Black Marble Opens at Light Asylum’s Fierce Record Release Show
Black Marble sounds exactly like what their name implies: cold and dark. Their show at New York City's Le Poisson Rouge this past Thursday showed the duo of Chris Stewart and Ty Kube invoking post punk and no wave styles from more classic bands like Suicide, and being on the same plane as more current bands like The Soft Moon. That’s not to say there’s absolutely no warmth in their music, but it’s more of a flicker than a glow. Subtle things make a difference, like the little screeches of sliding up and down bass strings, and lingering on a dissonant note before resolving with the cold synth waves filtering up from the depths of somewhere dark and rocky. They seem to be able to create this ambiance of feelings of isolation, but that everyone is isolated together.
Headliner Light Asylum had some similarities in sound, but was quite the opposite as far as energy. They’ve been referred to as techno rage, but a more accurate description may be a more nuanced electronic ferocity. Bruno Coviello kept the synths and electronic beats flowing, while vocalist Shannon Funchess hit drum pads and growled into the mic with such intensity I think the sound guys might have been scrambling the get the levels right. She was animalistic with a message, coming across as a powerful, ferocious woman, but not in an overly aggressive or dangerous way. She has strong opinions she wants to communicate, but she also wants to make sure everyone is having a great time. Light Asylum are trying to carve a niche for themselves as a new voice in the underground music scene, and if this show was any indication, people are definitely listening. And dancing. In the video below, whenever the camera shakes is when I got shoved from everyone dancing around me.
oOoOO (just pronounced “ooooh”) played in between, providing dark beats and projected black and white images that invoked feelings of anxiety on about to be getting mugged on the subway platform. As with the majority of one man produced electronic music, it was very repetitious, but oOoOO managed to make the repetition epecially spooky. He could really open a new market for DJing ghost tours. It needs to be a soundtrack for some kind of shadily mischievous activity, because just standing around in a venue just didn’t really carry enough atmosphere for the songs to stand on their own. There’s substance in the construction, but it may be more conducive to just take the recording and create your own atmosphere, as live things became a little lackluster.
Listen to more Black Marble tunes on Soundcloud. This was Light Asylum’s record release party, so now their self-titled debut LP is available on Mexican Summer. They have shows through mid-May headed west. oOoOO is on the way to play in New Sealand and Australia, and has several tracks available on Soundcloud as well.
Photos and Video (c) Kelly Knapp
A Hazy Night In Chicago with Sleepy Sun
When first entering the venue, the first thing that struck me was the average age of those in attendance. While the range was what I expected to see, think mid 20s – 30s, I was most excited to see that several audience members with the tell tale black X on the back of their hands, which meant they were underage. This demonstrated the youths of Chicago were still hip to music beyond hte mainstream.
These teens appeared just as eager as I was to hear some of the latest tracks off their latest release, Spiny Hits, and was pleased that the majority of the set were new tracks. As the band hit their stride during “Stivey Ponds,” the first single, the stage was illuminated with blue glowing mannequin arms mimicking their latest album cover.
The band flawlessly mixed new and old tracks with very little crowd interaction, it was all about the music. While playing “V.O.G.” I couldn’t help but be overcome by the music and join in with the crowds obvious grooving out. Part way through the set, lead singer, Bret Constantino, grabbed a stray non-illuminated mannequin arm and raised it above his head encouraging the crowd to join. He also made a cryptic remark as this was their “first show and last show,” which didn’t make any sense.
The best comment of the night was was prior to “Pigs on L,” when the singer announced to the crowd to close our eyes and just listen because this song was about cops on LSD. Throughout the set I couldn’t help but make a Black Mountain comparison, especially to a specific show I had seen them play a couple years back at Lincoln Hall. Both Sub-T and Lincoln Hall have an intimate small venue feel, that lends itself to the encompassing heavy fuzzy feeling this genre of music has on the body and soul.
I don’t have any complaints about the night. There weren’t any obnoxious drunk people to ruin the show, the sound guy did an amazing job and the overall show was easily more enjoyable and pleasing then I had gone into the night thinking it was going to be. If you are in the mood for good psych rock then this is an easy to listen to very enjoyable live band. They are currently touring U.S., Canada and Europe in support of Spiny Hits. You can also check out our review of the album here.
Cults Mix the Past and Present at Wonder Ballroom
As a currency, nostalgia seems to be more valuable than ever. Thanks to the Internet, the neatly packaged annals of human history are available everywhere, at any time. People are now archivists of this information, with rediscovered art currents blooming in a scattered, but collective renaissance. I’ll admit this topic is well-trod ground, especially from those claiming that this generation’s exhibition of culture is only the result of creative ennui or youthful appropriation. But are we in stasis, or is our movement based in this new styling and combining of the past? With this in mind, I walked into the Wonder Ballroom to see one of the more successful iterations of transfigured '60s pop, Cults. The New York-based rockers proved why they're one of the best new bands out there with their excellent live show.
