Metz - Bully - So Pitted -- Jan 11 2016

So Pitted - This trio has me perplexed a bit with their sound as it appears to be two guitars and drums, yet a bass sound is clearly a part of their roar. I now read that the one guitar that is clearly doing deep things is played through a bass amp, so that explains some of what this odd Sub Pop band from Seattle is doing. Their song approach is primitive punk in the style of Flipper but lacking that band's brilliant and confused creativity. The early songs are powerful and challenging but they fall off a bit when the drummer and guitarist switch roles. They switch back and it picks back up quite a bit, so I clearly have a favorite lineup here. I don't think they are quite at a high enough level for me to climb aboard their rise, but they have the right ideas at the heart of their sound and I will stay tuned.

Bully - I just saw this Nashville quartet late last year and they mention that this is in fact their third time here. They may be touring hard, but they are young and breaking out with their first album due this summer, so why not hit the road hard. It is likely paying off as they seem all the more in command of their powerful sound and delivery of their catchy music. It could be a power pop punk hybrid, but it just never quite hits the power pop buttons. Yet somehow it is very hook oriented. They always maintain plenty of sting in delivering the melody and Alicia Bognanno's vocals are quite dynamic. The guitars trade off well and they can push the envelope with the pace and power. This band is doing everything right and will no doubt catch on, we will just wait and see as to the level they reach.

Metz - And yet another high quality band from one of my favorite music cities, Toronto. And keeping in fashion, they don't sound like a Toronto band, mostly due to a lack of a 'Toronto sound'. It is more a matter of a big city with a lot of great bands pushing themselves to be as great as possible. Metz does this in the manner of Iceage with a blending of punk rock and post punk sounds and songs. They have a full table of pedals and effects placed behind the soundboard that assists the on stage effects in creating a swirling mysterious atmosphere for the three guys to work their powerful songs into. Their music sounds so familiar, but it is hard to pin down and the band varies their pace just slightly to keep me further out on the edge. I detect a Stains meets Rudimentary Peni approach with songs working in a Mission of Burma sonic world (yeah, that simple, right). There is strong and controlled abandon throughout and any heavy music fan should be aboard this fast moving train.

Quote of the Night: I will leave the quotes to others regarding David Bowie. I will share Roy Harper's post below and link the BBC's article featuring a ton of tributes such as Brian Eno and Tony Visconti (who will be in town Thursday with Woody Woodmansey at the Birchmere for what will now be a profound show).

 

Roy Harper -  When I first met David he was performing mime. In that respect he never changed. His life was one long brilliant mime. His various personas were the equal and musical equivalent of his favourite, Marcel Marceau. He mimed many of his contemporaries without really ever copying them. His particular genius was to see an attitude, feel an inspiration, delivery or emotion in someone and be able to replicate and transgress that in an often superlative way of his own, which could not only give added insight to that source, but often lend it a satyrical edge, a playful touch or an irony. Back in the day, he sold me a pair of Tibetan boots he’d got from a monk. He was more broke than me, and I gave him a ten bob note for them. He was gigging with just an ageing Grundig tape recorder at the time. The boots were really uncomfortable. The soles were made of wood and didn’t bend. They only lasted for a couple of years. Wish I still had them. Wish we both still had those gigs to do.

(Photo credit Ray Stevenson)(text from Roy Harper's Facebook page)