Live: Autodrone, Young Boys, Violet Hour

When: 8/13
Where: Public Assembly

It's been a long time since I last heard Autodrone live, mostly because they haven't been playing out a whole lot. I've spoken pretty highly of them in the past - their combination of shoegaze-inspired walls of sound and intricate, aggressive lead guitar is brilliant.

However, at Public Assembly, the band was simply not on their game. Part of this was due to the utter incompetence of the guy running sound. The guitar was way too quiet, the synth overpowering. But the band is to blame for even more of the problems. The tempo was all over the place, with synth rushing and drums dragging. Even the usually impeccable guitarist Jeremy Alisauskas wasn't locking in with the others.

Perhaps the silver lining in the band's weak and sloppy performance was that it gave singer Katherine Kennedy a chance to really carry the show. And this she did. Though she's always a strong singer, I've never heard her so confident and never seen her take so much control of the band - usually Aliksauskas runs the show. This time, amidst the mess of a performance, Kennedy kept the band's focus and never let on that the show was not going well.

The band finished the set with a new song, one that indicates the potential of their next album. The song is, on one level, one of the band's best, with guitar riffs and vocal melodies that could outshine any song on the band's excellent 2008 debut. On the other hand, this new piece goes on about four times as long as it should. I understand the urge to repeat excellent parts over and over, but bands need to learn to trust their audiences not to miss the good stuff the first time around. [MySpace]

Next up was Violet Hour, an electrogaze duo who I've heard a few times now. While not the most original band and probably not destined for any sort of commercial success, Violet Hour are an exceptional live act. The band often invites guest musicians for shows. When they don't (as with this show), they still alter their set and their arrangements, making each concert a completely different experience.

Violet Hour also complements their music with visual creativity, including two vertical lights used for part of the Public Assembly show. While many bands use visuals that distract or even detract from their performance, the effects at this show added to the experience - interesting and evocative but simple enough to keep focus on the music.

As songwriters, Violet Hour are generally unfocused and don't hand their audience their music in bite-sized tracks. I don't want to say all music needs to be song-based, but when it's as meandering as Violet Hour's, it can be awfully hard to concentrate on. However, for music to space out to, you could do a lot worse! The only problems specific to this show were in vocal pitch. I've heard issues with this before and would dare to suggest both members pay more attention to the accuracy of their singing in rehearsal and in performance. [MySpace]

The last band of the night, Young Boys, was new to me. As soon as they took the stage, I realized an unavoidable reference point: Crocodiles. Those of you who follow indie rock hype probably heard of Crocodiles this spring, a duo that (despite their protests to the contrary) generally sounds exactly like the Jesus & Mary Chain. Playing against programmed beats, Crocodiles sing heavily reverbed, British-styled pop songs under a glaze of distortion and feedback. On stage, they do this while sporting sunglasses.

Young Boys do the same thing. Only with more bad-assery. While Crocodiles intentionally leave their music rough around the edges, there is a certain amount of polish under the lo-fi affectations. With the Young Boys, the imperfections are more raw and more genuine. This is aided by the sparsity of their music, a minimalism enhanced further at Public Assembly because the band's preprogrammed beats had been erased. Throwing down drum tracks on the spot left the band's sound skeletal.

Combine this awesomeness with some top-of-the-line songwriting, and you've got a remarkable band that could show up the Crocs any day of the week. Keep an eye on these boys. [MySpace]

Thanks!!!

Hey, thanks for everyone who came out Saturday, it was a great night! And thanks especially to the bands, who played totally kickass sets. I'm not gonna review my own show, obviously, but I do want to mention that 28 Degrees Taurus finished (pre-encore) with the sickest version of "Crash and Burn" imaginable.

And one last time, thanks so much to our hosts at McKibben for letting us use their space and helping us promote the show. And to Vanishing Point, who were generous with their equipment and time - these guys rock and everyone should check them out and go to the shows they put on around town.


Here's the annotated playlist, if anyone is interested:

I Believe - Skywave

Flying - Telescopes

It's You - Heavenly

Stomach Worm (Stereolab) - It Hugs Back

A Great Divide - Parts and Labor

No Fun - Lovvers

See/Saw - Jay Reatard

Useless Inventions - Guided by Voices

The Year without a Summer - Coltrane Motion

[^This is my new favorite shameless pop band, only recently heard them for the first time.]

