I’m personally digging the Morning Benders’ slowed-down angelic take on the garage rock hit. It’s like they threw the song to the west coast, put it at 70% speed, and slapped on some synthesizer. What do you think?
Thursday night at the sold-out 9:30 Club in Washington was laid out like a three course meal at a fancy restaurant. First up was Springfield, Missouri band Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, whose name has be one of the strangest yet oddly memorable ones ever invented. Their music has a jaunty, peppy vibe and a perfect appetizer to start off the evening. Classic guitar riffs, bouncy melodies, really engaging instrumentation – all you really need or ever want in a good indie pop/rock band, really. (I’ve never understood the appeal of the Morning Benders; Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin is definitely more my thing.) A great example: “Sink/Let It Sway,” which like its name suggests, makes bodies in a crowd sway.
I always find it really cool when band members play musical chairs, and this happened with this band, as the original lead singer switched off with the drummer, who took over bass, while the bass player took over lead vocal and guitar duties. The result: a decidedly harder rock song, so hard that the guy drumming lost a stick in the first few seconds of hitting the skins. Hardcore. Other highlights of their opening set were “All Hail Dracula!” (appropriate for the “Twilight” fans, perhaps?) and the wistful “Pangea.”
Following some crazy techno pumping up the crowd and overexcited Two Door Cinema Club fans chanting “ah-oh-ah-ah-oh” off key, it was time for the first of the two co-headliners. A blinding light show ushered in the Northern Ireland band, but I can forgive them because they were on point their entire set. It was like enjoying the best Indian curry of your life – exciting, sweat-inducing, full of life, like you never wanted the experience to end. Second song in, at the start of “Undercover Martyn,” lead guitarist Sam Halliday flashed a broad smile at us in response to the “we love you Sam!” shouting and I knew it was going to be one stellar show. Earlier that day, lead singer/guitarist Alex Trimble visited one of the Nation’s Capital’s many fine pawn shops and scored a used yet gorgeous Fender for his guitar collection. After introducing the lone brand new song on this tour, “Handshake,” he thanked the 9:30 audience for being part of the first gig of what is sure to be an exciting musical history for his new baby. The new song didn’t disappoint, with its handclaps and intricate guitar lines.
It’s hard to believe that the band admitted to radio personality Tara O. in Ottawa last week that when the band co-headlined with Kitsune labelmates Delphic on a tour of the UK in late 2009, they felt unprepared and under rehearsed compared to the more experienced electronic band from Manchester. The days of Two Door Cinema Club feeling tentative are long gone. Songs like the forthcoming single “What You Know” and the perennial favorite “I Can Talk” resulted in widespread pogo-ing and a sea of arms in the air. Kev Baird‘s relentless bass line in “Come Back Home” proves Two Door does indeed rock out hard, and their sound has definitely won over Washington. The band were quick to show their appreciation for the adulation being given to them, with Baird saying at one point, “my friend told me this is the best venue to play at in the United States. And he was right!” Bring on album #2, guys.
Two Door Cinema Club Set List:
Cigarettes in the Theatre
Undercover Martyn
Hands Off My Cash, Monty
Do You Want It All?
Something Good Can Work
Handshake (new song)
Kids
You’re Not Stubborn
Costume Party
What You Know
Eat That Up, It’s Good for You
Come Back Home
I Can Talk
If Two Door Cinema Club was the entree, then Tokyo Police Club was the cooling dessert at the end of the meal, punctuated with hot fudge and a cherry on top. Funnily enough, one of the more memorable moments that can be attributed to the Canadian band happened before they even stepped foot onstage. I guess Tokyo Police Club are big Tom Jones fans, judging by the incidental music played before their set. “What’s New Pussycat” played on repeat at least four times, and I overheard one person behind me complain to his gigging buddy, “I seriously want to die.” As if someone was listening, “It’s Not Unusual” came out over the PA and everyone around me started singing along in approval.
