Crocodiles
Bowery Ballroom, 4.2.09
I hear drumming, but see no drummer. I hear layers of guitar, but the only guitarist is busy fixing his strap.
The quantity of music blasting from the speakers during Crocodiles' opening set at Bowery Ballroom did not at all match what the duo was doing visually, and as much as I hate to say it, it kind of made me think of Milli Vanilli. Plenty of bands I know and love play with pre-recorded tracks, including Shoegaze legends My Bloody Valentine, but without even a drummer, Crocodiles looked as though the only music definitely being produced on stage was the reverb-heavy vocals, and some white noise guitar wash. Otherwise it just looked like a pair of hip dudes in sunglasses, projecting their image of cool and spitting all over the place. (Really, they were spitting all over that stage.)
I didn't go to this concert with any intention to hate on this band, and actually like their debut record Summer of Hate, even if it's essentially just a Darklands (The Jesus & Mary Chain) rehash. And "Flash of Light" is a pretty awesome song, but the band's performance or lack there of on Thursday night has made it hard for me to get behind this band. They really need to bring aboard a drummer, 2nd guitarist, and stop relying on so much pre-generated music if they're gonna generate a legitimate live following.
Thankfully, Asobi Seksu came on stage a little later and made the night fulfilling.
When you see as many concerts as I do, it's easy to become jaded. The gimmicks, the tricks, and the other bullshit becomes more and more apparent, but then a band like Thee Oh Sees comes in to town and restores my faith in rock & roll.
A week ago Rick Froberg and his new band Obits took the stage at Bell House and tore through a ridiculously good set loaded with Froberg's razor-sharp riffs. It was the type of set that's impossible to walk away disappointed by. Last night, on the same stage, John Dwyer and his latest project Thee Oh Sees provided an equally memorable performance. Much like Obits, as good as the rest of the band is, it all revolves around the genius frontman/guitarist—in this case ex-Coachwhips frontman John Dwyer. Much like Froberg, Dwyer seems far more in command of his instrument than most, as if it's an extra limb. The songs he and Thee Oh Sees creates are essentially nothing more than simple poppy 50s style surf-guitar rock & roll drenched in a dirty reverb, but it still sounds totally unique in its delivery. Thee Oh Sees are the band for all those who have grown sick of watching a couple of brightly dressed hipsters in sunglasses tinkering away at keyboards in that same faux avant garde style that lacks any sense of melody.
It was a pleasant surprise to see the large room so full for them headlining, after they essentially came through town relatively unnoticed on their tour last year. John Dwyer is finally starting to get his due respect.
Not every good record is made to sit as a background setting for great sex. Frank Zappa and Captain Beefheart are too weird, and too oddly paced. Torche’s Neanderthal is too heavy, with not enough buildup. I can’t imagine anyone being able to get off while hearing Craig Finn’s (The Hold Steady) nasally voice speak-sing about hoodrats. Nine Inch Nails and Big Black are far too sadistic. Music Tapes just seems too innocent, and I can’t even begin to explain how wrong it’d be to have a Care Bears on Fire track blasting while engaging in intercourse.
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Gringo Star, The Broken West, Blind Pilot
Mercury Lounge, 3.31.09
When I arrived early to Mercury Lounge, the space was rather empty, especially with the show being listed as sold out and the excellent Gringo Star about to take stage.
For whatever they lack in originality, the Atlanta-based quartet makes up for with well-executed ‘60s Brit rock and infectious songwriting. Trading instruments, each member to his turn as lead vocalist for more than one tune, yet the set remained fluid, which was a testament to the strong dynamic between the four members. Unlike many bands that utilize multiple lead vocalists, their performance never suffers at the hand of a particular member taking lead. All of the songs performed were from their new record All Yall, with set highlights being twangy ballad “Transmission and super catchy set closer “All Yall.”
The room had filled up a bit by the time The Broken West took the stage. As was the case with the last time I caught the band at Mercury Lounge, during CMJ, there are times in the set where the band seems to be nothing more than mediocre, but then they play a great song like “Gwen, Now and Then” or “Auctioneer” and it’s more than apparent that they’re capable of writing a potent pop song or 2.
