Pilcrow

My third write-up for Decibel Festival 2013 covers the Cosmic Adventures showcase at the Showbox at the Market, featuring The Orb, Juan Atkins, and Nick Monaco. It also includes photos by me, a rare occasion, but we didn't have a photographer to spare and fortunately the lighting was good enough for me to get decent shots with my iPhone. Go read it on the KEXP Blog. It comes a bit out of order, as that was on Saturday and I'm still trying to get access to photos of the Ghostly International showcase which happened on Friday. Hopefully I'll be able to get that ready for posting tomorrow. I should also have the final write-up, for the Timetable Records showcase, done tonight, so either way there should be another post from me tomorrow, and hopefully both done by Saturday.

On Monday April 11 was a show I'd been anticipating for months: the return of Foals to Seattle, playing at the Showbox at the Market with Freelance Whales and the Naked and Famous. 

The Naked and Famous were a quintet playing synth-heavy rock, with vocals shared between a low and quiet male singer and a loud and clear female singer. No songs in particular leapt out, but their music was pretty solid and enjoyable overall, and the band's youthful looks belied their sophisticated sound. 

Freelance Whales played anthemic grand pop rock, a bit akin to Arcade Fire or Annuals. Like Annuals, several band members also played multiple instruments or switched up on occasion. They met the "oh, these guys" test as I recognized one song, and another sounded like a cover to me, a Sufjan Stevens type of song perhaps. I'll admit I wasn't paying close attention during their set, but it was good enough to make me acknowledge I should've paid more attention.

I missed out on seeing Foals last October because of the car crash, so I'd been very excited that they were already coming back to town. However, they did not start out as exciting as I'd hoped. The main part of the set of course was heavier on songs from last year's release Total Life Forever, which is rounder and deeper in style than their angular, energetic first album Antidotes. The newer songs tended to have a more languid feel, a slower build toward intensity that rolled over the audience like deep ocean waves. Although there's no doubting the power of the new songs such as "Spanish Sahara" or "Black Gold", it was good to hear "Olympic Airways" from the first album in the midst of the set. Foals finally kicked things up a notch for the end of the main set, bringing out a tom for lead singer Yannis Philippakis  to play during "Electric Bloom", and he jumped into crowd to surf a bit. The audience by this point was perhaps a bit antsy, chanting for "Cassius" both before and after the first encore song; as the second round of chanting started, Philippakis immediately cut them off with a curt "it ain't happening." But although "Cassius" would've been nice, it was hardly necessary: the slow build had reached its climax, and Foals rocked hard through "The French Open" and the show-closer "Two Steps, Twice". In the latter, they drew out the bridge to great length and effect while Philippakis climbed a speaker stack so as to jump down dramatically into the final verse. It was an amazing conclusion to a set that in the end brought the excitement I'd hoped for, and I was so glad I'd finally seen Foals.

The Showbox at the Market is not kind to my iPhone camera; unless I'm right up against the stage, I can't really get any worthwhile photos. So I have just five shots from the show, two each of the openers and just one at a distance of Foals, but if you like you can see them in my set on Flickr.

The car crash in mid-October didn't keep me down for long; not quite a month later, I was at Chop Suey on Saturday November 13 to see the Bran Flakes, a wacky performance-art band, with Velella Velella and Dat'r. For some reason I actually wrote that review in a timely manner and posted it right away; you can read it in the archives here on my blog. One thing I didn't emphasize enough in that review was that Velella Velella were quite good and I'd like to see them again.

On Monday November 29, I went to the Showbox at the Market to see the Black Angels, with Black Mountain opening. Black Mountain do the early '70s heavy psychedelic rock really well, and it helps them stand out when so many bands seem to look a decade later for inspiration. It now seems inevitable that they'd grow to this level, as their sound filled the Showbox, and although they were the opening band, the place was filled for them. They played a mix of older and newer songs, storming through "Don't Drag My Heart Around" to finish. I'd never thought of the Black Angels as '70s style heavy/dark rock, but they actually fit in very well with Black Mountain. They maintained a cavernous echoy sound even when the guitars or keyboards were grumbling or shimmering beneath. One song, "Telephone", jumped out for its strong '60s sound, making me wonder if it was a cover. (It's not.) They concluded with "Manipulation" and "Empire", both from their debut album Passover. It was a really solid show, with good performances by both bands and a generous use of time at about 75 and 90 minute sets.

