Loose Record :: So You Know What You're Missing

Live Photos: Kevin Devine on a Rockville Centre Park Bench [6.20.08]

noreply@blogger.com (sean o'kane) — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 20:36:00 +0000

After a regular show at Long Island's Vibe Lounge was oversold (keeping many fans outside the venue during his performance), Kevin Devine played an impromptu acoustic set around the corner, rummaging through old songs and a Nirvana cover until the police stopped the show.

Photos by Sean O'Kane (full set available here)

Live Photos: Los Campesions at the Bowery Ballroom [5.19.08]

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Wong) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 17:07:00 +0000

Los Campesinos played to a joyous reception at the Bowery Ballroom. Review coming up.

[Photos by Diana Wong]

Live Photos: The Acorn at the Mercury Lounge [5.6.08]

noreply@blogger.com (adam dubya) — Sat, 17 May 2008 23:34:00 +0000

Live Review: No Age at Bowery Ballroom [5.6.08]

noreply@blogger.com (Jason) — Sun, 11 May 2008 20:04:00 +0000

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 Photos: The Night Marchers @ Mercury Lounge [5.07.08]

noreply@blogger.com (edwina h) — Sat, 10 May 2008 16:04:00 +0000

Photos from The Night Marchers NYC performance on May 7, 2008

Full gallery available on Flickr.

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

noreply@blogger.com (Alena Kastin) — Wed, 07 May 2008 03:00:00 +0000

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 Review: Awesome Color @ Market Hotel [5.3.08]

noreply@blogger.com (melillo.the) — Mon, 05 May 2008 18:04:00 +0000

Saturday night, early a.m., Market Hotel. Atmospheric conditions: smudging fog and cold. Indoor atmospheric conditions: hazy smoke, the humidity of sweat and beer. I ask myself some questions as my blurred eyes try to take in the situation—aware, only too aware, that I must try to communicate this to you, reader, at some point— how much garage punk dirty crazed repetitive repetitive psychedelia can be packed into a single evening? And how can I describe it? The answer to the first question is never enough, never ever enough, and the answer to the second is: uhh, whoops didn’t I sort of just do that?

Well, here are some facts to start off: Mean Motion, the Usasisamonster, and Awesome Color performed music at Market Hotel in celebration of Awesome Color’s new album, Electric Aborigines. Organized by the unstoppable Todd P, the show had that easy-going, connected feeling you can’t buy at the official venues. The sheer simplicity of it all felt like freedom: do what you want, when you want, how you want. Of course, because of this, the music became the main focus. It’s a free choice: and we choose good, new, different music.

So, Mean Motion, from the Netherlands, came on stage, unobtrusively got behind their instruments, and began playing long swells of guitar/synthesized noise while underneath there pulsed some simple yet unhinged and powerful drum patterns. They cleaned ears and cleared heads with their slow, ecstatic oceans of noise. (They are on tour in the U.S. and playing again at Baghdad on the 9^th by the way.)

The second band, The Usaisamonster, provided a very different take on rhythm and noise: there were eccentric rhythmic and melodic patterns, extreme fist-pumping riffage, psychotic guitar ex-planetary fibrillations, and, even, short little moments of hoarse, burned plain chant. Our bodies did not know whether to fly left or right or all over the place. Unselfconscious pop folk avant-garde war path rock music: definitely fun.

And then Awesome Color came up, drunk and dirty and ready. It is no accident, it seems, that they were paired with the other two, as all the bands had a common theme of an “aboriginal” sound (as in, not necessarily Native [though, the plight of the American Indians is a major theme for Usaisamonster], but rather Original, Ur-, Basic, Before). Awesome Color’s particular attempt to get back to the primitive through sophisticated but mistreated electronic equipment like guitars and amps ran into difficulty when singer/guitarist Derek Stanton’s guitar broke on the first song. And then his second guitar broke mid-way in the set. Of course, the punishment that these instruments took made it understandable that they would collapse. The raging, literally shambolic guitar fought a constant battle with the solid rhythm of the drum and bass. Oft-compared to other Michigan natives The Stooges and MC5, Awesome Color’s music descended into the pounding throbbing noise expected and desired by the thinned-out but bouncing-off-each-other crowd. But most importantly, they completed the party atmosphere of the night, and brought show’s family of strangers together in one big final friendly danse macabre.

