popwreckoning

Can a band be raw and polished? I had never really thought about it until I saw White Rabbits at their Kansas City stop. Their sound had such strong, uninhibited emotions that it came off with raw garage-rock-band sound. But at the same time everything from vocals to percussion, were precise and perfectly timed, giving the show an overall sheen of quality and talent.

The night jumped between selections from It’s Frightening and a new album (to hopefully be released soon). The older songs got the crowd on its feet, while the newbies kept the curiosity alive.

“The Salesman (Tramp Life)” with its light and airy notes, started a gentle groove in the audience. One wouldn’t think this song would translate well to the stage, due to the fact that in general it’s a rather simplistic song. But between the melodic repetitions and hints of harmonies, this ended up being a great energy build for the evening.

Stepping back a few decades to an 80s folk/rock flavor was “They Done Wrong / We Done Wrong”. Guitars managed to squeeze an acoustic sentiment out of an electric model and when combined with a slap-beat from the drums, made this one intriguing to watch and soothing to hear.

Mixed in between a few new songs, [which unfortunately came to us without titles] was “Lionesse”. If the Rabbits can combine raw and polish, then it’s a not a stretch for them to combine dance-y with eerie. The beginning of this song is set so low on the bass notes that when met with whispering lyrics, goosebumps start to form. However eventually, we were able to see one of the main elements that makes the White Rabbits who they are – percussion. The entire night there wer two drummers on stage, but there were those select songs where each drummer played a significant role. This was one of those songs.

While main rhythm was kept on the kit, a handful of marching drums were given quite a beating. So much was going on stage that you didn’t know whether to dance or just stand there in amazement.

“Percussion Gun” was the entire reason I started listening to the Rabbits and it was apparent that this was the same for most of the audience. When the opening drum beats came bursting off the stage, cheers erupted. Soft and polished lyrics were set on top of distorted guitar strums and beats so quick Matthew Clark seriously had to be crazy in order to keep up. Again we were back to a base of minimal frill music, but there’s something about this band that never lets their sound come off as anything but amazing.

A short encore indulged the crowd with a couple more songs. Ending everything off with “Rudie Fails” a sound similar to that of how they started the evening. There was just enough of an up-tempo to keep the heads nodding and sashaying hips moving. The white keys really stood out as a main player with their cleverly placed chords.

A smaller venue was the perfect setting for a White Rabbits set. The amount of things happening on one stage at one time requires a setting for complete concentration. Not to mention the fact that the intimate approach just made the evening that much more entertaining.  And to top it off, the introduction of new music was a fantastic Christmas present.

Let’s just start by saying all three bands that played Sunday night, November 27, were terrific and finish with; why do bands request monotonous lighting? As much as I love a band, I get tainted when I’m robbed of capturing them at their best. I’m wrong, I am sure, but isn’t the whole idea to see said band in the throws of passion? Blah, blah, blah I’ll stop whining now.

During my sophomore year at college I was exposed to Bauhaus and Sisters of Mercy. That would have been 1987. Two years earlier I got hooked on Love and Rockets, albeit, through Ian Anderson’s flute solo on “No New Tale to Tell”. I was, um… am, a huge fan of Jethro Tull. I felt cheated to have come around so late. Why didn’t I grab hold of where L&R came from not just where they were going? It is pretty cool to be photographing and writing about music that has helped steer my path for 24 years though. I am grateful.

Peter Murphy and his band, Mark Gemini Thwaite (GT)/ guitars, Jeff Shartoff/ bass and violin and Nick Lucero/drums, took the stage and opened up with “All Night Long” from ’88′s Love Hysteria. Sweet start, a pretty song with all the ranges of Peter’s vocals and bright 12 string guitar from Mark GT.

Then a swing to the rocking glammy “Velocity Bird” from Ninth. Two more Ninth songs followed with the rest of the set swelling in and out of Deep, more Cascade and Ninth and four Bauhaus songs. The songs seemed to flow seamlessly, peaking in rocking numbers and leveling off to crooning selections that gave a little breather.

“Subway” from Cascade was played in the Dust style. Shartoff added beautifully effect laden violin. The trance continued on “Gaslit” from the EP of B-sides The Secret Bees of Ninth and was gently broken by “Deep Ocean Vast Sea.” The set closed out with the Mark’s severely compressed and gated guitars on “Uneven and Brittle” and the awesome Bauhaus song “In A Flat Field.”

