Changing musical styles can either make or break a band. Sometimes it’s much better to stick with what is already working than to throw a wrench in the gears, and Brooklyn band DIIV definitely stuck with what it knows for its newest release, Is The Is Are.

Maybe the band was just playing it safe, but Is The Is Are doesn’t sound exceptionally different from past material. Any way you look at it, DIIV’s music is always beautiful.

The band began production on Is The Is Are back in 2013, but a multitude of factors, including vocalist, guitarist and songwriter Zachary Cole Smith’s drug use, delayed the writing and recording process for three years.

“I’m out of signs / At the end of the line / But I’ll be fine / When it’s time I’ll know what to do,” Smith sings in his staple timid, reverbed vocals on “Out of Mind,” the album’s dazzling opener. It’s an incredibly solid and enjoyable opener to the album, but also reveals much of the content of Is The Is Are, a reflection of Smith’s questionable decisions. Being “at the end of the line” both drove and hindered the process of writing Is The Is Are, as Smith’s drug addiction took hold during the beginning of production and recording.

In 2013, Smith and his girlfriend, musician and model Sky Ferreira, were arrested for drug charges after police found ecstasy and heroin in Smith’s van, according to NME.

The publicized arrest both romanticized the couple’s drug use in Kurt and Courtney-esque fashion as well as pigeon-holed Smith and Ferreira into stereotypical “druggy losers,” Smith said in an interview with Pitchfork.

Reputations, hardships and time delays aside, Is The Is Are does its job and carries the torch as a solid sophomore album. Filled with perfectly mixed pounding bass and drums, ethereal guitar-ridden soundscapes and Smith’s pleasantly calming vocals, Is The Is Are follows the signature styling of the band’s debut, Oshin (2012), very closely. The band’s second studio album is not necessarily a photocopy of its predecessor, though.

Structurally, Is The Is Are is a long double album. Running 17 tracks, the release is slightly over an hour long, but luckily it doesn’t feel that way. The album’s gliding nature is easily faded into the background – though is also intricate and dynamic enough to demand attention.  

The album weaves reflection and redemption into each track — revealing some of Smith’s darkest times — and thus humanizing him out of the one-dimensional “druggy loser” persona. This makes the album, although stylistically similar to DIIV’s 2012 debut Oshin, arguably more emotional and personal in nature.

Though inherently beautiful, as shoegaze-influenced indie-rock usually is, the album is also drenched in darkness, clearly displayed by songs like “Bent (Roi’s Song)” and “Yr Not Far” that push forth aspects of melodic ominousness.

“I can’t shake the terror of my life fleeting, minute by minute / Even when I can’t imagine another day waking up in it / Fought my mind to keep my life, but my body’s putting up a tougher fight,” Smith drowsily speak-sings in the hypnotically dark “Bent (Roi’s Song).”

Traumatizing and damaging experiences might serve as a catalyst for a change in direction, but a return to the familiar can also be rewarding. Although released years later than expected, Is The Is Are is an incredibly immersive release. The album manages to multitask, without a doubt painting a beautiful picture, but also peeling back the ugly truths of personal life and human nature.

Listen to Is The Is Are on Spotify below:

With the stress of week six weighing down, Emerald staffers Jamie Perry and Meerah Powell picked their favorite love and relationship-themed songs for the upcoming Valentine’s Day weekend, though don’t expect them to be heartfelt ballads.

Warning: If you’re looking for a playlist to listen to while you peer into your lover’s eyes to over a candlelit dinner, this might not be the one.

However, if you would describe yourself as (a) a realist rather than an optimist, or (b) bitter and single this Valentine’s Day, this mix will be right up your alley.

Listen to the second episode of Jamie and Meerah’s biweekly music podcast below.

“Pretend to Care” by Big Eyes, from the album Hard Life

“Siri, Open Tinder” by CHILDBIRTH from Women’s Rights

“Walk Away” by Tony Molina from Dissed and Dismissed

“I Don’t Need You Tonight” by Fox Atticus Martindale from the album of the same name.

