This Seattle quartet has been making waves since their founding, from the star-studded lineup to a handful of fantastic local shows (including a great supporting role for Swedish band The Deer Tracks at the Sunset Tavern a few months back). ‘The Open Sea’ is a skillful first album that sits in familiar British pop and rock territory while hailing from lands much (much!) closer. In writing, arrangement, and execution, notes of Coldplay and Radiohead mix nicely with hints of Aaron Sprinkle and Fair in Verlaine’s nine-track debut.
Frontman, pianist, and guitarist Dan Cole‘s expressive vocals set the tone for the majority of the album, backed by guitarist Kevin Woerner, bassist/keyboardist Jonathan Young, and drummer Jon Wood. With band roots in Forever Changed, twothirtyeight, The Myriad, and Drypoint, respectively, the veteran musicians in Verlaine have put a huge first step forward with ‘The Open Sea’.
First track Painted Lights is a densely packed album opener, easing in on warm keys and pads before an alluring chorus sucks listeners in. The album’s tight mixing is immediately notable, each instrument contributing to the swirling melodies without being washed out or overblown. A slow, dramatic build closes out Painted Lights, a perfect ramp-up into second track See The Best In Me.
Chiming guitars lead the way through to the tension-wrought bridge of See The Best, showcasing the band’s strength in dynamic and engaging writing. Third track Lonely Survive is the first of the pre-released singles, and the frail, beautiful piano introduction is the first time the album mellows out.
As with the previous tracks, Verlaine demonstrates an incredible agility in shifting energy and mood from verse to verse, and uses the momentum to confidently transition into the middle of the record.
Standout songs Negotiations and Motionless are delicate balances between touches of funk, charming guitar riffing, and Cole’s poignant voice. Even with such pleasingly massive drum and bass parts, Verlaine persists as an airy, uncluttered band whose writing is keenly calculated and expressly purposeful.
Album closer This Life We Lead sees the band return to bare necessities, a simple track with complex execution musically and vocally. Warm, beautiful tides of sound allow Cole’s vocals to float comfortably before a cascading rock break sees listeners out with a loving warmth absent from my speakers since Sherwood‘s disbanding in 2012.
Verlaine has written a powerful first album, and as the release show proved, the band is more than capable of pitching ‘The Open Sea’ live. Look forward to their upcoming show at The High Dive with Something In The Trees and The Bend, May 24th!
]]>The band made a big splash last Fall over the gnarly (and I mean gnarly; no faint-of-hearts need apply) video for Reservoir, a powerhouse single that’s all fury and fun and broken bones. Never missing a beat, Pup has been on the road with fiery Montreal duo Solids for much of 2014 so far, both bands valiantly representing Canada while touring stateside.
Pup’s self-titled is plenty more of the intensity that Reservoir promised, but with a fantastic spectrum of color and variation. The four-piece is more than capable of knuckle busting, but weave in tasteful bits of blues, pop, and indie rock into the melee.
Album opener Guilt Trip is a slightly off-kilter introduction in all the right ways. Frontman and guitarist Stefan Babcock unleashes his surprising range in pitch and timbre over raging raw hooks built by fellow guitarist Steve Sladkowski, bassist Nestor Chumak, and drummer Zack Mykula. This model works well for the band, as favorite single Reservoir immediately picks up where the opener leaves off. Edgy musicianship and a loose, honest live sound are pervasive through the record, keeping true to the band’s unrestrained live performance.
Third track Mabu is the first that lets up on the driving power, channeling a sunny day vibe with sparkling harmonies and all the vocal flair and hookiness that good throwback pop requires. Upbeat songs like Mabu, Dark Days, and accusing closer Factories balance the unbridled power of the heavy hitters, and are fun spots of listening that prevent listener fatigue without being filler.
Key track Yukon bisects the album, a flavorful minor cut showcasing bluesy chops and caps off with a killer, killer solo. As the longest track on the record, Yukon is a perfect example of the band’s ability to add excellent writing to captivating arrangement and impeccable performance. No further proof is needed to demonstrate the talent present, but fortunately, the record has much more to say.
