Review: Love of Diagrams at Death by Audio [11/18/07]

Love of Diagrams took the stage at Death by Audio after the guitarist Luke Horton yelled out at the last minute he had to go to the bathroom. Seconds later, running back onto the red light stage, they launched into "Form and Function". I can only imagine what has been going on in Australia lately to produce a post-post rock sound like this. Are they as out of place there as they sound here, or is there a scene I'm unaware of Down Under? Love of Diagrams prove that the simple trio is still the best rock vehicle that can run the gamut from quiet minimalism to a wall of sound. Anything else is really redundant. At the same time they have an eastern European constructivist aesthetic on their numerous show flyer's, and on bassist Antonia Selbach's collage album cover. The angular, new wave look suits the music perfectly. They must have met like any great band breeding ground: at an art school in Australia.

They aren't full of spectacle, they didn't speak in between songs. Luke pointed out that one of the songs was from their album Mosaic on Matador Records, as well as the rest of them, as if anyone was unfamiliar with the band, venturing to this former sanitation department building on a freezing Sunday night.

I couldn't see drummer Monika Fikerle's arms half the time, who seemed to masochistically use strings of fills for rhythm structure. She's inhuman, in speed and change. It reminded me of seeing Unwound and Sara Lund banging away with a snare roll for the length of a song while Justin and Vern noodled away with feedback and distortion. It's an exercise in effortless endurance.

But everything rests on Antonia's crunchy bass lines, driving every song. I imagine they write everything on her foundation. Luke adds the perfect high distorted sustain pieces to every song. Songs are all quick, Antonia and Luke singing back and forth but as if they aren't even a part of the same song; I never once thought 'duet', it's complementary but separate. Like the calculated clean artwork, there is a distinct order to these arrangements, Luke constantly would take a moment to retune in between songs and spent most of the time doubled over his guitar, straining to bend strings. They covered a Pylon song on an early EP, and the influence becomes more and more apparent every time I listen. The minimal, bass driven, alien-ness of it all.

I had an argument with a friend later about showmanship, and how if they are performing, they have an obligation, or at least have to acknowledge the idea that this is a show. I disagreed- if a band is as good as Love of Diagrams, it might mean even more that they don't need to rely on any theatrics. This is straight, simple, completely about the music. No distractions.

I guess when you're great, you don't have to be anything else.

[Photo courtesy of kristyliekwhoa from the knitting factory show the night before.]