Everyone Knows Everyone - The Helio Sequence

[^I may have got a little carried away with the pop thing.]

I'm Ok You're Ok - Let's Wrestle

Starrsha - Ringo Deathstarr

[The best shoegaze band of its/our generation]

Glue - Sisters

[^Since reviewing this band, it's really sunk in that they are one of New York's most promising new bands. Delightfully minimalist poppy garage rock.]

Teenage Super Party - Wavves

Clusterfuck - The Manhattan Love Suicides

[^The MLS are every shoegaze/noise pop/indie pop DJ's dream. Dozens of perfect pop songs clocking in at well under three minutes.]

How Will the Others Survive? - Tears Run Rings

[^The second best new/contemporary shoegaze band, after Ringo Deathstarr.]

See You Shine - Alcian Blue

[[Gracefully]]

Soft as Snow (But Warm Inside) - My Bloody Valentine

Like Flowers at Night - Panda Riot

Sweet Girl - Ringo Deathstarr

Love Is a Wave - Crystal Stilts

Sky Ghosts - Depreciation Guild

One Plus One Equals Three Or More - Mahogany

Here Should Be My Home - No Age

Death Ray - The Brother Kite

Come Saturday - The Pains of Being Pure at Heart

Way Too High - Secret Shine

My Aquarium - Drop Nineteens

A Silent Tide - Flying Saucer Attack

[[Ifwhen]]

My Weakness - A Place to Bury Strangers

Why Don't We Do It in the Road - Lydia Lunch

Cigarette in Your Bed - My Bloody Valentine

Fever - Screen Vinyl Image

Teen Angst - M83

So Long - Brief Candles

Supervitesse (Robin Guthrie remix) - Mahogany

Sunday Night - Ren

Sweet Abyss - Ecstasy of Saint Theresa

Detroit Diesel - The Manhattan Love Suicides

Noise-Bleeding Girl - Werewolves

[^Werewolves helped set up this show, but I didn't play their song to pay them back, I played it because they are awesome.]

Swallow - My Bloody Valentine

[[28 Degrees Taurus]]

Somehow my playlist got changed around after the show, I think. Which is fine, it wasn't really a great playlist to start with. (To be totally honest, I snuck out during 28 Degrees Taurus's encore, so I'm not sure what happened.) Based on my "last played" list, this is what was played:

Tak! Attack! - Black Affair

Bomb the Surf - The Vandelles

Pleasure and Pain - Soundpool

What New York Used to Be - The Kills

First Communion - Gang Gang Dance

Missing You - A Place to Bury Strangers

Balloons - Foals

You Can't Be Funky - Bush Tetras

Darklooming - The Depreciation Guild

...and after that, I don't know what happened, as that's as far as the "last played" list goes. VP said they had to leave, so I guess this is when they did so and took my laptop with.

RADIO FLYER REVIEW PRESENTS...

It's my first ever Radio Flyer Review show! The bands are truly brilliant and I'm thrilled to have them on my bill. Though shoegaze - and honestly, rock itself - often seem washed up, bands like these three prove that not everything has already been done. All three are pop bands, but none of them sound at all like anyone I've ever heard.

This is the cutting edge.

	[Click for higher quality version]

Oh, and I'll be DJing between sets.

I'll put up directions and a few more details closer to the date. I hope you can make it out!


Thanks to Vanishing Point for lending equipment and sound expertise and our very gracious hosts who have opened up their home for this event!!!

Live: Cinemasophia, Ceremony

When: 4/25
Where: Cameo

When I headed over to the Vanishing Point Presents show at Cameo, I was hoping to catch the second act, Ceremony, but when I arrived, the set was already running behind and the opener, Cinemasophia, was still on stage. I’d had no intention of checking the band out, but I was pleasantly surprised to find I quite liked them!

They have a shoegaze side to their music, which is undoubtedly how they ended up on this bill, but their post-rock rhythms set them apart from the pack. The band’s male-female vocals were lovely, contrasting dissonance with harmony to propel the music forward. Crashing, heavy jolts give way to sweeping melodies. Shimmery guitars and ricocheting drums kept the music lively.


