2008, Jul-Sep

Joan as Police Woman; The Perces; Violets
@ Bowery Ballroom
New York, NY - September 25, 2008

Joan Wasser, sporting an 8-piece band and a Foxy Brown/Coffy-esque afro, played her deluxe cavalcade of Indie folk, pop, soul, and R&B, with the gritty wit and talented finesse that she is naturally embued with. Intersplicing her various pieces with affable interaction with the audience, Joan proved to be the sweet natured chanteuse as much as she proved to be the imposing artiste. "To Be Loved", "Eternal Flame", and a sexed-up, smokey cover of Jimi's "Fire", were the big highlights but there wasn't a let-down in the set. Joan's voice is so naturally sexy and authentic, it could carry the show on its own but her well-crafted torch songs and bluesy requiems are more-than-boosted by an outfit of talented musicians. This is one of those total package type deals. Not too shabby.

The Perces are an ode to Edith Piaf and Nancy Sinatra gone down Alabama way. Looking like they had boots made for walking, the sisters and their five-piece band ran the gamut from soul to rockabilly, all in a vein of cabaret and go-go. This type of music is ripe for lighthearted tomfoolery ala the Ditty Bops, but there was a vague sense of gothic darkness underneath the whole affair. The disco song at the end though was kind of out of left field. But that was nothing compared to the fact that their bass player was none other than the Mooney Suzuki's Sammy James Jr! What the heck was he doing there?!

Violets, not to be confused with the Violets of a few years ago, seemed to be playing their first ever show, which gave them an edge of nervousness but also of legitimate excitement. That being said, having yet another 80's-influenced dance-club band isn't exactly invigorating at this time. The lead singer, wearing the kind of jacket that was supposed to be the 2008 look as seen in 1983, was legitimately happy but also kind of dorky and he was more dorky than sexy which is what he was aiming to be. Some of the songs showed a lot of promise so let' s not be completely down on these guys.

Emily Haines & James Shaw
@ Union Pool
Brooklyn, NY – September 7, 2008

Originally billed as a three-set variety around the multiple works of Emily Haines, the lady of the hour decided at the last minute, along with her Metric partner one Mr. James Shaw, to play two practically identical sets showcasing material from the upcoming Metric record before her set with Tall Firs. In an immaculately intimate setting in a tiny little bar under the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, Emily and James channeled their scrappy NYC days but at the same time stripped away all the electronic razzle dazzle to reveal what really sometimes seems is the best-kept secret in Indie rock: that Emily and the Metric boys are some of the most consistent songwriters out there. Emily wows as a rock star, a punk rock girl, and an electro-pop artiste on a regular basis but this was one of those rare opportunities to see what else she is: a deep, thoughtful, classic singer-songwriter who has an ear for the lyrics as much as she does for the hooks. In a slight bit of irony, these new songs – whose development and much delayed proper release is starting to border on Chinese Democracy timeframes – were played in simple ballad fashion though they promise to be melody-heavy, maybe even loud, rock n’ pop once the unnamed LP finally sees the light of day (the duo was taking title suggestions during both sets…don’t be too surprised if the album is called Graffiti on the Kellogg Diner).

Playing to a polite but enthusiastic audience, Emily and James were keenly witty, whimsical, and fun. Emily complained about her general stage banter being blogged about and leading to questions and controversy so she promised to keep her musings to a minimum, which she failed at. Fortunately for her, she didn’t say anything much more blog-worthy except for maybe the way she goes “rwar!” but you have to see it to appreciate it.

Panic-alert: At the end of the second take, Emily surmised “that’s the new record” but they didn’t play “Stadium Love”. Did they not play it because the song is just so rock-based, so chalked up with anthem-goodness, that it just couldn’t be mined for a slow, soft, keyboard and acoustic guitar work-up? Or has the song been shelved from the LP, thereby constituting the biggest musical tragedy of the decade? How can they leave this song off?! It’s so good!