Other notable tracks include the indie-rock blasted Cul-de-Sac and penultimate song Back Against The Wall, both leaning pop punk and entirely enjoyable. Last track Factories builds on the mood, a smartly riffy song that contrasts dark lyrics with the raw upbeat sound that Pup has already mastered. The album ends on a tightly wound rock outro, a no-nonsense way to conclude a towering debut record.
I have no doubt that genre diehards and newcomers alike will take note of this incredible young band. Come 4/8, Pup will be here to stay.
]]>Well, it’s been years now and Moneta is packing a new lineup, a new sound, and a new record… and it’s one for the books. Featuring newish vocalist Jordan Thompson, ‘The Only Constant’ sees the uncommonly sized six-piece tear through 14 tracks of blissfully unadulterated rock. The musicianship is refreshingly technical, and with complex arrangements and generous string sections, Moneta is nothing short of massive.
The album kicks off with the accusatory The Jackal And The Lion, a merciless opener that pairs searing riffs with biting lyrics. Thompson deftly navigates soft, belted, and near-screamed parts with a powerful voice that could be comfortably compared to fellow Seattleite Matt MacDonald of The Classic Crime.
Equally impressive is the musicianship present in this sextet. With guitarist trio Michael Rapson, Kevin Hanaford, and lead player Chris Holbrook, the guitar arrangements are detailed, clever, and entirely engaging. Not to be outdone, drummer Leo Martin and bassist Benjamin Brockman present a razor-sharp rhythm section suited perfectly to the intensity and complexity of every track.
Second song Life In Rewind is the hopeful foil of the opener, a muscular rock cut that deepens the positive similarities with The Classic Crime and offers a chorus that begs to be sung. It’s plainly clear from the outset that Moneta is a group of experienced writers and musicians.
Despite the hefty track list, the album moves smartly and warrants positive comparison to departing heavyweight Anberlin and late Seattle band Acceptance. No song or section seems to drag, and with such diverse and dense arrangements, every piece of every track feels like fresh ground. Three masterfully crafted interludes serve as brief moments of respite, including the short but beautiful Your Own Way that blooms into first single All My Fault.
Reverse-delay drenched Rewrite The World bridges the two business ends of the album, a gorgeous ballad that matches choral gang vocals with towering string parts. This song demands a few plays before ushering listeners into the valiant string/guitar duet opening of The Hardest Thing.
Where a tragic number of rock releases are frontloaded with the goods, ‘The Only Constant’ maintains excellence through and through. Tracks like Something To Fight For and The Devil Inside keep the driving rock present, while songs like Save Me From Myself and Breathe In offer tinges of introspective pop rock flavors. Closer We All Live To Die may not be the strongest in the musical pool, but it is a graceful end to a truly huge full length.
With ‘The Only Constant’, Moneta has further cemented itself as a band to watch in the PNW and beyond. This 14-track record is a hefty effort that should unfold handsomely in Moneta’s career trajectory, and a freshly inked deal with Gibson/Epiphone proves big names are taking notice.
If you haven’t picked up tickets yet for Moneta’s album release show, the band will celebrate ‘The Only Constant’ at Showbox At The Market with Stillstand, Truth Under Attack, Sell The Rights, and Subject To Downfall on Saturday, 3/22. Tickets are available on the Showbox calendar, or through the band on Facebook or Twitter.
]]>It should be clearly stated that there are no qualms about the band’s faith-saturated lyrical content, but to label anything this band has put out as merely ‘church music’ is a woeful discredit to their musical mastery. All at once rock, indie, jazzy, orchestal, hip hoppy, chamber poppy, regular old poppy, big- and jam-bandy, and everything in between, the colors and textures on tap in Kings Kaleidoscope make their productions a marvel.
Aside from the standard instrumentation, the band employs assorted strings and brass, an accordion, and a second drummer among other instruments. Many (if not all) members are multi-talented, and together weave a richly layered aural paradise in this new EP.
Album opener Felix Culpa is all business from the outset. Guitarist and lead vocalist Chad Gardner conducts the band through a relentless cut built on sweet hip hop beats and an unforgettable guitar lick. Horns, strings, and a gnarly bass part build towering emotion into the bridge and final jam.