The crowd reaction for Tokyo Police Club, at least in the beginning, seemed completely the opposite of the one for Two Door. Instead of responding physically, Tokyo’s fans seemed rapt with attention for lead singer/bassist Dave Monks, singing along to their idol. Overall, a much chiller vibe seemed to settle over the crowd. Later on though, “Wait Up (Boots of Danger)” and “Breakneck Speed,” both from last year’s release Champ, went down a treat and upped the energy level back up again. But what was the pièce de résistance? The bands joining forces to do an unexpected encore of the Strokes‘ “Last Nite.” Doesn’t really get better than this on a cold winter’s night in DC, I can assure you.
Tour Dates:
Jan 22 – Trocadero / Philadelphia^&*
Jan 23 – Newport Music Hall / Columbus^&*
Jan 25 – Masquerade / Atlanta^&*
Jan 26 – Crowbar / Tampa^&*
Jan 27 – Social / Orlando^&
Jan 28 – Culture Room / Ft. Lauderdale&*
Jan 29 – Jack Rabbit’s / Jacksonville&*
Jan 31 – Spanish Moon / Baton Rouge&*
Feb 01 – Granada Theater / Dallas&*
Feb 02 – La Zona Rosa / Austin&*
Feb 03 – Warehouse Live / Houston&*
Feb 05 – Exit-In / Nashville&*
Feb 07 – Blue Note / Columbia, MO&*
Feb 10 – Mad Hatter / Covington, KY&*
^with Two Door Cinema Club
& with Tokyo Police Club
*with support from Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin
Tomorrow, Friday, August 6, Lollapalooza kicks off. Here are our recommendations for Friday survival and fun.
Tip 1: Let’s start things off with the weather. Unlike last year, it is supposed to be sunny all weekend! Yay! However, this means it will also be hot, even with the festival being set up next to the lake. So stay HYDRATED. And as awesome as it is, beer is not a means of hydration. WATER is a must. Fortunately, Lollapalooza, does have water stations set up (you can usually find them by port-a-potty areas). So there’s no excuse for not drinking water. And when you’re done with your plastic bottles or cups, make sure you recycle. Lolla has plenty of recycling stations throughout the park.
Another tip: Sleep. Especially tonight (Thursday) because between the actual fest, stuff to do in Chicago, and after shows, you won’t get much sleep the rest of the weekend.
Tip 3: Show up early. Especially on the first day when they have to put wristbands on. If there’s a band you want to see, it will take awhile to get through the check-in and over to the stage, so don’t plan on seeing a 1 p.m. band showing up at 12:50. It isn’t going to happen. There are two entrances to help people get in Grant Park quickly, but it will still take some time. Also, show up early because there are some great bands that start playing really early in the day. Don’t regret missing These United States at 11:15 a.m. because you were still watching TV at your hotel.
Tip 4: RSVP. There are tons of free events going on after the festival. More great bands, free drinks and more fun. But there’s a catch. A lot of them require RSVPs. So plan your post show fun now and double check if you need to RSVP. There’s some good recommendations on free after events here.
Tip 5: Watch bands you’ve never heard of. Look at the schedule. I’m betting you haven’t heard of quite a few of the bands playing, but go check them out. Did you know that just a few years ago, Lady Gaga played one of the smaller stages during the day? No one really knew who she was then, but now she’s headlining! So go discover someone awesome.
PopWreckoning will be at Lollapalooza! We’ll post our reviews, photos and interviews over the next few days here. For more immediate coverage, follow PopWrecker Bethany on Twitter at twitter.com/glowah.
Lollapalooza is an intense experience, but a fun one. Should you manage to find energy after already having spent 12 hours listening to music in downtown Chicago’s Grant Park, then it’d be in your best interest to continue the festivities with official Lollapalooza afterparties.
Friday shows include MGMT, Cut Copy with Dragonette, The Walkmen with Warpaint, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros with Freelance Whales, Wild Beasts, and Rogue Wave with Gamble House.
We’ve geeked out over our love for Miniature Tigers often in the past. And why shouldn’t we? They guys deliver piano pop rock tunes over a driving beat that’s fun, catchy and smart.
