Preview/Live Review: Grand Archives @ Bowery Ballroom [06/13/08]

Grand Archives played their first New York show at the Bowery Ballroom on June 14, and as I promised to write a review and hadn't yet, I decided that I should definitely guarantee that Grand Archives get some press before they play New York again at South Street Seaport next Friday. For the original show at the Bowery, it was first of all great to have the band play in New York. The lineup for the evening was superb, with each band lending a different tone and energy to the night, but each adding to the others. They share much with other Seattle bands in terms of the sound that is coming out of the Sub Pop label this year, with bands like Fleet Foxes and Band of Horses (with whom they shared guitar player/vocalist Mat Brooke).

Hailing from Seattle, of course, Grand Archives recently released their self-titled full-length debut album, The Grand Archives, on Sub Pop earlier this year, opened with "Miniature Birds," a dreamy pop song in which the harmonizing vocals of all 5 band members, along with the rhythmic walking beat, construct sunlight out of nothing. The mellow, yet upbeat, melodies continued as the band moved into "Index Moon," a slightly surreal song that really highlights the band's vocal abilities. I nearly burst out laughing when I heard it, because the band members are typical Pacific Northwesterners, adorned in tattoos, plaid shirts, and denim, with scruffy beards and greasy hair, and to hear them harmonizing so beautifully was a bit disconcerting at first. It was almost like listening to an old barbershop phonograph, sung by lumberjacks.

The energy picked up when the band launched into "Swan Matches," one of my favorite songs. It has a nearly soporific effect on the senses with a plodding rhythm and dreamy lyrics, but this effect is deceptive because when those boys launch into song it just blows you away, like sunshine breaking through clouds on a rainy day. Fittingly, Grand Archives followed this song with the swinging, Beach Boysish energy of "Setting Sun," and then the popular songs "Sleepdriving," a haunting ballad with harmonies that echo easily off each other. Mat tried to change things up a bit by playing a couple of new songs, and the first time they had played live. It was clear that they had a few issues to work on, but I liked it because while a bit darker and (if I remember correctly) in a minor chord, it will flow nicely with their existing music. Hopefully by the time they play at the Seaport they'll have had time to work out the kinks. The band finished the show with a couple of covers ("Saturday Night," by Sam Cooke and "Sundown," by Gordon Lightfoot), which were well-chosen and almost more likeable than the originals, a rare feat!


In the end, Grand Archives totally surprised me with the strength of their music and songwriting abilities. I know this review is ages too old to be posting, but I really hope that some people will read it and come out to see the band at South Street Seaport next Friday. Good new music is always a pleasure to find and listen to, but if you're not in the New York area on August 22, I recommend you get yourself to the Doug Fir Lounge in Portland, OR on September 13 or to Neumo's in Seattle on October 4.

Words :: Anna Loosli
Photos :: Dese'Rae L. Stage

Live Review: No Age at Bowery Ballroom [5.6.08]

Duos are unique in their focused vision by default. They're immune to dissolving into a mess of non essential elements or complete overboard unnecessary ensemble. They escape the problems of a huge collaborative project and in No Age's case distill the melody down into the important parts, all filtered through layers of effects...all without losing their punk spirit.
But calling them 'punk' is simplifying, they still allow for the introspective 'Things I did When I Was Dead' or 'Cappo' with it's Brian Wilson soft echo, they are more than just cramming punk into a new category they're allowing some breathing room for the pure sound and experimentation. I didn't expect the full on moshing and stage diving at the Bowery though, it's a testament to the band to work on both levels with an audience keeping their enthusiasm throughout feedback loops and synth.


It's still impressive how the sound conjured up can be so all encompassing with just the two of them blowing out every corner. The vocals were even more buried under the echo, but of course...their recorded material is layers and layers of building guitar distortion and fuzz, this recipe that throws it all together and feels like all possibilities.... every single note all at once. And then a hook will explode out of the haze anchoring the chaos, and they don't waste time drawing it out, the point is made and it's on to the next song. Anything recognizable is fleeting, appearing for a moment blasted into existence.




There is something undeniably about marking a time and place in this sound that could be compared to Pavement's Westing (by musket and sextant), that essential noise, the pure sound is at the heart of the driving rhythms, but it's different, somehow made new again.
What does it take after being unencumbered by rock/punk predecessors, sounding like their ignoring everything previously to come out and evolve on the other side? Where do you go from that groundbreaking first release? No age wasn't created in that vacuum waiting to be discovered... they are definitely in the middle of it, reflecting and appropriating punk along with a Black Dice loop aesthetic which makes for unnatural transitions between songs, from an almost ambient melodic organ loop to 2 minute barrage of noise.



