Steve Hackett - Renaissance -- State Theater - June 24 2010

Renaissance - They announced a new website called Renaissancetouring.com which seems appropriate as these venerable progsters have really been living on the road in recent years when I had pretty much thought they had retired. Well, not hardly as they also had a new ep for sale and said a new album was coming. They also asked who had seen them before as they were here a couple years back. Well, no it was last October (reviewed here) at the Birchmere. The band remained the same tonight and it is a good one. For some reason, I always like bass players that play a 5-string bass and this player had his part down. I also like the drummer's light touch even though he looked like Carmen Appice. I had to look to see if he was using brushes and he was only using his sticks delicately. The two keyboards work well together and there is much harmony vocals adding to the Annie Haslam leads. The set list was Prologue/Carpet of the Sun/Midas Man/The Mystic and the Muse/Running Hard with an encore of Mother Russia. "The Mystic and the Muse" is a new cut and within about 90 seconds, they seemed to have drawn from about three songs of their old catalogue. But that is a compliment, as some of their other post-original band material veered into dull pop music. They are trying and succeeding in the retention of their majestic classical music meets progressive rock approach that worked well in their classic years. Their set went over very well with this crowd which was no surprise.

 

Steve Hackett - I had not kept up to the doings of Mr. Hackett after his departure from Genesis (just before they got bad) and his early solo work which I played at my college radio DJ gig in the 1970s. He is renown as a brilliant progressive guitarist with fiery playing and delicate touch. He has played here before, but it was either acoustic or solo. He has a full band with a rhythm section, keyboardist (who has worked with him for some time), a sax/flute/whistle player and a woman who joined in about 2/3 the time on rhythm guitar and vocals. The first song absolutely smoked with a ripping early King Crimson sound--not completely surprising as the instrumentation was a match. Nothing quite hit that high for me with what followed, but it all went well. There were a variety of styles all well within a classic progressive format. He did some acoustic numbers which showcased his finger style picking which he also used to great effect on some of the electric guitar songs as well. He really does have an outstanding touch so guitar wonks and prog-heads alike do fill out the clubs to see him. I liked the double leads with the other guitarist and all the musicians were first rate. The band seemed tight and whether they veered towards space rock, jazz, pastoral folk, or pop-rock, they hit it every time. I was surprised at how much singing he did, proving that Genesis was correct in handing the vocals to Phil Collins when Gabriel left. Alright, cheap shot--his singing was quite fine although his guitarist took a lead and his drummer had some, too with the drummer having a voice as all but the best lead vocalists. An enjoyable set for me as I delved into unknown territory with a known artist. The large crowd was also very happy tonight.

Quote of the Night - Annie Haslam - "I am wearing these sunglasses not to look like a rockstar, but to hide the migraine I am having. So the band is sympathizing with me (a few more in shades)". She did fine, which although I share her approach in warning people when I don't feel well, it does seem odd when all goes quite well.

Good Old War - Yukon Blonde - Audra Mae -- Rock'n'Roll Hotel - June 23 2010

Audra Mae - Audra Mae is the singer/guitarist here. She is assisted by a stand-up bass player who adds some mandolin and various players who will be showing up later in subsequent bands. She did not do anything too out of the ordinary, singing good solid folk songs and a blues number. However, she had a deep rich voice with excellent range and used it with great confidence. She had a touch of southern C & W at times in her voice as she is from Oklahoma relocated to LA, it sort of fit. The music never went C & W and was always easy to like and well performed. There really was just enough extra to her performance to give her a real shot at establishing a world-wide audience. Great beginning to this evening.

Yukon Blonde - From Vancouver, comes this intriguing foursome. The immediately begin with a serious shoegaze instrumental buildup easing into rural psychedelia. There are shifts from song to song roughly in these general areas. They can be loud and heavy, west coast twangy country rock, shoegaze psyche and all points in between. There were good transitions and dynamics keeping me on the edge of my proverbial seat. The songs were good, the arrangements even better. I will compare them to an oddball band named for their singer, JD Blackfoot (at least on "The Ultimate Prophecy"), although the sound has more modern touches. These space cowboys really laid it out and even had band members from each band jump in and help out. Good fun, great set and a decent appreciative crowd agreed with me.

Good Old War - This three piece from Philadelphia has a pretty good following, but this was my first exposure. They have a fascinating sound that is energetic happy pop with a good rootsy base. They have drums, keys and guitar on most songs with strong harmonic three-piece singing. The vocals really are key, although the instruments do their parts well enough to keep a good pace going. The guitarist plays acoustic, although he has a unique way of adding electric leads. His electric guitar is on a stand at playing height. He keeps his acoustic in place and reaches around to play several assertive electric leads throughout the set. It looks odd, but his dexterity is good and it works. A lot of snap and fun to the songs, even if the lyrics run the course of happy/sad--maybe more contemplative from what I could pick up (and I don't often do well with a bands' lyrics on first listen). Good set and it was nice to see people getting into it without much prompting. It's nice to see simple pop music delivered with an individual voice and creativity.

Quote of the Night: "So tonight we're playing with Good Old Boys... what? Good Old War? Well, it's your fault for not introducing us. They are a great band and great guys... or so I'm told." Amusing good hearted patter from Yukon Blonde. Clearly these bands got on with everyone playing in each other's sets.

