Heavenly Beat is most successful when Pena ventures to evoke in the listener an emotional connection that goes beyond mental relaxation. “Stable” and “Prominence” are tracks well worth their value. They are captivating while maintaining that recognisable blend of chill indie and whisper vocals. The mellotron is, along with the guitar, dynamically employed to create an arresting melody. There is life. “Prominence” is lit up with guitar plucking and an ambient atmosphere that is engaging. The quiet moments are effective.

That being said, Prominence does not do anything Talent has not already done. The most significant detraction to enjoying or distinguishing between the nine tracks is that the listener’s growing disinterest is due to the fact that there is no song that stands out and grabs one’s attention. This is problematic, because you can put this album on, do other things, think other things, and completely disconnect from it, similar to taking in but not processing the music played in doctor’s offices or elevators.

“Lengths” introduces us to breezy guitar chords and Pena’s nice breathy falsetto. “Lengths” sets the mood for the rest of the album, and that mood is ultimately too tranquil. “Complete”, as the second track, is also the first single to be released off of Prominence and it has been touted by some as a summer song. It includes a catchy hook with “it’s got me feeling like/I’ll dance if I want tonight”, but it does not leave the strongest lasting impression when it is followed by “Familiar” and “Expectation”, songs that both incorporate a guitar riff mimicking one another. What adds to this mental bog is the grandiose titles attached to the tracks themselves such as “Familiar” or “Forever.” One-word titles tend to pack a punch, because there is a sense of the definitive, of authority, but the tunes themselves get weighed down and do not come up to scratch to their ambitious-sounding names.

What is, perhaps, the most interesting aspect to Prominence is the process it took Pena to create it. Pena began work on it earlier this year after putting aside a fair share of songs that were not compelling enough, which is somewhat bewildering considering the crops Prominence has yielded. He utilizes the piano and mellotron instead of the computer for keyed instruments. There is a musical connection to the hit Primitive Radio God’s song “Standing Outside a Broken Telephone Booth with Money in my Hand” in a mutual goal to craft simple tracks. The mechanics of creating quality songs without an overreliance on computer tones is intriguing, and there is nothing inherently boring or wrong with songs that are shaped by a basic formula. Yet, this does not excuse Prominence for producing the type of ennui that is not shoegazing but listless.

Album release date: August 15, 2013

The post LP Review: Heavenly Beat “Prominence” appeared first on Quip Magazine.

Samuel Hernandez: How have early live performances compared to where the band is at now?

JP: Early performances were disappointing on a personal level. It was just an iPod and a microphone. It was a truly dehumanising artistic experience. The harshest reviews I have ever read all came after those first shows. Reviewers were quick to ask “who the fuck does this guy think he is doing his karaoke up on stage.”

It was kind of hilarious how offended people got.

SH: What do you think about the more obsessive or dedicated fans?

JP:  I remember how excited I got when bands I liked were putting out music. Now it’s hard for me to gauge who even likes Heavenly Beat. The process is usually me sitting in my room playing on my guitar. Who could possibly be interested in what I’m doing. It’s incredible to know there are actually people waiting for something to come out.

SH: Did the move from Texas to Brooklyn change how you made your music?

JP:  My environment is not something that I take that much inspiration from. Most of my inspiration comes from looking in. It’s not really hermetic so much as what I want to do. There are moments when I’m out drinking with friends and 100% of the time I’d rather be at home alone working on music.

In that same regard, I hate artist bios. I spent five months deeply entrenched in this music. Summing that up every time that I play it. More reviewers and critics are going to spend more time with the bios that are written than actually listening to the music.

***

Live show seem to be a source of pleasure for Peña, as he thrashes his guitar around the stage, thoroughly enjoying and criticizing each movement, one chord struck at a time. The ecstasy is profound and highlighted by the sharp harmonica that brings a blues motion to already diverse music.

SH: So much effort is clearly put into the production of the vinyl records, from the strong pink of Talent to the gold of Prominence, where does that come from?

JP: Aesthetics are really important to me. The attention to detail comes from being appealing to the casual viewer. I really like simple designs that don’t say much.

SH: From iPod performances to playing with a live band, where is Heavenly Beat headed?

JP: I want to be dedicated to my music. I’ve spent the last 14 months getting good at my craft.

SH: Did growing up Hispanic influence your music at all?

JP: Being Hispanic has definitely influenced everything about who I am as a human being. It’s inescapable, my parents both spoke Spanish growing up, it’s just who we were. It has definitely shaped me as who I am as a human but I don’t think my ethnicity has really come into play directly with the music I’m making.

I would love for someone who is Hispanic to look and be inspired by what I’ve been able to accomplish.

***

The upcoming album, Prominence, out October 15, takes on a different direction. Before where the music floated on a carefree sex appeal, darker themes have seeped into the infectious beats. Heavenly Beat makes room for melancholy moments. They’re a band on the rise, with something to prove.

The post Having faith in Heavenly Beat appeared first on Quip Magazine.

Music festivals are gluttonous and famishing at the same time, you get plenty of bands and tunes to feast on, your hungry soul scooping them up with glee—“Is that a supergroup composed of members of Captured Tracks’ best musicians? What? Why would they do this to me, it’s too much for my stomach to handle, such rich delicacies” — and then your bitter and tired body trying to persuade you that the things inherent to all music festivals are specific to this one and make it a bad one. You can’t bring in your own water because they want you to be so thirsty that you will pay three dollars for a water bottle, and all you can hope for is that somehow that extortion makes its back to the musicians. That’s normal ,though. The summer is beautiful, except when you’re standing in the sun and New York City decides to be muggy and unforgiving, and the waves of Brooklyn hipsters are either a) too cool to sit down between sets or b) too cool to move forward up to the stage.

Heavenly Beat opened the first day. This is a band that should be further down the set list, but the lead singer, and band genius John Peña, seems to be the type of person who doesn’t care about when his band plays. The heat got the better of the band. While Heavenly Beat is known for their alluring dance rock, more R&B than electronica, the crowd—previously mentioned at a cautious distance—didn’t pay them enough attention. Peña began by tucking in his inside-out black t-shirt and then proceeded to enjoy his music… until the sound went off. They skipped through their set, being cut short one more time—where a crowd heckler told him to “dance for us” to which he responded, “You sound just like my mom.”

That night, with the sun finally set and the temperature at a manageable place, DIIV took the stage and proceeded to rock out to their brand of heavy boisterous garage rock. The festival was a celebration for Captured Tracks, an independent label started in Brooklyn five years ago, now heavy with a roster of bands making it onto the scene. DIIV are a good example of that. Lo-fi enough to catch the attention of the hip youth, but talented enough to break it open. Their music was a welcome jar to the previously static crowd, sitting comfortably in the surroundings of The Well.

The Well feels like a converted warehouse, all open spaces. The interior is cool and dark and it opens up to a large backyard with cement floors. The stage sits comfortably outdoors. Aside from the summer concert series in parks in New York City an outdoor stage is what is lacking in the city – Austin has Stubbs’ BBQ and, hopefully, now Brooklyn has The Well.

The celebration withstood the summer NYC weather, and now, two weeks later, sits nostalgically as a collaboration of brilliant musicians and warmer climates. Captured Tracks is definitively local, recently opening a record store to promote their bands, but also to celebrate the vinyl record.

The post Captured Tracks anniversary concert appeared first on Quip Magazine.