The only trouble is they felt out of their element at the Bowery, removed from the audience trying to fill the half empty stage...they're more at home at a Toddp venue, thriving on the unconventional alternative spaces crowds and atmosphere. This could be a difficult transition to a massive live audience which thanks to immediate acclaim of 'Nouns' is just going to demand these venues in the future.

Along with all of this comes a history of being part of a definitive underground scene in LA and Thanking High Places and Fiasco before them, they left with the same community DIY spirit that they rolled into the Bowery and countless basement loft spaces before them.

[Photos by Sean O'Kane]

Live Review: Calvin Harris at the Bowery Ballroom [4.28.08]

Among his many charms, Calvin Harris is quite direct. His songs don’t meander around before getting to their core message – no, he gets straight to the point. The pattern began to emerge as Calvin tore through his upbeat set at the Bowery Ballroom. In “Merry Making at My Place,” Calvin tells us just what is happening at his place. You guessed it – merrymaking, and drug taking. In “Girls,” he expounds upon exactly what kind of girls he likes: namely, Black girls, White girls, Asian girls, mixed raced girls, Spanish girls, Italian girls, French girls, Scandinavian girls. “Acceptable in the 80’s” lists the rewards bestowed upon those lucky enough to have been born in that magical decade: specifically love, and hugs. Dylan he aint, but hey, at least Calvin Harris is a straight shooter.

In addition to his propensity towards lyrical list-making, Calvin Harris also wants to make us dance. In fact, he’s determined. A bundle of energy on stage, Harris is backed by an able band, who also serve as hype men of sorts – when not playing guitar, one member runs from side to side of the stage, mugging to the crowd and taunting us to cheer louder. It’s a rainy Monday night, and the majority of the sold out crowd must be soggy and frizzy from the days’ downpour, probably still recovering from their wild weekends, or else trying to shake off the first bout of 9-to-5 exhaustion. It’s not an easy task, but Calvin Harris is dedicated, and he’ll jump around the stage as much as it takes until we’re jumping along, and then keep going.


Turns out, it doesn’t take much to get us to dancing, and Calvin’s smooth beats coupled with those catchy hooks are pretty much irrefutable. You’ll probably sing along too, as on “This is Industry”, or “Vegas”, where the hook, “When I go to Vegas!” becomes an immediate chant in the crowd. Though Calvin’s lyrics are pure irony - Are they? They are. I think? - his music is pure dancefloor. He may not have created disco, as his debut album title would lead us to believe, but he has created a unique hybrid combining commercial dance music’s cheese, pop music’s irresistibility, and punk rock’s detached attitude and brevity.

It’s a winning formula, to say the least.


[Photos by Mina K]

Live Photos: Foals at Bowery Ballroom [4.24.08]

Foals played to a sold-out and boisterous crowd last last Thursday night in support of their recently-released album "Antidotes" on Sub Pop.
[Photos by Diana Wong]

Live Photos: Handsome Furs at Bowery Ballroom [4.6.08]

When fans impatient for a new Wolf Parade album came out in droves to the Handsome Furs' Bowery Ballroom set, everyone seemed to get their fix. Despite singer Dan Boeckner clearly having had his, his spastic, jittery movements only detracted slightly from what ended up being a near perfect performance. Possibly even more minimal than their already bare bones album, the duo perfect their sound live; the disortion laden, simplistic riffs matched with maxed out beats of seemingly default drum machine samples are a formula they have tweaked flawless, coming off less like an electro-infused folk band than a punk guitarist fronting a rave. If you catch them on tour, don't be surprised if the Handsome Furs get you to move. Just try not to look as furtive as they do.

Live Photos: The Black Lips at Bowery Ballroom [3.10.08]

Live Review: Ra Ra Riot @ Bowery Ballroom [03.07.08]

On Friday night, the miserable cold and rain outside of Bowery Ballroom was made all the more miserable by its contrast with what was happening on the inside. Ra Ra Riot, along with Bear Hands and Sam “Buck” Rosen, filled the space with a kind of unadulterated, giddy happiness that blasted away all thoughts of rain, disappointment, and sadness. And perhaps even thought itself. After all, we — a crowd of separate people, individuals — found ourselves melted down into a single mass of smiles, or rather, one giant smile that stretched across the room and that was so big and so long it made our collective face hurt.