Damien Jurado - Kay Kay and his Weathered Underground -- Iota - June 20 2010

Kay Kay and his Weathered Underground -- OK, let us start with an inventory. I see drums, a bass, lead guitar, acoustic guitar and lead vocals, keyboards, violin, sousaphone, trombone and french horn (no truth to the rumor the french horn had refused to practice today). The first song begins with a dreamy pop vocal line with light, quirky music. I hear big band sounds (well that is a keen grasp of the obvious) and interesting keyboards that almost do what the vibraphone did for Tim Buckley. Some startling loud lead guitar work pops through and not surprisingly there is a lot going on here. The songs varied nicely as the set went on with the vocal lines leading the song with lots of room for instrumental jamming in lots of directions. Kind of a cabaret rock feel mostly, but this is music not to be pinned down. The violin got lost in the mix mostly, but it was showcased a few times. The brass was also a bit subtle, but I rather liked that approach. And it is certainly a challenge balancing this many diverse instruments in a small club. Overall, the sound was quite good and the band played really nice songs that indie rock fans with a sense of adventure should love. I know I did.

Damien Jurado - I was wondering how a 9-piece band from Seattle could do a tour for opening band money in small clubs when they answered the question by having the rhythm section, lead guitarist, keyboardist and violinist come back on stage to back the minimalist folkie, Damien Jurado. Jurado mentioned how much fun he was having playing with a full band as that has not happened for him often. As the set progressed, I was in complete agreement. Jurado writes powerful dark folksongs and has a dazzling voice rich in timber in an early Tim Buckley way (lacking a bit of that ridiculous range, closer to Jackson Browne's range, but stronger). The songs were crisp and deep and the backing band adding lovely color. Of course even the extra noise could not drown out a loud check printer at the bar that had half the crowd looking back and got a bemused glare from the lead guitarist. There is always some kind of noise at this club. Jurado remained to do three numbers with just his voice and acoustic guitar. It is more of a challenge to do this after the band, usually it is the reverse. But when your songs are of this great quality, they can easily survive all by themselves. The moderately sized crowd thought so as well.

Quote of the Night: Jurado - "Here is another sad song for you. Of course these are all fictional, you know. If they were about me, I'd be committed a long time ago."

Loose Lips - Detox Retox - The State Department -- Black Cat - June 19 2010

The State Department - The first of three local bands I have seen in the past. First up we have a four-piece with drums, bass, guitar and a vocalist with just a bit of keyboard noodling. I love the guitar sound as it fits in with those beautiful 60s garage bands with thick strong distortion. But it does not overpower the mix which is good as the rhythm section is tough and the vocals are out front. They aren't also stuck in the garage as the songs are modern, accessible and fun. The axemen switch instruments which doesn't alter much except the guitar break is more of a post punk wash as opposed to linear soloing. Good songs, good set and good crowd support. This is a band to check out.


Detox Retox - Another four piece with a singer adding some guitar, keys and percussion at times. This is the first of two bands celebrating their new releases tonight. These guys have a really nice individualized sound that keeps their indie rock songs from staying with the pack. The lead guitar has a compressed attacking sound that is quite unique and enjoyable. The singer has a nice range and the rhythm section keeps things bouncy. Catchy songs and the crowd started growing into what was a pretty nice number for the main stage at the Black Cat with three up and coming local bands. And speaking of which, multiple members of the other two bands joined these guys at the end for a nice rousing "Suffragette City". Another fine set and another local band that is worth your time and hard earned dollars.

Loose Lips - And finally, the third four piece featuring a twin guitar attack and another good dancy rock style that fits right in to this evening's show. They have a new ep out which sounds good based on the live versions. The last cut they played from it was particularly outstanding I thought. And it really helped vary their sound a bit which may have been the only complaint I had up to that point. The rhythm section was even more reggae-rock based than the previous bands. The pace was good and the hooks were enough to keep interest in the songs as you dance along, should you choose. And another Saturday night is in the books where we can all celebrate the fine local music there is in this town.


Quote of the Night: From the openers..."It's all Cream covers from here out...This is a Cream b-side."

Isis - Melvins - Totmoshi -- 9:30 Club - June 16 2010

Totomoshi - This three piece immediately captures my interest with some Turkish Erkin Koray like moves on guitar snaking around a hard metal sludge reminiscent of... oh, I don't know, maybe the Melvins. As the songs continued, they became much more linear and less interesting, although the occasional guitar moves worked well enough. The rhythm section, vocals and songwriting just did not add enough to create any steady interest for me. Vocally, I was wondering if the ghost of Darby Crash is fronting a metal band. Nothing bad here, just an opening band that was suited to this bill.

The Melvins -  This is the second time I have seen them with their 2 drummer line-up and have concluded that it is my favorite line-up (keep in mind I have only seen 3 of their 5? 6? line-ups). They came in to the theme of Rawhide looking like they stepped off a four-horse spaceship. Nice to see the bass player trying to catch up to Buzz's hair. All the sludge Sabbath riffs are in play with just a bit of pace now and then, but never too fast. Power and incredible volume are the order of the day at the very full club. Minimal stage patter and done to music which is sort of keeping to what seems to me a larger intelligence behind the music which newcomers and non-fans may think pretty dumb. I always sense something ironic and witty with these guys as they play straight ahead with their unflinching power. But back to the drummers... Dale Crover hardly needs a second drummer, but the live set is enhanced as it is a pleasure to watch two great drummers lock in and watch for their occasional divergences. No intricate African polyrhythms, just locked in pros pounding away. These guys are crazy and foxes and still dishing it out to appreciative crowds. The one thing I could have done without, was the feedback solo, but it was still short of Kawabata.

Isis - This is the final tour for this LA drone prog-metal band. They are reasonably interesting and were doing well, but I did not stick around as it has been a tough week. But I am turning the corner health wise, so I'll still be banging out the reviews.

