Words by Jamie Reynolds / photos by J Schultz – JamWire.com

I arrived at Shepherds Bush Empire tonight slightly confused as to what was going on because it’s normally packed outside with crowds trying to make their way inside and for some reason the only bustle is that of flippen touts trying to sell their last tickets and this becomes my only confirmation (as well as the Owl City sign) that I haven’t arrived on the wrong night. Regardless, I make my way inside only to find that the reason outside is deserted was because EVERYONE was already inside. I am not sure when last I saw the Bush this full and also with a crowd so different as tonight with ages ranging from what seems to be around 10 until about 90 … no word of lie.

We make our way upstairs to avoid the crowd and ensure that we get the best view possible to take in the show that I have been eagerly anticipating since the bands last show at Electric Ballroom where I left slightly disappointed and despondent but only because I expected more. I read a few reviews then to see if I was wrong and it seemed that a lot of people agreed with me that Adam on that day just seemed to be not as into it as expected and although he was “sick” I just didn’t take it as an excuse. Anyway, that aside, I am here tonight with fresh ears and a blank brain hoping to be entertained and from the first song I am … PROPERLY.

The set starts off with the band being introduced piece by piece kicking into Umbrella Beach which was a great choice. Immediately I am drawn to the lighting that has obviously been well thought of and it’s easy to know that tonight will easily over shadow last times experience and fix my disbelief in Adam’s seriousness of this project.

I really enjoy Adam’s song writing and even though he has been widely criticized for being a one-hit-wonder I seem to disagree. My main worry was always whether Adam would be able to pull off his emotions / “foolishness” to a stage with 2 000 (maybe one day more) people and convince them that he is for real. He does this tonight with the help of a band that seem to be having just as much fun with as much dedication as him and its easy to believe. Adam walks around the stage as if he is relearning how to walk looking slightly awkward but this is what indie music is all about and the 1800 ladies tonight seem to love it. Tonight Adam is confident and outdoes most front men that have been doing this for much longer than his fresh stint.

The set makes its way through favourites like Fireflies, Cave In, Dental Care and The Bird & The Worm and as the night progresses it’s safe to say that there isn’t one person in the venue that hasn’t danced like a young teenager and my brain is going to remember some of the scenes forever. Not many acts can create such a great involvement from the crowd especially when half of the venue is “seated”.

All in all, this was a great show with people smiling, laughing, crying, clapping and dancing and although Adam and his project are constantly going to receive negative feedback I cannot myself find anything about tonight that I can moan about. This is what a show is about and I am assured that everyone who paid to see this show left 100% satisfied and that is all that matters.

I look forward to watching Adam’s progress and the drop of his next album and even more to reading what people have to say about it all.

If you missed this show because you were worried about being considered “uncool” then you really missed out so make sure that next time you are rather “uncool” and go and have yourself a really enjoyable and memorable night. Go Owl City ……. Done!

Support – Lights

Words by Jamie Reynolds / Photos by Andy Sheppard

Arriving at the Electric Ballroom tonight I immediately notice something different to the last 50 times I’ve visited the venue but I cannot really pin point it until I notice the crowd is quite mature. Not in a sense of being old but rather that everyone seems quite orderly and it’s comforting to think that no injuries will go down.

Owl City is a band that I have wanted to see for some time because I wanted to challenge them. The media is not 100% sure yet what to think about Adam and his project, with votes scattered in both directions (complete hate and complete love), but I have quite enjoyed it all. Tonight would be that night.

The evening is kicked off by Lights who I have never heard of before but like from the start. I seemed to be one of the only people tonight that was listening with virgin ears because everyone else joined in with singing and many whistles which I didn’t understand until I got a better look at their vocalist / front lady (Valerie). Looks aside, she is really talented and as they are supporting Owl City for 5 months of touring, it is almost written that they are bound to become huge. Enough to leave me checking out their music after the show which doesn’t happen often.

Jumping back, tonight was definitley about Owl City and after a bit of a wait they hit the stage. Forgetting about any previous reviews, I was personally excited to see how Adam would recreate his music on stage. Their latest album, Ocean Eyes, is great and this is mostly where my excitement would be focused during the set but I never once thought I would experience what would take place tonight. Adam was joined by 5 supporting members on stage and the biggest sound I have heard in a long time. The set kicks off tonight with Umbrella Beach and the crowd go wild and the connection between the Adam and the crowd is unique with EVERYONE singing along (“da da da”), reminding me why I love live music.

The set tonight ranged from old to new songs with obvious favourites being off the latest album (Umbrella Beach, The Bird and The Worm, Dental Care and Fireflies which is their current single). I really don’t know why Owl City has any bad press at all because Adam seems like a really nice guy who is doing something that he really loves and even better than that, he is doing it really well. The music live makes you just want to dance, tap your feet, sway, smile and be happy almost like a soundtrack to a good movie that everyone enjoys.

Midway something happens and its almost as though Adam loses interest or is distracted slightly as he looks really tired and possibly almost even bored. He does mention that he isn’t feeling well which is taken in stride and he asks the crowd to sing for him which seems joke-like but happens. I almost get worried until Cave In restarts the fire of the night and the party goes back into full effect. I notice now that majority of the crowd consists of couples which seems odd but nice.

Towards the end of the show it seems as though Adam hits that same slump again and I am not sure why but it seemed as though he was done quite a bit before the end of the show. Encore is begged for by the loving crowd and we are waved good bye with the sounds of Hello Seattle which I personally feel was a bad choice as it’s one of my least favourites of all his work.

