Return of ivyTunes, Return of Filligar
ivyTunes is back! This week, Penn audiophile James Yu checks in with Filligar. If you are in or know of a band worth covering, send links and/or MP3s to tips@ivygateblog.com.
A somewhat telling admission: since November 27, 2006 - the date Filligar appeared on our very first installation of ivyTunes - "Venice World's Fair (c. 2138 AD)," a catchy, deliberately nonsensical song off their earlier album, has played a whopping 61 times on my computer. That puts it easily within the top twenty of my most played tracks.
And with good reason. Filligar, composed of Dartmouthian brothers Johnny ('11), Teddy ('09), and Pete Mathias ('09), and childhood friend Casey Gibson (Hamilton '09), is fun and clever, but never nauseatingly so. Like Vampire Weekend, the Columbia band that rode the blogosphere to become the indie rock darlings of 2008, Filligar has the chops to explode into the next big thing.
The amount of positive exposure these four Chicagoans have received is impressive, especially in light of the fact that they are all full-time students in the wilds of New York and New Hampshire. They've been reviewed by the Chicago Sun-Times, have seen airtime on major radio stations such as WXRT Chicago and WFNX 101.7 Boston, and have had their song "Big Things" play on this season's premiere of MTV's The Real World.
All the Same - Filligar
After the jump: More review, and two more tracks.
The three tracks I've listened to in The City Tree, Filligar's newest album, are fantastic. "The Observatory" and "All the Same" echo the upbeat and poppy overtures of Succession, I Guess, their previous release, while "Rattle Me" is slower and more reflective. In his review of Tree in The Dartmouth, Matthew Ritger writes: "Filligar has grown into a sound a bit more bluesy, belying their still foot-tapping beats."
It is this sort of fine-tuning - never deviating too far from their bright-sounding origins - that I think will eventually give this talented quartet the recognition they deserve. But until they finish (or quit) school and launch on a full-scale national tour, I'll put their tracks on repeat, and pray that Filligar will find it worthwhile to make their way down to Philadelphia.
The Observatory - Filligar
Rattle Me - Filligar
--James Yu
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April 24th, 2008 at 3:06 pm
they are all over my top plays.
April 24th, 2008 at 5:50 pm
I like these guys a lot–
the first song sounds a little ben fold-sy with tones of weezer and jam band. it was trying to be something, came out only O.K.
the second hits home for me–it just feels so right.
the piano in the third at 1:26 and through is absolutely magical.
i will be on the lookout for these people if the give me more observatory and rattle me.
April 24th, 2008 at 5:54 pm
i didnt care for the first too much–too ben-foldsy, weezer, and jam band-y
the second was magic–it hit home, and the third gave me chills at 1:26.
this was cool. more ivyTunes!
April 24th, 2008 at 6:46 pm
The last time we had ivyTunes on here, some great bands submitted their stuff, and that fucking dipshit “Andrew” ripped them down as if he was capable of producing better stuff. Prospect 11’s songs that were featured are way better than the these 3. Glad to see someone else is doing the commentary now.
http://ivygateblog.com/media/prospect11_JackieRyanMixdown.mp3
April 24th, 2008 at 7:37 pm
filligar played last week here and they were siiiick live. i like their old cd “succession, i guess” better than the new one though.
April 24th, 2008 at 10:23 pm
“Sasha” thanks for wasting my time with that link. I’d bet your actually in that band. Filligar’s music is far superior and, in fact, it’s better than the music of the oft-mentioned Vampire Weekend prepsters.
April 24th, 2008 at 10:25 pm
“Sasha” thanks for wasting my time with that link. I’d bet your actually in that band. Filligar’s music is far superior and, in fact, it’s better than the music of the oft-mentioned Vampire Weekend prepsters.
April 24th, 2008 at 11:06 pm
Rattle Me is one of the best songs I’ve heard in a while.
April 25th, 2008 at 9:33 am
“wudeva” thanks for wasting my time with that comment. I’d bet your actually in that band. Prospect 11’s music is far superior and, in fact, it’s better than the music of the oft-mentioned (insert lame-ass band you heard of here).
May 6th, 2008 at 4:36 pm
it is not my belief that one should tell an artist what to paint. Let me rephrase that, if Aliza Schvartz has taught us anything, one should always tell an artist what to paint. Why? because you are always too caught up in your crazy genius to realize what it is you do that is good:
Cherrystone Creek is your best song. by far.
distant second goes to
Trepador, rattle me, JA & the fire.
I guess what i’m saying is, more of that, please.
May 6th, 2008 at 5:01 pm
…also meant to give kudos for to the pianist for Ghost Town