Sunday, November 27, 2005

Caution: Listening To This May Cause Euphoria

In a word, Tristeza. Another one that describes their music and performance, stunning. This San Diego-based instrumental band graced my ears at the Triple Rock on November 10th. I heard of them through friends, and they, like many other post-rock bands, floored me when I first gave their music a listen. James LaValle used to be with them, but now is in another little-known (kidding, of course) post-rock band on Sub Pop, The Album Leaf. James occassionally plays for Tristeza on some dates, so it's good to know that they're all still hanging out at times.

Though Christmas was 6 weeks away when I saw them, Tristeza felt the need to dim the stage lights and go with white Christmas lights strung around their guitar and bass lamps. A soft red spotlight covered the drummer as he executed the manic playing of old and new tunes. The new stuff is a definite expansion of post-rock, diving head-first into the psychedelic realm with a modern edge. With the pretty harmonic guitar-work, sporadic and repetitive keyboard and lavish cymbal still present, I would say it is their best work yet. Live, their songs ranged from a subdued, gentle shock to a full-bodied jolt of roaring post-rock. The drums rolled, splashed and rhythmed their way alongside steady bass riffing and spacey, jangly guitar. It was perfect!

Before Tristeza, I saw Bo.Monro at the Manhattan Loft. I met this experimental-acoustic guitarist at the 400 Bar when Swords and Talkdemonic played. He told me his love of Explosions In The Sky, and we just started talking about awesome and inspiring post-rock. We shared the love of many great bands, and there was no way I would miss seeing his 1st show here. He sat in the middle of the Loft with a plugged-in acoustic and small effects-pedal. The show was good, and I purchased his EP. The EP even inspired me to dust off my old bongo drums I once played years ago. I played along to the guitar, making up progressions and beats that coincided with the guitar (or so I thought) ; after 2 songs, I concluded that I needed more practice. Nonetheless, it was fun to get the bongos out again and play along. It almost makes me wanna do spoken-word again. Who's with me?

Funny Band Name, Quasi-Funny Band

I am of course referring to my friend/old roommate Mike's band, Smascius Clay (also known sometimes as Smascius Clay and The Awesomists). They used to call themselves Cleaver Groveland, but for some reason, that name just didn't work out. Now you'd think that with a name like Smascius Clay, the band may be funny on-stage. I saw them October 26th, and I can tell you they were funny, with before, during and after-song banter between the members. The line-up: Scott drums and takes photos and does other things for Radio K, Gord plays guitar and screams like no other, Noel plays guitar and sings emotionally, and Mike rocks out and plays bass. Now that you have the background, I can say that the humor was part joking and part sociocommentary; that is a wonderfrul combination, for you entertain and educate.

Onto the music, the band's love of emo, screamo (especially Alexisonfire) and post-hardcore makes for an interesting mix of songs and sounds. Gord loves to scream hardcore lyrics and Noel loves to croon at times, and at other times, pour his heart out through intense lyrics concerning relationships and heartbreak, a coup d' tate (sorry Lee, if I butchered the spelling of said French phrase) among emo music. They played enough songs to get a good feel of their sound and presence, ending with a slow, mid-tempo quasi-ballad. The sound was what I figured knowing the interests and influences the band has/had. I'd see them again, and overall, not bad for their 1st gig. And at The Triple Rock too! Nice way to start out things.

Tuesday, November 15, 2005

And Yet, More Rambles Emerge.....

With the changing today of rain to sleet to finally snow, I thought a poem I have just composed
would be good to go. So off we fly, into this odd guy's wacky sort of mind:

the rain finally turns to snow
as the light drains to night's shadow;
long, it has become,
once the days of summer have gone.
and with it,
the fall of autumn.

walking the streets
slipped with rain freezing to sleet,
vehicles hit brakes, turn with caution
but some will still run to the bus
not caring of the splashing going on
in the depths where curb meets a depressed concrete.

i couldn't have changed more throughout the day,
out the door and striding along as if the sun
had just begun to peak its head out
and beginning to pour forth, heat now

but instead, the sky's been dark all day
and moods i've watched have been stuck in-between
a wet foot and a frozen face:

uncomfortable and stressed from
letting what little smile that was left
melt with the rain.

not mine, though.
I jumped with excitement as I moved
towards my destination,
thinking

the grave is a far-off from today,
so I'll rejoice and play
with the change instead
of letting this maze lie complacent
in my head.