[words by John Melillo]
[Photo courtesy of Awesome Color's official website]

In and Out :: Coldplay's "Violet Hill" Track Review

noreply@blogger.com (geoff) — Fri, 02 May 2008 12:27:00 +0000

The new Coldplay cut, "Violet Hill" dropped a few mornings ago and the reaction was fast and tepid. Most people didn't hate it but Perez Hilton claimed immediate, undying love, an endorsement that may do more harm than good. Though no one was willing to say X&Y sucked three years ago, it seems most positive reviews include phrases like "returning to form" and "the band at its best." At the very least, it implies that this is more "Clocks" and less "Speed of Sound." At the very least, now we can all speak openly about the completely underwhelming X&Y. If nothing else this new Coldplay song and album have offered us peace of mind regarding their last disaster.

Everyone else is right; "Violet Hill" isn't terrible. It has the same plodding piano chord progressions that Chris Martin probably writes while eating vegan porkchops and watching Deal or No Deal. The sound is big and wet and maybe even a little desperate. As Martin intones in the chorus, "if you love me/won't you let me know?" It's an appeal and suggestion all in one. Sound a little like a band who burned some bridges on the last record? Later, Martin wistfully allegorizes with "I don't want to be a solider/or the captain of some sinking ship." Basically, Chris Martin won't be a solider in someone else's army but, he's not going to be in charge of an unsuccessful operation either. Neither citizen nor dictator, Martin has become the leader of an untenable democracy.

Input isn't everything and not all opinions matter. After letting his guitarist experiment his way into destroying his last album, Martin and Coldplay are back to trying to be U2. That's something they can all agree on. But what kind of leader calls his band a "sinking ship?" That doesn't sound like Bono and The Edge. That doesn't even sound like Allen Iverson and Larry Brown. That ain't a triumphant return and it it ain't a Phoenix from the flames. It's a self-handicapping prelude to a solo record.

Coldplay took this thing as far the formula goes. Attempts to expand or redefine the parameters of the band failed. Chris Martin still fancies himself a poet and it all adds up to the simple fact: when you hear Coldplay's new album Viva La Vida in June, it will be their last. Period.

Live Photos: Joseph Arthur @ MOMAR [4.26.08]

noreply@blogger.com (Alena Kastin) — Thu, 01 May 2008 05:34:00 +0000

Loose Record joined the prolific Joseph Arthur at Brooklyn gallery MOMAR (aka Museum of Modern Arthur) for a record release party to celebrate Arthur's Crazy Rain EP - the second of 4 EPs being released by Arthur within 4 months. Partygoers celebrated the release with a rare solo performance, featuring special guests.

[Photos by Lori Baily]

Live Review :: Motel Motel @ The Annex [4.26.08]

noreply@blogger.com (geoff) — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 19:36:00 +0000

"I don't need your help. I can feel helpless on my own." It's a paralyzingly lonely message coming out of Eric Engel's mouth and we're only two songs into the set. Depending on who you ask, Engel is either talking about a failed relationship or the inherent and troubling aspects of being an indie rock band in New York City. Despite a relatively full house and a recent "Honorable Mention" in the L Magazine, Motel Motel is still fighting their way through the fuzz; and it's lonely as hell.

If you can't hear the heartbreak in Engel's voice, you're not listening hard enough. The phonics are twisted and the aesthetic is nasal - like Conor Oberst decided to go front The Walkmen. The graveled tones sound like Marlboro Reds on a Saturday night, cut with a glass of bourbon to wash down a sore throat. On this night, Motel Motel squeezed a string-quartet on stage (at the Annex this is clown-car impressive) and even as the strings rise, the emotional punch is coming from the singer. We're supposed to feel moved. And it's working.