Mark GT has been with Peter since at least 2008 when he played the Retrospective tour. His brand of guitar has shaped a lot of the feel of Ninth. It is a welcome marriage with Peter’s voice that brings a hardness back to the songs that is invigorating. After a brief dismount from the stage the band returned to a chanting audience. Picking up with the gentle “Marlene Dietrich’s Favorite Poem” and favorite “Cuts You Up” from “Deep.” I’m pretty sure that David Bowie’s “Ziggy Stardust” ended the show. By this time I was a little delirious. There were three encores on the set list but I think the show was shortened. I do remember that “Ziggy Stardust” rocked properly though! During the whole song Peter walked back and forth across the stage clasping hands of his devoted fans. Of note, there was no barrier. One had been set up and taken down on the band’s request. Pretty outstanding of Mr. Murphy to stay so close to everyone, especially since the last time he came through Kansas City a burly Mohawked fan jumped on stage, danced around and gave him a hug before being nicely removed!

She Wants Revenge started dead on time. I always appreciate the consideration this shows to everyone waiting patiently. It was a little weird though, ten minutes before the band arrived from the green room the background music was either too low to hear or just nonexistent. Awkward. Justin Warfield/ vocals & guitar, Adam Bravin (12)/ bass & keyboards, Thomas Froggatt/ guitar and, dang, I don’t think Scott Ellis (no trademark cigarette and a different drum setup)/ drums. Not “dang” bad, just “dang” I couldn’t find out who was playing drums on this tour anywhere!

So, the band came out strong with “Written In Blood” from This Is Forever and then dug into Valleyheart for three songs, “Up In Flames”, “Reasons” and “Little Stars.” All of which seemed to have more dimension and breathing room than SWR’s first two full lengths. A few of the things I like about their self-titled and This Is Forever are the drone, the ebbs in dynamics, the morose passion. I think Valleyheart keeps these elements while dropping some of the dancy bits; it sounds fresh and inspired.

With “What I Want” SWR reverts back to earlier music and then one last Valleyheart song, “Take The World” before staying with earlier numbers for the rest of the set. I would have liked to see some change in red the lighting during the performance. Occasionally a blue or green light would hit Justin but the rest of the band was in a dim red light all evening. Both Adam 12 and Justin entertained with gentle banter engaging their fans and pumping opener Hussle Club.

On that note, Hussle Club, on tour from New York City, started off the night. Prince Terrance, drummer from Santigold, Spank Rock, Hearts Revolution and Major Lazer, led the band on vocals in a mash up of new wave, post punk and goth. Though they don’t have much recorded music out there, they should, a limited 7″ was available at the show.

“High Expectations” led the set moving on to “Children Of The Underground” with a nod to Sisters of Mercy. They exuded a young high energy that was catchy. The guitar work was noisy and a blast. Even though I couldn’t get a good photo of the guitarist it sure was fun watching him! They were plagued with feedback but took it in stride without stumbling. Hussle Club had the best light of the night, well, at least until Terrance got shy and ask to have them turned down. After their set I talk with Terrance as the band was getting ready to load up the van. I mentioned I love seeing out of town bands lugging C&C drums around. Turns out it was Terrance’s kit.

The sound for both She Wants Revenge and Peter Murphy was overly brittle. Usually I am very tolerant of club acoustics but I’ve heard both bands have better mixes at the Beaumont. Especially disappointing was how far back Peter’s vocals were and the lack of definition between his vocals and the bass guitar. Even so I would come back and see them both in an instant!

The crowd was gracious as I weaseled in to photograph the first three songs of each band. I even had a reserved spot in front saved for me. In payment for this kind of treatment I always offer a HiRes image to the few people I impose upon, just a little “thank you” for being cool. It wasn’t a huge crowd, disappointing for such iconic music, it was a devoted group at least. Peter even mentioned that he appreciated the manners of the Kansas City fans compared to the rush of LA. The last time SWR played the Beaumont Justin gushed “you may be few, but you are MIGHTY” which brought a roar loader than five times what the numbers added up to. Nicely done Kansas City. This is a splendid place to live.