This weekend we’re pulling double geeking out duty. We’re geeking out about the “Lost” series finale and the Miniature Tigers. It turns out the band is loves the show. So we’re hosting a concert in celebration of both the celebration and the band.
If you’d like to win a Miniature Tigers Dharma t-shirt, comment before the “Lost” finale extravaganza begins at 6 p.m. CDT on Sunday, May 23 and tell us how you think the show will end (limited to US only). We’ll then pick a winner from the comments and contact you for your t-shirt size. It’s that easy!
Be sure to keep a look out for Miniature Tigers’ new album, Fortress, out July 27 on Modern Art. The record was produced by Chris Chu (of The Morning Benders). They’ll also be going out on tour with Free Energy and releasing a new single with chillwave artists Neon Indian.
Big Echo is fantastic. I’m just going to come right out and say it like it is. I’ve been a Morning Benders fan for about two years now, and I’ve never seen this much growth in a band in this short amount of time. It’s kind of baffling, because none of the members of this Berkeley band are over the age of 24.
A far cry from their youthful and surf-pop debut, 2008’s Talking Through Tin Cans, Big Echo was co-produced by frontman Chris Chu and friend Chris Taylor of Grizzly Bear. Even without knowing that, it’s almost impossible to not recognize Grizzly Bear’s influence on Big Echo, as the Morning Benders utilized a plethora of different percussion instruments and even more prominent layered vocals than their last album. Overall, it all came together in what Chu called a “wall of sound.” There’s no empty space in these songs, filling your ears with heavy bass, majestic strings, trickling piano chords, jazzy vocals and so much percussion it sounds like they recorded drummer Julian Harmon playing at least three different instruments several times. But it’s not overdone. The quartet still managed to keep the refreshing lo-fi sound that they did so well on Talking Through Tin Cans.
No track on the album better exemplifies that fact than the opening song, “Excuses,” which the band recently recorded with a bunch of fellow Bay Area musicians, releasing a video along with it. “Excuses” is nothing short of lovely, even starting off with the less-than-suggestive lyrics of, “you try to taste me, and I taped my tongue to the southern tip of your band.” Chu’s harmonies make for a song that sways beautifully like that awkward first dance. It’s darling, it’s natural, and it makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside (pardon the cliché).
Other standouts include “Promises,” “Cold War (Nice Clean Fight),” “Hand Me Downs,” and “Stitches.” The band released “Promises” several months ago via their website, so this was my first taste of Big Echo, and it was a good foreshadowing. The “wall of sound” mixed with familiar garage rock swagger made for a perfectly balanced (hopefully) first single. “Cold War” is by far the quickest and most upbeat of all the tracks on the album, staying at a keen 1:44 and featuring a toy piano and a driving set of hand claps, and it’s just light enough to catch your breath, metaphorically speaking, in the midst of the heavier songs. With “Hand Me Downs,” you get a great vocal hook – “when we fall, when we fall, when we fall far away,” as well as a strong guitar riff sporadically throughout the 3:46 track, reminding me of Grizzly Bear’s “While You Wait for the Others,” building the sound until the end when it drifts off into pure vocal harmonies.
Vocal harmony is one thing that holds Big Echo together like Mighty Putty, like an underlying pattern in a designer’s spring collection, like a photographer’s watermark. And the Morning Benders had it even before Taylor came on to help produce it, but with his help they’ve polished it into an excellent second album.
When I saw the Morning Benders open for Grizzly Bear back in October, there was one song that I remembered, “Stitches.” I remembered it being soft and slow, with a building intensity matched with Chu’s subtle and easy vocals. Listening to it on the record was exactly how I remembered – as just one of those songs you have to listen to without any distractions so you get all the goosebumps possible.
Honestly, on my first listen of Big Echo, I was very surprised as to how toned-down it was from Talking Through Tin Cans, but it was all part of the Morning Benders natural growth, honing their writing and recording skills. And bringing Taylor on as co-producer wasn’t a bad idea either, seeing that Grizzly Bear’s Veckatimest was one of the highest-rated albums of 2009. Just as well, being one of the highly anticipated albums of early 2010, Big Echo surely delivered on all marks. Remaining youthful without being pretentious, the Morning Benders will hopefully keep going with the two stellar albums in their repertoire.
