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Rock Art Rock
The Decemberists
September 19, 2009
Terminal 5, New York, NY
By Amanda Hatfield "The Decemberists played a special one night 'lottery show,' where the songs played were picked at random by a master of ceremonies, played by John Wesley Harding..."
Ra Ra Riot
April 4, 2009
Webster Hall, New York City, NY
By Amanda Hatfield "This show was, at the time, the biggest one Ra Ra Riot had sold out as headliners, and it was clear to me after watching it that the band is destined for even bigger and better things..."
Florence and the Machine
October 28, 2009
Bowery Ballroom, New York City, NY
By Amanda Hatfield "Florence Welsh and her backing band delighted and mesmerized a sold-out crowd at Bowery in her first official NY headlining show..."
Dirty Projectors
July 19, 2009
Williamsburg Waterfront (Brooklyn, NY)
By Amanda Hatfield "I was skeptical about how well Dirty Projectors' gorgeous, complex vocal harmonies would carry over outdoors, standing under hot sunshine..."
See more in the Rock Art Rock gallery.
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The National: May 29th at the Electric Factory, Philadelphia
The National
The Electric Factory
Philadelphia, PA
May 29, 2009
When a band opens their set with a brand new song, one that’s never been released and you haven’t heard before and totally arrests you with its brooding gorgeousness, you know you’re in for a hell of a show. Such was the case with the National. The opening tune in this case was the tentatively titled “The Runaway”, and if it’s any indication, their next album will be quite a doozy. But really, should we be surprised? After all, the National have come to prominence playing moody, melancholic rock, the kind that stirs you to remember things sometimes best left forgotten. And yet live, Matt Berninger and company make it look downright fun, clapping and stomping along as they play their lovelorn anthems of anemic life under the artificiality of Citibank lights in this fake empire of ours. Complete with a blaring brass section, the nine-piece collective banged out an hour-and-a-half set with barely any room for breathing, let alone moping, or even stage banter at their show at the Electric Factory in Philly.
But what was most effective was the incredibly dynamic dimension their songs take on in the live context. The way the rhythms of “Fake Empire” stuttered and tripped over themselves, held together only by a cavalcading piano, sounded bold and layered. And the chiming riffs of “Mr. November” and “Secret Meeting” also got ample room to breathe, tautly expanding and contracting with nerve and grace. One minor gripe: The band didn’t play their Dark Was the Night standout “So Far Around the Bend”, but I can’t really fault them for the omission, given the lack of strings and woodwinds present. And really, one can’t complain after hearing nearly all their favorite songs off not one, but two of the finest albums of the ’00s, Boxer and Alligator, as well as three new songs that stood their equal alongside them. The great white hope lives up to the hype.
Super Furry Animals: May 26th at Sub 29 in Cardiff, Wales and Big Business: May 27th at Bottom of the Hill, SF
Super Furry Animals
May 26th at Sub 29 in Cardiff, Wales
If any Super Furry fans had had sufficient time to sift through the band’s new album, Dark Days/Light Years, it would have been the hometown Cardiff crowd. They packed Sub 29 for the first of three sold-out shows, but didn’t expect the Furrys to focus so much on new material.
“The basic plan,” said lead singer Gruff Rhys, “[is] for playin’ the record straight through, for the first time […] if the crowd is fucked up enough.” Maybe they weren’t fucked up enough, but they sure were quiet.
Animal Collective: May 26th at the Fox Theater, Oakland, CA
Animal Collective
May 26th at the Fox Theater, Oakland, CA
The white cloth-covered tables behind which members of Animals Collective stood hummed and pulsed in various ambient colors while psychedelic imagery and trippy visuals danced their way across a giant white orb erected above the stage. The images and thumping hues were transient and fleeting, yet the music emanating from the speakers was ghostly and seemingly endless, sounds looping through sounds, laced with vocals that soothed and melted, or drove lyrics into songs. This was Animal Collective at the Fox Theater in Oakland on Tuesday night, a spectacle of light, music, and mood.
I’m a big fan of Animal Collective: Merriweather Post Pavilion (besides being a hometown venue where I spent countless nights of my life) will no doubt have a place in my Top 10 list of 2009, and Panda Bear’s solo effort Person Pitch was number five on my top of ‘07 list. I love the hypnotic rhythms of their music, I love how they discreetly weave beautiful melodic threads through the dense fabrics of their compositions, and I love the haunted, experimental edge they brought to their live show. That said, I also expected more on Tuesday night. Part of my, eh, discontent, could be in part to the spotty sound at the Fox. While it’s no doubt a gorgeous, grand place, it was only when I stood right behind the sound board that the layers of music didn’t get swallowed up by the echo of the vast ceiling; the sound to the right or left of the stage was downright atrocious for a band like Animal Collective that’s reliant on pristine layering. The band spun through a nine-song set, material from records old (2003’s “Chocolate Girl” kicked off the show, “Fireworks” from 2007’s Strawberry Jam was there) and new (besides playing the yet-to-be-recorded song “What Would I Want Sky”, they did, of course, play music from MPP, among them “Summertime Clothes” and “Guys Eyes”), before breaking for an encore, during which the chatty crowd willed them back with applause and whistles. They ended the evening with “Banshee Beat” from 2005’s Feels, and then the crowd-pleasers “My Girls” and “Brother Sport” from MPP, during which, from my vantage, I could peer into the packed sea of fans down front, over which a crowd surfer made a mildly successful attempt to, well, surf. The hypnotic buzz of the show and the melting atmospherics of the visuals, strobing sounds, and grandiose environment in which it was all brewed and served left me with a pure and pleasant feeling. I just wasn’t ecstatically enthralled like I had expected to be (and I was sorely missing a personal song favorite, “In the Flowers”). If I had to choose, I’d take my Animal Collective on album; still, it was a damn fine show.
