tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64384988320032139212024-02-21T09:44:57.854-08:00Here Comes the DumptruckA Blog on Music in Idaho (mostly)B. Schultzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15535633250911385768noreply@blogger.comBlogger296125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6438498832003213921.post-90616977216899394562015-01-21T13:31:00.000-08:002015-01-25T23:59:01.410-08:00Voyagers and Glory Fires: The Top 14 Albums of 2014 (unabridged)<i>Hello! It's been a while since I've written here. As I imagine most readers know, I've been busy writing for <a href="http://www.boiseweekly.com/boise/ArticleArchives?author=2897823" target="_blank">Boise Weekly</a> this past year. It's been a lot of work, but overall, it's been great.</i><br />
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<i>This article was originally published in an abridged version in the Weekly on <a href="http://www.boiseweekly.com/boise/the-top-14-albums-of-2014/Content?oid=3378960" target="_blank">Jan. 7, 2015</a> (an apparent upload mishap made it even more abridged). I decided to publish the full version here--with the kind permission of BW, I should add--because I worked hard on it and, God help me, I actually think the writing's pretty good. Hopefully, you good people will feel the same. More importantly, I hope you like the albums I picked and maybe discover something you didn't know about.</i><br />
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<i>Also, I thought that this could serve as notice that I intend to write more for HCTD in the coming year. Admittedly, 2015 has already been keeping me busy: On top of working four different paying gigs, I'm looking into contributing to a Boise-based music website that's being set up (stay tuned for info on that). Nonetheless, I do miss writing stuff here. Leaving alone the freedom to write whatever I want however I want, I have by no means forgotten that this crude-looking, stupidly named blog has been the source of nearly everything good that has happened in my life over the past three years. For that and for your readership, I will always be grateful.</i><br />
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<i>Okay, enough preface. Hope you enjoy!</i><br />
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Tough times call for tough music--music that challenges, surprises, enlightens and delights. Whether it came from young upstarts staking their claims or old lions roaring once again, a lot of this kind of music came out last year. Here are 14 of the best albums of 2014.<br />
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<b>Lee Bains III & the Glory Fires, <i>Dereconstructed</i></b><br />
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The Clash is alive and well and jamming with Lynyrd Skynyrd in Birmingham, Ala. As unlikely as this description may seem, it's really what <i>Dereconstructed </i>sounds like.<br />
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Birmingham-raised, NYU-educated Lee Bains proclaims his undying love for the South while railing against some of its--and America's--many ills: racism, homophobia, thieving businessmen, regressive politics, blind consumerism. He and the Glory Fires back up these fighting words with snarling guitars and a rhythm section that can handle sludgy stomp, mid-tempo boogie and full-throttle blitzkrieg.<br />
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<i><a href="http://bittersoutherner.com/lee-bains-iii-dereconstructed/" target="_blank">The Bitter Southerner</a></i> declared that this punk-Southern rock hybrid "may be the most important record about the South ever released." It may also be the best rock album of 2014.<br />
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<b>Jenny Lewis, <i>The Voyager</i></b><br />
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Many reviews of <i>The Voyager</i> reference the rough patch that <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/27/magazine/the-jenny-lewis-experience.html?_r=0" target="_blank">Jenny Lewis</a> went through over the past few years. These experiences--the death of her father, the breakup of her band Rilo Kiley, struggles with insomnia--may have influenced the album, but focusing on them can distract you from the wit, empathy and complexity of her songwriting.<br />
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With production help from Beck and Ryan Adams, Lewis depicts women making their own mistakes, learning their own lessons and speaking their own minds. These concise tales of sexual and chemical experimentation feature some of the sharpest melodies and slyest vocals of her career, making <i>The Voyager </i>and almost perfect pop-rock album.<br />
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<b>Run the Jewels, <i>Run the Jewels 2</i></b><br />
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At Treefort 2014, Run the Jewels' Killer Mike got a crowd full of Idahoans to shout, "Fuck Ronald Reagan!" With their second album together, he and partner El-P pull off something equally audacious.<br />
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<i>Run the Jewels 2 </i>mixes social protest, trash talk and blunt-and-booze glorification without shortchanging any of them. Killer Mike and El-P deliver it all with slamming beats, razor-sharp rhymes and quicksilver flow. Add it up and you have an album that can support cameos from both ex-Rage Against the Machine frontman Zach de la Rocha and ex-Three 6 Mafia rapper Gangsta Boo. The latter, incidentally, comes on a sex rap that practices equal opportunity while piling on raunchy details.<br />
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<b>Seun Kuti, <i>A Long Way to the Beginning</i></b><br />
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As Jakob Dylan or Sean and Julian Lennon could tell you, making music under the shadow of a legendary parent isn't easy. As the youngest son of Afrobeat creator and political firebrand Fela Kuti, Seun Kuti's cross would seem especially hard to bear. He's managing just fine, though, in part because he inherited Fela's band. He's also absorbed his dad's vision and, in some ways, improved on it: "Black Woman," the soulful closing track on <i>Beginning</i>, helps clean out the bad taste left by Fela's condescending "Lady."<br />
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Seun's taste in producers helps too. While <i>From Africa with Fury: Rise </i>(2011) featured production from Brian Eno, the Nigerian musician turned to jazz-hip-hop cross-pollinator Robert Glasper for his latest album. Together, they concoct a denser, faster and more abrasive take on the elder Kuti's meld of funk, jazz and High Life. You might think of it as Public Enemy to Fela's James Brown.<br />
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<b>Drive-By Truckers, <i>English Oceans</i></b><br />
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The <a href="http://grantland.com/features/drive-by-truckers-carry-on/" target="_blank">Drive-By Truckers</a> have gone through two major crises in the course of their 18-year career. The first, which led to the firing of singer-guitarist Jason Isbell, produced the masterpiece <i>Brighter Than Creation's Dark</i> (2008). The second, which caused bassist Shonna Tucker and guitarist John Neff to quit, produced <i>English Oceans</i>, the Truckers' best album since <i>Brighter.</i><br />
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It's tempting to infer that the band's internal struggles seeped into the album's songs: More than usual, Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley's lyrics focus on fraught, complicated relationships. What's more important, though, is that the two songwriters delineate those relationships with humor, wisdom, respect and solid tunes. Two acidic portraits of political hustlers provide some socio-cultural perspective. The two songs that bookend <i>Oceans</i>--Cooley's tough-talking, hard-rocking "Shit Shots Count" and Hood's majestic "Grand Canyon"--provide uplift.<br />
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<b>John Nemeth, <i>Memphis Grease</i></b><br />
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If you like your soul music with two dimensions or less, go ahead and buy St. Paul and the Broken Bones' much-hyped <i>Half the City</i>. If you want the real thing, pick up the latest release from one of Boise's favorite sons.<br />
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On <i>Memphis Grease</i>, John Nemeth joins forces with The Bo-Keys, whose members have played with Rufus Thomas, Al Green and Otis Redding (bassist Scott Bomar also scored the great 2005 hip-hop film <i>Hustle and Flow</i>). Nemeth's smooth, nuanced vocals almost steal "Crying" away from Roy Orbison. Also, you might wonder who wrote songs like <a href="http://www.americansongwriter.com/2014/02/video-premiere-john-nemeth-gets-bo-keys-aint-broke/" target="_blank">"If It Ain't Broke"</a> and "Keep the Love a Comin'" until you check the album credits and see that the man did himself. (Sidenote: Nemeth didn't write this one. Otis Rush did.)<br />
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<b>St. Vincent, <i>St. Vincent</i></b><br />
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Annie Clark, a.k.a. St. Vincent, has been dropping so many jaws lately that her music and videos should come with a warning label from the American Dental Association. She stunned viewers and critics with her cover of Nirvana's <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOHvCIPPKH0" target="_blank">"Lithium"</a> at the 2014 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Last February, she released her most accomplished and accessible album to date.<br />
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On <i>St. Vincent</i>, Clark wraps her idiosyncratic lyrics and playful, alluring vocals in bumptious beats, mind-warping noises and loads of irresistible hooks. It's too bad that Lady Gaga already used the title <i>Artpop</i>: This album embodies the concept better than almost any in recent memory.<br />
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<b>Sylvan Esso, <i>Sylvan Esso</i></b><br />
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While <i>St. Vincent </i>kicks down the door, <i>Sylvan Esso </i>sneaks in through the window. Amelia Meath's sweet coo and grounded lyrics ride atop Nick Sanborn's waves of sinuous beats and quirky synthesizer hooks. This spare, clever electro-pop may seem unassuming at first, but these songs will stay stuck in your head for days if not weeks.<br />
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<b>Wussy, <i>Attica!</i></b><br />
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Is Wussy, as <a href="http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/bn/2012-03.php" target="_blank">Robert Christgau</a> claims, "the best band in America?" It's debatable, but the case for this Cincinnati, Ohio-based indie-rock band gets stronger with each new album.<br />
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Wussy's latest, <i>Attica!</i>, is its best yet. Front-people Lisa Walker and Chuck Cleaver have never sung with more confidence or delicacy. A beefed-up rhythm section and some distorted slide add heft and bite to the duo's surefire melodies and droning guitars. Thanks to the power and beauty of the music, Walker and Cleaver sound triumphant even when they compare their apartment to a prison cell or sift through the ashes of their burnt-down home.<br />
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<b>Angaleena Presley, <i>American Middle Class</i></b><br />
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Sturgill Simpson may sound like Waylon Jennings, but his hit record <i>Metamodern Sounds in Country Music </i>has more in common with Youth Lagoon's <i>The Year of Hibernation</i>. Both albums let listeners indulge a fantasy of escaping from this mean old world.<br />
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With Angaleena Presley's <i>American Middle Class</i>, such opiates for the masses aren't on the menu. Instead, you get 12 songs that combine the down-home feminist sass of Loretta Lynn (or Presley's Pistol Annies cohort, Miranda Lambert) with the tough-minded yet compassionate class-consciousness of Merle Haggard. Presley may have sweeter tunes and vocals, but she hits just as hard as Lee Bains III or the Drive-By Truckers.<br />
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<b>Jessica Lea Mayfield, <i>Make My Head Sing</i></b><br />
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Great rock and roll takes risks. On her latest album, <a href="http://www.boiseweekly.com/boise/jessica-lea-mayfield-playing-her-way/Content?oid=3129521" target="_blank">Jessica Lea Mayfield</a> takes a couple of large ones. Singing softly and carrying a big guitar, she ditches her earlier folk sound and unleashes all the grungy thoughts and noises in her head. She gets support from husband Jesse Newport's steadfast bass and Matt Martin's muscular drumming. <i>Make My Head Sing </i>is raw, tender, brave and beautiful.<br />
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<b>Tennis, <i>Ritual in Repeat</i></b><br />
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"Night Vision," the lead track on <a href="http://www.boiseweekly.com/boise/tennis-hits-grand-slam-with-ritual-in-repeat/Content?oid=3328080" target="_blank">Tennis</a>'s latest album, fuses the sensual and the spiritual over a hypnotically simple, syncopated drumbeat. It's one of 2014's sexiest songs, but that's just Alaina Moore's warm-up. Drawing from '60s folk and girl groups as well as '70s new wave and disco, Moore and husband Patrick Riley stand up for tender-hearted bad girls and craft affectionate portraits of Vivienne Eliot and a Fundamentalist grandmother. Throughout, they turn three-minute pop songs into odes to female desire, strength and independence.<br />
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<b>Various Artists, <i>A Tribute to Bob Dylan in the '80s: Vol. 1</i></b><br />
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2014 had two excellent Dylan-related releases. One was <i>The Bootleg Series 11: The Basement Tapes Raw</i>. The other was this tribute album, which applies just the right balance of respect and irreverence to the great songwriter's most uneven period. Highlights include Built to Spill's anthemic "Jokerman," Craig Finn's down-and-out "Sweetheart Like You," Aaron Freeman's goofy "Wiggle Wiggle" and Lucius's transcendent "When the Night Comes Falling from the Sky."<br />
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<b>The Old 97's, <i>Most Messed Up</i></b><br />
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"We've been doing this longer than you've been alive," Rhett Miller sings on the first song. You wouldn't know it from the way these alt-country stalwarts kick out the jams on their tenth studio album. With amped-up tempos and unfailingly catchy tunes, they get drunk and get it on like a bunch of freshly minted 21 year-olds. Is it really better to burn out than to fade away? Looks like The Old 97's will find out.<br />