After major tours in 2009 supporting Grizzly Bear and Girls, indie-pop group the Morning Benders are heading out on their own headlining tour in 2010.
The tour is in support after their sophomore album, Big Echo, due out March 9 on the group’s new label, Rough Trade Records. Tickets for the tour go on-sale this weekend.
Tour Dates:
March 10 – Jonny Brenda’s / Philadelphia
March 11 – The Black Cat / Washington DC
March 12 – Local 506 / Chapel Hill
March 13 – The Drunken Unicorn / Atlanta
March 15 – The Bottletree / Birmingham
March 23 – The Rhythm Room / Phoenix
March 25 – Troubadour / Los Angeles
March 26 – Casbah / San Diego
March 27 – Detroit Bar / Costa Mesa
March 28 – Muddy Waters / Santa Barbara
March 30 – The Independent / San Francisco
April 1 – Holocene / Portland
April 2 – Crocodile Café / Seattle
April 3 – Media Club / Vancouver
April 5 – Club Velour / Provo
April 7 – Hi-Dive / Denver
April 9 – The Vaudeville Mews / Des Moines
April 10 – The Maintenance Shop / Ames, IA
April 11 – Huckleberry’s Pizza – Presented by Daytrotter / Rock Island, IL
April 12 – Schubas Tavern / Chicago
April 14 – The Drake Hotel / Toronto
April 15 – La Sala Rossa / Montreal
April 16 – The Monkey House / Vermont
April 17 – TT The Bear’s / Boston
April 22 – The Mercury Lounge / NYC
The Morning Benders, having just wrapped up a cross-country tour supporting Ra Ra Riot, which followed US Tours with The Kooks and We Are Scientists, are at it once again. This time, in early 2009, they will be hitting up venues across the US (and Canada) on a co-headlining tour with The Submarines, in continued support of their debut album Talking Through Tin Cans, which was released on May 6th, 2008 through +1 Records. The album will be released in the UK on March 2, 2009.
The Submarines are supporting their their sophomore full-length album Honeysuckle Weeks, which received critical acclaim upon its release earlier this year. Over the last six months, songs from the album have appeared in major TV shows like “Gossip Girl”, “Grey’s Anatomy”, “The Hills”, “Privileged” and the music-infused film Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist (where they also landed on the soundtrack). Currently, the track “You, Me and the Bourgeoisie” is being used in the re-vamped iPhone 3G commercial, with album art, artist name and lyrics used to demonstrate the “Shazam” music application on the phone.
On December 5, The Submarines will play their last show of the year in their hometown of Los Angeles at The Echoplex.
Tour Dates:
Jan 30 -Â Detroit Bar / Costa Mesa, Ca.
Feb 01 – Club Congress / Tucson
Feb 03 – Stubb’s BBQ / Austin
Feb 04 – The Pontiac Garage / Dallas
Feb 06 – Drunken Unicorn / Atlanta
Feb 07 -Â Local 506 / Chapel Hill NC
Feb 08 – Black Cat Backstage / Washington DC
Feb 09 – Johnny Brenda’s / Philadelphia
Feb 10 – Mercury Lounge / New York City
Feb 11 – The Bell House / Brooklyn
Feb 13 – Middle East / Boston
Feb 14 - Il Motore / Montreal
Feb 15 – Drake Hotel / Toronto
Feb 17 – Schubas Tavern / Chicago
Feb 18 – Triple Rock Social Club / Minneapolis
Feb 20 – Hi-Dive / Denver
Feb 21 -Â Kilby Court / Salt Lake City
Feb 23 – The Biltmore Cabaret / Vancouver
Feb 24 - Chop Suey / Seattle
Feb 25 – Doug Fir Lounge / Portland
Fleetwood Mac, 1977: original version from Rumours From as early as I can remember I have always loved Fleetwood Mac. Their sound, their music, reading about the torrid love affairs between bandmates and declining marriages that created some of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard. I’m talking pre-Gwen Stefani and Tony Kanal (No Doubt) shit. True love and despair, threats to quit the band, drugs, world-wide tours, managing professionalism in the studio when you literally want to kill the very person you depend on to lace your lyrics with chords. The reasons to quit are trumped by the reasons to stay because although you were driven to new realms of heartbreak, at least you got a hit record (Rumours) out of it all and cemented your place in music history. Not to mention, Stevie Nicks can still say she knew a love that shook her very core and changed her life forever.