There are slow spots, to be sure - a little depression mixed with some booze and a girl who burnt your house down (metaphorically). It starts to wear. After all, you can only break our hearts so many times before they're just broken, never to be fixed again. If the show is missing something, it's pathos. We came here to bleed but, hopefully, to heal. It's unclear if Engel is ready to close the wound. The lyrics are faded romantics and the songs a blend of honkey-tonk piano, soaring strings, and twitchy, thrashing breakdowns; at least a little disjunctive. If there's catharsis here, we're going to have to find it on our own. It looks like Engel's got his own shit to deal with.

But it's not all Kate Bush and thundershowers; there's something uplifting in play. In the final pre-encore song of the night, during one of the drastic (but leaning toward productive) tempo changes Engel says, "I won't let you down." He says it no less than five times and things get a little brighter. The crowd is starting to get drunk and the dancefloor is starting to pack. If Motel Motel intentionally brought us down, they might just end bringing us up. The bassist ends up pounding on the piano and it's more exuberance than frustration. If they began the night as another New York band fighting a million other New York bands for ink, fans, and cash, they're ending it with a punch. They thank us and begin the world's largest equipment breakdown.

But they didn't break us down without fixing us up. Engel's got his problems and so do we. Our problems just don't go as well with flourishing strings. Our problems don't sound quite as painful or quite as dramatic when they come out of our mouths. And our problems probably won't get us noticed in a city full of bands with problems. But his might. So pound that fucking keyboard.

Live Review: YACHT at Studio B [4.16.08]

noreply@blogger.com (Alena Kastin) — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 05:00:00 +0000

Love makes people do crazy things. Move halfway across the world, get a conspicuous tattoo of your partners’ name, or maybe adopt a mean-spirited puppy together in hopes of taming it through teamwork and the strength of your love. In the case of the one-man-band YACHT (aka Jona Bechtolt), he simply decided to add his girlfriend to the line up.

Yes, the performance at Studio B was Brooklyn’s first taste of YACHT as a twosome. The news of the lineup change was admittedly met with skepticism on my part. While the pairing of Jona and Khaela Maricich, his female counterpart in the Blow, was an inspired musical match, the original concept of YACHT had such a singular appeal – singular being the key word. A man, his laptop, his beats, his moves. The most compact cavalcade of energy and fun with the ability to get a crowd dancing wildly in a circle way better than that joker Dan Deacon.

In her sparkly dress, new member Claire Evans looks rad. She and Jona certainly compliment one another aesthetically. But after the visual bedazzling wears off, disillusionment sets in – these are the songs I’ve heard before, but there’s another voice in the mix. Those are the smooth dance moves I remember, but there’s two more feet jumping around the stage. The presence of another person feels distracting. I have nothing personal against Ms. Evans – she is quite charming and funny when she addresses the audience (“Clap when your heart tells you to. Don’t let song breaks dictate when you clap,” she told us between numbers,) but the addition of any new member into the mix of YACHT show would be an unwelcome one. If the original formula is a success, why change it?

That aside, Jona and Claire are dancing and sweating up a storm. Jona perfectly executes his signature move in which he mimes the pressing buttons on some sort of large invisible machine. Sometimes he and Claire dance together, and it is obviously adorable. They sing a song in which proclaim, “You can live anywhere you want!” and then proceed to list exactly where: Underwater! In the desert! On the beach!

Unfortunately, the two vocals just don’t seem compatible – they yell out the lyrics simultaneously, not unlike cheerleaders at a pep rally. There’s not enough give and take between the two, and instead, they often seem to be performing in their own version of the same solo show- simultaneously.

The new incarnation of YACHT seems extremely fun for the two members involved, a pleasant activity for the couple to do together - like a trip to the flea market or a weekend camping excursion. Who hasn’t looked at their boyfriend or girlfriend on a lazy Sunday afternoon, and exclaimed, “Let’s start a band!” The only difference is, YACHT already was a band, and a pretty good one. As much as I admire young love and togetherness, I just don’t know that I want to hear a love song introduced with the statement, “I wrote this song about her,” as Jona did, gesturing to his bandmate. I wish the couple all the best in their romance, but as a band, I still wish Jona was flying solo.

