Greg's take: I was happy that Myspace was granting us a second, more notable secret show than the Circa Survive thing. I mean c'mon, other cities got Smashing Pumpkins and Decemberists... And nothing was necessarily bad about the show, just nothing really good about it. I agree with most of Alex's much more detailed take. Meligrove was middle-of-the-road, clean but simple mall-fodder indie pop-rock. What more could you expect from a Myspace-sponsored show? Tokyo Police Club were highly polished, but the "wow" factor that was expected to keep consistent with the hype was non-existent. Their music elicited merely a "that's really nice" response. It was a free show, so I don't really have any room to complain; if I had paid though, all bets would've been off.
Alex's take: Coming out of the Tokyo Police Club "Myspace Secret Show" at the Talking Head Club last night I found myself thinking Aural States had committed its first major blunder—we got caught up in the hype surrounding a show that probably didn’t deserve as much attention as it got.
Upon receiving the announcement for the show, I was giddy with what I thought was fresh-and-breaking knowledge. Enough to make me forget my original opinion of Tokyo Police Club—a band that makes decent, though completely unremarkable indie pop songs a la mtvU. I had succumbed to dangerous Internet group-think (read: retardation), combined with a music blogger’s fear of missing fodder for snide comments fired at a distance.
------------
Given the show’s free and “secret” status, I thought this night was going to be huge. It turned out that the Talking Head didn’t even come close to full capacity. Adam Savage of the Talking Head said that he, too, was expecting a much bigger crowd. I have no definitive cause for the less-than-expected turnout, but I can make an educated guess (from what people had told me, and by multiple blog comments): there was probably a large degree of Myspace backlash/bloglash at work. It seems everyone thought the place would be stuffed with Myspace teen posers from the ‘burbs, and just didn’t even come out. In the end those naysayers were by-and-large dead on about the crowd (as far as I can tell), and really didn’t miss much.
The only opener for the night was Meligrove Band out of Ontario, Canada. Before getting into a critique, I’ll make the disclaimer that I’m never looking to be negative in a review, but I find it hard to say many positive things about the band.
At least the drummer Darcy Rego showed a bit of honesty when he admitted that Tokyo Police Club has “Some pretty nice coat tails.” Too bad self-deprecating humor by the drummer doesn’t translate into actual drumming chops. Apparently the original drummer left the group some time ago. Rego, the then lead guitarist, took over behind the kit. Every beat was the same, and at exactly the same tempo.
The onstage banter blew past awkward and approached creepy/lame when singer/guitarist Jason Nunes let loose the village bicycle of "Dead Baby" Jokes, out of nowhere. This kind of uneasy crowd interaction usually doesn’t make it past the school talent show level.
So Myspace.
Meligrove Band has been around for a minute, but they might as well be that high school band playing all the house parties. The lyrics were stuck in that adolescent infatuation hoping-its-love-but-still-too-naive-to-really-know-about-love phase. Get what I mean? Here’s a sampling of some of the choruses: “I know you love me, but I will love you more,” or “My love will make the world go round.” If the Earth were really propelled around its axis by Meligrove Band love, things would be at a standstill.
Much more bashing, and I’ll start to sound like a bully. I should take into consideration that I am not now, nor have I ever been a teenage girl. So that means I’m not the audience for whom Meligrove Band is writing songs. Let's leave it at that.
Tokyo Police Club took the stage with vertical LED strips set in a semi-circle behind them. In a way the lighting reminded me of a cross between the Battles video for “Tonto”, and the New Order video for “Crystal,” but nowhere near as cool as either.
I have to be honest—I find it hard to say anything constructive or insightful about TPC’s performance. I could describe the formal aspects of their music, but you can do that yourself just by listening to the tracks. The performance was tight and polished, but obviously lacking that intangible element to bring me in deeper.
I admit I don’t have the cache of blogger credibility to be the definitive voice on TPC, but I’ve always been indifferent toward them. Seeing them live didn’t change my opinion, but the experience did expose my susceptibility to Internet hype, to which this blog contributed.