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<b><u>Honorable Mention</u></b><br />
Wovenhand, <i>Refractory Obdurate</i><br />
Frazey Ford, <i>Indian Ocean</i><br />
Dave Alvin & Phil Alvin, <i>Common Ground</i><br />
Bob Mould, <i>Beauty and Ruin</i><br />
Robert Plant, <i>lullaby and... The Ceaseless Roar</i><br />
Desert Noises, <i>27 Ways</i><br />
<a href="http://www.boiseweekly.com/boise/dynamic-duo/Content?oid=3270728" target="_blank">The Both</a>, <i>The Both</i><br />
Eyehategod, <i>Eyehategod</i><br />
YOB, <i>Clearing the Path to Ascend</i><br />
tUnE-yArDs, <i>nikki nack</i><br />
White Lung, <i>Deep Fantasy</i><br />
Brandy Clark, <i>12 Stories</i><br />
Peter Murphy, <i>Lion</i><br />
Badbadnotgood, <i>III</i><br />
Thompson, <i>Family</i><br />
<a href="http://www.boiseweekly.com/boise/lonely-magic/Content?oid=3155565" target="_blank">Aan</a>, <i>Amor Ad Nauseum</i><br />
Azealia Banks, <i>Broke With Expensive Taste </i>(note: This one came VERY close to making the top 14 list. If you have any feel for hip-hop, check it out. Aside from a surf-rock parody near the end--seriously, WTF?--this album is stunning.)<br />
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You can find info on Facebook and elsewhere online. And if you haven't done it already, follow <i>HCTD </i>on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/herecomesthedumptruck" target="_blank">Facebook</a> to keep track of what I'm up to. (You'd think it would've dawned on me to mention that a couple years ago...)B. Schultzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15535633250911385768noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6438498832003213921.post-6313939404253755372014-04-02T13:05:00.000-07:002014-04-02T13:17:44.060-07:00Treefort 2014 Day 1 (3/20/14)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<u style="font-weight: bold;">5:30 pm</u>: <b>El Korah Shrine</b><br />
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A new record of sorts: it's the first day of Treefort and I'm already tired. I had a fair amount to drink at last night's History of Boise Rock Showcase and didn't get much sleep. No matter--I'm a professional. Or something like it. I'm experienced enough to know the value of a cup of coffee, anyway, which I knock back at the Flying M before heading down to the El Korah.<br />
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This Treefort, I'm writing for two blogs--<i>Boise Weekly</i>'s and my own. The <i>Weekly </i>hooked me up with a press pass this year and told me to pick out a highlight from each day of the festival for a small write-up. It should leave me with plenty of material for <i>HCTD</i>, which has been sorely neglected these past few months.<br />
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A very friendly trio of middle-aged folk come up to me while I'm hanging out in the main hall. One of them is a lady named Rebecca, who compliments me on my <a href="http://www.boiseweekly.com/boise/roots-branches-sprouts-and-seeds/Content?oid=3077382" target="_blank">big Treefort feature</a> in this week's <i>Weekly. </i>I'm grateful to hear this; when I turned it in, I honestly thought that the <i>Weekly</i>'d never let me write for them again.<i> </i>She also says she's been reading my blog since Treefort 2012. I'm very grateful to hear this too, and amazed--never thought I'd hear someone tell me <i>that </i>when I started this deal.<br />
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<b><u>6:00 pm, El Korah</u>: Finn Riggins</b><br />
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This band just keeps racking up "firsts" for me. They were the first local band which I took an active interest in, and they were the subject of my first <i>Weekly </i>music<i> </i>feature. And in a way, they made my first main feature possible because, in a way, they made this festival possible (I know, there's more to it than that, but still...).<br />
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Anyway, I'm excited to see them again--it's their first set since Eric Gilbert and Lisa Simpson had their kid. They sound a little hesitant at the start, but they shake off more of the cobwebs with each number. Lisa Simpson's voice sounds as strong as ever, as does Cameron Bouiss's drumming. The sound on Eric Gilbert's keyboard conks out on the outro to "Wake," but he and his bandmates power through it. They get help from some friends on other numbers--namely, Andy Rayborn, whose saxophone provides some nice rhythmic counterpoint on the deathless "Benchwarmers"; and Ivy Meissner and Phil Merrell from Dark Swallows, whose bass and guitar add some extra menace to the ominous "Arrow" (which, now that I think about it, does sound like a Dark Swallows song).<br />
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"Hey everybody, turn around!" Lisa Simpson cries. "The monsters are here! The monsters are here!"<br />
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Sure enough, they are. People come in carrying the Treefort monsters and groove with the rest of the audience. TV news crews film the monster-holders and interview them. It occurs to me that these creatures are a great idea. The childlike whimsy of them exemplifies the spirit of Treefort (i.e. a sense of wonder, of going out and experiencing new things).<br />
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<b><u>7:00 pm, The Crux</u>: James Plane Wreck</b><br />
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I'm eager to go out and hear some new music after Finn Riggins finishes, but I stop by the Crux first to catch a bit of James Plane Wreck's set. It's been a good while since I've seen this band too; they've spent the past few months working on their album.<br />
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To my surprise, these guys almost sound like a new band. Their arrangements and playing sound more fluid and intricate than before. There are a couple of rough spots, but what's a JPW set without rough spots? But best of all, the old speed and brute force are still there--Andrew Bagley hits so hard that he breaks the metal connecting his crash cymbal to its stand.<br />
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The crash cymbal destruction halts the set's momentum, so I head over to the Linen Building, hoping to catch some of <b>King Brat</b>'s set (I'll hear later that JPW <i>kills </i>on "F*ckin' With Ghosts"). Anyway, KB's one of the new(-ish) projects of Jessica Johnson's, ex-drummer for Red Hands Black Feet.<br />
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Unfortunately, I get there too late; the set's already over. So I walk with Erin Nelson from the Rediscovered Bookshop and her friend to the El Korah. Erin's doing a lot of volunteer stuff with Radio Boise (recording sets, etc.) and checking on the library in the Treefort artist's lounge, which Rediscovered set up. I'll just say this: the festival owes a lot to people like this lady.<br />
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<b><u>8:00 pm, Tom Grainey's</u>: Coastwest Unrest</b><br />
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I part ways with Erin and her friend and head over to Grainey's to see Coastwest Unrest. I saw my Record Exchange co-workers/superiors Chad Dryden and John O'Neil enthusing over this Las Vegas band on Facebook earlier today. If these guys love this band, I figure they'll be worth a listen.<br />
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I listen to the twangy guitar, country trot/swing, bourbon-warmth vocals and ruminative, sardonic lyrics of the group's opener and peg them as JPW's mellower brother. Then I notice the tricky time signatures, the offhandedly intricate drumming and the fragmented song structures of their other numbers. Then I notice how, for all of their arty eccentricity, the band's rootsy, blue-collar feel still doesn't feel like a hipster affectation--how they sound like they could stay in and reread <i>Ulysses </i>or go out honky-tonkin' and be happy either way. Then I start thinking of them as the Minutemen's (slightly) mellower nephew.<br />
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The crowd, possibly realizing that this ain't your standard boogie/rockabilly band, stand along the edge of the dance floor. They cheer plenty throughout the set, though, and do some polite grooving near the end.<br />
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After Coastwest Unrest finishes, I walk back to the Crux. I've seen and written about Storie Grubb and the Holy Wars plenty of times (even have a <a href="http://www.boiseweekly.com/boise/brain-food/Content?oid=3087047" target="_blank"><i>Weekly </i>feature</a> on them that should run in a couple of weeks), but various members have told me they've got something special planned for their Treefort set. That's enough to make them a candidate for some more coverage.<br />
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I see Jeremy Jensen (The Very Most) and members of the Blaqks (whose drummer, Bruce Maurey, also plays with Storie Grubb), Dark Swallows and Virgil hanging out when I arrive. Two big, white sheets hung on poles conceal the stage. The lights go down, and projections start to play on the sheets. This should be interesting.<br />
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The band can only be seen in silhouette, but they can be heard loud and clear. Storie Grubb snarls and his guitar shrieks while Bruce Maurey's drums bash and rumble and Dustin Jones's bass zooms and weaves. Mathew Vorhies's accordion--soothingly droning here, jaunty there--lends an ironic sweetness to his bandmates' tumult.<br />
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There's a huge cheer as the sheets are pulled away. The band thunders on as the people up front dance. This continues as the sheets are put back a few songs later. The set gets cut a little short--earlier sets ran long, apparently--but hopefully, some more people now realize how great this band is.<br />
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I head back over to the other side of Main Street to catch Hip Hatchet at Pengilly's. I'd missed his set here a few months back and liked what I'd heard of his songs enough to resolve to see him this time around.<br />
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The Portland musician's grainy baritone and detailed, thoughtful lyrics sound just as good live as they do on record. His nimble finger-picking is impressive too: as a lady I chat with briefly says, he sounds like he's playing a 12-string guitar. Not that he boasts about it or anything--he punctuates his set with plenty of funny, self-deprecating banter (asks how much time he has 10 minutes into the set, describes how Portland's strong coffee can hinder attempts to pick up women).<br />
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I talk a little with Sam and Catherine Merrick after the set. I tell them I might miss <b>a.k.a. Belle</b>'s set, but considering how many times I've seen them, they give me a pass. I also talk with Ten Gallon Cat promoter Heather Roberts, who's overseeing the volunteers at Pengilly's (she organized tonight's lineup too). She asks me if I'm going to see her band <b>The Jackalope Saints </b>on Saturday. I like her and all the stuff she's been doing in the Boise scene so much that I have to say yes. Mentally, I cross my fingers that they don't suck.<br />
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<b><u>12:00 am, Linen Building</u>: This Will Destroy You</b><br />
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I head out around 11, hoping to see <b>Duck Little Brother Duck</b> at the Linen Building. I don't get ten feet away from Pengilly's, however, when I bump into two good buddies I haven't seen in a while. They're on their way to check out a.k.a. Belle, whom I have praised at great length to them. However, we all agree that the occasion calls for an unscheduled pit stop at 10th St. Station. We walk over there, and I encounter two more friends. A couple pints later, we go our separate ways. DLBD is done when I reach the Linen Building, but This Will Destroy You is soundchecking.<br />
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And after 25 minutes, they're still soundchecking. Oh well, I think; they're the last set of the night here anyway. Besides, this gives me the chance to chat with a bespectacled security guard in his 50's or 60's. He loves working Treefort, he says--lets him hear all kinds of music and see all kinds of people. The place has been near-capacity since 5 pm (when he came on), and they've had no problems whatsoever. He's happy that people are coming out and that the weather's better this year (amen to that, I think).<br />
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He's worked a bunch of festivals and events, he adds. Did security for Lady Antebellum at the Revolution (nicest people ever). At some point, he also mentions listening to Def Leppard and Kiss back in the day.<br />
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As he talks, the thought crosses my mind that I could do a blog post for the <i>Weekly </i>on this gentleman. But I figure he's probably busy enough, so in the end, I just shake his hand and let him get back to work.<br />
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Early on in This Will Destroy You's set, I think that their ominous drones, cannon-shot drums and waves of crushing yet airy distortion are pretty dandy--nay, beautiful, even. But as one number after the next thunders solemnly on, the music starts to sound a little like muzak, nifty dynamics and sonic curlicues notwithstanding. On another (possibly related) note, this stuff just feels so serious, so joyless after a while. Speaking of which, what kind of rock band, post- or otherwise, instructs their audience to "treat this place like a movie theater"? Would you hear Red Hands Black Feet or Wolvserpent talk that sh*t? And the locals have a better sense of drama too.<br />
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<b><u>1:15 am, The Crux</u>: Sword of a Bad Speller</b><br />
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The crowd thins out pretty severely as TWDY's set progresses. I head out eventually too; I want to see Sword of a Bad Speller, local musician Adam Showalter's mock-hip-hop act. (Incidentally, Adam gave me some great info on the house show scene for my Treefort feature)<br />
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This is just the thing to pick me back up. Showalter's absurdist, slyly stoopid raps get me laughing so hard that I need to sit down. Partner-in-crime Isa Soubrette plays her mock-chanteuse role to the hilt; she coos the hooks, mugs at the crowd, wields a toy pistol, pours beer down her blouse and gives a shout-out to her dad, who's in the crowd somewhere. Packages of string cheese get chucked out into the audience. The crowd whoops, hollers, crashes into each other and sings/shouts along. In the back, I see the Treefort volunteers dancing like crazy. A shambolic "Bohemian Rhapsody" cover--for which Showalter picks up a guitar and gets help from a backing band--stumbles its way to glory. All told, the most fun set of the day and one of my favorite sets of this or any other Treefort.<br />
