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Recently in my notes on upcoming shows, I've been talking up this Friday's show at the Sunset Tavern, an album-release celebration for both Point Juncture WA and for Hotels. I still haven't heard Point Juncture WA's album, just some songs on KEXP, so I don't have much to say about that except that I've been eagerly anticipating seeing them live to learn more about them. However, I'm quite pleased to say that not only do I have Hotels' new album Where Hearts Go Broke, I've written a review of the album which is now featured on the KEXP Blog. So if you're wondering what all the fuss is about Hotels, go read the album review, and come see them this Friday!
Last Sunday I went to the Comet Tavern for yet another show featuring my new favorite local band, Hotels. Headlining the bill was Portland band Tea for Julie, and opening the set before Hotels were two local bands, Pillow Army and Altspeak. Only Hotels were known to me, although I'd heard of Tea for Julie before.
Pillow Army are an unusual quartet featuring acoustic guitar and vocals, violin, cello, and drums. They played a pretty good set of indie pop-rock, with a bit of an art-rock edge due to the strings if nothing else. The strings added a nice color to the sound—but not too nice, getting down and crunchy at times. I liked their sound, and although I think they need a little time to develop some more, I'll be keeping an ear out for them.
Altspeak list themselves as a quartet on their MySpace page: vocals and guitar, guitar, bass, and drums; for this show the vocalist only sang, while an extra person played second guitar. They played a set of modern rock with echoes of mid-'80s Britpop. They reminded me of the Purrs, having some decent songs but overall a generic, unremarkable style; but perhaps like the Purrs, Altspeak will grow on me with more listens.
I'm not much of a fan of the Comet Tavern as a venue, it's simply not built for good sound. This was evident when Hotels played, as they sounded a bit deadened and dull, not as crisp and bright as normal. Even so they still played a good set. The band's slogan of "Travel, Romance, Solitude, Rest" aptly represents the various elements of their style, at times dreamy and distant, at times visceral and vital. Their songs have a memorable quality, instantly recognizable and familiar to me though I've only heard some of them at the three shows I've attended, yet still feeling fun and fresh every time. Thus, I was very excited to hear that Hotels are releasing a new album in February, When Hearts Go Broke, featuring many of these songs, but at the same time I almost don't care because it's enough to enjoy them in the moment of the live show. Still, you can be sure I'll be picking it up, as well as continuing to catch as many live shows by Hotels as I can.
Tea for Julie are the quartet of Michael Deresh (guitar, vocals), Travis Stanek (guitar), Jon Dwyer (bass), and Jad Simpson (drums). Similar to Altspeak, they played a set of '90s-influenced modern pop rock. I found their bright guitar sound and energetic mid-to-up-tempo tunes a little catchier than Altspeak, though. They really won me over when the bassist, seemingly goofing around between songs, started a very familiar bass line and the whole band came in for a really good cover version of the Stone Roses' "I Wanna Be Adored." Their following song—one of their own—also sounded very familiar to me, probably from airplay on KEXP; I believe it was "Hello," in any case it was quite good. They ended with another cover, of Blondie's song "Union City Blue", which sounded rougher and not as good as "I Wanna Be Adored" but was still decent. Like Hotels, Tea for Julie suffered some obvious problems with the venue, as the higher-pitched vocals were lost in the ceiling and the overall sound mix didn't really need to be so loud. Also unsurprisingly, most of the already-small audience left before they started, which was unfortunate: Tea for Julie were pretty good and deserved a better audience. I'll be interested to hear them again some time.
That's it for December, unless by chance I catch something while I'm back East for the holidays or on New Year's Eve here at home. Not much is on the calendar yet for January, but I see that Point Juncture, WA are playing a show at Neumos on Thursday the 8th; they have some lovely dreampop singles playing on KEXP and I've really looking forward to seeing them live, so looks like I've got a show lined up. I'll be checking the listings for other shows over the next few weeks, and looking for news on the reopening of the Crocodile Cafe, which will be an exciting event.