Sam Rosen started the evening with flair and a lot of delay soaked solos with doubled trombone. Then Bear Hands took the stage, and began to blast us with the kind of hybrid rock we expect from good bands in New York. That is, they are an unapologetically aggressive guitar band, but they combined dance-able moments, evocative spaced-out guitar, and sing-along vocals with the old-fashioned riffage. I will resist saying that they are “tribal” merely because they have a stand-alone tom played by the bassist, but they definitely make use of complex and interesting rhythms. I especially enjoyed the sweet-and-sour noisescapes created by guitarist Ted Feldman and—in a nice throw-back twist—the theatrical spitting by bassist Val Loper.

They played a short but searing set. Their new song, which was, in the words of lead singer Dylan Rau, “About FUCKING VIETNAAAAAM” stood out for the dramatic contrast between its piercing guitars, the huge drum n’ bass throb, and the chanting chorus. The audience wanted more: Bear Hands were definitely ear and eye-catching.

But then Ra Ra Riot took the stage and it seemed as though all the other bands disappeared in the audience’s mind—not just the other bands on the bill but all bands everywhere always. They were truly stars of the show. The hall was packed in that intimate way only the Bowery Ballroom can be. Everyone stood shoulder-to-shoulder with stranger and friend and screamed for the six beautiful people on stage.

Ra Ra Riot, feeding off that energy, didn’t disappoint. They began the evening quietly, with just Wesley Miles on the keyboard playing what he called, “Crazy Days, an old John Pike song that we’ve never played this way before.” As he played, the drummer (sadly, not John Pike, as we all know) entered and then came the rest of the band in short order, building up the song. It was a perfect start. The rest of the show seemed to go the same way: every song built upon the last song, until it seemed like it was one single extended peak of sing-along happiness.

The band played and sang with completely unself-conscious abandon. I know that this is what we expect of all bands, especially bands that project Ra Ra Riot’s brand of catchy rockness, but here genuine excitement and genuine gratefulness shined through the players’ faces. They rampaged around the stage, knocking into each, dancing around, hugging, singing. They looked like an amoeba stuck under glass, constantly pushing out and reshaping itself at its periphery but always remaining stuck together. Or a less ridiculous metaphor: it was a living room dance party with really close friends and family. They presented themselves as a model for the kind of life we’d all like to have: togetherness, happiness, and boundless energy.

The best part of the evening came with the conclusion. Asked back for a second encore, the lead singer told us, “We don’t know anymore songs. We played all of them.” So he took a vote (election season everywhere), and the audience wanted to hear “Ghosts Under Rocks.,” instead of a newer song. They roared through it again. Singing the anthemic chorus, Miles was sucked into the crowd, where he surfed on top of loving hands and then found himself deposited on stage for the conclusion of the tune. Live music is so cool.

[Words by John Melillo]
[Photos by Bryan Bruchman]

Live Review: Los Campesinos! at Bowery Ballroom [11.30.07]

It is always good when you go to a show without expectations and are pleasantly surprised by the quality of its outcome. The Los Campesinos! set at the Bowery on Friday night was exactly that kind of show. If you haven't heard of them already, this band from Cardiff, Wales is made up of 7 school friends who all adopted the surname Campesinos, play pop with a bit of UK punk thrown in, and a whole lot of fun. To be honest, I have been listening to the Los Campesinos! EP Sticking Fingers Into Sockets (Arts & Crafts, July 2007) for the last several months, it's solidly constructed pop music along the same lines as other Arts & Crafts artists like Broken Social Scene, as it should since it was produced with David Newfield. Anyhow, the show...



I was a bit worried when I showed up on Friday night because, while I have been listening to the EP for months, it is quite short and I was a bit worried that they wouldn't be able to engage the crowd and that the set itself would be extremely short. Luckily, Los Campesinos! did NOT only highlight the songs from their EP, but rather opened with some new stuff. The band did end up playing all of the songs from their EP, but interspersed them with some really fantastic new ones. Unfortunately I can't help you with the names of those songs, but...

The first song they played from their album was "Please Don't Tell Me To Do The Math(s)," a sweet number that highlights the strength of the bands' female members and vocalist, which they followed up with "It Started With a Mixx," which is one of my favorite songs. The band's tart lyrics are smoothed over by their melodic pop sound but it's really quite snarky.

Los Campesinos!' new songs are the ones you need to look out for, though, because they pack a punch! The songs from their EP may be a bit too saccharine for many people, but the newer ones definitely sounded a little bit dirtier and more gritty. Perhaps the band is just maturing and developing a better sense of their own abilities, perhaps they're moving in a different direction, but whatever it is I like it a lot and I absolutely plan on picking up their new album when it is released next year!



