Album: The Horrors - Skying

Album: Skying
XL Records
Release Date: July 26 or August or something (in the US)
Rating: ******** (8/10)

The first time I heard the Horrors, they were opening for someone or other at Music Hall of Williamsburg and I thought they were one of the worst bands I'd ever heard - a "goth" band that had probably never listened to real goth music in their lives, a band who ripped off real musicians to create an "edgy" image and used some cheap effects to try to disguise the fact that their music is as formulaic as any mainstream teen radio idol.

But I kept seeing their 2009 record Primary Colours on Best of Oh Nine lists including lists by some people I hold in high regard. Like Fucked Up. I grudgingly sat down with a copy. And was astounded.

I can still hear in the Horrors what inspired my very mistaken first impression. On one level, they are a blatantly derivative 80s throwback. You'd be hard pressed to find any single element in their music that wasn't directly sourced from a UK band circa 1982 (give or take a couple years). And if I'm to be honest, that fact really does prevent this band from full-on greatness. The silver lining here is that they don't sound like most of the other bands of the moment. They sound big and their music resonates with drama and genuine pain. It's a sad truth that a band that doesn't sing about going to the beach is now exceptional. Fuck the beach. Ian Curtis never sang about the fucking beach - not because he didn't like the beach (probably) but because he knew it would be a stupid thing to sing about.

This is all kind of irrelevant because I actually have no idea what the Horrors are on about, except that it’s not the beach (probably). But what I'm saying is that the Horrors are true Romantics and are definitely not into this escapist bullshit. Romantics may be dramatic goofs, but if you can say one thing for them, it’s that they are much too busy getting their hearts broken to think about the beach.

For all its moodiness, Skying is less dark than Primary Colours. Which isn’t saying much. It also sounds much larger than Primary Colours, which definitely is saying something. Instrument for instrument, the Horrors owe their biggest debt to Public Image Ltd and Joy Division. The guitar is straight up Keith Levene (Public Image) with bass recalling Peter Hook (Joy Division) and vocals that are, at most, two generations down the musical family tree from Ian Curtain (Joy Division again). There is another band that ripped of Keith Levene and Joy Division, and they are called U2 and Skying doesn’t sound unlike U2’s first record (okay, it sounds exactly like it), even if the Horrors’ pseudo-gothic image doesn’t exactly jive with golden boy Bono. I haven’t heard anyone rip off Keith Levene quite so well since the Edge did back then (a long long time ago).

This guitar, however derivative, is the highlight of the album. It’s never high in the mix, but below the surface, it twinkles and shimmers like glowing embers. There's some Kevin Shields influence in there too, pitches bending achingly in and out of tune. The sparkling chorus on "Changing the Rain" is stunning and the melting reversed reverb on "Still Life" might take your breath away.

The synthesizers, on the other hand, are entirely lacking in subtlety. The cheesy parts may be hard for some folks to swallow, but at least the band fully embraces them. There's nothing worse than self-aware, apologetic synth pop. If you feel you have to apologize for your music, you shouldn't be making it in the first place. The Horrors offer no apologies when the blaring synth textures introduce "You Said" or when synthesizer riffs burst in rather rudely on songs like "Moving Further Away" and "I Can See Through You." Although the synths do sound modern, their parts unabashedly channel London, 1981. The band is not shy about signposting their New Romantic roots - you remember all those synth bands out of London in the early 80's: Soft Cell, Eurythmics, Spandau Ballet, Depeche Mode and the rest of them? Those guys.

The vocals also owe their biggest debt to that period - direct Ian Curtis descendents though they may be, they are more dramatized and less despondent. Sure, singer Faris Badwan has anguish, but it's the anguish of a showman. The Horrors are writ large and deliver a performance, a production, drama in the sense of theatrics as well as emotion. Like so many of their influences, they draw on glam rock, which draws in turn on cabaret - it's spectacle, it's fully removed from the mundane, it's the soap opera to punk's gritty documentary.

Granted, the band has some roots in punk and garage rock as well. The Birthday Party (Nick Cave's original band) is the first example that comes to mind but the band learns from bands as far back as 60's garage rockers like the Seeds and ? and the Mysterians. But on Skying, they've largely said adieu to their grittier side in favor of a massive, polished sound. They're still noisy, no doubt about it, but they don't have a lot of rough edges left.

The most polished and least dated element in the music is the rhythm section. Just as the vocals are Ian Curtis via New Romantics, the bass is Peter Hook via U2 in as much as it tends to hang on the root a lot and sticks to a lot of quarter notes. But this sort of minimal melodicism fits perfectly with the dance-y grooves of the drums, which unlike the beatz of 1981, have the advantage of having a chance to learn from hip-hop, trip-hop and acid house (of which the last is the most direct rhythmic blueprint for Skying). They've got that whole baggy, Madchester thing down pat, especially on the slower tracks like "Changing the Rain" and "Moving Further Away."

The album boasts a decent amount of variety, ranging from the one rough'n'gritty track, "Monica Gems" to the slick "Changing the Rain," from the Telescopes ripoff "Dive In" to the M83ity "Moving Further Away." The best tracks are the biggest, shiniest, danciest, poppiest, rockin'est ones: "Changing the Rain," "I Can See Through You," "Dive In," "Still Life" and the eight minute opus "Moving Further Away." The remaining tracks are a bit less inspired but work well enough in the context of the LP.

It's hard for me to admit this album is made up entirely of recycled 80's Britishisms and that's probably because I enjoy it so very much. I want to believe in the Horrors. I want to believe they are doing something that matters. I want to believe I'm not buying into an act that merely pillaged a decade and dressed it up all as something new, but I am. And so what? I started asking myself why anyone would want to make an album that sounds exactly like early U2, but I've ended up with a different question - why wouldn't anyone want to make an album that sounds exactly like early U2. Skying isn't important. But it's so beautiful it makes my heart skip a beat. And that's not a bad accomplishment, even if it's fleeting.

Live: Jeff the Brotherhood, Heavy Cream, Hell Beach + more

When: April 2, 2011
Where: Death By Audio

When I went to Death By Audio last weekend, I will admit I was not really in the mood for the music of the night - namely slightly southern-fried, post-ironic-hipster-idol-y, 60's-inflected indie rock.  But that doesn't change the fact that nearly the entire show was a disappointment.

When I arrived, Colleen Green was on stage.  The band is made up of two affected, Ray-Ban sporting women playing guitar and bass over a cheesy drum machine.  That's a setup that could go either way, but in this case, it went in a bad way.  The music was terrible, but that wasn't really the problem - in fact, that provided the only point on which you could argue the band had some merit.  My friend Pepe (thanks, random name generator) thought that the band members were courageous to take the stage even though they were so astoundingly bad.  However, I had the distinct feeling that this wasn't a brave presentation of incompetence in the populist tradition that runs from punk and No Wave through Beat Happening up to contemporary vanguard of bands that at least (sometimes) fake inability to play their instruments (e.g. Stupid Party, Total Slacker).

