Penn Badgley - Penn Badgley Band Thread #4: He's a victim of ... GG

science girlfriend · 06-25-2014, 11:15 AM

by our lovely Miranda

yep, she is awesome

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Easy
Victim
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'Victim' on
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June 11- Chicago (DJing)

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Mother in Portland (by Jimmy)
a Must see vid of 'bro'ing' between Mother & Streets of Laredo!

by ds44

Reviews

Not much we can say about Mother. Mother is a new band from Brooklyn and Mother is good to us. Kind of 80s Genesis feeling with fresh guitar licks around foggy synths. Great pop! Very honest in our ears. Listen to Easy.
Source

…While those of us hungry for narrative morsels might bristle at the notion of the unknowable, it’s easy to forgive when the group cites influences as diverse as D’Angelo, Arthur Russell, Larry Levan, and Goblin and deliver a song as good as the tastefully infectious debut ”Easy.” A seamless intersection of modern blues and synth rock, “Easy” is the sort of song that burrows its way into your brain and hides, only to reappear hours later as you hum a fragment, scarcely remembering what it is you’re humming before running back to your computer to piece the puzzle together. – Pigeons & Planes
Source

Sometimes, the hardest part of being in a new band is building a hype for yourself. That's a problem that Brooklyn based Mother have completely circumnavigated. Going from absolute newcomers to blowing up on soundcloud in the space of a few days isn't unheard of, but it's damn impressive.

It's not hard to see why either with their new track 'Easy'. Its funk guitar riffs blended with 80's electro synth and a weeping guitar solo Meatloaf would be proud of is a bizarre mix but one that pays off beautifully. There's not much to go on as to who exactly is behind the band, but indications are that it's a collaboration between Simon Oscroft of NO and Midnight Youth (feel free to not quote me on that.) Mark our words here, Mother are going places, and 'Easy' is where it all going to start.
Stereofox - enjoy music

Receiving the co-sign/premiere treatment from Neon Gold today is the brand-new Brooklyn-based pop act, M o t h e r, who makes a definitive statement with their debut release, “Easy”. With a cool, calm, and effortlessly stylish offering like this one, M o t h e r will resemble that cool kid who moved into your town, stole your girlfriend, and fit in instantly. Minus these dudes stealing your GF, you’re going to have no problem with M o t h e r being another group to move into your musical space.
M o t h e r – “Easy” | Hillydilly

Slick, R&B infused pop from LA outfit M o t h e r is proving pretty hot right now. With a Neon Gold show lined up for Friday with Scavenger Hunt and Magic Man, you can bet that industry types will be out in force, and judging from the strength of this track, quite rightly so. Easy is a funky, vaguely 80′s feeling ‘jam’, sensual and highly addictive. Check it out below, and if you live in LA, check them out at The Echo.
New: M o t h e r - Easy | Crack In The Road

When you get yourself into the web looking up for fresh beats it’s very easy to realize when you’ve found something big. Fortunately, today’s trip took me to one of those.
“Easy” is the premiere tune of Neon Gold Records’ latest signing: Mother -stylized as M o t h e r-, band from which we only know that they’re a Brooklyn-based act and this track, which I would describe as tough, funky and sexual.

This record is raised by harsh percussion elements, a pure bassline and funky guitar riffs -which vary beside the ambience created by the lustful vocals and the distended keys n’ synths- reaching sophistication from the basics, with ease.