Pillow Army are an unusual quartet featuring acoustic guitar and vocals, violin, cello, and drums. They played a pretty good set of indie pop-rock, with a bit of an art-rock edge due to the strings if nothing else. The strings added a nice color to the sound—but not too nice, getting down and crunchy at times. I liked their sound, and although I think they need a little time to develop some more, I'll be keeping an ear out for them.
Altspeak list themselves as a quartet on their MySpace page: vocals and guitar, guitar, bass, and drums; for this show the vocalist only sang, while an extra person played second guitar. They played a set of modern rock with echoes of mid-'80s Britpop. They reminded me of the Purrs, having some decent songs but overall a generic, unremarkable style; but perhaps like the Purrs, Altspeak will grow on me with more listens.
I'm not much of a fan of the Comet Tavern as a venue, it's simply not built for good sound. This was evident when Hotels played, as they sounded a bit deadened and dull, not as crisp and bright as normal. Even so they still played a good set. The band's slogan of "Travel, Romance, Solitude, Rest" aptly represents the various elements of their style, at times dreamy and distant, at times visceral and vital. Their songs have a memorable quality, instantly recognizable and familiar to me though I've only heard some of them at the three shows I've attended, yet still feeling fun and fresh every time. Thus, I was very excited to hear that Hotels are releasing a new album in February, When Hearts Go Broke, featuring many of these songs, but at the same time I almost don't care because it's enough to enjoy them in the moment of the live show. Still, you can be sure I'll be picking it up, as well as continuing to catch as many live shows by Hotels as I can.
Tea for Julie are the quartet of Michael Deresh (guitar, vocals), Travis Stanek (guitar), Jon Dwyer (bass), and Jad Simpson (drums). Similar to Altspeak, they played a set of '90s-influenced modern pop rock. I found their bright guitar sound and energetic mid-to-up-tempo tunes a little catchier than Altspeak, though. They really won me over when the bassist, seemingly goofing around between songs, started a very familiar bass line and the whole band came in for a really good cover version of the Stone Roses' "I Wanna Be Adored." Their following song—one of their own—also sounded very familiar to me, probably from airplay on KEXP; I believe it was "Hello," in any case it was quite good. They ended with another cover, of Blondie's song "Union City Blue", which sounded rougher and not as good as "I Wanna Be Adored" but was still decent. Like Hotels, Tea for Julie suffered some obvious problems with the venue, as the higher-pitched vocals were lost in the ceiling and the overall sound mix didn't really need to be so loud. Also unsurprisingly, most of the already-small audience left before they started, which was unfortunate: Tea for Julie were pretty good and deserved a better audience. I'll be interested to hear them again some time.
That's it for December, unless by chance I catch something while I'm back East for the holidays or on New Year's Eve here at home. Not much is on the calendar yet for January, but I see that Point Juncture, WA are playing a show at Neumos on Thursday the 8th; they have some lovely dreampop singles playing on KEXP and I've really looking forward to seeing them live, so looks like I've got a show lined up. I'll be checking the listings for other shows over the next few weeks, and looking for news on the reopening of the Crocodile Cafe, which will be an exciting event.
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Last Thursday (the 23rd) I went to the Sunset Tavern to see my new favorite Seattle band, Hotels. Also on the lineup was Motorik—not to be confused with Motorist, who played with Hotels when I saw them in September—and Denelian. I walked in near the end of Denelian's set and only got to hear their last three songs. This indie-rock trio sounded all right, good enough that I'd like to hear a full set some time.
Motorik are a trio on bass and vocals, guitar, and drums. They had a dark, spare, hard rock sound—almost goth, without being goth metal. Judging by the sound, I presumed that all the songs were about obscure cults conducting bloody rituals to placate unspeakable gods of the outer darkness. Their singer was pretty monotonic and seemed to have three pitches, mostly singing low with accents medium and high, but at least was singing. Although they could play well enough, the band felt amateurish in a sense, like they hadn't been together a long time. When the singer introduced a song as "a really old one", I wondered if she meant more than a year. But to be fair, that song was pretty good, and overall I did actually think they were okay and would see them again.