Observances of the Evening: Another reason I left, was the weird vibes I was getting in the balcony. The crowd was filling it out pretty significantly and Security was doing much of what they should do to keep aisles clear and all. I do get annoyed at this club at times, but they mostly do what they have to do. Still, I saw security running up to talk to people without seeing any reason for it. Once, they brought a red plastic cup for the guy to pour his beer into. He had a frosty/clear cup and had the correct stamp (which they certainly want to check, although he had to be over 30, closer to 40). Then a guy in a police t-shirt came up. I am guessing nothing really happened in the end, but it was just a bit weird for about 20 minutes. Gotta watch out for these metal shows, although this wasn't a pure metal show and their was no frisking before the show (which will happen for bands leaning just a bit more to metal than these three).

Dead Meadow - Jacuzzi Boys -- Black Cat - June 15 2010

Jacuzzi Boys - I have no idea why, but this trio looks like they are going to be fun even as they are plugging in. And I was right as they just went into a buzzsaw set of songs that reminded me of a Jay Reatard sort of set, which sadly we will never see again. These guys were born in a garage and it sounds like they will stay there until they die. Quick, hard and simple, sort of like a cross between the Cramps and 999. Nothing revolutionary here, just a good time that most of the crowd seemed to appreciate.

Dead Meadow - Long been one of my favorite bands, I will not ever miss an opportunity to see this interesting trio. They have a great psychedelic sound with steady pounding drums, throbbing playful basslines, chunky Sabbath/Spaceman riffs cut with spacey wah-wah leads, and sexy searching vocals. Good crowd tonight backstage, but I keep waiting for the rest of the world to catch up with this band. They are huge with insiders and get some great ATP shows which are curated by other musicians. They grow their fanbase with the usual combination of releasing good records and touring hard. I thought tonight's show was as good as any, maybe the best that I have seen. They added some new songs since last time and one of the great things about them is that they write excellent songs and jam with them as opposed to just throwing out some cool psychedelic jams. They were rocking for about 75 minutes and everyone was digging it. There is no reason for rock fans not to try out this band based on all the years I have been following them. It just keeps getting better and better.

Quotes of the Night: "This is a song about dead animals", "This is a song about baseball"... The opening band proved you can keep your stage banter as simple as your songs and make it all cohesive and successful.

Blitzen Trapper - The Moondoggies -- 9:30 Club - June 14 2010

The Moondoggies - A four-piece with keyboards takes the stage and for two songs, dished out a rather cliched California country rock/Americana hybrid. Just as I was ready to start a rant about the ever increasing amount of bands in this overly mined style, they switched gears on me. The third song was very gutsy and rocked nicely. The fourth song was very well written with enough creativity going on underneath in addition to the quality vocals. And it stayed at this high level the rest of the set. Not too many bands start with a whimper and turn it around so quickly, but the Moondoggies succeeded nicely at that. Now guys, work on the stage patter and tuning delays some. Although I think one delay was due to a broken string which may have required complicated tuning adjustments versus merely switching guitars. But those are minor quibbles, as I was happy that this band did so well.

Blitzen Trapper - The club had now filled out nicely and was raring to see this hot and up and coming band. Their first record got a lot of raves and was certainly decent, but I am even more interested in hearing what is reported to be a rather strong and very different second record. And I will really get my fill of this band as coincidentally, their new CD arrived in the mail for me to review. But first, the live show. This band has six members who smoothly switch between a variety of keyboards and guitars with the usual rhythm section keeping the beat. They started with a crowd favorite in their classic pop-rock vein. They mentioned their new record and shifted into a series of newer songs. I did detect a bit more strength in the sound as a few of them added a British psyche-pop style in the manner of late sixties Kinks or Tomorrow. Very catchy songs and not a huge variation from their sound. It is interesting that Midlake and now Blitzen Trapper have or at least seemed to have made conscious decisions to shift directions from record to record. The key to making this work is to retain the base where people will recognize your individuality in the sound. I think both bands were very successful at this with their latest albums (I am guessing with this band based on the live cuts tonight). As the set continued, older songs came into play more and the band did a solo song and a duet between their main singers. A very good variety of sounds tonight and this band really does write some great songs.  Truly a band on the rise in my mind. Now, time to listen to the CD.

Quote of the Day: "I think I am related to about half of Denver" from Pam Grier when we were chatting about her Denver high school days and some of my friends who also came from that era. I was so happy to have that to talk about and not go into the "I have all your movie posters" spiel. Do check out her autobiography which I will be digging into shortly.

Tennis System - Asteroid No. 4 - Some guy -- Velvet Lounge - June 12 2010

Some Guy - Some guy started off with a harmonica solo, then a guitar and vocal song and finally a poem. As he talked between songs, I wondered what drug he was on, but it was so odd, I eventually thought he may have a speech defect. I did not bother to find out (obviously). This was "real people music" as someone once defined it and it wasn't nearly as interesting as Larry "Wildman" Fischer, although I hope this guy is less "real" than Fischer. This was short, although with a start time just after 10:30pm, that was essential.

Asteroid No. 4 - This is one of several interesting psychedelic bands from Philadelphia. I was looking forward to them as I have their first album, but haven't kept up with them. They went on stage with three guitars, bass (guitarist/vocalist from Kaleidoscope) and drums. Two of the guitarists sang and there was good emphasis on both the vocals and the songs which were surprisingly traditional within the psychedelic wash. At times I even heard songs that made me think of Husker Du or Dinosaur Jr. if only they had started ten years earlier (and kept the guitar fireworks to a minimum). Good sound, nice songs and a good appreciative crowd. I don't ask for much more than that except...