But Colleen Green is of a different tribe.  To me, their performance reeked of cowardice.  Their incompetence seemed distinctly calculated to allow them to take the stage without threatening insecure men.  This is one of the most disturbing faces of the nostalgia that has overwhelmed indie music and alternative youth culture in recent years - the relegation of women to a sort of Trix Rabbit role (silly girls, guitars are for men).  It's been difficult for me to put my finger on what separates the anti-feminist backlash of bands like Best Coast and Colleen Green from distinctly empowering female figures like Alexis Krauss of Sleigh Bells (who, after all, does not write the band's music or play an instrument, but whose ditsy bimbo character who thought she forgot her sunglasses is delivered with ambiguous derision and balanced with massive, nasty sound and one uncurbed scream).  Not every female in music has to be a bra-burning Riot Grrrl, but if you are female and playing rock or pop music, you are making a statement on feminism, whether you like it or not.  This isn't about what's fair, it's about reality, and in reality, Colleen Green says loud and clear that "girl bands" are a novelty.  We ladies of the music scene are good for a laugh, but let's leave the real music to the men.

Colleen Green were followed by X-Ray Eyeballs, an ultimately forgettable act of two and three chord songs.  I'd give them another chance, but their performance at DBA was not exactly something to write home about.

I wish Hell Beach was as forgettable as X-Ray Eyeballs, but unfortunately, the opening of their set, a song charmingly entitled "Dead Friends" is still seared in my memory.  The lyrics, which you can read for yourself here, are a tasteless, artless attempt to be edgy.  Or maybe it's an attempt to parody edgy rock lyrics.  Whatever they were attempting, they failed.  Actually, I should say vocalist Susan Tinsley failed.  The other two members of the band were pretty alright, with drummer Jolene Boyce having exactly the edge that Colleen Green was lacking.  Brad Holland managed to wrangle some nasty snarls out of his guitar - cliched snarls, but in a way that's more art-smart referential than uncreative.

The band is clearly going for some sort of goth punk or goth grunge.  Don't get me wrong, goth is all about having a sense of humor (a dimension of the genre missed by an entire generation of Hot Topic customers and sickly-looking gloomsters).  Goth's seminal single, "Bela Lugosi's Dead," is one of the of the funniest songs in pop history.  But that song was both lyrically clever and sonically creative.  "Dead Friends," on the other hand, is so obvious that you can actually feel yourself getting stupider as you listen - and not in a fun way.  I mean, c'mon Tinsley, how old are you?

The only band of the night that really did meet my expectations was Heavy Cream.  Part of the reason the band met my expectations is that those expectations had been lowered when I saw Heavy Cream at Union Pool (if I remember correctly) and found them to be nothing more than good Nashville-inflected garage rock.  I had hyped them up in my own mind to be the greatest thing since half-and-half (sorry) but this time, I approached the group with more reasonable expectations.

Nashville-inflected garage rock definitely still summarizes the band's sound.  However, there was something far more punk rock about their performance at DBA.  Part of it wasn't musical at all.  When guitarist Mimi Galbierz broke a string soon after the band took the stage, the set was stalled while the band tried to find a guitar to borrow.  (Jake's guitar, "Jamin," was suggested until the band remembered that guitar would only have three strings to their current five.)  While the band awkwardly pleaded with the audience to supply them a guitar, singer Jessica McFarland began berating the audience for their lack of creative contributions in the downtime.  Whether tongue-in-cheek or serious, McFarland's obvious contempt for the audience brought the show to a new level.  The band's frustration at being plagued with technical difficulties (the guitar being just one of several mishaps) was channeled into their music, giving it a harder edge.  McFarland can be compared to that other blond singer of the young Nashville scene, Jemina Pearl, in as much as both possess the stage with delightful arrogance and a sort of icy sexuality.  But McFarland's presentation is far more mature than Pearl's petulant (if captivating) behavior.

After the venomous performance by Heavy Cream, headliners Jeff the Brotherhood failed to impress.  I mean, they failed to impress me.  The audience seemed to dig it, moshing violently from Jake's first note on.  But the crowd at Jeff shows seems increasingly dominated by the kind of people who use the mosh pit as an outlet for macho aggression.  The pit is all about violence, which is obviously kinda the point.  But every scene where slam dancing dominates eventually seems to draw out a more bullying element, the meatheads who have ruined countless hardcore shows from the early 80's onward.  To be clear, these sort of meatheads didn't dominate the Jeff show - but I can feel a slide in that direction in the increasing roughness and decreasing fun of the audience.  People are starting to come not for the music but because they like to shove other people around.

But that's not the Orrall brothers' fault and it wasn't what made the show such a disappointment.  What ultimately ruined the set was simply the band's straightforward delivery.  The reason Jeff the Brotherhood shows have always excited me is Jake's ridiculous rockstar posturing, his command of the stage and piercing comprehension of rock'n'roll showmanship.  But last weekend, the band just played their songs.  They played well and with enthusiasm, but a spark was missing.  Whether the band is burning out, growing lazy or was just having a weary night remains to be seen, but whatever the reason, the band was simply not compelling or commanding.  Of course, in saying this, I am only comparing the band to themselves, their past performances.  Compared with the vast majority of acts out there, they are still one of the meanest live shows of 2011.  But for longtime fans, their current presentation seems distinctly uninspired.

Let's hope it was just an off night and not the start of the decline of indie's rockingest band.

Best Albums of 2009, Part 2: #25-21

PREVIOUS>>
Part 1 - Rules and Runners Up

#25

Blank Dogs - Under and Under
In the Red

Most bands never succeed in carving out a sound that's entirely their own, but Mike Sniper's lo-fi goth doesn't sound like anything else out there. Deeply reverbed synthesizers and guitars take the best from the original goth movement, leaving the melodrama in 1980. What's left are intriguing, dark pop songs. The "lo-fi," effects-laden production buries distorted vocals, leaving everything hard to make out. The effect sends chills down my spine. It's the feeling of encroaching darkness and the sense that some profoundly disturbing secret is lurking in the shadows. If you've ever been in an abandoned hospital or a spooky forest or someplace similarly eerie at night, you know what it's like when you can't quite make out what's frightening or explain it to someone else, but you feel a tangible chill in your bones. That's what this album does to me.

Read more from the original RFR review...

How I found it: the internet!
Track picks: "Setting Fire to Your House," "No Compass," "Slowing Down"
Link: [MySpace]


#24

Cold Cave - Love Comes Close
Matador

Once again, I have to resort to quoting the press release because I can't paraphrase this and be as spot on: "equal parts romance and nihilism." Cold Cave's Matador debut draws from new wave synthpop, but just as much comes from krautrock, industrial and no wave music, making catchy music that's purposefully, powerfully vacant and inhuman. It's a statement of disillusionment and knowingly futile emotion. If Nietzsche had made an album of synth-based love songs, it would sound like this.

Read more from the original RFR review...

How I found it: They opened for Crystal Stilts and Love Is All last year.
Track picks: "Youth and Lust," "The Trees Grew Emotions and Died"
Link: [MySpace]


#23

Thee Oh Sees - Help
In the Red

I wasn't that smitten with Thee Oh Sees when I first saw them last summer, but when I put on their album for the first time, it immediately grabbed my attention. The band's fuzzy, lo-fi garage tunes manage a rare balance between strongly stated professionalism and youthful indie-ness. The songs are well-written pop tunes, but they take themselves seriously, with instrumentation and production that packs a real punch. These guys are fun, but they aren't just fooling around.