They ended the set, of course, with their single "You Throw Parties We Throw Knives," which is way more fun to listen to live than on the stereo. The band really got into it and their energy was infectious. The best was saved for last, though, and they closed their set with a cover of a Pavement song, "Frontwards" and "You, Me, Dancing!" (actually not sure about the order there, but who cares?) The cover is on their EP and it is quite good, although live is always better, but I have to say it lacks the intensity of the original. And how can you not love a song that's all about scenes and (not) dancing?

Unfortunately the band will be sticking to their side of the pond for the next few months, but you can keep yourself updated by checking out their site at www.loscampesinos.com. You can also get a preview of what's to come on the 2008 album by checking out The International Tweexcore Underground at Arts & Crafts.

Photos by TomVu. Thanks!

Live Photos: Final Fantasy / Cadence Weapon at Bowery Ballroom [11.11.07]

Nearing the end of their U.S. tour, Final Fantasy (Owen Pallett) and Cadence Weapon made a stop at the Bowery Ballroom.

Live Review: Rogue Wave @ The Bowery Ballroom NYC [11.01.07]

Zach Rogue starts his encore the same way he started his career. He is alone on stage, representing something larger than himself. See, even when Zach Rogue was ostensibly a solo artist, he was already calling himself Rogue Wave. Not only was this an illusion to a large, unpredictable oceanographic force - it was a name for a band that didn't exist yet. As Rogue's solo debut, Out of the Shadows began to take off, he realized he would need musicians to play shows. You can't call yourself Rogue Wave without being one.

So Zach Rogue stands as Rogue Wave, accepting the invitation for encore, the rest of his band waiting back stage. He plays a few older songs acoustically before someone yells out, "Play 'California!'" Rogue looks caught. He begins sheepishly admitting that he hasn't played the song in a year and quote "I would really fuck up the guitar part and everyone would be unhappy." He is likeable and not in a way colored by the notion that likeability is important. He is just likeable.

So the crowd insists. Play "California." Rogue demurs again but with slightly less vigor. Quickly he's telling an anecdote about a similar situation when someone asked him to play the song "acapulco," a hilarious bastardization of "a cappella." So Zach Rogue agrees, he will play "California." And he will sing it "acapulco."

Rogue puts down his guitar and the lights in the Bowery Ballroom go down a little further. The last thing he says to us is, "You gotta help me out with this." So, standing in the darkness, he sings and we help him out with it. "California" is a beautiful song with instruments but it's positively chilling when sung by a room of 850 relative strangers. The last line, sung together, "so lead us there" is one of those moments that offers velocity and power from silence and stand-still.

The band spills back on stage and you could easily remember them playing their full set of songs earlier in the night. Some of the new album, Asleep at Heaven's Gate was on display and "Lake Michigan" proved to be every bit the song that's getting added on radio playlists around the country. Rogue Wave with a radio single? Oceanographic force of nature.

The night ends with a Neil Young cover that I and most other people can't place. The band places themselves at the top of their game. Rogue and his band are rocking harder than they have all night and look pretty far away from some of the ethereal acoustic pop that floods their recorded catalogue. But Zach Rogue looks pretty far from the solo artist who dressed up as Rogue Wave and sometimes we stand for things larger than we are.

[Photo courtesy of the irony and digital revolution of Noah Davis' iPhone]

Live Review: Ford and Fitzroy at Bowery Ballroom NYC [08.10.07]

Glenn excitedly pinged me on Friday afternoon. Ford and Fitzroy scored an opening slot for a sold-out Tokyo Police Club and Ra Ra Riot show at Bowery. I couldn't want to go support the boys, who have been steadily working their way to this point in their still-young career.



Ford and Fitzroy gets better every time I see them. Their recent residency at Pianos showed some new and exciting changes but was held back by the sound quality of the space. Once partnered with the unbridled sound system at Bowery Ballroom, the band was able to reach a brand new crowd armed with their Sunday best.



My favorite song is unwaveringly "Handbags and Handgrenades," due to the guitar solo in the interlude and the lyrics "There is a girl in NYC...She'll dress her wounds with stitches made of silk..." The girl is so familiar and beautiful in my mind, her image has imprinted the song in my head for weeks now.

Check out the band's Myspace page for some sound bytes. Ford and Fitzroy is a band to keep your left eye locked on at all times.

[Photos by Mina K]