Guest List: Best Live Acts of 2009

The ever alluring "Jasper" put together a list of best live acts he saw in 2009. I threw in links to any reviews I wrote of those shows we saw together.

#15   Sonic Youth put on a just plain great rock show. The fact that they are an essential piece of rock n' holl history in the flesh and the props they get for still doing it this well 30 years later is what elevates them above the hundreds of other great rock shows this year and earns them a place here.
(RFR Review)

#14   Animal Collective makes truly unique and often astounding music, but their shows are about more than just reproducing it live. Considering how many of their tracks are either heavily produced or exude a very personal, almost private, feeling, it is impressive how they transform them to fill the vast concert halls they now frequent. Combined with their quirky, honest, no holds barred stage presence and you have a show unlike any other. Were it not for the occasionally excessive jam sessions, they would have been higher in this list.
(Jasper Full Review)

#13   JEFF the Brotherhood are gritty, loud and rambunctious, yet still technically polished. Simply put, their shows have been some of the most fun I've been to all year. In a underground music culture rife of overly self-conscious, pretentious and just plain wimpy hipster cliches, two guys unafraid to play good old rock n' roll (that is nonetheless innovative) and mean it are as ballsy as they are refreshing.
(RFR Review 1 / 2 / 3)

#12    That the Vandelles' shows make you simultaneously want to dance and sing along AND cower in a corner with your hands pressed tightly against your ears is impressive enough. Throw in a charismatic front man and a drummer whose unmatched aggression only adds to her sex appeal and you've got one hell of a show. Who am I kidding? The whole band is exceptionally good looking and know how to work it and as much as we hardcore music fans want to tell ourselves that it's all about the music, we're only human.
(RFR Review 1 / 2 / 3)

#11   Titus Andronicus - Though I could never much get into listening to their albums, I have to admit that the TA shows I've been to have been some of the best all year. Committed and adept performers, they inspire a contagious enthusiasm in their fans. Beyond that, they embody the true spirit of punk: agressive and confrontational, yet communal and inclusive.
(RFR Review 1 / 2 / 3)

#10   Stupid Party - Forget committed, these guys are just plain nuts. With equal parts agression and abandon, they appear to pour every fiber of their beings into their shows yet exude the spontaneous joy of kids at a playground.
(RFR Review 1 / 2)

#9   Lightning Bolt - Never had I been to a show where the entire room erupted into a mosh pit at the musician's first touch of his instrument - and that was just the sound check! We all know that they are supremely skilled musicians, but there is something in their music that transcends technical virtuosity and sends a jolt through their fans unlike anything else I have yet witnessed.
(RFR Review 1 / 2)

#8   Beluga - Plenty of bands have loud guitars, infectious hooks and effective arrangements. Few have a striking front woman who refuses to remain still, dances with the audience and writhes on the floor. This is the real thing kids, don't miss it!
(RFR Review)

#7   Screaming Females shows are all about the uninhibited yet astoundingly skilled antics of front woman Marissa Paternoster. She sings and screams and shreds with an aggression and technical prowess not typically associated with diminutive women - but boy does she show 'em how it's done.
(RFR Review 1 / 2 / 3)

#6   ...And You Will know Us by the Trail of the Dead put on shows as sweeping and dramatic as their name, without the off-putting excess that's often part of the package. How? They deliver every note and word with unwavering and uninhibited passion. They are truly one of the most powerful bands I have ever witnessed.
(RFR Review)

#5   Fucked Up also perform with grandeur and power uncommon in today's hyper self-aware landscape, although their shows are as much about sonic assault as they are moving their audience emotionally. Not in years (dare I say, since Black Flag?) has anyone so raw been compelling on so many levels - visceral, emotional and intellectual.
(RFR Review 1 / 2)

#4   A Place to Bury Strangers - Speaking of sonic assault, these guys do it better than anyone I know of on the scene today, while simultaneously undermining any image of themselves as traditional rock stars by obscuring their own figures with smoke and strobe lights. To witness their shows is not so much to encounter a rock band but a force of nature.
(RFR Review 1 / 2)