Cinemasophia
But even during the set, I had the sad thought: “I really like this! I wish I would remember it a month from now.” Although lovely, Cinemasophia doesn’t offer much you won’t forget. The statements simply aren’t extreme enough and even though there may not be too many bands that sound just like this, the components are all so familiar that they fade into the background. Cinemasophia is a great listen, but they’ll need to push their own boundaries if they want to make their impact last. [MySpace]

The next band was the well-loved duo Ceremony (not to be confused with the hardcore band of the same name) on a rare trip up from their home in Virginia. I was excited to finally hear them live, but I must admit, I was slightly disappointed. Though the dark, heavy, shoegazey beats and noise were as great as anticipated, I was expecting a whole hell of a lot more reverb. I’m not sure if I just had the wrong idea about what this band would sound like or if the venue simply couldn’t or didn’t put the proper effects on the PA.

Whatever the case, the vocals were delivered dry and had a rough, indie rock sound to them. It might have been cool if done differently, but the contrast of the ragged vocals over the highly polished and mechanized sound was awkward and dampened the music’s strengths – in other words, the down-home vocals took the bite out of the sound.

Also, it was disappointing to see how much of the band’s music was prerecorded. The night’s headliners, Screen Vinyl Image (whose set I missed this time) make similar music and manage to create a great deal of it live instead of just hitting a “play” button. Hearing so much of overall product pre-made took some of the excitement out of the show, making it rather dreary.

That’s not to say Ceremony is bad! Their recorded material is strong and their live performance has a delightfully massive sound, like running your eardrums over with a steamroller – earplugs are required. The beats, though pre-programmed, were strong and kept the music tense and dynamic. Despite disappointing my admittedly high expectations, the band’s got a lot to feel good about. [MySpace]

Live: Mexico 1910

When: 2/22
Where: Brooklyn Women's Shelter Benefit @ Vanishing Point

Once again, a benefit from the Brooklyn Women's Shelter. Once again, I can't find much information online, so if anyone wants to send me information about how to donate, I'll post that here. In the meantime, I did find this page for volunteers, so please consider giving some of your time.

And the music...

When I walked in, the last band of the night was already playing. Mexico 1910 (or at least, I guess that's who it was) is a four-piece band who performed wearing headlamps. It's not totally original - as someone pointed out to me, Animal Collective has done this - but it was still a pretty cool effect.

The first bars I heard were promising - triumphantly building major chords just the way I like them. I thought, 'I'm gonna like this!'

But I was wrong. It turned out the band's swell wasn't leading up to anything, just the rise-and-fall sounds that seem so integral to post-rock instinct. The music tumbled down from the momentum it had built, wandering aimlessly for the rest of the set. Any given minute of the sound could certainly be called beautiful, but strung together, the beauty was overshadowed by monotony. After a couple of minutes, I was very ready for the band to stop.

Although it can look complex and interesting, post-rock is one of the easiest kinds of music to write and play. It requires minimal songwriting skill, minimal vision and minimal true originality. Yes, it requires strong instrumental prowess, and certainly this band was talented in that regard - their equipment gave them a full palette of lovely sounds, and they found and used each one well. Moreover, it was clear the band had spent enough time playing together that they could anticipate and compliment one another effectively. All this leaves no doubt all four are musically talented, but unfortunately, they just don't live up to their potential.

It's not that post-rock is a dead end or that traditional song structures are the only way to hold an audience's attention. But finding something engaging in the wandering, instrumental post-rock is exceptional, and unfortunately, Mexico 1910 is not the exception.

Live: Weird Owl, Insouciant, Gunfight! and more

When: 1/30
Where: Vanishing Point

In case you haven't noticed, I always make a point of going to shows that have anything to do with the BNS Sessions family. The main reason is that when the Werewolves aren't playing, they usually go and hang out, and I can be in the same room with them and pretend I'm their friend.

So that's how I end up at the shows of a bunch of bands I just heard, like this one, which featured Gunfight!, the Soundscapes and Quiet Loudly. Luckily for you, dear readers, it also featured two bands brand new to this author, so let's start there.

Insouciant - This band hails from New Jersey and while I may have heard the (rather poorly chosen) name before, I knew nothing about them. And in theory it was the kind of music I should have liked - experimental, with definite allusions to math rock and Sonic Youth. But so many bands have made just this type of music that it's become entirely cliche. It came off as disjointed and unfocused, a mush of 90's pre-post-rock influences, swallowed and spat out undigested. (Sorry, that was a gross metaphor, yeah?). They also had four people on stage and it took me a while to even notice this because I could only hear three parts at a time - the band definitely didn't use its resources (i.e. four people) effectively.