How I found it: bunch of ways
Track picks: "Enemy Destruct," "Peanut Butter Oven"
Link: [MySpace]


#22

Fever Ray - Fever Ray
Mute

Fever Ray, a.k.a. Karin Dreijer Andersson, the frontwoman of acclaimed electronic duo the Knife, released her solo debut this year. Dark, dense and wild, Fever Ray is an intensely primal album, both more earthy and more cryptic than the Knife's work. The music evokes dark images of untamed wilderness, ancient times and the occult, enigmatically hinting at the deep pain of some past trauma and an ensuing psychological deterioration. Andersson's powerful voice is one of the strangest and most evocative to emerge since Bjork's heyday, and here, it is fully unfettered.

How I found it: "Salvador" turned me on to it
Track picks: "If I Had a Heart," "Now's the Only Time I Know"
Link: [MySpace]


#21

Dälek - Gutter Tactics
Ipecac

Being the only group in the world (to my knowledge) that can be classified as "noise rap," Dälek never ceases to be exciting. Gutter Tactics may not be their best work to date, but it's still a remarkable accomplishment. Rap's usual rhymes and beats here meet screeching, jarring iceflows of pure noise. Drawing from shoegaze and ambient as well as industrial and krautrock, Dälek is one of those rare bands loud enough to slam you back against the wall the first time you hear them. The lyrics are smart and meaningful, but unfortunately, the MC's delivery can be a little bland. Still, Dälek is one of the most boldly original groups on earth - here's hoping they're a precursor of what's to come in the next decade of music!

How I found it: I first heard of Dälek when they did a split release with "no-gazers" IfWhen.
Track picks: "Gutter Tactics," "No Question"
Link: [MySpace]

NEXT>> Part 3: #20-16
Part 4: #15-11
Part 5: #10-6
Part 6: #5-1

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.

Album: A Place to Bury Strangers - Exploding Head

Album: Exploding Head
Mute, 2009
Rating: ******** (8/10)

There are no big surprises on the new album from A Place to Bury Strangers, out today on Mute Records. As always, the band is still something of a one-trick pony. The good news is that that one trick is so very awesome and original that it's far from played out - there are still lots more avenues to be explored, and more importantly, lots more eardrums to be shattered.

APTBS's trick comes, of course, from guitarist Oliver Ackermann's custom Death By Audio pedals. These create a mountain of fuzz, feedback and noise. Static covers the music like a thick layer of snow, while deep rumblings fill in every gap and piercing overtones punctuate songs. It's like My Bloody Valentine or the Jesus and Mary Chain on steroids.

For this reason, APTBS has always been more of a live band to me than one I listen to on record - it's all about volume, about overwhelming the senses and being swallowed whole by the noise. The record isn't the same experience. But then again, Loveless pales in comparison to My Bloody Valentine's live show and it's still one of the greatest records of all time. It's more fair to compare an album to other albums than to compare it to a concert.

Exploding Head starts off strong with the MBV-esque "It Is Nothing," a high-speed pitch-bender with simple but intriguing vocals and extremely tight distortion throughout. The song jumps into the sonic fray with both feet, as melodic overtones add phantom guitars and an deep foundation keeps the listener from ever finding the bottom.

There are a few sequencing problems on the album. Most notably, "Lost Feeling," with its weird Sonic Youth-like steps out of the key signature, is a great addition to the album, but is far too long, repetitive and unmelodious to sit up at track three. Later in the album, the silent beginnings of "Ego Death" break the album's spell and disrupt its flow. It would have been better to fill this space with more audible noise to keep the listener engaged instead of making them stop their concentration to check their speakers.

"Keep Slipping Away" is the album's standout centerpiece. It's well composed, with another simple but irresistible melody and a great sense of structure, driven home by half-tempos, drop-outs, breaks and the perfectly placed bridge. With a dancey, electronic beat and an anxious, repeating lead guitar, it recalls 80's synth music like Depeche Mode, but adds APTBS's characteristic NOISE. "Smile When You Smile" is a more typical APTBS track, but keeps things moving with hammering drums, a short bassy solo and an unforgettable melody. The decision to roll back the noise from time to time sends the tense, disturbed song hurdling forward.

The album goes out strong too, with the gothy, ringing reverb title track, followed by the intense "I Lived My Life to Stand in the Shadow of Your Heart." This closing song is writ large, with an expansive, open melody and a thick, distorted pulse in the bass. Feedback screams over it all until the song descends into its own static until it's only a hint of sound under the roar of white noise.

There isn't a bad track on Exploding Head. It's a solid, accomplished album with no filler and few missteps. It isn't groundbreaking for the band, it's just a further honing of what they've been doing for years. And what they've been doing for years is being more loud, more ominous and more awesome than anyone else around. Fuck yes.

[MySpace]

Upcoming Shows - This Week + September Preview

I really can't get it up for many of the shows this week, except the Breeders last night and tonight at Bowery. And that's very sold out, though I suppose it's worth a try.

Friday, August 21
Antlers @ Mercury Lounge | LES, Manhattan | SOLD OUT
This show is sold out, but if you can find a way to go, I'd recommend it. This is the album release party for Hospice, which is one of the definitive albums of the last decade. The band is pretty good live, too. It's amazing to see just three guys make all those sounds you hear on the recordings. [MySpace]

Saturday, August 22
Blank Dogs, Ex-Humans @ Don Pedro's | Bushwick, Brooklyn
Why Blank Dogs would play such a venue is anyone's guess. Don Pedro's doesn't exactly have a great reputation among Brooklyn bands. But that's not what's important. What's important is the gothy lo-fi of Blank Dogs is unparalleled and you should check it out. And yeah, I know I haven't had the most positive reaction to the live shows in the past, but 1) I hear there may be some significant changes afoot for Blank Dogs as a live act and 2) just because the shows aren't as good as the albums doesn't mean they aren't better than most other bands' shows around. [MySpace]


There are some shows coming up further down the line that are worth putting on your calendar and, if possible, getting tickets for before they sell out:

August 30
Lightning Bolt @ 979 Broadway | Bushwick, Brooklyn | $12
An afternoon show from one of the best guitar bands in, like, years. [MS]

September 1
Screaming Females @ Mercury Lounge | Manhattan | $10*
Another one of the best guitar bands in years. And they're up-and-coming fast, so check them out while you can still see them somewhere reasonably small. [MS]

September 9
Naked Raygun @ Music Hall of Williamsburg | Brooklyn | $15*/$18
One of the great bands of the American Underground, Naked Raygun ruled the hardcore/indie scene in Chicago. [MS]

September 13
Feelies @ Southpaw | Park Slope, Brooklyn | $25*
The Feelies defined the jangly "Hoboken Pop" of the 1980's, balancing pioneering noise with catchy melodies and uptempos. Twenty-five bucks is a lot, but at least it's a double set. [MS]

September 14
Autolux @ Bowery Ballroom | Manhattan | $15*
If you like shoegazy alt-rock walls of sound and massive songs, look no further. [MS] (Actually, do look further on this list, there's more for you...)