[Photos by Mina K]

Live Photos: Foals at Bowery Ballroom [4.24.08]

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Wong) — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 03:51:00 +0000

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 Review: Hot Chip at Terminal 5 [4.12.08]

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Goffman) — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 00:40:00 +0000

Hot Chip took the stage last Friday at Terminal 5, just as the sun was setting on the first true spring day in New York, which caused the whole city to practically explode out of hibernation, embodying every spring cliche possible. All afternoon, people wandered around the city in an idyllic daze, spending hours sipping mimosas at outdoor brunches, unabashedly baring their pasty legs while prancing around in sundresses. I was no exception, and found myself basking lazily in a park with friends in the late afternoon, somehow paralyzed to move myself to an early evening show (doors were at seven; openers Free Blood took the stage at eight, Hot Chip promptly at nine).

We arrived dreamily in the midst of the first few twinkling notes of the well-chosen opener, “Shake a Fist,” and danced our way into a tightly packed but welcoming crowd. We were easily able to work our way close to the stage, and nobody seemed to mind. The care-free vibe was consuming. Twinkling soon gave way to pounding, layered beats that had the whole Terminal throbbing. The much-anticipated “sounds of the studio” breakdown had the whole place in a state of ecstatic dance-crazed insanity. It was literally impossible to stand still.

The thing about a show like this is that it doesn’t give a reviewer much narrative material. There were no peculiarities, no inconsistencies, no surprises. It was exactly what you would expect a sold out Hot Chip show at Terminal 5 to be: a huge dance party of 3,000 hipsters from far and wide—each and every one shaking their ironic booties. What is a reviewer to do besides toss her tiny notebook and join them?

So what is it about a band that can hypnotize a full audience of self-conscious New Yorkers into a state of uninhibited euphoria? Hot Chip has mastered the science of combining hedonistic fun with a touch of bashful sincerity, unlike other electro-rock that is dancey but sterile. The layering of intoxicating dance beats under Alexis Taylor's crooning soprano along with the occasional tinge of R&B and soul, make for dance music that rocks your body--and your heart.

Nevertheless, the success of the show seemed to rely on this formula alone, which, expert as it may be, is already present in the album. As a performance, it didn’t really offer anything new. And although a few twists would have been nice, predictability isn’t the worst thing when it merely fulfills your expectations of a crazy dance party on a heady spring night. Hot Chip proved themselves to be a good time you can rely on.

[Photo courtesy of Myspace]

Live Photos: VHS or BETA at Highline Ballroom [04.08.2008]

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Owyoung) — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 03:26:00 +0000

Drawing heavily from their most recent album, “Bring on the Comets” (2007), VHS or Beta came to New York with a boatload of dance punk and more than a little “love in [their] pocket.”

Craig Pfunder and the rest of the Louisville crew brought the rock a packed and head-nodding Tuesday night crowd.

Tracks "Burn it All Down," "Fall Down Lightly," and "Night on Fire" received huge applause from the audience.

Photos by Chris Owyoung (www.onelouderphoto.com) for Loose Record.

Live Photos: Tigercity at Highline Ballroom [04.08.2008]

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Owyoung) — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 03:01:00 +0000

Tigercity are an anomaly in the NYC indie-rock scene. Opening for VHS or Beta at West Chelsea's Highline Ballroom, the Brooklyn quartet has a silky vibe that falls comfortably between the Bee Gees and Barry White.

While much of the band's smooth vibe comes courtesy of bassist Joel Ford, their stage performance is dominated by sonically and visually by frontman Bill Gillim. With a falsetto that at times defied the laws of physics, Gillim left much of the crowd hypnotized.

Photos by Chris Owyoung (www.onelouderphoto.com) for Loose Record.

Live Photos: innerpartysystem at Highline Ballroom [04.08.2008]

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Owyoung) — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 02:34:00 +0000

Innerpartysystem opened in support of VHS or Beta at Highline Ballroom. The Pennsylvania foursome got the crowd moving early with their set of heavy handed dance rock. Tracks "the way we move" and "don't stop" (which is arguably the most mainstream track of their The Downloaded EP) received strong responses from the crowd.

