popwreckoning

Top 3 albums of 2011

• The Antlers – Burst Apart
• Company of Thieves – Death of Communication
• Manchester Orchestra – Simple Math

Company of Thieves are one of the best acts to come out of Chicago in the past couple of years and after their initial release of Ordinary Riches, I was hooked. “Indie rock band” is a popular tag these days, but add “female vocalist” and you’ve got something new and exciting. And Genevieve Schatz certainly does not disappoint. She may look like a fragile, pretty thing with her bouncy curls and always creative outfits, but once she belts out a couple notes I guarantee your jaw will be on the floor. She means business.

Their sophomore effort Running from a Gamble starts strong with a short a capella  tune appropriately titled “Intro”; I’d like to think it’s there to give listeners a couple seconds to prepare for the mind-blowing music they’re about to hear. We dive right into “Queen of Hearts,” a song I heard first at Lollapalooza 2010, among other songs the band has played live over the past couple months including “Nothing’s In The Flowers” and “Gorgeous/Grotesque.” Company of Thieves must feel the same way about the aforementioned songs; they’re my favorites on the album and I play them over and over and over and just can’t get enough.

Running from a Gamble, like Ordinary Riches, showcases a full range of subject and emotion. “Queen of Hearts,” “Nothing’s In The Flowers,” and “Tallulah” are light and get your toes tapping. “Death of Communication,” “King of Dreams,” “Gorgeous/Grotesque” and “Won’t Go Quietly” take on weightier topics and Genevieve’s passion boils over in the earnestness of her vocals. Only Genevieve Schatz can sing about a city’s garbage-littered streets and make it sound sexy, as seen in “Gorgeous/Grotesque.” “Won’t Go Quietly” hits me so hard that I feel like the band is playing just for me. The vocals become desperate cries and screams for attention and the quiet hum of guitars and drums in the background increase the tension until you can hardly stand it. “Take Me For A Man” holds the same passion; what a fantastic way to wrap up an album. Company of Thieves perfectly craft tension and release it into their songs. They’re masters at digging deep into not only their own souls, but into their audiences’ as well. If you’re looking for fierce passion and soul, look no further.

If you’ve never seen Company of Thieves live, I can’t recommend it highly enough. Marc absolutely shreds on guitar and is a pleasure to watch; Genevieve is one of the most awe-inspiring lead singers, you can’t look away. She dances, stomps around, bangs on her tambourine and belts the most unbelievable notes from her chest. Go see a show. Thank me later.

Track Listing:

1 Intro
2 Queen of Hearts
3 Modern Waste
4 Look Both Ways
5 Never Come Back
6 Nothing’s In The Flowers
7 Death Of Communication
8 King Of Dreams
9 Gorgeous/Grotesque
10 Syrup
11 Tallulah
12 Won’t Go Quietly

Sunday nature battled itself giving us both the coldest and hottest day of Lollapalooza. But there was still music to be heard! So a poncho-packed crowd stumbled through the mud to start their day dancing to “USA Boys,” with HEALTH. As the guys thrashed about the stage with the guitar-driven dance rock, my only thought was that they should have had one of the prime evening spots like similar acts in Cut Copy and Hot Chip. I couldn’t believe they were stuck in one of the earliest sets of the day. Not with how good they are and how popular I thought they were. I’m sure everyone has at least heard one of their remixes at one time or another.

I picked my way past puddles to Perry’s where Team Bayside High was getting ready for their DJ set. I have to give the kids at Perry’s props: the rain seemed to peak during this set, but it didn’t kill their dance buzz for a second. It helped that the DJ duo in Team Bayside High really knew how to interact with the crowd and get them amped up. There wasn’t a single mix that they played that slowed them down too much or killed the mood. As they smoothly went from Franz Ferdinand to a Mario theme, I could see why these guys were asked to play a permanent residence at Rehab in Chicago: they were diverse and fun. For a special treat at the end of their set, Moneypenny‘s Jess joined them to sing her part live on their new single “Party Professionals.” You can actually download the track free at Team Bayside’s site. (We also did an interview with Team Bayside High, so check back to PopWreckoning soon for more from these guys.)

