The Ruby Suns | The Barbary 3.20.08

I found myself standing in a loosely crowded room at The Barbary last night to see The Ruby Suns who are currently touring the States with Le Loup. It was another one of those all-ages shows that make me feel like an old man. This time, instead of being in a church basement surrounded by youth, I was in a familiar club, a place that is usually dancey, drunk, and loud. And to add to that, people are usually pissed off their asses (at least I am) at The Barbary, dancing and partying into the wee hours of the morning.

Last night, er, yesterday evening was a bit different. Instead of being surrounded by late night partygoers, I was surrounded by a crowd consisting of high school kids, the typical show crowd, and actual children as the evening sun poured through a glass door into the dimly lit venue. It kind of felt like I was at SXSW, CMJ or something like that, which was pretty rad, even though I’m used to being in the club at midnight instead of dinner time. It’s great that Philly has these all-ages shows, they’re something unique that I never experienced in New York, or anywhere else for that matter, with the only drawback being the lack of booze. My heart sank when upon entering The Barbary only to see the taps covered with a fire hood leaving me to decide between vitamin water and chocolate milk (kidding about the choco milk, of course, but it would have been nice!). The show ended while the night was still young and I could have easily caught another show, actually an entire bill, or stuck around The Barbary for a DJ night. These “after-work” shows are something I can get used to and certainly a unique and welcomed addition Philly’s already busy music scene.

The Ruby Suns ended their set by the time it was dark outside and frontman Ryan McPhun made a quip about how the night was still young. It was good to see him in such good spirits after a set that was plagued with technical difficulties. Getting the band set up and sound checked took a good while and throughout the show there were issues with the backing track volume, mic stands tipping over, and every time McPhun got near his mic, he received a zap on the lips. Despite issues with the sound, the trio soldiered through about half of Sea Lion, treating the crowd with their sun-struck psychedelic goodness. Since the Suns were performing as a three-piece, they used a backing track for some of the instrumentals and vocal harmonies, while all three juggled various instruments and traded off vocals. McPhun exchanged guitar for percussion and back again, while Amee Robinson swapped between guitar, bass, and keyboards, and Imogen Taylor was in charge keyboards, and the flute. Each bandmember’s ability to switch between instruments mid-song and not lose a beat was the most impressive part of their set.

The three-piece ended the show with a solid rendition of “Tane Mahuta,” serving up the best of the night and going out on a good note. The sizable crowd responded accordingly, giving the group a substantial cheer despite the sound problems. It would be great to see the band fully perform Sea Lion live, but with all the record’s intricacies it would make touring trickier and much more expensive. If Sea Lion serves as any evidence, I’m expecting the band to mature their live show and eventually flesh it out to include supporting members and instrumentation.

The Ruby Suns play The Mercury Lounge on March 23rd with Le Loup and FRICTION alums The Silent League.

[MP3]: The Ruby Suns  ”Kenya Dig It?”
Sea Lion, Sub Pop; 2008

Shoegaze in 2008 | Five Acts not to be Missed

Shoegaze will always remain one of my favorite genres of music, even if I get away from it from time to time, it’s something that I always come back to. Granted, shoegaze and dreampop saw their heyday in the early nineties, but today many acts continue to reinvent and push the envelope with the genre. I was reading an interview with Soundpool (one of the bands featured in this post) about the relation among shoegaze, electronica, and indie-pop becoming more familiar in Japan. One of the group’s members stated that there has been “a significant change in the global shoegaze scene with bands from many different cultures and backgrounds are collaborating and inspiring each other and exploring the possibilities of this creative genre which has brought so many different types of musicians together.”

This post aims to focus on some of my favorite new shoegaze acts that define the previous statement and for the most part features bands putting out material in 2008.

RESPLANDOR
Pleamar, AE; 2008
[MP3]: “Downfall”
Members of Mahogany initially tipped me off to the Peruvian trio, Resplandor, and since I’ve been a big fan of the group’s output. Their early recordings initially reminded me of Raphael Toral, but tracks from their forthcoming full-length Pleamar sound more akin to Just for a Day era Slowdive. Two words: sonic morphine.