The Horrors: May 21st at Glass House, Pomona, CA and A Place to Bury Strangers: May 22nd at Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn
The Horrors
May 21st at Glass House, Pomona, CA
Alright, I will admit it. Like many long-time Horrors fans, I was quite disappointed when I heard the band wouldn’t be playing any material from their debut release, Strange House, on this tour. Sure, I want to be behind them in their efforts to progress and let their new musical chapter, Primary Colours, shine on stage, but I wanted that same visceral energy I saw the band perform with last time. I longed for more of that driving, pulsing feeling and those spontaneous stage outbursts that their previous work lent itself to so perfectly. That’s not to say I entered Pomona’s Glass House on Thursday night with low expectations—I was still very interested and excited to see what the group of rail-thin Englishmen would do with their new material. But I wasn’t expecting the onstage antics or unpredictability of previous years, guessing that those had been left at the door along with their alter egos—Rotter, Spider, Furse, Von Grimm, and Coffin Joe.
But among a crowd of mostly entranced, and some slightly puzzled, audience members, I was surprised to find myself hit with a feeling of equal intensity as that of before… only this time it came from a completely different, more deliberate form of emotion and energy. Instead of the short, sharp shock of their previous shows, the band produced a rich, passion-driven set of heavy, synthed-up sounds that lingered and built on each other. There was a jubilant spirit about the tapestry of music they were creating: Former bassist Tom Cowan brought his Entwistle-esque calm to the synthesizer, and combined with the buzz of Joshua Hayward’s guitar, the two filled the smoky air with texture and brightness that was further suspended above the crowd by the rhythmic basslines of Rhys Webb and held in place by the solid drumming of Joseph Spurgeon.
Daily Previews and Reviews of the Week’s Events
It’s the time of year again, when the weather turns crisp and brisk in New York City, leaves begin to fall to the ground, visions of the underworld start to surface in storefronts, and the streets brim with more cool kids than there’s even room for on any given normal weekend in downtown Manhattan. Yes, it’s the CMJ Music Marathon, 2008 style, where your pricey badge will mean next to nothing and you’ll be left out in the cold at least a few times wondering if you have time to hop on the train to get to Brooklyn for that other show. But, you know what: None of that matters because it’s New York fuckin’ City, and for five days straight, no matter what, you’re going to consume tons of beer, tons of bands, and probably walk away from it all with some sort of cold that’ll put you out for the week following, all in the name of experiencing sounds from the best up-and-coming bands in the country and beyond in one of the greatest places in the world to see live music.
Crawdaddy! is tossing itself into the mayhem of this year’s festival to check out panels, films, and the music being offered up. Each page here represents one full day of the festival, where we’ve provided some preview highlights we’re looking forward to, and then we’ll be reporting back each following morning with what we saw the previous day before. No real agenda, no real cause. We’re gonna go with the flow and see how we emerge from the festival insanity that is CMJ.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
My Bloody Valentine, Silver Jews, Beach House, Bluegrass Festival, and more
My Bloody Valentine
September 30th at the Concourse Exhibition Center
One could hear the sound check three blocks away for My Bloody Valentine’s first West Coast appearance since 1993—indeed, it was clear early on that this show would be as loud as it was purported to be. Venue staffers at the Concourse were handing out free earplugs to the line that flooded in from around the block, and an unearthly drone commenced shortly after doors care of the Suzanne Thorpe Trio (featuring MBV guitarist Kevin Shields’ brother, Jimi). Their quivering, intense low-end paved the way for the night’s supporting act: Spectrum, the long-running solo project by Sonic Boom, formerly of Spacemen 3. In addition to the subdued astronaut-pop of his own songs (e.g. “How You Satisfy Me”), he played a Mudhoney cover (“When Tomorrow Hits”) as well as a couple of Spacemen 3 tracks, including the druggy, heavenly lull of “Repeater (How Does It Feel).” For shoegaze/noise pop enthusiasts, it added to the event’s throwback spirit: How many people present ever expected they’d get to experience both MBV and the songs of Spacemen 3 live in a single evening?
