Music: Special Review – The Morning Benders Concert (Wednesday 3 November 2010)

The Morning Benders

Oh YES.

Having missed the first round of tours due to the fact that they didn’t come anywhere near my state (And who could blame them… not much to see or do here, really), they surprised all of their fans by doing a second tour for the year. Lucky enough, they hit two cities in the Ohio/Kentucky area: Newport and Columbus.

Now, I would’ve went to both, but I had just gotten back from out-of-town (Went to the Rally for Sanity/Fear in DC, which I will blog about later) and had a small family emergency while being gone, so I could not hit up both concerts. However, I was lucky enough to hit Columbus and I was certainly quite glad that I did.

The Basement is in downtown Columbus, not far from the renowned campus, The Ohio State University (I still have no clue what the hell “The” is in there for). It was a pretty cold night and a random, middle of the week concert at that. When a close friend of mine and myself arrived at the venue, we were pretty damn surprised at the fact that it was somewhat empty. I, having not been to the venue before, was surprised at just how small it was. It was, literally, in a basement. Concert posters were plastered over the walls, while a bar rested towards the middle of the room, the stage being placed towards the front of the entrance. The stage, itself, was up close and personal. The band was there for all to see. Considering that we got there pretty early, I had the perfect chance to get up front, as that had been my goal along, for this concert. I was happy that I did.

Oberhofer

Starting off the concert was a band called Oberhofer. I’ve never heard of the band before, but let me tell you that your ears are in for a very interesting mixture of music if you look them up. The sound is a mixture of wails and creative rhythms and melodies. It has a certain kind of innocence, yet truthful reality to the lyrics as well. The band is pretty friendly and loving towards the crowd from what I can tell. Jokes were made and the guitarist near the xylophone was talking to the crowd like it was normal. It was an interesting opener to watch.

Twin Sister

Now the next band was a bit of a surprise. I had heard so much about this band from many other fans, but I had never looked them up. After seeing them in this concert, I must say as soon as I got home, I looked them up all over the Internets. Twin Sister is a treat of an Indie band. Lovely voice from the lead singer, Andrea, with her range of vocals for each song, and the solid sounds from the band itself made me instantly fall in love. The sound was fantastic and definitely lovely to listen to. I hope they return to have their own tour, as I would gladly attend. My friend said the same.

Explains Itself...

Don’t get me wrong. The previous bands were quite nice and cool to see, even with not knowing much about them. But the whole purpose of me buying those tickets was strictly for what I have called my all-time favorite band, The Morning Benders.

If you haven’t looked them up, seriously. Do it. Since I reviewed their album that was released earlier this year, Big Echo, and having fell in love with them on the spot, it would only be enviable that I would try my damnedest to see them in concert before I died.

To give myself a personal surprise, I refused to look at any reviews of previous concerts that they have done. I was already in shock that I was able to actually see them so closely. I mean, I was right up front. If I wanted, I could’ve reached out and touched Chris Chu’s shoe, but I figured that would be uncool, so I held in my urge. They put on a wonderful show. They chatted with the crowd, had pointed out that they had seen some familiar faces from the Newport concert, asked for a bottle of water and got it from a fan, and enjoyed our ambiance.

Not really wanting to focus on any of their pervious works, this concert stayed on course with playing mostly songs from their Big Echo album. Two treats from Talking Through Tin Cans was put in that mix, Waiting for a War and Boarded Doors, with a new song called Virgins for an encore and an awesome cover of Dreams by Fleetwood Mac.

The Morning Benders

I must say that I was a happy camper that whole night. I sang along to pretty much every song, nearly had a heart attack when they played my favorite song off the of the album, Stitches, and I mean…. who would not nearly faint like some chick back in the 50s & 60s at a face like this?

Look at that lovely, yet tired face!

They ended off the concert with their well-known song, the song that pretty much made them famous all over the world, Excuses. It was a wonderful experience. Chris asked the whole crowd to sing along, using a maraca to single when we were all suppose to join in with “La La,” everyone pretty much singing along even after the song ended. He enjoyed the crowd so much that he proclaimed that they would return to Columbus for their next tour, and I pray that they do indeed keep that promise.