Insouciant
The one really good thing I can say about this band is that their delivery was surprisingly aggressive. They yelled and howled, smashed their drums and cranked it up loud. Without that, the set would have been miserable - instead it was enjoyable, if unmemorable. ::MySpace

Weird Owl - Now, in contrast, here's a band I theoretically shouldn't like. Weird Owl basically plays Southern/hard rock, which is a genre whose most classic albums I might dabble in but that I would otherwise never seek out. But Weird Owl made me think twice about that attitude - they played tightly and confidently, and their songs were solid. I was surprised when I realized I was actually really enjoying their set.


Weird Owl (photo by Miss Molly)
After a while of listening, I also realized that this wasn't exactly your typical hard rock, because the band uses a wall-of-sound technique. The friend I was watching with said it was kind of psychedelic, and I definitely agree. There's some Pink Floyd in there, in the density of the sound. Whatever the combination of styles, it definitely works. ::MySpace

Gunfight! - I reviewed these guys not too long ago. This show was the same, only better - louder, more energetic, much tighter and with even better stage antics. Those included one member standing on his amp, and amp-climbing always wins me over. Also, last time I wrote them up, I wavered on classifying them as "cow punk," because it wasn't quite punk rock. But this time around, even though the band still doesn't fit neatly under a label, there was no doubt they could out-punk most of us any day. ::MySpace

Soundscapes - They haven't changed much since last time I wrote them up. They are still amazing. The only thing that has me slightly worried is that they have a little less energy on stage than they did when I first saw them a year ago. I hope it was a one-night fatigue and not a sign that their shows are becoming too routine to them. But anyway, "less energy" is a relative description, and compared to a lot of bands, these guys are still bouncing off the walls. ::MySpace

Quiet Loudly - Quiet Loudly, whom I reviewed not long ago at all, debuted a bunch of songs at this show. I'll wait until their next album is finished (it's already in the works) to give you the details, but their newest stuff rocks hard and heavy and meanders less than their first attempts. That's good news, so stay tuned. ::MySpace

A final rant, if I may. I'm sick to death of projections behind bands. I think it's basic biological fact that visual stimuli trump auditory stimuli and the result is that all the pictures whirling around behind the band are detracting from the music, not adding to it. Whether it's art films or Windows Media Player "visualizations," it's really starting to make me miss the good old days when you'd actually watch the bands do their thing.

Upcoming Shows: Thurston Moore, Gunfight! + more

Friday, January 30

Gunfight!, Soundscapes and Quiet Loudly @ Vanishing Point - Bushwick, Brooklyn
Three bands I love (along with two bands I know nothing about) are playing at Vanishing Point on Friday. I'm going to recycle old descriptions of each band from previous posts: Gunfight! is basically hipster-party garage rock revival with a country-western bent. The Soundscapes are what it would sound like if Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore joined Yo La Tengo. Quiet Loudly features percussive rhythms, masterful blues-inflected guitar solos and awesome walking bass lines. This is going to be a fun show.

Sunday, February 1

Thurston Moore @ Glasslands - Williamsburg, Brooklyn - $7
Thurston Moore. The guy from Sonic Youth. Enough said.

Monday, February 2

Frightened Rabbit @ Le Poisson Rouge - Greenwich Village, Manhattan - $15
This is an acoustic, request-only set, which sounds like it could be really fun! Frightened Rabbit are a poppy alternative rock band from Glasgow who can be a bit whiny, but are forgiven because their songs are pretty darn good.

*GUEST RECOMMENDATION*
"Hortense", a guest contributor to Radio Flyer Review, recommends Lykke Li, the oddball Swedish pop singer who's been hailed as a slightly saner version of Bjork and one of the best break-out musicians of 2008. She plays Webster Hall on February 2 and the Music Hall of Williamsburg on February 3. Both shows are sold out, but you can probably find tickets on Craigslist. Be careful though - last time I recommended looking for tickets on Craigslist (Animal Collective at Bowery), a bunch of people got scammed. So do your homework before you fork over the cash!

Live: Sharon van Etten

When: 1/25
Where: Brooklyn Women's Shelter Benefit @ Vanishing Point

First off, let me say that this show was a benefit for the Brooklyn Women's Shelter, collecting money, clothing, food and books for homeless women. I can't find much information online, so if anyone wants to send me information about how to donate, I'll post that here. In the meantime, I did find this page for volunteers, so please consider giving some of your time.

