Live: Titus Andronicus

When: 3/27
Where: Market Hotel

I've seen Titus Andronicus twice at Bowery Ballroom, a large venue that's somewhere in the no man's land between the indie and corporate worlds. It's not a bad place, and not huge either, but it's a far cry from a musty basement or abandoned warehouse. So I was glad to finally have a chance to see this neo-hardcore band play in a place that was truly "punk" - the enigmatic loft venue Market Hotel, which throws DIY all-ages shows with some of the best bands around.

I gather that the show was booked by the famous Todd P, and he knows how to get the kids out. The large-ish space was very respectably filled, though not uncomfortably packed. The young punks crowded around the stage, while the slightly older, calmer audience members stood out of the fray. (Those of us over 95 stood in the foyer.)

Now understand that when I call Titus and their fans "punks," I don't mean kids sporting mohawks and safety pins - I don't even mean shaved-head, skull-tattoo hardcore types. Like Titus's music, this crowd has jettisoned all the washed up cliches of punk. Angry, macho metalheads co-opted both the loud-fast music of punk (creating "thrash") and its once-confrontational fashion statements long ago. I even doubt most of the audience would consider themselves "punk" after seeing the term applied to those assholes.

But Titus and their fans really are punk, in the best possible way - their music is aggressive but also intelligent and fun. And like real punks, they have a strong sense of community, are open-minded and respectful and subscribe to the egalitarian DIY ethos that has been punk's underlying current since its inception.

And true to the spirit of punk, the front of the house was an indecipherable tangle of moshing bodies. Though the space wasn't quite crowded enough to support it, a constant stream of stage divers leapt onto a very enthusiastic sea (well, pond) of raised hands, who did their best to keep their charges afloat and out of danger.

Titus was clearly in their element, with frontman Patrick Stickles taking quite a few leaps off the stage himself. The band played their songs faster and louder than I've heard them before, and while it was mostly still tracks off their 2008 album, they threw in a few numbers I hadn't heard before. The new songs seemed to take the band's style (i.e. epic hardcore manifestos) to its extreme. They may have dragged out a little too long, but they showed an even greater honing of the band's use of contrast, bouncing not only between hushed and really fuckin loud, but also between sweet, slow, emotive passages and really fuckin loud. And as a special treat, they played a cover announced as "the greatest rock and roll song of all time" - it was the Modern Lovers' "Road Runner."

Stickles may have grown a little too fond of his own voice, carrying on at length between songs - but he's entertaining and the band's self-deprecating humor sat well with the crowd.

The whole show had a strong feeling of camaraderie - band members would crowd-surf, and even once sent a guitar alone into the audience. No matter what was passed to them, the audience always returned it carefully to the stage after a little trip around the front rows. And after the final song, the moshers rushed the stage, hugging the band and nearly tackling them - like an overgrown puppy who isn't aware of his own strength. In the process, guitarist Andrew Cedermark's glasses were broken, but when he lamented the cost of new ones, the audience rapidly passed up handfuls of cash for to fund a new pair. (Cedermark rejected the donations but Stickles gladly picked them up.)

To this new generation of punks, who love the music and not the bullshit, who are inclusive and who truly make their own fun - thank you! It was a great night with a great band, a show I won't forget anytime soon.

MySpace

Upcoming Shows: Woods, David Grubbs + more

Tomorrow, Wednesday, April 1

Woods @ Death By Audio | Williamsburg, Brooklyn | $?
Woods run with folks like Wavves, Nodzzz and Blank Dogs, but they do something rather different. Their pop is lo-fi, but in a more quirky way, with vocals delivered in a bizarre falsetto and guitars played cleanly. If their no-fi colleagues' music sounds as if it's buried under layers of gravel or ash, the songs Woods play sound like they're submerged under water. They somehow manage to sound distant and unnatural but still welcoming, even enchanting. And their melodies are simply beautiful. One of my favorite NY bands at one of the best venues in town. Check it out. [MySpace]


Friday, April 3

Weird Owl @ Lit Lounge | E Village, Manhattan | $6
As I noted in live review, Weird Owl plays a psyched-out version of Southern hard rock. Perhaps surprisingly, it's really enjoyable. [MySpace]


Saturday, April 4

David Grubbs @ Issue Project Room | Gowanus, Brooklyn | $8/$10
As I've said before, David Grubbs is a legend. He's a former member of Squirrel Bait, Gastr del Sol, Bastro and even Red Krayola and is one of the true innovators in 90's experimental rock. [MySpace]


Sunday, April 5

My Teenage Stride @ Cake Shop | LES, Manhattan | $8
An indie pop band that I grudgingly like, MTS play their catchy little numbers tightly and with gusto. Check it out. [MySpace]

Live: Soren Well

When: 4/24
Where: Glasslands

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

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

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

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

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

MySpace

News: All Points West Line-Up Announced (including MY BLOODY VALENTINE)

Usually, I try to distinguish between my personal tastes and actual quality and respectability in music. But for something like this, all the bands are well-regarded by many, so I decided to just indulge myself and classify them according to my whimsy.