“Square” by Mitski from Retired from Sad, New Career in Business

“I Wanna Boy” by PWR BTTM from Ugly Cherries

“Minneapolis” by That Dog from Retreat From The Sun

Listen to the first episode of Emerald staffers Jamie Perry and Meerah Powell’s biweekly music podcast below, in which Perry and Powell pick a few of their favorite tracks from 2015.

“The Prick” – Dogs on Acid

“Brazos River” – Lomelda

“Something Soon” – Car Seat Headrest

“Burn Masculinity” – The Spook School

“Thousand Pounds” – WEED

“All on You” – katie dey

“Skin Gets Hot” – Fraternal Twin

Though it may still be wet and cold, the warmer months of music festival season are quickly approaching, and everyone’s favorite Memorial Day Weekend fest — Sasquatch! – has recently made a lineup announcement.

Though the four-day festival, which occurs every year in the Washington Gorge, isn’t taking place for another four months, it’s never too early to start saving money for a ticket, planning a road trip with friends and, most importantly, figuring out which bands you want to see.

This year, Sasquatch is host to not only big-name artists such as The Cure, Florence and The Machine, A$AP Rocky and Sufjan Stevens, but many lesser-known acts who are worth seeing as well.

Below is a playlist featuring a few of the bands listed in the roster’s small print that are worth listening to.

1. Hibou – “Dissolve”

Hibou is the solo project of Craft Spells’ drummer, Peter Michael. Hibou definitely retains some of Craft Spells’ musical styling — dreamy reverb-ridden, cheerful guitar with an inherently danceable nature that carries gliding melancholy attributes akin to bands like Real Estate and Diiv.

     2. Speedy Ortiz – “American Horror”

Speedy Ortiz has a very singular sound to say the least. Led by dissonant, noisy guitar, an apt amount of feedback and lead singer Sadie Dupuis’ demanding, yet apathetic, vocals, the Massachusetts-based band brings forth a unique and untouchable mixture of noise pop and indie rock.

     3. Autolux – “Sugarless”

Los Angeles-based band Autolux is still going strong after 15 years. The band will be releasing their third studio album, Pussy’s Dead, in April of this year — just in time for their performance at Sasquatch. The band puts forth a powerful sound with hints of shoegazers My Bloody Valentine and noise-rockers Sonic Youth, though they ultimately meld these influences into a style that is completely their own.

     4. Bully – “Milkman”

Bully is a grunge band for the modern ages. Led by front woman and guitarist Alicia Bognanno’s slightly raspy vocals, akin to a higher-pitched Courtney Love, the band puts forth noisy indie anthems with a feminine twist made for the big stage. 

     5. Hop Along – “Waitress”

Hop Along lead singer Frances Quinlan’s vocals are indescribably emotional. From gravelly whispers to full-fledged, soaring wails, Quinlan adds an extremely passionate and personal touch to the Philadelphia-based band’s alternative folk styling.

     6. Chelsea Wolfe – “Feral Love”

A mixture of goth, electronic and elements of black metal, Chelsea Wolfe’s sound is without a doubt dark. Though riddled with doom and gloom, and sometimes sounding downright chilling, Wolfe’s music is undeniably enchanting, beautiful and powerful.

     7. Caribou – “Can’t Do Without You”

On the surface, Caribou, the moniker of electronic producer Dan Snaith, creates very danceable electronica. But Caribou’s music is much more than just that. Caribou also weaves emotionally evocative elements into his songs, seamlessly adding a layer of personality that can sometimes be omitted from the genre.

     8. Yo La Tengo – “You Can Have It All”

Though Yo La Tengo have been making critically acclaimed music since 1984, the indie-rock band never really reached mainstream success, resulting in a small-font billing on the Sasquatch lineup. Led by Ira Kaplan and Georgia Hubley’s calming vocals, Yo La Tengo has, in my opinion, never put out anything short of a solid release.

Other smaller-font artists to look out for at Sasquatch this May: La Luz, Tacocat, Vince Staples, Titus Andronicus, Julia Holter, Shannon and the Clams.

Listen to the full playlist below for songs from these artists and more.

It’s week six of the term. The unrelenting stress of midterms has passed for most and now a majority of University of Oregon students are taking a quick breather in the eye of the storm before even more daunting final exams, essays and projects in the near future. And what better way to do so than to forget your worries with some live music?

