Upcoming Shows: Oneida, Calvin Johnson + more

TODAY, Tuesday, April 21

Gracefully, I Feel Tractor @ Zebulon || Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Gracefully (fka So L'il) plays some very tripped out dream pop that, last I saw, was more agressive and uptempo live than recorded. It's crazy music with good melodies and lotsa NOISE. As for I Feel Tractor, I actually haven't heard the guy, but I've been curious for a while just because of the cool band name. [Gracefully MySpace] | [Tractor MySpace]


TOMORROW, Wednesday, April 22

Shilpa Ray and Depreciation Guild @ Bell House | Gowanus, Brooklyn | $10
If ever there was a show worth the crazy trek to Bell House in middle-of-nowhere Brooklyn, this is it. I've written two live reviews of Shilpa, one in December and one in March. Depreciation Guild haven't got much in common with her musically, but they are just about as awesome. Heavy electro-shoegazers, these guys get mile-think walls of sound out of their guitars. Two great bands for ten bucks? C'mon. [Shilpa MySpace] | [DG MySpace]

Psychedelic Horseshit, Drink Up Buttercup @ Santos Party House | Chinatown, Manhattan | $10
These two bands aren't headlining, but they are still hot shit. Psychedelic Horseshit sounds kind of like the name would imply. It's messy and loud, but with a definite pop sensibility lurking somewhere underneath the racket. Drink Up Buttercup is a more straight-forward psychedelic pop that's far less cutting edge and rather more annoying. But some folks like em. [PH MySpace] | [DUB MySpace]


Thursaday, April 23

IfWhen @ Fontana's | Chinatown, Manhattan | $7
IfWhen represents the avant-garde of the shoegaze world, something I like to call "no-gaze." It basically sounds like all of them are playing the different songs. Normally, I'm not so into the highly experimental, but there's something amazing, original and beautiful about IfWhen's music. I think they play early. Also, bring earplugs. [MySpace]


Friday, April 24

Beluga @ Cameo | Williamsburg, Brooklyn | $7
Lady punks return to Cameo. It will undoubtedly be a lot like last time, only better. [MySpace]


Saturday, April 25

How to choose...???

Oneida @ Monster Island Basement | Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Oneida play a loud-ass fusion of punk and krautrock. They could be compared to Suicide from their tight rhythms and repetition, but they're more guitar driven like that. More like Iggy Pop covering Kraftwerk. Anyway, they've been a New York City classic for years. [MySpace]

Ponytail, Real Estate @ Music Hall of Williamsburg | Williamsburg, Brooklyn |
Ponytail are loud and manic, highly experimental and an outstanding live show. They made my Best of 2008 list. Real Estate are rumoured to be the shit. [Ponytail MySpace] | [RE MySpace]

Ceremony, Screen Vinyl Image and Soren Well @ Cameo | Williamsburg, Brooklyn | $13 adv / $15 door
Three of the best electro-shoegaze bands around, with dense guitar and synth sounds, tight beats and haunting vocals. Soren Well is the most pop-accessible/happy of the bunch, while the other two - both in from out of town - have a darker side. [Ceremony MySpace] | [SVI MySpace] | [Soren Well MySpace]


Sunday, April 26

Calvin Johnson @ Market Hotel | Bushwick, Brooklyn
The original ringleader of American indie pop, founder of Beat Happing and K Records, Calvin Johnson is a character and he's got a legacy that makes it worth checking him out.

Spectrum @ Mercury | LES, Manhattan | S10 adv / $12
The main thrill of seeing Spectrum perform live is to see whether Pete Kember (aka "Sonic Boom") will finally kick off midshow. Formerly of Spacemen 3, Kember parted ways with bandmate Jason Pierce when Pierce decided to go clean-and-sober and found Spiritualized. Kember didn't kick his bad habits and despite making some valuable musical contributions with Experimental Audio Research, he's too strung out to make much sense at all anymore. Still, he's got a certain amount of cred and history to him - just don't expect coherence. [MySpace]

Live: Soren Well

When: 4/24
Where: Glasslands

It was summer when I last checked in with shoegazers Soren Well, and since that time, the band has gone through a slew of line-up changes and stylistic shifts. Most noticeably, the band is now a four-piece, down one guitarist from last summer. They've also incorporated electronic beats into their songs, doubling the live drums.

The last time I saw Soren Well, frankly, it was a sludgy mess. The songs were indistinguishable from one another and the band had to drag them along like a ball and chain. There were some impressive things - some great guitar work and in particular, a very commanding stage-presence that could almost convince the audience the music wasn't boring. Because of these traits, I thought the band might have potential and decided to check back periodically.

And I'm very glad I did! The band has completely reinvented themselves since that time, keeping only the good - the great guitar sound and the confident performance style. Losing their second guitar, although (rumor has it) not the band's choice, was the best thing that could have happened for them. The heavy sludge and clutter has disappeared, and what remains are rich walls of sound and brilliant riffs. The electronic beats have picked up the band's tempos a bit and have given them a new level of rhythmic intricacy. And singer Jason (I don't know his last name) can finally be heard crafting his amorphous but lovely melodies in a voice that bears no small resemblance to the Verve's Richard Ashcroft.

Overall, Soren Well's new songs are poppier, more tightly constructed and more varied than ever before. The songwriting has vastly improved, though some numbers still wear on a little too long. The songs are also a little too "samey" - but far less so than they once were. I also wish the melodies were yet one more step towards catchy - they drift a little too much - but they're certainly not bad. The band's final three numbers kicked up the tempo even more and brought the set to a truly excellent close.

As Soren Well continues to find their identity as a band and hone their style, it's safe to expect something outstanding.

MySpace