Friday, July 31

Most Awesome: Fleet Foxes, Heartless Bastards, Telepathe

Overrated, terrible bands: Vampire Weekend, Shearwater

Overrated, mediocre bands: Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Ra Ra Riot

The rest: Beastie Boys, The National, MSTRKRFT, Q-Tip, The Pharcyde, Organized Konfusion, The Knux, Seasick Steve, Flying Lotus, College Humor Live, Arj Barker, Eugene Mirman and Bo Burnham


Saturday, August 1

Most awesome: MY BLOODY VALENTINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, Kool Keith, Tokyo Police Club

Overrated, terrible bands: Crystal Castles, Ting Tings

Overrated, mediocre bands: Tool, Chairlift

The rest: Gogol Bordello, Arctic Monkeys, Neko Case, Yelle, St. Vincent, The Cool Kids, Cage the Elephant, White Rabbits, Electric Touch, The Postelles, Black Gold, College Humor Live, Tim & Eric, Judah Friedlander and Jim Jeffries


Sunday, August 2

Most awesome: Echo & the Bunnymen, MGMT, Silversun Pickups, Lykke Li

Overrated, terrible bands: Mogwai

Overrated, mediocre bands: Coldplay, We Are Scientists

The rest: The Black Keys, Elbow, Ghostland Observatory, The Gaslight Anthem, Etienne De Crecy, Akron/Family, Steel Train, Kitty, Daisy & Lewis, College Humor Live, Janeane Garofalo, Michael Showalter and Todd Barry

Live: Harlem Shakes + Suckers

When: 3/26
Where: Music Hall of Williamsburg

I've been waiting a long time for the return of the Harlem Shakes, and apparently, I wasn't the only one - the band played their album release party last night to a sold-out house at the Music Hall of Williamsburg. Though the band has played a couple of shows in town this year, this one felt like the true kick-off for the band's return.

The first opening act was Air Waves, but I missed almost all of the set. Next up was Suckers. Honestly, I couldn't quite figure out what this band was trying to accomplish. If they were aiming for dancability, they certainly didn't do too well - only three people in the audience were moving. If they were aiming for pop, they also fell short of the mark - I couldn't remember a single melody after the set ended. And while the grooves were occasionally good, they weren't good enough to carry the music by themselves (even when they didn't feature lame George of the Jungle-style synthesized timpani). I just don't get it. The band was good on stage, but musically, I think they might be a little too true to their name.

Then, after a frustratingly long DJ set, the much-anticipated Harlem Shakes finally took the stage. To be honest, the set started out a little shaky. In the mix, the guitar sounded weak, and the band seemed to stumble a few times during the first few songs. But thanks to their strong musical chemistry, they were able to plow right through without most people even noticing.

The Shakes are better live than recorded. There were a few songs on the album I just didn't care for, but when they played them live, I suddenly found myself loving them (with the exception of "Unhurried Hearts" - I just don't like it). The band was at its best when they adapted their music instead of copying the record note for note. For instance, "Radio Orlando," a relatively mellow track on the album, somehow became a near-wildfire last night.

And the Shakes are remarkable to watch. Drummer Brent Katz plays not only a regular drumset, but also a myriad of additional instruments including djembe, agogo bells, woodblock and an electronic drumpad, all at the same time. Keyboardist Kendrick Strauch is in a similar position, rarely playing fewer than two instruments at once. Meanwhile, guitarist Todd Goldstein and bassist Jose Soegaard often look like they are mid-seizure, knotting themselves over their guitars and shaking compulsively. When they aren't doing that, they are wielding their instruments like weapons in a duel, swinging them at invisible enemies all over the stage. And did I mention all four also sing?

By the time the Shakes got to their poppiest song ever, "Sunlight," they had the audience wrapped around their little finger - you could actually feel the massive anticipation in the air as the band played through the bridge before the song's final chorus. After that, the band wisely did not let their momentum slip for even a minute. When they couldn't jump immediately into the next song, they just jammed until everyone was ready, never letting the sound stop.

The band brought at least a half-dozen guests on stage, including three saxophonists. Surprisingly, there were few moments when the saxophone, my arch-nemesis in the world of musical instruments, really bugged me. The sound was rich and full and rocked harder than the album - especially through some shredding guitar solos that you'll find nowhere on the record. The band also treated the crowd to three favorites from their Burning Birthdays EP, a 2007 release that is less polished but just as good as Technicolor Health.

I was glad to see one of my favorite local bands so warmly welcomed back after a year's hiatus. And I was glad to see the band live up to and surpass the expectations of the hundreds of people who braved the rain to check them out. It was a surprisingly powerful night. Harlem Shakes, welcome home!

MySpace

Live: Beluga + Hunters, Oh No! and the Tiger Pit, Trouble & Strife

When: 3/20
Where: Cameo

Hunters - From the first pounding note of their set, Hunters demand attention. A New York-based four-piece, Hunters' music is difficult to classify. It's definitely punk, aggressive and heavy hitting. But it's also got Sonic Youth-influenced artsy experimentation, and to further confuse matters, some crazy rock'n'roll guitar. Like "no wave" bands, they walk the line between overt intellectualism and punk rock nihilism.