For some reason I insisted on taking photos, even though I was far from the stage, so there's a small set here on Flickr.

December is always a tough month for catching shows, with so much going on including my annual trip home for Christmas. This year however I was able to end in style by going to the Crocodile on New Year's Eve to see Head Like a Kite with Fresh Espresso headlining. I can't do a proper review of this show, as I didn't take any notes and I didn't see the whole thing: I missed the opener, which the Crocodile's website tells me was Concours d'Elegance, and I missed about half of Fresh Espresso's set because I was out in the alley watching the Space Needle fireworks with a couple friends. I will say that I found Head Like a Kite surprisingly on the subdued side, not quite the crazy dance party with people in costumes that I expected from past shows, but my guess is that was due to them not being the headlining act. They were still great to hear, though. What I saw of Fresh Espresso was fun, too, although their rap style still isn't quite to my taste. In any case it was definitely one of the best birthdays/New Year's Eves I've spent in Seattle.

And hey, that's 2010! Now I just have a few more reviews to write in order to catch up to the present.

Friday night I was at the Showbox at the Market to see Lykke Li, with Wildbirds & Peacedrums. I attended this show as a volunteer for KEXP, which sponsored the show, so the standard disclaimer applies: although I am a volunteer for KEXP, the opinions expressed in this review and all other posts on this blog are solely mine and do not represent the official views of KEXP.

Wildbirds & Peacedrums are the husband-and-wife duo of Andreas Werliin and Mariam Wallentin on drums and vocals/dulcimer/percussion respectively. As I learned at the show, their music defies easy description. Their stark vocals and percussion suggested tribal music origins, but the performance style was more akin to an art project than authentic folk music. They might be termed worldbeat, but only in the broadest sense of mixing folk/ethnic musical elements and Western-style music. Wallentin and Werliin were evenly matched with powerful vocals and drumming, and the audience responded enthusiastically. I wasn't sure what I was hearing, but I decided whatever Wildbirds & Peacedrums might be, they were pretty good.

Lykke Li is a Swedish indie-pop singer-songwriter—not exactly a rare breed these days. What distinguishes Li's music is her quirky spirit and flavorings of rock, electronica, and even hip-hop; also, of course, her soft girlish voice, strongly reminiscent of Allison Shaw from shoegaze/dreampop band Cranes. Before describing her set, I should clarify that because I had the duty of watching the KEXP table, I only saw the first half of her performance, although being just outside the performing space I clearly heard the entire set. Li came out on stage alone to begin the first song, "Dance, Dance, Dance", and was joined about halfway through by a guitarist, keyboardist, and drummer. Similarly, she began "Complaint Department" by herself with a cymbal and sampled music before the band came back; at the other end, "Hanging High" featured two additional musicians both playing additional percussion and singing backing vocals. Most of her set drew from her debut album Youth Novels, of course, but she introduced at least one new song, "Until We Bleed". To my surprise, she played her hits "I'm Good, I'm Gone" and "Little Bit" early in the set, and her two encore songs were unknown to me. The last encore began as a cover of "Walk On The Wild Side" but morphed into something else with Li rapping for a bit on top. From what I saw, Li was an entertaining and engaging performer, working the crowd a bit and making some amusing comments between songs. The whole set sounded great, and even if I couldn't actually see all of it I was glad that I hadn't missed hearing it. My only regret was that I was strapped for cash and couldn't pick up her album, but hopefully it won't be too long before I can.

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Coming up in the next two weeks are two shows I've been eagerly awaiting for the past three months. First, on Friday Feb. 20, the Sunset Tavern hosts a double record-release show for Point Juncture WA and Hotels, with The Animals at Night opening. Second, on Wednesday Feb. 25 Annuals return to Seattle headlining a show at Chop Suey, which is sure to be amazing. Also next week on Wednesday Feb. 18, Ballard clothes store Blackbird is sponsoring "Birds of a Feather", a benefit show for the Ballard Food Bank featuring the Botherations, Idle Times, and Yes Oh Yes. I know nothing of these bands, but the store owners are friends of mine and the cause is worthy, so go check it out. Speaking of worthy causes, KEXP's Spring Pledge Drive starts Friday Feb. 27 and runs through the first week of March.

Last Saturday night I went to see Ladytron at The Showbox. Ladytron seem to like having contrasting opening acts with upbeat party attitudes; on the last tour they had CSS, this time opening for them was Datarock.