#3   No Age - This one might not be be fair since they are a perennial favorite of mine, but I am hard pressed to think of any band that, no matter where or how many times I see them, it is literally one of the most fun nights of my entire year. Sophisticated, shoegaze influenced soundscapes are backed by a good ol' fasion punk rock spirit. Also, their shows always seem to inspire an unusually spirited yet mostly non-violent mosh pit. Don't miss these guys the next time they come around!
(RFR Review, sort of)

#2   Pterodactyl have pretty much everything I have pointed out so far that makes a great live band: charisma, visceral force, technical prowess, a hint of insanity, a whole lot of fun and the sense that they really mean it. But what puts them ahead of the pack is their undeniable musical originality and, more importantly, the fact that their live shows evolve continually. Rather than finding a formula for success and sticking with it, every Pterodactyl show I've seen has been distinct: sometimes loud and abrasive, sometimes poppy and sing-songy, sometimes noisy and experimental (not to mention, all of these at once). While every band on this list puts on a great show and has something unique to offer, this extra level of risk-taking is exceedingly rare.
(RFR Review 1 / 2 / 3 / 4)

#1   Ponytail - I've detailed the characteristics I value in a live band so many times by this point that to list everything good about Ponytail's shows would be redundant. Suffice it to say they have it all and take much of it just one step further than the rest (in particular, the antics of their lead vocalist, who is physically small but larger than life in sound and personality). What is really extraordinary and different about their shows however, has as much to do with the atmosphere as what the band is actually doing on stage: to be at a Ponytail show is to be surrounded by hundreds of kids literally jumping up and down for experimental free-form noise rock.

This uncommon combination of spontaneous joy and high-art appreciation among fans points to what makes Ponytail's music and their shows so striking and important: their ability to synthesize disparate or even seemingly contradictory qualities. Their music is at once visceral and intellectual, arty yet fun, experimental yet widely appealing. In this way, Ponytail represents all that rock music can be, in the tradition of some of my greatest heroes like the Velvet Underground and Sonic Youth. Such a comparison is a high compliment indeed; however, what makes Ponytail even greater is that they do not achieve what these bands did by aping them. Rather, their music is some of the most original and truly unique out there today. So there you have it: a band that both returns to what was so awesome about the greatest of the past and moves the the art form forward into the future.
(RFR Review 1 / 2)

Best Albums of 2009, Part 3: #20-16

PREVIOUS>>
Part 1 - Rules and Runners Up
Part 2 - #25-21


#20

Bad Blood Revival - Tongue Twisting Tunes for Tiny Tots
Dead Broke

Bad Blood Revival sounds a lot like the Jesus Lizard and a little like Slint, so you know they're good. True, they also aren't the most original band on earth, but they do what they do so well that, especially in this era of wussy, conservative anti-rock indie music, it's great to hear someone who isn't afraid to use a distortion pedal from time to time. The post-hardcore songs are clearly influenced by metal and noise rock, with weighty guitars, rage-filled drumming and shrieks. However, under all that great, awful sound, the songs are well-written, with outstanding riffs and a lot of variety. It's not pretty. But it's awesome.

How I found it: a couple of places
Track picks: "Kindling," "Bitter Pill/Aging Punk"
Link: [MySpace]


#19

Wu-Tang Clan - Chamber Music
E1 Entertainment/Universal

Sure, this got eclipsed by Raekwon, and after a while, this record does turn out to be a bit thin - but what it lacks in quantity it makes up for in quality. It's a nice comeback after the train wreck that was 8 Diagrams, proving the Wu-Tang still got it. The production is outstanding, using old soul music to give the rap depth and timelessness, while excellent MC'ing from most Wu-Tang members and some pretty great guests is the best we've heard on a Wu-Tang album since the 90's.

Read more from the original RFR review...

How I found it: Sheesh...I think I was first introduced to Wu-Tang Clan by the AllMusic Guide many lifetimes ago.
Track picks: "NYC Crack," "Evil Deeds"
Link: [MySpace]


#18

Lightning Bolt - Earthly Delights
Load

Of course, after all the complaining I've done regarding the wussiness of contemporary indie music, it would be remiss of me not to include this raw explosion of pure energy. Lightning Bolt features one very distorted bass and one drum kit, both played as fast and loud as possible. The whirlwind, however, is made of intense musicianship and nothing is random. It's like a bomb going off in your face. If that sounds awful, this album probably isn't for you. That's sad because it's fuckin awesome.

Read more from the original RFR review...

