Young Rebel Set – Curse Our Love (Big Flame in the UK; they don’t have a US record deal)
Noah and the Whale – Last Night on Earth (their UK record label is Mercury, not sure what their US one is)
Patrick Wolf – Lupercalia (their UK record label is Mercury, not sure what their US one is)
Best show of 2011
Casiokids at DC9, October 17, 2011 – they turned an otherwise sleepy, cold October Monday night into a crazy dance party.
White Lies at 9:30 Club, May 20, 2011 (runner-up) – their official return to DC 2 years after their first appearance was confident and awe-inspiring.
Most overrated of 2011
James Blake. And the return of Radiohead. Zzzzz.
Most anticipated for 2012
Two Door Cinema Club and Delphic’s tricky second albums. I’m not really sure what I’ll do if I hate them because I adored their debut albums last year. But I know both bands are hard at work at new material, so fingers crossed!
Favorite music moment of 2011
Actually three separate moments on the same night, October 21, 2011. Sitting on the Wombats’ tour bus interviewing their bass player Tord Øverland-Knudsen; getting not one but two shoutouts from the Postelles’ lead singer Danny Balk at the 9:30 Club; and dancing up a storm at the Wombats’ DJayed afterparty at DC9.
For much of my adolescence, I wished I had been born years earlier so that I could have been the right age to experience – and appreciate – the 1980s, the way it had been meant to be experienced by a British new wave fan. I’ve had the opportunity to see several of my heroes of that era in concert already (including Duran Duran, Morrissey, OMD, and David Byrne [sans the rest of Talking Heads unfortunately]) but Erasure was still not checked off the list. Until this past Tuesday at the 9:30 Club, the first of 2 nights the electronic duo would be performing in the Nation’s Capital. To be fair, I was never an uberfan of the pair and really went to go hear the hits and get a preview of tracks from their new album Tomorrow’s World coming out in October on Mute Records, but that didn’t matter. There were plenty of obsessed and and terribly devoted Erasure fans at the front who had been queueing outside the venue for hours, appropriately attired in electric blue ponchos to battle the drenching rain remnants of Hurricane Lee tracking up the Eastern seaboard. I’ve never seen such soggy fans so happy.
I was so pleased when I heard Frankmusik (aka Vincent Frank to his mother) would be opening for the ’80s titans. South Londoner Frank released his debut album, Complete Me, in early 2009 and I still adore it to this day: it’s synth pop at its finest, and Frank is just the singer/songwriter to do this style. The selection of him as opener makes sense: he produced Erasure’s latest album Tomorrow’s World, and there’ s a definite respect and reverence going between the two acts. The unfortunate part: as he so cruelly pointed out at the start of his set, he said he realized that no one knew who he was and that he was going to do some old stuff, some new stuff, and some covers, no doubt to appeal to a crowd that were obviously only there for the headliner.
Personally, I would have preferred if he and his backing band (a singer/keyboardist and a drummer) had played more songs from his debut album (I wanted to hear my favorite song of his, “Confusion Girl,” but no dice), but I have to give the man his due. These fans, mostly 30 years old and up, took to him once he broke outs snippets of covers like Paul Simon‘s “You Can Call Me Al” and Stardust‘s “The Music Sounds Better With You.” He did finish with two newer songs, both with more of a r&b bent than I usually like, but I think they have a chance of doing really well here in America. The single “No ID” was just released this week and according to the Frankmusik Twitter, the track has already made it to #48 into the iTunes electronic chart, no thanks to the American mainstream radio market. “Do It in the AM,” a song Frank collaborated with Far East Movement, is the title of his forthcoming album due out on September 27, and it’s a hot tune. Check out the video for the song below.
Erasure fans from way back packed the 9:30. Was it because they were nostalgic for the music of their youth? Did they want to hear their heroes’ new music? Or maybe a little bit of both? I’ll never know for sure, but gosh, Erasure fans can be loud and unrelenting in their approval of their favorites. As mentioned in this review previously, I don’t know the band’s back catalogue as well as many of the other people in attendance that night, but it didn’t matter. Like most ’80s bands who have dutifully gone back on tour to wow their devoted and to proffer new tunes, Erasure does it with style and plenty of campy charm. This mostly has to do with frontman Andy Bell, and I apologize in advance now, but I can’t help but use his name and “flamboyant” in the same sentence. How else do you describe a man who arrives onstage with a Trojan helmet and a red sequined jacket? Once the jacket was removed, a diamond-encrusted belt and leather corset were revealed. (My good friend who went with me to this show said the first time she’d seen the band at Merriweather Post Pavilion in the late ’80s supporting Duran Duran, Bell was wearing buttless chaps, so this was a definite improvement in style.) This corset was later cut off, literally with a pair of scissors, by his bandmate Vince Clarke (programming/guitar) and replaced by Devo t-shirt shreds held together with safety pins. I mean, you can’t dream up this stuff!
But forget the “look” for a moment. Here is a band that has released 13 albums (Tomorrow’s World their 14th) and you can’t do that unless you’re incredibly talented and incredibly dedicated to the process of making music for the masses. The uberfans I mentioned earlier? They were contorting their bodies to the music, singing along to every word. Me? While I adored the live versions of their classics of “Chains of Love” and my personal favorite “A Little Respect” (a new version of this song’s video is above), I also really enjoyed songs like the flirty “Push Me Shove Me,” the attitude of “Love to Hate You,” and the majesty of “Oh L’amour.” New songs like “Fill Us With Fire” and “A Whole Lotta Love Run Riot” prove Bell and Clarke still have it, even after all these years. The two great backing singers in red and black were both visually and musically stunning additions to the performance. I’m a little confused by the gigantic gargoyles that were sitting onstage during the show, but I’m guessing it has something to do with Tomorrow’s World. That might be the album’s title, but on Tuesday night, the 9:30 Club was most definitely Erasure’s world. Fab show, guys.