We don’t know much of this fellows, but we do know that what flows from their debut jam is enough to asseverate that they have an unique style and an enormous potential, easily.
M o t h e r - Easy : Music | The Vibe Guide

Mother are a new band, and "Easy" is their first single, and it's a remarkably assured outing. In part that's because this isn't the band members performing this taut and sultry, lockstep R&B groove's first rodeo. And, in part, that's because the vocals have a sort of poise about them, too. I've heard other tracks from Mother's debut release, which feels, at times, like it's channeling the simmering R&B that Jeff Buckley was honing in on with Sketches For My Sweetheart The Drunk's "Everybody Here Wants You." And all of the aforementioned takes on added dimension when you learn the singer for Mother is Penn Badgley, a man best known for his role in the culture-shifting drama Gossip Girl, and somewhat lesser known for playing Jeff himself in the biopic Greetings From Tim Buckley. Badgley can sing, emphasis appropriate, as that film casting would suggest/require. And a little research into Penn reveals a long history of musical training, which is both relevant and evident, here, though even moreso in the live setting. I went to Mother's debut show, on Friday night, at The Echo in Los Angeles. The group worked remarkably well in that space, which makes sense: The Echo is the sort of room where ambitious indie bands cut their teeth and woo the Silverlake set, particularly when they come from Brooklyn, as Mother does. And the undeniable sense of glamour their singer gives them made them a good fit for the room, too. But on an aesthetic level, the crew's roots and approach read sincerely, and play that way, too. That's due in part to the presence and production of Jimmy Giannapoulos, a producer/multi-instrumentalist whose various projects I've followed for years, and is clearly hitting a stride here (and with his other ascendant projects worth keeping track of like Lolawolf and Reputante, and more). Meet Mother, via "Easy." And here's 15 seconds of them live, laying into a beautifully sung, majestic lope, which could aid your introduction.
REVOLT | Amrit Singh's Music Report: Mother, The Horrors & Kevin Drew

When news broke that Gossip Girl’s Penn Badgley would portray Jeff Buckley in the biopic Greetings From Tim Buckley, there were some objections from James Franco stans who thought Franco was born to play the role. But Badgley held his own as Buckley thanks in part to a set of formidable pipes. And if the movie wasn’t enough to prove that Badgley’s got a voice on him, here’s a song from his band Mother — also featuring Simon Oscroft (No), Jimmy Giannopoulos (Lolawolf, Reputante) and Darren Will (Rathborne) — that will make you a believer. “Victim” is a brooding synth-pop track heavy on sax and ominously moody tones that plays like a stuttering M83 remix of Phil Collins’ “In The Air Tonight.” Badgley’s vocals here are mostly understated and calm, but he carries himself with an understated (ahem) grace on the mic while his bandmates conjure a woozy metropolitan clatter. Listen below.
Source

When news broke that Gossip Girl’s Penn Badgley would portray Jeff Buckley in the biopic Greetings From Tim Buckley, there were some objections from James Franco stans who thought Franco was born to play the role. But Badgley held his own as Buckley thanks in part to a set of formidable pipes. And if the movie wasn’t enough to prove that Badgley’s got a voice on him, here’s a song from his band Mother — also featuring Simon Oscroft (No), Jimmy Giannopoulos (Lolawolf, Reputante) and Darren Will (Rathborne) — that will make you a believer. “Victim” is a brooding synth-pop track heavy on sax and ominously moody tones that plays like a stuttering M83 remix of Phil Collins’ “In The Air Tonight.” Badgley’s vocals here are mostly understated and calm, but he carries himself with an understated (ahem) grace on the mic while his bandmates conjure a woozy metropolitan clatter. Listen below.
WUVYUUU

Somewhat recently the Neon Gold tastemakers premiered Mother‘s debut single, “Easy”, and, as has become more and more increasingly common, provided very little information on the dark and brooding new group who seem to blend R&B and dark electronics in a way that’s both trendy and original.

It has since been revealed that Mother is a four-piece out of New York City, fronted by none other than Penn Badgley – yes, Dan Humphrey from Gossip Girl. But unlike most actors-turned-musicians (sorry Pizza Underground), Humphrey and his band – also consisting of members of Lolawolf, NO, and Raphborne – are not just a gimmick, and seem to possess the ability to make completely fresh, original music. As Steregum so-perfectly points out, “Victim” sounds something like what would happen if M83 remixed Phil Collins’ “In The Air Tonight”, complete with massive percussions, dark vocals, and a “Midnight City” saxophone line that is somehow not at all cheesy.