Portland’s garage-rock, neo-psychedelia band The Dandy Warhols played an energetic set Wednesday evening, Nov. 4 at W.O.W. Hall, giving students a nice chance to blow off some steam and unwind, though not only students were in attendance. The crowd was speckled with salt-and-pepper haired long-time fans, who’ve most likely stayed loyal to the band since their 1994 inception as well as the younger crowd who was probably only a few years old when the band came to be.

The Dandy Warhols’ Eugene show was the first night of their newest U.S. tour, an occasion that filled the concert hall to the brim which, regardless of any circumstances, was an impressive act for a mid-week night. Though the band has played pacific northwest shows regularly in the past 21 years, the amount of people in attendance made it clear that no one is near bored of The Dandy Warhols’ company.

L.A. garage rockers The Shelters opened the night up with a rambunctious set that entertained early audience members as the venue began to fill. Though it was the band’s first time playing in Eugene, the crowd reacted warmly with some members even calling for an encore though instead had to wait patiently for The Warhols to take the stage about a half an hour later.

The audience erupted in cheers as The Dandy Warhols walked across the dimly lit stage. Although Eugene has been a tour destination various other times throughout the years, Wednesday night was the band’s first time back in W.O.W. Hall since 1996, and they definitely received a grand welcoming. Lead singer Courtney Taylor-Taylor recalled the venue feeling a lot larger when the band first played it. “We’ve had a lot of practice since then,” Taylor-Taylor joked.

The Warhols kicked off their set with “Be-In”, a song off of the group’s second album sending the diverse crowd into an immediate dance party. The band is touring on their newest album Thirteen Tales From Urban Bohemia Live at the Wonder – a live recording in Portland’s Wonder Ballroom of their hit LP from 2000, and played some crowd favorites from the release like “Bohemian Like You” and “Get Off.” Though touring in support of Thirteen Tales, the group played a balanced set full of tracks from various releases throughout the years.

The group kept the pace well throughout songs though stopped a couple times to jam on atmospheric interludes and to have the crowd sing guitarist Peter Holmström “Happy Birthday.”

The Warhols played their biggest hit, “Bohemian Like You” late into the set sending the already-hyped audience into overdrive, with both younger fans and white-haired devotees jumping in unison and happily yelling the song’s various “woo”s along with the equally spirited Taylor-Taylor and the rest of the band.

“20 years?” Taylor-Taylor breathily mumbled into the mic after a song, “I think we’re still playing because we’re really fucking good.”

The rest of the band laughed humbly as Taylor-Taylor nodded matter-of-factly, but he’s definitely not wrong. The band played an incredibly tight and solid set, showing that the more than 20 years of practice that Taylor-Taylor was joking about has really done some good, and did its part in leaving audience members both sweaty and satisfied at the end of the night.

Listen to the band’s newest LP Thirteen Tales From Urban Bohemia Live at the Wonder below:

Electronic music has become a popular genre in this decade among college students and younger generations, and Eugene, Ore. is definitely not untouched by that fact. Beckoning in many artists in the last few years under the wide electronic music umbrella like experimental artist Baths, chillwave musician Washed Out and dubstep phenom Skrillex, Eugene has not given fans of the broad and ever-evolving genre much to complain about. And fans definitely weren’t complaining at the Purity Ring show on Sunday night, Oct. 4 at McDonald Theatre.

The Edmonton, Alberta-based electronic duo of Megan James and Corin Roddick, formerly members of the group Born Gold, took the U.S. Billboard charts by storm with their debut LP Shrines in 2012. The witch house inspired album included dark and haunting hit tracks like “Odebear” and “Fineshrine.” Purity Ring’s newest 2015 LP another eternity continued the group’s rise to mainstream popularity, especially through catchy, throbbing singles like “begin again” and served as a majority of the material for the group’s Eugene set – the final show of the band’s U.S. tour before a European tour leg.

The night began with up-and-coming Los Angeles artist HANA who has received a good amount of attention from her friendships and touring history, notably with Grimes and Lana Del Rey. HANA charmed the all-ages crowd with her impressive vocal range and easily danceable tracks, proving to be a perfect start to the evening.