Erasure Set List
Sonos Luminos (new song?)
Always
When I Start to (Break It All Down)
Blue Savannah
Fill Us With Fire
Drama!
Save Me Darling
Ship of Fools
Chorus
Breathe
Victim of Love
Alien (acoustic version)
Push Me Shove Me
Love to Hate You
I Lose Myself
A Whole Lotta Love Run Riot
Breath of Life
Chains of Love
Sometimes
A Little Respect
//
Oh L’amour
Stop!
Tour Dates
Sept 08 Philadelphia, PA. Theatre of Living Arts
Sept 10 Boston, MA. House of Blues
Sept 11 Toronto, ON. Sound Academy
Sept 13 New York, NY. Terminal 5
Sept 14 New York, NY. Terminal 5
Sept 16 Chicago, IL. Congress Theatre
Sept 17 Chicago, IL, Congress Theatre
Sept 18 Milwaukee, WI. Pabst Theater
Sept 20 Indianapolis, IN. Vogue Theatre
Sept 21 St. Louis, MO. The Pageant
Sept 23 Austin, TX. ACL Live
Sept 24 Houston, TX. Verizon Wireless Theatre
Sept 25 Dallas, TX. House of Blues
Sept 27 Denver, CO. Ogden Theater
Sept 28 Salt Lake City, UT. Kingsbury Hall
Sept 30 Las Vegas, NV. The Palms Concert Theater
Oct 01 Los Angeles, CA. Hollywood Palladium
Oct 02 San Diego, CA. House of Blues
Oct 04 Oakland, CA. Fox Theater
Oct 05 Portland, OR. Crystal Ballroom
Oct 06 Seattle, WA. Neptune
The Script used to be my guiltiest pleasure: when you’re a female music blogger, you get a lot of sniggering from boys in bands when they hear you’re seeing any act that is manufactured, whether real or perceived. But I’ve seen the Dublin band twice now, and I can say without a doubt that they have the goods and they bring the goods live, so the argument that they’re manufactured holds no water. I’d also like to point out that singer/piano man Danny O’Donoghue has the kind of smile that could melt a million hearts, but I digress…
The importance of a good opening band cannot be stressed enough: when they’re good, they psych up the audience, setting the stage for the rest of a great evening; but if they’re bad, it can leave a bad taste in your mouth. (The latter was true when I saw Abe Vigoda open for Vampire Weekend in April 2010 at the same venue, DAR Constitution Hall.) As I predicted, opener Hot Chelle Rae was an immediate hit with the MTV teeny crowd right from the start. The high-pitched screams as the band took to the stage nearly rivalled the headliner’s entrance later.
There’s nothing objectionable about Hot Chelle Rae: the Nashville band look like they’re trying to be really “rock” (their bass player Ian Keaggy has tattoos up and down both of his arms) but they come out sounding like lite mainstream rock. Their music has a good, infectious beat and the band members appeal to what my companion for the night refers to as “the Disney crowd.” (Not far off: think about it. They’re signed to Jive, aka the first label home of Backstreet Boys and still Britney Spears‘ label.) While their set was short (only 7 songs), it looked like the predominantly female and underage crowd would have been up for much more.
Hot Chelle Rae Set List
Beautiful Things
I Like to Dance
Alright
The Distance
Bleed
Teenage Dream
Tonight, Tonight
It’s interesting attending a show filled with teenagers. None of them can drink of course, so the line for the bar is short or nonexistent, and because they can’t drink, they’re all trying to look cool by milling about near the merch table. But once they’re seated and the show starts, something magical happens. I won’t show my age by revealing when I saw my first show, but watching all those girls in their micromini summer dresses jostling each other to take photos of the bands and fighting each other for guitar picks was, shall we say, rather heartwarming to me. And if you have to choose a band for your first gig, I don’t think you can do much better than the Script in a nonthreatening, huge venue like Constitution Hall that can support a spectacular light show featuring flashing lights, interactive backdrops, and live zoom-in shots of the Script (primarily for the benefit of those unfortunate souls up in the nosebleed sections).
This Dublin band is both disarming and incredibly charming. They sneaked their way into everyone’s heart by being apologetic for their June gig cancellation due to illness. They told stories about whiskey and getting drunk and let’s face it, these kinds of stories go down better when told by Irishmen. They complained about the DC heat and said they wanted to move here so they could work on their tans. To say they had the audience eating out of their hand is an understatement. Still, it was the music that wowed the most.
“Nothing” is probably one of the saddest pop songs ever written; it’s the musical equivalent to drinking yourself to death after getting dumped. I had to pat myself on the back for not crying when this song came on. If guitarist Mark Sheehan is to be believed, it was written after a night of boozing when O’Donoghue’s heart got broken and he made an ill-advised cell phone call to his ex. The only weird part about the live performance of this song is that O’Donoghue had the biggest of grins on his face while he was singing it. I guess life as the frontman of one of the biggest bands in Europe (and now the world) isn’t too bad.
Of similar topic and with a decidedly more lighthearted bent, “If You Ever Come Back” was a definite highlight of the night, as everyone’s arms were raised and waving in time to O’Donoghue’s own. “Rusty Halo,” with its r&b groove and aggressively red lighting, segued effortlessly into the song that finally broke them here in the States, “Breakeven.” I wasn’t sure how the band could top that when they returned for the encore but a similar singalong broke out for the closer, “For the First Time.” My only complaint: the set list was far too short. Maybe they were trying to follow the DC curfew laws and make sure all those kiddikins could leave the place on time? All in all though, it was a superb night of much and atmosphere, ending on a high note.