How I found it: been knowin'
Track picks: "Sound Guardians," "Funny Farm"
Link: [MySpace]


#17

Fuck Buttons - Tarot Sport
ATP

Experimental electronicians Fuck Buttons made one hell of an album. While they are still a long way from convention, Tarot Sport translates their noise/drone into something more easy to grasp. Deep, glitchy grooves dominate each track, while evocative layers drift in and out. The beats are dancy and the rest deeply emotional. Unfortunately, for the length of this album, Fuck Buttons are a one-trick pony and the excitement of track one will fade by the time you get to the end.

How I found it: "Jasper" mentioned it
Track picks: "Surf Solar, "Olympians"
Link: [MySpace]


#16

...and You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead - Century of Self
Richter Scale

Trail of Dead putting out a great album isn't exactly headline news, because they've been doing that consistently for a while now. They haven't broken new ground in a major way with Century of Self, but their sound is still entirely their own. Equal parts prog, shoegaze and punk, Trail of Dead sounds simultaneously artistic, rich and youthful. Walls of guitar sound break into stunning harmonies but strong melodies and pure energy keep the songs from stalling. There's a lot going on, and I promise you'll still hear something new the hundredth time through.

How I found it: lots of places, obviously
Track picks: "Isis Unveiled," "The Far Pavilions," "Ascending"
Link: [MySpace]


NEXT>> Part 4: #15-11
Part 5: #10-6
Part 6: #5-1

Best Albums of 2009, Part 1: Rules and Runners Up

Some years in music seem better than others. Last year certainly had some great albums, but it still seemed unsatisfying. This year, on the other hand, was outstanding. From bigger and more established bands to undiscovered kids recording in their basements, this was a year to raise expectations of what a good album can be.

This year was also an important year for me personally. Thanks in part to the influence of "Jasper" and in part to a few bands I heard near the end of 2008 (namely Wavves, Titus Andronicus and Beluga), my tastes and interests shifted towards more confrontational music - in other words, "punk," at least in the broadest sense. In making this list, I've tried to balance my old priorities with my newer ones.

However, this list is a "Best of" list, not a favorites list. And what "best" means to me, at least when it comes to music, is "most exciting." Albums that push boundaries or explore new territory are the most exciting, but some albums are just exciting for being damn good, or for appearing in the right place at the right time or for reminding the world what music has the potential to be. Exciting can be challenging or it can be beautiful or it can be fun - and the most exciting music is all three.

As a side note, I didn't really follow rap this year, so its representation in this list is pitiful. Sadly I can't keep up with everything at once, but I'm sorry that rap specifically has lately fallen through the cracks. Next year, I will do better, I promise!

And now for the honorable mentions! These didn't quite make the cut, but are well worth checking out:

The Brakes - Touchdown (Fat Cat) [MySpace]

Eat Skull - Wild and Inside (Siltbreeze) [MySpace]

Ex-Wife - Everything Was Beautiful (self-released) [MySpace]

Fiery Furnaces - I'm Going Away (Thrill Jockey) [MySpace]

Japandroids - Post-Nothing (Polyvinyl) [MySpace]

Jeff the Brotherhood - Heavy Days (Infinity Cat) [MySpace]

Mos Def - The Ecstatic (Downtown) [MySpace]

Wild Beasts - Two Dancers (Domino) [MySpace]

Next>> Part 2: #25-21
Part 3: #20-16
Part 4: #15-11
Part 5: #10-6
Part 6: #5-1

Guest Review: My Parents - "Happy Birthday to You"

Jasper sent me a review over IM of the limited edition single "Happy Birthday to You," a cover of the classic Orem and Forman song performed a capella by husband-wife outfit My Parents.


Song: "Happy Birthday"
Voice Mail Records, 2009
Rating: ******** (8/10)

I just listened to a voicemail from my parents. As soon as I saw whom it was from and the length, I knew exactly what was going to be on it. It was 44 seconds long and from their home phone.

They did a pretty good job of it though, sang in approximately the same key. My dad even did a little harmony thing at the end. My mom was not quite prepared to hold down the melody so she dropped out, but still, on a scale with most covers of the song, quite respectable. I guess that is not saying much.

Wow, I think I just wrote musical criticism of my parents singing me "Happy Birthday."