Photos and Review by Todd Zimmer

Setlist:
PETER MURPHY -
All Night Long
Velocity Bird
Peace To Earth
Memory Go
Strange Kind of Love
I’ll Fall On Your Knife
Silent Hedges
Too Much 21st Century
I Spit Roses
Subway
Gaslit
Deep Ocean Vast Sea
The Prince And Old Lady Shade
Uneven And Brittle
In The Flat Field
//
Marlene Dietrich’s Favorite Poem
Cuts You Up
Ziggy Stardust

SHE WANTS REVENGE -
Written In Blood
Up In Flames
Reasons
Little Stars
What I Want
Take The World
Sleep
This Is The End
Pretend the World Has Ended
Disconnect
These Things
Rachel
Out of Control

HUSSLE CLUB -
High Expectations
Children of The Underground
Loose Tights
Quaranteenagers
FCK SHT UP
Uptown Downtown

Anders Trentemøller ran his North American live tour through Liberty Hall in Lawrence, Kan. on October 19. He’s a Danish electronic composer with a fantastic ability to play with the power of a show between his forefinger and thumb.

The general tone is dark and ominous, with pleasant variations and light notes in between pieces with heavy bass beats and synthetic technic glitches. He does fantastic work on the tables, skewing samples varied by the cluster of knobs, wheels, and sliders under his bangs which cover his intense eyes the majority of the show.

 Xylos, a band from NYC, opened for Trentemøller for roughly thirty people spread about the main floor of the venue who found it nice to be able to sit on the step a set of paces away from the stage. By the end of their show, the number probably tripled.

Together for a little over a year, they play a dance-y sort of indie-rock through an array of instruments including two MIDI devices, a keyboard, drum set (both synth and standard), bass, guitar, bells, tambourines, hand claps, and anything they may have found in their tour bus. They control all these over the setlist with five members.

Being an opener, they had a spatially compact set which caused some issues along with minor audio problems, but they handled them fine and had fun. Their merch table had an oldschool Lite-Brite with ‘Xylos’ lit up, each letter to its own color. We bought two of their albums. Definitely worth checking out if you’re into the genre.

By the time Trentemøller had set up and gone through last-minute sound adjustments, the lower level of the venue had been filled to a point where you couldn’t see open floor, but it certainly wasn’t packed. The hall was not without black colors, piercings, and makeup. The size of the crowd kept it relatively tame throughout, but those who enjoy his style got to see a solid performance.

Alongside Anders, a four-piece band accompanied his electronics with two guitars, a bass, and drum set. His domain on stage included two keyboards with MIDI controllers on top of them, a splash symbol with two woodblocks clamped to its stand, and a Little Legends toy piano with a glockenspiel on top. He was wearing black leather boots, dark grey pants, and a black shirt with a black vest over it. Al Davis would’ve loved the scheme.

He smashed the symbol often to create a very offsetting tone, which supplemented the glitchy effects. By the end of the show, a sector of the symbol had cracked nearly to the center. I didn’t believe it was going to make it through the show, and in fact, it didn’t. The bassist smashed it with the neck of his instrument, sending the symbol, stand, and woodblocks to the ground near the end of the set. It never made it upright again.

The stage had screens capable of raising and lowering to center focal points of the arrangement and provide backdrops for video effects and reflected light. LED strobes, flashbulbs, dark red lowlights, bright bursts. All stimulating a sense other than our hearing from start to finish.

Trentemøller himself had quite an animated stage presence. He moved around his domain, eyed the crowd over his tables, jumped with timely precision, cheered along with the audience, and seemed to be having a great time doing it. There was a sort of quirkiness and uniqueness to his style of entertainment. He smiled so often while playing. The live band did as well.

Errors couldn’t be spotted easily because the genre brings glitches and dissonance with it. The glitches and dissonance are not a negative thing with the sound. It’s all very controlled and well-thought. They played as if they were having a total blast, and it resonated into the crowd, creating a general sense or feeling that what they were doing was correct. Additionally, the band did well with crowd interaction. They got everyone amped up for the drop-ins, the big hits. It’s the sort of music you enjoy moving to.