By the time The Broken West played their final note, the room was packed for headliner Blind Pilot. I had no idea that the Portland band was anywhere near so popular, but perhaps being picked as Apple’s single of the week, and being announced as opener for The Decemberists’ upcoming tour has worked heavily in their favor. However they may have gained this unexpected popularity, one thing’s for certain, the crowd knew all the words of every song off of their debut 3 Rounds and a Sound, and they showed it by joyfully singing along through the entire set.
I wasn’t sure what to expect from this band, whose sincere acoustic ballads could have made for a pretty depressing performance. But with six members on stage (including trumpet, upright bass, and xylophone) and an uplifting approach, the songs seemed full of life and actually pretty fun. We got an unexpected treat when singer Israel Nebeker's guitar strap broke following "Go On Say It" allowing Kati Claborn to take lead for a cover song on which she played ukulele and showcased a powerful set of pipes. After seeing how absorbed by the performance that their crowd was, there’s no doubt that Blind Pilot is on their way to much bigger things.
While there's no doubt that Blind Pilot received the best crowd reaction on Tuesday night, I can't help but think Gringo Star would have, had there been a full crowd there when they performed.
Depreciation Guild / Mirror Mirror
Public Assembly, 3.15.09
All the while that Pains of Being Pure at Heart have risen to be the hottest band in indie rock, drummer Kurt Feldman has slowly seen his other band, Depreciation Guild start to finally get some attention of their own. Much like Pains, Depreciation Guild are founded on the luscious shoegazer pop of 90s England. The biggest difference though is the complimentary usage of Feldman's 8-bit programming, which often makes the songs sound like they're being backed by classic Nintendo games. This could be gimmicky if done wrong, but it all works because these odd blips and bleeps are set as background textures behind the double layer of glistening effects-heavy guitars, and Feldman's airy vocals.
With Feldman's Pains band mate Kip Berman in the audience, Depreciation Guild played another fine show on Sunday night at Public Assembly. Giant pixels changed colors on a screen behind them while the tight 3-piece of Feldman and twins Christoph (guitar) and Anton Hocheim (drums) swirled a rainbow palate of shoegaze upon the stage. It's only a matter of time when Depreciation Guild joins Pains of Being Pure at Heart at the top ranks of the indie music scene. They've got the looks, the hooks, the live show and now they've got the connection to a band people can't stop talking about.
On before DG, Mirror Mirror made quite an impression. Bordering on theatrical performance art, the experimental trio, whose music evokes Syd Barret at times, slinked around the stage in bizarre costumes as though they were performing in some strange dungeon ballet. Their shows will soon make people take notice, and luckily for them they have the tunes to back it up.
OK GO, Longwave, Oppenheimer
Music Hall of Williamsburg, 3.8.09
OK GO unexpectedly catapulted to pop stardom when their brilliant video for "Here It Goes Again" become the most talked about thing on the internet. Who would've thought choreographing a dance routine on treadmills would be the best route to success. Luckily for them, they're good enough, smart enough, and catchy enough to hold on to some of that popularity, rather than fade into oblivion with the likes of Right Said Fred and Van McCoy.
Playing a sold out show on Sunday night at Brooklyn's Music Hall of Williamsburg, the only challenge that stood in between the Chicago quartet and conquest was the unfortunate task of having to follow tragically underrated locals Longwave.
Originally lumped in with friends The Strokes, during the earlier part of the decade, Longwave was once labeled "next big thing" by indie media, only to become forgotten a few years past. This was not their fault. Their four records have each been worthy of that label, and with each release the band has grown leaps and bounds. Sadly these leaps and bounds haven't graduated them to the arenas that their expansive sounds are so perfectly made for. Bursting with sonic grandeur, Longwave played the type of set that makes anything that follows seem frail in comparison, which would explain why the name U2 so often appears in reviews of their records and shows. Their set mysteriously lacked any songs from 2005's "There's a Fire", focusing solely on their breakout record "The Strangest Things" and 2008's "Secrets Are Sinister." As usual "Everywhere You Turn" and the lovely instrumental "Daysleeper" were highlights of the set, but it was the new songs "Life is Wrong," "No Direction" and the explosive "Sirens of the Deep Sea" that made their set truly outstanding.
