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

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

Explosions in the Sky played the Uptown Theater in Kansas City October 12. If you tell someone you saw or are going to see them, the initial reaction falls two ways: “What’s that?” or “I’m so jealous!” Whether you enjoy them while studying for an exam, working on a project, or baking a Mexican casserole, many would agree they are the perfect music to put on at track one and let it roll through the album and on to the next. Some would say EITS made the soundtrack to their life.

Their style and album structure is the emotional swing of an early twenties college student vacillating between stress and euphoria, darkness and excellentness. Attending their concert is not unlike going to a symphony. The music is fully instrumental with movement and smart development.

Their arrival to the stage was welcomed by applauding hipsters, yuppies, stoners, older professionals, and those who are all of the above. Plenty of plaid in the front. People relaxing in theatre seating in the back. They elected to start off slowly, which shouldn’t surprise anyone familiar with their discography. This was a production. A totally mind-altering experience for someone who hasn’t seen them live before.

After a clean intro, the hammer dropped with a bass hit and bright lights for just a beat, like a tease to the tension developing in the eager crowd. Then another and another. Finally they let loose. Some kid behind the rail started playing vicious air drums to the beat of the chemicals firing around in his head. Photographing nearby, I feared the worst for my equipment. This kid was somewhere else mentally, finally getting to release himself with his favorite band just feet away, loving every moment like the rest of the audience.

I still have a hard time believing I saw these people perform in real life. Most of the concert was spent building slowly with these brief moments of hard sound, covering selected tracks blended together with no dialogue. They played excellent tracks from their album The Earth is Not a Cold Dead Place as well as new pieces with various songs from their catalogue brushed in seamlessly.

Explosions in the Sky do not rely on powerful visual effects, light boards, smoke machines, or other accessories for their performances. They have minor colored backlights to maintain a certain mood, which swings throughout, complimented with timely dissonance, and discourse.

They are fantastic with their audible effects, all done with electric instruments. Screeching, ear piercing, make-you-go-crazy effects create the perfect setting similar to Pink Floyd’s psychedelic works, none-without peace and extremely clean, smart sound in between. Maybe this is a draw for those who enjoy their music to the fullest, the purists. EITS are a set of musicians and not some kid with a mac, cranking out glitchy effects developed from some binary code freak (Not to knock the style. It simply wouldn’t fit in this genre of instrumental music).

One interesting thing, maybe disappointing, was the difference in crowd’s ideas of when songs and movements started and ended. Since their concert is more of a performance, there are no starting and stopping points. They played straight through for around an hour and a half. People would shout to hear their own voice in the quiet sets, leaving people who know what’s coming to cringe. I would have liked a more polite crowd. Let the sound do its job. Enjoy what they’re doing and know when it’s right to yell and clap your hands red.

The crowd didn’t destroy anything ultimately for me or the people I sat in the back with. MC Ebony ‘Left E. Grove’ Simon attended, and, for him, the peak of the show hit on the drop-in of Greet Death, the opening track from their dark album Those Who Tell the Truth… He knows music well and is a fellow EITS fanatic. Greet Death is a moving, pressing piece with extremely dark tones. It certainly may have been the turning point in the concert, leaving the serenity of slower tracks behind.

I do disagree with him on the peaking moment. The concert built on itself. The way they started quiet and teased with bass hits, hard guitar sounds, and loud dissonance, the set compilation built and teased until the end. They built up a finale with beautiful repetition, getting louder and louder and louder and then, pow! Fade. “Thank you very much. That’s our show.” No encore.

I cracked a great smile. Some people watching around me said it was very strange to not have an encore. I think encores are turning into really predictable, planned events. I admit I hadn’t seen a show without the headliner playing one and was surprised as well, but I was so elated they didn’t. An encore wouldn’t make sense.

The tension constructed over the entire performance until the beautiful peak. Just like a fireworks display. Just like any of their albums. You don’t want to see a bottle rocket go off after a hundred grand worth of gunpowder and various elements explode above you. They compiled tracks from different albums, but played them together as one great, seamless piece. No reason to regress. They did what they came to do. Their work was done. The venue lit up. Everyone was smiling.

Review and photos by Mitch Favrow

Neon Indian visited Kansas City’s Recordbar on Tuesday. Although it was originally booked for Wednesday, the last minute change didn’t seem to deter any fans from coming out to the show.

It was a hot, sticky, cheap drink kind of night. Though a good majority of the, sold out, 18 and over crowd didn’t partake in that last part.