Leaving the show and thinking about it over and over again I am in two minds. One has had one of my favourite nights in a long time and the other is questioning why. I think if I had to be honest for me the show should’ve ended after about the 5th song. If it did then it would have been an incredibly strong set filled with and unbelievable amount of energy, passion and memories. I’m not saying I hated the rest of the show but I am used to shows building up and ending with a huge bang and this one didn’t, it burnt out mid way for me and speaking with other people on the way home I am reassured that they felt the same.

In saying all of this, Owl City is great and I think that things can only get better. It’s official that Adam will return to London in May and I am going to make sure not to miss that show and hopefully he will prove me wrong by correcting the slight glitches that tonight held.

Album review by Jamie Reynolds

On being asked to review the new album by Owl City called Ocean Eyes, I had to admit that I had never even heard any of their previous stuff. To not sounds stupid I quickly punched in some magic keys on my notebook and began a search on the world of the internet. Owl City is the product of Adam Young who I read suffered from Insomnia which resulted in him making music in his parents basement while he was working for Coca-Cola. The interest in his music grew quickly on MySpace and he was signed. First off I was bombarded by a lot of bad press surrounding Adam and the constant push that he was just ripping off / copying the works of The Postal Service. I have always been a huge fan of The Postal Service that was made up of Ben Gibbard and Jimmy Tamborello that released one album back in 2003 titled Give Up. There were a lot of comments about The Postal Service not having to make another record because Adam has made an exact copy of what that album could be and it just goes on and on and on. For me this sounded like an amazing feat because I have craved an album that gave me the same feeling that Give Up gave me when I first heard it. I decided to try and forget about everything I had read and give Adam the time of day to listen to Ocean Eyes with new ears and base it on what was going to be my first taste of Owl City.

So I loaded my stereo with the new untouched shiny disc, turned up the volume and pressed play. With De Ja Vu hitting me now, thinking about it again, my face was slapped with the biggest smile I have sported in a long time. The album starts off with Cave In (joined by Matthew Thiessen of Relient K who co-produced the album) and from the start I know that this is going to become one of my favourite albums of the year but if not it would be one of my favourites of all time. I’m not a musician and I won’t claim to be but the sounds that combine to make what is playing can only give a feeling of warmth, something that assists making me feel happy …. feel good music if I can call it that. I battle to carry on further than track one as I keep it on repeat for a good while just to take in what is going on fully.

Progressing through the rest of the album helps me to realize that not only are the sounds amazingly pleasing but they are assisted by some extremely catchy song writing that I know will become sound tracks to movies that will be filled with love, hope and happiness. My favourite lyric on the album comes in the form of “The silence isn’t so bad ’til I look at my hands and feel sad ’cause the spaces between my fingers are right where yours fit perfectly” and I sent my girl a text quoting those lines and the reply I got was one that I shouldn’t really publish on here but it was good. “Thanks Adam!”

The album is due to be released in the UK on the 22nd of February with the first single being that of Fireflies which is one of the most radio friendly songs I have heard in ages. The music video is out and I know that this song will be playing on a good amount of headphones for a long while.

I have a few favourites on the album but if I had to narrow it down to just one it would have to be Vanilla Twilight, no wait … it would be The Bird and the Worm, no wait … this is hard because I do like them all … hmm, wait I think it has to be The Saltwater Room because it works so well with guest appearance from Breanne Düren who’s voice is really calming and fits perfectly with Adam’s. Repeat … Repeat … Repeat …

I understand that people like to moan and go on about things just to have something to be negative about and to make news about something no matter what it is. I personally don’t get it because hearing an album like this makes me think that you could only be stupid not to take the time to sit back and enjoy it without slating it or trying to compare it to something made 7 years ago. It does have a lot of resemblance to the old album from The Postal Service but it has to be considered in its own right as it really is good and well thought of. Who cares if Adam is going to sell hundreds of thousands of albums because something like this is really sell-able and I can only be excited thinking that due to popularity he will be able to make a follow up album unlike The Postal Service that didn’t really get the appreciation it deserved back in the day. I look forward to the next Owl City album with great anticipation and until then, Ocean Eyes will rack up a good amount of plays on my stereo.

Music video by Owl City performing Fireflies. (C) 2009 Universal Republic Records, a division of UMG Recordings, Inc.

‘Fireflies is a song that begs to be discovered’ – Music Week
‘Sublime.’ – Sunday Times Culture
 
Owl City sounds like a sparkling wintry day in a place of nature. It also makes an escapist magic out of an experience shared by kids raised in small towns – the retreat to a lonely bedroom where one creates a world of adventure to combat the quiet that surrounds them.
 
LEO ZERO
 
Former member of cosmic Prog Psych outfit, A Mountain of One, Leo Zero has remixed for Florence and the Machine, Metronomy, Wild Beasts, Bat for Lashes, Jack Penate and Stricken City.
 
>>>>DOWNLOAD LEO ZERO’S super magic dub remix of FIREFLIES HERE>>>>
 
www.fairtilizer.com/track/69601
www.zshare.net/audio/70008742a184fe70

www.leozero.com
 

 
Next up is
 
MARLOW
 
www.myspace.com/marlowdubstep

Known for his unique take on Dubstep, Marlow has been perfecting his own sound and carving his own niche across his three yearsworth of 12″ releases. Not content with the sparse, half-time usual approach to the genre, he manages to combine musical elements with underground bassline sensibilities and the result is a truly fresh sound. His energetic style and rich pallet of sound textures make his records instantly recognisable.
 
>>>>DOWNLOAD MARLOW’S version of FIREFLIES HERE>>>>
 
http://fairtilizer.com/track/69615
www.zshare.net/audio/70010023980a8200

Music video by Owl City performing Fireflies. (C) 2009 Universal Republic Records, a division of UMG Recordings, Inc.