In the beginning, Cults’ relationship to the Internet was somewhat ambiguous. Whether deliberate or not, little could be found of the duo—now know as Brian Oblivion and Madeline Follin—who began playing music together during their time at the New School in 2010. It was hard to imagine that this was only two years ago, as the ballroom’s main floor and balcony seemed filled to capacity.
After taking the stage with Marc Deriso (drums), Nathan Aguilar (bass), and Gabriel Rodriguez (aux, guitar), Follin and Oblivion started the night off with “Abducted” a track that twists seminal Ronettes-era grooves into a haunting and highly danceable account of unrequited love. There was little stage banter or improvisation through “Never Heal Myself”, “Most Wanted” and “Bumper.” Although economic, the sets sensibility lent itself well to the tight pop concoctions Cults have perfected. Not that the crowd needed more animating; squeals of anticipation prefaced each songs opening chords like a Beatles concert circa 1964. I think I even caught some audience members twisting and dipping their dates.
The most impressive song of the night wasn’t even a Cults original, but a Leonard Cohen cover of “Everybody Knows.” I was unsure in the beginning—covering Cohen isn’t easy, but once I heard the eerie opening key pattern and echoing electronic effects combine with Follin’s stunning delivery, I didn’t need any convincing.
Leaving the Wonder Ballroom that night, I didn’t have a profound answer to the state of contemporary music culture…still don’t. But if the success of incredible bands like Cults can perpetuate the formative influences from the past, maybe there’s hope for the future.
Make sure to catch Cults on the last leg of their tour through April:
Apr 16
Fine Line Music Café, Minneapolis, MN, USA
Apr 17
Majestic Theater, Madison, WI, USA
Apr 18
Turner Hall Ballroom, Milwaukee, WI, USA
Apr 20
Apr 21
Apr 22
Apr 23
Mohawk Place, Buffalo, NY, USA
Apr 25
U.S. Bloody Royalty That’s Who
I wish I could simply write, “I don’t have words to describe what I saw and experienced last night at the U.S. Royalty show,” however, that would be a very boring way to sum up everything I saw from this great new band, so I am going to try to do them justice since I am still trying to wrap my head around what I saw. The first time I heard of Washington D.C.-based U.S. Royalty was about 48 hours prior to the show and within 24 hours, I was hooked. Fortunately for me, they were playing at Chicago’s Schubas. I wandered in as one of the opening acts were playing and took that time to survey the crowd, which gave me some idea of what type of people wre fans of the band.
Firstly, there were a group of two girls and two guys taking flash photos of them double fisting beers and giggling, which I assume ended up on Instragram moments later. One of the members of this fan group also performed a concert first for me: he held up his phone mid-set to use “Shazam” to try and figure out who the opening band on stage was, he failed.
After I got over the amusement of that situation, the rest of the crowd showed promise; men in groups totally geeking out about technical aspects of the music being played and really attractive girls. My guess for what was about to be the main act was they would be extremely attractive, lean towards the traditionally rocker appearance and be technically skilled musician. With the opening “HAA” of Hollywood Hollows, I knew my prediction was on-point.
Having originally heard an acoustic version of their newest track “Sleepy Eyes,” I wasn’t prepared for the mix of fuzz guitars and overall badass rock that came out of these four guys. They have a mixture of traditional Southern, Americana rock with some blues and psychedelic guitars, all framed by beautiful vocal harmonies. While watching their live performance, I couldn’t help but compare their intensity to a Black Keys show I saw a while back mixed with the rawness of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. Minutes later the vocal harmonies of the song “Equestrian” would have had any Fleet Foxes fan hooked. There was also this underlying hint of a Fleetwood Mac’s “Dream,” followed by gritty guitars.
The guys also played some new songs they have been working on and I am eagerly waiting for their next album. Until then their debut album “Mirrors” will be kept on repeat. Seeing U.S. Royalty was the best impulse decision I have made in a long time and at a venue that was too small for all their talent. Check out their website for limited upcoming tour dates.
TRUST Gets Dirty at The Echoplex
For those of you who have not heard TRUST before, picture a mix of house music and gothic new wave of the ‘80s. While listening to the Toronto-based duo’s debut full-length, TRST, I imagine band members Robert Alfons and Maya Postepski performing at a seedy after hours club in New York City circa 1980, sweat dripping off their faces as they produced heavy, hard-hitting electronica to a sea of strung out party monsters, jonesing for human contact. And to be quite honest, that’s exactly what I was hoping for in their performance Tuesday. Unfortunately, it didn’t pan out that way.