Purity Ring took the stage at 9:30. An hour late, rumored to be due to a very lengthy soundcheck by the headlining band. The bar was dark and quiet as the layers of deep, rich synth created a long swelling intro. Soon this was interrupted by a dry electric drum beat and the night had begun.

The Canadian band fronted by Megan James was a very a pleasant marriage of avant-garde, artsy, electronic music and a more mainstream, pop oriented sound. Their set was made even more impressive by the neon colored banner hung behind them and a creative DIY light show. The audience responded enthusiastically after almost every number. Sometimes playful, sometimes dramatic, this opening act toed the line very well.

Up next was Com Truise, DJ Seth Haley from New Jersey who used a live drummer in his set.

“What’s up Kansas City?” Haley quietly murmured, and then received a deafening response of hoots and hollers. The crowd was obviously getting excited at this point. I spied a few glow sticks light up around the room. Haley asked for the stage lights to be turned off and Com Truise’s set began.

The music was much more static and had less structure than that of the opening act’s. The set went from song to song smoothly creating a kind of trance-like moosh of beats and synth. But the dance-happy crowd didn’t seem to mind the repetition. Just before people were danced out Com Truise thanked Kansas City and ended his set with a hard-hitting, fuzzed out closer.

Finally, it was time to see what Neon Indian had to contribute to the evening. Some more delays during stage set up and a rather lengthy line check from the band only heightened the intense anticipation. When the music finally hit it was crisp, clean, and refreshing. Neon Indian are a very bold kind of electronic band. Instead of hiding the music in dark, muddy synth (much like the first two acts did) they let the melodies cut through with a bright clean tone. This sound is backed up by a very precise drummer and an energetic, bubbly frontman.

The leader of the band is Alan Palomo. He seems reserved and maybe even a bit shy at first, but on stage in the middle of a set he is in his element. Palomo is a confident and capable musician and frontman. And as a team the band is unstoppable.

The music is undeniably catchy, with keyboard melodies that continue until you simply can’t live without them. Though Neon Indian doesn’t quite offer everything to your standard radio listener they were by far the most mainstream and instantly likable act of the night. This is due to the simple structure of their songs and the repetition of the finely honed, catchy melodies. This is what 90% of the sold out crowd wanted and expected. An audience that Palomo called “the most insane crowd on tour.”

Near the end of the set Palomo admitted that, in the middle of their tour, he had lost track of which day of the week it was. So, he simply dubbed it “full moon day” and with that the band continued to work the crowd into a frenzy. When it was time for an encore the frontman graciously skipped over any more build up saying, “Usually this is where we leave the stage and try to act inconspicuous….But we just want to play another fucking song for you guys!” That song was “Heart: Decay”, from their newest album, and it was a solid song to close the set.

If you are a follower of the Kanas City music scene then you have probably been to Recordbar more times than you can count. Recordbar has established itself as one of the best venues for local and regional acts in the city. On this night, however, the venue was put in the position to show it’s true potential. It wasn’t a local bar crowd. This band brought these fans out. This big event shows that Record Bar is an elite music venue that has so much to offer the Kansas City music scene and music fans around the midwest.

Talking to Alan Palomo after his set I was able to ask him what he thought of the Kansas City fans and the venue. He responded with a big smile and said that the turn out was more than they had hoped for and called the night “awesome.” For Kansas City and Recordbar it was an awesome night that will hopefully land even bigger acts and bring more concert goers out in the future.

Review written by Mat Shoare

Thrice has always been a band full of surprises, with each album sounding radically different from the one before it. Just when you think you have their sound pinned down and figured out, they find a way to go above and beyond your expectations. While their bold shifts in style may have alienated a handful of fans, if you’ve stuck around over the last decade it’s something to marvel at. Their early work is more punk while Vheissu takes an experimental turn. And then there’s The Alchemy Index, a rather lofty project that in my opinion is a true showcase of the band’s talent and one of my favorites. Beggars just didn’t do it for me and seemed rather forgettable, so I was really excited to see what the band would come up with next.

Major/Minor not only met my expectations but exceeded them. It feels like a natural follow up of all their releases to date and they may have finally settled into a comfortable sound. “Settling” and “comfortable” can be negative descriptors when it comes to bands and new albums, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth in this case. This album is cohesive and strong and is an excellent culmination of all their albums thus far. Thrice has found a sound they like and are going steam ahead with it. Better get on the train before you’re left behind.