The Script Set List
You Won’t Feel a Thing
Talk You Down
We Cry
The Man Who Can’t Be Moved
If You Ever Come Back
Before the Worst
The End Where I Begin
Science & Faith
Nothing
Dead Man Walking
Rusty Halo
Breakeven
//
This = Love
For the First Time
Tour Dates
Sept 04 – Stage AE / Pittsburgh
Sept 06 – LC Pavilion / Columbus
Sept 07 – Fillmore Detroit / Detroit
Sept 09 – Ryman Auditorium / Nashville, TN
Sept 10 – PNC Pavilion @ Riverbend Music Center / Cincinnati
Sept 11 – Murat Theatre / Indianapolis
Sept 13 – Palace Theatre / Louisville
Sept 14 – Pageant / St. Louis
Sept 16 – Hartman Arena / Park City, KS
Sept 17 – Table Athletic Center @ Carthage College / Kenosha, WI
Sept 18 – Ogden Theatre / Denver
Sept 20 – Crystal Ballroom / Portland
Sept 21 – Paramount Theatre / Seattle
Sept 23 – Fox Theatre / Oakland
Sept 24 – Palladium / Los Angeles, CA
Sept 25 – Marquee / Tempe
Sept 27 – Riverwind Casino / Oklahoma City
Sept 28 – Coins Ballroom / Tulsa
Sept 30 – Stubbs Waller Creek Ampitheatre / Austin, TX
Oct 01 – House of Blues / Houston
Oct 02 – Palladium / Dallas
Oct 04 – Mahalia Jackson Theatre / New Orleans
Oct 05 – Ruth Eckerd Hall / Clearwater, FL
Oct 07 – Fillmore Miami Beach / Miami
Oct 08 – Hard Rock Live / Orlando
Oct 09 – Tabernacle / Atlanta
Oct 11 – Fillmore Charlotte / Charlotte
Oct 13 – Roseland Ballroom / New York City
Oct 14 – Paramount Theatre / Huntington, NY
Oct 15 – MGM Grant Theatre at Foxwoods / Mashantucket, CT
An all New York City bill went down at DC’s Red Palace Saturday night. The Postelles were in town to celebrate the release of their debut album on +1 Records on Tuesday. With them were their buddies Ambassadors and a band that surprisingly they had never run into back home, the Dig. I wasn’t about to miss a Postelles show; not counting this gig, I’ve seen them three times, and they never disappoint. Saturday’s show in Washington was as good of an excuse as any for the band to party with what lead singer/guitarist Daniel Balk counts as one of his favorite cities to play in.
Ambassadors was the only act of the night I’d never seen live before. I try not to overuse the word “eclectic” in any of my writing, but I don’t know how else to describe this band’s music. Their song “Bodybag” could have easily fit in Fleet Foxes’ repetoire. In another song, lead singer Sam Harris was using a bow on his bass guitar: unusual, no? Their closing number sounded more MGMT. Lead guitarist Noah Feldshuh had a Nord in front of him, which seemed strange considering Harris’s brother Casey is their dedicated keyboardist. They have some good songs, but I think trying to focus on one general genre would probably serve them well, so they would have a better chance at hawking their debut album (to be released sometime in 2011) around to labels.
Having seen the Dig open for two great British bands (Editors and the Joy Formidable) last year, I knew I was in for a treat. Personally, I feel that the Dig should have a larger profile on the American music scene, already having released a very good debut album last year (Electric Toys, review here). Their hard rock yet fun sound is the kick in the pants that American rock stations need. In addition to playing “Two Sisters in Love,” “You’re Already Gone,” and “Look Inside,” the band also played some new material that I hope will be released on a new EP or album sometime in the very near future.
Then 11:30 rolled around and it was time for the main event. The Postelles’ debut album has 12 songs, yet they only played 8 of them, which was a little disappointing to me, since I love the entirety of The Postelles. “Sleep on the Dance Floor” was peerless, as were “1, 2, 3 Stop” and “Hey Little Sister,” the latter with Balk asking the crowd to sing along at the end on the “hey little sister!” refrain. I don’t know how it’s possible, but the band sound tighter each time I hear them play, and it’s been great seeing their progression from support to headliner. I can’t wait to see where these guys go.
My only complaint: maybe the band is bored of playing the songs off the album, because they played what I considered two completely non sequitur cover songs. In the middle of the set, they played the late ’70s Wreckless Eric hit “(I’d Go the) Whole Wide World,” a song by an English singer/songwriter than I’m sure very few patrons present had even heard of. This was later followed by a cover of the Rivieras‘ “California Sun,” which is a fun summer song for sure, but I never put surf pop and the Postelles in the same sentence, so it seemed a little out of place. Still, it was a really enjoyable show, and it was obvious that the crowd was enjoying it as well. Loud, drunk girls shouted as to how hot bassist John Speyer’s vest and drummer Billy Cadden‘s v-neck t-shirt were. Is this the kind of reception the Beatles got in their early days?
Oddly, the sets grew shorter as the night progressed, with the Postelles only playing about 35 minutes, including the encore. I found out after the show that this had to do with a curfew (rats) but I was promised by Balk that they would return. Whenever the Postelles do, they will have a fanatical crowd waiting for them, no doubt about it.
The Postelles Set List
Stella
She She
Sleep on the Dance Floor
Looking Glass
Hey Little Sister
(I’d Go the) Whole Wide World (Wreckless Eric cover)
1, 2, 3 Stop
Running Red Lights
California Sun (the Rivieras cover)
Can’t Stand Still
White Night
//
Boy’s Best Friend
Tour Dates
Jun 15-16 – NXNE / Toronto
Jun 17 – Schubas / Chicago
Jun 18 – Summer Soulstice Music Festival / Milwaukee
Jun 20 – Tractor Tavern / Seattle
Jun 23 – Popscene @ Rickshaw Stop / San Francisco
Jun 28 – Echo / Los Angeles
Jul 07 – T.T. the Bear’s / Cambridge, MA
English folk/punk singer/songwriter Frank Turner is huge at home in Britain and across Europe but as of 2010 had yet to do a proper headlining North American tour. In late April, he embarked on his first, sans backing band. I guess he’s made a good impression on this side of the pond already- as early as mid-March most of the dates on this 2-week tour were already sold out and at the time of this writing, all the dates are now completely sold out, Turner saying to me that he’d been offered “crazy things” by people desperate to get into the Red Palace show in DC Friday night. Definitely a hot ticket.