Now, on to the music! As regular readers might guess, I'm not into singer-songwriters at all. I find the genre to be very limiting for musicians, with every available creative alley explored a thousand times over. I catch plenty of fair-to-middling singer-songwriters as opening acts or such but it's a very rare occurrence that I would actually seek one out.

But I sought out a chance to hear Sharon van Etten, because I've heard her name so many times, in so many contexts. She contributing vocals to the forthcoming Antlers album (March 3, 2009), which, as I've already hinted, is one of the best and most important records since the 90's. She's played with a number of my friends and a number of bands I love, but I'd never seen her before and I figured it was finally time.


Sharon van Etten
And I can see why so many people lover her. Yes, she's still a singer-songwriter and isn't at the cutting edge of anything. But she's got an outstanding voice - rich and confident but a faint rough edge that conveys the sincerity of her lyrics. She delivers her lines with passion and simplicity, and unlike many young singers (including some who shared the stage with her Sunday), she never adds unnecessary frills.

As a guitarist, Van Etten is certainly able, and moreover, in her compositions, she uses unusual chords, harmonies and progressions, which make her songs stand out from the pack. Her denial of pop conventions gives her music a slightly sinister and certainly emotionally powerful undertow.

As a performer, she's shy, humble and slightly uncomfortable with attention. That would have the potential to be damaging, but she doesn't let it impact the confidence of her songs. In fact, in a way, her vulnerability enhances her performance and certainly leads to a set entirely conscious and respectful of her audience.

If you're wondering whether this has changed anything, no, I'm not won over to the singer-songwriter camp. Far from it. But if I had to pick a songwriter with an acoustic guitar to check out, Van Etten would certainly be near the top of my list. And next time she's on a bill with one of the bands I love, I'm definitely getting there early to catch her set!

Sharon van Etten on MySpace

Live: Coyote Eyes

When: 1/15
Where: Vanishing Point

I went out last night with the intention of checking in on El Jezel, a band I haven't heard since I started this site (and consequently have never had a chance to write up), but when I got to the show, everything seemed to be running about an hour and a half behind schedule, and since I have a job that requires me to wake up in the mornings, I had to leave before El Jezel took the stage.

It had been a long trek (stupid subway problems) and I was pretty bummed - but the night was saved when the next band took the stage. They are called Coyote Eyes, and I'd never heard of them before. It was a happy discovery!

Coyote Eyes are not the greatest thing since sliced bread, they aren't even particularly innovative or unique. But that doesn't matter, because they are, quite simply, a damn good listen. Their fragmented rock has catchy hooks and melodies, but it stays interesting and edgy through controlled forays out of traditional scales. Using dissonance in pop music is one of my favorite indie rock tricks when it's done right - that is, when it doesn't sound accidental or random - and Coyote Eyes are one of the few contemporary bands I've heard pull it off in this style, this well.

Without a doubt, my favorite songs were those sung by bassist Marta. She has an exceptional voice and brilliant melodies. Guitarist Manny Nomikos shares lead vocal duties and his songs, while not really bad, were certainly far less memorable. His more enjoyable contribution to the music came from his guitar parts - and what I kept noticing about those was his unusual and satisfying approach to rhythm. It wasn't that the rhythms were particularly complex, it's that they were interesting, well-conceived and made use not only the moments of noise but also the moments of empty space.

My one big complaint - the songs were almost all too long for the accompanying ideas. Like so many bands, Coyote Eyes seemed nervous that we might overlook something, but I'd rather overlook a great part than have that part driven into the ground from too much repetition. The band is new though, and with time, they may learn to edit themselves more carefully. And even if they don't, I'd still like them - they've got a lot of heart and a lot of good ideas and they are worth checking out next time you get a chance!

Live: Her Vanished Grace, 28 Degrees Taurus, The Soundscapes, Dead Leaf Echo

When: 12/19
Where: Vanishing Point

Her Vanished Grace - I've seen Her Vanished Grace before and I was a little nervous to see them at Vanishing Point. They are a great band, with excellent poppy songwriting and a nice noisy sound, but when I've heard them in the past, I noticed serious pitch issues when they can't hear one another properly. But this time, despite muddy acoustics, things went well. There were a few pitch issues, but for the most part, both singers (married pair Charlie and Nance Nieland) were right on. The set included some new tunes and a lot of old favorites, and the band delivered them with their usual enthusiasm.