For his popular hit track “Miss You,” he started alone on stage with the movable screens raised, blocking out the sides and back, to focus attention on himself in the center of the stage. He controlled samples on the tables while playing the glockenspiel on top of the toy piano. It looked very neat and controlled, professional, like watching a hibachi chef. They never screw up, and they’re usually smiling.

The piece’s composition is very calm and beautiful. As the song neared its peak, the screens started to lower and the live band added instruments slowly to mesh with his samples. The distortion and effects kicked in, and the sound jumped to an awesome level.

Around half of the setlist included songs from the album The Last Resort. They finished the show with “Silver Surfer,” all smiling and seeming to really enjoy the atmosphere. After the end fade, Anders and the band came together with bright lights on them to close off the evening with applause, claps and waves.

I’m very glad I got to see them live. I’d like to see him in a full house with more crowd energy someday. The mixture of electronic work and live instruments, while incongruent to his albums, meshed well for a fantastic sound.

Review and photos by Mitch Favrow

Live Music is the newest release from Rough Trade Records and The Strange Boys. Now, the title is “Live” as in “give” or “with” not “strive” or “drive.” This IS NOT a live record at all. True, the title may cause some confusion, but The Strange Boys music shows that they are not confused at all.

The Austin, TX band fronted by Ryan Sambol have been playing since the early 2000’s when they formed from junior high jam sessions. This is the bands third full-length record and the first that will be released exclusively on the prestigious UK label Rough Trade.

Live Music sits comfortably in one sound, one style, one genre for the approximate 45 minutes that it plays out. What is that genre? Good question. The record definitely exists in a retro vibe but still has a very modern attitude. Dancey, rock ‘n’ roll, soulful, folky: these are the first words that come to mind. As far as a genre, well, we haven’t figured out a word for it yet. Whatever you want to call it, The Strange Boys are completely comfortable making that kind of music.

If you like Dr. Dog’s tendency to go retro, then this is the album you have been waiting for. The Strange Boys have found a way to take their style and recordings completely back to the 60’s, while somehow still keeping the music relevant to modern ears.

Sambol’s charming, whimpering voice creates a happy, lazy atmosphere. Especially on a track like “Mama Shelter” his vocal stretches and reaches for high notes like a lazy cat waking up from a nap stretching out it’s legs.

The Strange Boys also use the album to show off the large array of instruments that they can play. The typical acoustic, electric, bass, and drums are offered up in most songs. Then they add in little touches of upright piano, harmonica, and banjo. In the song “Right Before” an organ is also featured. All of these instruments, and especially the way they are expertly played and recorded, add to the classic 60’s and 70’s sound that is achieved on the record.

Not a soul who claims to like any kind of rock music could seem to find anything unpleasant about “Live Music.” The only problem is, just being pleasant sometimes isn’t enough to be remembered. By listening to one or two songs of this album you basically get the idea. Nothing new can be learned about the band or what they do by listening to all 14 songs.

I find it troubling as a listener that I still can’t figure out how something with such an interesting and developed style could end up coming across as boring when put in the context of an entire album. Each song is very likable on it’s own, but as an album they all just blur together.

In the end, Live Music is still missing that one single. That standout song that defines the record and the band. Unfortunately, this could be the thing that holds the album back from being heard by the vast majority of music fans.

With that being said, The Strange Boys’ “Live Music” is still worth a good listen or two. If a person can get past the second half of a record that drags then there is no doubt they would love the album. And for the rest of us, there are at least a few great songs to keep in the ol’ iTunes.

Songs to listen to:

Track 1- Me and You
This song starts the record out strong with a cool 70’s Kinks kind of vibe. The closest track that could be considered as a single.

Track 4- Punk’s Pajamas
A very catchy rock ‘n’ roll number that will pick up the spirits on a rainy day.

Track 5- You and Me
A breath of fresh air. It’s always nice to take a break for a love song in an album like this.

Track 12- Hidden Meanings, Soul Graffiti
One of the few tracks that breaks the mold just a bit near the end of the album. Unique driving chorus that builds and builds.

Review written by Mat Shoare

Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming is the sixth album from M83, AKA France’s Anthony Gonzalez.  The album is sprawling and ambitious, full of huge electronic hooks and filtered vocals. It’s brilliant, and occasionally bizarre dance music. Nearly every track sounds like it could be a pop hit.