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Plastic and the five-second rule be damned. No way am I eating this.<br />
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You can find info on these groups on Facebook and elsewhere online.B. Schultzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15535633250911385768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6438498832003213921.post-41048377050616860922014-03-29T12:08:00.000-07:002014-03-29T12:08:51.442-07:00History of Boise Rock Showcase @ El Korah Shrine (3/19/14)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As readers of this blog or my <i>Boise Weekly</i> stuff may have surmised, I've grown interested in the history of Boise music over the past couple of years. So of course I wanted to check out this show, which was organized by Todd Dunnigan and featured seven Idaho acts from the '80s and '90s. It was just fortuitous that the <i>Weekly </i>hooked me up with a Treefort press pass and said they wanted a <a href="http://www.boiseweekly.com/Cobweb/archives/2014/03/20/treefort-gets-blast-from-the-past-with-history-of-boise-rock-showcase" target="_blank">small write-up</a> on this deal.<br />
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I counted about 50 people inside the El Korah's main hall and some others outside when I arrived. Among these folks, I spotted Todd Dunnigan, who was an invaluable source for my big ol' <a href="http://www.boiseweekly.com/boise/roots-branches-sprouts-and-seeds/Content?oid=3077382" target="_blank">Treefort feature</a>, and Record Exchange manager John O'Neil (aka my boss). There were so many people by the last set that I didn't bother trying to count them. The audience had a high percentage of mid-30's-plus people, which you might have expected, and some younger kids (the children of the middle-agers, maybe?).<br />
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<b>Acts who played:</b><br />
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<b><u>Splinter</u>: </b>At first, this trio's country-flavored tunes, jangling guitar, tuneful basslines and steady drums made me think of Gin Blossoms. However, my friend Annie Berical thought they sounded more like Uncle Tupelo. Since she heard later that deceased drummer Andy Capps was a big Uncle Tupelo fan, I'll defer to her judgment. Smart gal, Annie. Pretty too.<br />
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Anyway, Annie also said that she wished this band were around on a more regular basis. Given their catchy melodies and their increasingly confident groove, I wouldn't have minded either. In any case, it was nice to see Mike Rundle, formerly of aka Belle, behind the drum kit again.<br />
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"We're surprised we're playing Treefort too."--guitarist Trent McNair<br />
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<b><u>The Melting</u>: </b>Now THIS was a group I wish I could see more regularly. Their ringing guitar hooks, snarling solos, propulsive rhythms and sweet, high vocals somehow managed to fuse New Wave, disco and metal. The fact that lead singer Deidre Rodman had to rehearse with the rest of the band via FaceTime rendered their tight groove doubly impressive.<br />
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Was this group this great back in the day? I wonder, but I guess it doesn't really matter. I just hope I get to see them again. It could happen: Rodman mentioned that they'd play another show in Portland soon.<br />
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"So Mom, there's still a chance this band will ruin my life," quipped guitarist Joe Davis. "There's hope for me yet."<br />
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<b><u>MC Shake</u>: </b>Ice-T and Eric B. & Rakim fan (not to mention James Brown obsessive) that I am, I was primed to dig MC Shake's steady flow and his band's nice, nasty '70s-style funk (chicken-scratch guitar, rubbery bass, strong 4/4 beat, sultry backup vocals). A song from the <i>Rotating Tongues </i>anthology had an oozing Dr. Dre-esque groove, but Shake's anti-violence, anti-racism lyrics elsewhere were much preferable to your standard blunts-and-bitches shtick.<br />
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"Just a funky little crew out of Caldwell," Shake rapped. That wasn't no joke. No, really.<br />
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<b><u>El Dopamine</u>: </b>Another person might be wary of reviewing his/her boss's band. Me, I know John O'Neil to be a wise, kind, unfailingly gracious individual. Oh, and did I mention how handsome he is? (Please don't fire me, John.)<br />
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But seriously, knowing John outside of music--well, outside of his band, anyway--I suppose that I could've expected his smart, acerbic lyrics. The same goes for the touches of Neil Young and grunge in the music (ambling rhythms, buzzsaw guitars). But the catchy tunes and the raw solos, maybe not so much. Thomas Paul's melodic basslines were a good addition as well. When combined with O'Neil's rough but not unpleasant whine, the music occasionally called to mind a more emotionally balanced Nirvana.<br />
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The surprises that an old curmudgeon will throw at you. I mean that fondly, of course. (Please don't fire me, John.)<br />
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<b><u>Haggis</u>: </b>When I interviewed him, Todd Dunnigan told me that Andy A (Raid, Demoni) was surprised at the demand for his old hardcore band. "Where were these people when we were actually playing?" the punk stalwart reportedly said. "It just seemed like no one came to our shows then."<br />
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There was certainly a sizable crowd this night to hear this band's full-speed-ahead hardcore, which was as thunderous as you could want and had some melodious touches too (hey, harmonies). Andy A delivered some searing guitar solos. The lead singer sounded a bit hoarse, but that could've been because of the dry Idaho air. The only thing a little odd about the set was the fact that it was at the El Korah--probably woulda suited the Shredder or the Red Room/Crazy Horse better. Still, the audience did some good moshing for the last number.<br />
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<b><u>Graveltruck</u>: </b>I don't think it was just Jake Hite manning the drum kit that made me think of this group as a more rough-hewn Very Most. The sweet melodies and glittering guitar undoubtedly helped. Their groove sounded a little disjointed at first but congealed as the set progressed. Quirky, charming stuff.<br />
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<b><u>Caustic Resin</u>: </b>The big-ticket item on this bill. I forget who, but I recall someone telling me he wanted to catch this set just to see how big a train-wreck it was. Actually, it really wasn't bad at all. Yeah, there were more than a couple false starts due to Brett Netson needing to re-tune his guitar (took him a while each time too). However, Tom Romich/Tommy Dirtweed's oddball banter and Netson's drier remarks helped smooth these rough patches over. Besides, when the band was on, they were ON: hypnotically droning riffs, tripped-out distortion, muscular drumming. Roiling, primal stoner rock. Some weird-ass projections courtesy of Jason Willford and a guest spot for Trevor Netson were nice touches as well.<br />
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Brett Netson: "Hey Tom! Thank you."<br />
Tom Romich: "Thank you! I still wanna see everybody cut your hair, though."<br />
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You can find info on these groups on Facebook and elsewhere online. Special thanks to <i>Boise Weekly </i>and Treefort Music Fest.B. Schultzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15535633250911385768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6438498832003213921.post-82311552413787498072013-12-22T21:43:00.000-08:002013-12-22T21:44:24.331-08:00Afrosonics, Rosa dos Ventos and Henchmen for Hire @ Neurolux (12/17/13)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I caught Afrosonics' set at the Boise 150 Sesqui-Party back in July and liked what I heard. Upbeat, multicultural funk--just the thing for a James Brown-enamored music writer who gets awfully tired of the same old surf-garage stuff. I was also impressed with bandleader Dayo Ayodele's nonprofit Global Lounge, which seeks to help immigrants adjust to living in the Treasure Valley.<br />
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I got the chance to write a <i>Boise Weekly</i> <a href="http://www.boiseweekly.com/boise/afrosonics-global-groove/Content?oid=3022432" target="_blank">feature</a> about Afrosonics and Global Lounge. When some free time came up on my calendar, I decided to come down and check out the band's new lineup. I also looked forward to checking out two local groups I'd never seen before, Rosa dos Ventos and Henchmen for Hire.<br />
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I counted about 40 people at Neurolux when I arrived. When Afrosonics played, I counted 65. I'd like to think that my article helped persuade some of these folks to come down, but that's probably a little hubristic.<br />
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Henchmen for Hire opened the show. This band's soul- and reggae-tinged sound had an adult alternative feel to it--Dave Matthews, Counting Crows, like that. I'm sure that's enough to make some readers run screaming for the hills, but really, this group wasn't as bad as all that. For one thing, their lead guitarist was sharp--terse, tasteful but capable of letting off some fireworks. For another, lead singer Gabe Hess managed to deploy some soul mannerisms (some moans here, a little melisma there) without embarrassing himself. The band sounded stiff and nervous at times, but a few more gigs should limber them up. Also, any group that can do all right by Ben E. King's "Stand By Me" and Van Morrison's "Sweet Thing" (not to mention cite James Brown and Marvin Gaye as influences on its Facebook page) has its heart in the right place.<br />
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Rosa dos Ventos played next. This Portuguese/Brazilian/Latin American music group sure didn't need to limber up. Their horn-like keyboard, fluid rhythm section and snarling guitar hit so fast, tight and hard that they could've been auditioning for the JB's. Kristine Nunes's warm, low voice had some impressive power, but like the rest of her bandmates, she didn't feel the need to show off her chops too much. It took the crowd a little while to get on its feet, but the dance floor had filled in pretty well by the end.<br />
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Afrosonics closed out the show. "Rhythm is the key," Dayo Ayodele said at the start of the set, and his band's funk/jazz/reggae-inflected grooves proved him right. Malleable, hard-driving bass and drums weaved with manic guitar and quirky, dexterous keyboard solos. The rough, friendly vocals added a nice human touch. At times, the whole mixture called to mind one of my favorite groups, Sly and the Family Stone. I don't know if the folks in radio-land caught Ayodele's closing admonition to support local music, but hopefully, they at least caught his opening shout-out to the late, great Nelson Mandela.<br />
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You can find info on these acts on Facebook and elsewhere online.B. Schultzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15535633250911385768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6438498832003213921.post-6116841573985888362013-12-19T09:03:00.000-08:002013-12-19T09:06:32.515-08:00Hollow Wood, Psycho Adorable and Ancient Psychic Tandem War Elephant @ the Crux (11/3/13)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A few days prior to this show, my now ex-girlfriend Jenn (long story, don't wanna get into it here) heard a song by Hollow Wood on Radio Boise and loved it. She couldn't believe that a band like that was local, she said. So when I told her about this concert, she readily agreed to check it out. This worked out well all around, since the show gave me the chance to see Psycho Adorable's first performance back from their 11-week tour and to see the fantastically named Ancient Psychic Tandem War Elephant for the first time.<br />
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I counted over 50 people when I arrived at the Crux. I saw some of my now former <i>Exposition/Noisefan Music News </i>colleagues (short answer: my connection with the <i>Weekly </i>made my continued association with <i>NFMN </i>untenable), Aaron Christensen (Mt. Joy), Samwise Carlson (Woodwind) and various scene regulars. Jenn showed up midway through APTWE's set.<br />
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While I waited for the music to start, Amber Pollard's daughter Aubrey (possibly one of the most adorable children in the Treasure Valley) ran past me. "Hi Ben!" she said. She circled around and ran past me again. "Hi Ben!" she said again. Thinking about this now, I still smile.<br />
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Ancient Psychic Tandem War Elephant--which turned out to be Brett Hawkins's solo act backed by his brother Taylor on drums and Sun Blood Stories'<i> </i>Ben Kirby on bass--opened the show. I liked Hawkins fine with just a guitar, but he got farther with a little help from his friends. With Taylor Hawkins' steady beat and Kirby's viscous bass giving them support, Brett Hawkins' droning riffs had greater force and his vocals greater confidence. Also welcome were Judah Claffey and Austin Lucas' maudlin violins (that there Lucas can <i>play</i>). The set's earlier songs took me back to the days when "Creep" played on MTV. The later songs sounded like Daniel Johnston having a drink with Jimmy Reed.<br />
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Psycho Adorable played next. Their debut performance back in August left me with <a href="http://www.boiseweekly.com/boise/psycho-adorable-debut/Content?oid=2961652" target="_blank">mixed feelings</a>; it certainly wasn't bad, but it wasn't the fusion of styles and spirits I'd hoped for. The bond between Bronwyn Leslie and Kelsey Swope felt much stronger here. Even their outfits seemed to complement each other--grandma-ish blue house-dress and white mesh sweater for Leslie, grandpa-ish short-sleeve blouse and baggy gray trousers for Swope. Also, while she's never seemed like a pushover (I saw her one time dressed as Kathleen Hanna), Swope gave off a much tougher vibe than last I'd seen her. On the numbers where she took lead, her vocals sounded rougher. On the ones where Leslie took lead, Swope stood and hovered (protectively?) over her partner while singing backup.<br />