Rest of the Show - Way too late for me tonight to continue. The last time I was at the Velvet, I was here until 4:30am (one hour due to time change) and although I think they were on track to better that, between my illness and historical lack of sleep during the summer months, I had to take a pass on two of my favorite bands. Or was it just one? I am not sure if Kaleidoscope was on the bill. Well, sorry, but I really think most shows should start before 10:00pm. Running a little long on weekends may work, but not this time for me.

Quote of the Night: Actually I had a second good one from the other night, courtesy of Ward White... "This is yet another power pop song about the relationship between Freud and Kafka."

Wreckless Eric & Amy Rigby - Ward White -- Black Cat - June 9 2010

Ward White - White plays electric guitar and sings and has a violinist accompanying him tonight. His voice is very much like Eric Carmen (Raspberries) with its higher pitch and breathy feeling. The guitar playing is somewhere between folk and Billy Bragg. The violin gives a nice edgy strength to the sound. The songs are moody, but varied enough and quite easy to access. He is in good spirits despite the low attendance (20-25).

Wreckless Eric & Amy Rigby - Ah, this takes me back to my college days and going into the record store and seeing the first 20 singles on Stiff Records on sale. I preferred the Damned and the Adverts, but there were some nice ones by up and comers Nick Lowe and Elvis Costello. And was this band called Motorhead new wave? Guess I would have to buy it and find out. Stiff's fifteenth single release, sandwiched between Elvis Costello's third single and Ian Dury's first, was the first release by Wreckless Eric. And although he didn't quite match the success of his neighbors', he far exceeded that of the Roogalator or Lew Lewis and his Band. His career has been erratic, but he has kept it going and has a lot of respect of his peers and some hardened fans (which thankfully swelled to more than 50 by now). He is joined by his wife as they play guitars and basses with some keyboards and some computer drum tracks. The sound is good, both vocalists are strong and there's some good rock beats even when the rhythm is from the acoustic guitar and not a drum track. The opener was "You Can't be a Man (without a beer in your Hand)" which sort of sets the tone for his sense of humor. Both of them were quite funny with their patter. The cover "Put a Little Love in Your Heart" was ok, but my mind always wanders off to the Circle Jerks' version. The fans were not numerous, but were smart and rightly enjoying this set. Quite sincerely, the duo commented how much they enjoyed tonight and that isn't always the case, so they invited everyone to come join them in Raleigh the next night as their guests. Sadly, that is a bit far for me, but I hope to see them again some time.

Quote of the Night: After Eric was running down his fellow youths from the late 60s who were pompous and fashion oriented... "the rest of us were discussing what the link was between John Mayall's Bluesbreakers and the Pink Floyd. I can tell you now that there isn't one."

Native - This Town Needs Guns - Octaves

Octaves - This Baltimore five-piece kicks it off with a ton of energy. The music seems post-hardcore to me, if I may coin a term (or steal one I haven't really heard of). In the same way post-punk offered complexity to punk, I think Octaves take hardcore punk energy and add a lot of interesting guitar and keyboard noises going on underneath the roar of the rhythm section and vocals. I hear a touch of the pre-grunge Tales of Terror and some sort of foreign hardcore influence like the Finland bands or something. Good crowd tonight (1/2 to 3/4 full as the set went on) at the downstairs Black Cat room and they were into the band. And the set was dedicated to the drummer's recently deceased cat, which I can sadly relate to in years past. And a good set it was, even if it clocked in at only 22 minutes. But I will likely be seeing more of this band after they return from their Southern tour.


This Town Needs Guns - From Oxford (England, not Mississippi or Ohio, etc.) comes a four-piece with a very modern indie pop-rock sound. The band sounds accomplished but the vocal style and vocal lines kind of resemble those of latter Talking Heads and their many followers including Modest Mouse. That just happens to be a personal dislike for me and it has taken me quite a while to figure out why, since those bands I mentioned are so successful. But in recognition of that, this band did dish out effective music to an appreciative crowd that knew their songs. They were a bit slow between songs with lots of intelligent, but inane chatter. Still, they were super-nice to the crowd, so I did not mind so much only that between tunings and other delays, it slowed a bit of the momentum. I thought the last cut was excellent as it had some real chunky rhythms in addition to the good melodic guitar lines that the rest of their songs had. They were over big with the crowd, so all went well for them.

Native - From Northwest Indiana (perhaps Merrillville where I worked once for a few weeks in 1984?) comes this inventive dual guitar four-piece. The sound is immediately powerful and creative--quite similar in style to the first band tonight. There were very creative dynamic shifts with the guitar moves and underlying rhythms. The vocals were a bit one-note, but there was still plenty of room for movement in the song structures. Very heady stuff for what is otherwise a powerful blast of rock. Again, it is kind of post hardcore to me, very much akin to John Lydon going from the Sex Pistols to PiL while reaching in the can for... well, Can and his other krautrock influences. I did hear some of the krautrock dynamics here, but in a louder rock setting than what PiL did. Good music. I hope to hear more of this band.

Quote of the Night: From the English band... "We are This Town Needs Guns from Oxford. We don't have guns. It's a joke."

Members of Morphine (Elastic Waste Band) - Milkmachine - John Bustine -- Velvet Lounge - June 3 2010

John Bustine - We have a singer/songwriter with an acoustic guitar up first. Amazingly, the show started on time with an early start time. Unfortunately, the crowd was a bit small but was building some toward the end. Bustine's skill is in his voice more than guitar playing, although that was certainly competent enough. His songs were good and they were on the down side of life, as most of these songs trend toward, but had great touch and feeling. A good set of songs and someone worth checking out next time.