“Yellow Belly” is a heavy, grungy opener and I can’t get enough of it. What a great way to start an album. Tell me your head isn’t bobbing and I’ll have to call you a liar. Lead singer Dustin Kensrue’s gritty vocals command attention and right off the bat it’s intensity from here on out. The grunge theme manifests itself throughout the album, particularly on “Blinded” and “Cataracts.” We get a taste of their softer side in the first half of “Call it in the Air” which is reminscent of their experiments with Air and Water of The Alchemy Index and it finishes strong and dark with nods to Fire. “Anthology” by far is the real gem of this album. It’s completely different from what we’ve heard from Thrice before as it has clear emo guitars and a post-rock feel. “Disarmed” closes the album nicely on a calmer note with choir-like vocals and melancholy guitars fading into silence. Clocking in at forty-eight minutes with most songs in the five to six minute range, it sounds like a dense piece of work, but it flies by once you put those headphones on.

Thrice seems to have found their sound and I dig it. With a soft spot in my heart for The Alchemy Index and a nostalgic spot for Artist in the Ambulance, I can definitely find room for Major/Minor‘s stellar achievements in sound.

Track list:

1. Yellow Belly
2. Promises
3. Blinded
4. Cataracts
5. Call It In The Air
6. Treading Paper
7. Blur
8. Words In The Water
9. Listen Through Me
10. Anthology
11. Disarmed

www.thrice.net 

I anticipated for Bumbershoot to be crowded on Sunday, since for some reason the days where hip-hop artists headline the place fills up like the community pool in 100-degree weather. Thankfully we didn’t have 100-degree weather on this particular Sunday, but oh lord was it crowded.

My first stop of the day – after getting an iced coffee to both cool and down and warm me up – was the Fisher Green stage for Mad Rad, whom I saw part of their set at Sasquatch, but didn’t get the full effect. This Seattle band is absolutely everywhere – Sasquatch, Capital Hill Block Party, Bumbershoot, Musicfest Northwest, City Arts Fest – it’s crazy. But it’s well-deserved, because even if their albums and EPs and singles are hard to come by, you don’t even need to know the songs for them to get you pumped. “Party Mountain” and “I Want Your Blood” were definitely the two most well-received songs of the set. The band was full of an exorbitant amount of energy and it was still early in the day!

After that I went to my new favourite stage the Fountain Lawn stage for San Francisco’s Thee Oh Sees. This was one of two bands that day that I had no prior knowledge of, and I was thoroughly impressed. Frontman John Dwyer jumped around the stage, licking his guitar and shouting out lyrics all while keeping the crowd engaged for this early afternoon punk show. An odd juxtaposition, I know.

Next was Portland’s AgesandAges at the EMP Level 3 stage, which was a perfect small venue for them since the crowd that day was overwhelmingly hip-hop fans. I couldn’t stay for too long for the Portland indie pop band, but what I saw I liked.

The rest of my evening was a bit of a blur, as I was running from stage to stage at a lightning pace (not really, but roll with me here). Tennis was at the Fountain Lawn stage, who were good, but I would have sadly forgotten had I not taken photos of them.

Then I ran over to Fisher Green, really looking forward to Das Racist’s set because they were so good at Sasquatch, but I was sorely disappointed. After what seemed like a ten-minute DJ intro, the trio took the stage, lackadaisical and possibly drunk, and they didn’t even seem like they wanted to be there. It saddened me because I knew a friend that came to Bumbershoot for the first time partly just to see Das Racist, and they let her down. I don’t know if it was because it was early in the day, if they hadn’t had much sleep, or just because the new songs suck, but I wish I hadn’t made time in my schedule to see them.

Thankfully my mood was uplifted when I caught the Lonely Forest’s acoustic set at the Free Yr Radio stage. I was too late that day to see their performance at the main stage, but I’ve seen them oh….at least 6 times so I figured it was okay. That band is seriously the warmest and most likeable band around. I can never say anything bad about the Lonely Forest, because they rock. Even in an acoustic setting when a borrowed guitar craps out.

As the afternoon sun started to take its toll and the line for the main stage grew and grew – wait, I’ll backtrack for a second. By the mid/late afternoon, the line for the Key Arena wrapped all the way around it and down the main walkway in the middle of the Seattle Center. I hadn’t realized that many people were there to see Macklemore (or Wiz Khalifa). I mean, Macklemore deserves all the attention that he gets, but wow.

