The Yellow Dogs at Mercury Lounge was the last show of 2012 I reviewed, and in a way it feels like an omen for the new year, to be more driven and unapologetically express individuality. And also to not ever forget to dance. By now there’s been plenty of coverage on the back story of the band, and how they’re pretty badass to brazenly make the music they wanted to make, with the risk of being jailed for it. But it’s more than that. It’s not just rebellion, it’s awareness.
They’ve successfully created awareness for themselves as well. They were part of the underground Iranian rock film No One Knows About Persian Cats, which shows that the rest of the world may not know just how truly punk these artists and musicians really are. The Yellow Dogs are one of the ones who are now reaping the rewards of uncompromisingly following the path of making the art they want to make, and reaching the point of really having the freedom to make it.
The Yellow Dogs made it to the U.S, played SXSW, and settled into their new home of Brooklyn. Even better news is that none of that has lessened the amount of adrenaline pumping during the live show. They’re no longer risking being busted in order to dance the punk out, but their live show is one of intense fervor. They have a dance rock sound similar to early The Rapture, with upbeat synth lines, plenty of cowbell, schizophrenic guitar, and a bassline that just won’t quit. On top of that, frontman Obash spits out these in your face punk vocals that are both political and poetic.
They played three of the four tracks off their latest EP, Upper Class Complexity, plus four brand new songs, starting with the synth-laden “Bruce.” Obash gives us a good talking to, with lines like “Just take it easy / You’re the disease and the remedy / Just take it easy / Cause you’re obsessed with tragedy.” Let that percolate while you start to break a sweat from the way the melody moves your feet. They didn’t lose momentum for a second, busting out three new tracks in a row before getting to “Molly,” a tune describing a privileged, oblivious rich girl; or a “princess complexity” that they based the title of their EP on. “The more you control / the more she wanna let go.”
About halfway through the set they introduced the new addition to the band, Ali Eskandarian, a musician in his own right who has opened for the likes of Peter Murphy, and is now an official Yellow Dog who dropped some vocals on a handful of songs and lent an extra endearingly flamboyant element to their show. His interpretive dance moves and expressive vocals took the energy level up even more, as well as the interactivity with the crowd. His last lead vocal number was “American Home.” He introduced the song, and then looked around at his bandmates while adding, “which is what we’ve all found here.”
After that Obash took back over on lead vox, ending on their danciest track of all, “This City,” spazzing out on his guitar and repeating “It’s more than a city!” The crowd danced in agreement, while The Yellow Dogs played like they are more than a band. They are a vessel of independent art and ambition. They are a movement.
The Yellow Dogs have another Brooklyn date at Living Bread Deli in the new year, then a couple more dates following at Union Pool. Their Upper Class Complexity EP is available for stream and download.
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