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I'd be interested to hear more about their experiences on the road. And I'll definitely be interested to hear what they come up with from here, together or individually.<br />
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Hollow Wood closed out the night. Speaking of tougher, this group rocked a lot harder than last I saw them. I don't know if Adam Jones was trying to channel Clint Eastwood with his poncho, but between the grinding guitars, the vrooming bass and the bubbling beats, the music almost channeled Zeppelin at times. The vocals and the lyrics were edgier too ("OMG!" I thought. "Did they REALLY just say, 'I could f*ck a virgin'!?"). For me, everything came to a head with the dance-y number about 100 years full of pain and fear. Instead of sounding trepidatious or despairing, the band barreled ahead as if they couldn't wait to enter the fray. Sounded as melodious as ever too. God bless 'em. And Godspeed.<br />
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You can find info on these groups on Facebook and elsewhere online. Special thanks to Eric Gilbert and Duck Club Presents.B. Schultzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15535633250911385768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6438498832003213921.post-52729508001885990142013-11-20T11:28:00.000-08:002013-11-20T21:22:40.226-08:00a.k.a. Belle, Brett Hawkins, Calico and Woodwind @ the Crux (11/1/13)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This show was a two-birds-one-stone opportunity for me and my lady-friend: it gave us the chance to see a show at the Crux, which she hadn't done before, and to see a.k.a. Belle, about whom I'd chewed off a decently sized portion of her ear. As an added bonus, this gave us the chance to show some support for Go Listen Boise, who had teamed up with Heather Roberts's Ten Gallon Cat to make this show part of the former's <a href="http://www.boiseweekly.com/boise/all-bands-are-local/Content?oid=3008092" target="_blank">Local Music Spree</a>.<br />
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I counted about nineteen people when we got to the Crux. The crowd looked mostly on the younger side (early 20's or under, I'd guess). When a.k.a. Belle soundchecked, the crowd numbered about forty and looked mostly middle-aged. By the way, the woman in the black-and-white striped blouse is Jenn Siegel, my lady-friend. It's hard to tell from this distance, but she's pretty gorgeous. She'll probably appear fairly regularly in future blog posts.<br />
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Woodwind opened the show. Back when my friend Keesha Renna ran the Crux's open mic, I saw a young gentleman perform. He played one song that blew me away--lovely folk melody; clean, boyish tenor; understated, pained lyrics. Made me think a little of Nick Drake or maybe Ronnie Lane. I'd wondered in the months that followed what that guy was up to. When local newcomer Samwise Carlson played his finale, it hit me: "Holy crap, it's him!" That last song's melody sounded just as beautiful as I'd remembered, and Carlson's other tunes were almost as pretty. The stray lyrics that I caught didn't sound too bad either. Now that I have a name to attach to him, I'll be sure to keep my eye on him in the future.<br />
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Calico played next. I worked the Record Exchange's merch booth when this young group played Alive After Five. As I recall, they sold about seventy copies of their debut EP, which NEVER happens with a local act. It's worth noting too that Calico's song "In Our Town" supplied the name for Boise 150's special <a href="http://www.boiseweekly.com/boise/in-our-town-songs-for-boise-150/Content?oid=2980177" target="_blank">CD compilation</a>.<br />
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Now, do these achievements mean that Calico will be the next big thing for Boise music? I wouldn't say that. I <i>would </i>say, however, that they definitely have potential. Their rhythms could use some livening up, and they come across as a little too solemn and serious right now (so people will take them seriously?). Still, their melodies are unfailingly pretty, they've got some impressive poise and lead singer Ruby Somoza has the warmth, smarts, sass and straight-up charisma of a natural front-person.<br />
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Sun Blood Stories' Brett Hawkins played a surprise 20-minute set of his solo material after Calico. Hard to tell if he's affected or not, Jenn said of his bone-simple guitar picking, saccharine folk-country tunes, reedy vocals and oddball, sardonic lyrics. She also noticed that his shirt was buttoned wrong. Like a drunken uncle playing songs for you, she added later (she meant that in the best possible way). That trumps everything I had, so I'll just move along. (And you wonder why I'm crazy about this woman.)<br />
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a.k.a. Belle kicked off their set with the premiere of their music video for "Mess You Up," a track from their new album (hopefully coming in February 2014). It's a cute, funny bit of stop-motion animation created by Catherine Merrick herself. I grinned when I caught a reference to an old Sam Merrick song (or was it band?), "Don't Pass Up the Chance to See Neil Young."<br />
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In the interests of transparency, I should probably mention that Catherine Merrick and I are co-workers now; she works at the Edge (the Record Exchange's coffee shop), and I work at the Record Exchange's main register. I should mention as well that Catherine tipped me off that the Record Exchange was hiring and recommended me to the owners (I didn't ask her to do that; she just heard that they were looking for a music-savvy individual and thought of me). Readers will make of that what they will, of course, but I've been praising Catherine since well before we started working together. And unless she starts to suck, which seems highly unlikely, I don't see any reason to stop doing so.<br />
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Anyway, I don't know if everybody drank some coffee beforehand or what, but the band seemed more amped up than usual. Chris Galli's bass-playing seemed especially fluid and nimble this night (I spotted him nursing some kind of warm beverage earlier). Whatever the reason, they went a long way towards helping Jenn understand why I love this band so much. Louis McFarland was as strong and swinging as ever (got off a badass solo on the Link Wray-esque instrumental "Here Come the Deathtraps"). Sam Merrick ripped it up on guitar and joked it up between songs, the latter of which got a great eye-roll and an Oh-God-he's-an-idiot-but-I-love-him look from his wife at one point. As for Catherine Merrick, I've called her the best singer in Idaho before, right? Yes? Okay, I'll just move along, then...<br />
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You can find info on these acts on Facebook and elsewhere online.B. Schultzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15535633250911385768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6438498832003213921.post-7483131351315703642013-10-23T16:21:00.000-07:002013-10-24T00:15:52.404-07:00The Evil Wine Carnival @ the VaC (9/29/13)Since this is the last blog post that I have in the queue right now, I thought that this would be a good time to make a brief announcement. As readers have undoubtedly noticed, there's been a steep decline in write-ups for <i>HCTD</i>. The reason--or the main reason, rather--is simple: I've been pitching quite a few <a href="http://www.boiseweekly.com/boise/ArticleArchives?author=2897823" target="_blank">stories/reviews</a> to the <i>Boise Weekly, </i>and the <i>Weekly </i>keeps saying yes (and tossing me more assignments on top of them). These assignments must take priority because they require more work, they have tighter deadlines and, most important of all, they pay (well, the ones that show up in the paper do, anyway).<br />
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Now, does this mean that this blog is coming to an end? No, but there'll be fewer posts for (knock on wood) the foreseeable future. Also, in addition to the <i>Weekly</i>, three other factors are competing for my attention right now. The first is my part-time gig at the Record Exchange. The second is my role as contributor/copyeditor for <i>The Exposition</i>, a Boise-based music website. Jenny Bowler, whose fine photographs appeared in my Treefort 2013 posts, has taken up its reins. There's some interesting stuff in the works, so find it on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/exposition.media" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and stay tuned.<br />
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The third is... Well, she's about 5'9" (<b>correction:</b> she's actually 5'7") with brown-blond hair, blue-green eyes, a smile like the springtime sun and a curve in her back that drives me to distraction. She's smart, she's kind, she's tough, she's passionate and she's got good taste--likes Dorothea Lange, Rosalie Sorrels, <i>The A-Team, </i>old-school hip-hop and lots more. So if, on a given Friday or Saturday night, I'm given the choice between covering a show and snuggling with her while watching <i>Rio Bravo </i>or <i>Black Dynamite</i>... Well, sorry, but you'll just have to tell me what I missed.<br />
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But with all of this said, let me be emphatic: I may not write here as often, but I will keep this blog going for as long as I can. For one thing, it allows me to write more informally and (at my best) colorfully. But more importantly, I know that this blog and its readers have made all of the above possible for me. As I've written before, <i>HCTD </i>is easily the best thing that's happened in my life. I love it too much to just abandon it.<br />
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This announcement has gotten much longer than I wanted, so I'll end it by thanking all of you once again for your readership and support. It means more to me than I could ever say or write.<br />
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I've respected Evil Wine since I discovered it two years ago, and my respect has only deepened since then. Their penchant for smart, raunchy, left-of-center fare has been an invaluable addition to the Boise scene; I've thought of them sometimes as the moon to Duck Club Presents' sun. Also, I've been impressed by how Wes Malvini and Dustin Jones conduct themselves professionally.<br />
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I meant to write about last year's Evil Wine Carnival, but between hitting the live shows hard all summer and learning the ropes at a new job, I was good and burned out at the time (I had a small meltdown at the end of the Carnival that I still regret). Anyway, I saw this year as a chance to make up for dropping the ball. I was also happy for the chance to write a <a href="http://www.boiseweekly.com/boise/evil-wine-leaves-its-stain-on-boise/Content?oid=2992133" target="_blank">feature</a> for the <i>Weekly </i>about Evil Wine (though I made the error of crediting Wes Malvini with starting Gramma's House. My apologies for that).<br />
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I worked a closing shift at the Record Exchange this night, so I got down to the VaC late. Although I missed quite a few of the musical acts and didn't get to see anybody play any of the games, between seventy and eighty people were still there when I arrived.<br />
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<b><u>Highlights</u> </b>(of what I saw/heard, anyway)<b>:</b><br />
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<b>Drinking Contest--</b>Held during <b>Glenn Mantang's </b>set (agreeably trashy punk rock). Winner Tina B. managed to down a bowl of beer before Mantang and backing band finished the song "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBugfJyBKu8" target="_blank">Malt Licker</a>." As I recall, she was still vertical and going strong for much of the Carnival's remainder. Girl's a viking.<br />
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Outside after his set, I overheard this quote from Glenn Mantang to his boss: "I will be there [with] eyes closed! Cuz I don't ever call in hung over, Rich! I call in sick!"<br />
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<b>Scantily clad Dustin Jones and Wes Malvini--</b>Because it just isn't an Evil Wine Carnival if these two keep their clothes on.<br />
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<b>Carnival Games</b>--I didn't play them, but just looking at them made me grin. My favorite was Birth Your Savior, which involves reaching inside the Virgin Mary and trying to extract Jesus from among the other icons (Buddha, etc.). Erin Nelson from the Rediscovered Bookshop showed me her slightly discolored hand as proof that she'd tried this one out.<br />
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This game was a very close second.<br />
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<b>Headless Pez--</b>When I interviewed him, Dustin Jones expressed particular excitement about this four-man Portland metal band. Seeing them, I could understand why. Between the dildo-pentagram backdrop, the abs drawn in Sharpie on the lead singer's belly, the bassist's ass-less chaps and song titles like "Handy Dandy Butt Candy" and "Dr. Bonerstein," this group could've sprung out of an episode of <i>The Evil Wine Show.</i> Their impressive chops--squiggly guitar noise, relentless riffing, machine-gun kick drum, banshee-wail vocals--made them even funnier.<br />
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Some quotes from this set:<br />
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"This next song's about boners! And Satan!"<br />
"This song's called Power Death it's by Pantera f*ck you!"<br />
"I totally forgot the words! Hahaha!"<br />
"Shut the f*ck up! This part's pretty! Shut up!"<br />
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<i>Introducing their final number, a song about a gay skeleton:</i> "He's scarier than a normal skeleton because he'll butt-f*ck you!"<br />
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<b>Kitchen--</b>Twin Falls trio. Good stuff--strong beat, harshly catchy tunes, snarling distortion, caterwauling vocals. Worth hearing again, I thought (though admittedly, I'd had a fair amount to drink by this point).<br />
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<b>Matthew and Charlotte Vorhies--</b>I didn't get to see this guy play with <b>Storie Grubb and the Holy Wars</b>, but he and his wife deserve a mention here because they were just too damn adorable. I mean, c'mon, look at them.<br />