In a world of shoegaze revivalists, it's important to remember that HVG put out their first album in 1991, making them a first-generation band. Since that time, they've had a steady low-profile career churning out a solid shoegazey pop album every year or so and playing great shows to a small but loyal fan base around the city.

And if you catch them live, you'll see why their fans brave blizzards and monsoons to make it to every show. Nance has a way of possessing the stage, the air of a professional frontwoman who knows exactly what she's doing. As a whole, the band strikes a perfect balance between the comfortable attitude of seasoned performers and the lovable excitement of a local indie band playing for a room full of friends. It's a pleasure to watch, and of course, a pleasure to hear.

Dead Leaf Echo - A five-piece shoegaze band that's been a staple in the Brooklyn shoegaze scene for a number of years, Dead Leaf Echo was by far the most disappointing act of the night - and I'm sorry to report these problems are not specific to this show.

As I see it, one can essentially critique music on two basic points. The first is the band's sound, and here, DLE does well enough. Their walls of sound are genuinely complex and interesting, and the parts blend together well. The second (and more important) element, however, is the music's momentum. This is in the songwriting but on a smaller scale, it's also in melodies, chord progressions, dynamic contrast and so on. These are the forces that drive music forward. And here, DLE fails. Their melodies are virtually non-existent, with uninteresting, wandering vocal lines and no guitar riffs to speak of. Their chord progressions don't have any of the really driving elements like suspension, dissonance or cadences that draw in the audience through the anticipation of resolution. Moreover, their songwriting is incoherent. The only thing I can say is that DLE does use dynamic contrast well, but that alone isn't enough to move the music forward or make it engaging.


Dead Leaf Echo
Interestingly, this weekend lead singer LG was ill and unable to sing most of the show, so bassist Mike DiLalla picked up the slack. DiLalla did such an admirable job delivering the songs on short notice that I thought the vocal switch had been planned and was permanent. And it would have been a good thing - the band might want to consider letting DiLalla sing more often in the future. He seems more melodically-inclined than LG and clearly has talent the band has yet to tap.

The Soundscapes - Who doesn't love the Soundscapes? Brooklyn-based brothers of Brazilian extraction, the Soundscapes could win audiences on their good looks alone, but they don't need to because they are also exceptionally gifted musicians. Their music is basically what it would sound like if Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore joined Yo La Tengo. Their noisy lo-fi pop has consistently excellent melodies, outstanding songwriting and beautiful moments of noise and dissonance. Their tunes are catchy but interesting, their music is loud but accessible and their live show is massively fun. Guitarist and singer Rodrigo Carvalho jumps up and down, swings his guitar around and genuinely loves every second, while brother Raphael Carvalho plays the drums with such speed and precision, you know he could out-drum most of us with one hand.


The Soundscapes
Most impressively, the Soundscapes have always sounded like much more than a duo. I've heard many four- and five-piece bands who didn't have the fullness and complexity of the Soundscapes. And since the summer, it seems they've turned their amps up even louder and started rocking even harder. They also played some material I haven't heard before and I was interested to hear that it is moving different, more rock'n'roll direction. I thought this band might fall into a rut, but from what I heard, they have it in them not only to keep playing great music, but to keep learning and growing as musicians and songwriters. Keep an eye on these two.

28 Degrees Taurus - I've been throwing the term "no-gaze" around a bit lately and 28 Degrees Taurus is another that fits it well. It's hard to describe their music - it's a shoegazey, guitar-heavy mess with rapid-fire drumming in the spirit of MBV's Colm O'Cosig. But over this, it has engaging, floating melodies and an air of rich mystery that pulls you in deep. The band keeps everything just a little off-kilter in terms of melodies, harmonies and rhythms, but they don't overdo it - the music is listenable but strange and can certainly hold attention.

The band is fun live, all delivering their parts with passion and skill. Though they ended up pausing too long between songs, they managed to keep the audience engaged through half-coherent dialogs and jokes. The members are both true musicians and true performers and I can't recommend them enough.

Upcoming Shows: Oasis, Marnie Stern, Her Vanished Grace and more

Tonight!! Dec. 17

Oasis @ Madison Square Garden / $40-80
Do I need to explain this?

Tomorrow, Thurs., Dec. 18

If you want pop...

