Redline Graffiti - Cloudeater - Bravenoise --Velvet Lounge - Sep 25 2012

Bravenoise - I have enjoyed this Baltimore trio a few times and it was nice to see that they had some new material for me tonight. And better yet, it sounds fresh and invigorating. They still maintain their relaxed approach to rock music where they balnance R&B, classic rock, and other rhythmic forms into a nice blend. But the newer material even adds a bit of edgy space exploaration to it all. It is sublte but quite interesting. The set was solid although I thought they faded a bit toward the end. It is hard not to like these guys as they deliver the tunes and have a sense of fun on stage. They even chanelled the Smothers Brothers at one point in an improvised exchange of patter. They continue to be a welcomoe presence on any bill around here.

 



Cloudeater - The last time I caught a band from the deep south here at the Velvet Lounge (TeePee) I was suitably blown away. And this band from Atlanta pushed the limits even further skyward tonight. It looked like it would be a little keys/electronics heavy with a couple spots on stage set up for that, but immediately the drums, bass, and guitar lock into a sinister groove. The key/electronic guys cut in at various times as one takes over the lead vocals. He moves from a smoother Alan Vega into a very high quality style with quite a range. It seems that these parts just do not match if I try to look at it clinically, but there was never a sound out of place. I almost never discuss the overused 'synergy' concept, but we really do have it here with a lot of simple parts not terribly interesting by themselves combine into on cohesive and creative powerhouse. Imagine Muse cover PiL with Gary Numan somewhere in there. I could go further, but it would not do it justice. The reasonably sized Tuesday night crowd is as into it as I am. I hope these guys work to find their audience, because there are loads of music fans out there that are salivating for music this good.

 

Redline Graffiti - This local quartet is back with their usual competent set of R&B rock. They have guitar, bass, drums, and keyboards with two of the guys trading off on lead vocals. Their sound is strong an punchy and the vocals, while good, are a little soft in the mix. The keys add a nice touch and everything is enjoyable. They should spend a rehearsal working on song endings as they get a little overly casual there for music that is generally considered pretty tight. They debuted some newer material and it was exciting to see one song had some different guitar textures which took them to newer terraint. It is great to see them expanding their range and future shows and records look quite exciting. But they certainly entertained the crowd well enough tonight.

 

Quote of the Night: A patron coming up to me after Cloudeater's set... "You know how it is when a band has got it? Well, they GOT IT!"