The support act was Justin Jones, a local singer/songwriter with a similar folk/punk bent to Turner’s. He was joined on stage by upright bass player Tracy Epperson, a former bandmate. Jones has the distinction of being the first act to be signed to 9:30 Records, the new label created by yup, you guessed it, the folks that run the iconic 9:30 Club that looms so large on the Washington music scene. Compared to Turner’s songs and singing style, Jones is decidedly darker. This may be attributed to his addiction to heroin several years ago that temporarily wrecked his life but after rehab, translated into the kind of songs he performs today.
His tunes Friday night ran from heartfelt (a song for his wife called “Keep a Shelter”; another one called “The Little Fox” about watching his daughter play in the front yard of their house) to deep, dark, and dangerous (a murder ballad called “55 Songs”). The man has a powerful voice but it can grate when he’s shouting his heart out. In between songs he entertained the appreciative audience with crass stories, many of which I won’t type out here because they won’t make a lot of sense unless you’ve actually lived in DC (in which case, talking about neighborhoods bounded by particular streets and their relative safety, or lack thereof, is common source of jokes).
In Britain, it’s every man for himself when Frank Turner tickets go on sale. What is it that makes him so popular? Well, in that part of the world, it’s been my impression that many people feel oppressed by the status quo, and in the UK, a lot of that has to do with class inequality and the have-nots struggling to survive and make ends meet. And this man speaks their language. While you don’t have to be a completely down-trodden commoner to enjoy Turner’s music, my guess is that the people who attended the Royal Wedding the same day Frank Turner came to play in DC aren’t among his fans. His lyrics can be vitriolic, which is not all surprising, since he first started playing in a punk band and admitted to us that he was once a young, angry university student in London. But he can also write with emotional love songs, like “The Fastest Way Back Home,” the chorus beautiful with the lyrics, “weather wears down the mountains into the sea / so I will stand in the rain until I am clean / rivers carve the country, a landscape shaped by a stream / so I will swim in the river as long as you need.” Gorgeous.
Most impressive was nearly everyone in the crowd singing along to Turner’s every word, even the new single that just came out on iTunes days ago, “Peggy Sings the Blues.” The tune is the first single from Turner’s upcoming album England Keep My Bones due out in early June, following closely on from his Rock & Roll EP released last year. For me, the highlights were some of his best-known numbers (“I Knew Prufrock Before He Became Famous,” “Try This at Home”) and the more raucous ones such as “I Still Believe” that require manic audience participation in the form of shouting “I still believe!” at the top of your lungs back at Turner.
That said, I get the distinct feeling that not everyone will feel at home at one of Turner’s gigs. Red Palace is pretty small to begin with (200-person capacity) and it’s a little weird standing among burly men yelling with drinks in hand (I guess I have not been to enough gigs in Britain). But if that sounds to you like a good night out, I heartily recommend catching him live. And don’t fret if you didn’t get tickets for this tour. There’s a rumor Turner will return to the U.S. with a full band this fall, so if you didn’t catch him on this go-around, you’ll likely have another chance before the end of the year.
Tour Dates
May 02 – Beat Kitchen / Chicago
May 04 – Bottom of the Hill / San Francisco
May 05 – Hotel Cafe / Los Angeles (two shows)
North Wales rock band the Joy Formidable brought their energetic set to Washington’s Black Cat Friday night. Opening for them were the Lonely Forest from Washington State and Nashville’s Mona. Both bands proved to be good choices as support, as they showed chutzpah in their respective sets. Coming to this gig, I didn’t know anything about the Lonely Forest. In their short 30-minute set, they rocked out on their guitars and jumped all over the stage. At one point, lead singer / guitarist Jon Van Deusen was completely taken in by the moment, he was on the floor and rolled all the way over backwards, losing his blue Seattle Seahawks cap in the process. After sheepishly retrieved the lost hat, he remarked, “I didn’t mean to do that…but it was fun!” Disarming. The band have just put out their debut record, Arrows, last week on Trans Records.
To be honest, I didn’t know what to make of Mona when I got a track of theirs in my inbox in April 2010, when no one in Britain knew who they were. When I heard they were from Nashville, my first thought was, oh no, do we really need another Kings of Leon? Turns out the band is originally from Ohio but moved to Nashville to find fame and fortune. Like Kings of Leon, they’re an American band who have been fully embraced by the British: they won the MTV (UK) Brand New for 2011poll voted by fans and figured in many top 10 lists of bands to watch in 2011. So I was really looking forward to seeing Mona, to judge for myself what all the fuss was about.
Mona look like four toughs and they rock out hard on their instruments, but judging from their sweet smiles from onstage as they realized the audience was loving their sound, I can tell their hearts are in the right place, music-wise. The song that everyone at the Cat seemed to know, “Listen to Your Love,” went down wonderfully, as drums banged and guitars swirled in perfect harmony. “Teenager” was another highlight, with its heavy backbeat and shouted chorus (see video below). Their album comes out in mid-May in the UK. See these guys now in small clubs here in U.S. while you can, because I think it’s only a matter of time before they blow up big.