Yo La Tengo; Titus Andronicus; Ebony Bones
@ McCarren Park Pool
Brooklyn, NY - August 24, 2008

The last ever JELLYNYC free show at the McCarren Park Pool (after 3 summers worth) featured New Jersey's legendary Yo La Tengo who weaved in and out of the short and sweet stuff like their recent classic "Hey Mr. Tough" to long, distorted jams, all the while playing a tribute to the summer time (this is a band that likes to sing about the seasons).
Titus Andronicus continues to play everywhere this summer and in the confines of the wide open pool, they sounded sloppy and amateurish except for their fantastic little ditty about themselves.
I heard Ebony Bones whilst waiting on the long line into the Pool, and they started off impressively with some thunderous drumming and bass-heavy winding works. But it very quickly seem to turn droll and weak. But that may have been because of the acoustics affected by the big walls around the Pool.

Amazing Baby; The Blacks; Suckers
@ Union Pool
Brooklyn, NY - August 16, 2008

Amazing Baby were a neo-hippie mostly psychadelic, slightly old time metal big band. If you like the genre, they got the job done.

So I had the write-up for the Blacks all planned out, see? It was going to begin with "You gotta give credit to this band just for taking the most oft used adjective in band names in this, or maybe any, decade, and turning it into a right proper noun. Take that Angels, Halos, Hollies, Keys, Lips, Mountain, Rebel Motorcycle Club, etc etc etc!" But lead singer and guitar player Louisa Black went ahead and said it all herself at the gig, post-performance, thereby ruining my set-up. Dammit.
Anyway, the Blacks are tremendously good. They have a very distinct source for their matieral: No Wave. Louisa and her two cohorts have a slight whiff of Teenage Jesus & The Jerks and a more contemporary flair for early Yeah Yeah Yeahs but at the same time, they rely on grinding out concise, sharp, pure rock n' roll melodic mayhem. JDK Blacker plays a tambourine like no person ever before in the history of time. And this is a good thing. And he wears a white suit well. Gavin in the back is exactly the kind of drummer people will be talking about. All put together, this is a new, exciting band that also reminds us of all things we've liked about music this decade and a couple decades back. Take that! Period!

Suckers are not as nondescript as their name suggests. Led by a very potent voiced, powerful bluesy singer, the band dabbled in a little bit of everything tonight, from the aforementioned blues to dance-pop to distortion-rock. It worked very well pretty much overall and this is yet another band to keep an eye on.

Metric
@ Highline Ballroom
New York, NY - August 8, 2008

Who needs the All Points West Festival? All you need is 1:30 in the morning in the Meat Packing District in a slick, sleek yet (yes) meaty venue to see the slick, sleek yet meaty Toronto-based, New York-nutured, internationally-seeded hybrid that is Metric. Emily and the 3 J's came out rip-roaring with a stunningly powerful rendition of their triumphant "Dead Disco" (complete with sounds of old fighter planes crashing), a song so good that if the band produced nothing else they would still be one of the greatest bands of the decade. From there it was a journey through some of their best work - notably "Hand$hake$", "Poster of a Girl", "Rock Me Now", "Hustle Rose", and "Empty" with a peppering of some new material before a set ending celebration with "Combat Baby" - a performance that maximized both band skill and crowd participation. "Doo doo doos" never sounded so good...until the band returned for their encore and kicked it off with another new song, the fantastic "Stadium Love" which actually runs over "Combat Baby" in the "doos" department, and should be a smash hit when it is finally put on record. "Monster Hospital" served as the final house shaker before Emily and James turned "Live It Out" into a sweet natured show ending ballad.

