American Football has been known for pairing vocalist Mike Kinsella’s authentic lyrics about teenage angst with unique instrumentals, influencing two decades’ worth of emo and math rock bands. Their third self-titled album, referred to as LP3, is what happens when teenage angst turns into middle-aged angst.

Aside from the visual departure from the infamous “American Football house” that dominated their album art for the previous two albums, LP3 distinguishes itself from its predecessors from its very first moments. The first track, “Silhouettes,” opens with the crystal clear notes of a glockenspiel, a leap from the signature math-rock guitar riffs that have been prominent on their first two albums. Although the guitars come eventually, the precedent is set for a more instrumentally-diverse take on emo that continues throughout the album.

What makes LP3 unique is American Football’s ability to stray from the sound of their first two albums without sounding like a completely different band. The song “Heir Apparent” demonstrates their advanced musicianship through careful arrangement. Their usual guitar style meets bright, airy notes from both the flute and piano. The song also features the Omaha Children’s Choir, an unexpected choice that adds an eerie tone to the song as well as a subtle nod to the band’s midwestern roots.

Lyrically, “Heir Apparent” exemplifies the emotional vulnerability that is signature to American Football’s work. Their famous teen angst trope, although present in lines like “I’m unapologetically sorry for everything,” no longer takes center stage. Kinsella instead focuses on the transition from youth to adulthood and the confusion that comes with it, apologizing for both his childlike actions as well as aging in the same breath.

Not only does American Football push creative boundaries amongst themselves, but they also seek out three other artists to contribute to LP3. Elizabeth Powell of Land of Talk and Rachel Goswell of Slowdive both make appearances on the album, but the most powerful feature is Hayley Williams of Paramore on “Uncomfortably Numb.” Williams, known for her fiery vocals, takes a different approach to the song by starting off quiet to echo Kinsella. As the song continues, the pair sing back and forth, creating a stunning duet. The track also features some of the album’s best lyrics, with hard-hitting lines like “I blamed my father in my youth, now as a father I blame the booze.”

While the album does incorporate a variety of new techniques, a few songs like “Mine to Miss” and “Life Support” fall short and simply blend in with American Football’s previous two albums. Despite the ordinary instrumentals, Kinsella’s honest lyrics often save the day. On “Life Support,” which is the album’s final track, he summarizes the theme of the album with the simple line “When will it end, relentless adolescence?” His sincerity as a teenager is what made American Football successful, and his sincerity as an adult will ensure that they continue to be successful in the years to come.

American Football returns for round three

The artists held a self-described “houseparty” inside The Sinclair, giving Bostonians a taste of New York’s nightlife.

When the Knocks brought Blu DeTiger to Cambridge, they also brought the energy of New York City with them. The artists held a self-described “houseparty” inside The Sinclair, giving Bostonians a taste of New York’s nightlife.

The night began with DeTiger’s solo set, highlighted not only by her skills on the turntable, but her ability to highlight each track with improvised basslines. Working at nightclubs all over New York, she has gained notoriety around the city for her innovative approach to electronic music.

JPatt and Young & Sick at The Sinclair. Photo by Hayley Slusser for WRBB.

DeTiger started her set with “In My Head,” a song that lyrically describes her creative outlook and sonically provides groovy beats. Although she sings “the only thing that’s crazy is this beat that’s in my head,” the audience proved otherwise, as the bustling dance floor went wild within minutes of DeTiger taking the stage. Disco, funk and pop elements are all found in DeTiger’s work, which she fuses together to create the quintessential dance tracks. These genres were heard in her performance of “Mad Love,” a new single set to release March 13.

DeTiger not only played original music, but also featured classic tracks that the audience could sing along to. The crowd belted the lyrics to Fergie’s “Glamorous” as DeTiger focused intently on her turntable. She also featured Ginuwine’s sultry R&B anthem “Pony,” allowing her to fully showcase her creativity with a guitar solo. I was impressed watching her bright blue nails slide effortlessly down her matching cobalt guitar. The notes she plucked complemented the backing track perfectly, despite being completely improvised. At the end of the set, DeTiger proved herself not only as a competent DJ and bassist, but as an inventive artist who is revolutionizing electronic music.

Shortly after DeTiger’s set, New York based artist Nick van Hofwegen, otherwise known as Young & Sick, took the stage. Accompanied only by a drummer he referred to as “Steve,” van Hofwegen easily captured the audience’s attention with his long blue hair and glimmering jewelry. I was unfamiliar with his work, and the audience seemed to be in the same boat. He finished with a cover of “No Tears Left To Cry” by Ariana Grande, winning the crowd’s hearts.