September 15
Autolux @ Music Hall of Williamsburg | Brooklyn | $15*
See above. [MS]
Zeros + Jemina Pearl @ Southpaw | Park Slope, Brooklyn | $15*
The Zeros are one of the classic late 70's LA punk bands, and one of the only presently touring with their original line-up intact. [MS]

September 19
..And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead + Secret Machines @ Music Hall of Williamsburg | Brooklyn | $20*
If you like shoegazy alt-rock walls of sound and massive songs, look no further. (This time I mean it.) [MS]

September 24
Wavves + Ganglians @ Santos Party House | Manhattan | $12*
Wavves make lo-fi, surfy, poppy, noisy, fiercely independent punk. They are one of the very, very best bands to emerge in 2008/2009. They are playing a Todd P show (venue TBA) the next day, though, if you prefer the DIY setting. [MS]

*Advance tickets available online

Album + Live: Blacklist

Album: Midnight of the Century
Weird Records, 2009
Rating: ******* (7/10)

The long-awaited debut LP of gothy post punks Blacklist, dubbed Midnight of the Century, is a relief after two EPs that failed to do the band justice. Though I've never failed to be compelled by the band's live show, their existing releases seemed unfocused and unmemorable. I could never even pin down exactly what was wrong with the EPs, but for whatever reason, the music didn't translate.

On Midnight, however, fans will finally recognize the band they love. However, even this album has its problems, particularly in the production. From a band influenced largely by the dense, layered music of post punks like the Cure, the record is frustratingly wanting for depth and richness. The sonic weaknesses might have been overcome with better recording and production techniques, which these days can be achieved even on a low budget - overdubbing duplicate parts, intensifying reverb, and so forth. Given the credentials of the engineers behind the sound (most notably, Ed Buller, who's resume includes work by Slowdive and Suede), the shallowness is really inexplicable.

With even the sound falling short, the record must stand on songwriting alone. And in this, Blacklist have proven themselves exceptional. There's not a single bad track. "Fight of the Demoiselles" could be an alternative radio hit, with many songs not falling far behind. There's a decent amount of variety, with the subtle trance of "The Cunning of History" and the airy "Odessa" breaking up the rest of the dark 80's sheen.

Unlike many of the darker bands of the 80's, Blacklist only flirts briefly with synthesizers, sticking by and large with the traditional guitar-bass-drum arrangements familiar in the rest of rock. Lyrically, like many goth-inspired groups, they draw upon dramatic images that speak more of modern society than personal moodiness. It's a work with vision, edge and above all, well penned songs.


Live...
When: 7/31
Where: Cameo Gallery

The Cameo show, following very closely on the heels of the album release, was not your typical Blacklist affair. For one thing, Cameo is more well-lit than many spaces, and Blacklist, unsurprisingly, thrives in the dark. Also, with a mostly shoegazing bill, the regular goth crowd didn't turn up.

Still, as always, the band was a powerful presence on stage. Dressed in black, with expressions to match, the band fanned out powerfully and delivered their songs with intense conviction and technical talent. Live shows also give the band, particularly guitarist James Minor, a chance to delve into more experimental sonic territory. Fleshing out their gothic soundscapes with new textures and improvisation, Blacklist expanded on their new material without losing track of the underlying songs.

Much like Ringo Deathstarr, with whom they shared the Cameo stage, Blacklist is not an original band. Both groups cover familiar territory, but each executes its chosen style with such near perfection that they become memorable and significant in their own right.

[Blacklist on MySpace]

Live: Japandroids + Little Girls, Dinowalrus

When: 7/10
Where: Cameo

I first heard the name Dinowalrus ages ago, probably well before I even started this blog. I didn't get around to listening until about six months ago, when the band e-mailed me a song. I listened to that song and my feelings on it were so neutral that I lost what interest I had (despite the band being named after a hybrid of two very badass critters).

It recently occurred to me, however, that this might be just the kind of band I need to hear live to appreciate. So I arrived early to Cameo to catch their set, and I can't begin to tell you how glad I am that I did.

Now, I know I've said about a handful of drummers that they were among the best I'd ever seen, so let me be perfectly clear - none of the drummers I've ever mentioned on this blog could hold a candle to Josh (I dunno his last name). He wasn't always in the band and it's kind of hard to imagine them before his arrival, because while the other two members are talented, his playing is what sets the band far ahead of its peers. It's not only the speed and complexity with which he plays, nor is it just the rich sounds he pulls out of his drums, it's the absolutely brilliant beats he uses. Few rock drummers even attempt syncopation and polyrhythm and most who do fall flat; it's extremely rare to find a drummer in rock music for whom breakbeats are second nature.


Dinowalrus (photo by Ted Gordon)
The other two band members aren't far behind in terms of technical skill. Their metalloid riffs, noise-rock freakouts and electropop grooves combine seamlessly. The wildman chemistry between Josh and guitarist/vocalist Pete Feigenbaum is explosive, while Kyle (again of indeterminate last name) has a calm, grounding presence on stage. Still, his steady concentration on his simultaneous bass and synth parts is anything but tame - after all, sometimes quiet insanity can be the most captivating.

I still have no real desire to listen to Dinowalrus on record - their lack of structure does not mix well with my lack of concentration. But I will be checking them out live as often as possible. Starting tonight at Cake Shop with Abe Vigoda. And know if you miss this show, you will have to live with that shame for the rest of you life. [MySpace]

I recently reviewed Little Girls' performance at the Woodsist Festival but it was good to hear them in a room that wasn't 105 degrees. In general, the acoustics were better except for the fact that the sound guy was asleep at the wheel - the band went most of a song without vocals and terrible feedback problems were still unresolved by the last song of the set.

Despite the hurdles, the band delivered a compelling if strange performance. The band members seem bizarrely disconnected from one another on stage - they play tightly, but with a palpable distance that fits well with the moody isolation of the music. The dramatics of frontman Josh McIntyre seem slightly put on, but his nervous energy is no doubt genuine. The dark bass riffs and reverbed, trebly guitar are fitting Joy Division-esque post punk, but there's something new here too, a genuine urgency as the young band begins to discover their own sound. [MySpace]

As for headliners Japandroids, I can't say I was ahead of the curve on loving them - Pitchfork was all over them before I gave them a try, but for the few weeks before this show, I was listening to their new album nearly non-stop. It's pop-punk at its best - simple and raw, youthful, catchy, and loud.

I wish I hadn't seen the band live. It's not that they aren't good - in fact, the band's two members are both excellent musicians and really rock out on stage. It's just that it was disillusioning to learn that a band that sounds so genuinely punk is really quite the opposite.

Reduced to its purest essence, punk has always been defined by its attempts to tear down the boundaries between musician and audience. Punk is the ultimate rejection of rock star idolatry. And as such, it's everything Japandroids are not. Guitarist Brian King soundchecked by moaning a pseudo-melody into the microphone for five minutes straight. Now, to be clear, King has an adequate voice, but despite his obvious conviction to the contrary, not one of remarkable beauty in any way.