This was the second Myspace sponsored event in recent months that I had attended, and both were underwhelming. They just feel forced and superficial. Giant Myspace posters were on the walls, and a table with “Hello my name is…” stickers was set up. Not surprisingly a lot of guys that put the stickers on their crotch also had “X’s” on their hands. But nothing tops the sticker placed on the back of a girl from, I believe the Myspace street team, that read “Hello my name is: Hoochie Mamma.”
The show was also plagued by annoying pop-up ads, and spammed friend requests from girls I don’t know.
After the show I asked singer/bassist Dave Monks if he had a Facebook or Myspace account. He said “Both,” but we all know what he really meant.
Set list for Tokyo Police Club
La Ferrassie
In a Cave
Box
Sixties Remake
If It Works
Graves
Juno
Your English is Good
Cut Cut Paste
Citizens of Tomorrow
Centennial
New New
Tessellate
Shoulders
Nature of the Experiment
Famous
Be Good
Monday, April 28, 2008
Tokyo Police Club @ the Talking Head
Friday, April 25, 2008
Imperial China, Double Dagger, Zulu Pearls @ RnR Hotel
This is coming a few days late and will probably be a lot too short. But hey, take these pills of MP3 forgiveness and read on, intrepid music fan.
All photos: Beau Finley
Zulu Pearls - If It's All the Same
Double Dagger - Luxury Condos for the Poor
Double Dagger - Camera Chimera
This show had great potential. Musically, I thought for the most part the artists kept up their end of the bargain. Double Dagger and Imperial China killed it. Zulu Pearls, not so much, but they were earnest, I will give them that. But come on DC; you had 3 (4, but I missed B&W Jacksons) prime and distinct sounds to get down to and you mostly failed.
Imperial China, this being their CD release, did get the most people moving. But Double Dagger's performance was pure electricity. But let's start from the beginning (well, mine)...Zulu Pearls.
Mostly innocuous, described by one show-farer as an approximation of Interpol (an accurate picture live). But I'd wager without the charisma and ability to channel moods. I appreciate their energy, but for me the music was largely unremarkable and the showmanship a bit forced. There is potential, as evidenced from some solid recorded material, but a lot of refinement to go before it is realized live. The most distracting part of the performance was the lead singer, whose antics amounted to some inebriated stumbling around and emoting; it even seemed to irritate fellow band members, notably the guitarist who I thought was going to rip his jugular out with his teeth by set's end.
Double Dagger followed and represented Baltimore in perfect fashion. The effectiveness of the minimalist 3-part(bass, vocals, drums) approach to their music cannot be overemphasized. They generate a punk and post-hardcore firestorm truly living up to and expanding upon the legacy of the ever-present genre influence, Fugazi. Bruce's bass work was a frenzied, near-virtuosic technical display organically fusing the twitchy and up-tempo approach of punk with the more exploratory tendencies of any of the sub-sects of jazz. Unfortunately, Nolen's highly interactive, classic punk approach to showmanship was not well-received by many in the crowd. I can't count the number of people who commented they found it "creepy" or that he needed to back off.
I couldn't disagree more. I truly believe that if you insist on maintaining this fourth wall between performer and spectator, you are not experiencing the performance to its fullest. You should be welcoming this amount of interaction. And here lies the big difference between DC and Baltimore crowds. People wouldn't think twice about this in Baltimore, welcoming the chance to melt the experiences of performer and audience into one big, joyous mess; self-consciousness be damned. Fuck the person next to you, if you dig it, show some love and freak the fuck out. Thankfully the front few rows of the crowd seemed to be receptive, so my experience wasn't ruined. Standouts from the set were the obvious, perennial favorite "Luxury Condos" and "No Allies."
Imperial China bounded to the stage and immediately started pounding into the first track ("There is no translation") off their, frankly, fantastic EP Methods. This being a CD release show, I will be making their evaluation a combination of EP review and show review.