All four members are great musicians, particularly Derek Watson on guitar and Odell Nails (also of Mahogany) on drums. The whole band plays a mile a minute of their angular, in-your-face music, and their stamina alone is impressive. The set did seem to slow down a bit as it wore on, growing a little tiresome by the end. Still, I'm definitely eager to see them again.

MySpace

Oh No! And the Tiger Pit - Oh No! is a classic example of a band of excellent musicians trying a little too hard to be edgy. The band played all kinds of rock'n'roll but all with vocals that sounded alternately just like the Pixies' Charles Thompson and just like Pere Ubu's David Thomas. They topped this off with some ironic girl-group moments and random animal noises.

The band was enjoyable and very talented, but the whole thing had the feel of "let's be in a band that's really weird," not "we're genuinely crazy and are genuinely trying to express ourselves." The music was fun and well-played but it didn't make it to a deeper level than that. Oh No! are fine for a party, but in terms of enduring artistic merit, they are only a pale derivative of the bands they parrot.

MySpace

Beluga - One of my favorite NYC bands, Beluga rocked the house. Their music is punk, with a slight post-Nirvana grunge tilt to it and wisps of indie pop tucked in here and there. Frontwoman Isabel Ibsen sounds like Courtney Love waaaay back when Courtney Love was still awesome - whether hushed or screaming, her voice has a rare ability to convey absolute rage. She's a great frontwoman too, jumping in the audience, slithering and rolling on the floor, screaming her head off.

The band was obviously having a few technical problems throughout the show, but they still played well. Unfortunately, it wasn't at all a jumping/moshing/dancing/flailing sort of crowd, and under those circumstances, its difficult for a band like this to build up their momentum to its fullest. But they did an admirable job in the face of adversity.

Last time I wrote up Beluga, my complaint was that other than Isabel, the band didn't move at all. Someone named "Jared" commented that he liked the contrast, and I hadn't thought of it, but when put that way it sounded kind of cool. With that in mind, I was able to appreciate the band better, and the band also met me halfway - while still not a very active band, the three women backing Isabel were definitely showing more energy, even if they turned that energy inward towards their guitars. (Drummer Elliot Glass also showed energy, but of course, it's hard not to when you're on the drums.)

It was probably not Beluga's best show ever, but as always, they kicked serious ass.

MySpace

Trouble & Strife - This hard-rocking band played a punk rock like classic rock - or maybe it was classic rock played like punk rock, I'm not sure which. They were vastly talented, particularly drummer Max (I don't know his last name). The guitars were killer as well. Only one problem - the frontman. Singer S. Sinclair's 1970's rockstar posing was just plain off. It seemed completely staged and hit a particular low when he crushed a beer can with his hand. Playing up the sex appeal by constantly flashing the frayed crotch of his jeans probably kept some of the audience interested, but in the end, he seemed like an impostor. The rest of the band would be better off without him.

MySpace

Dust It Off: Fire Engines - Hungry Beat

Album: Hungry Beat
Acute, 2007
Recording date: 1980-1981

This record probably doesn't need to be dusted off because it was released less than two years ago, but the songs it contains are much older, dating from the first years of the post-punk pop revival in Scotland. Around the time of the group's formation in 1980, Scotland was the epicenter of a post-punk movement that sought to use punk's "indie" ideals but not its aggression. (It was this movement, along with the Smiths, that laid the groundwork for indie pop and its later offspring C-86 and "twee.")

However, unlike their fellow Scottish post-punkers like Orange Juice and Josef K, Fire Engines turned this idea inside out. Their music is full of pop hooks, but it's also confrontational and at times, deliberately unpleasant. Moreover, Fire Engines meshed their pseudo-pop with sonic experimentalism to a far greater extent than their peers. With one snarling lead guitar over a funk-influenced bass and drums, Fire Engines sound quite a bit like Gang of Four. They also have a lot in common with New York's "no wave" bands and with arty bands like the Fall and Wire, which were making big waves in the UK punk scene in the late 70's.

But Fire Engines come off as more down to earth than any of these bands. Their attitude is well indicated by their song titles - the album starts off with "Candyskin" and "Meat Whiplash" and ends up on "Lubricate Your Living Room." Like the music, the titles show a seamless merging of pop sensibility with a desire to challenge the audience. The songs themselves are fun and catchy, as long as you can get past the unlovely delivery.

Hungry Beat is a good introduction to the group, whose releases were rather scattered and never included a proper LP. The first half of the album features the "hits" - singles that, in fact, placed as high as #7 on the UK indie charts.

The second half is largely instrumental and is a more difficult listen, but still worthwhile. There are still plenty of hooks and funky beats to hold on to, and at times, it predicts the sound of bands like Sonic Youth. Meanwhile, "Lubricate Your Living Room Part I" sounds like the beginning of a Velvet Underground guitar jam, tinny and sloppy but not yet in total chaos. "Part II" is pleasantly concise, carried by a rollicking bass line.

The Fire Engines aren't nearly as well known as they ought to be, especially considering that bands like the Jesus & Mary Chain, Primal Scream and Franz Ferdinand have named them as a major influence. And that's a strong recommendation - so give 'em a try!

Fire Engines on MySpace