Hotels are the quartet of Blake, Max, Brendan, and Kyle, on bass and lead vocals, guitar, keyboard, and drums. They played a great set of music inspired by '80s New Wave and post-punk but fresh-sounding and original. The band displayed impressive musicianship with their precise, fast playing. The combination of beautiful guitar melodies, complex bass lines, and sold drumming base created a very rich full sound. At times moody, at times joyous, their music is very visceral, encouraging listeners to be in the moment and dance. Unlike Mono In VCF, whose lush cinematic pieces have left me just impatient for more new material despite how much I love it, Hotels are a band I can see over and over in concert without getting tired of their songs and also still eagerly wait for new songs. Although I already owned a copy of their debut CD, Thank You For Choosing..., I made a point of picking up another copy at this show just so I could introduce more of my friends to the band.
I have a brief review to write for Asobi Seksu last Monday at Nectar Lounge, and then coming up in November a bunch of shows including DJ Spooky, Halou, My Brightest Diamond, Yeasayer, and Annuals. Looking forward to some great shows!
Motorik are a trio on bass and vocals, guitar, and drums. They had a dark, spare, hard rock sound—almost goth, without being goth metal. Judging by the sound, I presumed that all the songs were about obscure cults conducting bloody rituals to placate unspeakable gods of the outer darkness. Their singer was pretty monotonic and seemed to have three pitches, mostly singing low with accents medium and high, but at least was singing. Although they could play well enough, the band felt amateurish in a sense, like they hadn't been together a long time. When the singer introduced a song as "a really old one", I wondered if she meant more than a year. But to be fair, that song was pretty good, and overall I did actually think they were okay and would see them again.
Hotels are the quartet of Blake, Max, Brendan, and Kyle, on bass and lead vocals, guitar, keyboard, and drums. They played a great set of music inspired by '80s New Wave and post-punk but fresh-sounding and original. The band displayed impressive musicianship with their precise, fast playing. The combination of beautiful guitar melodies, complex bass lines, and sold drumming base created a very rich full sound. At times moody, at times joyous, their music is very visceral, encouraging listeners to be in the moment and dance. Unlike Mono In VCF, whose lush cinematic pieces have left me just impatient for more new material despite how much I love it, Hotels are a band I can see over and over in concert without getting tired of their songs and also still eagerly wait for new songs. Although I already owned a copy of their debut CD, Thank You For Choosing..., I made a point of picking up another copy at this show just so I could introduce more of my friends to the band.
I have a brief review to write for Asobi Seksu last Monday at Nectar Lounge, and then coming up in November a bunch of shows including DJ Spooky, Halou, My Brightest Diamond, Yeasayer, and Annuals. Looking forward to some great shows!
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I am so far behind in my concert blogging that I'm just going to do a single summary post for the five shows I went to in September.
First, on September 3 I went to Nectar Lounge to see Hotels, a band I'd discovered when they played the KEXP Volunteer Appreciation Party in August. This quartet immediately became my new favorite local band. They have a strong New Wave/New Romantics sound that mixes in some dreampop too, evoking both early New Order and late Talk Talk. Their songs tended to feel longer than the album versions, but this was a good thing. I'm eagerly looking forward to seeing Hotels at more shows. Also on the set that night was Motorist, another local quartet that played moody indie rock. Although they didn't blow me away like Hotels did, they did sound pretty good - I noted in particular that the lead singer had a nice voice - and they may be a band to watch.
On Saturday the 6th I went to the Showbox SoDo to see TV on the Radio. This band plays idiosyncratic modern rock, on the side of prog/art rock but influenced by alternative bands of the '80s and '90s rather than classic progressive of the '70s. In a sense, TV on the Radio sounded as if the Talking Heads had anticipated the '90s. They mixed in funky bass and drums with guitar distortion somewhere between shoegaze and wall-of-sound; the songs were moody, often ominous, but sometimes more upbeat. There's a lot going on in their music, but unfortunately it was not served well by the poor acoustics and muddy sound mix at the venue. Still, I was glad I got to see them, at the least because it's made me pay more attention to them on KEXP and realize they're a great band that I should watch more closely.