I've my health, love and friends to thank,
as well as music providing a so-often escape
from the details that creep up like a snake,
smooth and rapid-fire like,
turning my mood to that of the turning cold weather rain,
the sleet turning more foul to snow once
the temp hits far enough below.

and in this space,
as well as the distance I've covered,
I'll go all over the place
with a mind that skips and stutters,
like there's a wind flapping wildy
against the shutters
and I'm there to close them,
but hesistant to do so.


There you have it:
Completely non-edited, on the spot, random and jumpy. Just how I like 'em.

Sunday, November 13, 2005

The Youth in All of Us

10/11/05. First Ave. Youth Group opens, the sweet and silky smooth group of young men from Australia. They adore Death Cab for Cutie (DCFC) , Built To Spill, and even Bob Dylan. Who doesn't? The singer looked a bit like Napoleon Dynamite, the oh-so-cute (says Katie) drummer played blazingly well and loud, and the bassist looked very warm in a leather hoodie. They broke-in the crowd to their incredible live show, with equal parts being intense and calm. They kept their composure for the slow ones, then rocked out awkwardly and random to their unique brand of music. It was perfect, and a great start to the night.

Then the adorable and suddenly huge DCFC took stage. I've been a fan for over 2 years, jumping late on the indie bandwagon after hearing The Photo Album. However, I've now seen DCFC 3 times, each time in the fall at First Ave. I must say this was not the best show of theirs that I've seen. Maybe it was because the crowd responded slowly to some of their newer, glossier pop songs than the old faves. Maybe it was also because it was a 21 plus show; less people were dancing and singing passionately along to the songs compared to the all ages shows.

Either way, it was still an amazing performance, and they played a solid mix of the old goodies and new goodies. They extended most of their songs, and Ben and Chris switched from guitar to keyboard with every other song. Also, Chris wore a First Ave. sweatshirt; you definitely can't say anything bad about that! Plans is still a wonderful album. It sounds like it's on a major label with the slick production and more basic song-structures. Then again, they signed with Atlantic and still expressed their artistic freedoms, like keeping Chris as the producer. The sound is still distinctly DCFC, and very enjoyable.

Two encores made the audience happy. Especially when Ben came out with just his acoustic guitar and played the oh-so-catchy-and-quite-sad song, 'I Will Follow You Into The Dark.' It's smooth, and the lyrics match his way of singing perfectly. That's how the band works, and you couldn't ask for it (you could, but you wouldn't want to) any better.

Cirque de Soleil: Aerotheatrics in motion

My, my. How I love trampolines, and world-class acrobats performing crazy feats that defy and detest all we know of gravity and laws of physics. They use the hell out of them to their advantage. Forget class: go see this and you'll learn more about the mechanics of motion in 2 hours than you would in 2 weeks of physics class. Ok, enough of that for now...

The show that I saw, Corteo, contained awesomely powerful live music in French, Spanish, Italian and even some post-rock thrown in, much for my happiness. We had premo seats: stage center, with the performance right at eye level. No neck craning or side-turning needed. For 2 hours plus, I sat awestruck with my mouth agape, eyes widened and ridiculously overdone laughter pouring out whenever something amazing happened, which was pretty much every 5 seconds.

The performers jumped on trampolines posed as 2 full-size beds, complete with bedposts, headboards and footboards. Costumed angels danced about the air, people spun inside very-large-silver-ring things, using momentum and spin to overcome the tenets of gravity and inertia. Acrobats exchanged positions on platforms, flipping and swooshing about the air, with their partners timing the grip just perfectly. No one fell, no one was hurt or injured. If I did any of that (even running across a slippery stage in thin shoes), I would surely get injured and if it was funny (which it would most likely be because why the hell would I do anything like that?), all my friends would have a hearty laugh. There would be stories told at parties, with people breaking into vicious bouts of full-body laughter. And after, they would come to me, smile, laugh and shake my hand, for I had entertained and educated them. My, such a thing would be so grand!!

I digress...yet again....

My friends were right, though; the show did give me some bad ideas regarding myself, a trampoline and a trapeze. Luckily, my roommates never let me have a trampoline. Maybe that was for the best.

And Now For Something Completely Different...