Like the last time they played, Metric appears to be a showcase for Emily Haines, and not just because she's dressed like an aluminum cave woman. But the beauty of Metric is that it really is a full-blown band with four equal members making it work. It sort of sneaks up on you, what with the enigmatic blondie in a little dress running around up there on stage, but this is a really accomplished, really complete band. In other words, omg it's love. <3

The Airborne Toxic Event; Blacklist
@ Mercury Lounge
New York, NY - July 31, 2008

The night before they shook the world on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, the pride of Silver Lake made their Merc (and New York headlining?) debut with a solid set that showcased a large chunk of songs they did not play at their two Pianos appearances this year. The band has become so sharp and reliable, they didn't even bother playing 2 of their 4 previously released songs ("Does This Mean You're Moving On?" and "Papillon") though they should have, just because. Now with the Conan appearance, the record release next week, the KCRW appearance to come, and their upcoming tour, it will only be a matter of weeks before people recall the time they saw the Airborne Toxic Event at the Mercury Lounge.

And if you want to find connections and meanings in things, here's something to reflect on: When Mikel discussed Silver Lake and got some cheers, he remarked about how he may as well have talked about Brooklyn and that got cheers in obligation. This led to mentions of the National and the Hold Steady, two of the most written about bands on this blog...company the Airborne Toxic Event has been keeping here for so far this entire year. It's all one big happy family these days...

Blacklist sounded like Joy Division, New Order, Depeche Mode, and the Cure. That's about all I can say.

Flogging Molly; O'Death
@ Pier 54
New York, NY - July 31, 2008

It's been a couple years since I've seen Flogging Molly, and I was a bit hesitant. A distinct Irish and Punk band from Los Angeles, Flogging Molly made three excellent albums between 2000 and 2004. Without question, this band - who first came across my radar with a performance on Late Night with Conan O'Brien - were one of the best bands in the world during that time. Dave King wrote and sung with a ferocious spirit and ultimate authenticity, backed by one of the country's most talented bands. But the band went into a quiet phase following 2004's Within A Mile Of Home, perhaps to just finally revel in their hard earned success. They only finally released another complete LP of material this year, called Float. Either I've moved on or they've exhausted themselves because the initial listens of Float came off weak, with the exception of "Requiem for a Dying Song". But how would it be live still? The band always put on a hell of a show but would the new record's diminished strength do the same to the live show?

Feckin' no. Dave is as enigmatic and wonderful as ever and the band is as tight and professional as ever. Though I had to leave about 5 or 6 songs in so I could catch another Los Angeles band on the rise and making an appearance on Conan, it was clear that FM was still a band to rave about. On a beautiful Manhattan night, supported by an excellent sound system, King and company recalled all those great, spine tingling feelings they engineered in the first half of this decade. They still got it.

O'Death is probably the most fitting opener yet attached to Flogging Molly. The band's Appalachian sound, descended from the Scotch-Irish, matches well with the direct Celtic fury of Flogging Molly. Though the band is sloppier, grittier, and grimier than FM - and appropriately so - they not only got the crowd enthused, they gave the overwhelming throngs of drunken macho suburbanites a taste of what's cooking here in the city.

The Ting Tings
@ McCarren Park Pool
Brooklyn, NY - July 27, 2008

So I went a bit late to the MGMT/Black Moth Super Rainbow/Ting Tings free show at the pool today. I arrived to the area with the Ting Tings already blasting from the speakers into the neighborhood. I intended to go in. But the line was just about the longest line for anything I have ever seen. It nearly wrapped around the entire square block of the pool (which if you haven't been there, is a BIG square block). Word came in late on other blogs that people were still waiting in the line to get into the show while MGMT was on. And no one was being let in by that point anyway.
From what I heard of the Ting Tings - which was pretty much the entire set - it actually sounded pretty darn good, considering they are a one hit wonder summer band that is reviled by anyone worth an ounce of Indie cred. In fact, they actually sounded VERY good. All that really matters are three nuggets: "Shut Up and Let Me Go", "Great DJ", and "That's Not My Name" and they all sounded exceptionally excellent. It must have been a lot fun inside the damn place. But the line proved to be too much, and then something came up so all Sonic Parthenon gig reviews for this day had to be shelved.

Should this really count as a gig review? Not really. But then again, if this could count, then why not the Ting Tings today?

