Live: Lovvers, Stupid Party, Darlings

When: July 16
Where: Cake Shop

A week ago, I headed to Cake Shop to catch Lovvers, a top-notch punk band from the UK whom I had yet to hear live but whose tunes have been in pretty frequent rotation on my iPod.

First up, though, was a band called Stupid Party. I should have known from that name that they would be awesome, but I hadn't really braced myself to see something really exciting.

Stupid Party are one of those bands who seem to not give a fuck at all about what people think of them. They definitely make an effort to play a good show, but without pandering or compromising. Here's the bold, determined independence rock music needs - kids are having fun and playing loud and anyone who doesn't like it can kindly piss off.


Stupid Party (photo from MySpace)
The band's punky, DIY songs seemed to be written for a band just beyond their own level of technical ability - the drummer was stomping out the beats as though they were cockroaches trying to crawl away. The guitarist seemed to only remember the notes a fraction of a second before he was due to play them. Yet everything came together, a perfect balance of hooks and noise. This band is definitely a new favorite. [MySpace]

Lovvers came to my attention when San Diego's Wavves proved that bands with a double "v" in the middle of their name and a frontman with a haircut halfway between a fauxhawk and a mullet might be the very best kind of bands to listen to. So far, "vv" mullethawk bands are two for two.*

A lot of punk bands tend to sound more poppy on record and more punky live, but Lovvers are just the opposite. While their recordings are aggressively lo-fi, their live show underlined the band's 1950's roots (1950's rock being the root of all punk). They sounded more like the Ramones than like any hardcore band. Like that's a bad thing!

Singer Shaun Hencher went and jumped around with the crowd, getting in the faces of the front row and even pausing the band for a minute in order to plant a kiss on one girl in the front row. Meanwhile, the rest of the band was rocking it. Guitarist Henry Withers pogoed around the small stage while the rhythm section laid it down, loud and fast.

The band's young energy, their attentiveness to their audience, their clear enjoyment of every note, made the set impossible not to enjoy. And if that weren't enough, there's consistently exceptional songwriting and arrangement that makes Lovvers one of the stand-out punk bands today. [MySpace]

By the time the final band, Darlings, took the stage, I was kind of wiped out. I can only really handle about two excellent sets a night. So it was much to my chagrin that I discovered the third band was also going to kick serious ass.

Darlings were fairly recently featured as one of L Magazine's however-many bands you need to hear (eight?), which list I ruthlessly mocked for striking a bullseye right in the center of mediocrity. But seeing Darlings live, I have to admit they got one right.

The music sounded like it was arranged by a genuine madman. At times, the band members seemed to be attempting to play over each other in different key signatures. At others, it would sound like they'd all forgotten their parts for a few bars (but you know they hadn't because it happened the same way every time, and then SLAM, they were back in the chorus).


Darlings (photo from MySpace)
There were shrieks, there were lovely pop melodies, there were hooks, there were squalls of noise, there was pretty much everything you could want out of a band at some point or another during the set. Both frontman Peter Rynsky and synth-player/guitarist/back-up vocalist Maura Lynch seemed strangely calm amidst the music's rush, their deliberate performance only amplifying the music's oddities.

While ultimately my least favorite band of the night (only because the other two were so amazing), Darlings are certainly worthy of note. Their charming appearance of lacking self-awareness lead to an inconsistent but riveting performance, and one I definitely wouldn't mind repeating at their next show. [MySpace]


*I am honestly not making fun of their haircuts, I actually think they both look pretty rad.

Dust It Off: Alternative TV - The Image Has Cracked

Album: The Image Has Cracked
Deptford Fun City, 1978 [Import, 1994 (Bonus Tracks)]

In the history of punk, particularly in the UK, a brief moment occurred between the break-up of the Sex Pistols and the establishment of the major movements of post-punk. In January of 1978, the Sex Pistols parted ways without warning, and by the end of the year, Brian Eno's No New York compilation and John Lydon's Public Image Limited would begin to define the post-punk landscape. The following year saw the LP debuts of definitive British post-punks like Joy Division and the Fall, with goth, new wave and, across the Atlantic, hardcore punk not far behind.

In this period of indecision and potential, Alternative TV released their full-length debut, predicting many of the sounds that would dominate indie music in the 1980's in both the UK and the US. The Image Has Cracked keeps one foot squarely in the classic London punk tradition, but the other explores uncharted territory in every direction.

The album opens with a ten-minute live track featuring frontman Mark Perry attempting to give his audience a chance to speak into the microphone to say anything they may want to talk about. Instead of political or personal insight, all he gets is meaningless jabbering. This track shows Perry, who founded the early zine Sniffin' Glue, acting more as journalist than musician, illustrating the rapid corruption of punk's ideals.