The album begins with a five minute intro that begins with ambient synths, and whispered vocals. The song continues with Gonzalez reciting the phrase “carry on.” The song gets very big, very quickly. Zola Jesus joins in a kind of duet, and the sound of hope floats in. The song introduces us to the sound of the record, which is ‘80’s synth pop filtered into ‘70’s arena rock bombast, and Brian Eno ambience.

The next track, “Midnight City,” begins an instant hooks, which leads into a big ass beat. The hook continues through until the end. The song eventually fades out with the sound of saxophones. It’s interesting, this is obvious pop music, but it’s almost impossible to sing along to. This is music made for either car stereos, or to be heard through headphones. It’s rare that music can be heard so well as both.

Of course, not everything here is a pop song. “Raconte-Moi Une Histoire” is a spoken word piece. It’s basically the sound of a child actively endorsing the licking of psychedelic frogs. No, seriously. It’s funny once or twice, but it gets grating after a while. It interrupts the flow of a record that often works great as background  noise.

The only other real flaw is the length. At 72 minutes, spread over two discs, it’s a chore to listen to in one sitting. It’s a great record, but a bit extravagant. Still, as the outro fades out you won’t be disappointed. The anthemic songs will hook you into the dreams of the brilliant songwriter who made the record, and you’ll be coming back for more.

Tracklisting
CD1
Intro (featuring Zola Jesus)
Midnight City
Reunion
Where the Boats Go
Wait
Raconte-Moi Une Histoire
Train to Pluton
Claudia Lewis
This Bright Flash
When Will You Come Home?
Soon, My Friend

CD2
My Tears Are Becoming a Sea
New Map
OK Pal
Another Wave From You
Splendor
Year One, One UFO
Fountains
Steve McQueen
Echoes of Mine
Klaus I Love You
Outro

From the very beginning of Death Cab for Cutie‘s set at City Market on Monday night it was obvious that Death Cab has only sweetened with age. The mix of tweens (with their parent accompaniment), the typical Kansas City concertgoers, and those just looking to  be ‘Followed into the Dark’ made for a crowd that seemed unsure as to what to do when the music started. The opening song “I Will Possess Your Heart” made this all the more obvious. The elongated intro (as compared to the radio edit) left the casual Death Cab fan slightly confused, but for the avid music listener it built the perfect tension that would soon be released in a two hour set of Death Cab’s finest.

It would seem to be the norm in this day in age that when you are touring right after an album release, especially one as notable as Codes and Keys, you would tend to play mainly songs from that album, this was not the case with Death Cab for Cutie. It wasn’t until their fifth song they decided to introduce a track from their new album “Doors Unlocked and Open,” and did so to an enthusiastic crowd. In all, Death Cab only played five songs, out of twenty-three, from their most recent release. Those five were matched by five from Transatlanticism and another five from Plans and even included one track from their first release You Can play These Songs With Chords.

The most impressive part of the show for me was the reserve that Death Cab has. Their sound was flawless, never overplaying, and not like most Rock n’ Roll shows where you have a ringing in your ears for weeks. The one word that stayed in my mind from the entire experience was tasteful, Death Cab is always tasteful. Not even a two-drummer drum solo got out of hand, their lights only added to the atmosphere of City Market and never took away, they sounded exactly like you would hope they would, almost as if you were listening to their records at home with your 5,000 closest friends. Don’t get me wrong, they played their hearts out, but it seems as though they have perfected their craft to the point that they know what needs to be done, they know how to keep a crowd enthralled, they know how to appease old fans and new, and most importantly they know when to stop.

Setlist:

I Will Possess Your Heart
Crooked Teeth
We Laugh Indoors
A Movie Script Ending
Doors Unlocked and Open
Long Division
Grapevine Fires
Codes and Keys
What Sarah Said
I Will Follow You into the Dark
Title and Registration
You Are a Tourist
The New Year
President of What?
Company Calls
Some Boys
Soul Meets Body
Cath…
We Looked Like Giants
The Sound of Settling

Encore:
Brothers on a Hotel Bed
Stay Young, Go Dancing
Transatlanticism

Wayne Zimmerman contributed to this review
photos by Casey Osburn

It’s been ages since a new Wilco album has been an event, but The Whole Love is the album we’ve been waiting for since A Ghost is Born.  It’s exciting, refreshing, and a reminder of what this band does best. It’s bookended by two incredible songs, and between those is enough to spend the next few months digesting.

