Bad Veins are two guys from Cincinnati and a reel-to-reel deck named Irene. They don’t pay much attention to the common curiosity about the origins of their band name, how their lady friend came to be known as Irene nor are they much bothered with buying into what is expected of an indie band trying to make it either (you won’t see them moving to Brooklyn any time soon). And that is perhaps why they may be some of the coolest fellas touring their asses off right now.
But, it isn’t what makes their music so fucking pausing. That is directly related to the great deal of intent and musical intelligence that goes into the creation and presentation of each song.
What started as the solo tinkerings of Ben has now grown to involve the classy presence of Irene and the frenetic talents of Sebastien. Ultimately creating a trio so obvious and wickedly tight they melt away and leave their music to do their talking. Considering they do trend towards the leaner side when compared to the bands consisting of small armies that seem to be so popular right now but their sound, man, their sound is powerful.
Their album was recorded largely in Ben’s home studio where he and Sebastien masterfully built layers of bass, rhythm, loops and even strings then passed them on to Irene. When you listen to their record it is impossible to miss the assortment of elements that are pulled together to achieve their greatness. Some parts are surprisingly simple, like the fuzzed out bass lines on Falling Tide others are unexpected, for example the strings on The Lie. While they aren’t members of the every album needs to read as a whole camp the entirety of their debut album shares a thread of epic potential that ties it together nicely. They reach for realms most small groups wouldn’t even begin to fathom and not only do they achieve a thoroughly developed sound but they stretch their skills over enough territory that you are left wanting more, much, much more.
Seeing them live is one way to scratch that “more” itch and I’m happy to say the same amount of musical smarts go into their live show. Both Sebastien and Ben recognize the importance of putting on an entertaining live show. To Sebastien this means giving the audience plenty to watch and move to for Ben it means blowing them away with compact and constantly engaging sets. They create quite the homey little set up on stage drum kit to the left, bunches of homemade noise makers to the right and Irene holding court in the middle. It looks like an arrangement devised by the Cohen brothers especially when the buys take the stage in their military button downs.
The amount of sound they blew through the speakers on Wednesday night was astonishing. It was probably a good thing they keep their sets on the shorter side because it was a lot to take in. Sebastien is a whir of energy which plays nicely with Ben’s emotional delivery. Both are clearly investing a great deal of themselves in their performances and it creates yet another layer to their sound. The vocals are moody and sincere and the presence of the live drummer are what keep the electronic components from becoming static. This is an act that doesn’t really need improvement yet I have a feeling will present itself in a number of different forms as the group continues to play and experiment.
For all of you who missed Wednesday’s show you’re lucky. Bad Veins will be returning to Philly’s North Star Bar on September 20th. For the rest of you non Philly readers. They are going to be all over these United States over the next few months so be sure to check out their tour schedule.
Be sure to get their album but here is a nibble for your needs
Gold & Warm
The World In A Paper Cup and Bag Of Songs co hosted a night of new music last Sunday at The M Room. I brought in Dinosaur Feathers for their Philly debut and BOS invited River City Extension over from Toms River NJ. It was the end of a long weekend for all involved but that didn’t stop either band from putting on a truly entertaining show.
If you aren’t already familiar with Dinosaur Feathers getter done and be sure to see them live. Their easy stage presence belies the intense amount of skill and vocal awareness that brings their harmonies to life. Its becoming more acceptable to have less then tailored vocals leading an indie band. In most situations it becomes an instrument enveloped by the rest of the band to the groups benefits. All three vocalists in DF have excellent voices and they combine to build incredible and unexpected harmonies, in particularly for an all male trio. They flexed this muscle on History Lessons and Sleeping In on Sunday and it was flawless. On their newer stuff they maintain the strong vocals and start tinkering with punk and alt. rock guitar riffs. Their set was a fantastic cross section of where they’re at now and where they are headed. They begin recording next month and hope to release an LP this winter. But do yer best to see them live so you can add them to your list of “I knew them before they were big.”
River City Extension, a seven member outfit from Tom’s River NJ were supposed to follow however, after opening for Cake Saturday night in Baltimore only their lead singer Joe could muster up the energy to perform. I truly had no idea what to expect but was thoroughly blown away by what I witnessed. This was a v. intimate performance, just a man his guitar and a few folks dedicated enough to stay out late on a work night, but he put his all into his 45 minute set.