Okay, back to the present. Warpaint was next on my list, and they blew my expectations out of the water. When you hear them on record it’s not music that you would think played out well in a live venue, but these girls – for the lack of a better term – shredded. I wish I’d seen them when they opened for The xx last year, and I’m hoping they’ll come back at some point this year. It’s always nice to see an all-girl group rocking harder than their male counterparts.

I made a quick pit stop to see my favourite new white soul singer in Seattle – Allen Stone at the EMP Level 3 stage. Seriously, this guy is amazing. He doesn’t even have a full-length album out and was already featured in USA Today. Completely unassuming in his appearance, Stone is like Ray Lamontagne on spicy steroids. This guy, I can tell you, is going places.

I wasn’t planning on venturing into the black hole of teenagers that was the main stage at this point, but I figured I’d try to see Macklemore, because his set at Sasquatch was so grand and he’s such a nice guy. Thankfullyy I did, because I have never seen the Key Arena this crowded, and this full of life. It was magical, seeing all these (mostly) teenagers so excited about this local artist who isn’t even on a label yet. I’m sure after this month though, Macklemore will have labels lining up at his door. I could tell that it was mostly teenagers when Macklemore started out his song “Crew Cuts,” which is all about the 80s. He shouted out to the crowd asking who was born in the 70s (like 10), who was born in the 80s (maybe about a third of the room), and who was born in the 90s (the entire place exploded with sound). It made me feel old, and I was born in 1989. My favourite moment of the night came when he did “My Oh My,” the love song to the Seattle and Dave Niehaus, and the whole room lit up with lighters. Like at Sasquatch but even more so, it made me tear up just a little. Later on Macklemore’s Twitter page, he proclaimed that the evening’s performance at the Key Arena was a “dream come true.” I can see why.

Apologies for the slow updates, but I will have Monday’s post up tomorrow. I’ve been running around Portland for two days for Musicfest Northwest – and you can look forward to those posts coming next week.

To see the full set of photos from Sunday, go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/abbigshmail/sets/72157627594039780/

I’m always one for hop-hop shows. The energy is high with heavy bass and a sea of people who know how to get down and dirty. And I mean, if nothing else, it’s a great place to people watch. Thursday night’s show of The Cool Kids at the Granada Theater in Lawrence did not let me down with the large crowd and not to mention the killer performance. Kansas City – based publication Ink Magazine hosted The Cool Kids concert and brought in local rap artists Gee Watts, Atilla, Ebony Tusks, and Greg Enemy to open for the nationally known group.

Earlier in the evening I stopped by White Chocolate Skateboards (933 Mass St. Lawrence, KS) for a meet and greet with The Cool Kids. Surprisingly there weren’t very many people there, but I had no problem meeting Mikey Rocks and Chuck Inglish. They were both very friendly and seemed to enjoy talking to their fans. To promote their first full-length album When Fish Ride Bicycles, which released July 12^th of this summer, signed posters, stickers, fish gummy candies, and key chains were in abundance to give away. The Cool Kids also hosted a raffle for a skateboard deck with their album artwork on the underside.

Several hours later, I was ready to get to The Granada and get my dance on. When I arrived the line was out the door to get in, which is never fun. To my surprise the line went by fast with nice, helpful door-guys. Everyone inside was decked out in fresh kicks, crisp hats, and the latest designer tees the repped their favorite labels. The bars were backed up with people, so I figured it wasn’t worth the wait for a gin and tonic. The venue’s energy was high while everyone waited for Gee Watts to open the night.

Gee Watts did a great job setting the mood for the rest of the night with catchy bass lines and several friends rapping alongside him. Based out of Kansas City, MO Gee Watts had a decent following that showed up to the Granada to show the love. Kansas City hip-hop/funk artist Atilla performed afterwards with a good sized following as well. His soul/funk infused beats got the crowd swaying and moving during his set.

Lawrence-based rapper Ebony Tusks involved the crowd in his set with callbacks and hand swaying, which was a sight to see. Hyped on the crowd’s energy, Ebony Tusks was all over the stage engaging with his fans. He definitely held a presence on stage that was a force to be reckoned with.

Capping off the set of openers was Kansas City rapper Greg Enemy. Known for his hit song Fly Ass Glasses Greg has a decent following throughout the Lawrence and Kansas City area. Greg sat poised and relaxed on a stool for half of his set, then engaged with the crowd for the rest. At the end of his set, fellow rappers and supporters stormed the stage while Greg Enemy crowd surfed, making a great end to the opening artists.