The first song, “Art of Almost” is a string drenched upbeat pop song. It bops along for six minutes before descending into a panic of noise and guitar solos. It’s the perfect beginning to a fantastic record.

At the end of the record is “One Sunday Morning, a mostly acoustic thing that feels short even at twelve minutes. In the song Jeff Tweedy sings about an overly religious father in a manner that is gripping, and a little terrifying. You can feel the truth leaking out of Tweedy’s voice, even while the song is quiet enough that it might be easily missed. It’s a brilliant prayer of a song that reminds us of why exactly we love this band.

In between those two songs we have the most experimental Wilco record in years.  It could be a result of this being the first record on the band’s own label, but that doesn’t really matter.  Songs like “Dawned On Me” and “Rising Red Lung” are incredibly captivating and the record as a whole is highly recommended.

Mutemath has always struck me as overwhelmingly talented for how underwhelmingly popular they are.  They had that awesome backwards music video for “Typical” on MTV quite a few years ago; what happened after that? They seemed to fall off the map completely. Of course that’s according to the average music listener, and I would not consider myself to be the latter. The minute I saw that video I was hooked, and the minute I saw them perform at St. Louis’ Pointfest in September 2007 I was floored. I’ve kept tabs on them ever since and am always speechless after their shows.

Yeah, bands can sound great on their recorded albums, but when a band is better in a live setting… that’s how you know they’re truly talented. And can we talk about drummer Darren King, who quite literally Duct -tapes protective headphones on his ears before he begins a set? And quite literally crowdsurfs on his floor tom? And quite literally destroys his kit at the end of every set the band plays? But I digress. What I’m really trying to say is this: Mutemath is awesome and you should definitely buy this album and a ticket to a show the next time they’re in a city near you.

Mutemath seem to produce music at a slow and steady pace, with Mutemath coming out in 2006, Armistice in 2009, and finally Odd Soul in 2011. There are a couple EPs thrown into the mix, but for the most part the band takes their time. And with good reason, too. There is so much depth to every song they produce. With vocals, guitars, bass and drums, and handfuls of synthy beats and ethereal sounds, the attention to detail is warranted. Odd Soul, in typical Mutemath fashion, starts with heavy distortion, thick bass drum beats and Paul Meany’s screaming, soulful voice. I can imagine The Black Keys being a muse for this album; the bluesy vocals and dark, sexy bass lines are enough to make anyone shake their hips.

“Prytania” is an upbeat rocker repeating the words “loaded gun” and “Blood Pressure” repeats its title to the sounds of slide guitar. Next is “Heads Up.” Are you seeing the pattern here? Mutemath has something to prove with this album and they’re using strong words to do it. “All Or Nothing” showcases a softer side, with the talent of Meany’s haunting falsetto. With less distortion on his voice than usual, this song is a little bit sparse and shows the audience a stripped down, personal side. “Sunray,” an instrumental interlude, breaks the album in two, with the first half being a little more organic and the second more spacey and traditional to the band’s typical sound. “Quarantine” rages on for seven minutes before the album comes to a close at a lengthy fifty minutes with “In No Time.” Just as “Odd Soul” is the perfect opener, “In No Time” is the perfect closer. I’m a firm believer in listening to albums from start to finish, and start to finish only. Odd Soul is an excellent example of why – it fits so brilliantly together. Buy it, listen to it, soak it up, dance around and rock it hard.

http://mutemath.com/ - Be sure to check out the music video for “Blood Pressure.”

Pardon the horrendous pun there.

Friday was quite the evening, running from…well I guess there were only three venues, two of which were two doors down from each other. But regardless, it was definitely a night to remember.

It began at Backspace, where Drew Grow and the Pastor’s Wives started the lineup (which also included The Globes, P.S. I Love You and the Thermals). I would have stayed for the whole night at Backspace, but I’ve seen the Globes and the Thermals several times, and had no wish to see P.S. I Love You.