Speaking of despair, while Lindsey Buckingham wrote “Go Your Own Way,” Stevie Nicks wrote “Dreams” as her eight-year love affair with guitarist Buckingham was coming apart at the seams. Once considered a “package deal” when signing on as new members of FM, it seems years later Buckingham wanted his package shipped elsewhere, much to the dismay of both. But they chose to rise above petty break-up feelings and instead channeled their frustration into creating the beautiful song, “Dreams.” It’s somber, it’s sweet, it’s melancholy, it’s uplifting, it’s sad… it basically is the kind of song that encapsulates all the feelings people feel when their heart is breaking. Instead of keying your ex-boyfriend’s car, or spreading Rumours (get it?!), just put this song on in the background and those bad feelings will instantly disappear. I promise.
Letters To Cleo, 1995: from Spirit of ’73: Rock for Choice Much of my adoration for this version stems from the fact that it was the very first “Dreams†cover in my collection. Lead singer Kay Hanleyis such a master of lacing sweetness with just a hint of edge during the chorus when she really begins to grow impatient with her dude’s trifling ways. The soft, jazzy guitars complement her during the tender vocal moments but wailing guitar riffs burst into a bout of heaviness with impeccable timing just as she begins to wax angry. Her vocals are perfect on this track and range from whispery, breathy, angst-ridden, yet sweet as she goes all out or holds back throughout the song.
Much like Hanley’s look in the 1990′s (blonde bombshell locks and ultra-feminine dresses that still manage to show off strategically placed tattoos), she is able to juggle lots of different personalities in her vocal delivery. She’s all girl next door with puppy dog eyes as she sings “it’s only me who wants to wrap around your dreams†that even I have a hard time resisting her pleas to stay and work things out. I especially like the intonation when she starts to string out a little during “have you any dreams you’d like to sell? / dreams of loneliness like a heartbeat / drives you mad.†And this continues when she gets angrier during “players only love you when they’re playing†in a way where she’s already predicting that he’ll be back when he comes to his senses, except it’ll be too late since she will already have come to hers.
The Corrs, 1997: from Talk On Corners If you have a jones for Celtic instruments, upbeat numbers, and top 40 sounds, then this track is for probably for you. Not only is Andrea Corra ridiculously beautiful Irish woman, but she has a lovely voice too (where’s the justice?). Along with some flawless vocal harmony of her equally stunning sisters, they’ve created a danceable number that takes the classic “Dreams†to completely different heights of listening pleasure. This track makes me want to dance around the room, even if I don’t actually get up to do so. Gifted vocalists as well as musicians, I hear a whole mess of piano, guitars, drum beats and violins here. And since this is The Corrs, my instincts tell me someone is probably playing some tin whistle on this track. Andrea changes up the notes to steer their music to a more dance-friendly and happier place, thus venturing pretty far away from the melancholy and bittersweet nature of the original that I love so much. While this makes for a good upbeat number, I’m skeptical how this track fares as a cover because it takes away the beautiful sadness that made the original as good as it is. Readers, you decide.
Cat Power (live): November 1998 I saw Cat Power open up for Interpol last year and was literally counting down the minutes until her set was over. Maybe Madison Square Garden is the wrong venue for her intimate and laid-back vocal performances, but I wasn’t ready to give her the benefit of the doubt just yet. Plus, she’s notorious for songs that start and stop with no real indication of when either is going to occur! I didn’t know whether to boo or applaud, but left realizing I’d eventually want to give her a fair chance and chalk this one up to inappropriate venue selection since she’s received much praise from respectable music sources of mine.