RCE is an alt country band and Joe, I gathered, is its driving soul. He has a beautiful voice (a perfect compliment to DF opening set) and true knack for crafting lyrics. He has a rasp about his voice that suggest he cut his teeth belting out Springsteen tunes before introducing a little bit of a raw southern country influence. I took a stab at capturing his solo set with my iPhone and surprisingly got some good material. There were moments when I got the chills watching Joe go to town, caught in the moment, busting guitar strings just to entertain the small but enthralled audience. I couldn’t have imagined a better way to cap off the night. Next up for me is to catch the entire RCE crew at one of the many shows they have lined up over the next few months. I suggest you do the same.
Teenage Whore – Dinosaur Feathers
Friends & Family (live) – Joe (River City Extension)
Bone Marrow Twist & Shout (live) – Joe (River City Extension)
Friday night I left New York under ominous conditions and a ceiling of crazy cool clouds, to make the drive back to Philly to see The Most Serene Republic at North Star Bar. The normally 75 min drive took a full two hours with intense lighting and torrential rains holding nothing back over the New Jersey Turnpike. The delay caused me to miss Wheat at Kung Fu Necktie which I feel really horrible about cause I like their stuff and was really looking forward to the show. I was pleased to find we had only missed the first of two openers for TMSR.
The other opener Buried Beds did a good job prepping the audience for TMSR to take the stage. While not entirely remarkable Buried Beds attempted to include pretty much every indie/pop/alt country trend device; chamberish harmonies, regular use of strings (in this case violin) and crowding the stage with a small village of band members. All of this without managing to really establish a clear sense of what impression they wanted to leave behind. Although there were a few songs towards the end of their set that begin to suggest the potential of good things to come for the group.
The Most Serene Republic came to my attention via Ryan Hansen of Ryspace about two months ago and I have been looking forward to this show ever since. I didn’t know exactly what to expect from the hard to define but easily listenable troupe but hardly could have hoped for the musical mastery I witnessed.
The group is about to drop a new album so there were a lot of new unheard songs on display but they still included some of the older stuff. The new material tends toward the pop end of the progressive indie music spectrum. But it is most def. a thinking man’s pop. Songs like Heavens To Purgatory use a little banjo and thumping bass loop to bounce along chasing some of the best guy/girl vocals in the biz. Despite using the word Gadzooks the Canadian outfit manages to avoid Twee territory by grounding it with juicy instrumentals. Other new pieces were more reminiscent of their older more typical progressive rock sound which appealed to the die hard fans in attendance.
Watching them perform really adds another layer of appreciation for their distinct sound. The songs are far more epic live then on record, an effect achieved by the well placed horn lines and the occasional string contribution. Like other bands I really love both live and recorded (Frightened Rabbit for example) it was evident these guys all knew their music inside and out; their own lines and times as well as their band mates. The comfortable way they interact both musically and personally on stage contributes to a very inclusive concert experience. Plus the presence of hand clapping and the dose of humor brought by lead vocalist Adrian also keeps it from getting too cerebral.
The gave new shine to some of their earlier works to balance out the new stuff. The version of Compliance started with lulling and scenic instrumentals that dropped you off at the door of strong in you face vocals. I was not expecting but fully adored this departure from the album version. Phages was a bit more like the album arrangement but simply in the live setting it too carried a new appeal.
By the time they ended their set I felt as though I had witnessed the most complete live set I’d seen in a while. There was something for everyone, including the band who all seemed to take a certain pleasure in the particular tracks they had chosen for the evening. We grabbed the new album (which comes out in July) and I had it on repeat most of the weekend. Go grab the first single and find out if they’re in your area cause both the live and recorded versions of TMSR are worth your complete love and adoration.
July 19th Bag Of Songs and The World In A Paper Cup present Brooklyn band Dinosaur Feathers at the M Room stage for their Philly debut. This is one of those opportunities to see a band that will be gathering much more buzz as the year goes on so be sure to mark your calendar.