You can catch the four-piece make their New York debut this Saturday at Pianos, and be sure to keep your eyes out for new music, as we’ve heard that the new band has already recorded an albums-worth of material and will release an EP in the near future.
Mother Shares Brooding Second Single “Victim” | Unrecorded

Striking hot out of the gate under a veil of mystery with their sleekly uplifting debut “Easy,” Brooklyn’s Mother established a cinematic soundscape of concrete pop and 90s rock that melded together in seamless fashion through a stream of unadulterated percussive funk that washed over you with the crisp ease and power of their New York hometown. But now the mask of mystery has been unveiled to reveal band members Simon Oscroft (No), Jimmy Giannopoulos (Lolawolf, Reputante), Darren Will (Rathborne) with lead vocals by Penn Badgely of Gossip Girl - and more imprtantly John Tucker Must Die because I love that movie – fame.

“Victim” is a much darker offering than the band’s debut predecessor. Wandering up a spiraling staircase of wary synths and sparse vocals, phantom percussion permeates brooding lyrics worthy of a lonely boy. But one listen to the song – and that piercing sax solo that all M83 fans will revel in - will leave it lingering on the senses of anyone that listens. So in this case, believe the gossip because “Victim” is all the agonizing sulking of Dan Humphrey wrapped in the most bone-chilling aural atmosphere to create a blanket of comfort for the downtrodden and forlorn to wrap themselves in. Mostly, “Victim” has me feeling some kind of way of what Mother can do.
Source

Interviews

Behind The Barrier: M O T H E R At Hotel Chantelle
Breakfast chats with Simon Oscroft - Mother
'Mother' on Revolt live
An Interview With Mother | NOISEY
East Village Radio -> News -> Mother Guests on Pop Goes The Future [ARCHIVE]
WhoSay Q&A: Penn Badgley Earns His Stripes With Mother

Previous threads
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**Kaleiokalani** · 06-25-2014, 11:40 AM

Thanks

science girlfriend · 06-25-2014, 12:08 PM

^ yw

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Idk, I think, right now, they're just going for a certain sound that's their own and a million other things at once. There's no right or wrong way to do that (not that anyone here is saying there is), people either respond/like it or they don't. #kanyeshrug

this
+ I really like that they try diff things but still imo somehow has their own recognisable style even with 2 songs & those snippets we saw on fanvids

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(Jesus, I sound like a douche lol).

no u dont

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It doesn't sound the same to me

mte

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I don't know, if you listen to him say "I am a victim of...Victim" here, it sounds exactly like the song. Listen to this and tell me what you think?

it does sound like on the studio version.

I actually think we will not really be able to judge fairly at all based solely on fanvids
It makes me even more sad that those shows our

ppl were supposed to attend had been cancelled

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M will beat me for this , but I am not a huge fan of TPR's music, it's catchy but feels kinda derivative and generic sometimes. Taylor has a good, strong voice and her music is fun but needs more originality.

Well you didnt kill me for hating on Frozen so I'll spare u of my rage re: tpr

I like both of their albums

But I'm really no expert on history of music so maybe Im easy to please

+ live shows affected my opinion a great deal

+She has such strong stage presence on par with some of the greatest divas of power metal I love so much even though TPR play different kind of hard music that I usually listen

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But I don't think the voice itself sounds like a robot. It's produced but not to that extent.

lol it was a joke re:robot obv

& Maybe Ive been listening to SOHN too much with its distinctive voice.

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Maybe it's the recording on Instagram but it sounds so weird to me. I don't even hear Penn. I know his falsetto and that doesn't sound like him to me

this
Imo it will be better when we hear the whole song on SC

Speaking of LLW I really dig this live vid from the same club Mommy will perform at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7aD06ZzJz8

this isnt on soundcloud yet but pretty good!
Not to spam this thread if someone wants to talk LLW stuff & comparisons & stuff with me Maybe we should take it to Penn/Zoe thread?

pandorazparadox · 06-25-2014, 12:21 PM

TFTNT M! I just saw the title HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

(spelling out hahaha is somehow more satisfying that emoticons to me, I dunno y)

SOHN is awesome and it seems to be one of MOTHER's influences too, seeing as they follow them.