The band members are older than I expected, given the adolescent sound of their music and lyrics. That in itself is not really a problem, but the band's blatant rockstar posing - including, hand to God, a fan positioned to give King's curls that windswept look - belies their innocent-sounding songs and that innocent-looking photo on the front of their album. These aren't exuberant young kids just trying to have fun, these are pop-idol wannabes.

Even the way they spoke to the audience between songs was condescending - they explained that they would be playing songs other than those from their recent album in order to play a decent-length set. Now, I applaud playing a good long set, but the band didn't have to explain that they'd be playing songs we might not know - I mean, assuming we all know all the songs on their album, assuming that we're all so unfamiliar with the ways of rock bands as to need some explanation for the set list, assuming there is a fundamental difference between them (rock stars) and us (fans).

That Japandroids have an attitude fundamentally opposed to everything punk stands for, that they are co-opting punk music to achieve the same ends as any contestant on American Idol, that they would rather be Elvis Presley than Johnny Rotten - none of this changes the fact that Post-Nothing is one of the best releases of 2009. What the show shattered was the hope that it might also be one of the year's most inspiring. Yeah, they're good, but kids, no matter what Japandroids say, DO try this at home.

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.

Upcoming Shows: Japandroids, Mission of Burma + more

TONIGHT - Monday, July 6

Peter Murphy @ Highline Ballroom | Chelsea, Manhattan | $35
Pete Murphy is the original goth, the frontman of Bauhaus.


TOMORROW - Tuesday, July 7

Peter Murphy @ Highline Ballroom | Chelsea, Manhattan | $35
See above.


Wednesday, July 8

Sundelles, Little Girls @ Cake Shop | LES, Manhattan | $7
I haven't seen the Sundelles, but they're meant to play garagey indie pop - 50's revival with a punk 'tude. People like them. Little Girls are one of the five bands I've recommended you watch in the rest of 2009 - a recommendation made by "Jasper" but which I can now more confidently confirm, having seen them at this weekend's Woodsist/Capture Tracks festival. Dark and gloomy DIY punk from Canada that's very worth checking out. [Sundelles MySpace] [Little Girls MySpace]


Thursday, July 9

MC Lyte @ Von King Park | Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn | FREE!
MC Lyte is one the greatest MCs ever, and was one of the first women to get behind a mic and rap. She was a revolutionary, paving the way for women in hip-hop and expanding the boundaries of what rap music could say and do. I'd pay way more than $0 to check this out.


Friday, July 10

Japandroids, Little Girls @ Cameo | Williamsburg, Brooklyn | $8
Japandroids have recently become one of my favorite new bands. Like No Age but more conventional and with more tightly-written songs, Japandroids offer an amazing mix of roaring noise, punk energy and infectious melody. This is what pop-punk should have been. I just told you about Little Girls (see Wednesday listing). [Japandroids MySpace] [Little Girls MySpace]

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart @ South Street Seaport | Downtown Manhattan | FREE!
The Pains have got nothing on Japandroids, but they are pretty good pop music that the kids are crazy for. Their ascent from playing loft parties to a few dozen friends to scoring full features in Spin and Newsweek has been dizzying and makes me kind of want to hate them. But I can't hate them because they are nice people, outstanding songwriters and great performers. Like I said, you should go see Japandroids, but if don't have eight bucks, this FREE show is a pretty sweet alternative. [MySpace]


Saturday, July 11

Japandroids @ Pianos | LES, Manhattan | SOLD OUT!
Japandroids rock. (See above.) [MySpace]

Parts and Labor @ Market Hotel | Bushwick, Brooklyn | $7-20 (donation)
Parts and Labor are a super-rad NYC band. They play experimental rock that can be kind of like Oneida and kind of like Liars and often like no one else in particular. They have some very pop moments and some very weird ones, inhabiting the no man's land between pop music and noise-rock more fully and broadly than any of their contemporaries. Since you went to see Japandroids on Friday and Pianos is sold out anyway, you'll want to head over to Market Hotel on Saturday night. [MySpace]


Sunday, July 12

Mission of Burma, Fucked Up, Ponytail @ Williamsburg Waterfront | Williamsburg, Brooklyn | FREE!!
Daaaamn. Mission of Burma has been redefining indie, punk and noise since the early 80's and their reunion a few years ago came a surprise to those familiar with the band's good-natured break-up, meant to save the last remaining shreds of Roger Miller's hearing. Better earplug technology has allowed them to regroup and play awesome shows like this. Fucked Up are one of the best hardcore punk groups around these days, and as for Ponytail, they are amazing live as well as recorded. [MOB MySpace] [FU MySpace] [Ponytail MySpace]

Upcoming Shows: Woodsist Festival, Germs + more

Wednesday, July 1

Jay Reatard @ Stuyvesant Oval | StuyTown, East Village, Manhattan | FREE
Punk/lo-fi master Jay Reatard has written so many mess little pop songs in the last few years it's hard to keep up. You should go to this show. But be advised it starts on the early side (officially 6 PM, though my guess is Jay goes on at 8 PM). TV Smith (see below) might be opening, that is not clear. [MySpace]

Hunters @ Cake Shop | LES, Manhattan | $6
I really liked Hunters last time I saw them. Aggressive, arty punk music that's surprisingly free of cliche. [MySpace]


Thursday, July 2

Jay Reatard, TV Smith (ex-Adverts) @ Music Hall of Williamsburg | Williamsburg, Brooklyn | $15
Well, I just told you about Jay Reatard (see above). TV Smith was one of the key founders of British punk. His band, the Adverts, were contemporaries of the Sex Pistols and certainly have a place alongside the Clash, X-Ray Spex, the Buzzcocks and a handful of others in the pantheon of pioneering English punks. [JR MySpace] [TVS MySpace]

Germs @ Mercury Lounge | LES, Manhattan | $14 adv/$16 doors
This week is Independence Day, so perhaps it's better not to support old British punks like TV Smith. A more patriotic option is to check out the Germs, one of LA's original punk bands, contemporaries of bands like X and Black Flag. The reunited Germs, however, are missing founder and singer Darby Crash, who committed suicide in 1980, at age 22. [MySpace]


Friday, July 3

Sonic Youth @ United Palace | Washington Heights, Manhattan | $38-$45
I don't think you should pay this much to see Sonic Youth. But if you really wanna...