Here’s a little street work they did for L Magazine’s Northside Festival
I remember seeing Jenny Lewis in Troop Beverly Hills when I was a kid and being totally jazzed by seeing a red head get screen time. I guess you could say I had a little bit of a crush on her. Then all these years later she goes and gets even awesomer by proving her chops as a fantastic singer. First with Rilo Kiley then on her lonesome (two albums deep now for those of you just peaking out from under your rock). I’ve missed the opportunity to see her live show twice now so when I she came within proximity for a third time I cleared the schedule.
After what I witnessed on that stage at the Trocadero I am now fully enamored with Miss Lewis. Not only did her vocals continually impress for the entirety of her hour plus set but she worked that stage in a way that, regardless of your age, sex or persuasion you couldn’t help but fall in love with her. She opened with Fernando which was an excellent way to charge out of the gates and show off the excellent band she has backing her on this tour. The percussion was a group effort and, in what is becoming a much appreciated live show trend, threw a full body display into playing it and Fernando never sounded better.
Jenny strutted through old, new and Riley pieces. She gave some of the songs a new twist and for the most part they were improvements upon the recorded versions. The male vocals on Carpetbagger were far greater than those contributed by Elvis Costello on Acid Tongue [yep I think his voice on that one song are distractingly nasally and almost ruin that great song]. Also, her solo version of Rilo Kiley’s Silver Lining is slowed down sweeter take on a already fabulous track. Both are legitimate and I liked the variety.
The band started strong and only got stronger. Whether Jenny was holding her own on the guitar or the full ensemble was rocking out there was nary an off beat or sour note. The only weak point that my ears caught were slightly off back up vocals on Rise Up With Fists. The new piece she sang, Just Like Zeus (a nice ditty about hero worship) made me excited to hear the third album hopefully chasing Acid Tongue to the shelves.
Whether you came out of childhood affinity for Hannah Nefler, Rilo Kiley loyalty, or addiction to all things Ms Lewis I’m pretty sure you left as satisfied as I did. Don’t let her pass you by.
Despite chaos being the general theme in my life for the last few weeks I have still managed to maintain a pretty healthy show schedule. The upside of this is that music keeps me sane and grounded the downside is I have so much to write about but not enough time to write it. That being said, I am still going to give you reviews they’re just going to be a little on the brief side.
White Rabbits @ Johnny Brendas
After having seen the White Rabbits play the Bowery I knew going in to this show it was going to be interesting considering they are six very active musicians and Johnny Brenda’s stage is the size of a postage stamp. Watching them set up was a demonstration in physics as they unfolded their piano (a rather crafty little set up that goes from box to full key board in seconds), assembled gear and literally piled instruments on top of each other. You could tell they were a little curious themselves to see how they would roc the stage. However, any signs of hesitance were completely absent as they launched immediately into their set.
To be honest, much of what I wrote in my first review of their live show held true for this set. They are amazingly full of energy and talent and their live show is the absolute best way to experience all of what they have to offer. They played pretty much the s
ame set list, which is to be expected of a band touring to support their first big album, and did so without a hint of routine or automation. What was truly awesome to watch was the way they maneuvered through the confines of the space. They all still exchanged instruments, danced with each other and played in their distinct full body style. The crowd was right there with them, dancing and singing along. When the much hyped Percussion Gun came on there was a riot of cheers and grooving. I have a feeling this will be the last time these guys play a small Philly venue. My prediction: next time it’ll be the Troc or the Electric Factory.
They’re out there wandering the country right now so find out if they’re playing near you and go hunt down some Rabbits.
Tomorrow night at The Fire in Fishtown there will be a whole slew of fantastic music making. One of my favorite Philly entertainers Chang Chang will be performing with Brooklyn’s Adams Castle & Me You Us Them. There is no doubt in my mind that this will be the best way to pass your Thursday night.
To get your party started enjoy these track:
Choose To Get Loose – Chang Chang
Girls Love Coke, No Joke - Chang Chang
Quick Strike They Live - Ruin It (featuring Chang Chang)
If you have a soft spot for mandolin or an affinity for well crafted country ballads you should clear your calendar for May 27th . Yarn is a rare species of bluegrass group. While they sound and look like they’re fresh outta some Georgia backwater they actually reside in the hipster/indie hotbed of Brooklyn,NY. Despite the lack of overwhelming immediate influence for a typical blue grass ballad, or perhaps because of it, they produce a sound that out does most of their cohorts on the blue grass circuit. The fella’s have been paying their dues playing all sorts of interesting venues in the north east and finally they are coming to Philadelphia to play a gig at the Tin Angel on May 27th. The venue’s intimate setting will make this show you’ll one day say “I saw Yarn at a tiny little club way back when they were getting started” and momentarily look off into the distance with that look of fond remembrance of a night incredible music. Get you ticket quick because they are sure to sell out. See you there!
