heavy sleeper
Why didn't anyone tell me that Mutators were so awesome before? They were like the result of some sick science experiment involving Wolf Eyes and Bikini Kill. It was noisy and beautiful. Although, to be completely honest, they had me before they played a note when their lead singer came on stage with an oscillator attached to her belt. A shame that they went on last, when a lot of people had cleared out already.
But back to earlier in the evening...
I got to the Lamp for the NCRC kickoff party in time to catch most of Love and Mathematics. I feel like I must have seen them before, but I couldn't recall what they sounded like. They played dreamy pop music. It didn't blow me away, but the Lamplighter isn't exactly the greatest venue for something so soft and layered.
The Doers were up next. I quite like them, but unlike most people I know, I think I'd prefer if they just played their punk on electric guitars. The acoustic thing is sort of novel though.
I've always been on the fence about Elizabeth. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't down with the new-new-wave thing, but for some reason they've never really hooked me. They played a tight set, as usual, though.
When I see bands like the Yesterdais, I always wonder where 20-somethings who dress like they're from an era gone by meet each other. Internet mesage boards? Secret 60's boy group conventions? Strawberry Alarm Clock mailing list? I was under the impression that they only dressed like the Hollies on stage, but my friend Aaron saw them on the Drive the other day and quashed that assumption.
Devendra Banhart is at the Commodore on September 1st with Noah Georgeson. Mothers! Lock up your sons.
Peter Bjorn and John are at the Commodore on September 21st. They still don't believe in commas.
Lady Sovereign is doing a PA set at Shine after she opens for Gwen and Akon on June 15th. (via Chalked Up)
And finally, apparently Ryan Adams is going to be in town on July 28th. File that under "rumour" for now.
now playing: L. Abramson - Letters to B
Labels: music waste, show announcements, show recaps
11 Comments:
you missed wilco at the orpheum august 20th:D
shit yes!
thanks.
HOLY
SHIT
if ryan plays while i'm there i'll be so friggin happy.
where'd you hear the rumour?
By 
, at
1:29 a.m.
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By 
Cameron Reed, at
10:20 a.m.
Hey Saelen,
If you only knew how hard bands like Mutators, Twin Crystals and Shearing Pinx worked I doubt you would use the word 'apathetic' to describe them. Pointless maybe, but like 'em or not all they do is live/think music and every cent made at some shitty PT job goes into recording/promoting/touring/etc. You got to give them that. That's probably why it's the cities 'fastest growing sub scene', because we are anything but apathetic. In fact, we care more about this than anything else. That just may be construed as nihilistic.
I'm sure we'll all be playing psych or folk (or maybe psych-folk!!!) in two years time. That seems to be the trend.
Or just move to Montreal.
By Cameron Reed, at
10:28 a.m.
If psych-folk picks up next, I might move to montreal.
Saelan: I wouldn't want to listen to nothing but "noise punk," but I love it amongst the rest of the stuff that I get exposed to. And I don't like every band in Vancouver that's doing this same sort of thing, but the Mutators' stuff really got to me.
Even though they're completely different musically, it's sort of like how I feel about the Arcade Fire. I appreciate quiet, composed, and thoughtful music, but I like music that tries to hit you in the chest and move you even more. And even though aesthetically they're all quite diverse, Springsteen does that to me, and Funeral does that to me, and the Sex Pistols do that to me, and so does this kind of thing.
Especially live, I like music that makes you want to break something. And as much as I'm going to enjoy, say, Vetiver or even Wilco for that matter, and even though I put on Yankee Hotel Foxtrot way more than the Hot Loins 7", it's a pretty close call when it comes to what I'll enjoy more at an actual show.
Yeah...these are rash comments to be making on a public messageboard, and I really don't want to personally attack anybody. So apologies to you, Cam, I know you work hard for music in this town.
I also don't want to give the impression that I've got a genre bias. To this day, I think the best show I've ever seen was The Locust with Arab on Radar, Lightning Bolt, and The Blood Brothers in Seattle. I also recognize that Banhart is pretty much a flake and I wouldn't hold him up as an example to emulate, I just happen to like his music.
The fact may very well be that the bands I spoke ill of work really hard, and I've tried on numerous occasions to dig what they do, but I just feel like there's core of disaffection and contempt in their music that I can't really get down with. It's why I've never liked Suicide and I have beef with the Sex Pistols: it's the juvenile, self-destructive, fuck-you attitude that turned me off punk rock until pretty late, when I got into Fugazi and Wire and Gang of Four -- all bands that seemed to have a more constructive response to their alienation. I realize that this probably makes me pedantic and uncool, but what can I say? I want my art-punk to be artful.
I dig it. That's cool.
By Cameron Reed, at
1:08 p.m.
the yesterdais met at true value vintage. no joke.
"hey thats a nice 50 dollar shirt you're buying there dude. you would totally fit the part in my 60s rock band"
By , at
9:55 p.m.
"anyone can play guitar"
By , at
2:19 p.m.