Well, she got her chance. Enter this live “Dreams†cover (wow!) that may as well be titled “Redemption Song†since I am now a believer. This minimalistic, raw, emotive performance is so intimate that I feel like I’m hiding in her bathroom, listening to her sing this in her shower with her acoustic guitar. Her voice, in its most primitive state, is bluesy and jazzy. And I like how I can actually hear every nuance in her intonation, every crack in voice. The sparse guitar only accentuates this slow, stripped-down, and bare-boned version, showcasing breathy vocals that somehow still manage fortitude. Her timing is completely off from the original and she changes Stevie Nicks’ notes completely, creating almost a brand new song that still resonates with the same magic of the original.
The New Pornographers, 2005: live from NYC Supposedly there’s some New Pornographers bootleg out there with a cover of “Dreams†on it, but they played this live version at Webster Hall a few years back and the crowd went nuts the moment that recognizable Fleetwood Mac bass line kicked in. Speaking of, that bass line is so awesome and I’d even be as bold to say it rivals that of David Bowie/Queen’s “Under Pressure.†But I digress…
Holy musical orgasm! Nothing excites me more than hearing one legendary female [Neko Case] covering another female rock goddess [Stevie Nicks] during an impromptu live cover. Case channels the trademark raw sexiness of Nicks so perfectly and does her an incredible amount of justice in this cover. Even the music increases the coolness factor in ways I don’t even feel like writing about because I’d rather just listen to this version again instead. Cool, calm, and unaffected, I like how Case casually laughs in between verses during a performance that plays like a musical “Fuck you, please. I don’t even need you.†And the backup male vocals of “lonely, oooh, ahhh†that tie in with Case’s “when the rain washes you clean, ohhh, you will know†are superb and just make me wonder why I wasn’t there? Damn.
– Snowden, 2006: from Fuel Of The Celebration (remix EP) What the hell is going on here? I’m all for males covering this female empowerment anthem for the irony factor, but at least do it well.Lead singer Jordan Jeffareslends vocals here that are so removed, so strange, so stoic, so foreign I find it hard to believe this band even hails from Atlanta because I had my money on Z-list German electro-rockers aiming for the American musical market. There’s a whole mess of electronic beats here that are so scattered that I actually had to turn this mp3 down a few times since I thought I missed a phone call and the answering machine was recording someone’s message. But you guessed it, no one had called and it was just some errant electro-beats that Snowden forgot to lace in seamlessly with their others. If you’re into electronica give this a listen since I’m admittedly not the biggest fan of the genre, but please listen at your own risk. I can’t be held responsible for listener’s remorse.
Yo La Tengo, 2007: live from San Francisco Bombastic spoken-word vocals, an electric feel, edgy vibe and heavy distortion always makes the perfect noise-jam. Yeah, this pretty much sums up Yo La Tengo’s cover of “Dreams.†Known for a huge repertoire of cover songs, I’m not at all surprised they performed this during a live show at Bimbo’s 365 Club last year. Lead singer Ira Kaplanmarries his raw vocals with (actual wife and bandmate) Georgia Hubley’s sweet background “ooh’s” and “ahh’s.” This might blow some minds of long-time Yo La Tengo fans, but personally this is not my favorite cover. Had I been to this show I might have been super excited to witness it, but the quality pales in comparison to the original and even the live cover versions of The New Pornographers and Whiskeytown(also a male vocal). There comes a point in this song where it just becomes too noisy that I start yearning for the clarity and simplicity of the original. Basically, Yo La Tengo fan or not… this one is only good for once in a while rocking out, but not everyday listening.
The Morning Benders, 2008: from The Bedroom Covers Where does the best indie dream pop hail from these days? Well, since I’m referring to The Morning Benders I guess the answer would be Berkeley, California. Lead singer Chris Chu has such innocent and resonant vocals that are so clean and clear.Toss in some equally dreamy background vocals and this acoustic cover shines in its sweet simplicity. I especially love the fret-tapping and gentle humming throughout the track that definitely help set this version apart from the rest. I’m really grateful that Popwrecker Bethany turned me onto this one since it’s been on loop ever since. There’s so much yearning, so much feeling, so much honesty in Chu’s musical sighs that I actually believe he’s mourning the loss of the person he is singing about. This song is arguably my favorite version of recent times and now I can’t wait to see if their original music delivers the same way this cover does.