Last Friday I made a trip up to New York to catch my first Wordless Music Performance. The show was in honor of the Japanese cinematic ambient rock group Mono’s 10th anniversary. For those of you unfamiliar with Wordless, as I was until the fantastic Ryan Hansen of Ryspace brought it to my attention, it is an on going series of concerts that explores the similarities, parallels and influences shared by “the sound worlds of classical and contemporary instrumental music” by presenting rock or electronic acts and classical musicians in tandem. As someone who actually lettered in orchestra I fully appreciate any kind of musical experience that brings orchestra into the fold. The musicalstylings of Mono were also relatively new to me as well so, on the whole it was a night filled with firsts. And as far as first anythings go that evening’s collection of them will not soon, if ever, be forgotten.
The show, held at the acoustically spectacular New York Society for Ethical Culture, opened with the premier of Arvo Part’s Symphony No. 4. A beautiful piece given life by the Wordless Orchestra conducted by Jeff Milarsky. It set a calm scene. Essential for the performance Mono was about to lay down.
The quartet, backed by a condensed version of the orchestra, played an hour plus set that quite simply defied my greatest expectations. Their regular sound is already unusually instrumental for a rock band so the inclusion of an orchestra was seamless and, for lack of a better word, epic. The 800 plus die hard Mono fans that had lined up around the block to get in were clearly transcended by the event. They four band members put everything they had out there. At one point the lead guitarist was on his hands and knees while a die hard fan hovered near by. Its an interesting experience, witnessing other people experience what may very well be their live musical apex. Even for someone like myself ,who may not have had an abundance of Mono exposure, the music that was created Friday night left me appropriately wordless.
If you’re already a classical fan the Wordless Series would be an superb way to get your fix of strings and timpani. If you’re looking for a comfortable way to ease into the genre then Wordless is the place for you. This is an endeavor I fully believe should be spread throughout the country. But if you’re lucky enough to be within easy NY travel distance, make it a priority. They have a Fiery Furnaces show coming up that I would highly recommend you put on your calendar.
**Photo by Teppei Takazawa
There is a dance party institution in Philadelphia known as Making Time. Depending on who you ask, the history varies but, the gist of the thing is that whenever the powers-that-be have a act they feel like organizing a huge dance-beat-tastic night around they claim a venue and put out the word. In my short Philly tenure I have seen CSS [crazy rowdy intense fun] as well as N.A.S.A. [better off listening to the album] and like many hyped regular-ish dance parties it can be a tough call whether or not it will be the best way to pass a night. However, when they announced that Simian Mobile Disco would be “headlining” their next effort I figured that unless they canceled (a problem that has been plaguing Philly as of late) it would be well worth my $$ to see SMD at least once.
A slew of local DJ’s warmed up the crowed until 12 when SMD took the stage. It wasn’t a subtle entry by any means. Lights went out. Then a mass of flood lights on stage lit the whole of Pure up like the surface of the sun. Aaaaaaaaaand we were off. The James’s worked their tables in a dance choreographed more out of familiarity than great intentional planning (one of the nice parts of being a 5’11 chick is that in heels I can usually get a nice view of the stage from anywhere in the crowd). While they spun their DJ magik one of the tightest light shows of extended memory pushed their beats and carnal bass rhythms to unexpected levels. The crowd was feeling it all the way. Undulating in the trance that good electronic music induces for the entire 95 minutes they were on stage. I’m not often compelled to review electronic shows as they tend not to put much effort into creating a unique experience (ie you would probably have more fun playing their remixes at home with your friends while paying a lot less for booze and cabs). But after witnessing SMD clear gift for entertainment I couldn’t help but give them a little love. And you should too. Check out the rest of their tour dates here…
Side note- Another Philly dance party habit you should get into is Live Forever at the Barbary. It took over my Saturday night in high Mummer style (seriously check the photos to get the vibe of these events). After a weekend like this my feet are killing me but the pain is oh so worth it!