I post this as a cautionary tale for those thinking of pursuing music criticism as career or hobby. Kids, you don't want to end up like this.

Album: Little Girls - Concepts

Album: Concepts
Paper Bag, 2009
Rating: ******* (7/10)

Little Girls first came to my attention last summer when the mythical "Jasper" saw them live and told me they were the shit. I saw them for myself twice, and it quickly became apparent why they were associated with Mike Sniper's Captured Tracks label early on - Mike Sniper (a.k.a. Blank Dogs) is the only other band around making this type of nervous, lo-fi, gothy post-punk. Like Blank Dogs, Little Girls is mostly a solo project, this one of Josh McIntyre, a high-strung youngster from Toronto whose influences span from no wave to hip-hop.

Concepts is a spooky album that does well capturing the band's tense energy - and it's this tense energy that sets the band apart from its peers and makes it worthy of note. On the opening track, "Youth Tunes," the vocals are almost completely inaudible, warning us that McIntyre will be speaking from a dark and distant place. The vocals never really come above the surface on the whole album, so though the press release says the album is about coming of age, the listener's only real clues are the song titles.

Following "Youth Tunes," the ominous mix continues with the atonal, reverbed vocals of "Seeing." "Tambourine" is the first semi-accessible song, with a great riff and vocals, but we don't leave the minor scales until "Imaginary Friends," a tune that manages to be simultaneously upbeat and sinister. The tightly wound, repetitive "Venom" is something of a mess, with the instruments and vocals seemingly fighting for control of the rhythm. [Update: it just occured to me that I should have indicated that comment on "Venom" is a compliment. (11/6)]

However, there are some questions of originality. The dramatic melodies of "Salt Swimmers" and "Thrills" are distinctly familiar - I'm almost positive I've heard the latter in some sort of musical theater or soundtrack. This may be more reference than accident, showing a refusal to be held back from dramatics by any typical indie rock sense of self-consciousness. It's a bold move, but I'm dubious that this was the best way for the band to display their lack of self-awareness.

Moreover, the Joy Division influences are undeniable, and at times a little overboard. "Concepts" has almost the same bass riff as "Disorder" and "Last Call" also borrows more than a few notes from Bernard Summer and Peter Hook. The similarities don't ruin the music, by any stretch, but it is a bit disappointing if you're looking for something new.

The songwriting in general leaves a bit to be desired. Repetition is clearly a part of Little Girls' craft, as is their anticlimactic composition, but the songs sometimes stagnate too much, crossing that thin line from expressing a dark ennui to being, well, a little boring. I appreciate short, simple songs, instead of cramming a million ideas into a single track, but here it sounds a little underdeveloped.

Still, all in all, Concepts is an electrifying album and shows a band with great promise. The uneasy darkness of all eleven tracks demonstrates McIntyre's rare ability to translate emotion into sound, making an indescribable anxiety palpable in the music. However, the band is young and this album wants for maturity in many instances. Of course, the rawness adds to the excitement in a way, but it also frustrates. The unsophisticated songwriting makes this album seem far more trifling than it actually is. However, McIntyre's sharp sense of pop, his innovative ideas about sound, and most of all, his sincerity are unmistakable. He's the real deal.

"Growing" makes a warm closer, as though the tensions of the album have found a little peace. But despite the major key, it's not a happy peace. It's a lullaby for the darkest of hearts, a resignation without resolution and a testament to the secrets told, if never explained, on the previous ten tracks of the record.

Live: Woodsist Festival Recap (Day 1)

A couple of days at the Woodsist/Captured Tracks Festival is all it takes to illustrate how inbred the DIY scene truly is. There were so many members shared between bands that the event simply seems like a quick run-through of all the three-to-five person permutations possible with a dozen core members. (OK, math nerds, settle down. Permutations, not combinations, because sometimes they just rotate instruments.)

Some of the Woodsist bands are outstanding and several (Wavves, Woods, Crystal Stilts, Little Girls, etc.) number among my recent favorites, but with such a closed circle, it seems like the musicians and the small movement they've created is hurtling towards an artistic dead end. The festival was the culmination of a year and a half of well-deserved success, but seeing so many of the bands play in short succession was just watching them paint themselves into a corner.

Anyway...