On this night in March, the Joy Formidable had “graduated” from their Black Cat Backstage appearance last November to the upstairs, larger main stage, accommodating 400 more people. By their appointed set time of 11, the place was packed. Good on Washington. They may only be three people, but these three people – Ritzy Bryan (lead vocals / guitar), Rhydian Dafydd (bass / vocals), and Matt Thomas (drums) – pack enough energy to probably set a jumbo jet into flight. Putting words down on paper (or in this case, on a music blog) to explain what you feel when you see them seems ridiculous because you have to see the band to fully understand how much power they bring when they play. The Joy Formidable live is punk with its raw, hard rocking, devil-may-care attitude but they are also evocative and atmospheric in the way only emo and alt-rock can be. Being up in front with my friends, I could feel the stage vibrating madly as the band thrashed about wildly before, during, and in the outros of many of their numbers. If you’d like to watch their performance at the Parish in Austin at this year’s South by Southwest, NPR has it here.
Reflecting on this show, I considered how great it was to see them on a Friday night, when you could get all your aggressions of the work out, headbanging to their raucousness. Their debut album, The Big Roar, just came out here in the States on March 15, but it was obvious by many audience members singing along and pumping their fists in the air that many had already memorized the songs. The band played songs from their 2010 EP A Balloon Called Moaning and tracks from the new album. When Dafydd started in on the trademark bass line of “Austere” and fans cheered, he asked with a smile, “guess you know this one?” That would be a yes. It’s a great song on recording, but wow, seeing them play it live is 1,000 times better. Before “I Don’t Want to See You Like This” (see video below), Bryan asked the audience who had ever visited Wales. Watching this woman chat with fans was heartwarming, but then she launched into the song and you had to pinch yourself. Is that really the same woman? She may be a cute blonde Welsh girl but can she can sure pack a punch in the lyrics and guitar department. The call and response between Bryan and Dafydd of the gentler number “9669″ was a brief respite from the Joy Formidable three-pronged attack showed their softer side.
“A Heavy Abacus” from the new album was to be their last number, but it was clear the 11-song set just wasn’t enough for some people. One fan begged the guitar tech to ask the band to come out for another encore. The tech, busily trying to unplug equipment, was incredulous: “you mean you want an encore to the encore???” I laughed to myself. Yes, the Joy Formidable have come to America with their Big Roar. I only hope more people here will go see them and witness their majesty for themselves.
The Joy Formidable Set List
The Ever Changing Spectrum of a Lie
The Magnifying Glass
Austere
The Greatest Light is the Greatest Shade
Cradle
Buoy
I Don’t Want to See You Like This
9669
Whirring
//
Greyhounds in the Slips
A Heavy Abacus
Tour Dates
Mar 28 – Met / Providence
Mar 29 – Brighton Music Hall / Allston, MA
Mar 30 – Johnny Brenda’s / Philadelphia
Mar 31 – Terrace Club @ Princeton University / Princeton, NJ
Apr 01 – Abbey / Harrisburg
Apr 02 – Horseshoe Tavern / Toronto
Apr 04 – Basement / Columbus
Apr 05 – Lincoln Hall / Chicago
Apr 06 – 7th Street Entry / Minneapolis
Apr 08 – Larimer Lounge / Denver
Apr 09 – Kilby Court / Salt Lake City
Apr 11 – Mississippi Studios / Portland
Apr 12 – Crocodile / Seattle
Apr 14 – Bottom of the Hill / San Francisco
Apr 16 – Coachella / Indio, CA
Apr 19 – Rhythm Room / Phoenix
Apr 20 – Launchpad / Albuquerque
Apr 22 – Luminary Arts Center / St. Louis
Apr 23 – Riot Room / Kansas City
Apr 26 – Grog Shop / Cleveland
Apr 27 – Smiling Moose / Pittsburgh
Apr 29 – Webster Hall / New York City
These days when I think of great Irish bands, there are three that come to mind immediately: Two Door Cinema Club, the Script and the Coronas. If you’ve been keeping up with what I’ve written here at PopWreckoning, you know I am not shy in proclaiming my love of both Two Door and the Script, and I feel validated now that both bands have enjoyed well-deserved success here in America. The Coronas don’t have a record deal in the U.S. as of yet, but I became completely convinced Tuesday night watching them live that they will soon be offered a deal worth their talent. (If there are any label bosses reading this article, definitely check them out. And sign them. You won’t be disappointed.) The Dublin rock/pop quartet Washington to deliver a solid set to an appreciative crowd at Red Palace.
The opening band for the night was New York City-based band the Kin. I looked them up prior to the gig, bemused with their “alternative / pop / shoegaze” genre label on their MySpace. Not exactly what I envisioned as support for the Coronas. Turns out the band is actually brothers Isaac and Thorald Koren, originally from Adelaide, Australia, but who have found themselves in the Big Apple working on their dream. Both brothers sing (and sing harmonies very well, I might add), with Isaac playing keys and synth and Thorald playing guitar. While travelling around New York by subway, they found a busker named, inexplicably, SHAKEALEG and decided he was the live percussionist they were looking for. He doesn’t play drums the way everyone else does; he has a very unusual setup with a conga drum and high hats and does not use sticks, only his hands, fingers wrapped up with athletic bandages. The live result is highly dynamic, and the band manages to effortlessly switch between pop, rock, and soul genres. “Wind Over Southern France” had a soulful bent, the instrumental intro of their closing number sounded like a homage to the Beatles’ “Tomorrow Never Knows”, etc. etc. etc., you get the idea.
As usual for most live gigs, I bet everyone was here for the headliner; I don’t think too many people had even heard of the Kin. But by the end, everyone was behind them, singing along to songs that they had just learned. After the fifth song, all three of them left the stage without an explanation. Where did they go? They jumped into the crowd and did two songs entirely acoustically. Well, I use the word “acoustically” very loosely because SHAKEALEG brought his beats via…tapping on a clipboard. That’s right, a clipboard. Check them out.
