The O-town Scene - Oneonta, NY
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/31419
New Music Notes by Mark Boshnack Fleet Foxes ‘Helplessness Blues’ Fleet Foxes have not only avoided any sophomore jinx that plagues many bands, but their recent release, “Help- lessness Blues,” actually tops their critically acclaimed self titled first album released in 2008. That outing was marked by its soaring harmonies that were a joy to listen to. This album continues to explore those avenues with the same folk stylings, but the deeper introspection in the lyrics and greater attention to musical details keep providing new surprises. That all helps to place this recording on my growing list of candidates for best album of the year, and hopefully will introduce more people to a band that should be heard. The album starts off with “Montezuma,” a reflection by frontman Robin Pecknold. The listener can quickly hear the influence of such groups as the Beach Boys and Crosby, Stills and Nash in his wonder- ing if he could ever have the true love a parent has for a child. He is not sure if when he dies he will realize there is a higher power or just see “cracks in the ceil- ing.” Not senti- ments you expect from someone in his mid-20s. The strength of the lyrics in the 12 songs on the recording is striking. Take “Bedouin Dress,” where Pec- knold sings, “If to borrow is to take and not return/ I have borrowed all my lonesome life ... the borrowers debt is the only regret of my youth.” As is true of any great art, the group takes from many sources to create something unique. It is hard to pick my favorite tracks on this recording, be- cause I don’t hear any weak ones. “Sim SaIa Bim” is a tantaliz- ing story that also illustrates the strength of lyrics, starting with a tale of a man who is one minute petting a collie, then he’s carving his initials in a bar. “The Plains/Bitter Dancer” uses some of the layered, har- monic techniques that Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys used so well in “Smile” to tell its tale. It helps give added dimension to the lyrical story. I enjoyed the introspective “Helplessness Blues,” in which Pecknold takes a different look at success. The instrumental “The Cascades” provides a nice change of pace. The waltz- tempoed “Lorelai” has a really singable chorus. The album ends with the optimistic “Grown Ocean,” giving the band one last chance to show its abilities to tell a musical story with its tight harmonies. Pecknold talked about his vision for a third album in an interview in a recent Spin Magazine, in which he might explore new musical directions. With the judgement he and the band have shown in their brief career, I can’t see them going wrong. Mark Boshnack is a reporter for The Daily Star and a music fiend. He can be reached at mboshnack@ thedailystar.com. 10 O-Town Scene May 12, 2011 Laygirl Fashion by Emily Popek Fashion freedom is a good thing Living in the Oneonta area can sometimes make a girl feel a little fashion-deprived. We don’t have a huge selection of retail clothing stores from which to choose our outfits. And while the online-shopping world is as much our oyster as it is anyone’s, buying clothes online isn’t the same as being able to browse and try them on in the store. And there’s something so exciting about going to a big- ger city and being confronted with interesting, unusual, inspiring or just plain weird fashions _ on people, in shop windows, or wherever. But whenever I feel down about the lack of options, or inspiration, I sometimes experience here, I remind myself that we have one advantage: freedom. No one’s worrying here about what brand my shoes are, or whether I have the latest handbag. I don’t have to get on a waiting list and pay $100 to get a cute haircut, and if I go to the grocery store in jeans and a T-shirt, I don’t risk embarrassment. It’s a laid-back area, fashion-wise, which means we can be as laid-back, as fancy or as outrageous as we want to. Which is pretty great. Weekly arts and entertainment papers like this one based in other markets _ larger, trendier markets _ often fea- ture diatribes against insufferable hipsters. Their slavish adherence to often-ridiculous fashion trends; their snobbery about brands and styles; their mercurial temperaments that veer from one trend to the next at diz- zying speeds _ these attributes engender much eye-rolling and snarking among the non-hipster population. I’m sure there are hipsters in Oneonta. Just as there are punk rockers, Rastafarians, goths and other subcultures. But I don’t feel the fashion pressure to conform to a particular style ideal here that I might elsewhere. I don’t have to define my fashion sense, or make sure it matches up to the music I listen to or the people I hang out with. So while I may not get to shop at brand-name stores or cutting- edge boutiques, I’m happy that I live in a community where I can be myself _ whatever that self happens to be on any given day _ without worrying what others will think. Emily F. Popek is happy just being herself. She is also assistant editor at The Daily Star.