With this almost explanatory track, Perry sets out to find a way to keep punk challenging and relevant, and he certainly succeeds. Drawing from influences as artistic as Frank Zappa (covered on the album) and krautrock (listen to the sonic experimentalism "Red"), The Image is hard to take in as a whole, especially when you get the version with eleven bonus tracks tacked on.

There are some more or less straightforward punk numbers included, such as "Action Time Vision." These fit seemlessly with longer, less conventional tracks. At six minutes, "Nasty Little Lonely" has a winding, dark groove, while the only slightly shorter "Still Life" falls halfway between goth and no wave - all while still remaining accessible.

If you can get the version with the bonus tracks, do so. It may be rather unwieldy, but it's well worth it, since the addition includes some of the most interesting tracks of all. The tight dub of "Life After Life" is among the UK punk scene's best. Pop sensibilities also crop up here with surprising clarity, including the tuneful back-up vocals masking the dark theme of "Life."

Meanwhile, the mellow blues of "Another Coke" is a shockingly intense track whose rambling lyrics fall somewhere between Neutral Milk Hotel's "Song Against Sex" and Minor Threat's similarly titled "Milk and Coke." Deeply personal social commentary, the song laments the quiet violence inherent in society's attitude towards sex and expresses Perry's longing for a more meaningful, pure existence.

As a whole, The Image Has Cracked marks the death of punk's purity and Perry holds little of himself back in mourning its passing. But it also marks the beginning of post-punk and indie music. Bouncing from the no wave-esque avant garde to Joy Division-style gloom to the youthful politicization of proto-hardcore, the album is document of ideas just one step ahead of their time.

Album: Wye Oak - The Knot

Album: The Knot
Merge, 2009 (out TODAY!)
Rating: ****** (6/10)

It was less than a year ago that I (and many people) first heard Wye Oak, a noise-folk duo from Baltimore whose self-released 2007 album's 2008 re-release on Merge made my "Best of 2008" list. I only heard of them in conjunction with all the hullabaloo they generated at CMJ last year, a well-deserved but short-lived buzz.

This album may follow fairly closely on the heels of If Children, but it's got two years' worth of new material. That time didn't bring a significant departure from the band's earlier work, but it definitely shows more signs of artistic maturity. However, despite being more sophisticated, the album is ultimately a disappointment. Perhaps it wouldn't be if everything we already knew about Wye Oak hadn't let us know they have far more potential than what they've tapped here.

The album starts with a surprisingly bold and promising move, the almost dirge-like "Milk and Honey." It's a ballsy choice as an opening track, indicating a band confident in their identity and their vision. While If Children, like most releases by any band, eases you in to the music, The Knot tosses you in the deep end and you can either turn off your stereo or learn to swim.

Unfortunately, this only makes the shortcomings of the rest of the album worse. It's clear that there is some larger vision for the record, but the execution simply doesn't stand up to that. There are a few really amazing songs, starting with "For Prayer." But there are quite a few duds as well - both "Take It In" and "Tattoo" use scales to form a large part of their irritating, redundant melodies and neither manage to generate momentum.

The rest of the album is a similar jumble of bright ideas and disappointing decisions. "Talking About Money" has a slick beat. "Mary Is Mary" has an especially beautiful and subtle melody, one of the band's finest, and while it's undoubtedly one of the album's high points, the dramatic arrangement ultimately cheapens what could have been more profoundly effecting with more subtlety. "Siamese" has intriguing production and arrangement but subpar songwriting, while "I Want For Nothing" and "Sight, Flight" have adequate melodies but sonically, boast few memorable moments.

Though more mature than If Children, The Knot left me wanting much more. Wye Oak are phenomenally talented, and I wouldn't be surprised if, a little further down the road, we'll see something monumental from them. But the problem with knowing how much they are capable of is knowing how far short they've fallen. And with this album, that's pretty far.

Live: Sisters, Coin Under Tongue, Jeff the Brotherhood

When: July 15
Where: Death By Audio

Obviously, I wouldn't miss a show featuring two of my midyear Bands to Watch in 2009 playing in their own home space, which also happens to be the city's best DIY venue. Yeah, hottt.

I named Coin Under Tongue a band to watch without having heard them live. It was a bit of a gamble, but the recorded material was so strong, it seemed worth the risk. And after all, the Death By Audio collective (A Place to Bury Strangers, Dirty On Purpose, Grooms/Muggabears, etc) has yet to produce a band that falls short of amazing.

But nothing prepared me for exactly how amazing CUT would be live. The band pumped the room so full of smoke you could barely make out the folks in front of you, let alone the stage. Then, as they slowly emerged from the murk, the band cranked out some of the heaviest, nastiest post-hardcore I've ever heard.