Grooms @ Bruar Falls | Williamsburg, Brooklyn | $7
Grooms, fka Muggabears, are pretty awesome gloomy-but-melodic post punk. They follow the American tradition, sounding far more like Sonic Youth than Joy Division. They are one of NYC's best. [MySpace]

Woodsist/Captured Tracks Festival @ 979 Broadway Backyard | Bushwick, Brooklyn| $15
+ Crystal Stilts - Despite being lazy and self-entitled, this band sounds like Joy Division and I love their music. Like Joy Division, there are a lot of understated riffs in the bass line with repeating guitar over the top and morose, baritone vocals. [MySpace]
+ Blank Dogs - This lo-fi goth didn't impress me last time I saw it live, but I've become increasingly impressed by the recorded material. I'm hoping the show I saw live was just a fluke and that they will actually be awesome. [MySpace]
+ Psychedelic Horseshit - Not a personal favorite, due to their pretentiousness, but they have some merit, for sure. Their name describes their sound better than I could. [MySpace]
+ CAUSE co-MOTION! - C-86 revival with brilliant lo-fi pop numbers under two minutes. [MySpace]
+ Little Girls - Highly recommended. [MySpace]
+ more


Saturday, July 4

Woodsist/Captured Tracks Festival @ 979 Broadway Backyard | Bushwick, Brooklyn| $15
+ Thee Oh Sees - Shamefully, I'm not that familiar with this band's music, but they are considered to be one of the best of the recent noise punk movement. I have high hopes. [MySpace]
+ Vivian Girls - Yawwwwwn. This set will be a good time to go grab a bite. [MySpace]
+ Kurt Vile - Lo-fi folkster and recent signee to Matador. [MySpace]
+ Woods - One of the best bands around. Haunting psychedelic folk that I've written loads about already. [MySpace]
+ Tyvek - Awesome punks from Detroit. I liked them last I saw them. [MySpace]
+ Dum Dum Girls - These guys are a somewhat less boring version of the Vivian Girls. [MySpace]
+ Fresh & Onlys - Another band I have heard great things about but haven't had a chance to listen to properly yet. All I know is that they are psychedelic and people like them. [MySpace]
+ more

Frankie Rose, Fresh & Onlys, Pink Reason, Babies (members of Woods, Vivian Girls) @ Market Hotel | Bushwick, Brooklyn | $5 with Woodsist stamp / $8
Frankie Rose is the drummer of Crystal Stilts. I don't know what she does solo. Hopefully not just pound on a floor tom. Fresh & Onlys I described above. This show starts at midnight, well after the end of the Woodsist festival.


Monday, July 6

Peter Murphy @ Highline Ballroom | Chelsea, Manhattan | $35
Pete Murphy is the original goth, the frontman of Bauhaus.


Tuesday, July 7

Peter Murphy @ Highline Ballroom | Chelsea, Manhattan | $35
See above.

Album: Blank Dogs - Under and Under

Album: Under and Under
In the Red
Rating: ******** (8/10)

My last experience with Blank Dogs was being underwhelmed by their performance at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in March. Of the ultra-lo-fi movement of the last year or so, Blank Dogs don’t quite equal the very best of the pack – Woods, Wavves, Crystal Stilts and a few others – but they definitely aren’t at the bottom of the pile either. The ranking among this crowd comes down to songwriting, and while Blank Dogs don’t have nearly the gift of a band like Woods, they do have some pretty nice tunes.

Blank Dogs is the solo project of Mike Sniper, a purposefully enigmatic figure who has been forced to remove his mask (literally and figuratively) by recent success. His new album, Under and Under, comes out tomorrow, and if you’re into little pop songs that are completely obliterated by distortion, I’d have to recommend picking up a copy.

Where Blank Dogs stray from the typical lo-fi template is in the band’s obvious nods to the music of the early 80’s. Their songs are styled after British post-punk (e.g. the Joy Division-esque "L Machine" and "Open Shut"), early synthesizer-based new wave ("Falling Back"), and even goth itself ("Face Watching"). It’s a simple idea, but pretty smart – to my knowledge, translating these styles to lo-fi has yet to be done. By taking songwriting cues and beats from the 80’s, but entirely subverting the era’s emphasis on clarity and polish, Under and Under deserves some distinction.

The album opens up with a trio of strong tracks: the heavy pop of "No Compass" followed by a tense, driving song called "L Machine" and the faintly western "Night Night." The album’s key centerpiece is "Setting Fire to Your House, " a dark, synth-heavy song with creeping, creepy vocals that somehow get more disturbing as they shift from minor key to major, and from understated verse to catchy chorus.

Other highlights include "Falling Back," which manages to withdraw even further into the fuzz than the rest of the album, and "Tin Birds," whose sloppy hooks provide a glimmer of brightness in the midst of an overwhelmingly dark album. And towards the end of the record, the massive gothic soundscapes of “Face Watching” do Robert Smith proud.

However, at fifteen songs, the album feels a little padded. I’m generally a fan of long albums, but only if the material is consistently album-worthy. There aren’t actually any bad songs on Under and Under, but some of tracks in the second two thirds of the album seem just like less-good versions of ideas already expressed. Ultimately, these songs only dilute the album’s quality and make it sound "samey, " when in fact, there’s plenty of diversity here to support a more tailored LP.

Ultimately, Under and Under is a well-conceived and brilliantly executed album, and its successes more than compensate for its flaws. Taken as a whole, it’s not the best record ever, but it’s got more than enough truly great songs to earn my very discriminating respect. And to make me hope that Sniper is just getting started.

[MySpace]

Live: 28 Degrees Taurus, Blacklist

When: 5/16
Where: Cameo, Glasslands, Public Assembly

OK, I know I've fallen really far behind here, but if you can think waaaay back to a week and half ago, there were a whole ton of amazing shows in one night. Luckily, most of them were on the western edge of Williamsburg, so bouncing back and forth between venues was not all that hard.

After grabbing the first couple numbers by My Best Fiend and determining it too mellow for my mood, I crossed N 6th St to Public Assembly to catch the legendary (in my mind) Beluga for their short set. I won't bother to review these lady punks, because I've reviewed them quite enough lately. But it is safe to say I was disappointed by the venue's decision to cut the set short (presumably to make room for DJs who would spin to an empty house the rest of the night. Ugh.)

So I cut back across the street to Cameo where 28 Degrees Taurus had recently begun their set. I wrote up 28DT a while ago but it's been too long since I've caught them live. 28DT play a shoegaze-inspired rock that completely defies classification or description. It is loud, aggressive and unruly, with an arty disregard for convention.

Frontman Jinsen Liu's high-energy noise guitar duels some of the best drumming I've ever seen (yes, I said it) - Greg Murphy plays about ten thousand beats a second, never losing track of the beat and never letting up. The velocity and intensity of his drumming and nearly unmatched. Bassist Karina Dacosta keeps things under control, though, her calm demeanor and rock-solid bass lines anchoring the frantic music and providing a much-needed reference point. The vocals, shared by Liu and Dacosta, are delivered with a careful balance of passion and humor that match the oddly arresting lyrics ("Let's drink / and drive / and crash / and die / Woohoo!"). It's art and it's fun, it's edgy, it's pop and it's just a damn great show.

As they hit their final notes, I bolted in a surprisingly successful attempt to catch Blacklist a few blocks over at Glasslands. I haven't written up Blacklist in ages, and last time I did, they were playing at the acoustically-murky Vanishing Point. For all its flaws, Glasslands has consistently excellent sound, and hearing Blacklist in full clarity makes a helluva a difference. At VP, the band stood on stage presence alone, but at Glasslands, the musical merits could also impress.

Simply put, Blacklist takes everything good from the darkest side of early 80's pop and combines it into a delicious darkwave rock. And it's not dated either - though I'm pretty sure of fans of the Cure, New Order, Sisters of Mercy, Bauhaus and the like will love Blacklist, their dense guitars and lack of electronics set them apart and make them a fully 2009 sort of band.

On stage, the band (dressed in black, of course) command attention with their professional, almost imposing stance. They play tightly and attentively, pouring their energy not into antics but into their solid front. The band's gloomy posturing is never whiny and never fake, it's the real deal. No wonder NYC's few surviving goths flood every show - Blacklist are everything we miss.

