Meet your idols…Mary Timony

Tonight goes down in the “top five dorkiest moments of my life” list.

I was working my paying job (at a very nice, respectable natural foods grocery chain which shall remain anonymous), closing down shop, when I saw Mary Timony roaming around with a shopping basket. I assumed she was in town rehearsing with her new band, Wild Flag, as they gear up for their debut US tour. Her band mates (Sleater Kinney’s Janet Weiss and Carrie Brownstein) frequent the store, so I knew it was only a matter of time until I would finally spot her. Even though the band has no official recordings online (and no one has leaked any lo-fi practice recordings), I join the masses, totally stoked for their Portland performance this coming Saturday at Doug Fir.

Most of my excitement can be traced back to Mary Timony’s presence in the band. She fronted one of my favorite bands of all time – Helium – whose music has surpassed the novelty of revisiting music I listened to in high school. To me, their music is timeless. When describing the band to others, I muse upon an innovative 90′s era prog-rock band, who combined complex haunting medieval-esque themes with sophisticated shoegazey orchestration. I imagine Helium broke up long before I even discovered them, still the songwriting Mary Timony contributed to the band has stuck with me, and I consider her to be one of my favorite vocalists of all time. From my understanding, Helium reached a moderate amount of success, releasing multiple albums on Matador Records and even having a few of their videos poke into the mainstream at the justice of Beavis and Butthead. As a record collector, I made it my goal to own every record Helium ever released. I am almost there, only shy by the American Jean and Superball 7″s.

After Helium disbanded, front-woman, Mary Timony, went on to focus on her solo career, again releasing a few records on Matador. Her work has been a fountain of inspiration to me over the years, and while she may not be the most popular female singer/songwriter on earth, I hold her in my top 5…I even named my darling kitten “Timony”.

So as you can imagine, the synchronicity was too much to bear when I saw Mary Timony aimlessly walking around the grocery store. I was wary at first, since the last time I approached a celebrity at work, and lived to blog about it, was after an encounter with the infamous Dr. Laura – an endeavor that backfired once “her people” contacted my boss, inevitably sparking “a conversation”. In contrast to my love for Mary Timony’s work, I always hated Dr. Laura, so I decided to risk it.

With my best intentions, I decided to remove my chef coat, and profess my adoration to her, even at the risk of embarrassing myself in front of my fellow coworkers. Unfortunately, I wasn’t as eloquent as I would like to have been remembered. I told her I owned nearly all of her records, and was excited for the debut of Wild Flag this weekend. She smiled a lot, and seemed quite down to earth. Hopefully she was not too creeped out when I told her I named my cat after her given last name.

Of course to benefit you, dearest readers, I had a couple of impromptu journalist questions. One of which was inquiring if she was doing any solo work. She responded that it hadn’t been her focus in awhile, ad that she was really enjoying her work so far with her new band, Wild Flag, due to it’s highly collaborative format.

…and that was that. Still, Wild Flag remains a mystery to us all. Stay tuned for the Outsider Music Press show review and possible live footage. Until then, check out some videos from Helium and Mary Timony. Get ready to be spellbound.

…and now a song dedicated to my cat:

Social Studies… Smarter Than Your Average Pop Band

San Fransisco based prog-pop band, Social Studies, really make you think about what it means to write a pop song. The band seems to openly reject the standard song structure, and instead melds together what sounds like random pieces of a puzzle, coming together to form a beautiful scenic image of a mountain… or something equally as massive in scale. While they may put themselves out there as being overly complex, Social Studies is simply a pop band that puts a little intelligence into their work. Unlike some bands who try to set themselves apart from ho-hum “pop music”, attempting to mask their mediocrity with the “prog” label, Social Studies is a relatively easy listen without an ounce of pretense. Once put together, the final product is something beautiful and majestic, just like the mountain in the puzzle…or whatever

After years of performing around the country, Social Studies has released their long-awaited debut, Wind Up Wooden Heart, on SF-based label, Antenna Farm Records. Within their adventurous styling, you will find many hummable melodies, immaculate vocal harmonies, lush keyboards, crispy guitars and drums that boast both orchestral and dance worthy beats. The band’s press material relates them to Deerhoof – a comparison I find sort of out-of-bounds. Social Studies is far more collected and listenable to their avant-guarde counterparts, though I can see it as a useful analogy when trying to push their commitment to multi-tasking through the songwriting process. A more appropriate correlation would relate singer, Natalia Rogovin, to Katie Eastburn, formerly of Young People, as both women share a powerful range of melodious theatrics, and the band to 90′s rock act, Helium, for their epic compositions that touch indie rock with seasoned orchestration and tact.

Wind Up Wooden Heart is lush, expertly executed and can be enjoyed in a cerebral context, though folks with short attention spans may find it equally satisfying. Each part of Social Studies’ elaborate structure is full of delicious, bite sized sing-a-longs bursting with catchy flavors. Though, I must admit, at first I was a tad frustrated with the album’s multi-sectional themes when I attempted to return to the songs that stuck out most, most of which had become a blur of catchy hooks. It was a musical scavenger hunt at best. Yet, it only made me want to listen to the album as a whole, again and again to recover my favorite parts.

The mood of Wind Up Wooden Heart fluctuates just as much as the compositions themselves. “We Choose Our Own Adventures” is rooted in power pop, serving as an anthem for the under appreciated service workers. Meanwhile, “Drag A Rake” takes a minor note, contemplating death, with staccato violin licks for emphasis, while maintaining a brooding confidence. The soaring guitar licks of “Trapdoor Spider” subtly recall OK Computer era Radiohead without all of the defeated attitude. In fact, one of the band’s strongest elements is the vocal range of Rogovin, who belts out well controlled melodies with force, ease and a touch of sweetness. One of the most powerful songs on the record is the guy/girl duet, “The Good Book”, one of the bands simpler tunes staging a sonic nostalgia touches on Weezer and a sweet 50′s feel. Lyrically, the guy/girl vocals topple over each other detailing the pitfalls of a breakup. Emotionally, it is one of the more touching psuedo-romantic tunes I have heard since Scout Niblett’s collaboration with Will Oldham.

Overall, Wind Up Wooden Heart is a brilliant debut. It is a distinct effort from a band who has already begun to mature and find their own voice. It can be enjoyed by both music nerds and those who have a soft spot for addictive pop songs. I am excited to see where the band takes their sound next. Social Studies is embarking on a national tour, headed for the coveted CMJ festival in NYC. Check out their tour dates to see when they will be coming to a town near you!

MUSIC VIDEO MONDAY: Helium w/ “Trixie’s Star”

Outsider Music Press is now playing our favorite music videos every Monday!

The first pick is “Trixie’s Star” by Helium. The video itself is fan made and intertwines clips from other Helium videos such as “Honeycomb” and “Pat’s Trick”. Quite impressive and one of my favorite songs by the group!