While Longwave played, I nearly forgot that they weren't headlining, because everything about their performance said there's no way anyone's following this. But follow, OK GO did. With confetti, infectious hooks, and large screen with video projections behind them, they went as big as they could in order to claim the night's throne. Ultimately, Longwave's performance was the better of the two, but OK GO played a great set, that won me over after not having listened to the band in a very long time. The new material that they introduced was some of the best they played. The highlight of the performance was undoubtedly when the band gathered around a table to perform "What To Do" with a variety of bells as their only instruments.The result was breathtaking.
Not to be forgotten was Oppenheimer who started the whole night off with some pretty catchy tunes of their own, and clever banter.
Stars Like Fleas, La Strada, Frances, Twi The Humble Feather
Music Hall of Williamsburg, 3/5/09
Although the venue never quite filled up—no thanks to L-train complications—those who were at the Music Hall of Williamsburg on Thursday night saw a really solid collection of local bands, celebrating the release of La Strada's debut EP.
Twi The Humble Feather, the only band featuring less than 6 members, was the first band to take the stage. In front of the sparse crowd, the trio brought the songs of "Music for Spaceships and Forests" to life with perfectly tight guitar plucking interplay and their otherworldly 3-part harmonies, which draw comparisons to earlier Animal Collective. It's very rare to see a group of musicians so on point. At times they seemed synchronized even in their movements up and down the fretboard. With a bit more time, Twi The Humble Feather will go from opening in front of 15 people to headlining Bowery Ballroom.
Up next was Frances, a band I've seen a lot of in the past few months, including a slot on my own show at Bell House back in January. Their orchestral pop melodies have had me hooked for a while now. They showcased a bunch of new songs as well as some of the best from their lovely debut "All The While." The joy that they have for making music releases itself into their songs and sheds a light on the crowds they perform in front of.
The night was all about La Strada, who was celebrating the release of their EP. It was the 3rd time for me seeing the band at Music Hall of Williamsburg, and it was also the strongest set I've seen them play so far. Like Frances, they're a large orchestral pop band, but La Strada has a more Balkan influence, and is more string heavy. Their exceptional performance, especially on "The Sun Song" guaranteed that the night was definitely all about them. They'll be heading out on the road for SXSW with Frances this week.
Following La Strada's performance, much of the room cleared out. That was a mistake for those who left, because Stars Like Fleas played a great set. The collective, whose members have played with seemingly every band in NYC, create indescribably beautiful avant grade, improvisational arrangements that combine elements of pop, jazz and classical music. Playing with the lights dimmed, their set once again proved that they're not for everyone, but those of us who stuck around were left mesmerized by their compositions and unique style.
Watching Phosphorescent at Bell House last Saturday night made me a Wilie Nelson fan. I actually feel pretty embarrassed to admit that prior to their set—which consisted of their Willie Nelson tribute album – “To Willie” played in full—I was not all that familiar with Nelson’s great discography. Along with not being familiar with Willie, I hardly knew any music by Phosphorescent either. So, thanks to one really incredible performance, I was simultaneously transformed into both a Phosphorescent fan and Willie Nelson fan.
The first portion of the set, which consisted of the Willie Nelson songs was a perfect reminder of what country music should sound like. It’s easy to hate country in its popular modern state, where everything sounds like shitty templated pop in a cowboy hat or sung by a pretty girl with big hair, but the classic country of Nelson, Johnny Cash and Hank Williams is an absolutely wonderful thing, characterized by raw storytelling and thumping basslines.
When the Willie portion of the set was done, the show was far from over. Mathew Houck and his band continued on with a ton of their own material, which proved that Houck is more than capable of writing his own great songs. It was even good enough to follow the Willie material. It was an incredibly long set, but the sold out crowd stuck around late into the night.