On Saturday the 13th I went to Neumos to see Balkan Beat Box. Also on the bill was The Bad Things and DeLeon, and the common thread of all three bands was playing traditional folk and klezmer music from Eastern Europe and the Middle East in a modern context. The Bad Things were the most traditional, using only acoustic instruments, and they were joined on some songs by three brass players from Orkestar Zirconium. DeLeon brought electricity into the mix, starting out with a rock style heavy enough that I was afraid it'd be a set of metal folk, but they lightened up a bit and proved to be just as fun as The Bad Things. Finally, Balkan Beat Box lived up to their name, playing Balkan and Middle-Eastern folk music as hip-hop. Their set was mostly instrumental, though some songs had lyrics and they also did the hip-hop call-and-response frequently. The absolutely packed crowd was a bit too much for me, though I felt better when I finally found a bit of space off to the side and I ended up mostly enjoying the show, which ended with a big onstage dance party.
On Wednesday the 17th I was back at the Showbox SoDo, this time for the show I'd anticipated the most so far this year, Goldfrapp. Eschewing their glam-rock image from the last tour, this time Alison Goldfrapp dressed as a harlequin, Will Gregory and the backing musicians wore all-white, and the stage had a traveling-circus look to it. Musically, the set begain with a moody quiet song and stayed that way for much of the first half, presumably reflecting the sound of their latest album, Seventh Tree. However, older hits were mixed in too, and the set gradually built to a resounding finish. They brought it down again for two more slow songs in the encore before finishing, as I expected, with "Strict Machine". Being familiar with Goldfrapp's music, I was better able to judge the sound quality at the Showbox SoDo this time than with TV on the Radio, and the space is definitely not friendly to nuanced music: even in the middle of the room beside the soundbooth, the mix still tended to be muddy and was worse during loud busy songs. Despite that, it was still a good show, but the band felt pretty laid back and casual this time, and I believe their last show in 2006 had more energy and enthusiasm and was better overall. Hopefully when they come to town again, they can recapture that excitement.
Finally, on Friday September 26, I went back to Nectar Lounge for KJ Sawka. This was an evening of drum 'n bass and breakbeat electronica, starting with DJ NoiseMaker playing a full set as well as spinning in between the other acts. NoiseMaker lived up to his moniker, as I thought he kept the music too loud when playing between the other acts. His set was bass-heavy and relatively slow rhythmically, inspiring some lurching about on the dance floor. He was followed by EOTO, a duo on keys/synths/guitars/voice and acoustic/electronic drums and congas. EOTO picked up the pace, bringing a groovy beat that got everyone moving, and played a solid 90 minutes of excellent dance music. Only the relatively subtle changes in tempo and sound indicated the transitions from one song to the next. KJ Sawka finished the night with his slightly heavier breakbeat, joined by Kent Halverson on keyboards. Sawka and EOTO's sets were mirrors in an interesting way, as EOTO built complex melodic layers with the keys, synths, and guitars over the solid drumming base, while Sawka's set was naturally and mainly drum-driven, with the keys and other electronics providing color and accents. Perhaps it was the harder edge to the music, or just the lateness of the hour, but I felt more like just listening than dancing and there seemed to be less dancing in general. Also, weirdly, a fight broke out, I believe caused by someone flailing about too wildly near the stage, but the perpetrator was quickly thrown out. Besides that moment of alarm, it was a good show and I had a good time.
I didn't get many good photos at any of these shows, but what I've got are all up in my Sept 08 shows set.
First, on September 3 I went to Nectar Lounge to see Hotels, a band I'd discovered when they played the KEXP Volunteer Appreciation Party in August. This quartet immediately became my new favorite local band. They have a strong New Wave/New Romantics sound that mixes in some dreampop too, evoking both early New Order and late Talk Talk. Their songs tended to feel longer than the album versions, but this was a good thing. I'm eagerly looking forward to seeing Hotels at more shows. Also on the set that night was Motorist, another local quartet that played moody indie rock. Although they didn't blow me away like Hotels did, they did sound pretty good - I noted in particular that the lead singer had a nice voice - and they may be a band to watch.