Having seen many of the next acts several times before, I walked past Company of Thieves as their female singer belted out Oscar Wilde refrences, past the Dodos’ percussion heavy set that features a bowed vibraphone and ended up at the Hard Rock Hotel for lunch.

The place was more packed than it had been for the entire weekend. I set off to to investigate what was going on. Turns out one of the larger lobbys had been completely closed off as a “special VIP” had requested privacy while getting a new tattoo. So I went into the cafe to eat and enjoy some hip hop music from Chiddy Bang. Hip hop isn’t usually my thing because I’m a lyric gal and often times the lyrics are offensive, dumb or just downright vulgar. I didn’t have this problem with Chiddy Bang and actually found it witty. I particularly liked that there was a live drummer and not just pre-recorded backing tracks for the performance.

After the performance, I ventured back up to the closed lounge, which was still closed. I was about to ask a girl standing next to me if she knew what was going on, but a beefy, tall man ushered her out of the lobby just as I opened my mouth. Turns out that girl was Hayden Panettiere – you know, from Heroes, Remember the Titans, etc? And it also turns out that she was the “special VIP” who had shut down the room for her new tatt. I guess the cast of Scream 4 had come down to Lolla from filming in Michigan. A part of me wishes I had realized who she was sooner, but I’m also glad I didn’t. That’s kind of the cool thing about Lolla. Actors and musicians are just walking around. You never know who you’re going to rub shoulders with, but at that fest, we’re all equals. We’re all music lovers.

So, since I am such a big music lover, it was time to take my leave of the Hard Rock and head back to the fest for some more bands. Only this time, instead of walking back, I took the Vitamin Water Bus back. This was kind of a cool thing set up where you could relax, rehydrate and enjoy some DJ music going back and forth between the Hard Rock and the fest. I wish I had thought to use it sooner!

I continued my love of watching bands that make you dance by checking out Hockey, who started with “Song Away,” played a few new songs before amping people up with “Work” and “Too Fake.” This set was a lot tighter than their technical-difficulty filled set from the year before. After that I went over to Yeasayer.

If you should know anything about me, it’s that I’m always feeling Yeasayer: multiple vocals, big guitars, lots of synth and even bigger drums. Plus you can dance! What’s not to love? “O.N.E.” got people to stand up and dance through a majority of the set, but it was really “Ambling Alp,” that drove home their awesomeness as a set closer. As I turned to watched MUTEMATH on a neighboring stage, I couldn’t help, but feel a bit bored after the great set that Yeasayer had just delivered.

Fortunately, Frightened Rabbit restored my faith that there was still awesome after Yeasayer. They’re completely different from that dance rock sound and pretty much straight up indie rock. It’s the cool Scottish accents and sweet harmonies that make this band stand out.

But I couldn’t stay there long. I needed to see the shit show that would be Erykah Badu and a shit show it was. Blonde hair and a hideous green dress that no one in the world could pull off. And let’s be honest – her music is uninspired, so we all just were gathered there to see what she would wear and what diva moves she’d pull. This was a clusterfuck, so I made it as long as I could before heading into media to grab some water.

In media, I got a special treat. Festival founder and lead singer in Jane’s Addiction, Perry Farrell, was making the rounds and greeting people. It was so cool to see the icon acting so down-to-earth, especially with how big his Lolla project has become.

I exited media in time to see a bunch of hair bouncing, hear surprisingly killer vocals yowling and watch as hands whizzed through Zepplin-inspired guitar riffs. This was Wolfmother and this was awesome. No, it isn’t something I’ll listen to the CD over and over for, but it is something I’d watch live again.

From here, it was indie rock hour on the other side of the venue. So I trekked over to see MGMT, The National and my most anticipated: Arcade Fire.

MGMT is one of those acts where I really, really, really love the singles, but feel ho hum about the rest of their music and even their live show. I’ve seen them a few times and was disappointed and bored. I wasn’t expecting much at Lolla, but they completely took me by surprise. I don’t know if people complained enough or what, but they were a changed live band. They talked to the audience, interacted, and offered up spots for the crowd to take over singing duties. They even had a frog puppet! It was bizarre and shockingly fun. And yes, songs from the new album did receive a more lukewarm reaction, but I was reeling from the overall change in the band, that I could care less about that. Nice work, MGMT. Maybe you do deserve your fame.