Milkmachine - Second time for me with this eclectic combo. The last time was a fine set at the Red & the Black. This one may have been even a bit better, allowing for the delays as the tuba player had to release a veritable river of saliva at several points between songs. They play tuba, trumpet, accordian and drums. Musically, they are closest to Gogol Bordello in spirit, but not as electric and manic. The energy level is plenty high on a few raucous songs and the slower ones are also excellent. They have plenty of spirit for rock'n'roll people who normally don't venture toward acoustic sets. The songs are strong and just a lot of fun. I cannot imagine a bad review of this band. It is a more a question of how good. And I say very good and I think the future is very bright for them.



Members of Morphine - I like both their names, one accurate, the other amusing and completely it goes as "The (Ever Expanding) Elastic Waste Band/Members of Morphine and Jeremy Lyons". Basically, Morphine was an excellent three-piece who's singer/guitarist/bassist died of a heart attack while performing in 1999. They had a very unique sound and the drummer and alto saxophonist continue in that vein with an additional musician, Jeremy Lyons. Lyons plays a bit of blues on guitar for a couple cuts, but goes to their special "traditional" 2-string slide bass for the rest of the set which combines jazz, blues, folk into an avant-lounge sound. He does most of the singing aside from a few times when Dana Colley takes a break from blowing his sax. The songs are quite unique and wonderful as the instrument choices are good and they are played through some electronics which add some subtle textures to the mix. The singing is low key and surprisingly evocative. There is a droll quality to this band in some of the songs and certainly in the engaging stage patter. They really nail a mood and pull the audience in. The crowd had swelled nicely and it was good to see a big crowd here after a few disappointments in the Lounge. Everything clicked tonight for band and audience. This was a wonderful set and my expectations were surpassed significantly.

Quote of the Night: From Mr. Bustine who had just finished his set.
"That's It."
"One more!"
"Nope, no more."

Mono - The Twilight Sad -- 9:30 Club - June 3 2010

The Twilight Sad - We have a five piece from Scotland opening the show tonight. Pretty nice to get two bands from different continents for $15 at the 9:30 Club, but it appears that while a few hundred people agreed with me, there was room for many more. No matter, the crowd on hand greeted this fairly young shoegaze band with a bit of enthusiasm (measurement is tricky with shoegazers, if not any indie rock band). The band delivered a good, steady set. The sound was pretty predictable with the guitar and bass. The keyboards were more for soundscape than for assertive playing. The drums did their job, although one song sounded surprisingly thuggish to me. I knew it was thuggish beat, both with the obvious conscious thought, but also subliminally as my mind wandered off into an analysis of why Kiss was such a bad band. The singer did a good job delivering attractive vocals above the din. He reminded me of the many polite stylists that filled out rosters on 4AD or Factory (which covers pretty much every singer other than Shaun Ryder of Happy Mondays, I suppose). I liked their second to last song best as it had the heaviest sonic roar. Overall it was a good set and they successfully whetted the appetite for all of us awaiting the main course.

Mono - I have seen this Japanese instrumental four piece twice before, at an outdoor stage in Kentucky and last September at the Rock'n'Roll Hotel. Although the crowd was small for the 9:30, it is a big step up from their last venue and they have grown their audience. They've done this by touring hard and releasing ever more interesting albums. Mono really has the dynamics down in the shoegaze genre with very careful builds from quiet to loud. Not every song follows that simple pattern and they adjust tempos to keep things interesting (always a key for instrumental bands). I noticed the quality drumming more than I have in the past, so that may be the key to it. The two guitarists work together well and produce great sounds. The bass player holds it together and adds keyboards in a couple of songs. They are very careful in composition and, not surprisingly, have even played with orchestras recently. Tonight's crowd was reserved, but a careful scan showed that pretty much everyone was focused on the music, quietly swaying and moving with the beat. So, another good show by Mono and they remain on my list of bands I want to see every time they come through.

Coming Attractions: As I approach my 200th post, I am brainstorming on how to add some things to my blog. So stay tuned for some changes and maybe even some essays. I have been a bit slow on some essay plans as my CD reviews take up a lot of time. But I want to keep delivering the musical stories as best I can. And I thank everybody that checks in and reads to the bottom.

Drink Up Buttercup - Skelliton -- DC9 - June 1 2010

Skelliton - There is an early clue that the DC9 has been redesigned since last I was here. They have a new staircase where you enter closer to the bar and land upstairs in the backside by the dressing room. This redirects a bit of space toward the front which is good and in the event of a mosh pit (rare but mosh pits have happened here), people won't get shoved down the stairs. There were a few less stools unfortunately, but the crowd was small, so I found my space as the three piece rock band hit the stage. The rhythm instantly reminds me of a raw punk section such as the Adverts with a guitarist who actively works with it in a power-pop punk punkesque kind of mode. The vocals from the guitarist reminds me of Ant Trip Ceremony (I must be the only blogger mentioning them) in a garage-folk style. They also have a Dangerhouse label-LA feel. I liked the set well enough but it is too early to call them an unpolished gem, more of an uncut gemstone. And with gigging and practicing, we'll take those hacks at the rock and see where we are in a few months.

Drink Up Buttercup - Speaking of months, it has been over 7 months since I last saw these guys. At least I remembered that I had seen them about half way through the first cut. I get embarrassed when I do that, but it could be worse in that I could forget about the previous show entirely. So in looking at the old write-ups and my notes, here is what we have in common. Akron/Family. Yes, they still remind me of one of my favorites and obviously that works for me. I think I found them steadier during this set with the same sort of catchy songs. A good edginess to the material and a nice mix of switching between keyboards, extra guitars, and extra percussion. I wrote down a cross between Sparks and Efterklang? Now that is morning, I am not sure what that would sound like. But listen for yourself some time. These four guys from Philly seem to play out enough and put on a good confident, entertaining show.