This is the Coronas first headlining club tour of America, but lead singer / acoustic guitarist / keyboardist Danny O’Reilly reveals to us before the band plays the unusually titled “Tony Was an Ex-Con” that they were over here doing a very small scale tour of North America before. During that tour, they retained the services of a driver who they would later find out was actually a former convict, and his name was Tony. Too funny. There’s something disarming about O’Reilly and really, all of the band, as the whole gig feels very comfortable, as if we were sitting in someone’s living room and the band were playing for friends. It also happened to be the birthday of their guitarist Dave McPhillips, which made things feel even more festive. Their years of playing for growing crowds of fans in Ireland has obviously paid off, as they look very relaxed performing for a new audience while they trot out hits from the two best-selling albums released back home. There is also definite onstage chemistry between all of the band members, smiles all around.
The DC crowd got the special first listen of a new song, “Dreaming Again,” and as pointed out by my gigging companion, it has a Two Door Cinema Club quality, owing to Graham Knox’s relentless bass line. But the highlight of the night for me was the one song that has remained my favorite Coronas song to this day, “Someone Else’s Hands.” O’Reilly left his guitar behind to position himself behind the keys and begin singing what quite possibly is one of the most beautiful songs written about heartbreak to date. But I don’t want you thinking that all they do are lovey-dovey swoony tunes, though mind you, they do that type of song very well.
If the Script are said to the current best Irish soul pop band and Two Door Cinema Club are the current best Irish indie dance pop band, then the Coronas are the current best Irish rock pop band out there. I’m a stickler for lyrics, and the Coronas have excellent lyrics to go with great guitars and the occasional piano chords. They have introspective numbers – see “All the Luck in the World” and the inspirational “Heroes and Ghosts” – but can accept and laugh at themselves, as evidenced by the song that broke them, “San Diego Song,” explained by O’Reilly as embracing the stereotype that the Irish are drunks. He said this not flippantly but with an honesty that the crowd ate up. I couldn’t believe it but it felt like everyone in the venue knew the words and was singing along. And the Coronas can rock out with the best of them with songs like “Listen Dear” and “Far From Here,” the latter with O’Reilly’s voice taking on a jaunty, dancehall quality, the others joining in on harmonies and Conor Egan’s pounding drumming driving the song along. I can’t imagine ever going away from a Coronas’ gig without a huge grin on your face.
The Coronas Set List
Far From Here
Won’t Leave You Alone
Listen Dear
Heroes or Ghosts
What You Think You Know
Dreaming Again (new song)
San Diego Song
Someone Else’s Hands
New song tentatively titled “The Rainbow Song”
Tony Was an Ex-Con
All the Luck in the World
//
Warm
The Talk
Tour Dates
Mar 10 – Brighton Music Hall / Allston, MA
Mar 11 – The Craic @ Mercury Lounge / New York City
Mar 12 – North Star Bar / Philadelphia
Mar 15 – Beachland Ballroom and Tavern / Cleveland
Mar 17 – Lincoln Hall / Chicago
In Washington last year, two adjacent businesses on H Street Northeast, the tiny live music venue Red and Black Bar and the burlesque house Palace of Wonders joined forces to create a combined venue, the Red Palace. I’d seen some shows at the Red and Black and while it was intimate, the ambiance was nothing to write home about. The new and improved Red Palace, I am happy to report, is a revelation. The performance space is on the top floor of the place and is as intimate as my other favorite venue in the city, DC9 (no wonder, it’s owned by the same folks) and it cleans up real nice. For my first show at Red Palace, I was there Saturday night to see the band who provided my best gig of 2010, the Postelles of New York City.
There were two opening acts for the night. Toronto rock band Dinosaur Bones was up first. Bass player Branko Scekic endeared them to the audience by starting their set, whispering, “We’re Dinosaur Bones. And we’re from Canada. We’re a long way from home.” Enter the “awwws.” Interestingly, he was the one delivering the jokes for this band (not their singer Ben Fox), commenting how much he loved Washington, saying, “my favorite [thing to see in DC] is the Washington Monument, because everyone knows what it looks like, no dicking around.” Laughter.
But let’s talk about the music. Listening to them live the first time, I had trouble thinking of how I would describe them. They’ve got Led Zeppelin riffs; disaffected, post-grunge Aaron Lewis (Staind)-like vocals, and the occasional feel of Creed? “Royalty” was a sure highlight, what a sexy bass line and great guitars accompanying it. It’s also worth nothing their lead guitarist Joel Cliftonhas an uncanny resemblance to Megadeth‘s Dave Mustaine. Make of that what you will. The band’s debut album, My Divider, will be released soon.
Snowmine, the other opener, is a Brooklyn psych pop band. When I think of “Brooklyn” and “psych pop” I think of Bear in Heaven. Similar, but Snowmine has a more tropical vibe. Think Bear in Heaven meets Cut Copy. If Jurassic Park had a house band, it would sound like Snowmine. Their first track, “Danger in the Snow!”, began with prehistoric programmed rumblings. But most of their songs involve maraca and tambourine shaking and big beats, and I also thought of the new wave of Men at Work and Toto‘s “Africa” as possible reference points. Cool vibe. I was definitely into the more upbeat numbers like “Penny” and “The Hill.” They also have an album coming out soon, called Laminate Pink Animal. Check ‘em out.
It’s hard for me to comprehend that the guys of the Postelles are barely into their twenties. I’ve seen them three times now (once, opening for Hockey, and twice as a headliner), and they play like seasoned veterans. It may be because of the many times they’ve played in our town, they always get an amazing reception, and who doesn’t play a great show when you have a great audience? Their debut album has been delayed for a long while but rumor has it that it will finally be released in April; physical copies of The Postelles were available at the DC show.