AUBURN LULL
Begin Civil Twilight, Darla; 2008
[MP3]: “Coasts”
Michigan/Pennsylvania five-piece Auburn Lull craft dreamy, haunting, and ethereal dream pop. “Imagine The Moody Blues produced by Eno, if Slowdive originally wrote and recorded Surrealistic Pillow, or perhaps Seefeel on a good sedative/hypnotic [Darla].” Ulrich Schnauss mixed a track on added some treatment to two others. Begin Civil Twilight hits the street on April 8th.

FLEETING JOYS
Secret Garden Vol.1, Invada; 2008
[MP3]: “Good Kind Of Tomorrow”
Sacramento’s Fleeting Joys craft shoegaze in the vein of Loveless-era My Bloody Valentine with an aural assault of shivering dissonant guitars, low-end baselines, atmospheric keyboards, layers of squalls, heavy drums, and buried androdynous vocals. Lush melancholia for the shoegazer soul.

SOUNDPOOL
Dichotomies & Dreamland, Aloft; 2008
[MP3]: “The Divides of March”
I’ve had New York’s Soundpool (pictured) on my radar for some time now and was stoked about the release of their second record, Dichotomies & Dreamland earlier this month – an album I’ve been playing pretty heavily recently. Danceable Joy Division/New Order-inspired basslines and guitars lie beneath saturated swaths noise and synth arrangements that are fronted with sugary female vocals. Soundpool plays Pianos in New York on March 22nd and a day later in Philadelphia at The Khyber. Dichotomies & Dreamland is out now on Aloft.

PORTS OF CALL
Like Thieves…, Self-Released; 2008
[MP3]: “Washout”
I couldn’t write this post without giving Philadelphia some love, so enter Ports of Call as another shoegaze act that you should get familiar with this year. The Philly quintet blends psychedelic with atmospheric in the most beautiful of ways, painting haunting soundscapes which are highlighted by the interplay of innocent boy/girl vocals that are almost drowned out by the noise. Ports of Call play Club Midway in New York on April 23rd and Johnny Brenda’s in Philly on April 30th. Like Thieves is out now and can be ordered from the band.

SXSW has SOUL: Five R&B Acts to Catch at SXSW 2008

Aw shit! Better pack up those earplugs, Immodium, and Emergen-C’s because the 2008 SXSW Music Festival is just 2 days away. I’m pussing out for the second year in a row, but in classic form, Nghia, Paul, and Theo will be representing FRICTION NYC down in Austin this year. I think this is Nghia’s like umpteenth year in a row or something, seems like the fool has been going since he was a toddler. Anyway, insead of highlighting the typical buzzed acts this year, I decided to pick five R&B bands that I would certainly like to check out. These five acts including Darondo, Barbara Mason, Black Joe Lewis, Eli Reed, and The Aggrolites represent everything from soul to afrobeat to dirty reggae. Check ‘em out if you have the chance.

DARONDO
Saturday, 3/15/08 @ Club de Ville (900 Red River St)
[MP3]: “Didn’t I”
Darondo (pictured) released three singles during the 70s and then mysteriously dissappeared from the music scene for over 30 years. The legendary R&B performer who once opened for James Brown will be making the trek to Austin this week from his home in the San Francisco Bay Area. His three singles released in 2006 via Ubiquity along with an appearance on Giles Peterson’s BBC 1 Radio showcase created enough buzz to land Darondo an appearance at this year’s SXSW. His album, Let My People Go, is a mixture jazz-infused afrobeat and funk, containing the A and B sides from his three 45s as well as three re-worked demos.

BARBARA MASON
Friday, 3/14/08 @ Continental Club (1315 S Congress Ave
[MP3]: “Yes I’m Ready”
Philadelphia’s First Lady of Soul, Barbara Mason, is credited as the originator of Philly soul. Her classic ballad, “Yes, I’m Ready” laid the groundwork for the smooth sweet sounds of Philly soul and established Mason as as an influential female soul artist.