Datarock are the duo of Fredrik Saroea (lead vocals, guitar) and Ket-ill (bass, backing vocals); they appeared with two backing musicians, one on drums and one handling at times guitar, backing vocals, sax, keyboard, and drumpad. They played an energetic set blending '70s-style punk and groovy classic rock - despite their name, they aren't a math rock band at all. I thought their sound was a bit rough and the vocals in particular could have been more tuneful, but they were still fun to hear and watch. They closed with an extended version of their current single "Fa Fa Fa", which I've been hearing and enjoying on KEXP, and despite some roughness in the earlier songs their live performance made me think I should pay more attention to Datarock in the future.

Ladytron are the quartet of Helen Marnie, Mira Aroyo, Daniel Hunt, and Reuben Wu, all four of whom play keyboards and synths, with Marnie and Aroyo sharing vocals. As on their last tour, they were joined by a pair of backing musicians on bass and drums. Unlike the last tour, from the start this show felt more open, less cold and forbidding, more electro and less goth. The band also seemed a little more talkative, mentioning a few times that they were happy to be back in Seattle. The set had a fairly even mix of songs from their three previous albums and their newest release, Velocifero. Also unlike the last time, the show felt a bit laid back, even sedate, lacking both the initial dark intensity and enthusiastic build-up to the finale. Once again they finished their show with "Destroy Everything You Touch", but it sounded a bit cluttered and rough, not crisp and polished like last time. I enjoyed the show overall, but missed the intensity and enthusiasm that made their previous show one of my favorites for 2006 (matched by Goldfrapp). Still, if they happen to come through Seattle a second time this year, as they did on their last tour, I wouldn't pass up the opportunity to see them again.

Datarock photos begin here and Ladytron photos begin here. As usual, the photos of the opening band are better because I was able to get closer to the stage.

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Next month I'm excited that Annuals are coming back to town, playing at Neumos on Tuesday June 10. They're not headlining this show (Times New Viking are) so it won't be a long set with an encore, but still it'll be great to see them again. Also playing June 10 are The Ting Tings, at Chop Suey; I've been enjoying their songs "Great DJ" and "That's Not My Name" on KEXP, so I'd like to see them, but Annuals take precedence. On Wednesday June 11, I'll be going with my friend Farida to see Sam Phillips playing at Borders Books & Music in Redmond. Besides those shows, I'll keep an eye out for anything else interesting turning up.

Last night I went to see Blonde Redhead and Annuals at The Showbox. Generally, I prefer cheaper shows at smaller venues rather than going to the Showbox, and I don't care for being in the large crush of people by the stage there. However, I really enjoyed Annuals at their last show here in February and it wasn't likely I'd see them again soon after this. Additionally, I don't know Blonde Redhead very well, and didn't want to miss the opportunity to learn more about them.

Annuals put on another set of high-energy rock. Again, the musicianship of this sextet really shone through their percussion-heavy sound. Lead singer/keyboardist Adam and guitarist Kenny were able to switch rapidly between their primary instruments and furious drum-pounding without missing a beat. Guitarist/drummer Zack usually played one or the other instrument, but for at least one song he sat with his guitar at the drum set and alternated between the two, playing the drums with one hand. Full-time drummer Nick held the group together with his steady beat, and keyboardist Anna and bassist Mike were never overwhelmed by the others. The entire band was very tight, and the songs although often frenetic were clearly well-rehearsed. I said in my last review that I expect Annuals to get a lot of attention as the year goes on, not knowing they were about to do this short tour with Blonde Redhead. Now, I expect them to be the headlining act at the Showbox the next time they come to town.

Blonde Redhead are the trio of Kazu Makino (vocals, guitar, keyboard), Amadeo Pace (vocals, guitar), and Simone Pace (drums). They're not a band I've paid much attention to in the past - I'd hear one of their songs and say, "oh, this is Blonde Redhead!" - for some reason they just hadn't clicked with me. However, KEXP frequently has been playing tracks from Blonde Redhead's latest album, 23, over the past couple months, and I've been enjoying what I've heard. So I was expecting a good show, and it was good, but still not really engaging until near the end. Both the sonic wash of their music and their heads-bowed-down performance style fit the shoegazer genre, though overall their music had the harder edge and dissonance of experimental indie rock. Most of the set featured songs from the new album, and the audience was duly appreciative; but despite my ignorance of Blonde Redhead's older work, I could tell from the crowd's excited reaction when they pulled out an older song. Toward the end of their main set, they brought out two hits even I recognized (though I'll admit I've had to look up the titles), "Falling Man" and "In Particular." The crowd went wild for these songs, and perhaps it was their enthusiam or the songs' familiarity that finally warmed me up and brought a big grin to my face. In the end, the show proved to be an excellent choice, and made me feel remiss for not being more familiar with Blonde Redhead.

