Search - Elefant :: The Black Magic Show

The Black Magic Show
Elefant
The Black Magic Show
Genres: Alternative Rock, Pop, Rock
 
  •  Track Listings (11) - Disc #1

Elefant frontman Diego Garcia leveraged a privileged upbringing to indulge his taste in Bowie and the '80s UK Ian Curtis/Robert Smith/Morrisey pantheon via his workhorse NYC-based club band. The three years of heavy tourin...  more »

     
   
3

Larger Image

CD Details

All Artists: Elefant
Title: The Black Magic Show
Members Wishing: 0
Total Copies: 1
Label: Kemado
Original Release Date: 1/1/2006
Re-Release Date: 4/18/2006
Genres: Alternative Rock, Pop, Rock
Style: Indie & Lo-Fi
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPCs: 720616253125, 0720616258861

Synopsis

Amazon.com
Elefant frontman Diego Garcia leveraged a privileged upbringing to indulge his taste in Bowie and the '80s UK Ian Curtis/Robert Smith/Morrisey pantheon via his workhorse NYC-based club band. The three years of heavy touring that followed their well received Sunlight Makes Me Paranoid debut has toughened up Elefant's sonic hide considerably on this follow-up, offering an intriguing atmospheric backdrop for Garcia's lyrical postures. Those literary (the title track and single "Lolita" reference Russian classics) and cinematic (the Black Orpheus-rooted "Brasil") allusions balance nimbly between intellectual ambition and artistic pretense, powered by a solid pop craftsmanship beneath their moody textures and driving beats. Fused with the album's unusual creative genesis (most of the songs were written in Garcia's ancestral Argentina home), those sensibilities imparts an inviting exoticism that stretches from the predictable cabaret angst of "Sirens" and upbeat "Uh Oh Hello" to more challenging hybrids like "The Clown" and "Why." Garcia and company wear their '80s influences proudly throughout, yet bring enough fresh ideas to the mix to avoid being mere slaves to precious retro-fashion. --Jerry McCulley

Similarly Requested CDs

 

CD Reviews

Evocative Rock/Pop
James Fisher | New York, NY | 04/19/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)

"I listened to this through a friend who works in a radio statio a couple of weeks ago. Not being familiar with their previous record, I listened without comparisons and liked it a lot. It's derrivative of the 80s and many of the bands that exploded in the 2000s like The Strokes and Interpol, but the lyrics here are considerably more sentimental and the sound is very accessible. It maintains a remarkable balance. It rocks hard enough to keep a genre fan happy and yet it does not alienate those who enjoy catchy melodies."
I like it
alexander laurence | Los Angeles, CA | 06/10/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is the glamorous New York band. This is their second album. They provided some relief from the seriousness of bands like Interpol. Their first album was an interesting foray in pop rock music. The center of the group is Diego Garcia, the man, the myth. The second album seems more focused and more whole. It's not just a collection of songs that some guy wrote when he was young. There is more experience and shape in the sounds. There are some stand out tracks like "Lolita" and "Uh Oh Hello." Their sound is explored more in "The Clown." Some of the complicated rhythms give a new texture to the band's new sound. "Uh Oh Hello" is a slight tip of the hat to The Who. There was a Britpop vibe on the first album. Elefant has seemed to become more it's own thing. A more Latin style is displayed in "Brasil." There is a cool mix of rock and electronic sounds. No wonder Ed Buller is involved (Pulp, Suede). I am looking at some of the pictures in the booklet and the press, and there are a bunch ofpictures of the band leering, like they have some secret knowledge about life. Elefant is a type a band that should succeed."