They previewed two songs newer than those on the debut album, “Bum Bum Bum” and “Running Red Lights,” both of which were in the standard Postelles vein of classic rock ‘n’ roll. In these days of high-tech gadgets, programming, and autotune, it was so nice to see four guys singing and playing guitars, bass, and drums without relying on electronics. Their songs are so poppy and peppy, it’s impossible not to have a good time letting while this band is playing. The crowd, while interested in seeing the band, appeared stiff at the start of their set, but everyone was dancing by the time the band got to “Sleep on the Dance Floor” (with its killer bass line) and “White Night,” right before the encore. It wasn’t much of an encore, because as quickly as they had jumped offstage, they jumped right back on, singing “Boy’s Best Friend” (an ode to a ex-girlfriend who turns out to be a lesbian) and a raucous rendition of “Beat on the Brat” by theRamones that will forever be cemented in my mind. (It’s not every day a faithful blogger like me gets to duet with one of my favorite bands!)
The Postelles Set List
Bum Bum Bum (new song)
Looking Glass
1, 2, 3 Stop
She She
Stella
Hey Little Sister
Hound Dog (Elvis Presley cover)
Running Red Lights (new song)
Sleep on the Dance Floor
White Night
//
Boy’s Best Friend
Beat on the Brat (Ramones cover)
Tour Dates
Feb 16 – Maxwell’s / Hoboken
Feb 18 – First Unitarian Church / Philadelphia
Thursday night at the sold-out 9:30 Club in Washington was laid out like a three course meal at a fancy restaurant. First up was Springfield, Missouri band Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, whose name has be one of the strangest yet oddly memorable ones ever invented. Their music has a jaunty, peppy vibe and a perfect appetizer to start off the evening. Classic guitar riffs, bouncy melodies, really engaging instrumentation – all you really need or ever want in a good indie pop/rock band, really. (I’ve never understood the appeal of the Morning Benders; Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin is definitely more my thing.) A great example: “Sink/Let It Sway,” which like its name suggests, makes bodies in a crowd sway.
I always find it really cool when band members play musical chairs, and this happened with this band, as the original lead singer switched off with the drummer, who took over bass, while the bass player took over lead vocal and guitar duties. The result: a decidedly harder rock song, so hard that the guy drumming lost a stick in the first few seconds of hitting the skins. Hardcore. Other highlights of their opening set were “All Hail Dracula!” (appropriate for the “Twilight” fans, perhaps?) and the wistful “Pangea.”
Following some crazy techno pumping up the crowd and overexcited Two Door Cinema Club fans chanting “ah-oh-ah-ah-oh” off key, it was time for the first of the two co-headliners. A blinding light show ushered in the Northern Ireland band, but I can forgive them because they were on point their entire set. It was like enjoying the best Indian curry of your life – exciting, sweat-inducing, full of life, like you never wanted the experience to end. Second song in, at the start of “Undercover Martyn,” lead guitarist Sam Halliday flashed a broad smile at us in response to the “we love you Sam!” shouting and I knew it was going to be one stellar show. Earlier that day, lead singer/guitarist Alex Trimble visited one of the Nation’s Capital’s many fine pawn shops and scored a used yet gorgeous Fender for his guitar collection. After introducing the lone brand new song on this tour, “Handshake,” he thanked the 9:30 audience for being part of the first gig of what is sure to be an exciting musical history for his new baby. The new song didn’t disappoint, with its handclaps and intricate guitar lines.
It’s hard to believe that the band admitted to radio personality Tara O. in Ottawa last week that when the band co-headlined with Kitsune labelmates Delphic on a tour of the UK in late 2009, they felt unprepared and under rehearsed compared to the more experienced electronic band from Manchester. The days of Two Door Cinema Club feeling tentative are long gone. Songs like the forthcoming single “What You Know” and the perennial favorite “I Can Talk” resulted in widespread pogo-ing and a sea of arms in the air. Kev Baird‘s relentless bass line in “Come Back Home” proves Two Door does indeed rock out hard, and their sound has definitely won over Washington. The band were quick to show their appreciation for the adulation being given to them, with Baird saying at one point, “my friend told me this is the best venue to play at in the United States. And he was right!” Bring on album #2, guys.
Two Door Cinema Club Set List:
Cigarettes in the Theatre
Undercover Martyn
Hands Off My Cash, Monty
Do You Want It All?
Something Good Can Work
Handshake (new song)
Kids
You’re Not Stubborn
Costume Party
What You Know
Eat That Up, It’s Good for You
Come Back Home
I Can Talk
If Two Door Cinema Club was the entree, then Tokyo Police Club was the cooling dessert at the end of the meal, punctuated with hot fudge and a cherry on top. Funnily enough, one of the more memorable moments that can be attributed to the Canadian band happened before they even stepped foot onstage. I guess Tokyo Police Club are big Tom Jones fans, judging by the incidental music played before their set. “What’s New Pussycat” played on repeat at least four times, and I overheard one person behind me complain to his gigging buddy, “I seriously want to die.” As if someone was listening, “It’s Not Unusual” came out over the PA and everyone around me started singing along in approval.
The crowd reaction for Tokyo Police Club, at least in the beginning, seemed completely the opposite of the one for Two Door. Instead of responding physically, Tokyo’s fans seemed rapt with attention for lead singer/bassist Dave Monks, singing along to their idol. Overall, a much chiller vibe seemed to settle over the crowd. Later on though, “Wait Up (Boots of Danger)” and “Breakneck Speed,” both from last year’s release Champ, went down a treat and upped the energy level back up again. But what was the pièce de résistance? The bands joining forces to do an unexpected encore of the Strokes‘ “Last Nite.” Doesn’t really get better than this on a cold winter’s night in DC, I can assure you.
Tour Dates:
Jan 22 – Trocadero / Philadelphia^&*
Jan 23 – Newport Music Hall / Columbus^&*
Jan 25 – Masquerade / Atlanta^&*
Jan 26 – Crowbar / Tampa^&*
Jan 27 – Social / Orlando^&
Jan 28 – Culture Room / Ft. Lauderdale&*
Jan 29 – Jack Rabbit’s / Jacksonville&*
Jan 31 – Spanish Moon / Baton Rouge&*
Feb 01 – Granada Theater / Dallas&*
Feb 02 – La Zona Rosa / Austin&*
Feb 03 – Warehouse Live / Houston&*
Feb 05 – Exit-In / Nashville&*
Feb 07 – Blue Note / Columbia, MO&*
Feb 10 – Mad Hatter / Covington, KY&*
^with Two Door Cinema Club
& with Tokyo Police Club
*with support from Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin
Sure, you’ve all heard of English folk band Mumford and Sons, especially in light of their Grammy nomination. But have you heard of Stornoway? No? You soon will.