But Drew Grow and the Pastor’s Wives were perfect. This small venue (which is a cafe before anything else) filled comfortably while there was still some light in the sky. The stage was barely elevated, making the crowd literally face to face with the band, and much more intimate. I wish the set had been longer, because it felt like it was just getting to the really good part when they finished the set. But really, the whole set was the good part – the giant intense gospel-tinged folk rock. Don’t be fooled by the “gospel” and “folk” in that sentence though, Drew Grow and the Pastor’s Wives are still pretty darn heavy – so much so that you can feel it from your throat to the soles of your feet.

After their set, I looked at my schedule for the address to the next venue – the Someday Lounge. And lo and behold – I stepped out the door, looked to my left, and there it was two doors down from Backspace. I had to walk but maybe 50 feet. Maybe.

This place had a completely different energy – it was darker and more quiet, and a bit smellier. I’d gone there to see the Music Tapes, a.k.a. Julian Koster, of the Elephant 6 Collective (also see Neutral Milk Hotel, Olivia Tremor Control, the Apples in Stereo). I’d seen the Music Tapes as part of an Elephant 6 Collective show back in March at the Vera Project in Seattle, and he was by far the most memorable and more charismatic of the group (sadly Jeff Mangum didn’t show up to that). So I had to take advantage of the chance to see Julian Koster again.

I’ll just say this – he played a saw with a violin bow. And there was a 7-foot metronome. Enough said.

After the first half of the Music Tapes’ set, I had to skip out to make it across town to the Doug Fir, where I’d be spending the rest of my evening.

It’s not like it’s a long drive, but on Portland roads, if you get turned around or don’t find parking right away, it can take awhile.

I was hoping I’d make it for the last bit of Pickwick’s opening set, but I was too late, sad to say.

However, I did get a nice surprise.

I knew absolutely nothing about the next band to play, Lost Lander. So I used my trusty Google phone to dig up some dirt on this band. It turned out that it was a project of songwriter Matt Sheehy and none other than ex-Menomenaut Brent Knopf. So they had to be good.

I thought at first after reading about Lost Lander that Knopf was merely a producer and he worked on recording the album with Sheehy, but as I was standing up in front of the stage of the Doug Fir with some new friends, I look to my right and there is Brent Knopf. Naturally, I had a little bit of a fangirl moment. You see, I saw Menomena at last year’s Musicfest Northwest, and it was the greatest show of the festival – maybe of the year. When I found out that Knopf was leaving the band in January, I basically cried. So now that I was seeing Knopf again at Musicfest, I was overjoyed, even if it wasn’t with Menomena.

Lost Lander’s set was awesome, and not just because Knopf was in the back corner. It was one of my favorite shows of the whole festival.

After I was thoroughly pleased, AgesandAges took the stage for their exuberant set. Seriously, they were dancing all over the place, and I couldn’t help be dance and sing along, even though I didn’t really know any of their songs. The Portland natives certainly played to their hometown, because the whole crowd was rocking.

I enjoyed their set so much that I didn’t even care so much that they started 25 minutes late. But once they were done I realized that it was after midnight, when Givers were supposed to start at midnight. The time was starting to catch up with me.

But I didn’t care, because Givers was the band I’d been waiting to see all weekend, and the reason I’d stayed at the Doug Fir all night without switching venues. I wasn’t about to leave and come back, risking the venue filling up.

It was 12:40 by the time the Lafayette, Louisiana natives took the stage, and I loved every minute of it until 2 a.m. when guitarist Taylor Guarisco had to literally tell the crowd to shut up because the Doug Fir was kicking us all out.

I thought AgesandAges brought the energy. Pfft, they were good, but nothing compared to Givers. I don’t know where this band gets all their positive and joyful energy. It’s infectious, and with great songs like “Up Up Up” and “In My Eyes,” you can’t go wrong, even at 1 a.m.

Since I’d run into Guarisco at the Sasquatch Festival back in May, he recognized me at Musicfest as well, so we chatted a bit after the show, at 2:30 a.m., because sleep is overrated. It was nice making a reconnection with a band, and when it’s a band that charming, with that much talent, and that close to hitting it big, it made me feel that much better.

Well done guys, well done.

So I’d say Friday was a success, wouldn’t you? I mean, I don’t regret staying up until 3:00 a.m., and that says something.

