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MP3: Woods – The Number from Songs of Shame (2009)

Woods were a bit of an unknown quantity for me.  Going into this show, I had heard little from this Brooklyn quartet.  Coming out of their set, I wanted to hear everything they had.

They delivered a perfectly bewildered pop vision that I never knew I wanted, but in fact, depserately needed.  The vocal melodies are sun-drenched, but with the heavy modulation, the harmonic interplay becomes something much more interesting.  Combined with the often burnt out psych meanderings, the product is mysterious and foreign, yet oddly comforting and familiar, like a hazy recollection of a previous life.  Their sound tends to be a bit repetitive, but strangely never grows stale or old.  Probably a testament to the ever-captivating sight of their resident sound manipulator crawling around on all fours tweaking the knobs and tape-loops while tossing his tousled and mangled mass of hair back and forth singing through headphones modded to act as a mic.  An eerie vision calling to my mind a possessed cousin of the muppet Mahna Mahna.

Dungen are one of those unique musical entities that lives far longer in, and has far greater impact on, the consciousness of musicians than the public writ large, something owed to the evolution of their sound.  The Swedes’ musical origins are often described as psychedelic pop, and that is certainly evident in their smoldering breakdowns.  But they have evolved into something beyond these humble origins.  They manage to subtly toe the line between broad stroke atmospherics and technical wizardry.  While often very catchy, their loungey, jazz-fusion sound and laid-back approach turns off many to the intricacies and wonder of their compositions.

Unfortunately, some of their live set suffered momentum sapping from their mellower numbers.  I can pin this squarely on the overly technical, dispassionate feel of a number of their songs when performed live.  Instead of channeling the power of the many genres they blend, they often carved a much more sterile fascimilie.  Where recorded, many of these compositions feel like sprawling and expansive tracts full of ideas, live they rang hollow, a little too laid-back bordering on the dreaded segments of adult contemporary and smooth jazz.  Hardly the crossroads where an electric live performance lies.

Thankfully, these moments were in the minority.  Set highlights like “Gor Det Nu” and “Panda” landed with alacrity, sweeping you away with tight compositions of rapid-fire bass, galloping drums, epic guitar and some of the most honeyed melodies you ever have the fortune to get drizzled into your ear.

I found myself more than a bit chagrined while driving down 95 to catch Bat for Lashes (Natasha Khan et al) on Saturday night. Not two weeks earlier had I been informed that Bat for Lashes contacted the promoter for her Baltimore stop at the Ottobar and cancelled. The reason? They were unable to provide speaker power with wattage equivalent to that found in stadium venues.

I have to say, Bat for Lashes used every watt of that power at the 9:30 Club. I felt every joule of energy blasting through every speaker cone in the entire venue. That’s when I realized, detractors who say Khan is aiming for some sort of earthy-crunchy, hippie/hipster fusion demographic have it all wrong. This isn’t easy listening, New Age music. This is all about power and scale. These songs aren’t meant for listening on the bus ride home on medium through ear buds. Every time you put this music on, you should be in an isolation room with no less than 1kW of speaker power, drowning you in a sea of sound. Only then, do you see the forest for the trees.

Khan’s pipes are impressive and glorious live, with clarion power and a mystical, ageless weight. It seems she has the ability to summon her remarkable vocal range from the record to live performance, effortlessly nailing everything from the highs of “Glass” to the lows of “Trophy.”  All this aural bluster was accompanied by a light show that spared no mystique, waxing and waning in front of the surreal backdrop of a wolf howling at the moon.The immediacy of the live show was exponentially raised by Khan’s backing band. In particular, her drummer provided no small amount of rich texture and other-worldly bombast to every song.  The set was well-balanced, featuring an almost even split between material from Fur and Gold (2007) and Two Suns (2009).  Highlights are honestly too difficult to call, as the consistency of her performance was through the roof.  If pressed, I’d have to say “The Wizard,” “Trophy,” and “Horses and I” were all beyond reproach.

I’m not the only one who shares this high an opinion, as she has received that oft sought after vindication by a foundational influence. Bjork herself has leveraged the adjective “amazing” at Bat for Lashes’ live performance.  The only thing I can fault this show after going in with such a bad taste in my mouth, is that it was far too short.  Even including the extra-long encore, this was done in a flash.

