Friday, November 6, 2009
Cream Calendar / National Skyline Rock 'n' Roll Redemption: Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros at 3rd & Lindsley, Nov. 10
Posted by D Patrick Rodgers on Fri, Nov 6, 2009 at 4:23 PM
Question: Do former members of completely abject bands deserve another shot? Alex Ebert, the primary hippie in the love fest shown above, was formerly the frontman for Ima Robot. In case you don't remember them, Ima Robot looked and sounded like this. Ouch. But then Ebert (presumably) did a whole lot of acid and soul-searching and (definitely) grew a stinky, mangy tangle of hair, and now BOOM! He's huge in Brooklyn. From my Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros Critic's Pick:
Rumor has it that Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros formed shortly after a period of "existential crisis" suffered by frontman Alex Ebert--no, his name isn't Edward Sharpe, and no, there is no Edward Sharpe. The onetime singer for sassy L.A. dance-punkers Ima Robot was apparently looking for a more organic outlet, because he left his fashion mullet and his synthesizers behind for the patchouli-drenched, lilting madness of the Magnetic Zeros. Truth is he might have overcorrected just a bit, because this summer's Up From Below is something of a starry-eyed love fest. Nevertheless, the 11-piece outfit's expansive, melodically epic debut sparkles with ambition thanks to horns, organs, kid choruses, whistling, sweet-as-pie duets and ramshackle percussion--a page right out of the Polyphonic Spree handbook. Truly, there are a handful of dangerously infectious vocal melodies on Up From Below that threaten to melt the heart of even the most cynical audiophile. Who says an acid-dropping batch of stinky field-dwellers can't strike gold every once in a while?
This brings to mind a band by the name of Delta Spirit. You might recall their debut full-length from last year, Ode to Sunshine. It's not bad. Not earth-shattering, but pretty damn good, as a matter of fact. But before Delta Sprit, two of the members were in a little band by the name of Noise Ratchet, and that, my friends, was bad stuff. But everyone deserves a second chance--I'd venture to guess that roughly 50 percent of the folks who read our blog were at some point involved in a musical project they severely regret (I'll throw myself into that percentage).
My only fear for Alex Ebert is that the poor fella gets a bit too wrapped up in the aesthetic of whatever project he's currently pursuing. What's going to happen when the school bus his band drives around the country in runs out of love, gasoline, acid and pseudo-philosophical dogma? Will he switch to R&B next time? That remains to be seen. But I can tell you that ES & the MZs' debut, Up From Below, is strong. It's hammy and sentimental and jangly, but it's just as catchy, optimistic and resonant. And that's good for something, right? Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros play Tuesday, Nov. 10, at 3rd & Lindsley with Local Natives and Family of The Year. Tickets are available here.
Comments (13)
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If you're curious and looking for a little taste, please join us for an in-store with Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros earlier in the evening on Tues. Nov. 10 at 6PM. We'll be serving BBQ from Jimmy Carl's Lunch Box and we'll have a keg of Yazoo Dos Perros. All free. All ages. Always.
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i definitely rocked the hell out of the first Ima Robot record in my college radio days.
free Yazoo and Jimmy Carl's? that's my language if anyone ever spoke it. i'm there.
If you're curious and looking for a little taste, please join us for an in-store with Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros earlier in the evening on Tues. Nov. 10 at 6PM. We'll be serving BBQ from Jimmy Carl's Lunch Box and we'll have a keg of Yazoo Dos Perros. All free. All ages. Always.
counselor
I just want to say that I was hanging out with him in la when I was there, and there was a lot of halucinogens around. And alex is good people. I am very glad his music is being well received.
I just want to say that i've never hung out with this dude and i can't confirm his drug use or if he's good people or any of that hippie dippy bullshit posted above.
i just know that ima robot was garbage and this is no better. i would go so far as to say that this is an even greater embarrassment.
watching this video just makes me angry.
Yeah, not my thing. It's interesting to watch "hipster" transition in to "hippie" again. The snake swallows it's own tail, rinse, repeat.
i LOVE the first Ima Robot record. . .I will admit everything after is pretty terrible. I don't really think that 'regrettable' would necessarily describe the whole of the bands' work though, as their first records was and still is great.
This music could likely steer people AWAY from acid. Maybe Partnership For a Drug-Free America could use them as their poster band.
Dear Brooklyn,
You're becoming that guy that nobody wants to listen to because we know what you're going to say every time you open your mouth. Your speech is more clouded with catch phrases than right wing radio. I'm not saying you're not doing good work, it's just we're tired of the same work.
You too silverlake. Chill the fuck out with the whole mirroring thing. You two are like that annoying couple wearing matching outfits every time we see you out.
Why don't you two get back to being inspiring and let nashville cover the whole contrived thing. We've been at it longer and quite simply can do it better.
xoxo,
speaker of truth
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