28 Degrees Taurus on MySpace

Blacklist on MySpace

Upcoming Shows: A Place To Bury Strangers, Marnie Stern + more

There are some OK shows this week, but none good enough for my endorsement until Friday....


Friday, May 1

A Place to Bury Strangers + Dinowalrus @ Less Artists More Condos | Greenwich Village, Manhattan | $?
This show is so badass, I don't even know what to say about it. APTBS are one of New York's finest psychedelic bands. They are loud as hell, with great melodies and a guitar sound that's basically equivilant to being run over by a train. LAMC is one of NYC's premier DIY venues run by bookers who may well be the coolest people in the entire city. It's going to fill up and then some, so get there good and early! [MySpace]


Saturday, May 2

Bellmer Dolls @ Webster Studio | East Village, Manhattan | $10
Garage goths the Bellmer Dolls are a pretty common topic on this blog. In my last live review, I remarked that this band is "worthy not only of an audience but of a lasting legacy in the American underground." I don't say things like that very often. [MySpace]

Kurt Vile @ Silent Barn | Ridgewood, Queens
It's a long trek to Silent Barn, but it might be worth the trip this time to check out Kurt Vile, who runs with the likes of Wavves, Nodzzz, Woods and the rest of the ultra-lo-fi punx who currently own the blog circuit. I haven't heard him, but he's rumoured to be on the mellow/folk end of that spectrum. But he also had the balls to release an album called Constant Hitmaker, so he can't be too wussy. [MySpace]


Sunday, May 3

Marnie Stern @ Bell House | Gowanus, Brooklyn | $13 adv / $15 drs
Marnie Stern is badassest wielder of an electric guitar that New York has seen in ages. Her album, which was the #1 album of 2008, features non-stop shredding, explosive rhythms and pop hooks that all together sound nothing like anyone else I've ever heard. For serious. [MySpace]


Monday, May 4

The Kills @ Music Hall of Williamsburg | Williamsburg, Brooklyn | SOLD OUT
I'm sure if you put your minds to it, you can find tickets to this sold out show next Monday. The Kills might be the only two people on earth who can make indie rock sexy, a talent they proved in 2008 with their album Midnight Boom. Their garage rock has the careful production usually reserved for electronica - I can't explain how that works, because I don't understand. I just know it does work, and it's awesome. [MySpace]


Tuesday, May 5

Lady Sovereign @ Highline Ballroom | Chelsea, Manhattan | $15 adv / $18 drs
"Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Na, it's the biggest midget in the game." In other words, Lady Sovereign is one of the best garage rappers ever, period. As a white woman barely over five feet tall, she made it big in a predominantly black, male genre - so you know she's gotta kick some ass. She grew up in the same London projects as her fellow grime MCs and she's as pissed off as anyone. Don't fuck with her. Do go hear her next week at the Highline Ballroom. [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]

Live: A.R.E. Weapons and Bellmer Dolls

When: 2/19
Where: Cameo

I wrote up the Bellmer Dolls not that long ago and was planning to leave them alone for a bit, but when I found out they were playing with the legendary A.R.E. Weapons, I couldn't pass it up. I arrived at the new Williamsburg venue Cameo so late I thought I might miss the entire show, but in fact, the first act, Services, was just finishing when I made it into the room.

Services - I'm not sure what to make of this band, having only caught the last few bars of their set, but it certainly left me scratching my head. It seemed to combine 70's style and dance moves with some amalgamation of cheap 80's synth pop, Krautrock and trashy metal. I couldn't even figure out if it was awesome or terrible. Maybe it made more sense if you saw the whole set? Or maybe not.

A.R.E. Weapons - A.R.E. Weapons were once signed to indie mainstay Rough Trade and have been a known name in the NYC underground for almost a decade. While the quality of their recorded material is spotty at best, their live show has secured their reputation among audiences at fringe of the indie music scene. I'd never seen them play before and naturally, I was intrigued.

The first word that comes to mind for the band's performance is assaultive. The sheer volume is most of that, but the sound is also heavy-hitting and the delivery intense and aggressive. The line-up has changed numerous times since the band's founding, and for this show, the band was whittled down to two members. Some research leads me to believe there are usually four of them, but having seen the band as a duo, it's hard to understand why they'd need two more people - just two of them are pretty much enough to knock you over.

With one member on synth and the other on guitar and vocals, the band sounded pretty much like no-wave synth duo Suicide - a fact the band even acknowledged at one point. They topped their electronic beats with massive, distorted noise rock, but maintained a sense of song structure and vague orientation within key signatures, an approach that made their forays into noise far more enjoyable than most bands'. The musical chemistry between the two members on stage was also exceptional. They seemed to be completely in sync with one another, complimenting one another so naturally they might have been reading each other's minds.

My only complaint lies with the vocals, which could be a bit trite at times, particularly in the lyrics. I understand the trashy, cliched pattern of the vocals was used intentionally much in the way the Ramones reference the idiocy of 50's pop. But just because it's done on purpose doesn't make it the best decision - this sort of juxtaposition is rather overdone and the songs would be better if they stood on their own merit. :: MySpace

The Bellmer Dolls - I'm afraid my assessment of this band will always be colored with nostalgia for the good ol' days. Like any band that's at its best raw and live, the Bellmer Dolls have gravitated ever so slightly towards complacency and convention with time. Their garage goth is still aggressive and their delivery still wild, but their set seems more planned now - they break far less equipment and improvise less than they once did.


The Bellmer Dolls
But they still do some damage both to the stage equipment and to the audience's eardrums, and they are still very much worth getting excited about. The band debuted some new songs at the show that ultimately didn't live up to the tribal minimalism of Bellmer's early material - they were good, but didn't sound as unique. But just when I was about to get worried, the band launched into a new song that very much captures their old spirit - anchored by the tense, driving bass line, the song's bare aggression left no doubt that the Bellmer Dolls are still very much with us.

The band also played most of their best old material, snarling out classics and ending on a massive rendition of "Push, Push" which did, true to tradition, end in a lot of shit getting knocked over and broken. Maybe not as much damage as they would have done a year ago, but still, it was from the heart. And still, the band is one of the best around these days - worthy not only of an audience but of a lasting legacy in the American underground. :: MySpace

Upcoming Shows: Harlem Shakes, Swirlies, Mahogany + more

I already posted these last week, but just a reminder - these are all going to incredible shows!! I highly recommend all of them.

Wednesday, February 25
Tokyo Police Club and the Harlem Shakes @ Webster Hall - East Village, Manhattan - $18
If you missed the Harlem Shakes with Shilpa Ray on Valentines Day, then you really messed up. But all is not lost - you can still see the Shakes before they leave town. They are opening for Tokyo Police Club, another great pop band, at Webster Hall next week. It should be a very solid show. :: TPC MySpace :: HS MySpace

Thursday, February 26
Coin Under Tongue @ Cake Shop - LES, Manhattan - $7
To be honest, I don't know much about Coin Under Tongue except that it includes members of Dirty On Purpose and it's all the rage right now in the NYC underground. The second half of that doesn't really mean anything, but the first part (members of Dirty On Purpose) gives me pretty much blind faith that this band rocks. They are too cool to have a MySpace page, so I guess we'll just have to show up and see what it's all about.