As people flocked to the National on the neighboring stage, I moved closer to a better a spot for Arcade Fire. Sounds of “Blood Buzz Ohio” buzzed in my ear, and as much as I like the National, it wasn’t long before their music became exactly that: just a buzz. Their songs started to sound the same, but it might have been that I was just antsy for Arcade Fire to start.

Oh, Arcade Fire. You, with your bajillion members and insane amounts of instruments from accordion to violins to brass and more. Can I join your band?

Before the fest, one of my friends tried to insult the Arcade Fire by calling them, “The indie world’s Coldplay.” In other words, they meant the band was wildly popular, but without any real merit. You have to understand, this same friend is driven crazy by Coldplay’s unwillingness to use more than three chords. After seeing them live, I can attest, that Arcade Fire is not overhyped. They deserve all the attention they get.

While fireworks went off for other headliners and light shows blinded, Arcade Fire settled on a simple video backdrop and relied only on their music to dazzle. They fittingly started with “Ready to Start” and from there it was just one great song after another. Everything was tightly performed with jubilation. For a moment, I forget my painful blisters and just let their complex instrumentations swallow me. Fantastic. I couldn’t have asked for a better way to end Lollapalooza 2010. Sorry Soundgarden – Arcade Fire is where it was at this year.

Now who’s ready for 2011?

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Be sure to check out the rest of the Lollapalooza 2010 coverage on PopWreckoning.com. More posts and interviews!

OK Go knows how to define originality and while that is pretty much a given when it comes to their videos, I can officially attest that this quality also applies to their live show.

The dance rockers recently gave Kansas City a special Valentine’s treat – a free concert for the annual Afentra’s VD Party sponsored by 96.5 the Buzz.

This show wasn’t a typical Valentine’s Day affair. There were no heart-shaped balloons nor rose petal and candle decorations. Instead of the sappy romance, the Buzz decked the Midland out as if it were a dating service run out of a Cirilla’s or Dr. John’s shop. Singles were given ID cards, they set up ridiculous games such as condom racing and giant penis inflatables for a cock ring toss, and they made drink specials such as the “Blow Me Brian.”

Though it was a free show for 18 and over, the event quickly “sold out,” meaning the venue reached its roughly 2,500 capacity just after the first opener, the rock/hip hop group Paper Tongues finished playing. The trio in the Crash Kings had the privilege of playing to a full house early in the night, a rarity at events such as this where most usually wait to show up just in time for the headliner. This is a group that seems like it would have been yet another one of the genius side projects cooked up by Jack White and they played as if they had the years of stage experience that White carries. Crash Kings weren’t intimidated by the crowd and quickly captured the attention for all with their vocally-driven rock tunes. The instrumentation was light in arrangement, but executed with great skill. Though only three in number, the group found fullness with the typical instruments (guitar, drums) and with the aid of a few tricks such as a whammy bar (yes, a whammy bar) on the keyboard. Ending out with current radio single “Mountain Men,” Crash Kings played a strong and memorable set that ensured Kansas City knew why they are the “kings.”

Buzz show favorites Company of Thieves took to the stage next. The indie rockers that sing of pop culture and authors have played many shows for 96.5 the Buzz in Kansas City, so their set was a familiar one. The audience knew when to clap and sing and even dance – at times even mimicking the frontwoman’s trademark windmill arm dance move. CoT did play a few new songs, but despite the change ups, the performance was lackluster compared to what they’ve done for KC in the past. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t mind blowing either: the main fault being that their songs have a tendency to blend and that the vocals were getting muffled in the mix hitting the house.

When Ok Go walked on stage to begin their set, the simple entrance was a modest understatement to the bigness that was to come. The guys apologized if they seemed tired after flying to KC following a 4 a.m. work session for their second video to “This Too Shall Pass” (they still had paint splatters on their shoes from the shoot), but apologies were unnecessary. As stated earlier, this band is the definition of original and they quickly showed that despite this modest start, their live show would be just as unique as their videos. As a giant homage to their videos, the main set piece was a video screen that sometimes showed wallpaper patterns, but for the most part showed the video angle from a camera attached to singer Damian Kulash‘s microphone. The ridiculous camera angles made a fun backdrop as Kulash danced with microphone singing “White Knuckles” and “Get Over It” to get the show started.