Taking a quick look back into the crowd, as I was curious to know just how many people were there, I found that it was packed. It having started off an empty venue and then a random explosion of people appeared after about a good hour. This picture explains it all:

Such a lovely crowd

It was a pretty well-behaved, chill and active crowd. Mixed with some pretty neat age ranges. There were humans from ages 16 to 35. That made it even more of a pleasant experience. After the concert was done, the bands headed towards the back of the venue to sign posters, take pictures, pass out music and t-shirts. I was able to snag a Morning Benders t-shirt, signed poster from Chris and a photo. I haven’t taken pictures of the shirt and poster yet, but I will update this as soon as I do. As for the photo with Chris, well… I need to get my friend to send me a copy of it (YOU HEAR THAT, STU?!).

A night to remember, I must say.

(Pictures were taken by a girl who also attended the concert, Ada G. Matusiewicz. She was a cool looking chick quietly maneuvering through the crowd with her fancy camera. She captured my views of the concert without me having to ask. I don’t even know the girl and I must say that she had to be reading my mind or something. Lovely pics, dear).

Music: *REVIEW * The Morning Benders – Big Echo

Having just stumbled across this band through a random search of looking for new music to listen to, I must say that I am quite glad that I did.

The Morning Benders

The Morning Benders is an Indie band hailing from Berkeley, California. The band consists of Julian Harmon, Tim Or, Jon and Chris Chu. They’re licensed under Rough Trade Records.

Christopher Chu is the lead songwriter and I must say that the lyrics are fantastic. Their musical style is very distinctive from the mainstream Indie bands, but not too distant to make them uncategorized.

They have released several EPs and singles. Their first album, Talking Through Tin Cans, was created in a very short amount of time, having been their first major shot at producing an album, and I must say that it was a wonderful job. The songs have very long-lasting effects on any listener. The lyrics, melodies and selection of instruments are very amazing. I may do a review of it in the future for this blog.

With their second album, Big Echo, having been released last Tuesday, they have gained a sense of critical acclaim. Grizzly Band member, Chris Taylor, who has worked on several other albums with other bands, produced it. It has been listed as “One of the Most Anticipated Albums of 2010” by many music magazines and publishers and I can understand why.

Big Echo - Second Morning Bender's Album

First Track – Excuses: This starts off the theme of the album. The composition is arranged very well in this song. Christopher’s voice is a part of the song and just flows so well. The lyrics are very cleverly written as well. Chris stated that the song could have had a symbolism towards many things. A first kiss, first time at sex, first relationship. I got that vibe instantly. I posted a preview of the song earlier in my blog and it received a lot of looks. One of the best songs on the album Rating: 5/5 (Yes. It was possible and they did it).

Second Track – Promises: A much more upbeat, but somber tune after the main track. The vibe I got from it is that of an issue of a relationship going downhill or ending after a conflict. Instrumentation is awesome either way. The drums are the main tune in this track, along with the guitar. Very well composed. I find it a bit strange that Chris’s voice is a bit off in this song. But, still a good track.  Rating: 4/5

Third Track – Wet Cement: I love the feeling I get from this song. It makes me feel as if I’m on a beach front of some kind, enjoying the scenery. Chris’s voice is very distinct in this song. Carrying much more of the melody, in my opinion. Guitar is definitely the lead in this song, though. I love the arrangement of it, and the drums can give it a bit of a boast. The bass, though, is great as well. However, it can be a bit hard to hear what Chris is stating. Almost sounds as if he is mumbling. The instrumentation is great, but his voice could’ve been a bit better.  Rating: 3.5/5

Fourth Track – Cold War: This melody is very awesome and outstanding. I instantly go back to the decades of the 50s and 60s. Very upbeat, cultured and exciting. The only thing that bugs me is that it’s so short! Wonderful song, and his voice is fantastic as well. The lyrics are very catchy and the chorus is great. I can get this song stuck in my head for days. Rating: 4/5

Fifth Track – Pleasure Sighs: This song is sexy as hell. The instruments are fantastic in this song. The melody is wonderful and Chris’s voice is lovely and outstanding. Even the use of the bells fit. It’s almost like a psychedelic tune, but I wouldn’t put it in that state completely. I bet this song is wonderful live, and the lyrics are indeed very witty and clever as well. I think the main focus on this track is the music and I won’t argue with that at all. Rating: 4.5/5