Gardner’s soulful expression perched atop dense layers of sound make for a recurring theme, as second song Seek The Kingdom proves. A warm wash of keys segue into roving guitar/bass fuzz duets before relaxing into an orchestral chorus. The song concludes in a huge rock bit bristling with brass and driving bass.
Third track Defender progresses on the powerful rhythmic framework of doubled drum parts, a colorful and flavorful journey that cruises into a triumphant chorus in both arrangement and in lyric. Songs like this make Kings Kaleidoscope particularly hard to classify, but easy to enjoy. It’s worth noting that the band makes use of many of the school’s music department instruments, further enriching the tonal diversity.
Fix My Eyes is the first of the softer songs, an introspective piece led by piano and a handful of strings in a dark gymnasium. Even pared down, the band evokes incredible fervor and heart. Just wait for the delicate pizzicato parts after the first chorus. Breathtaking.
Be Thou My Vision is the only familiar song on the record and a brilliant take on a beloved hymn, while album closer Higher Throne is a reverb-soaked saga clocking in at nearly six minutes.
In ‘Live In Color’, Kings Kaleidoscope has added another gem to an already illustrious discography. This talented group is courageous in arrangement, musical in doctrine, and bold in performance. Not much more need be said.
Except that you need to download the new record on 3/18 (today) for FREE on the Kings Kaleidoscope website through BadChristian Music.
]]>Wacky, satirical, and delightfully demented, the gang has a dozen new songs whose long arms take root in folk-rock but tickle genres of all sorts. There’s apparently not an Andrew Jackson in the band, but frontman Sean Bonnette leads a great crew in bassist Ben Gallaty, keys/guitarist Preston Bryant, drummer Deacon Batchelor, and a medley of guests and instruments.
“Temple Grandin” opens Christmas Island, the jammy intro that feels Front Bottom-y (haha) due to the strum-and-bass groove and Bonnette’s plaintive wailings. The album is sunny coming in, as second track “Children Of God” keeps the fun right up. It’s lighthearted and comfortable until listeners pick up on the lazy skating through lyrics involving blood collectors, cannibals, and flowery rooms of corpses in “Do, Re, And Me.”
The band’s penchant for the comical dark seems to flow all too easily, as the acoustic-driven sound digs into the politely colorful fourth track “Coffin Dance.” Bonnette roves into acoustic Brand New territory, turning down to a mournful quiet contrast against the confident howlings of the earlier tracks. There’s a Ben Folds nonchalance that could place any number of PG-13 moments in mid-album ballads like “Getting Naked, Playing With Guns” or “I Wanna Rock Out In My Dreams.”
Early single “Kokopelli Face Tattoo” and “Best Friend” rebuild mid-album energy, both lo-fi Summer hits that are as easy to listen to as they are hard to swallow lyrically. Second single “Linda Ronstadt” sums up the overall mood of the album: fun drivers with an unabashed examination of humanity, society, and self.
Closer “Angel Of Death” is a brutally honest trio of minutes. Smooth rock organs and a plethora of diverse sonic flavors frame mouthfuls of observative lyrics, a tasteful look at life as Andrew Jackson Jihad. Christmas Island is mature, richly intelligent, and twisted in a funny, likeable way. It’s not easy listening, but you’ll laugh to yourself… and then think hard about life.
]]>Last Friday night, Emery kicked off the West Coast side of their ‘The Weak’s End’ 10th Anniversary tour at El Corazon. With Peace Mercutio and The Classic Crime representing Seattle and Long Beach’s This Wild Life in tow, the second half of the tour was off to a sensational start. As with the East Coast leg, the lineup is largely acoustic, with stripped-down Emery songs and Q&A sessions between sets before an electric playthrough of ‘The Weak’s End’.
I should note that I’m generally not huge on acoustic music as a whole but with a stacked lineup like this, I couldn’t help but reconsider. It was also surprising to hear such fantastic sound quality for the acoustic sets in light of El Corazon’s standard fare of hard rock. The acoustic highs were crisp and chimey without being shrill, and the bass and percussive lows were punchy and tight.