Whiskeytown, 2008: from Strangers Almanac (Deluxe Edition Reissue) Oh Ryan Adams, can you ever do any wrong? Whining, soap operatic and drama queen ways aside, pre-Cardinals Adams took his well-known love of Fleetwood Mac to new levels of appreciation by covering “Dreams†in 1997 with his now defunct alt-country outfit Whiskeytown. With his husky vocals that wail, rock, croon, and moan all at once, he makes it impossible not to “feel†what he himself is feeling on this track. Plus, fans of The Replacements (like myself) will enjoy his particularly Paul Westerberg-esque voice here, since it’s no secret that Adams is a huge Replacements fan and has been greatly inspired by them. Save this alt-country number for a bad day when you’re feeling low and just want to lay on the couch, turn out the lights, kick off your shoes, and just dream… perhaps, about a Whiskeytown reunion tour? (Fingers crossed!)
Monolith Music Festival at Denver’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre was a breath-taking show in so many ways. If the outstanding indie line-up or the gorgeous natural landscape wasn’t enough to take away your breath, then the hike up the stairs in the high altitude would do it.
Although I felt like a terribly out-of-shape and asthmatic half the time, the physical weariness was well worth running around between the five stages Monolith had set up.
Saturday, Sept. 13, 2008. Part I.
1:00 P.M. to 1:30 P.M. Dressy Bessy – Esurance Main Stage
Local Denver band Dressy Bessy kicked things off on the Main Stage with a rocking set that immediately set the bar high for the rest of the bands that followed. Front woman Tammy Ealom perfectly commanded the stage and made coming early well worth their highly energetic set.
1:00 P.M. to 1:30 P.M. Lovelikefire – Woxy.com Stage
I ran inside to catch some of Lovelikefire. This San Franciscan group also featured a female front woman, and much like Ealom, Ann Yu quickly proved that the girls were not there to mess around. With vocals reminiscent of Grand Ole Party‘s Kristin Gundred, Yu also gave a fun, rocking set complimented nicely by Dave Farrell‘s rolling drums and Robert Kissinger‘s heavy bass.
From Lovelikefire I dashed over to the other inside venue to catch some of Colour Revolt. Unfortunately, the acoustics in this room were a little dead and their vocalist lost his voice among the other instruments. It also caused some of the harmonies to be a little off. In another setting, this band would have been a lot better and the crowd still loved them, but this set seemed off.
1:45 P.M. to 2:15 P.M. The Veils – New Belgium Stage
After being slightly disappointed by Colour Revolt, I headed back outside for European rockers The Veils. Their first song left much to be desired, but the next few songs had me hooked as vocalist Finn Andrews stretched out his every last word, forcing the audience to hang onto his every syllable. Girl power again represented as Sophia Burn killed on the bass.
2:00 P.M. to 2:45 P.M. Foals – Esurance Main Stage
Next up, I caught some of buzz group Foals. They walked out looking all suave and like they were too cool to be at this show, but then once they started playing, they just let loose. Their focus was purely on their instrumentals. Voice added an extra flourish, but was not their immediate concern.
2:00 P.M. to 2:30 P.M. Port O’Brien – Woxy.com Stage
I had never heard of Port O’Brien, but I am so glad I stumbled across their set. This was probably one of the best bands out of the entire show and very few people knew to check them out. The alt country group featured free flowing guitar and banjo riffs and some of the best harmonies I heard during the entirety of the festival. Near the end of their set, the group passed out pots and pans and invited the crowd onto the stage with them. They are definitely worth checking out if they come anywhere near you.
The guys in Morning Benders seem to be everywhere lately. I’ve seen them multiple times in the last few months opening for different bands and it seemed like every corner I turned at the festival, I would run into a different member of their group either checking out a band or playing ping pong. As for their actual set, it was very laid back, but sadly in the dead acoustic room, so the quality of it was lost upon many.