I've been to many different shows, and have bands from all over the world. In 12 years, I've went from country to alt-rock to metal to rap-metal to post-harcore to space-rock to emocore to post-rock to indie-rock to indie-dancerock. I have bands that span the world, for the most part. Suffice to say, it takes a lot to hear a band and be really, really excited about a refreshing sound. All the bands I saw thursday (yet another thursday with 2 shows in one night) 9/29/05 at First Ave. and the Entry, respectively, expelled the precise amount of energy and intensity to wow the crowd.

I missed most of The Belle Orchestre but no worries; this opener's brand of post-rock was very classical and folk-like, with violins wailing away any preconceived notion one may have had of this being standard and derivative. I purchased their CD for $15, which is spendy for the concerts I usually attend! The album was well worth it, as it's brought pleasant associations of night and relaxation to myself and others worldwide (possibly!).

I headed to the front for Wolf Parade. These gentlemen sure love Modest Mouse, as their latest album was produced in part by Isaac Brock. I found their set to be unique and wildly entertaining overall. Their live performance is quite a spectacle, with band members running around onstage and knocking over various percussive instruments. That's what we call being in the moment. We cheered and hollered and danced like maniacs to their wonderful world of indie dance-rock.

For the headliners, a band that absolutely wowed and pleased almost every music critic out there, Arcade Fire. Another Montreal band, another band from Canada who just gets it right! The 9 members had a helluva time onstage, playing a mix of older tunes and a bunch from their epic Funeral album. Their voices blended lovely throughout each song, and they took turns playing different instruments. At one point, the Wolf Parade drummer climbed up the amps and proceeded to drum on the railings of the balcony, which was highly amusing and entertaining.

On a side note, I just don't get it. You're a damn fool to me if you're up there on the balcony with the other 21+ ers drinking instead of being on the floor dancing your cares away, especially to a lively band such as Arcade Fire! I'm 24, and I have a hard time not dancing at most shows I go to. In all fairness, though, to each their own.

For their encore, Arcade Fire played my favorite song, Wake Up (no, not the Mad Season or Rage Against The Machine song; their own.) Their voices rose high with their instuments, and I exploded with delight and glee, grinnning idiotically while pumping my hands and dancing like there was no tomorrow.

With such an emotionally draining and life-pumping show, I didn't think twice about using that adrenaline for the bands in the Entry. What a drastic change I saw! In a span of 15 min, we went from louder-than-life artistry to quasi-karoakee with samples! The artist was New Buffalo, an upcoming singer/songwriter from Melbourne. Her music was decent, and her voice like that of Mirah a bit. It was a nice change of tempo. The people on the floor actually were sitting for her set, which I hadn't seen at the Entry for quite a while.

Next came Dr. Dogg. We went back to 1970's fuzzy psychedelic rock when these fellows took to the stage. The guitarist stage left looked like Tom Petty, and swaggered and hopped around onstage while keeping sweet guitar licks and progressions in line. Quite the feat, really. There were a fun band to watch, and nod your head to, and just chill. There were some die-hards in the crowd yelling drunkenly to every word sung and screamed.

They were the perfect set-up to the delightfully goofy and wildly talented Architecture In Helsinki! I first saw this band last summer at the Turf Club. Their set there was very album-focused, having fun and trying to stick to a tight set. This time around, however, they let it all hang loose. They yelled the words at times, improv'd a bunch, and had a raucus set. Other band and crowd members rushed the stage, and soon people were playing anything they could find. One guy put a steel drum on his head and played that, causing boisterious laughter and amusement to erupt all around. This band is so original and so unique and so fun to watch, it's no surprise they have an awesome following. People who look for something that doesn't follow the standard formula, and explore many different sounds and structures. They made everyone's night, concluding a perfect night of music with a completely on-the-spot Prince song! How could you not love them after that??

Monday, November 07, 2005

This Hope is Not Cold

Since I found out about "post-rock" from friends a couple years ago, I've been completed hooked. Out of all the amazing bands in that genre, I had not yet seen Sigur Ros. That is, until September 24th. I'm truly lucky; seing a band from Japan one week, Mono, and then a week later, Sigur Ros from Iceland. They played at the State Theatre, which has crystal-clear acoustics. The fact that it's a theatre may have something to do with it. The string-section of Sigur Ros, Amina, opened the performance. Katie and I arrived a little late, and saw only half their set. What we did see, though, was beautiful. The four women played xylophones, keyboard, harpsicord, wine glasses, bells and even a laptop. Their sound reminded me a bit of Mum without vocals. Seeing as how they're all from Iceland, it's not surprising. We rushed through the crowd and purchased their EP, which has some songs we missed. I even ran into an old friend from middle school there.