Shoreline Drive
Seattle band Shoreline Drive (@Shoreline_Drive) opened the night with acoustic translations of their typical pop punk/pop rock sound. Though brief, it was a toe-tapping set with notable songs like Superhero played on doubled acoustics, electric bass, and cajon. Frontman Devin Damitio and bassist Levi Goode traded challenging vocal parts while drummer Skylar Faucett and guitarist Rosh Siefken filled out the dynamic range. Definitely interested to see where this promising young Seattle band goes!
Emery guitarist Matt Carter and co-frontman Toby Morrell then introduced themselves as tour emcees, taking the stage after Shoreline Drive to welcome the band’s loyal fans and set the tone for an intimate night.
Peace Mercutio
Up next was Peace Mercutio (@peacemercutio), a Seattle band whose well-rehearsed pop punk tendencies glowed through tripled acoustics and electric bass. The quartet played a handful of fun songs showcasing perfect four-part harmonies, with singer/guitarists Dan Buckley and Andy Lundman swapping vocal leads while drummer-turned-guitarist Taylor Jurgens and bassist Nick Emacio added high vocals. The band opened with energetic rocker (And That’s How) Good Charlotte (Got Famous), and followed through with songs like Chicago and a beautiful piano rendition of Street Lights by Lundman. Peace Mercutio was a ton of fun to watch, and I’m sure their electric set would be even more intense. Check out (And That’s How) Good Charlotte (Got Famous) below!
Matt & Toby
Matt and Toby came up again after Peace Mercutio to take a few questions, banter a bit, and knock out a beautiful Matt & Toby (@MattandTobyband) song off their side project album of the same title, Good Boys.
This Wild Life
This Wild Life (@thiswildlife) followed, a Long Beach duo whose tattoos and epic beardiness could blend in among any number of rock bands. Surprisingly (to me, at least), the band is always an acoustic duo led by singer/guitarist Kevin Jordan and supported by guitarist/harmony vocalist Anthony (great name) Del Grosso. This Wild Life’s songs have a special irresistibility, and Jordan’s silky croon paved the way for a wonderfully enjoyable set full of memorable songs like Puppy Love.
Matt and Toby once again returned to field more questions, and brought returning co-frontman Devin Shelton out to play marvelous, stripped-down versions of In Shallow Seas We Sail and Listening To Freddie Mercury, both hearty singalongs.
The Classic Crime
Fellow Tooth & Nail veteran Matt MacDonald (@mattmacdonaldis) was up next, billed as The Classic Crime for the TCC setlist he performed on his own. Despite a few technical difficulties starting out, MacDonald’s years as the respected band’s frontman were evident in a confident set of acoustic numbers. Featured songs included The Coldest Heart, The Happy Nihilist, and to close, a preview of the upcoming acoustic album in the form of The Fight. MacDonald displayed a remarkable mastery of his looper pedal, recording and overdubbing parts to add to the fullness and emotion of each song. Several of his band members were present as well, including The Classic Crime guitarist Robbie Negrin and wife and Vocal Few (@VocalFew) partner in crime Kristie MacDonald. Every song was met with a full house singing along, a heartwarming experience for a long-running Seattle artist to be received so warmly.
Emery
By the time Emery was getting ready for their set, El Corazon was near or at capacity, and the pit was noticeably less spacious. All eyes were turned to the stage as the boys in Peace Mercutio and This Wild Life set up for the headlining act.
Something special happens on anniversary tours. As soon as Emery (@OfficialEmery) took the stage, the crowd almost seemed to quiet in anticipation of the thunderous first line of Walls. It can’t be overstated: Emery delivered well above and beyond the original recordings. The five now-veteran musicians commanded every inch of the stage, climbing monitor wedges and engaging the audience at every angle. Frontmen Toby Morrell and Devin Shelton swapped bass and lead vocal duties throughout the night, with Shelton notably not returning to his original parts on rhythm electric. This gave both vocalists added flexibility and accessibility to pump the crowd and belt the band’s trademark duets.
Lead guitarist Matt “Zod” Carter dominated stage right, tearing through the memorable lead lines in the ten year album on his well-worn Gibson SG. Synth/keys player and original screamer Josh Head leveled stage left, stagediving and howling his parts all night, a savage force that drove the crowd wild. Drummer Dave Powell wasn’t any less energetic, holding the rhythm section tight with towering drum fills and confident recreations of the recording. There’s no mistaking it: Emery is still at the top of their game.