For such a young band, formed only in fall 2007, they have a mature and developed sound as well as phenomenal live presence that is polished yet infused with that about-to-careen-off-the-rails energy and spontaneity necessary for a killer live show. The speak-shout vocals are a great topping, but their songs would work perfectly as instrumentals. They channel tasteful and expansive prog in many instrumental sections of their songs. Here, they wring some truly spectacular sounds out of their poor, unsuspecting instruments.
Watching this process unfold is engrossing: bassist Brian Porter twitches and pulsates, possessed with intensity, funneling it all into his frantic bass and vocals, guitarist Matt Johnson calmly yet intently picking a fiery guitar riff and Patrick Gough flailing away at drums, it just swallows you whole. They exchange times, styles and techniques of post-rock, post-punk, experimental noise and electronic, math-rock and a dozen other genres as fluidly as a banker exchanges currencies.
For primary evidence, you need look no farther than their always enthralling performance of instrumental track "Radhus," where Porter and Johnson pull double-duty on keys/synths and drums, respectively; Johnson and Gough both madly going at it on the drums is an invigorating scene. The track is perfectly paced and layered with at least a dozen interesting musical voices and associated hooks. The establishment of the early drum cadence undergirded by a body-shaking low-range synth groove that belongs in some deep house or electro track, works you into a frenzy that is then carried by an extended passage of sharp and crunchy guitar work. The intensity then begins to break down as the guitar enters into a more sparse, post-punk punctuated style followed by the closing sequence of synth breakdown. As far as musical rollercoasters go, you can't ask for much more.
The head-to-head of Double Dagger followed by Imperial China was one of the best-paired match-ups I've seen in recent memory. They are of a similar temperament, both musically and in performance approach, delivering captivating, rapid-fire sets with little breathing room and showing a truck-load of musical chops. DD may be a bit more intense and interactive, but they've been around the block a few times. I predict Imperial China will be there soon enough, completely demolishing the energy-sapping fourth wall right beside Nolen and the rest of DD; hell, they are halfway there on music alone.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Spoon, Colin Meloy: Reviews galore...
I am pulling heavy duty over at BYT this week. My review of this past Friday's Spoon show just went up.
Review of Colin Meloy/Laura Gibson show is here.
Go on over and check em out. Great photos by Joel Didriksen.
------------
Monday, April 14, 2008
VHS or Beta @ the Middle East, Cambridge MA 2008.04.07
Welcome our first contribution from Jason Shepherd, previous Baltimorean ex-planted to Boston. Here's his take on VHS or Beta's show at the Middle East.
All photos: Flickr user ryan97ou, shot @ the Ottobar, Baltimore MD
Monday night is usually one of the quietest nights for a show, but the crowd that gathered for the VHS or Beta show in Cambridge, MA, was full of energy from the get go.
The downstairs at the Middle East has a similar feel to the Black Cat in DC, one can be intimate with the band but still have good sound..and easy access to a full bar. I saw VHS last year when they set out touring their new album "Bring on the Comets". They were rather flat then and still sorting out the kinks of playing the new songs live. This night, they really lived up to their lyrics, setting the night on fire!
------------
The new songs have a more basic rock sound to them, with the drummer playing analog drums for the first time. Although still catchy, I prefer their older dance/funk songs.
Craig Pfunder's voice tends to be flat live, and VHS really come into their own on instrumental songs (see their debut album Le Funk). Being Cambridge, the audience had an eclectic mix of people..there was even some break-dancing going on..a la MIT style..glasses and all. VHS played three long encore songs, and invited the fanatical audience to dance with them on stage...well it started with an invitation for one guy to come on stage to show off what have to be shortest jean shorts ever seen! All in all a great show if you love to groove and dance to your rock music.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Deer Tick-Live at the G-Spot (Wye Oak CD Release Party)
Find the audio from Deer Tick's set as MP3s after the jump or here as FLAC. They opened second for Wye Oak, after Musee Mechanique at the G-Spot.