By the time The Cool Kids stormed the stage, the venue was nearly packed to the brim with a crowd that was clearly excited in anticipation of the headlining set. Mikey Rocks and Chuck Inglish had great chemistry feeding off of each other’s energy, which reflected in the crowd’s energy. Hands were swaying, bodies were moving, and everyone seemed to have a good time. Even the VIP lounge on the balcony was getting down. The Cool Kids performed a good variety of old popular hits, and newer songs off of their new album. Ink Magazine did a fantastic job with the lineup of this show. I think it’s safe to say that from beginning to end, the show was a hit.

This post was written by Rebecca Dreyfus.

Organ Music, Not Vibraphone Like I’d Hoped is a strange and mysterious thing. The latest project from Moonface, or Spencer Krug (Wolf Parade/Sunset rubdown) follows up last year’s Dreamland EP with a collection of avant-garde pop songs. They might not appear to be pop songs on the surface, but once they get under your skin, they won’t let go.

To describe the sound of the album – let’s use Krug’s words, from the press release: “It’s music played with an organ, organ beats, organ beeps and bloops, and some digital drums. Music based on layers and loops, the hypnotizing sound of a Leslie speaker, and the onslaught of melody.”

OK, so where the fuck does that leave us? Well, it’s lyrically dense and completely strange. It’s the least commercial thing Krug has done, but it’s also the best. Once you get past the unexpected sounds of the thing, it’s an album you’ll find yourself humming and singing along to. Oh yes.

Organ Music has five tracks, and it’s just under forty minutes long. With that in mind it’s probably best to examine it from a lyrical perspective, and track by track. So we go.

Track one is “Return To the Violence of the Ocean Floor.” Remember, we’re ignoring the music because it mostly serves as a backdrop, and a melody for Krug’s strangely enchanting obscure mumblings. This song has a great (almost) chorus, and approximately a million great lines, but the song culminates in a list. As Krug sings: “One, we got the spirit, two, we got the music, three, we got the past and four, we got the future.” This brings back to chorus: “And five, we got some kind of lust to return to the violence of the ocean floor.” It might look inane on paper, but against the organ beats, and with repeated listens ,it comes across as a litany, and one not to be ignored.

The next track, “Whale Song,” bellows with a subtle noise.  It aches, as Krug sings: “’’this is a song instead of a kiss.’” and is that the saddest thing to know? No, it’s not the saddest thing to know. “He continues on,  he talks of a pond where a whale will stay, he talks of how there will be a garden, and he seems to urge a lover on. It’s odd and plaintive, but also brimming with hope.

“Fast Peter” is a quicker number, in which Krug seems to be relating the stories told by another friend: “he told me all about it on the balcony when we were high on drugs.” It’s the story of Peter, a girl, and why “he held her up to the heart’s perfect’s light.” Krug questions Peter’s motives, but secretly hopes he succeeds. It’s a tender moment in an album full of tender moments you have to dig for.

After that, “Shit-hawk in the Snow” is probably the densest thing here. It’s almost impossible to discern what Krug is talking about here, but it contains at least one great WTF line “smoking cigarettes like it’s two thousand and three.” It seems to be at it the most basic about a girl, and the reminders of a girl. Krug repeats the mantra “and it will hypnotize you,” and somehow, we’re there. It’s a gradual song, probably the most gradual of the five.

The last song “Loose Heart = Loose Plan” might be the most pop orientated thing here, but it’s just as hard to grasp as the rest. The song is a shout out to and against nostalgia, and the fleeting nature of things. The song’s final verse seems to be a sarcastic coda for the record as a whole. Krug sings “lets  leave the revolution to the revolutionaries” and then “come on, let’s kill individual will.” The song ends with Krug pledging that he will over and over. Is this album revolutionary? God, no. It’s new and exciting, but it’s also the sound of a man doing whatever weird shit comes to his brain.

Even with that, it’s hard not to smirk as Krug endorses the death of the individual self. That might lead one to believe the whole thing is a joke, but that would be a false presumption. This is not Metal Machine Metal. It encourages the listener to come in closer, to put their head against the speaker. Organ Music is full of myths, honesty, lies, and humor. It’s something brand new. It’s not the sound of the future, but something better. It’s the sound of something we’ve never heard before, and might not hear again.