The distorted bass crashes through like a drunk mammoth but the man behind the sound, George Wilson (oddly enough, formerly of slowcore dream-pop outfit Dirty on Purpose) is anything but clumsy, shredding some deliciously difficult riffs. The similarly-lumbering guitar cuts like a slow-motion buzz saw while Joe Kelly howls death metal renditions of secretly lovable melodies.

The band seemed a little underrehearsed for the show, stumbling more than once. This would have bothered me more, but truthfully, it was kind of nice to see the band, though skilled, are not infallible virtuosos. I was also pleasantly surprised by the variety the band offered, some songs more gentle or even downright pretty, some faster and post-punkier, some cleaner and some noisier - you'd be hard put to accuse this band of always sounding the same.

I was excited to catch Jeff the Brotherhood knowing nothing about them, but just based on the fact that they were selected to play between CUT and Sisters. Tennessee duo set up on the floor, and though that might have been just to speed up the transition between their set and Sisters', it seemed to be an ultimate gesture of solidarity. Literally playing from the midst of their not-quite-moshing audience, the band made the fans as much a part of the experience as they themselves were.

The downside, unfortunately, was not being able to see the band, except when guitarist Jake Orrall climbed on top of the amps on stage for a moment of rock-hero posing. Still, it was worth it.


Jeff the Brotehrhood (photo from MySpace)
The entire set found me unsuccessfully groping for a reference point - though JtB doesn't sound particularly "out there," they aren't easily pigeon-holed either. There are guitar-heavy moments that take a page straight from the classic rock and metal book, while just as often, the band sounds like a tidied up lo-fi pop outfit.

Whatever it was, the songwriting was superb and the performance thrilling. JtB sound most like some lost classic from greatest moments of the 1980's American indie scene, but like a sonic chameleon, the band wouldn't sound out of place much of anywhere. It would just sound damn good. [MySpace]

Rounding out the night was Sisters, another personal favorite. Last time I saw them live, I was impressed but not blown away. This time, the band left no question of their pure awesomeness. There's something awkward about the band's two members - I could just imagine them as dorky third graders. But if they ever were, they certainly aren't dorky now.

Banging out a constant stream of lo-fi gems, Sisters are punk rock in a totally unclicheed way. Though they have some technical skill and their songs are not simplistic, the duo seems more interested in crashing and smashing and making a racket than in playing carefully.

I'm not a fan of the prerecorded parts, only because I like seeing music produced right in front of me, when I'm at a show. Still, those parts weren't too many or too involved, just an invisible third person when an invisible third person was needed.

Cramped full of hooks and bright melodies, Sisters' music is pretty hard not to love. They wouldn't even need such evident concentration and effort and such unabashed enthusiasm to win over their audience, but putting this great of a live show with this great of songs is a combination you don't want to miss. [MySpace]

Live: Mission of Burma + Fucked Up

When: July 12
Where: Williamsburg Waterfront

The McCarren Pool Parties are now minus the Pool. And minus the McCarren. But they've still got the party, and they kicked things off right this summer with this free show at their new location at the East River State Park.

I missed out on the first two acts - Jemina Pearl of Be Your Own Pet and Baltimore's illustrious Ponytail. I was bummed to miss Ponytail, because I know how amazing their live show is. Rumour is they were just as awesome on the big stage as they were in the tiny club where I saw them (in fact, certain people were texting me with things like "I can't believe you're missing this," which is hardly very nice!) So, though I can't offer a review, I can offer a plug - Ponytail are one of the most original and daring bands around today. And they kick serious ass live. [MySpace]

As for the bands I did see - the first was Fucked Up, a hardcore punk band that falls pretty far towards the "thrash" end of the spectrum. I'm not hugely into thrash or those ridiculous vocals that come with it. However, even fore the show, I suspected I might be a fan of the band live, and I was definitely not disappointed.

On the surface, Fucked Up sounds like a lot of ubermacho metal-ish bands, but, however inexplicably, Fucked Up's unleashed rage is not macho in the least. There is the presence of a woman on stage (Sandy Miranda on bass), and there's the fact that lead singer Damian Abraham publicly commented on his rather small wanker. (After stripping to his boxers, he realized it had been visible to some of the audience, and remarked "Trust me, it works just fine. I have a baby to prove it."). Indeed, his clear pride at being a new father, his willing vulnerability in undressing in front of hundreds of kids despite not having a body convention would describe as attractive and his obvious sense of humor all served to remind the audience what punk is really all about: the freaks and losers making rock music, finding community in one another and having a fuckload of fun.