Named after a coastal town in Scotland far away from their hometown of Oxford, England, Stornoway, like Mumford and Sons, has four principal members and play folk pop. But Stornoway also have a violinist, Rahul Satija, as well as a trumpeter, Adam Briggs, brother of main songwriter and lead singer Brian Briggs. Having compared Mumford’s Sigh No More against Stornoway‘s debut album Beachcomber’s Windowsill released on 4AD, I think Stornoway has the upper hand in terms of song preciousness; that is, their album cuts you deeper emotionally, bringing out feelings you never thought you had. So I’m not embarrassed to admit seeing them live practically reduced me to tears.
Sunday night’s show at the smaller of the two Black Cat stages, Backstage, was also the last date on the tour with Franz Nicolay and Major General as support. This year, the famously cool and mustachioed Nicolay left the Hold Steady in favor of a solo career and also released a new album, Luck and Courage. Nicolay’s material runs the gamut from emotional folk to more up-tempo numbers. “Dead Sailors,” introduced by an enthused Nicolay as “this is a tango!” did not disappoint, nor did the dramatic “Have Mercy” or the set closer “Jeff Penalty,” a song he explained was about “a friend who got his dream job in the end.” The song could be about Nicolay himself, as he and his three-piece backing band were having a ball onstage. They even said we were the best crowd they played to on this tour. Excellent.
Beyond the music, Nicolay is hilarious and has great rapport with an audience, making us chuckle, warning us “no texting in the front row!” and how their set would feature accordion solos, advising those of weak heart and constitution to leave the premises if they could not handle his squeeze-box shenanigans. But I have to say, after only hearing a couple songs on his MySpace like “This is Not a Pipe” and a humorous collaboration he did with Dresden Dolls, “New England,” I was not prepared for as a spirited set as he delivered. This might be heresy to some, but I think I like Nicolay’s solo stuff better than the Hold Steady.
Franz Nicolay and Major General Set List:
The Ballad of Hollis Wadsworth Mason Jr.
Dead Sailors
Have Mercy
This is Not a Pipe
Rock Rinse (what it looks like on the handwritten set list)
Z is for Zachariah
Luck and Courage
Felix and Adelita
Frankie
Jeff Penalty
But the breathless crowd assembled was waiting for Stornoway to appear. The Black Cat gig, like most gigs at the venue, was an all-ages show, which meant quite a few youngsters had come far away for it: a mother, daughter and friends from Wilmington, Delaware, drove nearly 3 hours for this – talk about dedication. The show began with a plaintive violin solo by Satija before the band came out to thunderous applause and launched into “The Coldharbour Road,” a song in which Briggs draws metaphors for himself and the woman he loved, like the relationship between a seabird and the cold, unfeeling ocean, and the mind of a man that a memory of a woman once lived in. This is deep, deep stuff and definitely stuff that touches my heart. The recording features what can only be described industrial clanking, which in the live setting is achieved by extra band members hitting on, amazingly, an antique TV set and a beer keg. Briggs’s voice and his band members’ harmonies were spot on and gorgeous. It set the stage for a monumental evening.
Before the show, Briggs described “Fuel Up” (my favorite song on Beachcomber’s Windowsill) to me as a song about the pains of growing up. The words of the chorus are so simple yet powerful: “so fuel up your mind and fire up your heart and drive on / drive on, drive on / and when your days are darker / put your foot down harder / drive on, drive on.” It seems to say, life goes on and so do we, so soldier on for there are brighter days ahead. Just as I do every time I hear the song on my headphones, I could feel tears pricking my eyes hearing this live. I don’t cry at gigs; I just don’t. But the beauty of Stornoway‘s music was so moving, I couldn’t help myself.
I don’t want you to think that all this band does are slow ballads. Songs like “Watching Birds” (a song which makes total sense now that I know Briggs got his degree in zoology and studied birds at university) and a particularly joyous version of “We Are the Battery Human,” featuring keyboardist Jonathan Ouin playing a banjo emblazoned with a rainbow-colored nautilus and done completely unmiked and acoustically, were so energetic. They got the audience stamping their feet and clapping their hands to the beat. This was an unforgettable evening that tugged at the heartstrings as well as made the heart sing. I was so glad I was there to experience it.
Stornoway Set List:
The Coldharbour Road
Boats and Trains
Beachcomber’s Windowsill
Fuel Up
I Saw You Blink
On the Rocks
November Song (acoustic)
Watching Birds
Long Distance Lullaby
Zorbing
//
End of the Movie (acoustic)
We Are the Battery Human (acoustic)
Tour Dates
Dec 08 – Biltmore Cabaret / Vancouver^
Dec 09 – Crocodile / Seattle^
Dec 10 – Doug Fir / Portland^
Dec 12 – Independent / San Francisco^
Dec 13 – Troubadour / Los Angeles^
^with the Head and the Heart
To keep this site up and running, we reserve the sidebar for ads. In that case, put your ad here.
All that's needed is for you to fill out this lovely form.
All media content contained within PopWreckoning is meant to enhance reader appreciation for the art and medium. Please support artists you discover here by purchasing albums, attending shows and buying merch.
Contact us should you wish for certain media to be removed from PopWreckoning.
Concert Calendar
Nov 23, 2011
HaHa Tonka @ Recordbar, Kansas City MO
Nov 25, 2011
Thee Oh Sees @ The Granada, Lawrence KS
Top 3 albums 
