#SongOfTheDay: Gardens & Villa – “Fixations”
In a recent interview with The Frame, Adam Rasmussen stated, “…all expression, really, is a reflection of where you’re at.” We would tend to agree – all expression is, obviously, an inherent projection of an artist’s insides: their insecurities, angers, concerns, loves. Maybe an unintended meaning of Rasmussen’s is that it can also be expression of where you are, literally, AT: a city, a coast, a country. “Fixations,” the newest single off of this year’s Music for Dogs is certainly representative of both these interpretations. It concerns itself with the reality, and beauty, of hitting rock bottom and then finding yourself in the depth – and, really, it couldn’t have come from anywhere OTHER than the West Coast; specifically from a warehouse in East Los Angeles. With Music For Dogs they’ve taken some of the proposals of New York bands from the early-2000s (think Liars, Interpol, a bit of Strokes) and filtered them through a hazy, postindustrial Los Angeles skyline.
Now a duo consisting of Chris Lynch and Adam Rasmussen, Gardens & Villa have taken their sound in a new direction while incorporating and delving a bit more into the sounds that both their previous albums explored. Music For Dogs was recorded and produced with Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s Jake Portrait, and you can really hear this influence on their new album in their use of reverb, organ synthesizers and quiet, ambient electronic noises. Most of the album was done in 1 or 2 takes, which lends itself well to this sound and brings us more in line with Garden & Villa’s self-titled album.
Being completely honest, “Fixations” is a great track but it’s not our favorite cut off the album – in fact, we would go so far as to say that “Fixations” is not actually representative of the album as a whole. It’s bouncy in an early 70s psych-pop kind of way, but not quite as anxious, layered or ephemeral as the rest of the album. That being said, it’s a great post-modern dance track – the keyboards are layered to great effect, serving to underscore the bassline that floats under some great synthesizer effects.
“Fixations” is a great jumping off point for this album and definitely one of the more accessible tracks – but don’t let its sound detract you from giving all the other cuts an equal footing and letting yourself explore each in their own right. We think you’ll find a lot more intricacy and experimentation to love.
Check out the official video for “Fixations” below:
Or listen on the Spotify Song of the Day playlist:
GARDENS & VILLA TOUR DATES
Fri. June 26 – Los Angeles, CA @ Center For The Arts, Eagle Rock
Tue. Sept. 15 – Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom
Thu. Sept. 17 – Austin, TX @ The Parish
Fri. Sept. 18 – Dallas, TX @ Club Dada
Sat. Sept. 19 – Houston, TX @ House of Blues/Bronze Peacock
Sun. Sept. 20 – New Orleans @ Gasa Gasa
Tue. Sept. 22 – Atlanta, GA @ Aisle 5
Wed. Sept. 23 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle
Thu. Sept. 24 – Washington, DC @ Rock & Roll Hotel
Fri. Sept. 25 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Sat. Sept. 26 – Philadelphia, PA @ Boot & Saddle
Tue. Sept. 29 – Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair
Wed. Sept. 30 – Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz PDB
Thu. Oct. 1 – Toronto, ON @ The Garrison
Fri. Oct. 2 – Detroit, MI @ UFO Factory
Sat. Oct. 3 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
Sun. Oct. 4 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th St. Entry
Tue. Oct. 6 – Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater
Wed. Oct. 7 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
Thu. Oct. 8 – Las Vegas, NV @ Bunkhouse Saloon
Fri. Oct. 9 – San Diego, CA @ IRENIC
Review By: Ethan Brown