And yeah, MGMT is THAT big. It's rather amazing. "Electric Feel" is one of the best songs of the year and the decade and that's all well and good - but THIS big?

She & Him; The Rosebuds
@ Terminal 5
New York, NY - July 26, 2008

It has been a disturbing 24 hours in Gotham. Following the anticipated oddity of the Brian Jonestown show, my long ride home from Terminal 5 accompanied by a very nice new gal pal (who had earlier told me she was "full of brisket", a line I shan't be forgetting for some time) was interrupted by a gang of teens randomly targeting and assaulting an innocent young man on the Q train. Then on the way into the Q train stop to head back to Terminal 5 for tonight's show, I witnessed a man suddenly punch a woman right in the side of her head and take off for the subway. Then on the train, some woman screamed and ran from the end of the car for no explicable reason and then several minutes later, a fight nearly broke out but was thankfully squashed. And so by that point, I considered skipping the gig and finally going to see The Dark Knight for tips on how to be a better vigilante. But then I figured that some of the very same dregs of society would be present at the theater to ruin the show so I chose instead to see another form of Batman and Robin: She & Him.

Interestingly, allusions to Matt Ward and Zooey Deschanel being a corrective to the world's troubles were made the last time I saw them. So once again, M and Z stepped into those shoes and they filled it as impeccably as they can. Zooey's singing has continued to sharpen up and she's now a vocal embrace, a swirl of warmth and passion, simplicity and solidity. She still sounds best as a Jazz chanteuse, but she's channeling more and more of the Greats, most notably Carole King, both in the spirit of that woman's early songwriting chops and later recording success. There was even a new cover of a Joni song thrown in tonight, more proof that Zooey's tastes are expansive and yet consistently classy. And clearly when the Most Beloved New Gal In Indie Rock is channeling a Brooklyn girl and a Toronto girl, she knows what she's doing (I wonder if she's read this book).

Matt, who has never looked more relaxed in his relatively short but wonderfully perfect career, enjoyed playing mostly back-up man to what's pretty much the Zooey show (with the addition of a song led by back-up singer Becky). He did his usual collaborations throughout the set, only taking off on a guitar solo on the penultimate "Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?" and again on his own "One Magic Trick". And as if to balance things out, the show ended with a lead by opening act Freakwater that actually brought the country side of things to fruition, something that had been lacking that first go-round in April (Note: I would have seen Freakwater open tonight if the Bowery Presents hadn't erroneously posted their start times an hour late on the web).

Zooey is having an Indie Rock equivalent of the year that Jennifer Lopez had in the mainstream some years ago, what with The Go-Getter, the She & Him record, and the subsequent tour. Her only real problem is that she's disturbingly too skinny. Despite shimmering and shining in her old time sequined dress and flowery headband, this candidate for Most Beautiful Face in the World is showing a bit too many bones on the sides. What she needs is a good couple of nights at a New York Deli, that is if we can avoid getting assaulted on the way. Someone fire up the Bat signal.

The Rosebuds, by the way, were just about equally stupendous. A mix of disco-pop and plain ol' rock n' roll, this Raleigh group recalled recent faves the Submarines and Sons & Daughters, and More Fun-era X. They are a solid good time and they made a new fan out of me and I'll be seeing them again for sure.

Brian Jonestown Massacre
@ Terminal 5
New York, NY - July 25, 2008

By all logic and reason, this band should not exist. The band is essentially the work of one man, Anton Newcombe, with an assortment of friends backing him up. The band plays great and Anton's songs are structured wonderfully. The pop/rock melodies that drive most of the numbers are extremely well done. So why shouldn't this band exist? Those melodies go nowhere. They are often forsaken for boring psychedelic jams. Anton himself seems irrelevant as he sings terribly, stands way off to the side of the stage, and contributes nothing instrumentally of merit on guitar. He is the worst member of his own band.