Photos by Chris Owyoung (www.onelouderphoto.com) for Loose Record.

In and Out: Countdown to Record Store Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Alena Kastin) — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 06:23:00 +0000

You only have a few more days to head down to Hallmark and buy your fave independent record store a card or some candy, as Record Store Day is almost upon us. Shops nationwide will be uniting to celebrate the place that music geeks used to congregate in the days before blogs and message boards.

Perhaps Cameron Crowe puts it best: "The record store. Where true fandom begins. It's the soul of discovery, and the place where you can always return for that mighty buzz. The posters. The imports. The magazines. The discerning clerks, paid in vinyl, professors of the groove. Long live that first step inside, when the music envelopes you and you can't help it. You walk up to the counter and ask the question that begins the journey -- "what is that you're playing?" Long live the record store, and the guys and girls who turn the key, and unlock those dreams, every day."

In celebration of this new holiday, record stores across the country will be planning special events. At 5:00 PM, New York's own Other Music will be hosting Interpol drummer Sam Fogarino for a DJ set. Should be...kind of weird?

But hey, might as well go out and show your local shop some love, and by love I mean go buy the new Breeders album. Or you know, just give your favorite grumpy clerk a hug.

No Kids (with Dirty Projectors) @ Music Hall of Williamsburg [4.9.08]

noreply@blogger.com (Alena Kastin) — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 05:47:00 +0000

Whereas Brooklyn hometown hipsters the Dirty Projectors are like the cool kids you remember from high school, cutting class and smoking in the courtyard, Vancouver trio No Kids would probably be holed up in a classroom at a meeting of the French club. And while I cannot say for sure, I imagine that if they were to somehow find themselves together in a prototypical John Hughes high school situation, Dave Longstreth, the frontman of the Dirty Projectors, just may have been tempted to trip No Kids’ singer Nick Krgovich in the hallway. Therefore the pairing of the two bands at the Music Hall of Williamsburg proved to be an interesting dichotomy.

After a polite soundcheck, No Kids seem almost reluctant to interrupt the audience chatter with their set. But this does not discount their fantastic R n’ B laced pop songs – within the first few moments of their opening number “For Halloween,” I remember why those kids in French club always seemed like they might secretly be pretty hip behind their textbooks.

Though a friend scoffed when I described their songs as wonderfully dorky R. Kelly inspired slow jams, Krgovichs rendition of “Bluster In the Air” cemented my thesis, with Krgovich belting out the decidedly unsmooth lyrics, “I can feel a bluster in the air/Baby take me home/You know I don’t like it out here when it’s like this, No/Well if you want to go/I won’t let nothing hold me,” turning the word “go” into a multi-syllable croon.

Krgovich’s timid intro to “The Beaches All Closed” (“I said this was our last song right?”) gave no indication of the power of this absolute jam (yes, I said jam) that encouraged a large group of men in 9-to-5 button down shirts to dance up a storm. Although the jittery drums and soulful chorus got us moving, this song is begging to be remixed into something even more dancefloor-ready. Are you listening Cousin Cole?

Sure enough, after No Kids set, I overhear a woman in the bathroom offer the obligitory Talking Heads comparison. Of course, I must admit I had been thinking the same thing. Though musically, there is really no overlap between the Talking Heads and No Kids, there is a similar presentation and attitude. (And Krgovich does possess a nerdy chic and lanky frame not unlike a young David Byrne.)

As the night goes on, Dirty Projectors run through their set with a sense of ease that makes the whole concept of stage fright seem foreign. They are showmen (and women) and seem about as confident on stage as anyone can be. Could No Kids benefit from some of their tourmates' stage presence and charisma? Sure. But with music as distinctive as theirs, I’ll be in the crowd. I always did secretly admire those nerds in the French club.

For Comparison:

No Kids' Krgovich

Dirty Projectors' Longstreth

[Black and white photos by Adam Schatz. Press photo by Sarah Cass.]