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<b>The Voodoo Organist--</b>Woulda been worth the price of admission by himself. Tongue-in-cheek horror-movie melodies and lyrics (song titles: "Do the Zombie," "Vampire Empire"), charmingly sepulchral vocals, rockin' organ and theremin solos (flying hands and feet).<br />
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<b>Andy D--</b>"I got drunk a couple of hours ago," Andy D said at the start of his set. "I'm gonna burn out the rest of my drunkenness onstage." And so he did, belting and gyrating and dropping off the stage to dance with the crowd (just the guys, though--didn't want to piss off Victoria D/Anna Vision, maybe). The crowd stayed with him, grooving out to such irresistible numbers as "New Addiction," "Angels on the Dancefloor" and "Hey Tina (Pick Up the Phone)" (possibly my new favorite). If Evil Wine had done nothing other than bring this act to Boise, it would've justified its existence.<br />
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During this set, a dude from Headless Pez gave me a hug from behind, grabbed my crotch and handed me a sticker. Made my night.<br />
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<b>Tartufi--</b>A late but welcome addition to the Carnival. Aside from a couple of small slip-ups, this San Francisco trio sounded as roiling and tuneful as ever. Listening to them again, I was struck by the warm, expansive spirit of this group's music. It could've been the audience; Lynne Tartufi said at one point that they loved Boise "probably more than San Francisco, but don't tell them that." Like I've said before, they oughtta just buy a house here.<br />
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You can find info on the various acts and Evil Wine on Facebook and elsewhere online. Very special thanks to Wes Malvini, Dustin Jones and Evil Wine.B. Schultzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15535633250911385768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6438498832003213921.post-15869609741905550892013-10-17T00:00:00.000-07:002013-10-17T00:00:48.098-07:00Shook Twins, Stone Seed and Grand Falconer @ the Egyptian Theatre (9/20/13)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'd never seen the Shook Twins before, but I'd been curious about them for a while, especially since Katelyn and Laurie Shook were born and raised in Idaho. Indeed, I was so interested in them that I pitched a <a href="http://www.boiseweekly.com/boise/magic-and-goodness/Content?oid=2986086" target="_blank">feature</a> on them to the <i>Boise Weekly </i>(which I thought came out rather well overall). Anyway, I also got a chance to check out this show thanks to my job.<br />
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I counted about 130 people when I got to the Egyptian Theatre. I don't know how many were there when the Shook Twins played. I don't know how many people went down to Tom Grainey's to wish a happy birthday to To Entertain U's Seth Brown either (happy belated birthday to him, by the way).<br />
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<b>Grand Falconer</b> opened the show. I'd remembered this local band being good, but I didn't remember them being this good. Their blend of folk and indie-rock sounded sharper and more balanced than it did before. They complemented their ringing guitar, warm cello and clean three-part harmonies with stomping, syncopated rhythms. Their playful, self-deprecating banter was most welcome as well. Guitarist Michael Johnson joked about their being notoriously awkward onstage, but they didn't seem that way to me (or they were comfortable in their awkwardness, at least). Over half the crowd was on its feet by the set's end, and those who weren't nodded to the beat in their seats. I'll look forward to this group's new EP, which they said they've been working on these past eight months (thought it had been a while since I'd seen their name around).<br />
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<b>Stone Seed</b> played next. When the <i>Weekly</i> feature on the Shooks got shared around on Facebook, this band tagged me in a comment asking what they needed to do to get mentioned in the article. A little pissy, perhaps, but they did kinda have a right--I try to make it a point to mention the openers in my articles, but unfortunately, it slipped my mind with this one. My bad. Anyway, this roots group's high energy and smooth grooves did a good job of filling the space of the Egyptian. Idyltime's Beth Mason looked a little stiff on standup bass (she'd only played with the band for a couple of weeks at this point), but Ty Clayton's guitar and Benett Barr's djembe held down the rhythm just fine. Lindsey Terrell's sultry harmonies meshed nicely with Clayton's gritty baritone drawl, and her elegant violin solos gave the music some extra spark. People danced off to the sides, in the aisles and in their seats.<br />
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The <b>Shook Twins</b> closed out the night. I imagine that if, at any point in the proceedings, Katelyn and Laurie Shook came across as smug or calculating, I might have found their plaintive folk tunes and pristine harmonies unbearable (not to mention touches like the Lite Brite that read "SHOOK TWINS" that sat at the foot of the stage). But since they came across as thoughtful, warm, funny and endearing as Katelyn Shook did when I interviewed her, said tunes and harmonies won me over completely. As did their sprightly beats, skillful beatboxing and subtle looping. Indeed, between their offhandedly sophisticated musicianship, their smart, slightly off-kilter lyrics and their expansive, generous spirit (an a capella Tears for Fears cover--why not?), I'm halfway tempted to call them the only real 21st century folk band. But that sounds way too pretentious for this music, so I'll just say that this was easily one of the best shows I've seen this year.<br />
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You can find info on these groups on Facebook and elsewhere online. Special thanks to the Record Exchange, To Entertain U and Idaho Live.B. Schultzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15535633250911385768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6438498832003213921.post-46033144886534045582013-09-28T23:31:00.001-07:002013-09-28T23:31:43.199-07:00Wild Belle, Saint Rich and Hey V Kay @ Neurolux (9/19/13)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Some of my co-workers at the Record Exchange turned me on to Wild Belle (for a while, it made the regular rotation of CD's played over the store's stereo). I liked what I heard enough to put this show on the calendar. The chance to see Hey V Kay again was a nice little bonus (well, not so little, actually--I've put <i>Gut Wrenching </i>on the stereo a few times, and the listens re-convinced me of its excellence).<br />
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I counted about thirty-five people when I got to Neurolux. When Wild Belle played, I counted about eighty. And actually, the crowd might have been closer to ninety or ninety-five. A very respectable turnout.<br />
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Hey V Kay opened the show. A few songs into the set, a friend who'd never seen Karen Havey before asked me why she isn't huge in the music scene right now. I didn't have a good answer. "Middle-Class Sweetheart" and "Call It" (the song she debuted at the Crux show last June) sounded as tuneful and hook-laden as I remembered, and Havey's gorgeous vocals did well both by them and by her older songs. Not only did my friend get to hear Havey's "Wicked Game" cover, she got to hear her "Toxic" cover too. I guess I know what to get my friend for Christmas now...<br />
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Saint Rich, a five-man band from New Jersey, played next. I came up with two different ways of describing this group's mix of ringing guitars, slinky rhythms and nasally, deadpan vocals. The first is a sweeter, friendlier Strokes. The second is a less interesting Soft White Sixties. Which one you prefer will probably depend on your affection for 60's hard rock (and possibly for Delicate Steve, two of whose members are in this group).<br />
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Wild Belle closed out the show. Whenever one of my co-workers plays something... not quite to my taste, shall we say, I just try to remember the good stuff that they've introduced me to. Like this, for instance. This Chicago group's blend of skanking reggae grooves and sunny, soothing pop fit together like rum and Coke. Natalie Bergman's honeyed, lightly smoked vocals topped it all off. The dance floor was packed and bubbling for the entire set.<br />
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You can find info on these groups on Facebook and elsewhere online. Special thanks to Neurolux and the Record Exchange.B. Schultzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15535633250911385768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6438498832003213921.post-71809577240012849722013-09-18T17:39:00.000-07:002013-09-18T17:44:57.248-07:00Album Preview: Modern Kin (2013)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Over the past few months, I've received numerous emails from PR firms inviting me to check out the music of various artists. I'll give some of the tracks a listen--I try to stay on the lookout for cool new stuff--but since they're not really connected to Idaho, I haven't shared them here (though I was very tempted to share a video by this one French disco group).<br />
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Anyway, an exception to the above came my way just yesterday. I received an email not from a PR firm but from Kris Doty (right), whom some readers will remember from her years in the Boise music scene (she came back in March and played a good set at <a href="http://herecomesthedumptruck.blogspot.com/2013/03/treefort-2013-day-1-32113.html" target="_blank">Treefort</a>). She's living in Portland now, and she currently has a band with guitarist/lead singer Drew Grow (left) and drummer Jeremiah Hayden (center) called Modern Kin.<br />
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Modern Kin has been getting some good <a href="http://www.seattleweekly.com/home/947687-129/band-grow-pastors-wives-song-songs" target="_blank">press</a> lately. "Abandon," a track from their upcoming debut album, indicates why:<br />
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<iframe frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F84477079%3Fsecret_token%3Ds-VR0u6" width="100%"></iframe>
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Modern Kin's eponymous debut will be released by Hayden's Amigo/Amiga label on October 22. It was produced by rock goddess Janet Weiss (Quasi, Sleater-Kinney). You can check out a preview for the album below (it was directed by Weiss):<br />
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You can find Modern Kin on Facebook and pre-order <i>Modern Kin </i>now on <a href="http://modernkin.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a>.B. Schultzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15535633250911385768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6438498832003213921.post-10180751704912501862013-09-10T10:55:00.000-07:002013-09-10T10:55:14.520-07:00Charles Bradley & His Extraordinaires and Aaradhna @ the VaC (8/29/13)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As I've written elsewhere on this blog, I LOVE me some old-school soul/R&B/funk. Stax, Motown, Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Al Green, Curtis Mayfield (with or without the Impressions)--I could go on all day. This show caught my attention, then, because I'd heard talk of Charles Bradley being one of the best modern keepers of the old-school flame. Admittedly, I did have some reservations after hearing his latest album <i>Victim of Love</i>, but they weren't enough to dissuade me from checking this out.<br />
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There were about 150 people at the VaC when I arrived. I have no idea how many were there when Charles Bradley performed. One thing's for sure: I'm definitely not the only one who digs the old-school stuff.<br />
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New Zealand singer Aaradhna opened the show. This lady had me right when she sang the line "I don't wanna take that sh*t for granted" in her first song. And with her other songs about getting bullied by the cool kids when you're younger and turning Miss Lovely's pretty smile into a frown, she kept me. She had a whole lotta muscle in her sultry voice, but she was smart enough not to flex it too hard. The medley that combined Willie Nelson/Patsy Cline's "Crazy" and Sam Cooke's "Nothing Can Ever Change This Love" was just gravy. As for the song that borrowed the chorus from "Pressure Drop," hey, I love Toots and the Maytals too.<br />
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Charles Bradley played next. This set was an object lesson in how live shows can sometimes top recordings. While Bradley's massive vocals sounded a little one-dimensional on <i>Victim of Love, </i>they were just the thing to cut through the roars of applause here. His high rasp and self-abasing scream bore the clear influence of James Brown, but he topped the Godfather of Soul for warmth and friendliness. The same went for Bradley's whole stage act; while the set featured three costume changes, you never sensed any of Brown's vanity or control-freak egomania. Instead, I actually believed the man when he said he loved the audience "to the bone" and "from the soul." Meanwhile, the band couldn't match Maceo, Bootsy, Clyde et al., but 1) that's asking way too damn much and 2) they clearly learned their lessons well from Stax and Motown. I may not have gotten a hug from the "Screaming Eagle of Soul," but this was still one of the best shows I've seen this year.<br />
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<u>Sidenote</u>: I feel like I should mention that I listened to Charles Bradley's 2011 album <i>No Time for Dreaming </i>afterwards and liked it a lot. It features quite a few lyrics about being black and poor in America. Now that's worth screaming about.<br />
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You can find info on these acts on Facebook and elsewhere online. Special thanks to Eric Gilbert and Duck Club Presents.B. Schultzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15535633250911385768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6438498832003213921.post-71405796347937050692013-09-10T10:49:00.000-07:002013-09-10T10:49:10.183-07:00Bad Weather California, Sauna, Skating Polly and Deaf Kid @ The Crux (8/18/13)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Bad Weather California was one of my favorite acts at this year's Treefort. Sauna was one of my favorites from last year's. So it didn't take me long to decide to check this show out.<br />
