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Mirah, Shaky Hands, Chores, Against Me!, and Black Mountain
Mirah / The Blow
January 23 at Great American Music Hall
Mirah and the Blow co-headlined a two-night stand that, at least on Wednesday, had some drastic ups and downs. Formerly a two-piece and now but a solo Khaela Maricich, the Blow was exactly that, both to my patience and my respect for the capacity crowd that seemed to embrace her unconditionally. Performing works that basically amount to an off-key, uncoordinated poor-woman’s Postal Service, Maricich’srambling and vacuous chatter between songs lasted longer than the songs themselves, and often came out during songs, too. Her bubbly, inadvertent you-have-to-like-me-because-I’m-cute stage persona wore on through awkward dancing and unremarkable pop for what felt like the better part of an hour, though thankfully, Mirah was well worth the wait. Mirah Yom Tov Zeitlyn is a gem, spinning songs of substance and sweetness without any of the trappings of big productions. Supporting her on this night were four players, most notably a certain Tara Jane O’Neil on guitar and an extremely talented cellist with whom Ms. Mirah is currently collaborating on a project. Yet despite their strength in numbers, the songs remained intimate and spare. At a certain point Mirah commented on how she viewed Khaela as more of a proper singer-songwriter despite her “electro-pop” leanings because she talks and tells stories about each song, between songs. If I may, I’d like to suggest that ideally, the songs speak for themselves. Mirah’s certainly do, and though her banter is intelligent and charming, her songs would be no less enjoyable without it. Maricich’s neurotic fixations on boys, her flighty songwriting process, and “the universe” may help pass time on her blog, but when it comes to stuff people pay to cram in, stand, and watch—not so much. Not for this person, anyway. Everyone else seemed to applaud. Nevertheless, Mirah’s set was a triumph, and I’m eager to hear more of that project with the cellist. – HW
Listen: Various Tracks [at myspace.com]
The Shaky Hands
by: Angela Zimmerman
Lunglight
(Kill Rock Stars, 2008)
The Shaky Hands are five guys from Portland, Oregon, and they represent what currently seems to be the trend in that rainy Northwest city: Putting out music that is jangly, earthy, and freewheeling—earnest and rootsy at its greatest moments, a bit overplayed and distracting at its weaker ones, but forgivingly so. Adopting a tribalist sort of sound through their use of rackety hand percussion and loose melodies, there are definitely more hits than misses on their full- length debut album, Lunglight, but this would be a much stronger collection of songs if the editing process was taken a step further, with a few of the weaker tracks omitted altogether. As is, though, there are some gems to be extracted here, and a warm, overall sense of good natured fun (while lyrically acknowledging some darker realisms) that puts the Shaky Hands on a long list of bands that best represents indie rock’s young, expressive, and emerging talent.
The Shaky Hands are very likeable, embracing a free stylin’ looseness that seems to come easily to the quintet. They are not overstepping their comfort zones, nor are they discernibly self-conscious—rather they seem fulfilled working within their parameters. Lunglight is music they could easily have recorded in their garage, honed in the backyard of a Portland beer bust, and polished and executed before a thousand-person audience in the hipper clubs of Brooklyn. They are a band that is easy to identify with and root for, and as their songwriting evolves, they will likely secure a spot among the top contenders for contemporary Portland’s most definitive bands. They hold tight to a sense of musical regionalism that is fast defining that town, and so long as they continue to churn out material and take it to the road, they will only further enhance the city’s burgeoning reputation.
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by: Angela Zimmerman
published: September 3, 2008
in column: Reviews
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