After HANA’s performance, Purity Ring took the stage. The band displayed a massive amount of lighting and gadgets that illuminated the cavernous, historical theatre. With drapes of rhythm-coordinated, colorful LED bulbs hanging from the ceiling and crystal-shaped touch activated lanterns that reacted to every hit of multi-instrumentalist Roddick’s electronic drum pads, there was definitely a lot for one’s senses to take in. Although the visual aspects of the set were extremely beautiful, they in no way overshadowed the gorgeous soundscapes created by the duo.

James and Roddick ran through all the hits from their first and second albums as well as underrated crowd favorites. The duo played with few interludes and James spoke rarely in between songs only to give a brief “thank you” every now and then. Instead of making the audience wait, the two played their encore, “begin again,” as the last song of their set without a drawn out break. This rapid-fire, down-to-business strategy kept the rhythm of the set sharp and concise, and in turn kept the audience attentive and excited for every track to come. It also helped for an early finish to the evening with the show ending at about 10:30 p.m, something very appreciated by many crowd members with things still left to do on a Sunday night.

Even though Purity Ring for the most part kept their words to themselves, the duo kept the energy high with James dancing around the stage, assisting Roddick in percussion at times and even crowd surfing at the end of the set.

Electronic music is, for better or for worse, here to stay for the time being, but with groups like Purity Ring in existence, no one should be complaining.

Watch the music video for Purity Ring’s “bodyache” off of another eternity below:

Chvrches lead singer Lauren Mayberry claims that the band was “born on the internet.” The group gained much of its fan base from having its songs posted on music blogs like Neon Gold as well as other social networking sites. Chvrches’ online awakening has both helped and hindered the band in multiple ways, but nothing could hold the group back from releasing its sophomore album, Every Open Eye.

Lauren Mayberry of Chvrches performs at Coachella in 2014.

The Scottish synth-pop band rocked the charts in 2013 with their first LP, The Bones of What You Believe. It is a release that took the “Top Albums of 2013” charts of Pitchfork, NME, Billboard and Rolling Stone by storm, and features hit songs “The Mother We Share” and “Recover.”

Every Open Eye, even when viewed in the daunting shadow of its debut sibling, holds true to what The Bones of What You Believe brought forth: clean, airy and light electronic jams that despite their genre are surprisingly emotional and full of heart. The album begins with “Never Ending Circles,” an anthemic, pounding and electrified opener glued together with the sap of Mayberry’s beautifully sweet and delicate vocals. Her delightfully high vocal range is one of the things that makes Chvrches so recognizable as a group.

Besides musical talent, Mayberry has also been acknowledged for her attractive appearance – something that has gained the band attention for the many misogynistic comments they have received on YouTube music videos and online forums. Despite this, Mayberry has refused to stay silent. She spoke out in an interview with The Guardian saying that she encourages “others to reject an acceptance of the status quo … For us, this has always been – and hopefully will always be – about the music, and that is what we will be getting back to now.”

Focusing on the music is something Chvrches definitely had no problem doing with Every Open Eye. The album is filled with catchy, emotional songs, like the determined second track of the LP, “Leave A Trace” as well as “Afterglow,” the gliding, album-ending ballad. “I’ve given up all I’ve got,” Mayberry repeats solemnly as an end to the release. Chvrches has indeed seemed to give up something with each track: a personal piece of themselves to their listeners. And with that the group does something that many chart-topping artists simply don’t: create successful pop songs without having to leave everything they believe in behind.

“I would rather write something that’s authentic to me than something that’ll be likely to get played on the radio but doesn’t have any substance to it,” Mayberry stated in an interview with NME. “People can see through that really quickly.” And with that, Chvrches serves as more than a hit-making synthpop band, but also as an inspiration for bands who want to make it big without selling their souls.

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Chvrches lead singer Lauren Mayberry claims that the band was “born on the Internet.”

The group gained much of its fan base from having its songs posted on music blogs like Neon Gold and other social networking sites. Chvrches’ online awakening has both helped and hindered the band, but nothing could hold the group back from releasing its sophomore album, Every Open Eye.

Lauren Mayberry of Chvrches performs at Coachella in 2014.