Bat for Lashes

I did some show hopping last Saturday, first catching DC’s premiere instrumental rockers Caverns in their opening set for MD legends Clutch. Spreading their wings on the Main Stage, Caverns seemed a bit lost on the big stage. They definitely work best in smaller venues, but thankfully their massive sound fills out any gaps left untrampled by guitarist (and sole kineticist) Kevin Hilliard’s frantic scrambling and freak-outs all over the stage. Their second time opening for Clutch, they’re no stranger to the tunnel vision that often dominates the minds of many in Clutch’s fanbase. But ever resilient to chants and heckles beckoning for Clutch, they chip away more and more fans as their sound grows ever more massive in their set.  Quite possibly the loudest I’ve seen them since Aural States Fest.

They are sure to be even louder tonight at the Hexagon with bastard cousin Solar Powered Sun Destroyer, locals Lexanne and headliners Night Horse.

Caverns

From there, an abrupt mood and style shift as I headed over to mope territory at the Ottobar with Cursive and Tim Kasher’s emotive yowls headlining, and the ever-effusive Love Language opening.  To be brutally honest, I was underwhelmed by Cursive.  Progressively more adventurous in their latest efforts, to me they still fall short of capturing lightning in a bottle that was The Ugly Organ, that mixture of catchy, sappy, and adventurous that feels just right.  Sad but true.  Kasher’s bubbling stew was plenty big, but lacked much punch.

By contrast, openers The Love Language proved even more effusive than my last time seeing them. They are 2 for 2 wowing me with phenomenal live performances and presence.

Cursive

I was busy being behind the lens for this show, so I called in a favor from guest celeb-writer Benn Ray of Atomic Books and the Mobtown Shank to weigh in on this show.

All photos: Greg Szeto

Full live audio by the Baltimore Taper can be found at Bmore Musically Informed. Here are the best/choicest cuts:

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MP3: Half Japanese – You’re Gonna Miss Me (frikkin sweet 13th Floor Elevators cover!!!!!!!)

MP3: Double Dagger – The Lie / The Truth from More (2009)

Double Dagger’s set brought forth their army of teen fans – slam-dancing and moshing and enjoying the punk rock like anyone with youth on their side should. Confused aging hipsters who were obviously there to see Half Japanese curiously formed a perimeter. It was easy to see they were not familiar with Double Dagger and their fans, but these guys all had a glimmer in their eyes – they remembered punk shows of the ’80s and early ’90s.

You could see them slowly winding themselves up to jump into the fray…and eventually they did.

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MP3: Old 97′s – I Will Remain

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MP3: Old 97′s – Color Of A Lonely Heart Is Blue

The Old 97′s played a sold out show at the Recher this past Saturday night.  This show was a special night for those fans of Old 97′s because on this tour, Rhett Miller and Murry Hammond (both members of Old 97′s) opened with solo acoustic performances.  The Recher filled early with fans eager to hear the openers as well as the main act.  Murry started the evening playing either guitar or harmonium with his very quiet and haunting, old style country melodies.  Rhett took the stage next playing many new songs from his latest release, Rhett Miller,  as well as some great classics.  Old 97′s played a lengthy set to close the evening.  For Rhett Miller fans: he will be playing the Black Cat in DC on September 17th.  Tickets for this go on sale THIS Friday (July 3rd).

Enjoy the photos from the evening.

Old 97′s

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MP3: Elvis Perkins – May Day!

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MP3: Elvis Perkins in Dreamland – Doomsday

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MP3: Those Darlins – Wild One

All photos: Greg Szeto

Not to be reductionist by any means, but if you’ve ever wondered whether riot grrl attitude would mesh well with honky-tonk country, look no farther than Tennessee’s Those Darlins.  Much more than that simple formula, they now stand as one of my top 5 favorite finds in an opening act over the past few years.  A commanding presence, immensely catchy music bolstered by tight playing.  A country-fried approach that goes beyond a simple aesthetic, something clearly oozing out of their pores and roots, they present a vital take on country that is fresh and electric.

My ears have suffered far too long under sterilized country radio, and clearly, they feel the same way: their sound is rooted in that of traditional country pillars like the Carter Family, and reflects the common bond that first brought them together and fueled their musical mission.  Their stage chemistry is phenomenal and exudes a perfect mix of sassy sexuality and confidence.  Their sound has grown greatly from their simpler roots, embracing blues and garage rock swagger and riffage to make their music deadly and more immediate than a boot to the nuts. They just released their debut LP and it’s a rollicking good time.  I would say they are a don’t miss act if ever you see them coming through your neck of the woods.