Quote of the Night: From behind me from a discussion of bands "I am so behind on some of this shit." This is the lament of all of us that try keeping up with things. At least we are trying.

Black Dog Prowl - Niki Barr Band - Citizen* - The Killer Balloons -- Rock'n'Roll Hotel - May 29 2010

The Killer Balloons - It is a night of four area rock bands, each shooting off in their own direction. We start with a local four-piece with one guitar and a vocalist. The singer immediately shows off his great pipes as he hits and holds notes with a lot of power, sort of Rob Halford an octave or two lower. The name reminds me of a harder update of the old Nuggets band, the Balloon Farm and as they play, that seems pretty accurate. They start with great garage rock but have a heavier modern touch as well. It is kind of like if Kyuss had not morphed into Queens of the Stone Age, but headed more in the direction of the Flamin' Groovies. They achieve all the bonus points I can give them for combining classic sounds in a modern framework. It is hard to do and they were a complete success. Hopefully they will keep getting the shows around here and show people what they can do.


Citizen* - The asterisk does not go anywhere and that would be a lazy way for me to describe their music. Thankfully, that was not true as this hard rocking four piece had catchy music that went somewhere. It was a bit too pretty for me, reminding me of the time I saw Rex (Smith) open for Ted Nugent back in my high school days. But these guys are much tougher than Rex Smith thankfully. The guitars rocked and the rhythm section some times had a nasty undercurrent which helped offset the sometimes overly attractive singing and melodic lines. An accomplished band and one that can be successful, but one that came a little bit short of working for my tastes.

Niki Barr Band - This band had the longest trek tonight, hailing from Baltimore, but they added yet another unique rock element to tonight's bill. They had the lead guitar, bass, and drums working and were fronted Niki Barr singing, playing guitar and a bit of keyboards. She had great energy and charisma as did the entire band for that matter. They were very together and played a heavy rock music with full understanding of punk and post-punk moves. There was some very creative guitar work amongst the steady power of the rhythm section. Edgy and assured. They had enough creative twists away from the norm, sort of in the manner of some of the Dangerhouse bands like Alley Cats or Bags had when they went off in their direction away from LA pop-punk (I'm reading a biography of Black Flag, so I'm stuck in an LA punk mindset right now). Great set and they had the club rocking hard.



Black Dog Prowl - Another four-piece with two guitars blasting away, although they started with a solo bit from one of the guitarists who was doing a rootsy rock tune. Nice move to vary things up a bit. There was a tough blues base that was sometimes obscured in their heavy sound. I liken it to what would happen if the children of Black Oak Arkansas broke up their punk band and tried to reinvent their father's music. Or maybe, they are a grungier Valient Thorr or perhaps a localized Easy Action with less John Brannon. But it is more fun for me to dream up an odd way to work Black Oak Arkansas into this write-up. But back to these guys... They played hard, played well and went over with the crowd with their good tough rock sound in what was yet another variation of the hard rock theme that four bands brought tonight. Good show.

Quote of the Night: From Nikki Barr... "Fucking is a normal, natural thing..." as she went on to explain that there should be fucking in the streets. I hadn't realized that one of John Sinclair's key agenda points from the White Panther Party's work was still in play. I met Sinclair a few years ago and he is still a sharp and interesting character.

Little Bigheart & the Wilderbeast - Red Rooster -- Red & the Black - May 27 2010

Red Rooster - I saw this band once before at this same club and opening for this same band. I enjoyed both bands and wanted to see if much had changed since then. One big change here, as their accordion player/second vocalist did not make the train, so they were playing as a four-piece.  They also had some trumpet and keyboards last time. In the end, that just left more room for Jay Erickson's vocals and allowed listeners to focus on the solid Americana songwriting. The rhythm section was solid and there was plenty of room for the banjo to carry the songs and give some creative breaks. They did a couple of covers amidst a nice full set of original songs. The crowd started small tonight and grew steadily during the set and was won over by the quality of this band. Hopefully more people will discover this band's quality effort in a very accessible musical form.

Little Bigheart & the Wilderbeast - I had my choice of four shows tonight. Three of the shows featured bands I have seen twice before. I chose this show tonight for a few reasons, one of which was a personal note sent to me by the band. HINT--simple networking is a great marketing tool, folks. It is a tough business out there. Anyway, I was anxious to see how this four-piece was doing as it has been a while and they seem to be gigging pretty regularly in the area. They have impressed me since the first show and they did again tonight. If anything, they have even more confidence and strength in their execution. The music has always been somewhere between decent and very good. They play in a progressive style going back to days of bands that existed well before any of these guys were born. Prog is getting a better rap these days as people have come to understand it is not all about Yes, ELP, and the other bands that people like to make fun of. I am not sure what these guys listen to and will probably ask some day, but it is more fun to speculate. I hear some sort of Ground Hogs/Keef Hartley/Clark-Hutchinson sort of thing going which means there is a little bit of guitar-rock going on with a touch of psyche. At times, I heard an Eric Bell led Thin Lizzy (as opposed to Gorham/Robertson although the two guitarists here did do some double leads briefly). But I am showing my UK bias here, so for American influences? Oh, maybe Major Arcana, Gye Whiz, I am not sure. I just know it is fun to name obscure bands that this band has never even listened to, although some of my readers certainly have. But enough of those games. This band is good, getting better and hopefully will be playing their way into being a good draw for the local DC music scene and beyond. Do check them out some time.

