day dedication, while "This Is A Call" reached back to the self-titled album.  "All My Life" ended the set as the lights went down to a howling crowd.

Encores on the Wasting Light tour have been notoriously long and filled with surprises, so when Dave came back out and stood upon a raised platform for an acoustic set, the enormous Verizon Center turned intimate.  He spoke to the audience between verses and sing-along choruses of "Wheels", "Best Of You", and "Times Like These".  The latter of the three led back into a full band performance.  I must admit that the solo acoustic rendition of "Best Of You" really changed how I feel about the song.  I've gone from liking it to loving it.

After the acoustic jam, Grohl introduced Bob Mould, of Hüsker Dü and Sugar, who joined the band for "Dear Rosemary" and a cover of Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers' "Breakdown".  Mould's irreplaceable vocals made "Dear Rosemary" one of the night's most memorable moments.  The Foo Fighters ended their marathon of a show with an all out rendition of "Everlong" that left everyone in the building at a new high.  It was the song that no one wanted to end, but it did, and everyone reluctantly stood in awe as the band left the stage

Unless you're dying to see the performing artist, I wouldn't suggest choosing the Verizon Center for a venue.  Unfortunately, it's nearly the only choice in DC for a venue of arena proportions.  Still, the Foo Fighters overshadowed every single complication or problem that I was faced with.  This was a concert that I'll never forget and I'll always recommend you see the Foo Fighters if ever possible.  Plus, they promised to play the 930 Club next time around and that is a show you will not want to miss.

Download: Foo Fighters - "Wasting Light"

Download: The Joy Formidable - "The Big Roar"

Download: Social Distortion - "Hard Times And Nursery Rhymes"

CITIZENS! - Girlfriend

CITIZENS! are an upcoming British band, London based to be specific, who are signed to Kitsuné.  You may know Kitsuné as the label who helped deliver acts such as Delphic, Heartsrevolution, and Two Door Cinema Club.  CITIZENS!' debut single, "True Romance" comes out on December 19th, but you can download their new promo track "Girlfriend" at this very moment.  "Girlfriend" sounds a little bit like Franz Ferdinand circa 2009, and a lot like 80's new wave.  It's as catchy as pop music will ever be.  A full length album is expected to appear next year.  If it sounds anything like "True Romance" and "Girlfriend" then sign me up.

The band is currently on tour with The Rapture and will appear on Kitsuné's soon to be released compilation record.  You can download "Girlfriend", for the cost of an email address, here.  You can also stream and download the song from RCRD LBL below...

Win A Copy Of Feist's "Metals"

Feist's new album, "Metals", is out in stores at this very moment and The Soundtrack Of My Life has an opportunity for those of you who haven't picked it up yet.  I have one digital copy of the album to give to one lucky reader.  The download comes with the entire twelve track album, including the lead single "How Come You Never Go There".

There are TWO ways to enter the giveaway for a maximum number of TWO entries.  You can...

• Send an email with "Metals Contest" in the subject line to musicsoundslikethis@gmail.com and tell me what your favorite Feist song is.

• To increase your odds of winning, follow me on Twitter and send me a tweet with your favorite Feist song.  Make sure you include #MetalsContest as a hashtag.

This contest is now closed.

The winner will be announced on November 12th and I'll send the prize over right away.  Good luck!  Be sure to check out my review of the album if you're curious about the record.

Björk - Biophilia

Björk tends to reinvent herself with every album she creates.  You can flip through the Icelandic singer's discography and find that every record has a definite sound, style, and image.  Vespertine was the breezy snow flurry of 2001, with chimes and bells around every corner.  In 2004, Medúlla was her dark vocal centerpiece.  Each album created an easily recognizable era in her career, "Oh, that's Volta Björk!".  With that in mind, Biophilia continues the pattern.

Biophilia is very much a concept album.  The music has been infused with technology, the iPad in particular.  Every track on the album is connected to a corresponding app.  The apps take things one step further by introducing individual games and musical scores for each song.  It's definitely a sign of the times, but the technology aspect can be stripped away from Biophilia and there's still a piece of music that can hold its own.