A third member accompanied the two-piece on synthesizer, allowing Alfons to focus on his vocals with Postepski behind the drum kit. Musically, the group killed it. Each song was executed flawlessly (and loud). Alfons’ vocals seamlessly ranged from an Ian Curtis-esque drone to falsetto wails as Postepski’s dead-on rhythm kept the beat. But although TRUST produces electronic music, it’s not all necessarily dance worthy, which I found out during the band’s performance. The trio began its set with a couple slower paced tunes to get in the groove, while the Echo Park audience stood, rigid. It wasn’t until the group started playing “Dressed for Space,” its most upbeat, catchy dance track, that the crowd got excited and began to dance. From there, the band transitioned into its single, “Bulfbaform,” heightening the sweaty dance party I was so looking forward to. However, this flailing orgy was short-lived, coming to a screeching halt when the Canadian electro-ravers switched back to their heavy, buzzing, bass-heavy tracks.
Some critics have commented on TRUST releasing its debut album for itself rather than for an audience, and the same could be said about the performance. Alfons was in a trance, gyrating as if he was suffering a seizure, but there was disconnect with the audience. Nobody in the band said a single word to its fans while onstage (and there was a good turnout considering TRUST was the first band of the night). For this, I was disappointed, but as I left the Echoplex, I wanted nothing more than to get in my car and blast the album on my drive home.
TRUST is currently on a North American tour before heading to the UK in May. Below is a list of tour dates.
4/11 Costa Mesa, Ca - Detroit Bar
4/12 San Francisco, Ca - Popscene
4/13 Seattle Wa, Electric Tea Garden
4/14 Vancouver, BC - Electric Owl
4/15 Portland, Or - Rotture
4/17 Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle
5/10 Brighton, UK - Psychosocial
5/12 Brighton, UK - Above Audio
White Arrows Slays The Roxy
After a successful jaunt at SXSW, the boys came home to play their last local show until June at the famous Roxy Theatre on L.A.’s Sunset Strip. Presented by the (also famous) KROQ as part of the radio station’s “Locals Only” showcase, it was a special night, and a rare all-ages event. Around me stood giddy teenagers decked out in White Arrows garb, causing me to temporarily forget this is a band that has yet to release a full-length album. As soon as the curtain rose, the young audience were whipped into a frenzy—yelling to band members by name and jumping up and down, writhing in their spots. It was quite a Beatles-esque moment.
And the psychotropical pop troupe delivered. In its short, thirty-minute set, the five-piece played tracks from its self-titled EP and the entirety of its forthcoming Fireworks of The Sea EP (granted, it’s only three tracks), as well as a spot-on cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “I’m on Fire.” Although I’m sure still recovering from SXSW, the band members possessed that same raw energy that attracted me so much the first time I saw them. Church belted out lyrics in his wavering voice, with hair always covering his face as he ferociously strummed his guitar. Andrew Naeve, in charge of keys and beats, grooved behind his synthesizer, getting the crowd dancing and swooning it with his angelic falsetto vocals. And bassist Steven Vernet bounced around the stage, slapping his strings and feeding off not only the band’s energy, but also the crowd’s, jumping into his sea of fans on two separate occasions.
White Arrows’ unique concoction of afro-beats, spacey synth and garage rock is what makes the group so appealing in a musical world saturated with recycled sounds, and its charismatic performances is what’s going to take it to the next level. It’s no wonder the experimental rockers have toured with the likes of Cults, Those Darlins, and the Naked and Famous, played the Sasquatch music festival, opened for Weezer, and headlined residencies at home and in London (all with only a 7” to sell!).
For the next few months, White Arrows will be embarking on Europe to play a slew of festivals. According to Church, the band is in the final stages of mixing its debut full-length record, which hopefully means a summer release. And with the legion of fans the band has already garnered, it will be exciting to see what comes next for Church and his Arrows.Meiko Showcases New Material In Austin
Having caught up on my sleep from the whirlwind that was SXSW 2012, I’ve had the chance to look back on the memorable performances of new bands from the festival. One that especially stands out was Meiko’s show at The Hotel Cafe Showcase at St. David’s Sanctuary.
This was my first formal introduction to Meiko’s music. After hearing her first song, it was apparent why all these people were jammed into a church’s sanctuary on an action-packed Saturday night. Having not released an album in the past 4 years, Meiko surely kept her fans waiting, but it was definitely worth it. The first song that caught my ear was “Leave the Lights.” The catchy beat along with the soulful lyrics was a great indictator for how the rest of the set would unfold.