The band smashed through the first half of ‘The Weak’s End’; with such a frontloaded album it was easy to get the crowd going. After Walls, the band pushed into The Ponytail Parades and Disguising Mistakes With Goodbyes, both beautifully ended on the band’s massive duets. Since ‘The Weak’s End’ was Emery’s first album, it was the only one in the band’s career that was hashed and rehashed before hitting studio or stage, and it shows. These musicians are not only exceptionally talented and passionate about their body of work, they know it by heart and play it as such. I was pleasantly surprised to see all four vocalists contributing four distinct screams: Carter and Shelton throwing up piercing high screams and Morrell and Head adding raw bellows to the melee.
It was awesome hearing songs that would probably otherwise not have stage time, like By All Accounts (Today Was A Disaster) or Under Serious Attack. The band closed on an emphatic rendition of The Secret, with Matt Carter wailing through the dual solos that ended the groundbreaking decade record.
After leaving the stage, the quintet returned for a one-song encore, 2005’s Studying Politics. I couldn’t possibly have asked for a better show to kick off 2014. I’m amazed that in light of their vicious stage presence and fearless intensity, half of the guys in Emery are dads. Ten years looks good on Emery, and given the effect ‘The Weak’s End’ has had on myself and the thousands of fans flocking to this anniversary tour, I would say it looks pretty good on us too.
]]>This was my first time at the Neptune, though I’d heard about it and walked past its dazzling entryway hundreds of times as a student. The line for the show went around the block, and was totally sold out by the time I got in just before 9.
I was anxious about such a late show, but I sucked it up and made my way to the back of the “mosh” pit. I contented myself with a spot near the back and prepared myself for a long night of standing. I spent a fair amount of time just looking around the historic facility. I can’t believe it’s almost 100 years old. It’s certainly full of character.
UK quartet Peace was the first to take the stage. At only three years old under this moniker, the relatively young band filled the stage with the swagger and confidence of performers many years their senior. Though the musicians had a few tiny hiccups during the set, the musical prowess of the Worcester band shone through raw, aggressive fretwork and a devil-may-care stage presence. Frontman Harry “Harrison” Koisser and lead guitarist Douglas Castle traded fuzzrocious riffs while drummer Dom Boyce and bassist Samuel Koisser pieced together the tight rhythms and angelic oohs that completed the dynamic vocal range of the lead Koisser.
I’m happy to see the return of Fender offset guitars to the mainstream, and the Koisser brothers’ Mustang and righty-as-lefty Mustang bass were a treat for the eyes and the ears. The guitarists expertly coaxed their amps into feedback often to bring color to the otherwise straightforward sonic palette, and indeed ended the set with a massive wave of swirling feedback.
The band’s sound, an entirely danceable and blaring brand of indie rock, made for a magnetic show that was both energetic and enjoyable. The set included songs old and new, like Lovesick and laidback lounger Float Forever. It’s apparent that this band is well on its way to the big leagues, and I look forward to seeing where this young band and their new record ‘In Love’ will go.
Next up was electro-indie pop artist St. Lucia. Masterminded by Brooklyn’s Jean-Philip Grobler and supported by a touring band, St. Lucia’s setup included a full keys-and-rhythm section, a pair of synths that Grobler and touring singer Patricia Beranek handled, a bassist/rhythm guitarist, and a drummer with an assortment of acoustic and electric drums.
St. Lucia seemed to get off to a rocky start vocally. The rough transitions to and from chest voice to skyscraping falsetto caused the vocalists to struggle with matching harmonies in the early part of the set. As the band warmed up, the vocals (and the rest of the band) tightened up, and St. Lucia finished quite strong.
Once the vocals lined up more, I started to enjoy the music. The band was great at engaging the audience, and with plenty of dancing onstage, there was never a dull moment visually.
Where Peace excelled in fretwork and riffage, St. Lucia’s brightest moments were the densely layered synths and loops. Though there were often two guitars being played (both offset Fenders: a beautiful burst Jaguar for Grobler and a glittering gold Jazzmaster for the rhythm guitarist), it’s apparent that the group’s primary sound is built on synth work and carefully crafted dance beats. St. Lucia ended on a roaring high, and left the stage to enthusiastic applause for Two Door to set up.