Elvis Perkins is now, in my mind, one of the unquestionably great singer/songwriters to emerge in the past decade.  He is as affecting and intimate as he is versatile and showmanlike.  My first exposure to him was opening for Okkervil River the last time they stopped by the Ottobar. He made them look like amateurs.  Perkins then was on the heels of his mournful LP Ash Wednesday, and was moving beyond words.  Effectively, an emotional demolitions expert.

His latest, self-titled LP, is a more balanced and lush affair, bright but only in contrast to Ash, and never excessively so.  He truly wows with his gorgeous aural textures and penchant for diverse instrumentation and sounds.  What’s more astounding is that he manages to effectively transport all this to the live experience, his backing band rallying about him as they hop around the stage with horns and drums in tow, blaring (highlights: “Shampoo,” “Doomsday”).  An ebullient and engaging affair that feels like going to see the musical equivalent of an acrobatic circus.  The show brought to mind the magnitude of childlike wonder that Sigur Ros effuses, but with a heaping dose of world-weary maturity and sagacity.

It would seem that Perkins has traded in some of his crushing emotional weight for a more whimsical bent, and it is a welcome bit of leavening.  Some his earlier work suffers with these changes, losing much of their resonance (“While you were sleeping”); thankfully, others take new life (“May Day”).  From all this, the overall impression you walk away left with is that you’ve witnessed something undeniably special, and you can’t help but wonder where Perkins will take us next.
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All photos: Greg Szeto

Baby Aspirin played a standout set on Saturday (which you can hear here thanks to Jeff), impressing me much more than my previous experience with them at the Talking Head).  They recalled the tude and sound of the best and brightest of the riot grrl movement.  At times, they made me really miss Sleater-Kinney, then proceeded to step in and fill that void as fast as it opened.

Ecstatic Sunshine played in yet another iteration.  They really hit a groove after early set meanderings, exploring some interesting, spare and tropical vibes, perfect for the summer and outdoors.  Check out Jeff’s audio here.

Thrushes played a slew of new material (some of which they have been playing live for quite a bit) from their forthcoming sophomore effort, reunited with founding drummer Matt Davis.  They showed real progression and new life, playing more taut and uptempo than ever before, a welcome extension of their crushing mastery of midtempo and dirgelike compositions.

Chairlift ployed their spaced-out pop vision quite well, but I found myself increasingly inattentive in spite of the trio’s great vocals.

Wye Oak struggled through some unfortunate technical delays courtesy of some bad/breaking wiring on Andy’s Nord Electro.  The outdoor setting also sapped some of the affecting energy the duo normally exude in spades.  Not a bad set by any means, but not their best either.

Major kudos and congrats to Sarah for running a phenomenally tight ship for both Rufustival (set times were spot on) and the Metro Gallery as a whole.  Here’s hoping for many more years, and even bigger fests.

Baby Aspirin

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What a great vibe and great show this past Saturday Friday (thanks for noticing that, Jeff) at Floristree.  I walked in to a fully-ramped Videohippos set that had more than motivated the healthy-sized audience with some stellar, dance-ready hooks and decently complementary neon-colored projections.  The most noticeable thing was how few familiar faces I noticed scanning the throbbing throngs and bobbing heads.  The first show that felt like a summer show for me, and there were all kinds of fresh, young faces complete with the energy that accompanies such a blissful clean slate.

Double Dagger furthered their legend, delivering as intense and tight a set as I think I’ve seen from them, at least in recent memory.  The biggest change was probably how happy and refreshed they seemed to be,   It was also one of their most well-paced and constructed sets, opening with the building tumult of “Neon Gray” revving the anticipiation from the crowd like a finely tuned racecar, then ripping through a set list culled almost entirely (and appropriately) from the release in celebration, More.  ”No Allies” is as ferocious as ever, and is easily coming to rival long-time favorite “Luxury Condos for the Poor” for the most vigorous fan reaction.  The juxtaposition of the sublime intro in the follow-up song (“Vivre Sans Temp Mort”) worked, resonating remarkably well as a showcase of new emotions that Double Dagger can effectively pluck live.  More highlights included the obvious encore of “Luxury Condos” and a spectacular performance of More’s addictive lead single “The Lie / The Truth,” complete with high-energy cameo and backup vox from Sam Herring of Future Islands.  Despite a plethora of technical speedbumps, notably the loss of Bruce’s backup vocal mic, the set lost almost no momentum and raged right on til morning.

Check out the live audio here, and Double Dagger photos after the jump (Nolen-heavy given my poor vantage point, no slight intended Bruce & Denny).

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