In and Out: YACHT @Studio B with Parts & Labor

noreply@blogger.com (mina k) — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 19:06:00 +0000

YACHT is sailing back into town this Wednesday April 16th for a show at Studio B. To get on the $7 reduced Finger on the Pulse guest list:

1) Send an email to fotpstudiob@gmail.com
2) Put Yacht in the subject line
3) List the names you want on the list
4) Show up on Wednesday and come blow it out

Live Photos: Gnarls Barkley at Highline Ballroom [4.10.08]

noreply@blogger.com (Alena Kastin) — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 13:06:00 +0000

[Photos by Max Flatow]

Unwed Sailor @ The Knitting Factory [4.3.08]

noreply@blogger.com (Alena Kastin) — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 04:00:00 +0000

“This song is ten years old,” announced Jonathan Ford, bassist and frontman of instrumental rock band Unwed Sailor. “Is that too old?” No one in the well-behaved crowd at the Knitting Factory uttered an objection. “It is for me,” said Ford. “Just kidding.” And with that, the band struck up “Firecracker,” a dreamy piece from the 1999 EP of the same name.

Unwed Sailor have kept a certain consistency in their music over the years. If you liked them ten years ago, chances are, you like them now. There have been no ill-conceived Ska albums, no forays into pseudo-Springsteen heart-on-sleeve songwriting, no dabbles in African folk music. But consistency does not equal monotony. Unwed Sailor have have spent the past ten or so years since Firecracker expanding their catalogue of delicate, instrumental soundscapes, experimenting with ambient noise (Circles EP) and a story-driven acoustic song cycle (The Marionette and the Music Box) , but always managing to sound fresh and interesting, like a brighter, sunnier journey to Slint’s Spiderland, or perhaps what Explosions in the Sky would sound like if they could distill their drama and impact into a perfect three minute song.

Unwed Sailor’s set at the Knitting Factory was a nice balance between older material and songs from their latest album, Little Wars, perhaps the greatest departure for the band in it’s history. Little Wars is less post rock and more straight up rock with a definite new wave and shoegaze influence, Cure-esque synthesizers and all. The new songs are concise and dynamic, at times, bordering on epic. Even so, new and old songs sat next to one another agreeably, rooted in Ford’s sturdy bass lines and powerful melodies. Though Ford seemed deeply moved by the music, rocking back and forth as he pounded on his bass, I did wish his bandmates put a little more effort into their stage presence. I know it must require a lot of concentration to play those intricate guitar parts, but...does that mean you won't smile just a little when the music is this good?

Unwed Sailor concluded their set with “Ruby’s Wishes,” another track off the near-decade old Firecracker. "Ruby's Wishes" is a beautiful song with a weaving guitar melody that builds up until it breaks away into an uptempo, fist-in-the-air climax. By now, the band have probably played "Ruby's Wishes" too many times to count, but it still sounds exciting, and I can sense the crowd's collective disappointment when it ends; proving that the song and the band have aged gracefully over the years.

Live Photos: Handsome Furs at Bowery Ballroom [4.6.08]

noreply@blogger.com (adam dubya) — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 13:19:00 +0000

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 Review: Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks at Music Hall of Williamsburg [04.02.08]

noreply@blogger.com (Jason) — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 03:20:00 +0000

If there exists indie rock royalty, a band that pioneered a movement...a band that is the the very dictionary definition of indie rock for a generation, it would be Pavement. The band who definitively proved that bedroom intimate recordings were important, that the 4-track was an instrument unto itself... and at the center of Pavement was Stephen Malkmus. Even after their hiatus, Malkmus' self titled release was out on Matador within months, he just couldn't stop recording, still making it sound so deceptively easy.

The thing that struck me most, watching him play at the Music Hall of Williamsburg, is that he is hands down an incredible guitarist, not only was he effortlessly delivering the lyrical wandering of the songs, but he's accompanying it with this amazing guitar work. It all makes perfect sense now...of course the melody follows the lyrics, the irregular lines all over the place, kind of sloppily delivered, are just sketches for the vocals. But it's not indifference or just going through the motions, he's making the song his again, pausing just a little too long, keeping the audience and the Jicks on their toes. The Jicks are undoubtedly a supergroup - drummer Janet Weiss from Sleater Kinney, guitar and keyboard player Mike Clark, and bassist Joanna Bolme are all amazing in their own right and they seemed to be right at home enjoying the drawn out jam parts, waiting for Stephen to slump onto his amp as the feedback takes over the sound, watching for the change that doesn't come as they go back again for another measure of solo.