Musically they killed it, nothing really original but very solid country-influenced rock. Bassist was a face-melting phenomenon, a musical force of nature. The only downside was that I found Deer Tick's singing voice irritated me. Mostly because I sensed it was induced rather than natural, which might be completely off-base. In any case, I'm sure that perception would change after extensive listening, but I'm not sure I'm convinced that sort of acclimation is worth the effort. They did, however, perform a hilarious cover of "La Bamba."
Deer Tick - Intro
Deer Tick - Ashamed
Deer Tick - Little White Lies
Deer Tick - Art Isn't Real
Deer Tick - Untitled
Deer Tick - Mexican Home
Deer Tick - Easy
Deer Tick - Baltimore Blues No. 1
Deer Tick - Straight Into A Storm
Deer Tick - Dirty Dishes
Deer Tick - Sleep Walk --> La Bamba (cover)
------------
Friday, April 11, 2008
Wye Oak-Live at the G-Spot (Merge CD Release Party)
Wye Oak played a phenomenal set at their CD (re)release party for Merge issuing If Children. Opener Deer Tick's set can be found here. Thanks to Jeff the Taper for recording the ENTIRE live set, available after the jump as MP3 or here as FLAC files.
The show was fantastic, probably the best set I've yet seen from Wye Oak. Since this record is a re-release, the material has been in rotation for quite a while now. The new material demonstrated great progression and refinement of their songwriting and pacing; tracks like the tentatively-in-studio-named "Magic Johnson" really show Jenn and Andy recognizing their strengths as a duo and bringing them out, crafting a top-notch country-folk jam. If Children is a great record, but the material truly soars live and serves as a testament to how deeply Andy and Jenn are connected to the music.
Jenn's voice was warm and soulful as always. Andy's drumming was top-notch, and some of the most expressive I've heard in quite some time; we even got a special treat with Andy taking on main vocal duties on "A Lawn to Mow." The show was quite polished and probably a tad too straight-laced and clean, but when my main complaint is that things were TOO tight, then there's really not much of a problem. I personally find that minor imperfections in vocal harmonization and in other aspects only enhance the immediacy and passion of their music.
Wye Oak - Please Concrete
Wye Oak - Warning
Wye Oak - Family Glue
Wye Oak - Dialogue
Wye Oak - I Don't Feel Young
Wye Oak - Dialogue
Wye Oak - A Lawn to Mow
Wye Oak - Dialogue
Wye Oak - Untitled ("Magic Johnson")
Wye Oak - Dialogue
Wye Oak - Untitled No. 2
Wye Oak - I Want for Nothing
Wye Oak - Dialogue
Wye Oak - Obituary
Don't forget to read our interviews (part 1, part 2) with Jenn and Andy.
------------
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Review - Fuck Buttons @ Rock and Roll Hotel, DC
Friday, March 28, 2008
Matt & Kim - Lo-Fi Social Club (03.27.2008) Live Recording
Check my show review at BYT.
Jeff the Taper was in the house as well and was kind enough to provide us with the entire live recording, exclusively.
Check after the jump for the tracks. Download MP3s of each song by clicking on the name or a ZIP file of the whole set by clicking the band name.
You can find the Death Set's set here.
03-27-2008 - Lo-Fi Social Club, Baltimore, MD
Matt & Kim (download entire set as MP3) / FLAC
01-The Final Countdown
02-I Wanna
03-Grand
04-Yea Yeah
05-Dialogue
06-Cut Down
07-5K
08-Dialogue
09-Verbs Before Nouns
10-Fast
11-Dialogue
12-It's A Fact
13-Dialogue
14-Silver Tiles
The Death Set - Lo-Fi Social Club (03.27.2008) Live Recording
Check my show review at BYT.
Jeff the Taper was in the house as well and was kind enough to provide us with the entire live recording, exclusively.
Check after the jump for the tracks. Download MP3s of each song by clicking on the name or a ZIP file of the whole set by clicking the band name.
You can find Matt & Kim's set here.