Sixth Track – Hand Me Downs: I wasn’t sure how this song was going to be once it started out. I mean, Pleasure Sighs is a hard track to follow, but once this song continues and Chris starts singing, I have gained my confidence back. It’s strong all the way through. His voice is full of confidence and clear as hell. The lyrics are great as well. The guitar outshines any other instrument in this song, though.  And the random insert of a musical-box tune was very interesting. Very abrupt ending lyrically, but still great.  This song is great from start to finish. Rating: 4.5/5

Seventh Track – Mason Jar: I’m still having trouble on how I feel about this song. The lyrics are a bit strange, and his voice is very off-putting in this song as well. There must be some hidden meaning to it, but I haven’t caught it after having listened to it several times. I’m assuming it’s discussing the issues of giving second chances or changing. I would love it if someone would tell me. The instrumentation is strange starting out, but it gets much better after about 2 minutes of the song. His voice gets greater towards the end. I think there should’ve been a better approach to the track, but it does finish off much better than it started. Rating: 3/5

Eighth Track – All Day Day Light: This track is fantastic! The beat is great, the lyrics are awesome and his voice is strong from start to finish. This is a song I would listen to in the middle of the summer on a hot day, windows down in the car in the middle of a park with a group of friends or banging my head to on the road. I think this would be a great summer track, honestly. Put this on the soundtrack of someone’s life. Instruments are strong and great and its something you cannot ignore on this album. Rating: 4.5/5

Ninth Track – Stitches: Another track in which I had no idea where it was going when it started. Was half tempted to skip it after a while. But, I’m glad I didn’t. It’s a track that develops overall. It starts off slow and empty for a reason. The lyrics give it that image. It’s about recovery and a slow, gradual process at that. The choice of composition is great for this song and Chris’s voice is eerie. I love it! The piano helps with that, along with the distant echo of his voice in the background. Instrumentation is, again, the main focus on this song, along with the strong build up towards the end. Lovely track. I get shivers listening to it. Rating: 4/5

Tenth Track – Sleepin In: Interesting ending to the album overall. I guess they are ending on an “Echoing” note. Very soft melody and harmony of voices. Very Phil Spektor-like track. I admire the image they are trying to give. Honestly, I picture the sun setting over a beach as the song grows towards the end, appearing as if dusk is the climax of the whole event. It’s very wonderful. A nice way to wrap up an overall great album. Rating: 4/5

Bonus Track – Oh Annie: I bought this album from Itunes, in which there was a special bonus song for doing so, along with a digital booklet. This song is very lovely to listen to. Very romantic as well. For old-school tune, almost like a love ballad. Very cool nice treat for buying it, really. Melody is very simple, but sweet. Placement of the strings was interesting and clever as well. Lyrics are very forward but strong. I liked it overall. A little short and slow at some points, but it’s still a nice track. Rating: 3.5/5

Overall Rating: 8/10

Don’t get me wrong; this album probably deserves a ten out of ten rating. But, being their first mainstream album, its great but there should’ve been a few things to touch up on and fix. Some of the songs seemed a bit out-of-place and maybe there should’ve been a rearrangement of orders, but the album is fantastic. Each song fits into the overall theme of the album. It is definitely a big, lovely echo throughout of a strong voice, wonderful instruments, and great composition. This should be added to anyone’s music collection. I look forward to listening to more from this outstanding and impressive band. Will be on my favorites list for years to come.

Music: *REVIEW* Excuses – The Morning Benders

This song is unbelievably beautiful.

I’ve haven’t heard such composition and intelligent lyrics in such a long time from such a young group of musicians (Besides Arcade Fire).

They’re talent shines in this song. Chris Chu, the lead singer and I believe lead songwriter is a musical genius, as shown in this video.

This song will be featured on their new album “Big Echo,” set to release on March 9th and they will be going on tour right after. If you want to own this song and add it to your music collection, go to their website: themorningbenders.com and download “Excuses” for free.

I will most definitely be buying this album.