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I passed up a show by Beehive in order to attend this show - although I reasoned that there was a good chance that Blonde Redhead would sell out, in which case I could have gone to Beehive instead. However, on their MySpace page Beehive recently announced the release party for their upcoming CD, Pretty Little Thieves, to be held at High Dive on Saturday, May 26. That's a show I'll be sure to attend.

Yesterday, I went to see Goldfrapp at the Showbox. The band is the duo of Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory; they appeared with three additional musicians, for a lineup including keyboards, electronic violin / keyboards / guitar, bass, drums, and Alison's amazing vocals. Here I have to admit that I don't actually know what Will Gregory looks like, and there don't seem to be many photos of him readily findable online - certainly the Goldfrapp site itself is lacking in photos. So while I believe he was the violinist/keyboardist/guitarist, I don't actually know. But that's almost beside the point, as Alison is very much the focal point of her namesake band, for the very good reason that she's quite pretty and exudes sexiness.

However, I didn't go merely to ogle Goldfrapp, I went for the excellent music, and I was not disappointed. Drawing upon glam rock, some new wave, disco, and more modern electronica, Goldfrapp play sultry electric dance rock, with the occasional ballad or more ethereal song. Alison usually sings in a cool breathy style, but when she pulls out the stops, she has a powerful voice capable of a wide range and full sound. I did notice, though, that the songs featuring her singing loud and sustained notes were all done at the beginning of the set, perhaps to make sure she wouldn't be too tired to carry the notes. Still, she showed no lack of energy and her voice never wavered.

Alison has a very theatrical style to her performance, seeming cool and aloof early in the set, but by the end rousing the crowd to wave arms and clap hands. Even at the beginning though, she'd occasionally crack a delighted smile that showed how much fun she was having. They also made good use of lighting, including strobes and banks of white lights that would flash blindingly into the audience by the end. The whole show was very much a rock spectacle, the sort I really haven't seen in a long time, and Alison is a total rock star.

I actually don't yet own any Goldfrapp albums, though I've had their second album, Black Cherry, written in my list of things to buy pretty much since it came out in 2003. So a lot of the music was new to me, which makes it difficult to comment more on that. However, I do know they played most if not all the hit singles, including "Ooh La La" and "Ride A White Horse" from their current album Supernature, and "Train" and "Black Cherry" from the previous album. I was happy that their final song was "Strict Machine" from Black Cherry, as it's the song that first made me take notice of the band and write them down in that list, and the performance seemed to me to capture the spirit of Goldfrapp. As the song's lyrics repeat: wonderful electric.

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Usually I write about shows in the order that the bands appear, saving the headliner for last. This is partly to reproduce the show experience, and partly to highlight the lesser-known opening acts, who often both deserve and need the attention. In this case however, the opening act wasn't a band, it was DJ Darek Mazzone from KEXP. I liked his mix at first, but as it got closer to showtime he played more tracks featuring obnoxiously loud foreign-language rapping, and lost my interest. Also, he wasn't spinning onstage, so there wasn't any kind of show to watch while listening to his set. I was at the show by myself, and I found that two hours was just too long to stand around in the increasingly crowded floor space with no one to talk to, nothing to watch, listening to a set I enjoyed less as it went on. Fortunately, Goldfrapp proved more than worth the wait.

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Back in March I mentioned that Joe Jackson is playing the Moore Theatre in June, on Tuesday the 20th. At first I expected to go to the show, but prices at the Moore are on the expensive side for me: seats are $28 in the balcony and $38 on the floor, and service charges add nearly $10 on top of those prices. Also, he's on tour just with two of his original band members, Graham Maby and Dave Houghton; while they're great and he always puts on a great show, the last time he came to town it was with his full original band (including Gary Sanford as well), and I feel as though this won't be much different. So I've decided I'll just have to let this show pass, and pick something else for June.