The first band I caught was the Mayfair Sect, the debut of a collaboration between Kristen Gundred, the sole member of Dum Dum Girls, and Mike Sniper, the sole member of Blank Dogs - joined by members of Woods to round out the live band. Since Sniper also joined Gundred for the (also first-ever) Dum Dum Girls set on Saturday, the whole thing seemed a bit redundant. But in any case, Gundred has a powerful voice, one of the best of the festival, and Sniper's baritone is not far behind. The songs and performance were solid, but unremarkable - it seems like we've heard this all before.

Little Girls followed, a band "Jasper" recently recommended. Having seen them live, I can stand behind that recommendation even more confidently. The sound in Market Hotel was awful, and almost every band of the night sounded off-key. Little Girls were no exception, but their performance was far less aloof than many of the other bands and the dark tints in their music set them apart from the pack.

Similarly unaloof, Cause Co-Motion! gave an outstanding performance, tearing it up (literally, tearing up some of the stage's paper decorations) and jumping around like fourteen-year-old hardcore punks. However, the venue's poor sound, combined with the band's decision to deliver their songs in extra fast, extra messy punk fashion, ruined the set. I like extra fast and extra messy, but CCM aren't a punk band, they're a lo-fi pop band, and with their melodies falling flat, there was little to listen to. I had fun watching, but my ears were just plain bored.

I was glad to finally catch Psychedelic Horseshit, a band that's managed to generate some publicity simply by being arrogant and rude. Not all that surprisingly, the music sucked. The band seems out to destroy, and while I'm all about destruction, the secret truth is that you've got to do more than tear things down. No harmonies, no melodies, no songs, nothing but vocal snarls, guitar noise and primal drums. The most interesting part of the music were some dual rhythms with no apparent alignment; that was pretty cool, but the novelty did wear off eventually. I found it difficult to listen to the rest, which lacked bass or any low-register notes besides the bass drum. I do have some respect for the band and their willingness to negate everything. Still, making ugly noise to piss people off isn't exactly original.

Though I didn't like Blank Dogs last time I caught them live, their recorded material has really grown on me over the last few months, and I was excited to give the band another chance. Unfortunately, I still didn't like what I saw. If Sniper surrounded himself with other musicians who shared his dark vision, Blank Dogs could be a great live act. However, those who joined Sniper on stage didn't seem hip to his music's murky, gothic undertow. The band played as though they were playing with any other Woodsist band, confusing and obscuring the elements that make Blank Dogs unique.

Headliners Crystal Stilts delivered the most energetic performance I've seen from them to date - though that's not really saying much. They did do far better than the rest of the day's bands (Mayfair Sect possibly excepted) in overcoming the acoustic difficulties - their melodies were clear and in tune and their instruments distinct and balanced.

Despite a few changes (drummer Frankie Rose finally sitting down, for one), the band is doing pretty much what they have been, and their songs still sound disappointingly alike. A few of their more uptempo songs stood out in the set and the rest were at least enjoyable. It was nice to see the band finally having some fun too, dropping their detached posturing and really playing a heartfelt show for a room full of friends.

Five Bands to Watch in [the rest of] 2009 + Overrated Bands of 2009!

Six months ago, I posted my list of bands to watch in 2009. A few have proven me right, a few have been disappointing and the rest, well, we'll see. But over the last six months, I've come across or become more familiar with some other bands that merit your attention, and just because I found them in February instead of November doesn't mean they shouldn't make the '09 list.

Coin Under Tongue - For some reason, when I first learned of this band, I got the impression they were some sort of chilled out Americana thing - in fact, I distinctly remember listening to such music, but apparently, I was listening to a different band entirely (no idea what). Coin Under Tongue are LOUD and HEAVY, with the most massive distortion since A Place To Bury Strangers emerged a few years ago. You shouldn't be surprised to learn that I am NOT a metalhead at all, but with their relentlessly screaming vocals, this lumbering post-hardcore is well worth checking out.

