Los Angeles - If there is any band in the current indie rock scene that has the potential to reach the level of rock stardom experienced by underground bands during the early 90s, it is DIIV. The band is led by captivating frontman Zachary Cole Smith, a former touring member of Beach Fossils. Smith started the band as a solo project named Dive (after the early Nirvana song), but changed it to DIIV. After being signed to Captured Tracks, DIIV released Oshin to critical acclaim. The album found its way to the top of many year-end “Best Of” lists. Most of the time bands do not wait four years to release the follow up to a breakout debut. The years between Oshin and the recently released Is the Is Are were troubling for the five-piece, with Cole being arrested for drug possession and the uncovering of misogynistic, racist, and homophobic statements on 4Chan by the band’s bassist.
However, DIIV rebounded from that difficult stretch to release an epically proportioned new album that takes the amalgamation of krautrock and C86 style pop punk and expands on it. Though it is not a dramatic departure from Oshin, the album shows that the band is still growing creatively. After releasing the album, DIIV announced a tour that included a three-night residency at The Echo, in Los Angeles. On the last night of the stint, Smith told the crowd how much he enjoyed staying in the same place for a few days, not having to pack up their stuff and hit the road right after a show. “I slept on the stage last night,” he admitted to the crowd.
Though there are seventeen songs on Is the Is Are, DIIV did not pack the set with brand new songs. In fact, quite a bit of the set was pulled from Oshin, including the shimmering, jaw-dropping standout “How Long Have You Known?,” “Oshin (Subsume),” and the closing song “Doused.” This approach was met with great appreciation from the rambunctious audience. Fans ate up every song they were familiar with, bouncing around and singing along to the lyrics. Speaking of lyrics, they are a fairly sparse feature in most DIIV songs. While the band is approaching the pinnacle of underground success, the heavily instrumental makeup of most songs probably means DIIV will never have smashing success on the radio.
During the performance, home footage from Smith’s New York City apartment was projected. The result was fairly unnerving. At times, random shots of photographs, brand logos, and band members hanging out synced up perfectly with the band’s performance. While much of DIIV’s attention has been earned from the band’s stellar debut album, quite a bit has also been made about Smith’s ongoing relationship with singer and model Sky Ferreira (who was involved in the previously mentioned arrest). Shots of her lounging in bed were also projected behind the band, adding an intimate touch to the set.
After three nights in a row, at The Echo, in Los Angeles, the band felt the need to give their biggest fans a little treat, pulling out rarely played tracks, like “Earthboy” and an unnamed cover (which they had to practice on-the-spot a few times before they were in sync with the chord progression). Of course, there were brand new songs performed throughout the night too; these cuts included “Is the Is Are,” “Dopamine,” “Incarnate Devil,” “Waste of Breath,” and the 16-second “(Fuck).” Throughout the night, the band showed why DIIV is one of the most beloved groups in the indie rock scene, able to transform gorgeous songs into a rollicking, powerful live performance.
The tour marches on for the five members of DIIV, as they head across the Atlantic to the United Kingdom and Europe, before returning for a string of shows in the Midwest and East Coast in May and June. Check out the DIIV Facebook page for tour dates.
Photo credit: Matt Matasci for Best New Bands
Matt Matasci
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