Fucked Up (picture from MySpace)
Also, despite their flippant name, the group's lyrics are intellectual, their songs carefully crafted and their stage presence welcoming. As musicians, they are outstanding, perhaps not so much in terms of virtuous playing as in their complex, thoughtful arrangements featuring constant guitar interplay. My only complaint is the presence of three guitars on stage - it's no secret that I don't like superfluous musicians in a band, and there's no reason for any hardcore thrash band to need more than two guitarists. Still, that's small potatoes compared to the intense show the group delivered. [MySpace]

Headliners Mission of Burma are one of the great bands of the second wave of American punk, helping uproot hardcore and broaden punk's horizons before hardcore had even had a chance to see itself as a movement. The band has always kept their edge through a combination of exceptional songwriting, sonic unpredictability (thanks to an off-stage fourth member on "tape loops") and a certain darkness that came with the band's relative maturity at the time of their formation - they were in their mid-twenties in an era of high-school aged punks, and thus never gave themselves over to sheer manic energy at the expensive of musicianship.

I've seen the band once before since they reunited back in 2002 and both shows were amazing. Though most bands reunite for money or as an outlet for a midlife crisis, some do better than others at keeping the independent, edgy spirit of their music alive, and none I've seen have accomplished this as well as Mission of Burma. Recent releases by Dinosaur Jr and the Meat Puppets have been great, but represented a step towards convention for both bands, while MOB remains as edgy (if not necessarily as relevant) as they were in 1979.

The set list was a good mixture of new material and old classics. Of course, there were many songs I wanted to hear that didn't get played, but since the majority of the songs the band put out in its 1979-1983 incarnation are classics, it would be impossible for them to hit anywhere near everything. They were playing well and having even more fun that the crowd was - and that's a lot! And just seeing one of the great American punk bands playing against a sunset and the Manhattan skyline...unforgettable. [MySpace]

Upcoming Shows: Tyvek, Shilpa Ray + more

Wednesday, July 22
The indie pop scene in NY is not really big enough to try to split between two venues, so we'll see what happens on Wednesday.

My Teenage Stride @ Bell House | Gowanus, Brooklyn | $10
My Teenage Stride is the very first band I reviewed on this blog. I didn't want to like them, but I did, and I do. Fun, sweet indie pop played roughly but tightly, like good indie pop should be. [MySpace]

Knight School @ Bruar Falls | Williamsburg, Brooklyn | $8
I haven't seen Knight School yet, despite several attempts to catch them. They come with a strong recommendation from a certain person in a certain preeminent twee band, and I like their recorded stuff pretty well. It's lo-fi pop, with outstanding songwriting buried under a solid layer of fuzz. Nothing new, but definitely something good. [MySpace]


Thursday, July 23

Shilpa Ray and Werewolves @ Death By Audio | Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Two of my favorite bands. Shilpa Ray and Her Happy Hookers consistently put on one of NYC's best live shows. Their seamless combination of influences from blues and soul to punk creates a solid rock music that's familiar but never cliche. Werewolves are less consistent live, but when they're good, they're awesome, taking psychedelic music in entirely new directions. Another blender of styles, Werewolves draw from 70's rock'n'roll, early shoegaze, campy psychobilly and whacked out art rock, but still they pack it all down into a tight, heavy pop music that's entirely unforgettable. [Shilpa Ray MySpace] [Werewolves MySpace]


Friday, July 24

Oneida + Sunburned Hand of the Man @ Market Hotel | Bushwick, Brooklyn | $8
Oneida is an experimental band that draws from krautrock and industrial, using heavy guitars, heavy electronics and sweet grooves. It's a bit repetitive and may be best heard in an altered state of mind. But no matter what state you're in, there's no denying this is one of NYC's best. Sunburned Hand of the Man is a noise band that Thurston Moore likes and put on his Ecstatic Peace label. They are a little too formless for my liking, but you could definitely do worse for an opening act! [Onieda MySpace] [SHOTM MySpace]


Saturday, July 25

Tyvek @ Cake Shop | LES, Manhattan | $10
Everyone who was at the Woodsist Festival missed one of the crowd's best bands, who had to cancel due to a medical emergency. The good news is that everyone is OK and that they are in NY this weekend. Detroit punks with more heart than an iditerod of sled dogs, Tyvek are nothing short of thrilling live. Really and truly, do not miss them. [MySpace]


Sunday, July 26

Blank Dogs @ Secret Project Robot | Williamsburg, Brooklyn | $8
Lo-fi goth pioneer Mike Sniper and his band will perform at one of the few remaining DIY spots this weekend. So far, I haven't been that into the live act, but the music is so good, it's still worth checking out. [MySpace]

Coyote Eyes, Spanish Prisoners @ Cameo | Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Coyote Eyes are NYC's finest emerging post-punk band. They are a great live act and getting better all the time. Great melodies, noise-rock guitars, excellent beats, all of this adds up to one delicious set. Plus, they are joined by the very decent Spanish Prisoners, known for staying sonically interesting while playing some pretty straightforwardly charming songs. [MySpace] [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.