Coyote Eyes - I've been increasingly smitten with this band since I first saw them in January. Their post-punk betrays a strong Sonic Youth influence, but they don't sound like Sonic Youth at all. Their perfectly-balanced rhythms, enticing melodies and enthusiastic live shows show they have what it takes to be a big name in the Brooklyn scene. [MySpace]

Pterodactyl - If you read this blog regularly, you'll have noticed that it's pretty much all about Pterodactyl these days. My mother thinks the high-speed arpeggiated guitars sound like French ambulances, but in combination with the jolting rhythms, jackhammer drumming and wild multipart vocals, Pterodactyl are more like riding strapped to the front of a French ambulance than just hearing one go past. Off the top of my head, I can't think of a single band that has balanced mature musicianship and manic, youthful energy more effectively. Their music may not have much mainstream appeal, but among true lovers of edgy music, they deserve to be considered one of the most exciting emerging bands of the last few years. [MySpace]

Sisters - I know, Death By Audio Records (also home to Coin Under Tongue) is cleaning up here! After being moderately impressed by Sisters at Dead Herring House this spring, I got my hands on some of their tunes, and I got a whole lot more excited. The pair garners a lot of not-undue comparisons to No Age, last year's noise pop/noise punk duo. But Sisters are a little more down to earth - their songs are shorter and more straight-forward. On the one hand, this means they are rather less sophisticated than No Age, but on the other hand, they sure pack a punch. They sound a heck of a lot like Sonic Youth's punkiest side and that's a very good thing to sound a heck of lot like. The guitar's heavy distortion and the drums' primal minimalism compensate for the decent-but-unexceptional melodies. Plus, how can you go wrong with songs like "Lust Is Just" and "Everybody's So Fucked Up"? This band is just plain cool. [MySpace]

**GUEST ADDITION**
Jasper recommends (and so far, I agree):
Little Girls - Little Girls sound like Blank Dogs if they came off their high horse of rock star snottiness. (Also, they are a rock band in the purer sense of the word without the synthesizers or electronica influences.) All of the noise, all of the melody, none of the pretension. - "Jasper" || Little Girls play lo-fi noise pop, but with a darker, gloomier undercurrent than their punky peers (No Age, Wavves, Times New Viking, etc.). - RFR || [MySpace]

An update on my early 2009 lists: A Sunny Day in Glasgow's album is rumored to be all I hoped it would be. I don't have my copy yet, but rumors are encouraging.


And as a supplemental list...

The Most Overrated Bands of 2009 (so far):

7. Magik Markers - They aren't terrible, but really, Thurston Moore? You couldn't have found someone better to dote on? I have some suggestions (see above).

6. Home Video - So much buzz, and all this is is generic new wave? I think they're the new Violens (and that's not a compliment).

5. Real Estate - All the hype around this band got me pretty excited. They were playing shows with Woods and Wavves and all of those bands I love so much. I downloaded some of the songs and promptly fell asleep. These guys might have even fewer melodies than the Vivian Girls.

4. An Horse - This is one of the worst bands I have ever had to sit through a set by. Perhaps more tolerable than Naked on the Vague (their fellow Australians) but still nothing short of painful. The melodies seldom contain more than three different notes and the words could be taken directly from the diary of a particularly lame twelve-year-old. I couldn't leave the show (no re-entry) and I think I pulled a muscle cringing.

3. St. Vincent - She makes me want to get my head run over by a semi-truck.

2. Suckers - This band is appropriately named. They suck. All show, no substance.

1. Dirty Projectors - I disliked this band in principle for a long time before realizing I should actually give them a fair chance. So I did. My mind was wide open, at least for a few minutes. They strike a balance between boring and annoying few have achieved so well.

News: Bowery Presents Loses What Little Dignity It Had Left

So Bowery Presents has partnered with Jet Blue and Superfly Marketing in sponsoring a contest where your band could win a chance to play at the airport. Cause, you know, that's where every band wants to play.

You can find the details here. And the kicker? "The top artist as determined by JetBlue and Superfly will also perform as the opening act for a headlining artist at Bowery Presents' Terminal 5, the popular concert venue in Manhattan's Hell's Kitchen neighborhood, or another Bowery Presents show" (italics mine). So that means, if you win this contest, you could, you know, get to play at 7 PM at Mercury Lounge on a Tuesday. And the airport. Hot DOG!

Thanks for the tip, Jasper.

Live: Animal Collective (Guest Review!)

This just in from our LA correspondant, Jasper!

When: 5/29
Where: The Wiltern, Los Angeles

What I love most about this band is their unabashed quirkiness; not self-conscious eccentricity, mind you, just a few weird dudes fearlessly being nothing but themselves (or are they just blissfully oblivious to anyone's judgment?). This comes across even more strongly in their shows than on their albums.

