{"id":1295,"date":"2016-09-10T11:11:43","date_gmt":"2016-09-10T10:11:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.shindig-magazine.com\/?p=1295"},"modified":"2016-09-10T11:36:06","modified_gmt":"2016-09-10T10:36:06","slug":"the-lemon-twigs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shindig-magazine.com\/?p=1295","title":{"rendered":"The Lemon Twigs"},"content":{"rendered":"

It’s once a year or less, that I (JON ‘MOJO’ MILLS, Editor-In-Chief) get really excited about a new band. We get so much stuff sent to us, and to be honest most of it goes in one ear and out the other, however good. Jacco Gardner… White Denim… Jonathan Wilson… Temples… Father John Misty… and Foxygen (more on them in a minute) have been bands I personally have championed… and now comes the incredibly intricate music of two teenage New York brothers THE LEMON TWIGS… who were discovered by Foxygen’s\u00a0Jonathan Rado. We’ll feature the band properly very\u00a0soon, but for now here’s their own biog and new video. Enjoy! I hope you love them as much as me. Talent this immense is rarely seen and heard<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\"The<\/p>\n

O<\/span>nce or twice every<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>generation, Long Island\u00a0<\/span>introduces the world to artists<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>of such singular originality that\u00a0<\/span>they chan<\/span>ge the very nature of their art: Lou Reed; Jim Brown;<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Robert Mapplethorpe;<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Andy Kaufman.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>With\u00a0<\/span>their debut album<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>for 4AD<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>Do Hollywood<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>The Lemon Twigs\u00a0<\/span>have earned\u00a0<\/span>themselves\u00a0<\/span>a spot on that list<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Fusing tightly constructed pop,\u00a0<\/span>sophisticated orchestration<\/span>, and British invasion melodies<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>into a 10<\/span>–<\/span>song\u00a0<\/span>masterpiece<\/span>, the D’Addario brothers<\/span>\u2014<\/span>Brian\u00a0<\/span>(19)\u00a0<\/span>and Michael<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>(17)<\/span>\u2014<\/span>are whipping fans and critics\u00a0<\/span>alike\u00a0<\/span>into\u00a0<\/span>an utter\u00a0<\/span>frenzy<\/span>. <\/span><\/p>\n

Born into a musical family, Brian and Michael grew up<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>on The<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Beach Boys and The\u00a0<\/span>Beatles<\/span>, whose\u00a0<\/span>albums\u00a0<\/span>and films<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>played constantly<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>in the<\/span>ir<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>house<\/span>. As toddlers,\u00a0<\/span>they<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>were already harmonising on\u00a0<\/span>\u2018<\/span>I Want To Hold\u00a0<\/span>Your Hand<\/span>\u2019<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>and\u00a0<\/span>soon<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>they were<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>p<\/span>laying drums and mastering\u00a0<\/span>whatever instruments<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>they could get their\u00a0<\/span>hands on<\/span>. Ask<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>about their childhood dreams<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>and they’ll tell you that they ne<\/span>ver<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>aspired to do anything\u00a0<\/span>but\u00a0<\/span>make<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>music together<\/span>. I<\/span>t show<\/span>s<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBrian and Michael are<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>two of the best musicians I’ve ever met,\u201d says<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Foxygen’s<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Jonathan Rado, who\u00a0<\/span>discovered the duo\u00a0<\/span>via<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Twitter\u00a0<\/span>and produced the\u00a0<\/span>new\u00a0<\/span>album<\/span>. “<\/span>As teenagers, t<\/span>hey\u00a0<\/span>work<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>like studio vets.\u00a0<\/span>Brian can play anything you hand him\u00a0<\/span>\u2013<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>he played all the strings and\u00a0<\/span>horns on the record\u00a0<\/span>\u2013<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>and Michael\u00a0<\/span>is the most captivating drummer I’ve ever seen. There’s nothing they can’t do.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Rado proved<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>to be the perfect foil for the wunderkinds, and t<\/span>he resulting album brings together everything\u00a0<\/span>from\u00a0<\/span>Brian Wilson<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>and\u00a0<\/span>David\u00a0<\/span>Bowie\u00a0<\/span>to Queen and The Association. Their music<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>can soar like a carnival\u00a0<\/span>calliope and then swiftly drop\u00a0<\/span>down\u00a0<\/span>to<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>its knees in<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>the hus<\/span>hed<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>tones of a confessional booth.\u00a0<\/span>Their vocals\u00a0<\/span>move seamlessly from a cabaret croon to classic la<\/span>–<\/span>la<\/span>–<\/span>la harmonies<\/span>. They<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>mine\u00a0<\/span>inspiration<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>seemingly\u00a0<\/span>from\u00a0<\/span>every<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>era of rock, stitching\u00a0<\/span>it all tog<\/span>ether into a\u00a0<\/span>baroque<\/span>–<\/span>pop<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>quilt\u00a0<\/span>of many colours<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It’s\u00a0<\/span>an\u00a0<\/span>ambitious<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>approach<\/span>, to say the least, but the album lives up to the hype. They forthcoming album\u00a0<\/span>Do Hollywood\u00a0<\/span><\/em>opens,\u00a0<\/span>appropriately enough,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>with\u00a0<\/span>\u2018<\/span>I Wanna Prove T<\/span>o You<\/span>\u2019<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>which parades out of the\u00a0<\/span>gate<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>like a circus arriving into\u00a0<\/span>to town.\u00a0<\/span>\u201cI wanna prove to you what I can do<\/span>,<\/span>\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Brian sings as he and his brother proceed to do just that.\u00a0<\/span>Bouncing<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>piano and\u00a0<\/span>dense harmonies give way to shifting time signatures and mind<\/span>–<\/span>bending arrangements.<\/span>It’s\u00a0<\/span>the perfect introduction to<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>The Lemon Twigs, and to\u00a0<\/span>Do Hollywood<\/span><\/em>,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>which features the\u00a0<\/span>brothers\u00a0<\/span>alternating<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>writing credits\u00a0<\/span>on each track\u00a0<\/span>and\u00a0<\/span>liberally swapping instruments<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>just as\u00a0<\/span>they do in their\u00a0<\/span>electrifying live performances<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>(<\/span>they tour with\u00a0<\/span>live member<\/span>s<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Megan Zeankowski on bass and Danny Ayala\u00a0<\/span>on keyboards)<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n