As headliner of the tour, Two Door Cinema Club had the most in the way of stage production, featuring drum risers, complex stage lighting, and plenty of room for each of the four members to move around. I watched the band’s roadies prep up a series of Jazz and Mustang basses as well as a trio of beautiful Gretsch electrics for frontman Alex Trimble, cementing the Fender lineup for the night.
Two Door came onstage to a raucous crowd, and immediately dove into their hourlong set. Bassist Kevin Baird and touring/recording (how is that not just a part of the band?) drummer Benjamin Thompson were an unstoppable dance beat machine, shelling out syncopated rhythm after rhythm with mesmerizing consistency and energy. This made room for frontman Trimble and lead guitarist Sam Halliday to exchange riffs and hooks, bringing the night firmly back toward guitar-driven performance. Trimble wasn’t a stranger to the keyboard though, swapping in and out of a full Nord setup throughout the night.
Between the smoky, dense air and the ornate stylings of the Neptune theater, Two Door’s lighting effects were spectacular. The crowd was driven to frenzied dancing and quite friendly moshing during most songs, the endless (literally, endless) strobing effects adding to the intensity of Two Door’s stage presence. Being the old man that I apparently am, I was fascinated by the lighting, then speechless, and finally, quite tired. It was a visual assault in keeping with the age old “too much of a good thing” thought. The lights were perfectly synced to the songs (very cool), but became a bit of a formula: colored filters frame the intros, frantic strobe lighting in the choruses, and a total blackout at the end of almost every song.
All told, it was a solid show. Two Door closed with a three-song encore, with a powerful rendition of What You Know to finish off. By the time the crowd filed out onto 45th again, it was close to 12:30 in the morning.
It seems to me that every other new band is a contender in the indie rock scene, blending club-friendly four-on-the-floors with rock standards. I can’t even begin to number the one hit wonders in this style that have “made it” with a trendy new ad campaign for a hybrid or tablet or one of those fancy new vodkas, and more or less fell into obscurity right after. It takes a rare artist to shine in a crowded genre, and all three bands, at three very different points in their careers, made for an excellent (if exhausting) night of music. I just hope they’ll forgive the one guy standing literally stalk still in the middle of the pit.
Last Tuesday, Reggie And The Full Effect swung through The Vera Project on the ‘No Country For Old Musicians’ tour, pushing the newish 2013 record of the same name. With Buffalo NY band Pentimento and NJ duet Dads as tour support, the stage was set for a great performance.
Local band Honorable Mention (@HonorableMwa) kicked off the night, a five-piece hailing from around the Washington area. The band’s setlist featured songs off their 2013 EP, ‘Coalescence’, a moody and guitar-dominated blend of emotion comparable to emo-punk new wavers Title Fight or Citizen. Catch ‘Coalescence’ on Bandcamp!
Pentimento (@pentimentoNY) was up next, a promising quartet out of Buffalo NY, and the only band I’d listened extensively to beforehand. Hardly a few months out from their new EP, ‘Inside The Sea’, the band unleashed a passionate performance of pulls from the EP and their 2012 self-titled. Backed by explosive singing drummer Mike Hansen, singing bassist Vincent Caito, and lead guitarist Lance Claypool, brilliant singer and guitarist Jeremiah Pauly belted old favorites like Almost Atlantic and Circles, and closed with knockouts The Bridge and newer song Just Friends. This is absolutely a band to watch, and with Paper+Plastick backing them, they’ll only get bigger.
New Jersey band Dads (@wearentdads) followed, a self-described indie/emo/punk duo in vocalist/drummer John Bradley and vocalist/guitarist Scott Scharinger. The duo swam through extended, reverb-soaked instrumental experiments and built into bristling punk breaks, joining Bradley’s drumming blitzes and Scharinger’s skillful fretwork into a dizzying maelstrom of expression. The duo showcased songs like My Crass Patch and Boat Rich off the new EP ‘Pretty Good’, as well as a handful from the older full-lengths. Check out My Crass Patch‘s chaotic fun below:
As the headliner, Reggie And The Full Effect had the longest set time and required the longest time between sets. Masterminded by grizzled vet and former/current/former/current again The Get Up Kids keyboardist James “not Reggie” Dewees, now 37, Reggie And The Full Effect’s wild synthy pop punk crossovering is undoubtedly the source material for countless bands since the band’s formation in 1998.