She showed not only her talent as a musician, but as a storyteller as well. Her deeply personal lyrics helped forge a connection with the audience and allowed us to learn a little bit more about her life. From her upcoming album, she played “Real Real Sweet,” a song she wrote inspired by one of her close friends who was convinced that her boyfriend was sneaking around with the singer, which wasn’t true. Throughout the song, she sang of many different scenarios of what her friend’s worst nightmare could be, and concluded the song by singing, “I know he loves you but he’s in love with me and it goes real deep”. This song is sure to be a fan favorite and in many ways a great way to get back at the slightly paranoid friend.
Throughout her set, Meiko told the backstory of the song “Under My Bed” from her debut, which she wrote while sifting through boxes she kept under her bed that held a bunch of memories from earlier relationships. Fans were pleased to hear the familiar song, but they seemed just as happy to hear another new tune about an old love. The singer had enough of her boyfriend living and pretty much mooching off her, and when it was time to kick him out/get rid of him, she didn’t know how/why she should help be while he was leaving. As a creative outlet, she sat on her couch and that’s how “Good Looking Loser” came to be. Before he left, she played the song for him and it’s understandable why he’s wouldn’t be huge fan of the song.
Once again, this SXSW performance was way too short of a set. It left the crowd and myself wanting more. With a May 15 release date for her new albu, The Bright Side, we will only have to wait a little while longer to listen to these and many more great tracks handy to take with us.
The Head and The Heart Light up Terminal 5
The Head and the Heart's Charity Rose Thielen
The Head and the Heart played a sold out show at Terminal 5 last night to a jubilant crowd. I’m not sure if this band has been on the One Tree Hill soundtrack or something, but somehow they sold out this huge venue and packed it with underage kids who love really cute, let’s-hold-hands-and-dance-in-a-meadow-full-of-flowers kind of folk pop. As nausea-inducing as music like that can be, The Head and the Heart play it with such genuine glee and enthusiasm that it’s hard to not just let yourself get taken in by it. They really did redeem what up to that point had an eye-rollingly ridiculous show.
Josiah Johnson
With the back and forth sensitive vocals and acoustic guitar parts of Josiah Johnson and Jonathan Russell there was never a dearth of endearingly sweet lyrics, but then throw in some violin and powerful backup vocals from Charity Rose Thielen, and you practically have a junior Arcade Fire. Thielen also lent some really refreshing lead vocals on one song, when suddenly I could actually hear the timbre of her voice to know how good it was. After her solo the entire crowd went nuts - she should really have more lead in future songs. She also had the best between song banter of the night. At one point, she remarked on how it was for them to be able to do what they loved, and just play music with friends every night. At that point, there was no way I wasn’t going to concede that that was indeed an amazing thing, and no matter how cynical I wanted to be about how flower child-like they were, by the end of their show I’ll admit that they did win a little piece of my heart. And my head was ok with that, too.
Jonathan Russell
I can’t say the same for the two bands who preceded The Head and the Heart. Openers Black Girls, who are a group of mostly awkward looking white boys, could make for a great piano rock-infused broadway musical, but otherwise their theatrics were just over the top. They did had some good instrumentation, especially the lead guitarist - who I actually hope has some sort of side project. The rest of the band, however, just seemed to have a swagger they hadn’t quite earned yet.
Drew Grow and the Pastors' Wives
Drew Grow and the Pastors' Wives was the second band, and if I didn’t already think the name was silly, I was even more amused at how just about every song seemed to dramatically drag on to the point of exhaustion. There was so much yelling and musical buildup that never seemed to go anywhere. The lyrics consisted mostly of epically-sung “oh yeahs,” with little actual substance. It was almost like watching a live parody video, where the band looked like they were doing the most amazing things, but the actual sound was clunky and more filler than killer.
Regardless, Drew Grow and the Pastors’ Wives are on tour with The Head and the Heart playing sold out shows all across America, and then The Head and the Heart also have dates at Coachella and Sasquatch!. Check their website for the full list of dates.EMA is Art at Music Hall of Williamsburg
It’s artists like EMA who remind me that music is an art form. The lyrics are raw poetry, and every whisper, yell, pause, and fill are placed where they are for a reason. Her show at Music Hall of Williamsburg with Talk Normal and Nü Sensae showcased her emotive set of self-expression well, and her connection with the crowd that came out to see her was reinforcement that her music hits a deeper, more meaningful chord that people can really relate to and appreciate.