BLACK JOE LEWIS & THE HONEY BEARS
Wednesday, 3/12/08 @ Emo’s Main Room (601-603 Red River St)
[MP3]: “Gunpowder”
J.J. Lewis, aka Black Joe, in his mid-20s and full of spunk, stands tall and strong onstage with his band of gentlemen. He howls into the mic, half James Brown, half his own man, and he splays blood and heart all over the guitar. It’s imperfect yet beautiful. Reinventing his roots of Lighting Hopkins and Sam Cooke, Lewis adds a Red River vibe to the true blues of generations past. In 2007, he formed the Honey Bears, releasing an EP of the same name that summer [Austin Chronicle].

ELI PAPERBOY REED & THE TRUE LOVES
Thursday, 3/13/08 @ Club de Ville (900 Red River St)
[MP3]: “Take My Love With You”
We’ve already sang our praise about Allston, MA’s Eli Reed and his band The True Loves last month. The band plays a slew of dates at this year’s SXSW including the show listed above.

THE AGGROLITES
Wednesday, 3/12/08 @ Flamingo Cantina (515 E 6th St)
[MP3]: “Free Time”
Los Angeles’ The Aggrolites take pleasure in tradition, meshing old-school reggae and ska with rock, soul, and funk to create a sound called “dirty reggae.” Think Otis Redding fronting Toots & the Maytals. The five-piece embarks on an extensive U.S. tour following the festival.

Violens Drop New Single and Tour with Handsome Furs

The last time we checked in with Violens, the group had just played their first live show and made available an unmastered version of their psychedelic pop gem “Violent Sensation Descends.” The New York-based five-piece consisting of keyboardist Iddo Arad, bassist Ben Brantley, Jorge Elbrecht on vocals/lead guitar, Jay Israelson, and drummer Kris King has just dropped the mastered edition of the song and are kicking off a tour supporting Montreal’s Handsome Furs. The band also has a couple of new tracks up on their MySpace page including the ringing and melodic “Spectator and Pupil” along with “Circles Intertwine.” The Handsome Furs/Violens tour hits Philadelphia on April 4th at North Star Bar and New York on April 6th. Full dates below.

Here’s what we had to say about “Violent Sensation Descends”

“Violent Sensation Descends” begins with a dark, almost haunting psychedelic swirl before breaking into warm, jangly, sunny psych-pop. Warm harmonies and delectable melodies are book-ended by another delve into dark psych whirl. It’s like being tossed around in an ocean of dark waves before they spit you out onto a sunny beach. By the time you stand up to dust the sand off of yourself and let your eyes adjust to the bright sun (and begin to enjoy it), the waves reach out and drag you back into the swirling eddies and crashing waves.

[MP3]: Violens  ”Violent Sensation Descends”
Single, Static Recital; 2008

Violens Tour Dates supporting Handsome Furs
3/27/08 PS 14 – Miami, FL
3/28/08 Respectable Street – West Palm Beach, FL
3/29/08 Cafe Eleven – St Augustine, FL
3/30/08 The Social – Orlando, FL
3/31/08 Common Grounds – Gainesville, FL
4/1/08 Village Tavern – Mt Pleasant, SC
4/2/08 Local 506 – Chapel Hill, NC
4/3/08 Satellite Ballroom – Charlottesville, VA
4/4/08 North Star Bar – Philadelphia, PA
4/6/08 Bowery Ballroom – New York, NY

Cheers! Cheers Elephant

According to the Philadelphia quartet, Cheers Elephant, the first elephant to arrive in America had the knack of being able to open beer bottles and drink their contents. The elephant developed this ability because the Derby-owned ship carrying him (I’m assuming it was a male elephant) was lacking in potable water, and in turn, the only thing left for the elephant to drink was dark beers. The poor bugger got hooked on the bottle and became written off as a sideshow. After discovering the elephant’s “talent,” the ship-owner, Captain Jacob Crowninshield charged spectators to watch the elephant uncork and drink bottles of beer, while, I’m assuming becoming pissed off his ass. The story makes me think of that elephant on a bottle of Delirium Tremens, and man, that shit can surely turn you into a sideshow if you drink enough of it.