Through the years, Reggie’s lineup has been an ever-changing list of friends and former bandmates. For this tour, Dewees brought longtime contributors Corey White of The Esoteric and drummer Billy Johnson, as well as Architects member and previous Reggie contributor Zach Phillips on bass. Armed with his trusty MIDI controller, Dewees and the gang pounded through hits from his entire catalog, including From Me 2 U, Take Me Home Please, and songs from the new album, like Revenge Is a Dish Best Served at Park Chan-Wook’s House (below), Kanji Tattoos…Still in Style???, and Disregard.
Between songs, Dewees stopped to interact with the audience, sharing hilarious stories in the band’s history and answering questions posed by diehard fans. The band also breezed through many of their lighthearted songs, like the 38 second goof track Fowlin’ Around and the monster-laced 37.
The somewhat older crowd for Reggie sang faithfully along the high and low songs alike, and when Dewees busted out his cowboy-hat and very tight tank top for pop slinging alter ego Fluxuation, the crowd only sang louder.
To close out the night (few spoilers), Reggie And The Full Effect made their full transformation into Finnish metal band Common Denominator. For all that Dewees and the Reggie gang have flexing power to hit a dozen genres in one night, I never would’ve expected Dwarf Invasion or any of the associated metalness of Common Denominator. The band’s chameleonic performance was entertainingly serious through and through, Reggie’s most lasting full effect leaving fans old and new smiling into the night.
]]>It was a night of Humble Beast all around, with banners and flyers strung all over the totally packed Vera Project. Every artist wore label related apparel, as did a good chunk of the sizable crowd.
Las Vegas native Jeremiah Givens, better known by stage name JGivens (@pray4jgivens), opened up the night with labelmate DJ Efechto (@djefechto). The energetic rapper kicked off by hyping the crowd and serving as the tour host and MC. Pushing last year’s record El V. Envy, JGivens worked the audience while performing songs like ‘(A)Bridge(D) Thoughts’ and ‘The Bus Stop Song’ with Efechto running sound. Still in his mid-20’s, JGivens displays a maturity and complexity in both writing and performance that is rare for an artist of such youth. Building off a powerful life story, an impressive engineering background, and incredible cultural awareness, JGivens constructs richly tiered verses of society and faith woven into engaging experimental beats. Certainly an artist worth taking a look at.
Humble Beast owners Braille and Odd Thomas followed, taking the stage with producer and rapper Courtland Urbano to form Beautiful Eulogy (@BeautifulEulogy). The trio powered through an extremely generous helping of selections from both 2012’s Satellite Kite and last year’s Instruments Of Mercy. Braille and Odd Thomas took their customary turns spitting breathless verses while Urbano contributed a third voicing to key phrases. With three perfectly complementary voices and an organic, musical take on beat production, Beautiful Eulogy’s is equal parts breath control, thoughtful insight on faith, and intensity. It’s no surprise that songs like ‘Vital Lens’, ‘An Open Letter To Whoever’s Listening’, and ‘Symbols And Signs’ (featuring Propaganda) had the full house clapping and cheering along.
Since Swoope was out for the night, Propaganda stormed the stage early with Crimson Cord opener ‘You Mock Me’ and the title track immediately following. Affectionately known as Prop, the California native was a blur of grins, dreads, and All-Stars as he slammed through a stunning series of songs. Now quite a few records into his career, Prop has developed an unbelievable stage presence and the uncanny ability to smile, hype the crowd, and dance freely without missing a word. Jumping easily between spoken word and rap, Prop blew the crowd away with Crimson Cord cuts ‘I Don’t See It’, ‘How Did We Get Here’ featuring JGivens, and closer ‘Redeem’, the powerful anthem that sums up much of Propaganda’s vision and message.
What started as a night of unsure expectations ended up being one of the finest assemblies of performers in my recent memory. It’s not an overstatement to say that our neighbors at Humble Beast are cultivating a generation of hip hop artists with talent, heart, and conscience. With every label release free to download and an ever-growing roster of impeccable musicians contributing, the word is getting out.