We returned to our seats, anxiously awaiting for Sigur Ros. The curtain shrouded the band in white, and a slow drumbeat filled the theatre. After the first song, the curtain rose, and with it, the crowd's energy. Sigur Ros performed a flawless set, playing a few tunes off their gorgeous new album, Takk and a bunch off their previous releases. Of course, all of their music is gorgeous and breathtaking. Hearing it live caused the sound to rise to even more epic of proportions, in my eyes. They definitely rock out harder in concert than they do on disc. At one point, I thought the drummer was going to break the cymbals. He didn't, and the band played on. Jonsi's voice was spot-on, hitting those high notes exactly like on the albums.

We were captivated, teary-eyed and awestruck when the beauty ended. Birds flew arounded on the projection screen that served as the backdrop. My eyes split time between the screen and the band playing just flawlessly. I have a hard time believing they are human, and not just wonderful figments of a dream where the English language is silly and not needed, and there is noise erupting everywhere you turn. But, it's a calming noise, sweeping your emotions to the grandest of heights.

If they had played longer, I think I may have transcended all time and space, for they sound like pure energy. But they didn't. I stayed myself and they ended perfectly, calming the crowd with a slow shimmer after performing the last song off of their untitled album. Jonsi tore apart his bow. They came on for not one, but two, final bows. We cheered, applauded and stood there in the moment, relaxed and fulfilled. I was numb and silent on the way back home. Now that takes a lot, ask anybody who knows me.

Concluding on A Perfectly Pitched High Note

I became a local music fan over 4 years ago, back in 2001 when there were dank, dark and squalid venues like the Foxfire, Bon Appetit, and the Library Bar and Grill. All of these venues featured wonderful shows for all ages and are now sadly, gone. One of the first local bands I saw was Down and Above (DNA), whom after 4 years and countless shows later, I still love. They played with Casanatra and Seconds Before at the Triple Rock on September 18th. Most of the time, these bands are heard on the local shows of mainstream rock radio, and not usually college or indie radio. However, Seconds Before and Down and Above have wonderfully original sounds that could be played on more than just corporate radio stations.

Seconds Before's set (doesn't look right (the grammar, that is), does it?) was a big bowl of fun, with their drummer Stan playing his last show just like....it was his last show...
Their new stuff is faster and more upbeat, less poppy and more...rocky? On the last song, members of the other bands came on stage, holding whatever percussive instruments they could find. All hovered around Stan, and the stage exploded with as much sound as possible. Casanatra was next, and they were very good musicians, but the singer's voice did not sound clear at all.

Then DNA came on. Their love of high notes, King's X, killer breakdowns, 3-part harmonies and passionately positive stage performance really got the crowd going. They played a great mix of songs from their last 2 albums, and even played a couple new ones. Their cover of Willie Nelson's 'Highway Man' was amazing, mixing bluesy and bluegrass-like guitar with a bit of jazzy drumming, and then proceeding for a flat-out rock breakdown. Yeah, playing covers can be cheesy;when you can pull them off as spine-tinglingly extravagent as DNA does, there's no reason to second-guess your liking them. All of their voices blended so well together, and they seemed more refreshed than the last time I saw them play, when they opened for Dredg. They're also one of the first bands I've seen that smile a ton while they're playing, and not take themselves so seriously. So, this show was the perfect way to end an amazing week of seeing bands from the Northwest, Midwest, East Coast, and Japan. All in the same venue no less. How I love the Twin Cities.

11; None More Higher!

Actually, not true with Mono. They are without a doubt the loudest band I've ever heard. Period.

This rings true (as my ears, even with earplugs in, can attest to) for the two bands I saw at The Triple Rock, on September 17, 2005. What a great way to celebrate a full moon, my grandma's birthday and Citizenship Day. No, my grandma didn't go, but if she did, she would have loved it....ok, probably not...

Anyway, current Temporary Residence Limited labelmate, Bellimi, began the evening. I can only say that they were quite loud. I couldn't understand the singer, as she mumbled into the mic more times than not. The drumming was varied, but the guitarist and bassist kept playing the same chord progression; this made for a decent but not-so amazing performance.