I'm sure I must have seen Pavement at some three day concert, I know they played Lollapalooza at some point, during the salad days of alternative rock's lucrative major label end, but I must not have been paying attention, or was stupidly at one of the the 10 sidestages. My point is I don't have anything before to compare it to. But standing there watching him genuinely enjoy performing, doing a Neil Young impression for the crowd in between tunings...I imagine it was much like this, he is after all a regular guy off in this new direction of Real Emotional Trash with classic rock influenced prog jams. It's a show undeniably run by Steve and he's been let go unchecked off on his own completely.

The critics might have panned Pig Lib but it was great, it had to be...yes it might kind wander too much at times, "1% of 1" could have been 4 minutes shorter, but maybe I should just listen and appreciate every extra minute, after all, I don't want to live in a world of unreleased Malkmus ideas. Much like Ween's epic jam "Woman and Man" from La Cucuracha, maybe it's not meant to be taken so seriously, maybe it's part of a conceptual new direction, trying on the progressive rock jean jacket to see if it still fits. Playing to see if there's any life left in this tired genre, or maybe it's just plain fun to play. But where's the problem? He's got an undeniable presence onstage, he's a natural recreating this stream of consciousness, it sounds better every time and that's how it really shines, it's even easier for him.

Am I just beating a dead Pavement horse? Too wrapped up in the mythology to even objectively examine this performance, or the album? There's just no way that whatever incarnation Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks take that it's going to sound like the strangely familiar '93 vintage indie rock tracks. I guess that's the burden of monumental success... but let's face it we're both older, we've both changed. I don't have the same attention span, and he isn't playing the same no-fi, experimental pop, but I feel lucky still to have witnessed this icon in any form he takes.

[Words by Jason]
[Photos by Mina K]

Live Review: Boredoms at Terminal 5 [03.30.08]

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Wong) — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0000

I attended this concert, in part, for my Music of East Asia class (which focuses primarily on Japan). The following is adapted liberally from my essay. I added in footnotes in spirit of an academic paper.

"Boredoms are like a moon on a lake. Only there is no moon and no lake. Only Boredoms." This quote from Yamataka Eye, the fiercely dreadlocked leader of the described Japanese noise collective, has been circulated amongst fans for so long that its origins are unclear, magnifying the enigma of Eye’s words. The history of the band also echoes this mysteriousness, as Boredoms have evolved from their brash “acid-punk” “spastic chaos-rock period” to their more spiritual, trance-inducing sun-worshiping period [1]. This mysteriousness is also, in a sense, fitting, as those who have not experienced the band before may find it hard to situate Boredoms as a Japanese band, as a modern band, as musicians [2].

Boredoms, also consisting of Yoshimi P-We, Yojiro and Muneomi Senju, played in the round in the middle of the audience area, providing an intimate setting in an otherwise cavernous Terminal 5. This set up also allowed startling perspectives for those watching from the balconies; the centrality of the setup could only be fully appreciated from above [3]. From the third floor, I watched intensely as Eye began in darkness, harnessing two lights in his hands. As he brought them together, static, glitches and booming engines sounds blasted through the sound system. It was like looking in on a tribal ritual – indeed, Eye was yelping and screeching like a shaman – fittingly echoing the mystery and spirituality captured in the abovementioned quote. The overture led into an unrelenting chorus of tightly synchronized drumming (three drummers!), Eye’s seven-necked guitar (played percussively!) and Yoshimi’s intermittent keyboard and foot-piano (!). Considering the different sounds (distorted through complex-looking consoles) and thunderous volumes, the result was unexpectedly orderly and melodic. There was an intense physicality that connected audience to performer. It was like peering onto an unfamiliar ceremony – I can’t necessarily translate all the words, but I felt the significance of the experience. Boredoms totally seized my attention. I stopped noticing the headbangers or the people dancing or the crowd. For the intense, two-hour marathon of drums and noise, it was only Boredoms.