Motel Motel, my current obsession, opened the night with yet again the best set I’ve ever sent hem play. As great as songs like “Coffee” and “Mountain” from their debut “New Denver” are, they’ve been writing and playing new material that take the band up to yet another level. I leave every show wishing they would record their next album already, so I can listen to it repeatedly like an obsessed little kid, just as I did with Green Day’s “Dookie” and Weezer’s debut record when I was in middle school.
Mike Bones filled out the lineup for the night, and though his performance hadsome fine moments, being sandwiched between Motel Motel and Phosphorescent’s phenomenal sets made his set much harder to remember.
…And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead
w/ Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Midnight Masses
Music Hall of Williamsburg
2.27.09
I never lost my faith in Trail of Dead. In fact, unlike many, I quite liked “So Divided”—though it didn’t change my life the way Source Tags and Codes did. If I did lose faith like so many others have, all would have been restored after Friday night’s mind-blowing performance at Music Hall of Williamsburg. With their new record “Century of Self” returning to their less proggy roots, the media has been a bit more favorable to the band than their last 2 efforts. Even Pitchfork refrained from trashing it after panning “So Divided” and “World’s Apart.”
In their earlier days, Trail of Dead built a reputation for powerful, destructive live shows, which lived up to the band’s name. They’ve tamed down a bit since those days, and though no instruments were harmed, the energy was right there with the old days. Longtime fans were overjoyed for the inclusion of older songs “Richter Scale Madness” and “Totally Natural” in the set list, but new songs like “Fields of Coal” and “Isis Unveiled” proved to be just as epic. The highlight of the set was undoubtedly the extended “Totally Natural” which was simultaneously exhausting and energizing for both crowd and band.
Afterwards, Conrad Keely, refused to walk off stage for the traditional encore treatment, claiming to have a load of energy left to burn off after drinking a bunch of Red Bull. And so the show went on, finally coming to a close after the especially memorable “Caterwaul” in which Jason Reece threw himself into the crowd to unite fans and band as one for that final epic moment.
Before Trail of Dead even took the stage, it had become a great show. Tour mates Midnight Masses (which includes Keely and Reece) proved to be far better than the traditional opener. Taking cues from throughout the entire music spectrum, Midnight Masses performed with the swagger and proficiency of a veteran band. The set was dedicated to singer Autry Fulbright’s deceased father who Fulbright wrote the album for, and at times there was a certain spiritual nature when the full band transformed into a choir. Be sure to check this band out when they return home to Brooklyn.
Also on the bill for this show was pop shoegazers, and equally-long-moniker-possessing, Pains of Being Pure at Heart. Hot off of well-deserved Pitchfork praise for their new self-titled full length, Pains of Being Pure At Heart did not disappoint. Every minute of their all too brief set was just as sweet and luscious as their record, and though the vocals were never quite as enchanting, the rest of their sound was heightened by the great sound system and sheer volume which always seems to enhance shoegaze.
It’s pretty great that we can claim all 3 bands as local acts now, once again proving that New York’s music scene is still the greatest.
Family Time / Hospitality
Union Hall 2.24.09
Family Time played the final night of their 3 week Union Hall residency on Tuesday night.
Who's Family Time?
"A group of producers and musicians dedicated to creating awesome material for people to enjoy. They have already finished two works in 2008, the first of which - The Tale of Season 4 and the Oceanic Six- is the first album of the new genre Recap Rock, presenting episode by episode musical recaps of season 4 of Lost, the hit ABC TV program. They’ve just posted the recap of the Season 5 premiere. The second Family Time full length is Champollion, a space-opera inspired by the musings of Carl Sagan that tells the story of the telepathic night watchman on a spacecraft who becomes a principle figure in future mythology. They performed Champollion as a multi-media ballet with visual projections and a team of dancers from the Mark Morris Group in the 2007 NYC Fringe Festival. They are also the creators of the emmy-nominated Pitchfork TV show Juan’s Basement."
Reads like a gimmick, but sounds pretty awesome. See for yourself.
And while opener Hospitality may not be playing recap rock, they're indie pop is pretty incredible as well. In fact, Stereogum very recently named them "Band to Watch."
Hospitality - "Betty Wang" (MP3)
Hospitality - "Argonauts" (MP3)
Family Time
Hospitality
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