On Saturday the 6th I went to the Showbox SoDo to see TV on the Radio. This band plays idiosyncratic modern rock, on the side of prog/art rock but influenced by alternative bands of the '80s and '90s rather than classic progressive of the '70s. In a sense, TV on the Radio sounded as if the Talking Heads had anticipated the '90s. They mixed in funky bass and drums with guitar distortion somewhere between shoegaze and wall-of-sound; the songs were moody, often ominous, but sometimes more upbeat. There's a lot going on in their music, but unfortunately it was not served well by the poor acoustics and muddy sound mix at the venue. Still, I was glad I got to see them, at the least because it's made me pay more attention to them on KEXP and realize they're a great band that I should watch more closely.
On Saturday the 13th I went to Neumos to see Balkan Beat Box. Also on the bill was The Bad Things and DeLeon, and the common thread of all three bands was playing traditional folk and klezmer music from Eastern Europe and the Middle East in a modern context. The Bad Things were the most traditional, using only acoustic instruments, and they were joined on some songs by three brass players from Orkestar Zirconium. DeLeon brought electricity into the mix, starting out with a rock style heavy enough that I was afraid it'd be a set of metal folk, but they lightened up a bit and proved to be just as fun as The Bad Things. Finally, Balkan Beat Box lived up to their name, playing Balkan and Middle-Eastern folk music as hip-hop. Their set was mostly instrumental, though some songs had lyrics and they also did the hip-hop call-and-response frequently. The absolutely packed crowd was a bit too much for me, though I felt better when I finally found a bit of space off to the side and I ended up mostly enjoying the show, which ended with a big onstage dance party.
On Wednesday the 17th I was back at the Showbox SoDo, this time for the show I'd anticipated the most so far this year, Goldfrapp. Eschewing their glam-rock image from the last tour, this time Alison Goldfrapp dressed as a harlequin, Will Gregory and the backing musicians wore all-white, and the stage had a traveling-circus look to it. Musically, the set begain with a moody quiet song and stayed that way for much of the first half, presumably reflecting the sound of their latest album, Seventh Tree. However, older hits were mixed in too, and the set gradually built to a resounding finish. They brought it down again for two more slow songs in the encore before finishing, as I expected, with "Strict Machine". Being familiar with Goldfrapp's music, I was better able to judge the sound quality at the Showbox SoDo this time than with TV on the Radio, and the space is definitely not friendly to nuanced music: even in the middle of the room beside the soundbooth, the mix still tended to be muddy and was worse during loud busy songs. Despite that, it was still a good show, but the band felt pretty laid back and casual this time, and I believe their last show in 2006 had more energy and enthusiasm and was better overall. Hopefully when they come to town again, they can recapture that excitement.
Finally, on Friday September 26, I went back to Nectar Lounge for KJ Sawka. This was an evening of drum 'n bass and breakbeat electronica, starting with DJ NoiseMaker playing a full set as well as spinning in between the other acts. NoiseMaker lived up to his moniker, as I thought he kept the music too loud when playing between the other acts. His set was bass-heavy and relatively slow rhythmically, inspiring some lurching about on the dance floor. He was followed by EOTO, a duo on keys/synths/guitars/voice and acoustic/electronic drums and congas. EOTO picked up the pace, bringing a groovy beat that got everyone moving, and played a solid 90 minutes of excellent dance music. Only the relatively subtle changes in tempo and sound indicated the transitions from one song to the next. KJ Sawka finished the night with his slightly heavier breakbeat, joined by Kent Halverson on keyboards. Sawka and EOTO's sets were mirrors in an interesting way, as EOTO built complex melodic layers with the keys, synths, and guitars over the solid drumming base, while Sawka's set was naturally and mainly drum-driven, with the keys and other electronics providing color and accents. Perhaps it was the harder edge to the music, or just the lateness of the hour, but I felt more like just listening than dancing and there seemed to be less dancing in general. Also, weirdly, a fight broke out, I believe caused by someone flailing about too wildly near the stage, but the perpetrator was quickly thrown out. Besides that moment of alarm, it was a good show and I had a good time.
I didn't get many good photos at any of these shows, but what I've got are all up in my Sept 08 shows set.