[Words by Diana Wong]
[Photos by Mina K]
______________________________________________________
1. For more details on their extensive history, see Kevin Hainey’s “TIMELINE – Boredoms: The Art of Noise.”
2. Paul Hegarty’s Noise/Music: A History (New York: Continuum, 2007) provides a detailed discussion on this matter. Also a worthy read, "Full of Noise: Theory and Japanese Noise Music."
3. An even more extreme example of benefits of an aerial view comes from Boredoms’ 77Boadrum performance on 7/7/07. I watched the drum circle from the Brooklyn Bridge while other Loose affiliates were lucky enough to be on ground-level.

Live Review: Anathallo @ Mercury Lounge [4.3.08]

noreply@blogger.com (sean o'kane) — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 05:57:00 +0000

The seven Chicagoans of Anathallo brought their wondrous live show to the small stage of the Mercury Lounge last night.

While it seems like some large bands like to have a lot of members just for the sake of having a lot of members, everyone in Anathallo has their role and executes it extremely well. From trombones and trumpets to bass drums and bricks (yes, bricks), what could just be clutter comes out as some of the sweetest and brightest music around.

Arresting the attention of the commonly talkative Bowery Presents crowds never is an easy task, but within bars of the first song Anathallo had done just that. They moved quickly into the three "Hanasakajijii" songs from their most recent album Floating World, which is steeped in the lore of a Japanese fairy tale. That story-telling aspect is present in the music , as there is a discernible rising action, a conflict, and some breathtaking resolving moments where their different musical paths all converge.

During the delightfully upbeat "Dokkoise House," the band ran through the familiar stage-acting motions of imitating blossoming flowers ("Six beautiful flowers," as lead singer Matt Joynt put it, ad-libbing one of the lines), as well as the seizure-like body-shaking during "Hanasakajijii (two: floating world)." All the while, Anathallo also uses 'intricate' hand-clapping to fill in around the myriad of percussion instruments - intricate perhaps only to the crowd who, aside from those very familiar with the music, often derail after one attempt at clapping along.

Despite requests for older material from the crowd just before the close of the set (and by crowd I mean I'm positive it was the same male voice I heard calling for Anathallo-oldie "A Holiday At The Sea" a year ago...), the band regretfully declined. "We just want to play something new," laughed Joynt. They wrapped their show with "Noni's Field," a song they have performed often before but will be featured on their newest album Canopy Glow, which will be released as soon as they find a label (possible suitors can contact them here).

Punchy use of horns blend character into the brash and rumbling percussion. Their vocals range from songs featuring only Joynt (songs that tend to be more introverted) to nearly the whole band during more chorus-like tunes like "Hanasakajijii (four: A Great Wind, More Ash)." And each member shows their range in vocals as well, not only joining in synchronized shouts but beautiful and reserved harmonies.

Yes, this all sounds a bit complicated. The song titles alone could scare some timid listeners from being interested. But that's what makes Anathallo special. Their live show could just be a cacophonous mess, something that could be aided by axing a few members; but it's not. They could stumble all over each other on stage, both aurally and physically; but they don't. What they do (and do well) is use the sonic and physical space available to the best of their abilities, meshing musical execution and absolute showmanship (read: fun).

All parts of the music are brilliantly clear, most likely because each member seems to care so much about them. Even after the show, percussionist/brass man/dance-clapper Bret Wallin still agonized over an earlier brick mishap ("I dropped the brick in the first song!!" he said, heartbroken).

Anathallo will be back around at the beginning of the summer, at which time they will hopefully be touring Canopy Glow as a released album. This time through their exuberant live show should not be missed.

Bret Wallin and Jamie Macleod and the aforementioned bricks

Matt Joynt's Floating (World)
Matt Joynt and Erica Froman match vocals
Bret Wallin and Jamie Macleod shake things up during "Hanasakajijii (two: floating world)"

Photos & Review by Sean O'Kane
Full photo set available here.