BeatRoute Magazine B.C. print e-edition - January 2017

THE LEMON TWIGS
1960s glam made to last in Long Island
Photo by Autumn de Wilde
Christina Zimmer
For a band that has only just released
their first full album, Do Hollywood, in
October of 2016, the Lemon Twigs from
Long Island, NY have already received
some significant publicity in global
media. Brian and Michael D’Addario
were nominated New Band of the Week
by The Guardian UK in July 2016; their
album has received a lot of praise with
regards to its diversity, sophistication,
and unconventional sound, and their
eccentric dress code — Brian looks
like a 1960s rock star and Michael goes
for the glam look — has prompted
mixed reactions. The fact that their
music style brings back the sound of
the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and Todd
Rundgren — performers who have
been influencers to the brothers from
an early age, also thanks to their songwriting
father, Ronnie D’Addario — is
in particular remarkable considering
that the brothers are only 19 and 17
years of age. Speaking to Brian during
his holiday break in Long Island after his
return from touring the US and Europe
to promote the new record, he explains:
“We were five when we started playing
drums and I was seven when I started
playing guitar and writing songs.” In
the meantime, Brian masters the guitar,
bass, drums, keyboards, horns, and
strings, and also owns a trumpet, a
violin, and a cello. Together, Brian and
Michael solely executed all instrumental
accompaniments on the record and
only when playing live, the brothers
are supported by Danny Ayala on the
keyboard and Megan Zeankowski on
the bass.
The style of their music is often
described as baroque rock of the
1960s, psychedelic, vaudeville. Asked
where they get their inspiration from,
Brian replies, “Initially the Beatles
were inspiring, so were a lot of bands,
Leonard Cohen was and still is very
inspiring to me. I’m really like inspired
by music that I don’t know so much
about, usually the point of inspiration
is when I’m first discovering something.
So like I can be inspired by Big Star or
by opera, like Henry Purcell, or Richard
Rodgers musicals, but those things that
I mentioned I don’t know too much
about but when I hear something,
because I don’t know so much about it,
it inspires me to learn more about it and
try to make music like that.”
The album consists of an equal
amount of pieces written by both
brothers in 2014 and is rife with
impactful melodies, instrumental,
and rhythmic variety and attention to
detail — this also goes for their first
two single releases. “These words,”
written by Brian, features a forceful,
harmonious chorus transitioning into
a rapid instrumental symbiosis of piano
and xylophone, whilst the anthemic
“As long as we’re together,” penned by
Michael, is skillfully interrupted by a
playful synthesizer solo.
With some written material in
the bag, they contacted Foxygen’s
Jonathan Rado online and sent him a
few pieces, he really liked them, and the
rest is history. According to Brian, Rado’s
appreciation of the music really inspired
them whilst collaborating with him for
the album: “Now there was kind of like
someone listening, it felt like there’s an
audience for the first time, someone that
didn’t have any reason to like our music,
that we could craft our songs for.”
During their upcoming shows, the
brothers will be performing songs from
their recently released album, some
Two teenagers fresh out of a time machine blow minds with Do Hollywood
new material which will be compiled on
an EP due to come out in 2017 as well
as one of the songs from the next full
album, which has yet to be recorded.
The new songs, Brian reveals, are of
the same origin as the songs from Do
Hollywood as they were demoed at the
same time but, according to Brian, they have
a different energy to them when played
live. So there’s plenty to look forward to for
existing fans and fans-to-be alike.
The Lemon Twigs perform at the Cobalt
February 1.
THE
A S T O R I A
THURSDAY JANUARY 5
WEIRD CANDLE
PSYCHIC POLLUTION (VICTORIA)
SHITLORD FUCKERMAN
THONG (PORTLAND)
FRIDAY JANUARY 6
JOHNNY DE COURCY
WOOLWORM
BORED DECOR
SATURDAY JANUARY 7
HISSING (SEATTLE)
INFERNAL COIL
CEREMONIAL BLOODBATH
RADIOACTIVE VOMIT
FRIDAY JANUARY 13
THE DARK EIGHTIES
CULT 80S HITS/GOTH/INDUSTRIAL
NEW WAVE/ITALO/MINIMAL WAVE
WITH
DJS NIKKI NEVVER + VANESSA TURNER
DANCING!
SATURDAY JANUARY 14
BANGERS + TRASH
HIP HOP/MODERN + RETRO POP
C O N C E R T S!
HOMESPUN DISCO SERIES
THURSDAYS
THURSDAY JANUARY 12
GREAT SPECKLED FRITILLARY
SHALLOW PEAKS
WETTWORKER
THURSDAY JANUARY 19
THE RANDELLS
WAZONEK
PAVEL
THURSDAY JANUARY 26
BASIC INSTINCT
THE ANYBODYS
SBDC
SATURDAY JANUARY 21
THE EAST VAN 90S PARTY
ALL 90S HITS/HIP HOP/ DANCE/
ALTERNATIVE/GRUNGE/BRITPOP
WITH
DJS NIKKI NEVVER + VANESSA TURNER
JANUARY
TUESDAY JANUARY 10
ART ROCK FEATURING
DARK DIALS ৹ MANDELBRAT
CO-OP ৹ DJ OWEN ELLIS
FRIDAY JANUARY 20
KANGA ৹ WIRE SPINE
ACTORS ৹ ADRIAN H
DJ SEAN REVERON
SATURDAY JANUARY 28
HAVE A GOOD LAUGH FUNDRAISER
KONFORM
LAST KASTE
NO KLASSE
MORE!
KARAOKE EVERY WEDNESDAY 9pm until 1aM *NO COVER*
BLANKETFORT COMEDY SHOW TUESDAY JAN. 3 (EVERY 1st TUES)
RENT CHEQUE friday JAN. 27 (EVERY LAST FRIDAY)
10 MUSIC
January 2017