+/-, Pattern Is Movement, the Ladybug Transistor @ Music Hall of Williamsburg (Brooklyn) / $13
Three great bands will sing you catchy tunes all evening long.

+/- :: Pattern Is Movement :: The Ladybug Transistor

If you don't want pop (or at least not happy pop)...

Bell, Holy Hail @ The Bell House (Park Slope, Brooklyn) / $8
If you want New York's latest in weird, dark, experimental music, this show is for you. Two bands with an electronic edge, one with an uncanny resemblence to Bjork.

Bell :: Holy Hail

Fri., Dec. 19

Her Vanished Grace, 28 Degrees Taurus, the Soundscapes @ Vanishing Point (Bushwick, Brooklyn) / $??
Three of my favorite bands, one of my favorite venues. All edgy, shoegaze-inspired noisy pop bands. Go to this show!

Her Vanished Grace :: 28 Degrees Taurus :: The Soundscapes

Sat., Dec. 20

Quasi with Marnie Stern, Crystal Stilts @ Knitting Factory / $20
This sounds too good to be true. An all-time indie rock great hosting two of the year's finest indie acts? Please check with the bands/venue and make sure I didn't just dream this.

Quasi :: Marnie Stern :: The Crystal Stilts

Live: The Depreciation Guild

I've been trying to catch these guys for a while now and I keep getting to shows after they've played. But finally, I made it!

I had heard The Depreciation Guild was better recorded than live, and I guess that might be true, but I think it's misleading - because live, they are still friggin' incredible. The guitar work is some of the best in today's shoegaze scene - dense and engulfing, but with a rare attention to detail. Their unending wall of sound is garnered with riffs and melodies, subtle but gorgeous. In this, they come closer than anyone nowadays (except maybe Austin's Ringo Deathstarr) in keeping alive the spirit of My Bloody Valentine. Like MBV, Depreciation Guild is definitely a two-guitar band, and they layer much more than just chords and textures.


The Depreciation Guild
Also remniscent of MBV is the drumming by Christoph Hochheim, whose rapid-fire snare fills are a decent immitation of MBV drummer Colm O'Ciosoig. But the band is not entirely an MBV wanna-be - their use of electronics sets them apart and there is something (though exactly what, I can't quite figure out) very remniscent of Radiohead.

The band only fails in the vocals. Granted, in shoegaze music such as this, singing is really not a focal point, often just another texture in the sound. But Depreciation Guild don't use it well - even as a texture, it should be an interesting one. But they are young and I have high hopes they'll get there eventually. And probably soon, given the sheer amount of talent they show on stage.

Visually, the band is appealing too. Aside from the simple attractiveness of all three members, the band has great visualization - instead of projecting some distracting film in the background, they project blocks of color that enhance without distracting from the music. Good choice!

All in all, it was an outstanding show! I'll see you all at the next one!

Upcoming Shows: This Weekend!

Friday, the choice is easy...

Blacklist @ Music Hall of Williamsburg - Williamsburg, Brooklyn ($10)
This darkwave band will remind you of everything (at least everything gloomy) you love about the 80's, but with all of it brought up to date. They are playing with promising up-and-comers Led Er Est, among others.


Saturday, a hard decision awaits you, as at least four shows I highly recommend will be taking place...

Rasputina @ The Bell House - Park Slope, Brooklyn ($16)
These ladies have been around forever and a half, so you probably know who they are. If not, here's the story - three women hook up electric cellos to distortion pedals and play morbidly funny goth tunes. If you don't know how badass a cello with distortion can be, you'll need to check them out. Because it's something you should know.

Secret Life of Sofia + Naked Hearts @ Union Hall - Park Slope, Brooklyn ($8)
The Secret Life of Sofia play pretty, sparkly, layer-y indie folk rock that everyone loves. The Naked Hearts play catchy, loud, excellent noise pop. You'll like both of them.

Depreciation Guild @ Vanishing Point - Bushwick, Brooklyn ($?)
This is one of the best shoegaze acts around these days. A little electro, but still enough guitar to make a girl like me happy. Thick, bending, distorted, layered guitar. Yum.

Ifwhen @ Studio B.P.M. - Williamsburg, Brooklyn ($8 ~suggested)
"No-gaze" band Ifwhen will destroy everything you thought you knew about music with their avant-guard electronic noisefest. But in a good way. Bring earplugs.