Holy graveyards, Shields and company were so loud. MBV’s set didn’t include any of the unreleased material that Shields has discussed in recent interviews, but they dug into wonderful EP tracks (from the still out-of-print You Made Me Realise and Feed Me With Your Kiss discs) alongside tunes from their two best-known full-lengths, 1988’s Isn’t Anything and 1991’s Loveless. Bilinda Butcher’s and Shields’ vocals were often hard to hear given the Concourse’s abysmal acoustics, but it seemed like the desired effect was achieved: Pummeling, impassioned delivery. “Soon”, the closing track from Loveless that’s somewhere between an Irish jig and a club track, got a nearly 12-minute rendition, but the night’s centerpiece came at the very end: “You Made Me Realise”, a goth-inflected buzzpop track with the infamous “death chord,” which, in the live setting, the band traditionally draws out in a torrent of obliterating noise for 20-plus minutes. The more naïve showgoers covered their ears (the plugs were not sufficient protection for many) and gestured towards each other: “Wanna go?” “This is insane!” Not sure what those people were expecting… it was performance art of the most confrontational sort, and not unexpected given the band’s history of subverting sonic convention. It felt amazing! Those with proper hearing protection could surrender themselves up to the sound—a total wiping-clean of the senses that produced a full-body hum and vibration that no other scenario could offer (other than, perhaps, a rocket taking off). Staggering out, one had to feel their face to make sure it hadn’t fully melted off—what a show. – Michael Harkin
An Indie Culture Celebration: Noise Pop 2008
It’s that time again… Noise Pop time! The best thing about this festival is that you can take one glance at the schedule and think “meh,” but then if you really dig you begin to realize that there are talented, up-and-coming bands to be experienced each and every night. That’s what this festival is all about: the unknown… even if there are a slew of excellent mid-level bands to see. To take some of the pressure off we’ve mapped out the entire week for you with our picks and recommendations. Be sure to stop back daily for live show updates and photos from events.
A Very Fantastical 2007 Year End Extravaganza
It’s been one hell of a year, that’s for sure. We successfully breathed life back into this renowned rock magazine, while hopefully salvaging a dying breed of literate, long-form rock writing that comes from a fan’s perspective. We’ve learned much and only expect things to get better and better from this steady start. And, even though we weren’t around for all of 2007, we still have some things to say about it. So, grab a six pack, settle in, and and enjoy “A Very Fantastical 2007 Year End Extravaganza” featuring fun list-y type stuff and year-end round-ups along with some holiday-themed articles. We’ve been extremely proud to be a part of the rebirth of Crawdaddy! and look forward to doing more rock writing deeds in 2008.
Happy Holidays to you and yours,
The C! Team
Soulsavers, Damo Suzuki, Jonathan Richman and more
Los Campesinos!
November 28 at Great American Music Hall
Los Campesinos! put out an EP this year, Sticking Fingers Into Sockets, that was perfect for early summer—bouncing, bubbly party tunes from a bunch of fresh-faced Welsh kids, with a cover of an old-school Pavement B-side (“Frontwards”) thrown in for good measure. But it was also the type of thing that showed up on my desk, I listened to it a few times, enjoyed it, and then moved on. Seeing Los Campesinos! five or six months after I first heard them, I wasn’t feeling it as much. Don’t get me wrong, these kids are still cute (and twee) as fuck, and they all exude a kind of beaming joy on stage that could power a small city, but the new material they played didn’t do much for me, and overall I found myself feeling a bit indifferent to the whole thing. But judging from the ecstatic bouncing from the kids around me with cardigans, keffiyehs, and carefully unkempt air, I was in the minority. Much more compelling for me was their tour mates and opener, the Most Serene Republic, who pull off the cathartic anthems á la Broken Social Scene to warm my wussy heart, while mixing it up with some math-rockish start-stop stuff to warm my June of ’44-loving music nerd heart (I have two hearts, apparently). And if I walk away from a show digging even one new band, it’s a success. — Jake Swearingen
Listen: Various tracks [at myspace.com]
Damo Suzuki Network
November 30 at Hemlock Tavern
A Place to Bury Strangers
by: Dan Weiss
A Place to Bury Strangers
Exploding Head
(Mute, 2009)
After seeing the “loudest band in Brooklyn” play the happiest seizure of my life this year while also canonizing their debut, I threw on an advance of Exploding Head and knew something was afoot. Thumbing through the press packet, I noticed Oliver Ackermann stating disappointment with the production on his band’s eponymous debut: “Thought it was a demo.” You see, most rock frontmen don’t own their own studio space or design their custom guitar effects pedals, but Ackermann does. I’m going to hold the Death by Audio founder to that standard while I scrutinize his new record, which is either underwritten in terms of songs or sonically overly lucid. Only one of these problems could have existed on the band’s debut, but not both. One would’ve solved another: Walls of industrial feedback-fuzz squealing through the mix let Ackermann phase out of songs as needed, or he’s undervalued that whole “loudest band” stuff. Either way, we want him cranked and appealing to our collective epilepsy as excitable fans of loud noises.
read more
by: Dan Weiss
published: October 14, 2009 in column: Reviews
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