03-27-2008 - Lo-Fi Social Club, Baltimore, MD
The Death Set (download entire set as ZIP file) / FLAC
01-Soundcheck
02-Intro
03-Impossible
04-Day In The Wife
05-Intermission
06-Around the World
07-Zombie
08-Listen to this Collision
09-
10-Negative Thinking
11-Bombshell (Op Ivy cover)
12-Oh Snap!
13-Territorial Pissings (Nirvana cover)
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Review - Crystal Castles, HEALTH, Thrust Lab @ the Ottobar
I walked into a fairly impressively packed Sunday night at the Ottobar. The last time I saw it this packed was for cult-legend Daniel Johnston a few weeks back. But the crowd was an altogether different variety. The sea of X’s made me a little wary of the band taking forever to sound-check on stage. Spring break was over, and it looks like this was the show that you had to be at to be in the know for homeroom tomorrow.
Photo of HEALTH, right|Flickr user HateMyWay
Missing the first openers Diagonal Buildings, Thrust Lab were hemming and hawing over the mics and such as I entered the room. I thought to myself: “Man these guys are picky. And they only get 30 minutes. This better be spectacular.” Unfortunately, no length of sound-check can make up for the derivative feel of their set. Largely, I blame the lead singer. His antics and personality grated on me. And based off those things and the prominence of his vocals in the mix, I felt like I was watching an extended session of Morrissey/Smiths karaoke. The bassist was largely uninteresting both musically and in terms of stage presence. I gathered that the drummer had some chops, but was being restricted by the songs. There’s potential there, but they need to focus away from the dance-party fodder they create based on weak stage presence and songs that sound almost exactly alike. For example, when given a good template they can create a fabulous dance remix (HEALTH’s unreleased track "The Problem Is").
Crystal Castles - "The Problem Is" (Thrust Lab Remix)
Noise-rockers HEALTH have received a healthy amount of praise in recent weeks. I could easily see why. These kids employ instrumental abuse to wring out some really engaging experimental noise. The first “Wow” moment for me was midway through the first song when everyone except the drummer ditched their instruments and proceeded to recreate a heavy metal song with their voices. The growls and squeals from the lightning fast guitars create an ominous and tension-filled racket, at times recalling Dillinger Escape Plan. Combining with tribal freak-out drums and desperate primitive vocals formed from guttural chants, growls and screams, the effect was transportive. At times, I felt like I was in the filled-to-capacity cabin of a depressurized airplane with blown-out ear drums falling through a thunderhead. And really, what more can you ask of a psyched-out noise band?
The room darkened to pitch-black in preparation for Crystal Castles. The band came on-stage swiftly, still shrouded in darkness. They launched into their first song and the strobes and lighting set up behind the band began punctuating the beats of the music. Everything entered into a state of stop-motion flicker that somehow managed to perfectly accent the performance while not becoming obtrusive or annoying for the audience. Photo of Alice Glass, above | Flickr user Robbie Fearless
Since the Justice show at Sonar is proximal in my mind’s eye, I was measuring this entire show by that metric. And in many ways it was superior.
The crowd was absolutely fanatical; they were on a mission to dance, versus the Justice show which had more of a concert vibe to it. Both were packed with a large number of X-handed under-21ers. But this crowd had a distinctly more uninhibited and unhinged feel than the one at Justice, less trying to be Euro-disco and more just being Baltimore. When all cylinders were firing, Crystal Castles put on a performance often on par with that of the Faint. Though most of their songs are almost stubbornly 4/4 accented, it never wore thin. The delivery and packaging was simply irresistible...from front-woman Alice Glass' captivating performance on vocals to the minimal and excellent lighting effects and their trademark 8-bit inspired blip-melodies and accents, the product was delightful, EDM-inspired dance-party confection. Photo of Alice Glass, above | Flickr user HateMyWay
And a part of me almost wished that I could join the other half of the crowd in homeroom or lecture on Monday when they talk til blue in the face about the how crazy the freak-dancing got.