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I counted eighteen people when I got down to the Crux. When Bad Weather California played, I counted twenty-seven. Not exactly a Treefort-size audience, but what're you gonna do?<br />
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Sidenote: this may be the most awesome show poster that I've ever seen.<br />
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Deaf Kid opened the show. They changed their name to Black Lodge a while ago, but apparently, they changed it back. I don't know why, but whatever--they sounded damn good here. Jacob Milburn's voice sounded deeper and fuller, and Theo Maughan's sprightly drumming gave the music some extra muscle. Even got a pretty solid groove going on the last song.<br />
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Skating Polly played next. If you're not even eighteen and you can get Exene Cervenka to produce one of your albums, chances are you're gonna have something going on. Which this <i>very </i>young duo did. Their grungy drones, steady drums, screeching vocals and smart arrangements made me think a little of early Sleater-Kinney. Their confident stage presence suggests that they may be in this for the long haul. Time will tell, I guess.<br />
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Sauna followed Skating Polly. It took them a couple of songs to get warmed up, but when they did, their serene vocals, playful tunes, propulsive grooves and fierce guitar solos sounded even better than I remembered. The girls from Skating Polly went nuts (jumping, headbanging), and much of the crowd followed suit. Easily one of the most fun surf/garage bands I've seen in the past couple of years (and I've seen a LOT of them).<br />
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Bad Weather California closed out the night. At one point, it occurred to me that James Plane Wreck could've made a good opener for these guys. Both groups seem to have a certain transcendentally trashy spirit, one which embraces the slackers, losers and working stiffs (i.e. most of us). In any case, this Colorado band's anthemic tunes, smart lyrics and fiery guitars sounded just as fantastic here as they did back in March. Would that every surf-garage-punk-etc. band could be this shrewd, this compassionate.<br />
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It's just a shame that this'll be their last tour. But hey, you never know--Sauna said that they were going to break up last year, and look at them.<br />
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You can find info on these groups on Facebook and elsewhere online. Special thanks to Eric Gilbert and Duck Club Presents.B. Schultzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15535633250911385768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6438498832003213921.post-6121171419882255842013-08-27T13:45:00.003-07:002013-08-27T13:45:40.366-07:00Jennie Wayne and Lindsay Clark @ the Flying M Concert-Garage (8/15/13)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I was a wreck this day. I'd stayed up all night writing a handful of articles for the <i>Boise Weekly</i> and only gotten three hours of sleep. When the evening came, I didn't feel like doing anything other than sit on my couch and stare vacantly into space.<br />
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Then I saw a Facebook event page for this show. Then I listened to Jennie Wayne's latest <a href="http://jenniewayne.bandcamp.com/album/the-great-remembering" target="_blank">album</a>. Then I said to myself, "Y'know, I could really use some more of this right now." So I dragged my carcass into my car and made the drive out to Nampa.<br />
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There were eleven people inside the concert-garage when I arrived. The audience peaked at seventeen. A modest crowd, but at least the people were into the music; they alternated between respectful silence and warm applause throughout the show.<br />
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Jennie Wayne played first. This Portland musician's clean, breathy vocals and soothing melodies helped level me off from the iced coffee I'd gulped down. Her lyrics were consistently thoughtful and well-turned, but frankly, I could've listened to her coo the Flying M's menu. During her Prince cover, I could've closed my eyes and sworn I was listening to Alison Krauss. Sweet, soulful, gorgeous.<br />
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Fellow Portland musician Lindsay Clark played next. Her subdued, fluttery vocals were more austere than Wayne's. Similarly, her lyrics were edgier and more ominous. Nothing wrong with that, though; her cryptic, fascinating songs and her spare banjo picking made me think a little of <i>Five Leaves Left </i>or <i>Pink Moon</i>. Also, I appreciated the determination of her closing song: "You say the grass is greener, but I know the grass is one shade. / And I will see it through, and I will see it through."<br />
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You can find info on Jennie Wayne and Lindsay Clark on Facebook and elsewhere online.B. Schultzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15535633250911385768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6438498832003213921.post-12016014802436472542013-08-27T00:29:00.000-07:002013-08-27T13:55:05.572-07:00Red Hands Black Feet and Iconoplasty @ the Crux; Icarus the Owl and a.k.a. Belle @ the Red Room (8/11/13)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's no secret that I'm a big fan of Red Hands Black Feet. Indeed, I've probably written more about them than any other band. So of course I was gonna see them at the kickoff show for their and Iconoplasty's West Coast Tour.<br />
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<u>Sidenote</u>: They've been on tour for a couple of weeks now. It's <a href="http://blogs.seattletimes.com/soundposts/2013/08/21/a-night-of-instrumental-mayhem-concert-review/" target="_blank">gone pretty well</a> overall, but it's also had some <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtQxLRt8GBw&feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">hardships</a> and <a href="http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/help-red-hands-black-feet-out-of-the-red" target="_blank">difficulties</a>.<br />
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I counted twenty-three people when I got to the Crux. When Red Hands Black Feet played, I counted about seventy. A very respectable crowd.<br />
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Iconoplasty opened the show. Josh Gross certainly sounded raring to go: his guitar playing was sharp, his layering of riffs, licks and beats was precise and confident and his transitions between passages were smoother than ever. It might have been nice if he'd stretched the individual passages out a little more, but then again, the quick change-ups were a good way of keeping people on their toes. Figuratively, anyway--no one danced, but most everyone watched the stage.<br />
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This set featured a booming cameo from Jessica Johnson and a brief section where Gross invited people to say what they thought of the music. Three people did so.<br />
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Jake Myers: "I like it!"<br />
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Dillon from San Francisco: "Although I like your music, it makes me feel like a I'm in a Beverly Hills nightmare."<br />
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Eric Gilbert: "More rock, less talk."<br />
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After Iconoplasty finished, I headed over to the Red Room. Heather Roberts's Ten Gallon Cat had set up an intriguing bill featuring a.k.a. Belle and Portland rock band Icarus the Owl (she's actually been setting up quite a few <a href="http://www.boiseweekly.com/boise/austin-clark-wins-showcase-showdown/Content?oid=2945321" target="_blank">interesting shows</a> lately). I can't lie, though: part of what attracted me to this show was the chance to see Roberts and the Fiddle Junkies' Austin Clark as Bette and Yvette, a.k.a. Belle's two "dancers."<br />
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a.k.a. Belle played first and sounded as strong and swinging as ever. Chris Galli and Louis McFarland's smooth, assured grooves carried along Sam Merrick's screeching guitar and Catherine Merrick's warm, lovely voice. Once again, it occurred to me that the touch of jazz in this group's sound helps make it a bit sexier than your average Americana act's. This set featured a brooding new number entitled "Crooked Path" and a clever little quotation from "Like a Hurricane."<br />
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And yes, this was about as awesome as I'd hoped.<br />
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Icarus the Owl played soon after a.k.a. Belle. The slight emo whine to Joey Rubenstein's vocals was counterbalanced by the band's rippling guitar licks and angular, disorienting tempos. Conversely, the emo elements of the music helped keep the math-rock stuff from feeling too arch. Sharp as a razor and chops to spare but not so's they'd brag about it. Good stuff.<br />
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I would've liked to have stayed for Icarus the Owl's whole set, but I wanted to get back to the Crux in time for Red Hands Black Feet's set. Walking over, I could hear them from a block away.<br />
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Red Hands Black Feet sounded more than ready to hit the road as well. The material from their upcoming EP sounded as roiling, majestic and achingly beautiful as their older stuff. The crowd did the expected whooping and nodding to the beat. During one lyrical guitar intro, Jessica Johnson jumped offstage to hug people in the audience. Then she got back behind her drum kit and bashed away.<br />
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You can find info on these acts on Facebook and elsewhere online. Special thanks to Heather Roberts and Ten Gallon Cat. And in case you didn't click on the link earlier, go <a href="http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/help-red-hands-black-feet-out-of-the-red" target="_blank">here</a> to learn how you can help Red Hands Black Feet get out of the red.B. Schultzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15535633250911385768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6438498832003213921.post-13071177450119718442013-08-18T10:30:00.000-07:002013-08-18T10:30:00.057-07:00Yellow Red Sparks, Ronnie and the Reagans and Starlings Murmurations @ Gramma's House (8/9/13)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'd heard of Gramma's House but never actually seen a show there. This show caught my attention for that reason. It also caught my attention because it was a collaboration between Evil Wine/Wes Malvini and Heather Roberts, who's started promoting shows under the name Ten Gallon Cat.<br />
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I counted thirty people when I got to Gramma's House. The place turned out to be across the street from my old high school. Walked by it for half my life. Who knew? Anyway, Wes Malvini put the final headcount at around forty. Not bad at all.<br />
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Starlings Murmurations opened the show. Kirsty Scott played without her iPad recordings this night, which she said she found a bit strange (so did playing without a monitor, she added). She did fine, though, since she still had one of the most gorgeous voices in the Boise music scene. Stretched out a bit more with it too. The darkness added an appropriately intimate feel as well (though Malvini did set up a light behind Scott midway through her set).<br />
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Ronnie and the Reagans played next. This Idaho Falls group impressed me when I caught them at the Crux back in April. With their funky beats, fluid basslines and lyrical guitar solos, their expanded lineup impressed me just as much. It's just too bad I probably won't see it again; Franklin Tillo said that this was the band's second-to-last show as a quintet.<br />
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The things you get to see at house shows.<br />
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Last up was Los Angeles band Yellow Red Sparks. It's always nice when a folky band doesn't lay on the cornpone too thick. Indeed, the lovelorn lyrics, winsome melodies and smooth, swinging beat won me over so thoroughly that when the group invited the audience to sing along to an excerpt from Elvis Presley's "Can't Help Falling in Love," I did (also, I just love that song). Most of the crowd didn't, but they did give the band some good whoops and cheers. The handful of numbers that Yellow Red Sparks played unplugged and without mics added to the set's intimacy.<br />
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You can find info on these acts, Evil Wine and Ten Gallon Cat on Facebook and elsewhere online.B. Schultzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15535633250911385768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6438498832003213921.post-54361562488388647652013-08-15T18:58:00.000-07:002013-08-15T18:58:16.736-07:00Finn Riggins, Jared Mees and Lionsweb @ Neurolux (8/1/13)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As I've written elsewhere, Finn Riggins was the band that sparked my interest in the Boise music scene. After I saw them play the VaC one night (opening for tUnE-yArDs, if I recall correctly), I thought, "Wow, if a band like this calls Boise home, what else could be out here?"<br />
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This band represents another first for me: I wrote my first <i>Boise Weekly </i><a href="http://www.boiseweekly.com/boise/finn-riggins-next-chapter/Content?oid=2911226" target="_blank">feature</a> about them recently.<br />
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So with all of this going for them, no way was I going to miss their last show for the foreseeable future. As an added bonus, this concert presented me with a couple more firsts--specifically, the chance to see Portland musician Jared Mees and local act Lionsweb for the first time.<br />
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The audience at Neurolux already numbered about sixty when I arrived. When Finn Riggins took the stage, there were so many people that I didn't even bother to count. Unsurprisingly, I saw quite a few familiar faces in the crowd (Kelsey Swope, Sun Blood Stories, Lori Shandro, Sam Stimpert, Stephanie Coyle, etc.).<br />