Unsurprisingly, the audience roared with excitement when the band hit their stride and performed “Here It Goes Again,” which holds its own live without antics. It’s a well-crafted song: great guitar riffs, nice beat, great vocal harmonies, so the audience praise is deserved.

The first half of OK Go’s performance was about proving that they were a quality band without the gimmicks. With “Here It Goes Again,” they had confirmed with their near flawless performance that they are musicians first. After that the band seemed more content throwing in their personal flairs.

“I live in the future and tomorrow is Sunday. So, we thought we’d play the instrument that God, himself, invented: the hand bells,” said singer Damian Kulash as a the rest of the guys carried a large table draped in red cloth and covered in a full set of hand bells to the front center of the stage. “You need OK Go to save you.”

Now while it’s questionable if OK Go music can actually save souls, seeing four grown men put on gloves and hold a packed venue’s attention as they played “What to Do” with hand bells is a sort of a miracle and probably made a few souls smile.

After that impressive display, the band played a few more tunes before taking a break before the encore. Now this is what an encore is all about. Picture this: the venue lights are dark, but then, lights come on spelling “OK GO” across the center of the stage. As the opening chords to “WTF?” sound out across the speaker system, the light up letters break apart and it is revealed to be the backside of the jackets of the individual band members as the guys swivel to face the audience. The fun light display doesn’t stop there though, as the guitars and bass are decked out in fuzz, lasers and a neon light outline. As the guys danced playing their instruments, they made the lights dance on the walls and in turn, made the audience dance all the more.

The final song of the night said it all. These guys are “Invincible” when it comes to fresh ideas and a great live show.

Set List:
White Knuckles
Get Over It
Shortly Before the End
I Want You So Bad I Can’t Breathe
Oh Lately It’s So Quiet
Don’t Ask Me
Here it Goes Again
What To Do (Hand bells)
Last Leaf
This Too Shall Pass
Do What You Want
///
WTF?
Invincible

Every year I look forward to Halloween. Not because of the candy or the costumes, but because of the concerts. Every major city has a special show of some sort and you it is a pretty safe bet that the bands at that show will do something special. Thus was the case with the free Kansas City Power and Light Concert.

Opening act Company of Thieves showed Kansas City their love by dressing as characters from the popular story set in Kansas: The Wizard of Oz. They outfits were fun, so we’ll forgive them the usual “But we’re in Missouri, not Kansas” speech that so many bands passing through KC get and just appreciate their tribute. They got really into the costumes and singer Genevieve Schatz made comments, “I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore” and “There’s no place like home,” in between songs. At one point, they even morphed one of their tunes into a cover of “Somewhere over the Rainbow.”

They were so much fun and so good. Each musician in the band had such amazing skills that I felt guilty that Genevieve’s powerful vocals commanded so much of my attention. I didn’t want to neglect focusing on anyone. The audience was dancing and while I don’t think many knew the words to songs outside of the popular radio single “Oscar Wilde,” everybody got really into this set. I must admit that after finally seeing Company of Thieves, I might have a new favorite band and a slight girl crush on Schatz. Their recorded album does not do their live show justice.

As far as I was concerned, the next act, Our Lady Peace was the evening’s headliners. There was some actual confusion about this. A local, but major band Pomeroy had the last play slot, but this seemed to be marketed as an Our Lady Peace concert. It was unfortunate because I think some people would have come out earlier had they known the line up. Although, there was still a very formidably sized crowd for the openers filled with your normal person, robots, swine flu characters and like 30 dancing penguins.

The Canadian alternative rockers in Our Lady Peace missed the memo that you were supposed to dress up on Halloween, but they still got the memo on bringing treats. Aside from a full set that surprised me with how many singles they have had over the years that I knew and knew well, they ended with a very special treat. When it approached time for the last number, “Starseed,” a special Kansas City area artist joined them on stage. David Cook of American Idol fame joined in on vocals. As if that wasn’t enough of a treat, the Company of Thieves crew ran back out and danced and jammed.

So while knowing when Our Lady Peace was scheduled to play was tricky, for those who were there got this special treat:

Our Lady Peace: website | myspace | @ troubador | interview with: Jeremy Taggart