I agree about Taylor's stage presence, even the fan videos that I have seen make it obvious that she is great live and her voice is on point too, which is very rare.

I know the robot thing was a joke

and the new song sounds more produced but I was talking more about Victim and Easy where he sounds different in the recording but also live, if I make sense. Like if I had just heard the song I would have thought it may be an effect of production because it sounds so different from Buckley, but when you hear him sing live you realize that he is singing it differently on purpose, and it suits the song too

I think he enjoys experimenting with his voice and range, going from the loooow baby (hehe) to the falsetto in the new song.

I honestly thought "I can tell you'll never make it out" would be the next single!

I can talk lolawolf with you

I have some cute stuff for the Zenn thread that I was debating whether to post or not

science girlfriend · 06-25-2014, 12:27 PM

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I honestly thought "I can tell you'll never make it out" would be the next single!

what i can never make out is usually the lyrics

I really want to 1 day to clealy understand them

(lol tho like i said in the PM its not a dig at them but probably at myself more

)

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SOHN is awesome and it seems to be one of MOTHER's influences too, seeing as they follow them.

I remember positively freaking out they follow them

That guy's voice is positively angelic & Id be totes dead if he did a duet with Penn 1 day

+Simon posted a pic of him attending their concert & I started to get jealous of him

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but I was talking more about Victim and Easy where he sounds different in the recording but also live, if I make sense. Like if I had just heard the song I would have thought it may be an effect of production because it sounds so different from Buckley, but when you hear him sing live you realize that he is singing it differently on purpose, and it suits the song too I think he enjoys experimenting with his voice and range, going from the loooow baby (hehe) to the falsetto in the new song.

yeah you're right. Not that I have a problem if he sings different from the recording (Easy live really deviates with all these 'oohs' & 'aahhs' & it works great)
He still needs practice more but its only about time

so I dug out PZ thread if someone wants to join me

pandorazparadox · 06-25-2014, 12:36 PM

Also Shu tweeted MOTHER about the vocals being drowned out and the faved the tweet, so they may consider that next time. Thank you Shu!! <3

rainforest · 06-25-2014, 12:43 PM

that OP tho

**ds44** · 06-25-2014, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pandorazparadox (View Post)

Also Shu tweeted MOTHER about the vocals being drowned out and the faved the tweet, so they may consider that next time. Thank you Shu!! <3

Yeah I just saw that they fav'd it. So atleast they read the tweet.

science girlfriend · 06-26-2014, 06:34 AM

its great they favd it indeed!
thx Shu

I need to tweet them about my imaginary duet too!

edit: done!

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Originally Posted by RainForest (View Post)

that OP tho

this OP wouldnt be possible without you contributing Miranda

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Mike hasn’t had a Record Of The Week for a few weeks now, he’s just been concentrating on bringing you some great new and emerging music! This week, however, it’s been impossible for him not to pick one, because as soon as he heard Easy from M o t h e r, he knew it was too good to let it pass by without giving it the credit it deserves.

M o t h e r are a Brooklyn band who’ve really caught our attention recently, they’re one of the best bands that we’ve heard in a long time. Their track Easy sounds so effortless, it’s infectious, all we could do was hit the repeat button and listen again and again. It seems we’re not alone in loving the band either, within days of being released on the Internet, this track had thousands of plays and the band are building up a really solid fan base.

With easy access to music online, it’s easy for bands to become over hyped without really deserving it, but it’s the opposite that has happened here. We’re getting to hear one of the most exciting bands in a while, and we can’t wait to hear more. So, if you do one thing today, give M o t h e r a chance.

http://amazingradio.com/showcontent/...ek-m-o-t-h-e-r