AC don't play songs so much as a continuous hour long DJ set of drums and psychedelic synths that unexpectedly yet seamlessly gives way to the Beach Boys-caliber melodies for which they are so famous. As soon as the band emerged it was obvious that these guys were not the cool kids in high school: Panda Bear bends intently over his drums and soundboard while Avey Tare bounces, hops and jerks to the beat. The plainness of their outfits contrasted with the overwhelming intensity of the multicolored lights and rapidly cycling surreal imagery projected onto a huge globe suspended above the band, not to mention the power of the music. There is something awesome about three guys awkwardly hunched over their instruments blasting an ecstatic audience of thousands with a deafening deluge of tripped out melody and pounding percussion.


Animal Collective
As soon as the first recognizable melody emerged (Avey Tare's "Summertime Clothes") I realized something not totally apparent on the impeccably produced albums: there is nothing pretty about Avey Tare or Panda Bear's voices. (I began to understand more concretely why allmusic lists Björk among their influences.) Rather than detract from the power of their the music, however, the contrast of the roughness in their voices, punctuated with piercing shrieks, against such exquisite harmonies is nothing short of breathtaking. If the even the artiest of punk rock draws visceral thrill of loud electric guitars, then AC similarly draw on the even more primal thrill of a good yell.

While the less melodic sections did become excessively drawn-out and repetitive at times, the joy of finally being caught-off guard by your favorite AC tunes made the wait seem worthwhile. And if the band did get a little self-indulgent, with such an incessantly enthusiastic audience (that included both the hippest and dorkiest people in LA) loving every minute of it, who could blame them? With their inclination to make the wild and unpredictable musical, AC have become widely adored by speaking to the weirdos in so many of their fans.

Live: Vaselines, A Place To Bury Strangers + more

TODAY! Monday, May 18

The Vaselines @ Music Hall of Williamsburg | Williamsburg, Brooklyn | SOLD OUT
If you're not already aware of the Vaselines reunion, you gotta get with the picture! This classic indie pop group, highly touted by Kurt Cobain (according to Wikipedia, he named his daughter after one of the band's founders), will be gracing New York for the first time since in like 20 years. (OK, yeah, they also played at Bowery last night. Sorry I didn't give you all a heads-up.). If you put your mind to it, I'm sure you can find some tickets.


Wednesday, May 20

Psychedelic Horseshit, Sisters @ Union Pool | Williamsburg, Brooklyn | $7
I have yet to catch Psychedelic Horseshit live, but they are rumoured to be good and pretty much sound like their name would imply - ultra-lo-fi pop-psych. I enjoyed Sisters last time I heard them, and since getting their album, I'm liking them more and more. Definitely don't miss this. [PH MySpace] [Sisters MySpace]


Thursday, May 21

Pterodactyl, These Are Powers @ Glasslands | Williamsburg, Brooklyn | FREE!
Pterodactyl are my new favorite NYC band. I liked their last show, I like their new album, and in general, I think they are brilliant and one of the more original groups in Brooklyn these days. I don't know nothin' about These Are Powers, but "Jasper" says they are noisy and good, and I'd believe that. [Ptero MySpace] [TAP MySpace]


Friday, May 22

Crocodiles @ Studio B | Greenpoint, Brooklyn | FREE!
Crocodiles are the latest shit out of Sand Diego. Despite their frequent claims to the contrary, they do sound just like the Jesus & Mary Chain. But that's cool. RSVP to tuxwithchucks@dt-mag.com if you wanna go. Which you do. (Thanks Brooklyn Vegan!) [MySpace]


Saturday, May 23

Holy Fuck, A Place to Bury Strangers, Crocodiles @ Bowery Ballroom | LES, Manhattan | $15
Do I really have to explain why this is amazing? Holy Fuck play the kind of electronic music that's amazing to watch live. APTBS makes some of the loudest, heaviest guitar sound around - shoegaze/psych/noise rock that feels like getting crushed by a brick wall. (That's a compliment.) Crocodiles, well, I just told you about them in the paragraph above. To get all three of these bands in one night is well worth $15. [HF MySpace] [APTBS MySpace] [Crocs MySpace]

Live: Crocodiles + more (Guest Review!)