EMA also has some credible cult status from being part of Gowns, and with her solo project she cuts to the bone even more, and comes across as honest and healthy catharsis. Before she even started playing, I heard someone behind me say that the last time he saw her play live he cried. That made me think of how she might be kind of like yoga – she cuts to the core and can be punishing, but it feels surprisingly good so you want more. Really, her songs just seem to get people. EMA has this way of distilling feelings everyone has into this musical art form that is both raw and poignant, and no matter what, it will hit you somewhere. Maybe some part of you that you didn’t realize was there until now, or maybe forgotten or pushed way down. EMA digs it back up, holds it in front of you, and shows you an aspect you didn’t see before. She’s our mirrors.
It was the kind of show where everyone there could have their own special moment of appreciation, whether it was singing along to the repeating line “If this time through, we don’t get it right, I’ll come back to you, in another life,” in “Anteroom,” or when she said, “This is for you – not the blogs – you,” pointing out with her arm fully extended, or when she danced across the stage to “Milkman.” Not to mention the encore of spontaneous song requests, when someone requested a Hole song, so she brought out Nü Sensae’s Daniel Pitout out to sing “Miss World” with her. They pulled it off so well I almost find it hard to believe that was a spontaneous first.
Pitout is a great frontman, although in Nü Sensae he’s mostly behind the drum kit. Even without a mic, he interacted with the crowd and cracked jokes between songs. The trio’s grunge punk was reminiscent of Smashing Pumpkins in their heyday, with Andrea Lukic’s vocals oscillating between gutteral yells and banshee screams, the super heavy bottomed driving bass lines, and the dredgy reverb all around. Although, Lukic’s vocals never did get quite loud enough no matter how high they cranked the levels.
I totally forgot that Talk Normal was also on the bill, and was stoked to be reminded when they started setting up. The last time I saw them was at Mercury Lounge, so I was interested to see them again in a difference atmosphere, and from another angle. Drummer Andrya Ambro still sits (sometimes) on her drum set high chair, and guitarist Sarah Register still pulls out her screwdriver to slide down her guitar strings. What has changed is that Register now sings much more instead of Andrea. It still sounded like the timing was off in some of the songs, but another thing that hasn’t changed is that technicality is still neither the point nor the goal. Instead, they’re continuing to push their own sonic boundaries, and their experiments are only helping them along.
EMA and Nü Sensae are continuing to tour together through March, ending in Boise, ID at Tree Fort Music Fest. Talk Normal have no more listed dates as of now, but you can follow their musical moves on their Facebook.
Photos (c) Kelly Knapp
Memoryhouse and Arrange Live at Portland's Bunk Bar
Walking up to the venue, I could hear the band playing different sections of “The Kids Were Wrong,” a single off their new album The Slideshow Effect. Only a dozen people were in the bar at the time, but all turned to watch as multi-instrumentalist Evan Abeele, vocalist/keyboardist Denise Nouvion and drummer Daniel Gray made small, focused adjustments during their sound check.
Songs like “Modern, Normal”, “Walk With Me” and (the now fully intact) “The Kids Were Wrong” were an excellent introduction to their expansive live presence, with Gray’s percussion adding a dynamic drive not heard on the groups more measured recordings. Whatever subtle adjustments made before the show were worth it, as the sound was more balanced and clearer than anything I’ve heard at Bunk. The crowd didn’t seem to mind either, with many now filling the bar’s front of house.
After moving through “Quiet America,” “Punctum,” and “Little Expressionless Animals” to howls from the crowd, the group closed with the Jon-Brion-sampling “Lately”. Watching the number performed live made it hard to believe the Ontario natives formed in 2010. The song’s remorseful, drifting tones and Nouvion’s airy lyrics, confessed a quiet sentiment and musicianship that seems only fit for bands twice their age. This went well with Bunk’s intimate environment and dimly lit stage (much to the umbrage of my camera). For an encore, The Police’s “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” was successfully House-ed into a fun, echoing nightcap.
Starting up the night was Portland resident Malcom Lacey, performing under the name Arrange. Striking a balance somewhere between the oft-hyperactive beats of Will Wiesenfeld’s Baths and the sedate intensity of Gem Club, Malcom’s electronic tracks were an apt choice for the evening’s opener. Since 2010, the 19 year old has released an impressive amount of material (Five Years With The Sun, Plantation, Quiet State, paper parts and Two). With electric guitar, keyboard and laptop, Malcom played elegant bedroom pop, backed by slow electronic beats over moody synthesized melodies.
Be sure to catch Memoryhouse when they return from their 11-city European tour starting this month. Their first gig stateside will be at Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro, North Carolina on April 16th, returning to Portland on April 30th to perform with Sub Pop label mates Washed Out at the Doug Fir.