Friday, February 27
Swirlies + Takka Takka, Autodrone @ Mercury Lounge - LES, Manhattan - $12
The Swirlies are a classic shoegazer band from the 90's, here again to capitalize off the current shoegaze fad - and who can blame them? They have chosen well for their supporting acts - Takka Takka is a pretty straight-up weird indie rock band that's been trendy for a surprisingly long time now. Autodrone is a band that could well be on the verge of a major break-through - their 2008 full-length debut reworks the darkest of New Wave ideas into 90's shoegaze soundscapes, with a touch of grunge and even prog just to keep it rocking hard. :: Swirlies MySpace :: TT MySpace :: Autodrone MySpace

Saturday, February 28
Mahogany and Blacklist + Cruel Black Dove and Depreciation Guild @ Mercury Lounge - LES, Manhattan - $10
Go to this show! Trust me. Mahogany's dream-pop and Blacklist's dark 80's soundscapes are going to make a delightfully varied but still cohesive evening (and a busy one for James Minor, who is a member of both bands). My last live review of Mahogany is here and my last review of Blacklist is here. And don't forget, those headliners are coupled with another 80's-esque, goth-influenced band, Cruel Black Dove, as well as electro-shoegazers Depreciation Guild, one of the best shoegaze bands around and also one of the hottest NY bands of the moment. This show is really, really, really going to kick some serious ass. :: Mahogany MySpace :: Blacklist MySpace :: CBD MySpace :: DG MySpace

Fifteen Bands to Watch in 2009 - Part 1

So you want to get ahead of the curve in 2009? Keep an eye on these fifteen bands (alphabetical over three entries) and you'll be the coolest kid in your class. Or not. But these are folks I hope are the future of rock music.


Antlers - Deer-themed names have been blessed the last few years. But more to the point, this atmospheric pop band is innovative and fun and has already captured the attention of some of the big NYC blogs. :: MySpace

Arms - Well-written songs and an excellent guitar-heavy sound should be enough for success, but it doesn't hurt that this band also has earned the interest and respect of a number of established groups. They're not a shoe-in yet, but they've got a decent chance to make it big. :: MySpace

Asa Ransom - This band is still new, but they have big plans. As I said in my live review of them, they have some things they need to work on (like melodies) - but their keyboard-heavy experimental post punk shows promise and they clearly have the drive to follow through. :: MySpace

Autodrone - Grunge-tinged dark wave-spirited shoegaze, these guys have all the talent and mainstream appeal to break through. If the fates are kind, we'll be seeing a lot more of this band. :: MySpace

Bellmer Dolls - Scoring opening slots for Nick Cave bodes well for these garage-goths. As does their superb talent and creep-chic good looks. :: MySpace


NEXT>> Part 2
Part 3

Live: The Bellmer Dolls

When: 12/11
Where: The Studio at Webster Hall

After a week of going to shows of bands other people like, it was nice to get back on familiar ground. But a lot has happened in the garage-goth world of the Bellmer Dolls since I last saw them - they scored opening gigs on Nick Cave's East Coast tour, they added a fourth member and their bassist, Anthony Malat, shaved his sleaze-'stache. Let's tackle these points one by one.

With regards to the Nick Cave tour, it's just one more way in which the band is moving towards a more established and professional existence. While all the Dolls are experienced musicians, the band itself has always had an extremely raw edge. At a typical show, frontman Peter Mavrogeorgis would randomly add parts to the songs, climb out into (and onto) the audience and accidentally break everything on stage in his passionate freak-outs. Yeah, like I said, a raw edge. And I was afraid to see them this time around, because I thought maybe they'd finally lost it.


The Bellmer Dolls
They haven't. Sure, it was inevitable that they'd lose some spontaneity, and as expected, their performance is decidedly more self-aware and less genuine, but their posing is always interrupted by Mavrogeorgis's genuine insanity. Mavrogeorgis seems to be one of those extremely rare musicians whose mind is formatted for music and only music - you can see that he never stops thinking and that fresh inspiration never stops coming. He'll be playing guitar, then suddenly get an idea to go bang something out on the keys, then scramble over to the microphone for some impromptu howling. If you compare most bands' live shows to the Bellmer Dolls', the difference is similar to the difference between viewing a finished painting and watching the painter put brush to canvas. Sure, this time around, Mavrogeorgis was more careful not to break everything and some of his moves seemed decidedly more planned, but in the end, it was still the Bellmer Dolls I know, exuberant nihilism and all.

As for the new member, I had my doubts. I was worried he would close off the band's open sound, limiting their creativity and moving them away from their previous originality. But I need not have worried about this either. The newest Doll, Gabriel (I don't know his last name), played with honed restraint, never once overplaying either with excessive volume or with unnecessary complexity. He's a brilliant addition to the line-up - good choice, Dolls!

As for Malat's moustache, yes, I missed it. (And note here, I don't usually talk about a band's fashion choices, but since Malat is a stylist, it's pretty appropriate this time.) Anyway, nostalgic though I may be, he looks good without it too. And he still bends around like a demonic Gumby when he plays, and in the end, isn't that what really matters?

MySpace

Upcoming Shows: David Pajo, Shilpa Ray, Bellmer Dolls and more

TONIGHT, December 12 - there's only one choice:

Jealous Girlfriends @ Webster Studio - $10
If you feel like going to a concert tonight, go to this one.

TOMORROW, December 11 - it's a toss up between two...

Bellmer Dolls @ Webster Studio - $8/$10
Bellmer Dolls are those garage goth geniuses I've been trying to tell you about. This is their first show in a while, and you have to see them live to get the full effect. :: MySpace

Suicide + Spanish Prisoners @ Europa - $22
Suicide are the legendary synth duo who helped establish the No Wave movement in New York about 30 years ago. They are still badass and they have invited up-and-comers the Spanish Prisoners to open. ::MySpace (Suicide) // :: MySpace (Spanish Prisoners)

Friday, December 12

Shipla Ray and Her Happy Hookers @ Santos Party House - $8/$10
Shilpa Ray of Beat the Devil has a new band and they are awesome and crazy like the last one. It's hard to describe the music, you'll have to hear it for yourself. Think blues meets post-punk meets escaped mental patient (and upon meeting, they have a fight to the death). :: MySpace

Saturday, December 13

Drink Up Buttercup and the Spanish Prisoners @ Cake Shop - $7
Two trendy bands, one trendy venue. Wear hipster-repellant. :: MySpace (Drink Up Buttercup)

Sunday, December 14

David Pajo + Men & Women @ Knitting Factory (Old Office) - $5
David Pajo, like David Grubbs, is one of the great leaders of 90's experimental rock. A member of Slint, Tortoise and The For Carnation (and more shamefully, Zwan), Pajo's resume is basically unbeatable. And it's only $5. :: MySpace

Drink Up Buttercup and War On Drugs @ Union Hall - $10
Two super-trendy bands (again). Wear hipster-repellant (again). :: MySpace (War On Drugs)