Ugly Purple Sweater - Kingsley Flood - Kindlewood -- Black Cat - Jan 12 2013

Kindlewood - I arrived a little late and there was still a line at the door, so I only caught two songs of their set. I had bad luck once before in trying to see this band, so hopefully one day I will get the full set. I saw enough to know that these three people create a sound I can easily get into. They have female vocals, a couple of guitars--acoustic and electric, and the singer did a bit of drumming. They had a lovely 'by the stream' pastoral folk vibe with a just enough psyche touches. Evensong meets Shide & Acorn comes to mind, but I should really hear more. However, I hope I hear them somewhere other than a crowded Black Cat room on a Saturday night, as their sound does not work well with extensive crowd noise.

Kingsley Flood - These are six people from Boston with a DC member as well, or so I hear. I saw them once before and found them to be quite vibrant with their ability to transform Americana style rock into some intriguing hybrids invoking punk and even noise genres. They are touring their new album (which is also excellent) and blasted most of that and more tonight in a satisfying 67 minute set. They had full command of their sound and handled the big crowded room like real pros. Whether they were playing quiet Americana folk rock with intriguing drones underneath, blasting away free form solos, or locking in with classic hooks and melodies, there was always something excellent going on. They really handle dynamic shifts so well, probably because they are equally skilled to excel at quiet and noisy. Some of their most raucous breaks were applauded mid-song by the crowd who were easily pulled in to the center of Kingsley Flood's universe. The one cover I heard was the Rolling Stones "Heartbreaker" which featured wonderfully excessive wah-wah pedals and plenty of brass from their sax and trumpet players (who also play violin and keyboards which allow an incredible width in their style). They also had some guests pop up to help out including plenty of brass with a tuba even. If you like Elliott Brood, the Levellers, 16 Horsepower, and enjoy bands that can soar off beyond all of that, you really should be listening to this band.

Ugly Purple Sweater - Unfortunately personal issues kept me from hearing their set. I have caught them a couple of times before and found them to be a skilled and classy band with some great songs. It seems people around here do not need me to tell you this any more, as they nearly packed the big stage tonight. The future looks bright for them. They have a new album out and here's their new video