Then there is this whole other thing. Anton is notoriously crazy. But more than crazy, he's a jerk. An outright jerk. And he can't control his jerkdom. In one of the most bizarre relationships in rock, Anton is frequently heckled and challenged by his own fans and he takes the bait. And it is no joke. And it has been like this for over ten years. Tonight, Anton wanted to dedicate a song to a "friend" of his who died today. He didn't sound very sincere in his sadness and he even bashed the deceased as being "an asshole". So someone heckled him and of course Anton responded. But he kind of deserved it. And to make this all crazier, this nonsense is actually to be expected and enjoyed by Anton's fans and his band. The man is more or less exploited by everyone around him for their own amusement. It's beyond comprehension.

But take heart Anton. You're still better than the Dandy Warhols.

Celebration; Rain Machine
@ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Brooklyn, NY - July 20, 2008

Every piece on Celebration inevitably makes a comparison between front woman Katrina Ford and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Karen O. So too will this piece, except this piece declares that these two women have almost nothing in common except they have each made a serious mark on pop/rock music in this decade. The latter is a whirlwind, an unstoppable force, a very distinct figure in a trio that relies on her voice as much if not more so than the guitar and drums. The former is working with an entire different palate. Katrina's voice - much more gorgeous and controlled, much more naturally attuned to music - is but one of the instruments used in this extremely talented Baltimore-based band. For as much as she stands out with her natural talent, her gravitational presence as a performer, and as a real good looking gal, Katrina is playing only a part in this church called Celebration.
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Tonight, the Baltimore trio was joined by two Charm City-friends on percussions, strings, and whatnot and two New York friends on horns and percussions. This made for a full invigorating experience. There are only a handful of bands out there who can rely on percussions to carry them through and Celebration may be at the top of that short list. Let's see, how can this be put without going overboard...this was like attending a tribal virgin sacrifice in which the virgin turns out to not be a virgin at all and is in fact leading the festivities. Yeah, that's subtle enough.

The band's recordings do not do them justice (with all do respect to their producer, Dave Sitek). This is a force that needs to be seen live, to let the experience wash over you and to play with your mind. You could close your eyes and still have a good time, that is if you can keep your eyes off Katrina for a few seconds.

The only thing more of a surprise than Kyp Malone being the opening act (under the banner "Rain Machine") is that the TV on the Radio member cut off his 'fro. It turns out his magical powers did not stem from that head of hair, that in fact, his power and appeal come from his art, his mind, his heart. In stark contrast to the musical orgy that followed, this performance was a lesson in simplicity. Whereas Celebration made use of everything but with practically zero emphasis on guitars, Kyp was on stage with his Epiphone-brand Les Paul and nothing else. He played a series of sterling mood pieces, ranging from the reflective to the socially conscious, giving full weight to his words against a backdrop of a few simple yet haunting chords. He made some use of a loop-pedal thingamajig, especially on his last song, an old TVOTR nugget that was absolutely perfect. His songs all sounded like they would each be the perfect climaxing ballad on an album of thoughtful Americana rock, with only occasional dalliances into that classic TVOTR distortion, but rather than sound redundant, they were each impressive, goosebump-giving meditations on life.

In other words, this was one hell of a show.

Murder Mystery; Action Painters; Lissy Trullie
@ Bowery Ballroom
New York, NY - July 19, 2008

As if in response to the Siren festival earlier in the day, tonight's show at the Bowery Ballroom was uncharacteristically calm, laid back, and relaxed. It made for the city's best medium size venue to shine as a showcase for some up-and-coming acts.

Murder Mystery immediately sounded like the Strokes gone country. But by the end, they didn't really sound like anything in need of such a definition. And they were pleasantly fine throughout.

Despite the overall calm atmosphere, Action Painters blew the roof off the joint. Seemingly piling on all the energy that was squandered by the city in Coney Island, they let it erupt through themselves here on Delancey Street, in a set that wasn't just their best yet, but was one of the best sets of the year period. It's amazing to see a young band not in need of working out any kinks. Everything is place. They are ready for prime time. From the keyboards to the nifty guitars, from the lyrics to the melodies, this is exceptionally good stuff.

Lissy Trullie is a gem of a songwriter and has a real knack for some of the same hooks that Action Painters go for. She also shares their love of good hats. Fedoras and variations thereof were in plenty supply, making for a snappy night in looks, not just sound.

Siren Music Festival 2008: Ra Ra Riot, Jaguar Love, Times New Viking, Annuals, The Dodos
@ Coney Island
Brooklyn, NY - July 19, 2008

The location of SPHQ makes for a quick report from this year's heat-drenched, over-stuffed, poorly laid-out Coney Island affair. Let's do it in order of the bands seen.

It was hard to tell whether the poor Main Stage sound system was at fault for not hearing the Dodos or if it was the Dodos themselves. I couldn't tell when they stopped or started playing a song. Nor did it sound like anything of shape was coming out anyway. Once I saw the Xylophone being played on what seemed like mute, I decided to check out Annuals over at the Stillwell Stage.

Annuals' indie pop sounded pretty decent for the few minutes that I caught. No complaints here except that I wanted to check out Times New Viking AND get a Warriors t-shirt from the surf shop so I had to go.

A t-shirt, a lamb/chicken/rice platter, and a walk later, it was time for Times New Viking. The first batch of songs sounded peppy, highly spirited, and not too dissimilar from Titus Andronicus. And everyone was having a good time including all the big sunglasses wearing hipsters, the shirtless men (of which there were enough to constitute their own demographic), and the annoying beach ball throwers. After a bit however, the band started to sound a bit redundant and sloppy, and the personal space was also becoming a bit eradicated, so it was time for another trip to the Stillwell Stage.

After about a full minute, I had enough of Jaguar Love. I don't quite know what the hell that was but it wasn't the band that made "Bats Over The Pacific Ocean", no sir.

Back at the Main Stage for the last time, it was time to settle in for Ra Ra Riot and Islands.

Ra Ra Riot probably sounds pretty darn good in a nice, small, well-spaced venue with adequate temperature. Their sweet, well-crafted orchestral rock sounds are more down home in spirit than they are proggy, but there is still something vaguely classical about them and it's a good thing. But alas, the poor sound system at the Main Stage struck again and the band became drowned out in a chorus of hipster talk, Cyclone screams, an echo chamber, some kind of a speaker sound delay in the back, and various Astroland cacophonies. Shade had begun to win out the day over the heat but it wasn't enough, and old Pennypacker had to pack it in and forgo a listen to Islands.

The Dirtbombs
@ Fort Greene Park
Brooklyn, NY - 7/12/08

On a beautiful, humid-free Saturday summer late afternoon, the Dirtbombs closed out a day of Afro Punk rock n roll with a very basic but very strong set, the minimal version (meaning no "Leopard Man" intro, just right into "Start The Party"). "Stop" and "I Can't Stop Thinking About It" were brought in from the bench for some mix-up in the set and the show concluded with Ben moving his drum kit down to the grass, and playing it up with Mick. There was also a puppy running around!

The Dirtbombs; The Fleshtones; Titus Andronicus
@ Maxwell's
Hoboken, NJ - July 11, 2008

Back from their fantabulous tour of Europe, the Dirtbombs returned to their NYC-area stomping grounds only to have a Frenchman bum rush the show twice. Other than that, it was an all-Hoboken affair, with lots of sauciness up front and great sound in the back. With the use of "Leopard Man" as their opening number this tour, the Dirtbombs may not have just perfected their own way of opening a show, they may have instituted the best show opener in rock history. The goosebumps that arise when Ben starts the pounding and the crescendo to the opening chord is about as thrilling as this band has ever been. Going through this tour's standard set list, the band settled on sticking around on stage for the encore and unleashing a 35-minute version of "Kung Fu" that included a couple of extra songs thrown in and Ben's best monologue on the mic in his career. He even handled the moshers well.

The Fleshtones - the only Brooklyn band to actually be from Brooklyn - make their Sonic Parthenon debut by doing what they've been doing for the last 25 years - fun, friendly garage rock. The look of the band is, as one friend of mine put it last night, a "bit long in the tooth", but the spirit is there, the songs are fine, and any band that walks off stage and goes right to the bar is alright by me. Also, they are the second opening band I've seen in a month have their own encore. But of course that was going to happen. They're the Fleshtones.

Titus Andronicus is the next big thing in the garage rock/punk world. They play everywhere and their fan base is rabid and growing by the day. Pop music has never sounded so vociferous. The keyboards are other worldly, and the style of the band's sound transcends the hardcore genre they would seem to revel in. This could very easily be very bad but the guys make it work. Also, they come off a bit evil, which kind of helps for some reason.

The Okmoniks; No Bunny; Hollywood
@ Lit Lounge
New York, NY - July 5, 2008

Somewhere in between Be Your Own Pet and their fellow Arizonans the Love Me Nots are the Okmoniks. Led by a feisty, organ-hammering sexpot, the Okmoniks play their brand of 60's inspired garage rock with a slight hint of pop and a whole lot of loud. And to show they get their inspirations from all the right places, they played one song that sounded lovingly lifted from the Ramones' immortal "Oh Oh I Love Her So". The band comes off a lot sweeter than they probably intend but there is nothing wrong with that. Even the most intense forms of rock n' roll need good doses of sunshine.

The performance art that is No Bunny is something to behold. 15 minutes of a man with bunny ears, make-up, a disturbingly proportional amount of facial hair, and a laptop. A yelling affair atop recordings of those same 60's and 60's-inspired tracks. Where No Bunny makes his mark though is with that technological contraption known as a computer. In a scene notorious for its rampaging presence of Luddites, it takes a lot for a dude to use a computer as his band. And it may as well have been a band. In fact, a band would have a lot of fun. But in the meantime, all a man-bunny needs is his laptop. There's an Apple Ad if there ever was one.

Hollywood do not conjure up sunny, bright, slick L.A. They are a hardcore garagepunk bit of mayhem directly descended from the great early 80's Los Angeles punk scene which then took a detour into more hardcore, thundering garage sounds. They are loud, they are grimey, they are intense. They are a total visceral experience. Most important of all, they also make it sound appealing to the uninitiated. Give it a few minutes, and its hard to resist stomping along.

Action Painters; La Strada; Fools for April; Atomic Tom
@ Galapagos Art Space
Brooklyn, NY - July 3, 2008

Deli Magazine's party at Galapagos featured the return (finally) of Action Painters to the Sonic Parthenon review page. After seeing them for a few minutes last August, it has been a series of missed opportunities, one after the other, but at long last, all things are right. And the band did not disappoint. In a just a handful of songs, they proved the right mix of power pop and garage rock. Their songs would be slick and creamy if it wasn't for the fact that they are a straight up rock n' roll band. They are so much fun, it isn't funny. And they are yet another example of the vanguard of New York bands that make this city refuse to go quietly into the rock n' roll night.

La Strada were recently hyped by L Magazine as a band to watch this year, and while their recorded stuff didn't really lead one to feel that way, their live show is another matter. Few bands need 6 or 7 members but La Strada is one of the few projects that can work with that number. A compelling string section back up the acoustic sounds of accordion and percussion, and an able singer to anchors it all. This is pretty serious stuff and it is executed rather sharply.
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Fools for April are an acoustic pop band with light, sprinkly stuff. Good for your girlfriend. If she's into that sort of thing.

Atomic Tom should suck. They really should. Contemporary sounding power pop is really just a few shaves away from being Hoobastank or something awful like that (I don't know, is that band even still around? What's popular these days?). But here comes Atomic Tom doing it right. A sensationally powerful lead singer, driving riffs, and some winding, tightly crafted melodies make for full-on excellent affair. There is very little, if anything, retro about them. They are very new sounding. And while that can be a tricky road to navigate, they make the most of it.