Quote of the night: From the exchange between me and door lady tonight:
"Who are you hear to see?"
"Both bands."
"Well, I have to put one down."
"Well, the headliner did invite me to the show..."
"OK."
Well, not OK actually. While I sympathize with the situation, it is not my responsibility to help this club (or the DC9) figure out how to allocate the small pool of money they take in. And if I know both bands and want to see both bands, then maybe these clubs should learn how to work with fractions like halves (I think they did once at DC9). I think we all learned fractions in 4th Grade. I remember one time that I could not even name a band I was seeing, as I just made a note on my calendar for a show I had researched three weeks earlier. So in future, you will get one answer from me and that is it.

Holly Miranda - Grooms -- Black Cat - May 24 2010

Grooms - We begin, as we so often do, with a Brooklyn trio. The guitarist is the lead singer, although the female bassist adds some vocal lines on occasion. The first song began with a choppy post-punk sort of rhythm until it burst out into a hard psychedelic screaming guitar workout. OK, I am awake now. As the set progressed, I was really feeling a Sonic Youth sound--kind of the Daydream Nation classic rocking sort of sound (the swirling guitar and the bass lines really come close). They performed some songs from an album and debuted some new ones and it was not easy for me to judge the standouts aside from the opener. Still, this band has a good sound and some nice potential.

Holly Miranda - A four-piece this time, with Miranda on guitar, keyboards, and lead vocals. the two axemen add backup vocals throughout. Early on I was hearing a bit of a Banshees sound, although more jangly and modern. As the songs went on, there were shifts in style, but all within a clear vision. Lots of creative moves going on behind inviting vocals. I was quite impressed. The music was mysterious and transcendent. There was a decent enough Monday night crowd at the downstairs Black Cat stage and everyone seemed to be as involved as I was. She covered Yoko Ono's "Nobody Can See You Like I Do" in addition to her own originals. There was a lot to like tonight and I anticipate the stages will be getting a lot bigger for Ms. Miranda and her band.

Quote of the night: Something I have thought about often mentioned by the Grooms guitarist... "Sometimes I say thanks before anyone claps, I don't mean to..."

Medications - Imperial China -- Black Cat - May 20 2010

Imperial China - It's SRO (sardines rocin' in oil) at the Black Cat backroom tonight. I sensed many people came to see the opener or at least wanted to see both bands equally. I hope that is the case, because I have tried to alert people to how good this local band is (See my record review). They won over the crowd pretty easily tonight with their hard charging post punk guitar and electronica attack. Lots of rhythm, decent vocals and great songs that really do cause some bounce in the crowd. They may not have as singular a sound as Gang of Four, Joy Division, or Pil, but they can accompany these types of bands and hold their own. Hopefully good things will continue to happen for these three DC area guys.

In this photo:  

Medications - This band looks and sounds familiar but I think it has been several years since I have seen them. I loved the opener with its catchy power-pop vocal hooks and nice raunchy guitar undercurrent--a great combination like peanut butter and chocolate. They are a four-piece with two guitars going at all times so the sound is strong with a small letup at times to do a poppier or more rhythmic tune. Catchy hooks are almost always present and the songs were a hit with the crowd. But based on the size, most of the crowd knew what to expect. I think a trip upstairs may be due next time the way this local band is going. Hard to beat a great local set of bands like these for $10.

Quote of the night: from the opener... "Sorry for the technical difficulties. This song will be better." That's the beauty of electronics and minimalism--I did not notice anything.

Leslie West - Scrapomatic -- Jammin' Java - May 17 2010

Scrapomatic - This is a Brooklyn based duo, one guy sings, the other plays acoustic guitar and sings some harmony vocals. They are joined by an electric guitarist from Alabama which was a shrewd move. Musically, it is blues based with some good soulful, if not overly breathy, singing. There was a cover of a Mississippi John Hurt song, but most others were original I think. It is hard for this music to really knock my socks off as it pretty much stayed true to a overdone genre, but there was enough quality to make for an enjoyable set. And the electric guitarist was an excellent player and gave enough highlights that kept my focus on this band.

 

Leslie West - I first saw the Leslie West Band in high school (that is the 70s) and he played the classic rock set of the time. He was then touring with his own band and not his famous band, Mountain. He still plays out regularly with the one other living original member of Mountain. This show was a solo show I thought, but he did bring his bassist that he has worked with in Mountain in recent years. And that was good, as Rev Jones was worth a solo show in his own right. Although Jones looked like he was touring with Discharge and accidentally got on the wrong tour bus, he was an amazing player. He complemented well on his huge six string bass and also did an amazing solo of Wizard of Oz tunes and "I Can See Clearly Now" with a double slapping playing style that needs to be seen. But West still roared above this great bass playing. His guitar style still practically defines classic rock and he played it through his four cabinet amp set-up, so it roared. And I have always liked his vocals which are still very strong after all these years. He may be the only singer I have seen hit their 60s and not have a noticeable amount of restraint in their singing. He lays down a loud guitar, sings over the top and again, achieves the classic rock sound. His set featured lots of Mountain material from old and new. He did three numbers solo on acoustic guitar, although that guitar also screamed heavy rock the whole time--even while playing "Blowing in the Wind". My only criticism was that I really missed the drums on some songs. He avoided "Mississippi Queen" and some other Mountain songs possibly for that reason. He closed with my favorite, "Nantucket Sleigh Ride" which tore the house down nicely. So if you are even a moderate fan of Mountain and West, it is still well worth seeing him in 2010 and beyond. The only thing he has lost, is a whole lot of weight.
Quote of the Night: From the opener... "this song is about a night of drinking, kind of like that scene in Rosemary's Baby where she's getting raped by the devil with everyone standing around and watching." Kudos for not only the movie reference, but the strange analogy as well.