Blu DeTiger and JPatt at The Sinclair. Photo by Hayley Slusser for WRBB.

After Young & Sick’s performance, the Knocks made their way on stage. The duo consists of Ben “B-Roc” Ruttner and James “JPatt” Patterson, touring with DeTiger on bass, Katie Lee on guitar, and Nick Brown on drums. The band is touring to promote their new album, “New York Narcotic.” With the title track describing an addiction to the city, it’s no surprise that the show was filled with references to New York. Custom-made Knicks jerseys, “I heart NY” apparel, and giant inflatable pigeons all made appearances on stage.

Having similar roots in the New York DJ scene, DeTiger fit in perfectly with the Knocks. Her confidence matched that of the duo during songs like “Shades,” which is about being a self-described “rockstar.” Whipping her long blonde hair boldly, DeTiger moved around the stage, jamming with the rest of the group as if they’ve played together forever. It was hard for me to believe that she was simply a guest on tour, as she clearly put her heart into each track as if it was her own.

The entire band strived to put their appreciation for New York into each song. With tracks like “Brazilian Soul” paying tribute to New York’s multiculturalism, or “Wizard of Bushwick” celebrating DJs in Brooklyn, the Knocks had me falling in love with New York all over again. Even if the audience didn’t catch the significance of their lyrics, the music itself conveyed the spirit of the city. As long as the bass kept pumping through the speakers, the New York houseparty lived on in the heart of New England.

The Knocks and Blu DeTiger bring the best of New York to New England

February 9, 2019 at the Bowery Ballroom, NYC

After touring non-stop for his 2016 album 

, Jeff Rosenstock has decided to go on an indefinite break from his solo work to focus on his side projects, such as his band Antarctigo Vespucci. The Long Island native went out with a bang and played four sold-out nights at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City. The variety of fans in the dimly-lit venue ranged from rowdy teenagers to middle-aged adults. Regardless of age, everyone seemed eager to show their appreciation for their hometown hero.

On the final night, Rosenstock had his longtime friend Laura Stevenson open the show. Stevenson began her set with slow ballads like her new single “Living Room, NY,” which showcased her powerful voice with minimal accompaniment. She later brought out a full band for her more upbeat tracks like “Jellyfish,” encouraging the audience to dance along. By including such drastically different songs in her set, Stevenson showed the versatility of her songwriting. No matter what she played, the audience responded with thunderous applause.

After Stevenson’s set, Rosenstock took the stage with Mike Huguenor on guitar, John DeDomenici on bass, and Kevin Higuchi on drums. Rosenstock prefaced his set by addressing the crowd directly to set some ground rules to make sure that everyone could enjoy the show: “We can dance, just don’t do any of that violent shit. If you’re gonna do that, then you can get the fuck out of here.”

After setting his expectations for the crowd, he began with his song “USA.” The song’s first lines, “dumbfounded, downtrodden, and dejected,” give insight into how Rosenstock feels about the world around him. He is known for criticizing society through his music and performances. Tracks like “HELLLLHOOOOLE” and “Let Them Win” express frustration with oppressive systems looking to profit off the masses and were highlights of the extended two-hour set.

As serious as these songs are, the show itself was far from grim. His darker lyrics were accompanied by fast-paced instrumentals, lively chants, and even comedy. In tracks like “Festival Song,” he makes fun of himself for being a “willing participant” in the capitalist music industry and pokes fun at punk music fans for wearing “sweatshop denim jackets.” Fans embraced his carefree attitude for the night and ran from the problems of the outside world straight into the exciting chaos of the mosh pit.

To make the evening special for the die-hard fans, the band opted to stray from their usual setlist that remained relatively unchanged for the past year of touring. Deafening cheers erupted when the band played tracks from the self-released, rarely performed 2012 album 

 along with the last 11 songs off the 2016 album 

. Rosenstock played these songs back to back, creating a high-energy wall of sound with his rapid-fire lyrics and heavy use of electric guitar. The noise filled the audience with adrenaline and the crowd never stopped moving, with Rosenstock himself joining the crowd surf alongside his fans.

To wind down the night, he finished his set with “We Begged 2 Explode,” a song about growing old and having to leave behind the punk scene. Unlike most of his songs, the song begins quiet and slow, building up before exploding into a chant that filled the room. The audience swayed from side to side, taking in their final moments with Rosenstock. He exited the stage quietly, but his fans cheered long after the lights came up. His final show proved that his music will live on through his fans no matter where his career takes him.

Listen to Rosenstock’s side-project with Chris Farren, Antarctigo Vespucci, here: