67 posts tagged “live”

Girl in a Coma rocked out to the intimate setting of 7th Street Entry last night. For those who aren't from around here, 7th St is just a hole in the wall to its bigger brother First Ave (where incidentally Matisyahu played the same night). I have seen many people who aren't from around Minneapolis get lost trying to find this door-in-the-wall.

Opening up for them was Miss Derringer (myspace), who was very excited to play Minneapolis (it was their first time here). The band is all dressed up in what looks like a cross between military confederates and rockabilly hooligans. Miss Derringer herself, Liz McGrath, is in a black dress that looks like she's just been to a funeral.

They started off their set with "Click Click (Bang Bang)", followed by mostly songs from their forth-coming album, Winter Hill (coming out July 14^th on Triple X Records). My favorite from their set is the go-go-esque "Black Tears", which sounded much better live. I also thought "Death by Desire" was really cute, the interaction between Morgan Slade and McGrath kind of clues you into their relationship (I am pretty sure they're married).

I liked them a lot. I think they have a great stage presence and I wouldn't mind writing more on them in the future.

Girl in a Coma ♥ 7th St Entry, Minneapolis (07/01/09) Girl in a Coma ♥ Tour Poster

As soon as GIAC came on stage, the audience quickly move to the center. The turnout was actually really good for a working Wednesday evening. Most of the audience were women, which I suppose doesn't surprise me as it's an all-girl band (and being on Joan Jett's label probably attributed to appealing to women).

I even overheard that some girls were at the show as a result of seeing them at the Rosedale Best Buy signing that they did earlier that day. That kind of promotion actually works, I suppose those girls just happened to be at the store and liked what they heard.

Anyway, what's interesting was that there was really no soundcheck. As soon as there was power on the mic, Nina Diaz, started guitar playing that distinctive rift from "BB" and started singing - which I think may have caught the soundguy off guard and killed the radio. So off they played with mostly new songs from Trio BC.

For "Say" (from Both Before I'm Gone) they dedicated the song to Miss Derringer. Banters like Nina pointing out that Jenn's single or Jenn said the obvious that Nina and Phanie were sisters, comes off as clumsy - but cute, because you know they have been doing this for a long time. I will bet you that they are three very close friends.

They ended their set with "Ven Cera", which sounded brilliant live.

GIAC are only half-way through their tour, be sure to check them out live if they come through your area. My GIAC discography is now complete as a resulting of stopping by the merch table! If you can't catch them live, you can always get their music via Black Heart Records.

PS: I may be off to see Girl in a Coma (along with a bunch of other artists) at 80/30 Music Festival in Des Moines, this weekend... which means, I may be off the grid - so don't expect to hear much from me after Thursday. I will be live-updating via twatter if that is the case. Also, it's very late as I write this and have misspelled Nina's name as Ninja several times.

It's kind of weird to see The Lonely H playing at bars, especially because, according to their biography, three of the band members are underage. The band's been around since 2000, released three albums (their latest is Concrete Class, released June 6^th on The Control Group), and have played over 200 shows! They stopped in Minneapolis last night to play mostly new songs from the new album at Lee's Liquor Lounge.

I've never been to this venue before, it's basically a bar with a half-wall that divides the stage and drink area. It's deceivingly longer than it is wide, and looks pretty spacious. Also, the atmosphere was pretty relaxed, and the turnout of local patrons and friends and music supporters were surprisingly busy for a work-day Thursday.

I haven't seen Gabe from Four on the Floor (possibly do not have a myspace) since SXSW, and I did not recognize him as he's now 90% beard. It's like an enchanted forest! Haha.

The highlight of the show was their cover of "Beat It". It would turn out to be sort of a Michael Jackson tribute night as each of the three band pay tribute to him. A Night in the Box (myspace) even did a pretty great rendition of "The Way You Make Me Feel" (followed by another cover, Wilson Pickett's "In the Midnight Hour").

The Lonely H ♥ Lee's Liquor Lounge, Minneapolis (06/25/09) Setlist ♥ Lee's Liquor Lounge, Minneapolis (06/25/09)

Most of my driving day, I spent listening to Lonely H's Concrete Class to get an idea of what to expect. They sound like a mix of country rock and classic rock.

What I wasn't expecting was how absolutely tall singer Mark Fredson is. He towers over the other band members, Fredson looks kind of awkward leaning down when he plays his Yama"ha".

The band are all in cowboy wear (embroidered button shirts, leather boots, jeans), plus they all have really long hair, making them look like they're in a hard-rock or hard metal band. I also quite like the idea that they have this giant "H" that lights up with them on all their shows. Unfortunately the lights did an epic fail half way into their opening song, "Going out West".

They didn't play some of my favorite songs from the new album, "Girl from Jersey", "Take Care" and "Singer". I suppose it's understandable those songs are pretty mellow (compared to the rest of the album), but they made it up with rock-out version of "Diggin' a Hole" and "Cold Blues". The highlight of the show is probably their cover of Tom Petty's "Anything That's Rock N' Roll".

The Lonely H is playing a ton of dates for 2009, so they'll probably most likely be playing in your town. If not, their music is quite cheap (all albums are priced at $10, some with bonus DVDs).

Detroit's Deastro stopped by 7th Street Entry last night, telling us about the time he grew up in Minneapolis and friendship in his Holy Rollers gang (saving the world and sk8!).

Opening up for them are locals, Telepathos (myspace) and Lazer Forever (myspace). I was excited to check out Telepathos because they listed all the bands I like (Radiohead, MBV, Sonic Youth, The Cure...), and you can hear it in their live set. They lean more towards heavy use of guitars and shoegazing sound, a mix of My Bloody Valentine and Chapterhouse. I did notice that inbetween their songs, there seems to be long awkward silences. I think it's because the singer/keyboardist have to load up the beats for the next song.

Lazer Forever sounds like classic progressive rock, which is not an insult. They had to change the drum snare on the second song, and played a pretty full set. My two new Californian friends and I were chatting with Noah the drummer earlier and he seems to enjoy his television and movies!

Deastro's Randy Chabot is not what I was expecting, with his Ghost Buster II shirt and uneven cut-out pants and (get this) orange duct taped shoes. Yep, he seems like a pretty cool guy. When he talks between songs, he seems to ramble a stream of conscious.

Deastro Concert Poster, Minneapolis (06/18/09) Deastro at 7th Street Entry, Minneapolis (06/18/09)

In many ways, the free EPs that I previously mentioned from Deastro is a terrible introduction to the band. That all-instrumental music is basically background music to his real music - which sounds more like intense 80s new wave pop, at least when played live.

After about an hour, their new bassist (I think he was called Andy) exit stage left. Apparently, Minneapolis was his first show and he hadn't learned how to play all the songs. But no one can tell that he messed up, I mean their songs "Parallelogram" and "Toxic Crusaders" sounded alright to me.

The latest news from Deastro is their second single from their forth-coming LP, Moondagger (out on June 23^rd on Ghostly International), is called "Vermillion Plaza".

Metric played to a very packed First Avenue last night. The show was sold out in advance (plus all the reserves at the door were immediately sold out), so let's just say Minneapolis can't get enough of this Canadian band.

Smile Smile - Sad Song 1 comment Sebastien Grainger - By Cover Of Night 1 comment Metric - Gold Guns Girls

Before we get to them, we have two very different bands opening up for Metric. First up was cute boy/girl duo, Smile Smile (official/myspace/twitter). I didn't quite catch what they were saying but Jency Hirunrusme said something like how they were so glad to be in Minneapolis from Kansas. What's wrong with Kansas ? They didn't really specify. They seem like they're a couple, like The Submarines or KaiserCartel.

Note to self: Keep band in mind for another Double Double article.

Saddle Creek's recording artist Sebastien Grainger (official/myspace/twitter) brought the rock, all in that crazy cokacola jumpsuit. At one point Mr Grainger slid across the stage on his knees - he didn't get too far as the performing stage was tiny due to all the other equipment. But I laughed to myself seeing that. As for the music, well best not think too hard (or think at all) when you hear them. They seem like a really fun band, at least the band seems to enjoy themselves.

Note to self: Keep Sebastien in mind for my next Silhouette article.

I've seen Emily Haines live at the Varsity Theater on her solo record, Knives Don't Have Your Back, and between the audience and the venue, it was like night and day. Haines' solo material and live performance is a lot mellower. I don't know if it's the same fans, but last night's audience was mostly younger 18-23 year olds. The audience dance and sung along to every song.

Metric at First Ave, Minneapolis (06/13/09)

When Emily Haines isn't rocking out the keyboard, she's rocking the wireless mic in her disco-y glittery dress. She would play for chunks of five songs and then talk. And when she talks, it's actually long conversations. I did remember hearing her thank Radio K and talking about the Minneapolis' shitty weather. All true.

Perhaps the long talk was meant for the rest of the band gearing up to play the next song (in this case, the first talk-break was before "Gimme Sympathy" and after "Help I'm Alive"). Right after the first encore, "Monster Hospital", she did another long conversation. I didn't catch call the banter, something about music in 2009 or something like that. It didn't make a whole lot of sense, the words were just recited like it was from a poem or something.

PS, Usually I'll just grab the setlist at these shows, but when I asked the guy at the stage, he said to me, "They've gone green, their setlist are on the monitor." Wow, this is a first.

After floating around for quite some time, under the radar, to a certain extent, it's evident that Yves Klein Blue have slowly been rising, gaining momentum, popping up, then hiding again for a little while. Yves Klein Blue, formed from a high school boys shared love of music and named after quite a pleasant blue colour, first mixed by french artist Yves Klein, are a four-piece out of sunny Brisbane.

I recall seeing them in Sydney almost exactly one year ago (see the proof), and even then I was significantly more impressed than I thought i would be. Now, a lot has gone down in the past year. You may know their first single, Polka, which features so predominantly in that advertisement where people are throwing things out of their house into a car.... silly ad, but catchy catchy tune. They've also recently seen jaunts to the US and the UK (you may have seen them in your travels, yes?)

Anyway, the boys debut album Ragged & Ecstatic, captures the youthful vibe that is present at their live shows. It's the feeling of being young and free, having fun, exploring life, it's ups and downs and doing just whatever you bloody well want to. Reminds me specifically of the days, first time out of home, beer money was more important than rent money and work... pfft (not that they were paying me anyway). As an example, the recently released single, Getting Wise, gives out the exact vibe that I have just attempted to describe.

"We're getting wise trying to find our feet"

With respect to the tunes themselves, it's quite impossible to simply slot these boys into a single genre, which is by no means, a bad thing. I can hear many similarities with various styles both old and new, rock, ska, indie, country-style slide guitars... but I hesitate to label them. So I wont.

But does Ragged & Ecstatic meet the expectations of someone who can't go past seeing Yves Klein Blue live? Simply... no. There is a certain energy that is lacking when comparing the album to a live show. There's no intense stares from frontman, Michael Tomlinson, less of a feeling of need to bounce around in a crowd full of people, and no giant glasses of wine (hang on a minute!), but I guess that's the same for many bands have such an excellent stage presence.

However, Ragged & Ecstatic has it's own unique charm. Less of an opportunity to relive live shows, more of an opportunity to sit down an get inside the heads of four young boys (does that sound seedy?), an opportunity to listen to the lyrics and transport back (depending on how old you are) to times when things felt complicated, but you'd not give it up in a million years. And it must be mentioned that there's definitely several opportunities for a little bit of loungeroom dancing.

With that.... if you happen to be anywhere in Australia, you're in luck. There's a plethora of tour dates on the horizon and most importantly, June 26th you can own your very own copy of Ragged & Ecstatic.

JUNE

THU 25TH Bon Amici, Toowoomba

FRI 26TH Powerhouse Theatre, Brisbane

(ALL AGES SHOW)

SAT 27TH Sound Lounge, Gold Coast

SUN 28TH Woombye Pub, Sunshine Coast

JULY

WED 1ST ANU Bar, Canberra

THU 2ND The Harp Hotel, Wollongong

FRI 3RD Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle

SAT 4TH Oxford Art Factory, Sydney (all ages)

SAT 4TH Oxford Art Factory, Sydney (18+)

WED 8TH Karova Lounge, Ballarat

THU 9TH National Hotel, Geelong

FRI 10TH Northcote Social Club, Melbourne

SAT 11TH Jive Bar, Adelaide

FRI 17TH Norfolk Basement, Fremantle

SAT 18TH Amplifier Bar, Perth

Links
Official website: http://www.yveskleinblue.com/
MySpace: www.myspace.com/yveskleinbluemusic 
Record label: http://www.dew-process.com/




Sally
sally@weheartmusic.com

I'll admit that these themed-posts takes forever to write and research, so I hope you appreciate this latest handy guide to handsy albums. There are a ton of other albums with hands on the cover, but I'm only including the ones that we've previously mentioned on W♥M.

Chairlift - Bruises Chairlift 2 comments CHAIRLIFT chairliftmusic.com ♥ myspace.com Wow, such a great pop song, that "Bruises" song. It's a perfect blend of catchy bass and Rilo Kiley-esque vocals from Caroline Polachek and trying to impress someone with handstand but only regretting getting nothing but black and blue bruises for your trouble. And just when you thought "yes, what a great song", the song turns into a duet! Then ends on a non-sense "doo doo doo", just for good measure. What I like about them, based on their album, Does You Inspire You, is that their lyrics aren't all about love and relationships: "Garbage" is about all the junk we produce ("we're making shit for you to throw away!") and "Planet Health" seems to be a community of health nut and something about putting out fires by stop, drop, and rolling. I won't read too much into their lyrics, because they seem cryptic enough. What I think the band is having trouble with is what musical direction they want to take. They're either really catchy pop song ("Bruises", "Garbage") or no-so-pop music ("Ceiling Wax", "Make Your Mind Up", "Le Flying Saucer Hat" - although the beeps are awesome on this song). I know this sound harsh, but I feel that most people who hear "Bruises" and expecting the band to sound like this for the other 12 tracks might be in for a disappointment. As evidence, I submit one Kate II, who recently saw Chairlift on tour with PB&J. I get the impression that was how the audience react to their show: kind of zombie like, until that "one song" came on. Still, that song is so good and you'll play the pants off that song and ignore what I've said about the rest of the album. The band's currently taking their hit song on the road: 06/09/09 The Village- w/ MGMT Little Rock, Arkansas 06/11/09 Bonnaroo Manchester, TN 06/18/09 Echo Los Angeles, CA 06/21/09 Detroit Bar Costa Mesa, CA 06/22/09 Casbah San Diego, CA 07/18/09 Lovebox London 07/19/09 Latitude Festival Southwold 07/26/09 Secret Garden Party Cambridgeshire 08/01/09 All Points West Liberty State Park, NJ 08/08/09 Lollapalooza Chicago 08/13/09 Oya Festival Oslo 08/14/09 Way Out West Goteborg 08/16/09 Summer Sundae Leicester Does You Inspire You is available now as a re-issue on Columbia/Kanine Records. Apple used "Bruises" for their iPod commercial, so you can get it via iTunes. Get "Evident Utensil" free from killeropeners.net		Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Heads Will Roll Yeah Yeah Yeahs YEAH YEAH YEAHS yeahyeahyeahs.com ♥ myspace.com ♥ twitter Let me be clear: we are not a YYY website, I get questions about the banner all the time, showing one model/singer Marijne van der Vlugt. So, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs are pretty well-established now, with their third studio album, It's Blitz!. If you've liked the old yyy with their experimental noises and guitars, you may not like their new album - even though I think it's the best and most easily accessible music from them.  If you think that's a joke, well the yolk's on you. Because I'm serious, this is their best work... I would recommend It's Blitz!, not the over-hyped Show Your Bones album, to fans that are just getting into the yyys. The band seems to mostly a collaboration between singer/fashion-trendsetter Karen O and guitarist Nick Zinner. They seem to share most of the spotlight, and you almost feel bad for whatthedrummer's dude (Brian Chase). But I don't think he minds it much, based on his incredibly detailed blog. For the most part, the I really liked the electro-dance songs: "Zero", "Heads Will Roll", and "Dull Life" sounds anything but dull. There's also a few tuned down tracks, "Hysteric" and "Little Shadow", which are great as you can really take the time and hear Karen O singing. If you get the deluxe edition of the album, which I'll recommend, it comes with four bonus acoustic tracks. Maybe you can pick it up at one of their shows: 06/08/09 Marquee Theatre Phoenix, Arizona 06/10/09 Club 101 El Paso, Texas 06/12/09 Bonnaroo Manchester, Tennessee 06/24/09 T-Mobile In Music Festival Zagreb 06/26/09 St. Gallen Festival St. Gallen 06/27/09 Le Rock Dans Tous Ses Etats Evreux 06/28/09 Glastonbury Festival Worthy Farm 06/30/09 Openair Arena Vienna 07/01/09 Roxy Prague 07/03/09 Eurockeenes Belfort 07/04/09 Werchter Festival Werchter 07/05/09 Roskilde Roskilde 07/07/09 Docks Hamburg 07/10/09 T In The Park Kinross, Scotland 07/11/09 Oxegen Festival Punchestown, Dublin 07/18/09 Quebec City Summer Festival Quebec City, Quebec 07/19/09 Ottawa Bluesfest Ottawa, Ontario 07/31/09 All Points West Jersey City, New Jersey 08/28/09 Rock en Seine Paris 08/29/09 Leeds Festival Leeds 08/30/09 Reading Festival Reading Otherwise, just look for their album at most record store, it is on the Interscope Record label.
The Antlers - Two The Antlers 1 comment THE ANTLERS antlersmusic.com ♥ myspace.com ♥ twitter I've mentioned before that I think a band is important/notable when they have a Wikipedia page... as usually I rely on the user-submitted website for a lot of research. Unfortunately, The Antler's Wiki page tells you nothing about this mysterious band... only to mention that their latest release, Hospice, was "critically acclaimed". Upon digging, NPR calls Hospice Best Record of 2009 So Far. The band seems to center around Peter Silberman, who's been having a lot of success. He recently signed with Frechkiss Records. Apparently the album, Hospice, was inpired by the idea of caring for a terminal patient, who's mentally abusive. It's a difficult situation because they're the one that's dying... This will all be suddenly clear when you hear "Epilogue", which tells the story in song. So, I'll have to say that listening to the album was a struggle for me. It is very atmospheric and you really need to listen with headphones to try and catch everything. The vocals are often drowned in a sea of noise and it feels like shoegazy/spacey for me. It's also too dense for me, and it seems like the sort of music that Pitchfork would love (and they do). I would suggest checking out "Sylvia" as a sample song, but it's a bit too harsh and loud. Instead, I'll direct you to check out "Two". There's a lot of interesting sound on this song, and the vocals sounds like it's being sung far, far away from the microphone. Oh yeah, tour dates: 06/09/09 PLUSH* Tucson, AZ 06/10/09 BAR PINK San Diego, CA 06/11/09 EL REY* LOS ANGELES, CA 06/12/09 VELVET JONES* Santa Barbara, CA 06/13/09 BIMBOS* San Francisco, CA 06/14/09 DRUNKEN UNICORN+ (Peter Solo) Atlanta, GA 06/16/09 LOCAL 506+ Chapel Hill, NC 06/17/09 OUTBACK LODGE+ Charlottesville, VA 06/18/09 IOTA+ Arlington, VA 06/19/09 M ROOM+ Philadelphia, PA 06/21/09 MAGIC STICK# Detroit, MI 06/26/09 SOUNDFIX presents @ ROOFTOP FILMS New York 07/18/09 PITCHFORK FESTIVAL Chicago, IL 07/21/09 MAGIC STICK# Detroit, Michigan 07/22/09 HORSESHOE TAVERN# Toronto 07/23/09 PETIT CAMPUS# Montreal 07/24/09 JERKY’S# Providence, RI 07/25/09 IRON HORSE# Northampton, MA 08/21/09 MERCURY LOUNGE (record release!) New York 09/12/09 MONOLITH FESTIVAL Morrison, CO 09/13/09 MONOLITH FESTIVAL Morrison, CO * w/ Au Revoir Simone, + w/ Cotton Jones, # w/ Frightened Rabbit It should be interesting to see where post-Hospice takes The Antlers, as Silberman stated that anything new will not be solely written by him, but the whole trio (drummer Michael Lerner and multi-instrumentalist Darby Cicci) will contribute in the writing process. In the meantime, you can pick up Hospice on amazon.		Hoots and Hellmouth - You and All of Us Hoots and Hellmouth HOOTS AND HELLMOUTH hootsandhellmouth.com ♥ myspace ♥ twitter So, the first thing I think about when I hear Hoots and Hellmouth's sophomore album, The Holy Open Secret, is that they are good old country folks. You can't help but smile when you hear their music, that's for sure. It would seem that the band name comes from their two primary songwriters: Sean Hoots and Andrew "Hellmouth" Gray (the nickname comes from an ex-girlfriend). The band came together as part of the West Chester University music scene in Philadelphia in 2005. Obviously, as I previously mentioned, I was drawn to the happier songs (banjo-picking "You and All of Us", "Watch Your Mouth"), while the softer, more introspective songs ("Ne'er Do Well", "Family Band") fits well enough in the album, but I don't know how well-receive they will be performed live. To me, they seem like a high-energy live band. It's also worth noting when I saw "What Good Are Plowshares If We use Them Like Swords", this is the first time I've ever heard the word plowshare used in a song. It made me smile as I think of Magic the Gathering. Yes, they're on tour: 06/07/09 Wakarusa Festival Ozark, AR 06/09/09 The Redstone Room Davenport, IA 06/10/09 7th Street Entry Minneapolis, MN 06/11/09 Shank Hall Milwaukee, WI 06/13/09 Intersection+ Grand Rapids, MI 06/14/09 Ribfest Chicago - North Stage Chicago, IL 06/18/09 joe’s pub New York, NY 06/19/09 Gullifty’s Camp Hill, PA 06/20/09 Southern Shore Music Festival Millville, NJ 07/03/09 Jewish Mother* Virginia Beach, VA 07/04/09 Jewish Mother* Virginia Beach, VA 07/09/09 Club Passim Cambridge, MA 07/10/09 Empire Dine & Dance Portland, ME 07/11/09 StageOne Fairfield, CT 07/16/09 The Basement Nashville, TN 07/17/09 JJ’s Bohemia#  Chattanooga, TN 07/18/09 The Beacon Pub Swannanoa, NC 07/19/09 Unplugged in the Park @ Park Tavern Atlanta, GA 07/21/09 The Melting Point Athens, GA 07/22/09 The Evening Muse Charlotte, NC 07/23/09 The Camel Richmond, VA 08/05/09 Musikfest - Liederplatz Stage Bethlehem, PA 08/07/09 Infinity Hall Norfolk, CT 08/14/09 Summerfest  Society Owen Sound, ON 09/11/09 The Ark Ann Arbor, MI +  w/ Rev Horton Heat! * with The Hackensaw Boys # w/ Madeline and The Ginger Envelope The Holy Open Secret is out now on MAD Dragon Records (Ryko/WEA). You can pick up both of their albums on Amazon. Their self-titled debut album is being sold used for as little as $1.37 (what a bargain!)

James Kochalka Superstar - Monkey Vs Robot (Vs Kiss Remix) 2 comments	Neon Neon-Raquel (Radio) 1 comment	Unwritten Law-Shoulda Known Better	XTC - Dear God 3 comments	Wendy & Lisa - You And I 2 comments
The Chemical Brothers (featuring Fatlip) - The Salmon Dance	Mystery Jets - Young Love (Featuring Laura Marling) 1 comment	Information Society - Where Would I Be Without IBM 2 comments	Dar Williams-It's Alright	Sonic Youth - Sunday 3 comments

In terms of concert geography, Houston is screwed. Most bands do the obligatory show in Austin and often stop by Dallas but few deign to swing by polluted, artery-clogged Houston. But when they do stop by, bands often find themselves overwhelmed with enthusiasm, as the musically-deprived audience is simply grateful they are not another Selena cover band. Such was the case with Passion Pit and the Harlem Shakes.

Harlem Shakes at Warehouse, Houston (6/4/09)

The two bands seemed like appropriate tourmates since they had gained steady momentum through blogs, well-received EPs, and incessant shows up and down the east coast. Not to mention they both looked like walking advertisements for the Salvation Army (as most bands do).

The Harlem Shakes provided just the right amount of pep to wake up the somewhat restless crowd. Starting with the gradual building “TFO,” they soon moved on to fan favorites like “Nothing But Change Pt. II” and “Sunlight.” Lead singer, Lexy Benaim, occasionally offered sleepy commentary between songs, but for the most part, stuck strictly to singing. The audience caught on quickly to all the “oohs” and “ahs” in their songs and a haphazard sing-a-long could be deciphered every once in a while. As a self-proclaimed cynic when it comes to opening bands (I’ve suffered through way too many My Bloody Valentine disciples), I was impressed.

Passion Pit took the stage to much acclaim and the occasional fangirl squeal (mostly directed to oh-so-dreamy keyboardist, Ian Hultquist). The first song, “Make Light,” reduced the audience to a sweaty mass of frenzied dancing. Aside from their debut album, Manners, the band played a few songs from their fan-favorite Chunk of Change EP, such as “Better Things” and “I’ve Got Your Number.”

I’ve heard a few people criticize lead singer Michael Angelakos’ voice, (Pitchfork lovingly called it “half-eunuch/half-Jeremy Enigk”), but there were no complaints that night, as the arsenal of synthesizers and keyboards seemed to balance everything out. Highlights of the night included “Little Secrets” and “Moth Wings,” as their infectious hooks allowed for plenty of audience participation. Requests for their runaway hit, “Sleepyhead” were heard throughout the night, and when the band finally acquiesced, the audience went –for lack of a better word—apeshit.

For the encore, the band returned with their single, “The Reeling,” another song featuring a catchy chorus sung by a children’s choir, much to the crowd’s delight. By the end of the night, the band seemed genuinely surprised by the Houston audience’s uninhibited gusto. I suppose they weren’t expecting much from a venue situated between a Chinese restaurant and an empty lot.

You may not live in Sydney, you may not listen to FBi radio.... even so, this is a cause worth supporting. FBi radio needs YOUR help; without it, FBi will die a horrible and violent death and we don't want that, do we?

For more information on the situation and the reason why everyone is in such a panic. Look here: http://www.fbiradio.com

How can you help? Well, it's a win/win situation. Look at this line-up and for $30 (not much considering where it's going).

A benefit concert for FBi Radio

 

Monday 8th June, 2009 at Sydney’s Metro Theatre

All Ages

$30 + BF

5:00 pm -10:00 pm

 

With Sarah Blasko, Holly Throsby, New Buffalo (solo), Jack Ladder, Firekites, Machine Translations, Grand Salvo, Songs, Megastick Fanfare, Bearhug, Sherlocks Daughter, Fergus Brown, Ghoul, Parades, Caitlin Park, The Holy Soul and more. Plus, Henry Wagons as Spunk MC!

 

All artists are covering a song by one of the other artists on the bill. 

 

Tickets on sale now from www.metrotheatre.com.au and venue box office

 

All ticket purchases receive an ‘Another Night On Earth’ poster and Spunk CD Sampler!

 

Hear Sarah Blasko performing her cover of Holly Throsby 'We're Good People' LIVE this Friday at 3pm on FBI 94.5FM Arvos with Shag and Sweetie.

1996.... perhaps you were not old enough to care or you didn't have an older sibling (or best friends older sibling) to guide you in the direction of Australian musical goodness. The re-issue of Screamfeeder's Kitten Licks may either transport you back, make you feel really old and/or make you say "wow, Screamfeeder are fairly splendid indeed".

Screamfeeder, Tim Steward, Kellie Lloyd and Dean Schwereb, were one of the staples of Aussie music for many years, but most notably in the mid-to-late 90's. If I am counting correctly, from six full length albums, Kitten Licks had to be the album that implanted the notion of Screamfeeder into the most number of human brains. Festivals and shows; touring for more than a year on the back of the success of the album, we now get to experience it all over again.

The original version of Kitten Licks (which according to their website was also released in the US in 1999 - so no excuses from anyone!) presented 12, punchy, to-the-point, oh-so-catchy poppy punk rock-esque tracks. If you haven't heard them before, now is your chance to be brought up to speed.

Kitten Licks Deluxe (sounds lovely, doesn't it?) has not only the original tracks, but an additional 7 tracks for your listening pleasure. These tracks are in the form of a number of b-sides, a demo version of the single Dart, and and and..... two covers Keep Hanging On (Husker Du) and Off To One Side (Come). So, perfect for those of you who didn't buy the original and even more perfect for you aficionados who can't bear to know where is a Screamfeeder release that you don't own (I know you people exist!).

You can also buy a number of other tidbits if you head on over to their website: www.screamfeeder.com

That not enough for you? Well, if you're on the ball there's a show tonight at the Annandale Hotel (Sydney) showcasing not only Screamfeeder and the entirety of Kitten Licks, but a number of bands that, like Screamfeeder, were at their height in the late 90's (and some that weren't). Midget, Sounds Like Sunset... brilliant!

Should be a brilliant show, so get down there... or alternatively, if you aren't on the ball and/or don't actually live anywhere near Sydney, there are number of upcoming shows around the country that I'm sure you are itching to drag yourself along to. Of note, the show in Adelaide at which guests include No Through Road (another excellent band with a recently released album that is definitely worth a listen, if you get a chance...) and Suzanne Grae and The Katies (never heard of them, but what an excellent name!).

Tickets through moshtix: www.moshtix.com.au (or just look at that poster just there, see it?)



Sally
sally@weheartmusic.com