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Lionsweb a.k.a. Bronwyn Leslie kicked off the show. I'd heard good things from quite a few people about this local musician. As soon as she launched into her a capella opening number, I realized that they weren't jiving. Leslie's bluesy, powerful voice silenced all of the chatter in the room within seconds. Her vocals and her haunting, Appalachian-esque songs sounded just as impressive bedecked with her simple guitar and piano (even if the chatter picked back up by the bar). Andy Rayborn contributed some tasteful clarinet. Some oddball black-and-white montages by Tyler Walker complemented the music's ominousness.<br />
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I'm lucky that I got to see her here; she and Kelsey Swope will be going on tour soon with their new project, Psycho Adorable (which, incidentally, <a href="http://www.boiseweekly.com/boise/psycho-adorable-launching-75-day-tour/Content?oid=2911229" target="_blank">I also wrote about</a> in the <i>Weekly</i>).<br />
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Jared Mees played next. When I interviewed him for the Finn Riggins piece, Eric Gilbert urged me to check out Mees's music. Said he thought it'd be just my thing. I doubt that he said that because Mees runs Tender Loving Empire, the label which Finn Riggins is signed to. Anyway, he wasn't wrong. The slight whine in Mees' rough tenor just added a little flavoring to his conversational delivery. His punky folk/country tunes and smart, no-bullsh*t lyrics hit the part of me that admires Patterson Hood and Jason Isbell. "Hiccup drunk in a pickup truck" has to be one of the best rhymes I've heard in a good while.<br />
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Finn Riggins' performance wasn't the most intense I've heard from them. The set's casual feel didn't seem like a bad thing, however; it was like they were saying, "Hey, we're not going anywhere." Besides, it's not like they didn't sound good: Lisa Simpson's pregnancy didn't seem to have affected her pipes much, Eric Gilbert's keyboards clanged and droned nicely and Cameron Bouiss was as smooth, precise and hard-hitting as ever (I feel kinda bad that I didn't include more about him in the <i>Weekly</i> article).<br />
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Anyway, what came through strongest during this set was the groove, the rapport both between the three bandmates and between the band and their audience. This was especially true at the end, when Jared Mees came onstage to play a loose, loping jam with Finn Riggins. The crowd cheered and whooped when the band finished and Bouiss wrestled playfully with Mees on the floor. A good farewell (for now).<br />
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You can find info on these acts on Facebook and elsewhere online. Special thanks to Eric Gilbert and Duck Club Presents.B. Schultzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15535633250911385768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6438498832003213921.post-68241344889455273822013-08-10T23:54:00.000-07:002013-08-10T23:54:08.931-07:00Soft Metals, Psychic Rites and EVILS @ Neurolux (7/30/13)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'd never seen any of the three acts on this bill before. That, of course, gave me all the reason I needed to check this show out. It helped too that the bill featured Psychic Rites, a band that I'd missed at Treefort, and Soft Metals, a Los Angeles-based group that makes my kind of electronic music (i.e. subdued, moody, sexy).<br />
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I counted about forty people when I got to Neurolux. When Soft Metals played, I counted about the same number inside. Pretty good turnout for a Tuesday.</div>
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EVILS, the new project of First Borns' Christopher Smith and Erik Butterworth, opened the show. With their driving basslines, straight-ahead beat tracks and snarling guitar, they sounded closer to the Sisters of Mercy than to Joy Division (though a couple of slower numbers made me think of "The Eternal" and "Day of the Lords"). This didn't bother me--I've got a soft spot for <i>Floodland </i>and <i>Vision Thing. </i>But while the music was enjoyable, it somehow felt a little static. Maybe they'd do well to beef up the bottom end of their sound. Or maybe they just need to play a few more gigs.<br />
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Psychic Rites played next. Stasis wasn't this group's problem. Their bouncy, throbbing beats pushed their chiming guitar and layers of synth hooks forward. Meanwhile, their lead singer spent a good deal of time hopping around the stage. The only rub was the caterwauling vocals. While they did have a certain rough charm, they also seemed to throw the music off slightly. Then again, I felt the same way about Annex Madly at first. Besides, the lyrics that I caught had a nice off-kilter humor to them.<br />
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Soft Metals' set felt a little off. Not that the music wasn't good; the chant-like tunes, Ian Hicks' bubbling beats and Patricia Hall's cool, siren's-call vocals were plenty enticing. The swirls and colored shapes on the screen behind the band augmented the music's hypnotic quality. But in spite of some bobbing and swaying, the crowd's reaction seemed too subdued. Maybe the music would've worked better at, say, China Blue during Treefort. Still, the duo received some good cheers and whistles at the end of the set.<br />
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You can find info on these groups on Facebook and elsewhere online. Special thanks to Eric Gilbert and Radio Boise. If you like what you've read and would like to keep it going, click the yellow "Give" button and donate.</div>
B. Schultzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15535633250911385768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6438498832003213921.post-6942560029681351802013-08-08T01:16:00.000-07:002013-08-08T01:16:20.782-07:00The Soft White Sixties, Sun Blood Stories and Northern Giants @ Neurolux (7/28/13)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In a way, I'd been waiting for this show for about nine months. I'd seen the Soft White Sixties each time that they'd played Boise, and I'd walked away from each show convinced that they were a great band. So I put this show on the schedule the second after I saw the Facebook event page for it.<br />
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I counted about forty-five people when I got to Neurolux. When the Soft White Sixties played, I counted about eighty, sixty of whom were inside. Part of me wondered if my little <a href="http://www.boiseweekly.com/boise/the-soft-white-sixties-come-to-boise/Content?oid=2900865" target="_blank">preview</a> for this show helped bring some of these folks down, but that was probably just hubris.<br />
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Anyway, I bought a copy of the Sixties' new album <i>Get Right</i> as soon as I arrived. As I took it back to my car (didn't want to risk having it stolen or damaged), I saw and heard Andy Rayborn practicing outside.<br />
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Northern Giants (formerly known as Modesto) opened the show. At first, they sounded terrific: grinding metal, swaggering funk, terse solos, more nuanced vocals. After a while, however, the songs started to blur together in spite of the sharp arrangements and solid chops. I love my RAWK as much as the next guy, but this felt like a bit too much of a good thing. Maybe these guys could vary it up some. A couple soulful 5/6 numbers, perhaps? Or some folky, acoustic stuff?<br />
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Sun Blood Stories played next. I don't quite know why, but this group sounded colder, darker, more menacing here than they have in the past. At times, I coulda almost sworn I was listening to Sabbath. That wasn't a bad thing, I think--it could've just been a sign of how polished and confident that they've become. In any case, Brett Hawkins added some nice little embellishments to his drum-work, and Amber Pollard showed off a pretty fearsome growl. Meanwhile, Ben Kirby's gritty moan and yowling slide and Andy Rayborn's screeching sax sounded as strong as ever.<br />
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The Soft White Sixties's set confirmed my belief that this is one of the best modern rock bands. While he slid all over the stage and yanked the mic stand around a la James Brown, Octavio Genera's raspy, honeyed croon evoked Al Green's sly tenderness. Between the locked-in groove, the new guitarist's ripping solos and touches like the bass-and-drums breakdown on "Knock It Loose," Genera's bandmates sounded more than ready to play larger venues. The band's smart blend of pop, soul and hard rock got the crowd dancing and cheering (especially the girls).<br />
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I sure will miss the days when you could see the Sixties play for $6. There can't be many left.<br />
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You can find info on these groups on Facebook and elsewhere online. Special thanks to Eric Gilbert and Duck Club Presents. If you like what you've read and would like to help keep it going, click the yellow "Give" button.B. Schultzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15535633250911385768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6438498832003213921.post-29535939477517545882013-07-30T17:59:00.000-07:002013-07-30T17:59:33.460-07:00Slim Cessna's Auto Club, Munly and the Lupercalians and A Seasonal Disguise @ the VaC (7/26/13)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'd heard the name Slim Cessna's Auto Club, but I hadn't thought to look into them until I received a press release about this show. A listen to a few songs, some glowing write-ups in the <i>Weekly</i> and the fact that this band got Jello Biafra to sing a song about how Jesus Christ died for our sins persuaded me to put this show on the calendar.<br />
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There were already about sixty people when I got to VaC. The official head count for the night was approximately ninety. Not the 300 that showed up for Peter Murphy, but certainly not bad.<br />
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A Seasonal Disguise opened the show. This performance made good and then some on the promise of the band's Red Room set back in January. Z.V. House's unvarnished vocals sounded in fine form, and his guitar solos were as tuneful, elegant and fierce as ever. Meanwhile, Karen Singletary's clean harmonies, Aaron Sup's rippling keyboard and Reggie Townley's roaring distortion blended and weaved with Josh Shapel's steady basslines and Jake Hite's implacable drumming. The cool, spacey aura of the music didn't quite sound like anything I've heard by anyone else in town.<br />
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Munly and the Lupercalians played next. I imagine that Wovenhand might have looked and sounded like this if David Eugene Edwards went out to the crossroads and sold his soul to the devil. Munly J Munly's sepulchral croon and bluesy, hypnotic drones fused with tribal drums and atmospheric keyboards. The band's bizarre outfits--straw/twig masks, KKK hoods and gowns (that's what they looked like, anyway)--augmented the sinister feel of the music. Strange, powerful stuff.<br />
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Slim Cessna's Auto Club closed out the night. Their music wasn't as creepy as Munly and the Lupercalians' but was still plenty weird. Frantically plucked basslines, hard-charging drums and buzzing guitar decorated twangy, wailed vocals and cockeyed, religious-themed lyrics (one song celebrated hard-rocking Baptist church founder Roger Williams). Happily, these guys rocked more than hard enough to keep from drowning in their own shtick.<br />
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The crowd worked itself into a nice frenzy during this set. They danced, bounced, raised their hands high and shouted along. One mustached gentleman got particularly unruly; he peeled off his shirt, writhed around on the floor, tugged people around, stole one guy's hat (the guy's friend stole it back) and formed a one-man mosh circle. He also ran onstage and jumped around during the final number. Slim Cessna and Munly stayed deadpan until he left. They then gave him a golf clap, did some humorously robotic dance moves and went right back into the song.<br />
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You can find info on these groups on Facebook and elsewhere online. Special thanks to Wes Malvini and the Evil Wine Show. If you like what you've read and would like to help keep it going, click the yellow "Give" button and donate.B. Schultzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15535633250911385768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6438498832003213921.post-3531121318136660262013-07-26T17:57:00.000-07:002013-07-26T17:58:32.469-07:00Boise Weekly Review: Lauren Mann and the Fairly Odd Folk, Holly Johnson Loves You, Starlings Murmurations and Kevin Schlereth @ Neurolux (7/25/13)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBtqdOgSmYf3HGtPpqWzIymBujS62f957iw6pWzgmFJNODsfLLRYKT1U_VT3IgpibsrPLYja9Es2VO8I0-92gAt1YAXsZZsStJKVZRgPiW0mQR0EhxirKnqtUyEyFBBwyT99LxDJIbVj3u/s1600/IMG_0431_edited-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBtqdOgSmYf3HGtPpqWzIymBujS62f957iw6pWzgmFJNODsfLLRYKT1U_VT3IgpibsrPLYja9Es2VO8I0-92gAt1YAXsZZsStJKVZRgPiW0mQR0EhxirKnqtUyEyFBBwyT99LxDJIbVj3u/s320/IMG_0431_edited-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo by Tyler Carney</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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“You guys can join us up here if you want,” Lauren Mann told the 15-person crowd at Neurolux near the start of her set.<br />
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No one moved. However, the song that followed the Calgary musician’s invitation earned a round of loud applause.<br />
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In spite of a meager turnout, Lauren Mann and the Fairly Odd Folk delivered a polished, enthusiastic performance on Thursday, July 25. The audience responded by whooping, whistling and clapping to the beat.<br />
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<b>***</b></div>
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To read the rest of this review, go to the <i>Boise Weekly's Cobweb </i><a href="http://www.boiseweekly.com/Cobweb/archives/2013/07/26/review-lauren-mann-and-the-fairly-odd-folk-play-to-unfairly-small-crowd" target="_blank">blog</a>. Special thanks to Tyler Carney for his <a href="http://www.facebook.com/HouseofCarney" target="_blank">photos</a>.</div>
B. Schultzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15535633250911385768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6438498832003213921.post-43512989550329505362013-07-24T17:48:00.000-07:002013-07-26T17:58:19.600-07:00Boise Weekly Review: The Maldives, Star Anna and Jan Summerhays @ Neurolux (7/23/13)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo by Tyler Carney</td></tr>