The Scottish synth-pop band rocked the charts in 2013 with their first LP, The Bones of What You Believe. It is a release that took the “Top Albums of 2013” charts of Pitchfork, NME, Billboard and Rolling Stone by storm, and features hit songs “The Mother We Share” and “Recover.”

Every Open Eye, even when viewed in the daunting shadow of its debut sibling, holds true to what The Bones of What You Believe brought forth: clean, airy and light electronic jams that, despite their genre, are surprisingly emotional and full of heart. The album begins with “Never Ending Circles,” an anthemic, pounding and electrified opener glued together with the sap of Mayberry’s beautifully sweet and delicate vocals. Her delightfully high vocal range is one of the things that makes Chvrches so recognizable as a group.

Besides musical talent, Mayberry has also been acknowledged for her attractive appearance – something that has gained the band attention for the many misogynistic comments they have received on YouTube music videos and online forums.

Despite this, Mayberry has refused to stay silent. She spoke out in an interview with The Guardian, saying that she encourages “others to reject an acceptance of the status quo … For us, this has always been – and hopefully will always be – about the music, and that is what we will be getting back to now.”

Focusing on the music is something Chvrches definitely had no problem doing with Every Open Eye. The album is filled with catchy, emotional songs, such as the determined second track of the LP, “Leave A Trace” as well as “Afterglow,” the gliding, album-ending ballad. “I’ve given up all I’ve got,” Mayberry repeats solemnly as an end to the release. Chvrches has indeed seemed to give up something with each track: a personal piece of themselves to their listeners. And with that the group does something that many chart-topping artists simply don’t: create successful pop songs without having to leave everything they believe in behind.

“I would rather write something that’s authentic to me than something that’ll be likely to get played on the radio but doesn’t have any substance to it,” Mayberry stated in an interview with NME. “People can see through that really quickly.” Because of that, Chvrches serves not only as a hit-making synth-pop band, but also as an inspiration for bands who want to make it big without selling their souls.

Listen to Chvrches’ “Leave A Trace” from Every Open Eye below.

Tuesday night events in Eugene usually do not lead to many fun plans, but this last Tuesday was a big exception. For lovers of live music, this particular night offered a little of something for everyone.

Electronic producer Flux Pavilion performed at McDonald Theatre, experimental rock band Man Man jammed at W.O.W. Hall, hardcore bands Sloths, Chrysalis and local act Senza played at The Wandering Goat and last, but definitely not least, Canadian indie rockers Tokyo Police Club graced Cozmic Pizza on 8th Ave. 

Faced with a lot of competition for the night, Tokyo Police Club pulled in a good-sized crowd for only its second time playing in Eugene. Before Tokyo Police Club came on stage, Portland band The Domestics opened the night and hyped up the crowd with bright, tight and impressive rock-and-roll tunes.

Tokyo Police Club earned a very warm welcome from the all-ages crowd. This time, they were not separated by a 21 years-and-over barricade down the middle of the floor as with some previous Cozmic shows. This floor layout was well-received as the audience spanned from carefree younger teens and college kids to older-aged fans.

Though stereotypical, the band definitely brought their Canadian good manners with them. At one point, frontman David Monks even stopped performing mid-song to ask if two girls in the crowd knew the man aggressively dancing next to them.

“My job is to make sure everyone is having a good time,” Monks assured. “If you’re not, just let me know.”

The band definitely stuck to that promise by checking in with the crowd often and going all out to put on quite a show.

Tokyo Police Club’s set was balanced nicely and had almost every dedicated audience member singing in unison. The night was filled with older crowd favorites like “Be Good” and “Nature of The Experiment” off of the band’s debut EP from 2006, A Lesson In Crime, as well as songs from their newest 2014 LP, Forcefield, like “Tunnel Vision” and “Argentina (Parts I, II, III).” Much to the audience’s surprise, the band even threw in a certain, well-known Kelly Clarkson song as the first part of its encore.

Overall, the men of Tokyo Police Club brought such a cheerful, fun and heartwarming presence to Cozmic that not jumping and dancing along would have been impossible. Judging by the dance party that ensued, everyone who chose to step into Cozmic that night did not regret their decision.

Follow Meerah Powell on Twitter @meerahpowell