One element of Biophilia, that is apparent from the first track, is the excess amount of empty space.  Every song has room to breathe.  It's very cosmic and alien-like at times. The production seems slightly skewed every so often, "Moon" being the biggest culprit, but overall it's fairly equal.  Musically, the album is somewhere between Vespertine and Volta.  There are harps and bells that make you think back to "Frosti", but there's also a few moments of in-your-face heavy hitting Björk.  You'll hear potential influences from the classical sounds of Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey" on "Cosmogony", while "Thunderbolt" is as eerie as a Charles Bernstein score.

While Biophilia is vastly innovative musically, melodically there seems to be a lack of structure.  Björk has always been abstract in at least one sense, but the melodies on this record are extremely loose and free flowing.  Those hoping to find easy sing-along tunes should look elsewhere.  On the other hand, the lack of a backbone in her melodies really captures the astrological theme of life that Biophilia was aiming for.

"Crystalline", the lead single, takes a different shape on the record.  The track has been remixed and altered quite heavily.  If you've heard the single version, then you may notice that something is off.  No more is the sudden explosion of percussion.  Instead, the drums gradually build into a climax.  The single edit packed more of a punch and really just felt cleaner.  I'm not sure what motivated the change, but it's an unsettling choice to anyone who grew to love the single as it used to be.

Whether you're on your first or tenth listen of the album, one song always stands out from the crowd.  "Mutual Core" starts with an organ and ends with a bang.  The pure energy during the final chorus is one of Biophilia's most refreshing surprises.  You may start to discover yourself returning to "Mutual Core" at an alarming rate, and that's perfectly understandable.

Like much of her work, Biophilia may be a hit or miss record for many.  If you loved the lyrical work of Post and Homogenic, then it's possible that you'll struggle with parts of this album.  Fans of Vespertine and Medúlla... rejoice.  Either way, you should definitely give the album at least one listen.  It's an interesting experience with many twists and turns.  One thing is certain, though.  Biophilia is, and can only be, Björk.

Download: Björk - "Biophilia"

Feist - Metals

Remember that iPod Nano commercial from 2007 where a vividly dressed Feist danced around to her single "1234" in an empty warehouse all on the screen of Apple's handheld invention?  That ad spot pushed Feist into the US spotlight (it also convinced me to buy that pale green Nano).  The iPod has come a long way since then, and so has Feist.  Her third album, The Reminder, went on to receive critical and commercial success.  Last year, she released Look At What The Light Did Now, a docu-concert film and soundtrack.  The movie gave an inside look at Leslie Feist's recording process and tour.  Now that we know how she dislikes placing her face on album covers or that "The Park" was actually recorded at a park, Feist has released the follow-up record to The Reminder.

Her fourth album is Metals and she is on the album cover, although she's always been in the artwork one way or another.  With Metals, she's also crafted the ideal post-mainstream exposure record.  Feist hasn't compromised her signature sound that mixes pop, folk, and rock.  There isn't a desperate attempt to recreate the "1234" formula.  Metals is a complete piece of music that flows so smoothly from the first beat to the final note.

Feist's two previous albums were a bit scatterbrained at times.  They each had a basic concept and sound, but the occasional track would always stick out as something that was still special, but a reach in a different direction.  Metals avoids that method completely.  The album has taken a set of instruments and built a definite sound.  The songs feel like one recording session with bookends.

On average, the tracks within Metals are mellow and relaxed.  Even the lead single tends to fall into the lax category.  An appropriately sized handful of heavy hitting numbers are present.  "A Commotion" has a ricocheting Spoon-like piano line and shouting male vocalists while "Undiscovered First" builds into a massive electric sing-along ending.  The big moments know when and where to fall and achieve the right effect.

One of Feist's strong points, the folk ballads, really help seal together the ups and downs of Metals.  You'll hear some instances that are reminiscent of "The Water" and "The Park" while other songs have a campfire mood.  Feist may have taken the phrase "save the best for last" to heart.  The album's final track, "Get It Wrong, Get It Right", is melodically spectacular and ends Metals in the best way possible.

This album may not be brand new territory, but it confirms that Feist can do wonders when she finds her niche.  All she needs is an acoustic guitar and a sentimental melody.  Metals has that guitar and those beautiful melodies, but it also holds so much more.

Download: Feist - Metals