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When The Maldives played Neurolux last July, lead singer Jason Dodson wore a Neil Young T-shirt. That seemed a bit redundant, given the Seattle band’s folk/country melodies, steady tempos and terse, yowling guitar solos.<br />
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Dodson’s shirt read “Mississippi Records” this time around, at Neurolux July 23, but the music still suggested that he and his bandmates have worn out a few copies of Harvest and After the Gold Rush.<br />
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In spite of the derivativeness of their material, The Maldives turned in an enjoyable performance. But the two openers, Jan Reed Summerhays and Star Anna, were far more distinctive.<br />
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<b>***</b></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
For the rest of this review, you can go to <i>Boise Weekly's Cobweb </i><a href="http://www.boiseweekly.com/Cobweb/archives/2013/07/24/maldives-good-but-outshined-by-openers" target="_blank">blog</a>. Special thanks to Tyler Carney for his <a href="http://www.facebook.com/HouseofCarney" target="_blank">photos</a>.</div>
B. Schultzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15535633250911385768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6438498832003213921.post-82868054233858185632013-07-22T23:04:00.004-07:002013-07-22T23:04:56.912-07:00Strange Americans, Brass Bed and Marshall Poole @ the Red Room (7/11/13)Okay, so you've probably noticed that I'm posting this review waaaaaay after the actual show. I don't think it's ever taken me this long to get a post out (not one on a live show, anyway).<br />
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I've got a good excuse, though. A couple of weeks ago, I had a meeting with a couple of editors at the <i>Boise Weekly</i>. They were interested in having me do some freelance music writing for them. I've already completed a handful of assignments, including <a href="http://www.boiseweekly.com/Cobweb/archives/2013/07/19/up-and-coming-locals-the-blaqks-rock-first-headlining-show" target="_blank">a review of the Blaqks' first headlining show</a>.<br />
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Don't get me wrong; my blogging days aren't over. It just means that I may not have time to write as many posts. I'll post links for the stuff that I get published in the <i>Weekly</i>, though, so y'all can check it out. If you want to, anyway.<br />
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Anyway, back to our normally scheduled programming.<br />
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Both Brass Bed and Marshall Poole had impressed me very much when I saw them last year. So when I had the chance to see them both again, I took it. It didn't hurt either that I'd never seen Strange Americans before (I do like a promising name).<br />
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I counted twelve people when I got to the Red Room, most of whom were out on the patio. When Strange Americans played, I counted thirteen. So it goes.<br />
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Marshall Poole opened the show. If anything, this young Caldwell trio sounded even more impressive that they did last September. Their thunderous riffs, fluid basslines and swift, muscular drums had slightly more of a punk feel than I remembered. That could've just stemmed from their tight groove and sharp, concise songwriting. As scorching as Rider Sloan's guitar solos were, what amazed me most was how Melanie Radford could sing while still plucking the strings like crazy.<br />
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Brass Bed played next. In my post on their Neurolux show, I wrote that this Louisiana band sounded like the Beatles one minute and Black Sabbath the next. I didn't quite hear that this time around, but that's not to say that they sounded bad. Far from it: light, murmured vocals blended with pounding drums, twangy bass and phantasmagorical guitar sounds. Both dreamy and rousing.<br />
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Strange Americans closed out the night. Their massive riffs, hard rhythm section and soothing vocals and melodies weren't all that strange (kinda reminded me of Kings of Leon, actually), but they certainly weren't bad. If the modest audience disappointed them, they didn't show it: the guys bounced, lunged and bent low as they played. They also joked around between songs ("Can you tell we've played enough G-rated shows?").<br />
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You can find info on these groups on Facebook and elsewhere online. If you like what you've read and would like to help keep it going, click the yellow "Give" button and donate.B. Schultzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15535633250911385768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6438498832003213921.post-48896480498487427932013-07-16T18:33:00.000-07:002013-07-16T18:33:06.393-07:00Jessica Hernandez and the Deltas, Bread & Circus and Cutting Cages @ Neurolux (7/9/13)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When I learned about this show, I looked Jessica Hernandez and the Deltas up on Spotify. I found an EP entitled <i>Weird Looking Women in Too Many Clothes. </i>Interesting, I thought. Then I played a couple songs. <i>Very </i>interesting, I thought. So, on the calendar this show went.<br />
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There were about thirty-five people when I arrived at Neurolux. When Jessica Hernandez took the stage, I counted over fifty. Very respectable.</div>
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Cutting Cages opened the show. As Nirvana and Sleater-Kinney have showed, there's nothing like a good drummer to help you channel your angst. New recruit Brandon Walker's jazzy rumble on the "With Or Without You" cover couldn't match Larry Mullen's straight-ahead one-two beat. However, his frantic work on the originals lent some release and forward motion to the group's pained vocals, cool saxophone and elegant guitar. The mix sounded a bit cacophonous at times, but that kinda suited the messy emotions of the lyrics.<br />
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Local band Bread and Circus played next. Their Facebook page has an explanation for their name: "A musical metaphor for superficial means of melodic appeasement. Bread & Circus for the masses!" Smart enough and unpretentious enough for me. This group's steady tempos, fat bass, tingling mandolin and pleasantly unvarnished vocals create a nice hang-loose feel. Some sharp guitar soloing added some kick.<br />
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Jessica Hernandez and the Deltas closed out the show. They hailed from Detroit, but their music sounded just as much like Stax as it did like Motown. Between Hernandez's strong, smoky vocals, the quirky lyrics and her bandmates' forceful trombone and tough, Latin-tinged funk, this group would've made a killer double bill with Pickwick. The dance floor got good and lively as this set progressed.<br />
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You can find info on these groups on Facebook and elsewhere online. Special thanks to Eric Gilbert and Radio Boise. If you like what you've read and would like to help keep it going, click the yellow "Give" button and donate. Even $5 would help.</div>
B. Schultzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15535633250911385768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6438498832003213921.post-68867479642044251212013-07-11T11:10:00.000-07:002013-07-12T12:20:52.545-07:00Welcome to Anhedonia by Like A Rocket (2013)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i><u>Anhedonia</u> (noun): a psychological condition characterized by inability to experience pleasure in normally pleasurable acts.</i><br />
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<i>--Merriam-Webster Dictonary</i></div>
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I like Like A Rocket's first album <i>Hey Man </i>quite a bit; it's got well-crafted songs, smart vocals and some clever production (I especially like how "NY Girl" sounds like the Strokes). After I'd listened to it for a couple of months, however, a voice in the back of my head started talking. "Yeah, the songs are good," the voice said, "but the whole thing feels a little safe, a little tame. Also, the drums don't sound quite right; they don't have the meaty thwack that they should.</div>
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"I get that these guys were just figuring stuff out on that one, and I know that they kill it live. Still, when are they gonna record that devil's child song? Or that waiting-on-the-fall song? When are they gonna put something out that'll justify my calling them one of the best bands in Idaho?"</div>
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Well, they just did.</div>
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The warning shot<i> </i>came in March with the release of the solo acoustic single "Reason for the Gun." A stark, chilling sermon that wouldn't sound out of place on one of Johnny Cash's <i>American </i>albums, the song<i> </i>signaled a broadening of scope and ambition. The band got a small reward for stepping up their game when "Reason" was featured on <i>No Depression's </i>website.<br />
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If there's any justice, the release of <i>Welcome to Anhedonia</i> should garner Like A Rocket even more attention. The album is a full-bodied dose of lust, fear, guilt and rage. It improves upon <i>Hey Man </i>in almost every way--songwriting, musicianship, production.<br />
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<i>Anhedonia's </i>twelve tracks are loosely connected by a noir-ish story about a couple who embark on a robbery/murder spree. But unlike, say, <i>Quadrophenia </i>or <i>Southern Rock Opera</i>, the album doesn't really unfold in a linear fashion. Instead, it plays more like a fugue or a reverie. It's as if the songs are running through the guy's head as he's sleeping on death row.<br />
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The title's a bit ironic, considering <i>Anhedonia's</i> numerous pleasures. The album has enough fiery guitar to make any red-blooded Skynyrd fan tumescent. The outro to "Legend of a Fool," for example, features not just one but three solos all stacked on top of each other (the first by Built to Spill's Brett Netson, the second by Z.V. House, the third by Speedy Gray). That tapestry of guitar is just one of many inspired production touches. Others include the smoky saxophone playing beneath the bluesy guitar solo on "China White" and the shimmering strings and sarcastically rising harmonies on "Ready for the Fall."<br />
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Throughout, the groove laid down by Z.V. House's rock-steady bass and Max Klymenko's tough, meaty drums will sound familiar to anyone who's heard the band firing on all cylinders on a Saturday night. Speedy Gray's weathered drawl handles drugged-out languor ("China White"), psychotic fury ("Graveyard") and gnawing dread (just about everything else) with equal ease. The tunes stick to your ears, and the lyrics are as clear and sharp as a broken bottle of Jack Daniel's on the pavement.<br />
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As satisfying as <i>Anhedonia </i>is, one can reach the woozy mandolin and autoharp at the end and feel that there should be more. This is undoubtedly intentional; Speedy Gray has stated that the band hopes to release a follow-up EP entitled <i>Police Report</i> later this year. Time will tell how that turns out. One thing's for sure: the bar has been set very high indeed.<br />
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You can find info on Like A Rocket on Facebook and elsewhere online. <i>Welcome to Anhedonia </i>is available now on<a href="http://likearocket.bandcamp.com/album/welcome-to-anhedonia" target="_blank"> Bandcamp</a> and will be released on CD on July 20.</div>
B. Schultzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15535633250911385768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6438498832003213921.post-9785460500045657932013-07-07T19:42:00.003-07:002013-07-07T19:42:57.485-07:00Adventure Galley and Blurred Vision @ Neurolux (7/2/13)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As faithful readers know, I don't mind seeing a band I've never heard much about. Quite the opposite. And hey, with a name like Adventure Galley, it almost felt like a dare to go see them.<br />
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I counted about thirty people when I got to Neurolux. About forty-five people were there when Adventure Galley played. A pretty good turnout.<br />
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I sat at the bar for a while, wondering why the show hadn't started. Then I realized that local DJ Vestral was doing his set. It wasn't too bad at all--your straight-ahead booming, bombastic clubbin' stuff. I recognized one sample from a TV commercial. Nobody danced, but that was probably less the music's fault than the unsuitable sunlight and blood alcohol levels.<br />
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Blurred Vision's set surprised me. I haven't cared much for these guys in the past, but they sounded better here than I remembered. It could have been due to a better mix or better acoustics. Whatever the reason, I could hear more little layers and rhythmic wrinkles to their simple synthesizer riffs and stomping, steady beats. Their detached, heavily filtered vocals stood out more as well. Not that the lyrics seemed particularly important; I did appreciate having my rational mind tickled, however. The flashing lights, smoke and lasers were nice touches too. I still prefer Cloud/Splitter and Edmond Dantes, but pretty good nonetheless.<br />
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Adventure Galley played next. At first, their airy synth drones and squiggles seemed a bit like the fluff on the lead singer's pirate hat: cute and fun but not especially crucial. However, as their material progressed from a blend of surf, disco and New Wave to a more straightforward, Killers-esque dance-rock, they felt more integral. In any case, their strong beats, snarling guitar, charmingly cheesy keyboards and pleasantly rough vocals got the dance floor to fill in pretty nicely. If this group comes back, maybe they can get the Dirty Moogs to open.<br />
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You can find info on Blurred Vision and Adventure Galley on Facebook and elsewhere online. Special thanks to Eric Gilbert and Radio Boise. If you like what you've read and would like to help keep it going, click the yellow "Give" button and donate. Even $5 would help.B. Schultzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15535633250911385768noreply@blogger.com0