]]>On April 1st, Michigan’s La Dispute led their headlining tour through Seattle for a sold out show at El Corazon. With Baltimore band Pianos Become The Teeth and Seattle’s own duet Mansions as support, the key venue was packed to the brim.
Now pushing new album ‘Rooms Of The House’, the Michigan post-hardcore-ish quintet has hit the ground running after the silence following 2011’s monstrous record ‘Wildlife’. Released March 18th on La Dispute’s own label Better Living and produced by studio wizard Will Yip, ‘Rooms Of The House’ has given La Dispute the perfect opportunity to tour with their longtime friends in Pianos Become The Teeth.
Before the 7PM doors, La Dispute also filmed an intimate show in town for the A.V. Club in a new video series the site is working on called ‘Pioneering’. Keep an eye out for the performance video, and read more about the series on the A.V. Club website.
First up was local band Mansions, a charming duet in Christopher Browder and Robin Dove, backed by a gifted touring drummer. The band’s latest record ‘Doom Loop’ dropped last year, and was the focal point of the band’s energetic set. Browder’s bold vocals and impassioned strummings were charged by Dove’s driving bass lines, present especially in set favorites Two Suits and The Economist. The chemistry present in Mansions is delightful, and allows the band to deliver the kind of lovely indie-rock that pleasantly borders punk. Stream ‘Doom Loop’ on Spotify now!
Baltimore quintet Pianos Become The Teeth was up next, a band that intricately ties shoegazer and rock with brutal vocals reminiscent at times of Bonnette brothers-era As Cities Burn. Vocalist and frontman Kyle Durfey delivered a hair-raising performance, balancing his broken howls atop the band’s expansive soundscapes. Guitarists Chad McDonald and Mike York wove dense washes of reverb into powerful rock jams, thoughtfully framed by bassist Zac Sewell and drummer David Haik. The band tore through a handful of favorites, including Liquid Courage and I’ll Get By, long and deeply involved songs transitioning seamlessly through incredible moods and emotions.
Headliners La Dispute took the stage a good while after Pianos, backed by a huge print of the band’s famous flower logo and colored by slide projector images to create a warm, glowing environment. Frontman Jordan Dreyer led the band through nearly 20 of the band’s heartbreaking songs, kicking off with new album openers Hudsonville MI 1956 and First Reactions After Falling Through The Ice before breaking into older material. Songs like The Most Beautiful Bitter Fruit and St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church Blues represented ‘Wildlife’, while Andria and Said The King To The River represented 2008 breakout release ‘Somewhere At The Bottom Of The River Between Vega And Altair’.
Memorizing La Dispute lyrics is almost as much a labor of love as inking them, and the crowd happily belted the screaming, speaking, and singing hybrid that Dreyer has very much perfected. Guitarists Kevin Whittemore and Chad Sterenberg beautifully delivered the complex guitar parts on all three records, allowing bassist Adam Vass and drummer Brad Vander Lugt to plumb and navigate the emotional depths of every song.
After a few bouts of violent shoving, Dreyer gave his trademark speech on respect and care in the pit, and halted and ultimately scrapped an entire song to help an injured fan out of the front row. The rescue was met with incredible positivity, the crowd clapping and cheering as the young frontman helped the fan to safety offstage.
The band plowed on with thick waves of intense hardcore, interspersed with curiously beautiful moments of quiet and reflection. To close off the night, the band erupted in a two-song encore of a Broken Jar and the accidental murder pictured in King Park, arguably the band’s most crushing track to date. King Park pushed the pit into a ferocious (but relatively careful) frenzy, every syllable reaching deafening levels. The fervor and crowd volume increased dramatically as the song bounded toward its bloodcurdling last verse: ‘Can I still get into heaven if I kill myself?’.
In short, La Dispute is utterly overwhelming, a devastating take on post-hardcore. With talent like Pianos Become The Teeth and Mansions, La Dispute has delivered an unforgettable experience made extra special knowing it will be Kevin Whittemore’s last Seattle show with the band. Stream ‘Rooms Of The House’ on Spotify now.
]]>