For more photos from Friday, visit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/abbigshmail/sets/72157627636436068/

This was perhaps the busiest Thursday night I’d ever experienced. I went to four different venues within Portland and saw six bands.

Let’s get this started, shall we?

I ventured to the Wonder Ballroom, which sits in the middle of a suburban neighborhood, for headliners Brand New. However, I’d completely forgotten that the Joy Formidable was opening for them, but I’m thankful I got there as early as I did, because the Joy Formidable rocked my socks off. I mean seriously. I’d only heard one of their songs before this show, and I was an instant fan. This was the afternoon that I realized that the girl rockers were back. By the end of the festival, I noticed that only three of the bands didn’t have girls playing with them.

Ritzy Bryan is a fierce front woman, even though she stands about 5’3” in heels. Rhydian Dafydd (and that’s a Welsh name, so I guarantee ‘Dafydd’ isn’t pronounced that way) sweat through his shirt by the middle of the set, but then again it was at least 90 degrees in there.

This is a band to watch. I’m sure of it.

To be honest, after the Joy Formidable’s set, Brand New wasn’t all that special for me. It was nice to see a band that I’ve liked (on and off) since I was 13, but after the first three or four songs I was satisfied. I’m not big on too much screaming anymore like I was when I was in junior high, but Brand New put on a show worthy of 90-degree weather, from what I caught.

Thankfully the next venue I went to had air conditioning – the Doug Fir. I can’t tell you how much I love that place. It is comfortable, roomy, the food is good, there is free water, the bathrooms are relatively clean, and that places gets some amazing bands. And as well as a music venue and restaurant upstairs – the Doug Fir is also connected to a hotel, the Jupiter. Oh and did I mention that there is free street parking? Yeah, I love this venue.

On this particular evening, I went to the Doug Fir to see Portland’s own Brainstorm, whom I knew absolutely nothing about other than what the MFNW site said, and I was pleasantly surprised with the results. It’s an odd mixture – two well-coifed blonde guys, one on guitar and one on drums and both singing – doing catchy surf rock. Think Surfer Blood but switch out Florida for Portland, and that’s what you get with Brainstorm. Also, a few songs into their set, they brought out a female keyboardist. That’s one more on the list of bands with girls in them!

After Brainstorm was Purity Ring, kind of an inexplicable band. When they started playing I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it or not, but that’s mainly because the lighting was stressing my out trying to get photos. But they were surprisingly polished and unique. Purity Ring consisted of a female vocalist and percussionist and male instrumentalist – and I say instrumentalist because I don’t even know what he was playing. He was beating on a set of pipes that lit up at the end, making different toned with each strike, so I’m not sure what to call it, but I just know it was cool.

I debated staying the entire evening to see Phantogram later that night because the Doug Fir was at capacity, but I had a couple more places I wanted to go.

First was Holocene – a venue I’d never been to – for Twin Sister. I saw this band open for the Morning Benders last year and they were Fantastic with a capital F. I fell in love with their sultry sounds at Neumos, but I was so disappointed with their set at Holocene. I didn’t think my tastes had changed that much in a year, but I just was not feeling their vibe on Thursday. Singer Andrea Estella looked wide-eyed and confused and awkward on stage, and their chillwave melodies were almost too chillwave so the rest of the band was half awake.

So either their set at Musicfest was a fluke or I was on a different wavelength last year. It probably didn’t help my attitude that night that a guy spilled his green minty drink on me. I smelled like toothpaste for the rest of the night.

Since I skipped out on Twin Sister early, I headed over to the Bunk Bar  – another venue I was unfamiliar with – to see one of my hometown heroes Damian Jurado. This guy is one of those Seattle musicians that hovers around open mics and you’ll see him everywhere, and because he is so good you feel a bit starstruck but considering how close the Seattle music scene is, you feel sort of silly acting starstruck. The Bunk Bar is a small bar with absolutely no light, but a friendly vibe and a great view from the outside window. It was especially awesome when several members of Seattle’s Pickwick and Sharon Van Etten walked in. That’s one thing that I really love about Musicfest Northwest – you’ll see one band at a different band’s set, like it’s a completely normal thing. But I guess in a city like Portland, that is a normal thing.