Firstly, I don't review local bands so no comment on the Withers in this forum.
People's Temple come from Lansing, Michigan which I would have seen as a good sign if they hadn't already been commanding the stage before announcing that. As I found out after buying both their LP and latest single they are comprised of two sets of brothers which brings me to my one detraction that they were a bit too masculine. Nothing wrong with that, especially when you never stop or slow down. This band had me hooked pretty much the entire time. Looking and sounding like everything great about the 70s their tight energetic hard rock ran the gamut from funky kraut to glammy new wave and everywhere in between. It would be unfair to call the lead guitarist the standout, but his unique Les Paul style was something to behold especially when simultaneously evoking Dick Dale and Phil Manzanera. The drumming was relentless in it's power and as Miles commented, the player reminded him of Grant Hart at his peak. The songs made you move while frying your brain which is really what I look for most in a band. Towards the end of the set there was one real stinker though that made me question if I had even liked them up to that point despite witnessing the best harmonica playing of my life mere moments before. I don't know what happened but they recovered and solidified their status as the best 70s rock band you will live to see.
I didn't stick around for much of Blank Tapes for personal reasons, but that's okay. They were from San Francisco and it was really obvious. In fact they should be called "Four Nice Kids from San Francisco," but then no one would see them. The bassist wore a goofy hat and played a violin bass, the girl played a snare and floor tom with mallets and the twang in her voice wasn't sincere. The guy playing a hollow body guitar was a better vocalist, but the whole thing was just too light. Then there was a guy with glasses and one tambourine in the back.
I haven't listened to the People's Temple records yet, but that will change soon. Either way they are to the 70s what the Brian Jonestown Massacre was to the 60s.
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
The Mallard with Thee Oh Sees and Sic Alps 9/9/12
Wow, it's been a real long time since I posted, but it takes a lot to motivate me away from my own band Super River which has occupied most of my time for the past year.
So I went to this show with three of my band mates Sunday night. We missed the first band that played. I heard they were good, but that came from someone whose taste I question. We were planning to miss the second band as well, but thank god that didn't happen.
The curtain went up at the El Rey and the four-piece was lined up in a row. Apparently they don't do that all the time which is disappointing but immediately my eyes were locked on their drummer despite him being flanked by two beautiful women slinging guitars. His beats and motion were unlike anything else I've seen, innovative, clean, yet painful. It helped that everything else about this band was great. They had a cohesive noisy sound with by far the best energy and songwriting I saw all night. While performing they were such a single unit it was impossible to tell if they even had a single leader. I found out later it's frontwoman/guitarist/songwriter/engineer Greer McGettrick, but what can you do? The rest of the band was no less talented, especially evident after lead guitarist and bassist switched instruments and revealed themselves to be better in the latter role. We seemed to be the only people in the audience who got it, sadly, despite for the relatives of one member standing near us. Well with that crowd what could you expect...
The Sic Alps were revealed and their hippie-ish lead guitarist stuck out the most. His playing was one of the best parts, but who cares? The singer and drummer were both wearing baseball caps which begged the comparison to the Beastie Boys. It was embarrassing, especially after I heard that the band used to just be the two of them. So apparently they used to not have a bass player. More on that later... Bottom line they lacked any essence, I couldn't even tell what they were going for. None of us could! I may have thought they were okay apart from the aesthetic if I hadn't just seen the Mallard, but I was the lucky one, not them.
Then there was Thee Oh Sees. For years this band had never connected with me. I had just been waiting them to be my next Deerhunter and finally catch up and hear what I'd been missing. Turns out I wasn't missing a thing. Judging by the crowd's reaction, the band's energy and enthusiasm, and the tightness of the songs I am certain this was not just an "off night."
If I hadn't already known that this "band" was a product of the god-awful New England hardcore scene of yore I would have known it instantly. It's like ska, even if you move to SF and drop a lot of acid that's still what you are. Then I see there's no bass player, just some skinhead with a guitar and an octave pedal playing repeated bass lines like a machine. Wow. This review should end there. It's almost always the worst choice to not have a bass player (local newcomers Spaceships suggest otherwise), but if you're gonna cut it at least CUT IT. So I stood there for hours of this hardcore kid soloing while his backing band did a job that could be done more easily with Fruity Loops. This band I from now on will describe as "The Olive Garden of Psychedelia" was actually more boring live than on their rushed, spotty records.
So basically buy the below record and forget the other two bands exist. If you're reading this I'm sure you don't have time for them.
So I went to this show with three of my band mates Sunday night. We missed the first band that played. I heard they were good, but that came from someone whose taste I question. We were planning to miss the second band as well, but thank god that didn't happen.
The curtain went up at the El Rey and the four-piece was lined up in a row. Apparently they don't do that all the time which is disappointing but immediately my eyes were locked on their drummer despite him being flanked by two beautiful women slinging guitars. His beats and motion were unlike anything else I've seen, innovative, clean, yet painful. It helped that everything else about this band was great. They had a cohesive noisy sound with by far the best energy and songwriting I saw all night. While performing they were such a single unit it was impossible to tell if they even had a single leader. I found out later it's frontwoman/guitarist/songwriter/engineer Greer McGettrick, but what can you do? The rest of the band was no less talented, especially evident after lead guitarist and bassist switched instruments and revealed themselves to be better in the latter role. We seemed to be the only people in the audience who got it, sadly, despite for the relatives of one member standing near us. Well with that crowd what could you expect...
The Sic Alps were revealed and their hippie-ish lead guitarist stuck out the most. His playing was one of the best parts, but who cares? The singer and drummer were both wearing baseball caps which begged the comparison to the Beastie Boys. It was embarrassing, especially after I heard that the band used to just be the two of them. So apparently they used to not have a bass player. More on that later... Bottom line they lacked any essence, I couldn't even tell what they were going for. None of us could! I may have thought they were okay apart from the aesthetic if I hadn't just seen the Mallard, but I was the lucky one, not them.
Then there was Thee Oh Sees. For years this band had never connected with me. I had just been waiting them to be my next Deerhunter and finally catch up and hear what I'd been missing. Turns out I wasn't missing a thing. Judging by the crowd's reaction, the band's energy and enthusiasm, and the tightness of the songs I am certain this was not just an "off night."
If I hadn't already known that this "band" was a product of the god-awful New England hardcore scene of yore I would have known it instantly. It's like ska, even if you move to SF and drop a lot of acid that's still what you are. Then I see there's no bass player, just some skinhead with a guitar and an octave pedal playing repeated bass lines like a machine. Wow. This review should end there. It's almost always the worst choice to not have a bass player (local newcomers Spaceships suggest otherwise), but if you're gonna cut it at least CUT IT. So I stood there for hours of this hardcore kid soloing while his backing band did a job that could be done more easily with Fruity Loops. This band I from now on will describe as "The Olive Garden of Psychedelia" was actually more boring live than on their rushed, spotty records.
So basically buy the below record and forget the other two bands exist. If you're reading this I'm sure you don't have time for them.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