Live: BNS Sessions Party feat. Fun Machine, Gunfight!, Werewolves, Soft Black

When: 11/14
Where: Vanishing Point

I have to say, BNS Sessions, for a crazy little inbred label/collective, has an absolutely outstanding roster, including some of my long-time favorites like the Werewolves and Phonograph, and at least one new (as of this show) love, Fun Machine.

Soft Black - I'd been looking forward to these guys because they run not only with the excellent BNS crowd but also the new NYC indie pop kids. So I was a bit disappointed when their set started out as competent but entirely generic indie-rock. About halfway through, however, things improved, starting with a hushed tranced-out jam number that was surprisingly enjoyable (this from a reviewer who has no patience whatsoever for tranced-out jam numbers). After that, the band managed to kick it up a notch with songs reminiscent of the best of American guitar-driven post punk (Dinosaur Jr. but with a Mekons-esque touch), and while it didn't get me psyched for more, I certainly enjoyed listening.

Werewolves - I've said a lot about this band already, but this set merits mention. The first half did nothing but reinforce my love for them, but the second half, which involved the band sitting on the stage playing with their pedals, was really a waste of time. If this was the first band to make rhythm-less, melody-less noise for 20 minutes, it might have been cool, but at this point, it's cliched even when luminaries like Sonic Youth do it. These guys simply haven't earned the right, and they weren't even moving, so it was nothing but boring for eyes and ears alike. Also, it's rude to intentionally play a room-clearing set when you're not the final band of the night. I still love the Werewolves, but they need to learn some manners and some self-restraint.


Gunfight!
Gunfight! - Said by everyone to be the nicest guys in the entire East Coast music scene, Gunfight! drew the biggest crowd of the evening by far. Their music is basically hipster-party garage rock revival with a country-western bent. Think about it this way - what the White Stripes do with blues, these guys do with bluegrass. It's not really my style, but the band certainly succeeds in what they set out to do. Their songs are fun, well-written and well-performed, with the band clearly having even more fun than their audience is (a lot), forming their own mini mosh-pit on stage, jumping around, attacking each other and just generally making a party of it. Keep an eye on these guys, they could make a splash!


Fun Machine
Fun Machine - I am not sure how this band has flown under my radar for so long. I guess I just had them mixed up with other bands that have "fun" or "machine" in their names. But that's a shame because this band is awesome! They took two easy shortcuts to my heart - dividing lead vocal duties and changing time signatures often - but I think I would have fallen in love even without that. Their songs are incredibly carefully crafted, true multi-part compositions, but they almost never lost their pop appeal or failed to hold my interest (and my attention span is not really generous by any reckoning). The band performed amazingly tightly given the rhythmic and compositional complexity of the music. And like all the bands of the night, they were fun to watch too! This band is immediately jumping to my short list of NYC favorites.

I picked up a load of CDs at the show so stay tuned for some BNS album reviews coming up.

Live: Blacklist @ Vanishing Point

When: 10/24 (or actually, the wee hours of 10/25)
Where: Vanishing Point

Sorry, folks, it's taken me a while to get this one posted. But after catching the Pains last Friday, I skedaddled over to Bushwick to catch Blacklist at the new DIY venue Vanishing Point.

In the past, Blacklist's music had reminded me of everything that was good about the music of the 1980's. I associate them with dark, goth-tinged new wave, but from a definitively 2008 perspective.

Vanishing Point, however, is an old brick warehouse, and while the space is wide and deep enough to give it decent acoustics, there's still quite a bit of noise. As a result, the band's sound lost its new wave polish and the raw rock underneath shone through. The downside was that much of the detail of the music was lost in the din. It was hard to distinguish one guitar from another or the bass from either one. The upside was that I heard a whole new side to these musicians, something more raw and more powerful than I've heard in the past.

Blacklist is always fun to watch live, but especially with a good smoke machine going, as at this show. The members fan out on stage and while they don't move much, they are obviously engaged. It's a rare band that really plays for its audience, but Blacklist does - they play with the effortless tightness of professionals who are free to focus their attention on perfecting their music for the crowd's ears. Blacklist seems not only to love their music, but also to love playing it for the throng of goths, many their friends, that crowd every show. This is a band that cares about you, and that makes them great every time.

The band plays again on Nov. 21 at the Music Hall of Williamsburg. Don't miss it!