2:45 P.M. to 3:15 P.M. The Muslims – New Belgium Stage
The Muslims are another band that you should kick yourself for if you don’t check them out immediately. The vocals have an element of folk to them, but the drum solos are what you would expect to hear from a dance electronica group. This eclectic mix works quite well for the group and properly earned them a huge crowd at that stage.
3:15 P.M. to 4:00 P.M. Superdrag – Esurance Main Stage
Superdrag lived up to their name. Their set seemed to have a super drag to it. While the guys moved around and made faces like they were trying to be the rockstars expected of them, they ended up being a little out of place and kind of boring. They even ended up being pitchy.
Set list:
Slow to Anger
Keep It Close
Gimme Animosity
Filthy and Afraid
Carried
Garmonrozia
Do the Vampire
Sucked Out
Cynicality
True Believer
Destination
John Vandersliceis a musical genius. The arrangements performed here were absolutely gorgeous and chill. Their violinist had great technique and I loved the effect of his reverberated pizzicato. I could have easily gotten lost in the lush harmonies of this band.
Set list:
Pale Horse
Codeine
Exodus Damage
Up Above the Sea
Angela
Underneath
Kookaburra
Time to Go
Too Much Time
Time Travel
That’s just the first half of Saturday. Look for the next installment shortly.
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Concert Calendar
Nov 23, 2011
HaHa Tonka @ Recordbar, Kansas City MO
Nov 25, 2011
Thee Oh Sees @ The Granada, Lawrence KS
From as early as I can remember I have always loved Fleetwood Mac. Their sound, their music, reading about the torrid love affairs between bandmates and declining marriages that created some of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard. I’m talking pre-Gwen Stefani and Tony Kanal (No Doubt) shit. True love and despair, threats to quit the band, drugs, world-wide tours, managing professionalism in the studio when you literally want to kill the very person you depend on to lace your lyrics with chords. The reasons to quit are trumped by the reasons to stay because although you were driven to new realms of heartbreak, at least you got a hit record (Rumours) out of it all and cemented your place in music history. Not to mention, 
Much of my adoration for this version stems from the fact that it was the very first “Dreams†
If you have a jones for Celtic instruments, upbeat numbers, and top 40 sounds, then this track is for probably for you. Not only is 
I saw Cat Power open up for Interpol last year and was literally counting down the minutes until her set was over. Maybe Madison Square Garden is the wrong venue for her intimate and laid-back vocal performances, but I wasn’t ready to give her the benefit of the doubt just yet. Plus, she’s notorious for songs that start and stop with no real indication of when either is going to occur! I didn’t know whether to boo or applaud, but left realizing I’d eventually want to give her a fair chance and chalk this one up to inappropriate venue selection since she’s received much praise from respectable music sources of mine.
Supposedly there’s some New Pornographers bootleg out there with a cover of “Dreams†on it, but they played this live version at Webster Hall a few years back and the crowd went nuts the moment that recognizable Fleetwood Mac bass line kicked in. Speaking of, that bass line is so awesome and I’d even be as bold to say it rivals that of 
What the hell is going on here? I’m all for males covering this female empowerment anthem for the irony factor, but at least do it well.
Bombastic spoken-word vocals, an electric feel, edgy vibe and heavy distortion always makes the perfect noise-jam. Yeah, this pretty much sums up Yo La Tengo’s cover of “Dreams.†Known for a huge repertoire of cover songs, I’m not at all surprised they performed this during a live show at Bimbo’s 365 Club last year. Lead singer 
Where does the best indie dream pop hail from these days? Well, since I’m referring to The Morning Benders I guess the answer would be Berkeley, California. Lead singer Chris Chu has such innocent and resonant vocals that are so clean and clear.
Oh 
1:00 P.M. to 1:30 P.M. 
2:45 P.M. to 3:15 P.M. 
3:15 P.M. to 4:00 P.M. 
John Vanderslice