Mono came on next. I saw them at the 400 Bar this past spring/summer, and I was stunned beyond belief. I knew I was in for a treat, and they disappointed nothing at that show. This show, too, reflected their beautiful performance of crushing post-rock. The bassist stood center stage, a guitarist to her left and right, and the drummer behind. She swayed in one place, while the guitarists took turns between standing and sitting on a chair. Among the great things of this band: they have no instrument changes. No extra guitars or basses. The band ends each song with their heads collectively down, taking in the sounds like we did.

They are humbling to watch. No spectacular stage moves, except for a bit of head shaking and foot tapping. But hey, that's what I was doing during their songs (when I wasn't laughing and smiling wildly and widely, relatively). The guitar was louder than the drums, which I absolutely love. Their set was perfect and their music, patient Mono does not force the music; rather, it smoothly builds up, and erupts into a gigantic wall of noise that overwhelms the senses. I glanced at my friend and he gave me the look of 'yeah, I know, say no more.' The band didn't say anything either, letting their sounds display to the crowd, the addiction that is their music in full-effect. Definitely not in mono. More like loud, very loud, stereo. Ha. Like a black hole explosion, even though technically you cannot hear sound in space. But if you could, that's how you could describe the bombastic sound of Mono.

Tuesday, November 01, 2005

7, 7 Awesome Bands...

Finally, back to reviewing shows! I'll start with a big one that happened all in the night of 9/16/2005....


This isn't gonna be a super-long review, as I've seen a total of 14 bands in the past week. Here's half of them, all in one venue but split into two phenomenal and ultimately tiring shows!

Phenomenal and Spasmic:

I arrived around 6 pm for the first band at the Triple Rock, The City On Film. To my surprise, the band actually started on time and I missed all but one of their songs. It was pretty good, basically indie-rock with low energy. Then came on the band with the very fun to say name, as it involves much inflection in their title: Thunderbirds Are Now! A very fun, indie-dance/electropop band from Detroit, this group had lots of stage theatrics. The keyboardist spasmed around stage, dancing wildly while hitting the tamborine with the impact of a jackhammer on concrete. So, a great set in all.

After was These Arms Are Snakes, which should have an exclamation point, I think, after their name. They're stage presence is hyper and intense mostly, with the frail singer screaming his head off one song, then the next dancing to a fast kick-drum beat, making the crowd clap their hands along to the infectious rhythm their sound becomes. They were very enjoyable to watch, especially when the singer stood atop a basic 4-legged folding table and then proceeded to throw the table and a blue plastic crate into the crowd after the song ended. What a nice way to end the set!

I found my friends in the crowd, and we waited patiently to see Minus The Bear. I saw this band at the Entry when Houston had their CD release party. Oh, what a sweet show that was indeed. This show was equivalent to that one; though I wasn't right in front this time around. Still, the sound was amazing, with Matt Bayle's voice ringing smooth all along the set. The guitar trade-offing between he and the other guitarist made for one fine show. This band loves to utilize guitar frets, and write entire progressions without the usual finger-picking or guitar-strumming. Their set was a decent mix of old and new tunes that satisfied the crowd immensely. I bought their newest CD, and I must say, it has a very clear sound. Very Minus The Bear, and quite gorgeous instrumentation overall. If you're a fan, pick it up. If not, become one!


Your Friends Are Always Right...

Ok, so Lee told me that the Haves Have It definitely do have it. I always wanted to check out their shows, and finally could when they played the later show with Lazer Forever and one of my local faves, Clair De Lune. I was floored by Lazer Forever and the Haves Have It. The drumming was all over the place, with as many changes in songs I haven't seen since I saw Architecture In Helsinki at the Turf Club this summer. It was the largest crowd for which The Haves Have It played, and they did it right from the start of their set. Very friendly and energetic at times, then step back a bit and let the instruments show off the wonderfully fresh and original sound they've composed.

Lazer Forever were unbelievable to watch as well, with each musician having a very fluid sense of comfort in every instrument they played. You can rock out to them, dance to them, tap your feet to them, pretty much anything. So, I have to thank Lee for telling me about these two bands...and many others that I should have been listening to a while ago! I'm catching up. Lastly, Clair De Lune was very good. I would have enjoyed them more had I not rocked and danced to 6 bands before them. Their new tunes were chaotic, with a lot more screaming and cymbal-smashing than their previous music. 7 hours after arriving, I left tired but appreciative of the wonderful music scene and venue the Twin Cities has.