My friend "Jasper" has been eager to contribute something to the review for a while now. So here it is at last, his Radio Flyer debut:

When: 4/4
Where: Pianos

Piano's show this past Saturday, headlined by San Diego's Crocodiles, was one of the most highly-buzzed in NYC and I was excited to see (and review) it. A note about the line up: though Monokino was listed as the first band on the schedule, the band I saw sounded and looked nothing like them (according to Myspace). I could not figure out who it was, but suffice it to say they played solid but unremarkable Indie Rock with its fair share of minimalism and distortion: well paced songs that held my attention throughout the set but failed to stay with me much afterward.

TWEAK BIRD

Admittedly, metal is not my thing, but I'll do my best: Tweak Bird consists of a guitarist and drummer, both of whom sing, and together manage to create quite an impressive amount of sound. Other than that, they seem to be a pretty typical metal band with many genre characteristics familiar even to non-metalheads: a heavier sound and slower tempo than punk, more virtuoso guitar work, drawn out songs with long instrumental sections and lyrics depicting a fantasy world. To their credit, they held my attention for a while and even got my feet a-tappin', although their leaden sound eventually began to drag. Still, the fact that they appealed to me at all is a good sign and it's probably not a bad idea for anyone seriously into metal to give them a listen. [MySpace]

NEW THRILL PARADE

San Francisco (NTP's home turf) is a beautiful city and among all that fog and ocean breeze and multicolored Victorian architecture, one can lose touch with reality. Such must be the case with this band. Men in gowns, vocals that varied between a squeal and a roar, and a saxophonist in a monkey mask are some examples of this band's total weirdness. And I'm all for total weirdness - when it says something, that is. It's not that New Thrill Parade has nothing to offer; they all play quite competently, and there were even moments when I found myself getting into the bizarre groove of their quasi-orchestral goth rock. But as the set wore on, the music proved to be just as excessive and tiresome as their style. I wish I could tell you more about their sound, but quite frankly, it was pretty unmemorable. Never have I seen or heard something that was so totally over the top without being the least bit edgy. If there was a point to this overwrought and drawn-out freak show I missed it, and came out too bored with the whole thing to look any further. [MySpace]

CROCODILES

I had a lot of reasons to look forward to the set of the latest buzz-band, Crocodiles: they've been compared to Jesus and Mary Chain, they are a favorite of one of my favorites, No Age, and I found their myspace samples totally addictive.
So did Crocodiles live up to my inflated expectations? For the most part, yes. The comparisons you may have heard are apt: Crocodiles sound like JAMC with the beat turned up and the noise turned down just enough to make you want to move your feet, clap you hands and maybe even sing along. Still, the show could certainly damage some eardrums - the noise is more emphatic live than on their myspace tracks, with louder feedback playing over those catchy melodies and with long, loud interludes and outros totally absent in the recordings.

On stage, Crocodiles presented themselves with an unusual balance of endearing charm and cool aloofness, an apt compliment to caustic yet irresistible sound. Lead singer Brandon Welchez hopped around with an almost awkward but infectious enthusiasm, but he never removed the Ray-Ban knock-offs that distance him just enough to keep you from forgetting that he's probably cooler than you. Guitarist Charles Rowell sported an identical pair, bopping to the beat in a slightly more understated but still energetic manner.

Crocodiles played a short set - about half an hour - the only parts of which I did not recognize were those noisy interludes. Even as these became amelodic, however, they never lost the beat or veered off into the formlessness of noiseniks like Sonic Youth. Rather, Crocodiles manage to stay just this side of the noisy/melodic threshold, appealing to an edgy, experimental sensibility while remaining listener-friendly to more conventional tastes.

One drawback of the performance: although the music includes a great deal of percussion and electronic effects, the only instruments on stage were the guitars wielded by the band members (mostly solely by Rowell). While it makes sense that electronic effects would not be produced live, I would have like to see them bring on an in-the-flesh drummer much like such highly respected acts as Wavves and Crystal Castles do in live shows. It would have made the show more exciting and visually balanced.

It's still too early to tell if Crocodiles will achieve something truly groundbreaking or momentous. What is apparent is that they live up to the impressive hype they've garnered and I look forward to seeing/hearing more of them in the near future. [MySpace]