These United States - The Mother Hips - Middle Distance Runner -- Black Cat - May 15 2010

Middle Distance Runner - This is a good local four-piece that I have seen before. Some two-guitar and keyboards switching with a rhythm section is the core sound. The sound started way too heavy with the bass but Mr. Soundman righted it soon enough. Good vocals and a power-pop pace is the key, but there is a rootsy aspect to their sound and a few numbers really rock out as well. There are some great leads and a 60's garage-pop sound that comes through as well. I would call this a successful blend of many styles and not a jumble of confusion. Kudos to the band for pulling that off. High quality sounds here, pass it on.


The Mother Hips - I purposely try not to research bands before I see them, so the unknown bands come at me fresh and allow me to enjoy the music for what it is, as well as allow me to make comparisons on what I hear and not what the magazines or websites tell me. I had no idea about this band, but they looked veteran enough and from very early on I sensed California all the way. I thought maybe they were a Quicksilver Messenger Service for the 21st century. Perhaps the Drive-by El Caminos? Priuses? What is California anyway...  Well, I was correct in that they are from California like Quicksilver. They aren't quite as jamming, but jam nicely when they choose to. Their songs are excellent and I am also reminded of Crazy Horse, although this band is tighter (who isn't?). They had some rabid fans up front who called them back for an encore even though the between set house music had started. I have seen that happen maybe twice in the last 600 sets I have seen. The encore blew the doors out like a few of their other songs and I am not sure this band can do much wrong. Great set for this veteran band.

[photo by Sarah Law] 

These United States - A six piece band with plenty of guitars and what they mention is a new keyboardist who spends a lot of time on percussion on what likely would be the older songs. The crowd is wired tonight and the club is about half full. Immediately, the band's lead guitars interact in very clever ways as they push the rock portion of this stew of Americana, indie rock and folk rock forward. All three bands are linked by these roughly similar approaches although each had their own voice. There was some pedal steel at times and even a guest musician who was on his own tour nearby was invited in for a couple of tunes where he added some lap steel. The singer was way too happy to be completely sober, but he held it together and avoided sloppiness, so it was a positive. His attitude and the feel good nature of the music was quite refreshing on this Saturday night. Again, a good variety of songs within the set, but always with plenty of momentum to keep the crowd involved and happy.  So a good night of rootsy music for me and a few hundred young folks.

Quote of the Night: from the opener... "Thanks for coming and thanks for coming out early. A lot of people won't come out early and won't listen..."  Simple quote and I've heard many variations before, but it was very much in earnest and something I firmly believe in. I once saw the Jesus Lizard and Nirvana open for Dinosaur Jr. (and unlike much of the crowd, I bought my ticket for Nirvana) and enjoyed the openers more than the headliners. That has happened countless times.

Spectrum - Screen Vinyl Image - The Vacant Lots - Kuschty Rye Ergot -- Velvet Lounge - May 13 2010

Kuschty Rye Ergot - The Velvet Lounge web site tells me "doors 7:30/first band promptly at 8:30" which translate into Kuschty Rye Ergot hitting the stage at 9:30. So it is another late night at the Velvet Lounge. Kuschty is a John Stanton (Kohoutek) collective which comes out in different forms each time I see them. This time it is just himself on guitar and synth with Scott (Kohoutek) on drums, percussion and synth. They start with a drone that may have been a bit long for my tastes, but the guitar comes out and things get interesting. Scott slips behind the drum kit and they go off for a good while on sort of a space rock jam that is quite engaging. I liked the fuller band sound I saw several months back, but this duo is quite accomplished and delivered a nice opening set that I enjoyed. These two and their trusted friends just about always deliver the goods.


The Vacant Lots - Another duo with guitar and drums. They clearly are fans of Spacemen 3 with their simple riffing in a ringing psychedelic swirl. They do play songs with vocals, although the heavy echo and loud guitar make the words meaningless. Definite drone as most songs just have one riff or maybe one adjustment. Decent enough sound, but lacking something to make me fully engaged. To be fair to this and all bands tonight, this is my fourth straight night of live music after flying back from Scotland the long way on Sunday, so this late start tonight is not exactly helping enhance my usually positive nature.


Screen Vinyl Image - Yet another duo with a husband and wife team with guitars and keyboards that they use in multiple combinations. I really liked the guy's hardcore speed riffing with the loud shoegaze sheets of sound. It really pulled me in and was quite impressive. There were more echoey vocals but good song structure throughout the set. Loud, but sweet and not painful. Great set and a band I will be keeping my eye on. Recommended for sure.

Spectrum - Pete Kember leads this four-piece band from the UK. He and Jason Pierce lead the very influential cult band, Spacemen 3. Pierce has gone on to front the brilliant Spiritualized, while Kember (aka Sonic Boom) has lead this outfit. They stick very closely with the Spacemen 3 formula which is intense heavy riffing with a psychedelic tone and undertones. I liked the theremin placed near his keyboard/mic and guitar spot which he would either reach out and use or move over with his guitar and play to it. His band members held everything together and they covered at least one Spacemen song I believe I recognized, "Revolution", and also covered one by Suicide. I thought they were quite effective and they pulled in a really good crowd tonight. Although if I had my choice, I would take Spiritualized as they breakdown many barriers between genres and do really great things. But I do not have to choose just one, so see them both whenever possible. Believe me, if they weren't worth waiting for I would have left before the set as tired as I was.


Quote from last week: Sorry, I just had a lot of good ones from Scotland including this from a breakfast/lunch place serving up bacon rolls... "Michael Jackson was so disturbed. Where was his family? I mean to color your skin, even down to coloring your scrotum. Where was his mother? Disgusting trashing of your heritage..."