The story only rings partly true, Crowninshield is in fact the first person to bring an elephant to the U.S. arriving on April 12, 1796. He purchased the two year old pachyderm in India for $450 and brought it to New York City – afterwards touring the country with the elephant and later selling it for a profit of $9,550.

I found the story quite interesting and the 10-minutes of Wikapediaing (is this a word yet?) was well worthwhile and I can now use my new found knowledge at my next bout of Trivial Pursuit or something. The story was also interesting enough for Philly’s Cheers Elephant to name their band after the beast that was exhibited in their hometown on Market Street in November 1796 for 25 cents. You’d expect a band that named themselves after a drunken elephant and located in the City of Brotherly Love to play quirky, folky, Philly-esque songs akin to Man Man, Dr. Dog, The Teeth, The Extraordinaries, and the like. There is a bit of that Philly sound in the band’s music, but the group reaches overseas to the country’s ship that delivered the U.S. its first elephant to create their unique sound.

Cheers Elephant sounds more British than most budding Philadelphia bands, blending Village Green Preservation Society and Arthur -era Kinks and other British Invasion psychedelia along with melodic pop, folk, and indie rock. “Here We Are” features wheezing organs and a “Paint It Black” inspired guitar line, while “Space and Time” and “Hey Pagoda” recall the brawny folk-psych melodies of 13th Floor Elevators. The intricately pure, catchy, and care-free tracks that make up the quartet’s debut EP Here We Are certainly show a great deal of potential for the young local quartet.

Philadelphians certainly have plenty of chances to catch Cheers Elephant who are playing a slew of local shows beginning this Saturday, March 8th at The Fire. Check their MySpace page for more dates, tracks, and to buy the EP. Personal favorite “Sunshine Spaceships” below.

[MP3]: Cheers Elephant  ”Sunshine Spaceships”

Pattern Is Movement | First Unitarian Church 2.27.08

I felt ancient standing among the crowd at the St. Vincent/Foreign Born/Pattern Is Movement show last night at the First Unitarian Church. Looking around I realized that I was 10-years senior (or more) to over half of the crowd, which pretty much filled a good portion of the room (Paul, this should make you feel really old, HA!). Shit, there was even an 8-10 year old kid in there who rolled right up front with his parents looking dapper in his suit and all. Must have been first communion, bible night, or some shit upstairs in the church and his parents decided to catch some of the show before heading home.

The “venue” itself is as churchy as church basements get – linoleum flooring, flourescent lighting, a backstage filled with those metal folding chairs and tables, and kid art hanging in the hallways. Stage lighting consists of dimmed incandescent bulbs recessed in the drop ceilings common to these sorts of spaces. Given the “sunday school/bingo night” feel of the place, it’s actually a pretty rad place to catch a show.

Pattern Is Movement was the main reason I braved the frigid weather last night and they were the first of three to take the stage. The classically train duo of Andrew Thiboldeaux on vocals and Chris Ward on drums were situated side by side on stage.

For a duo, the band has an incredible amount of energy and presence on the stage as Ward pounded on the drums with sweat flying and Thiboldeaux sang in an exaggerated tenor as he hammered away on the rhodes and mellotron. The resulting sound is unconventional pop music with weirdly phased rhythms and a bit of classical or theatrical flair in the way the vocals are delivered. This was my first time hearing most of the band’s new songs, so I can’t compare them to the recorded versions, but given the band’s unorthodox sound, their music flows and comes across extremely well on stage. Toward the end of their set, the duo unleashed a pretty kick ass cover of Radiohead’s “Everything In It’s Right Place,” pulling it off surprisingly well with just two people.

Pattern Is Movement is on tour now, making a stop at SXSW in support of their new album, All Together, out May 6th on Hometapes.

[MP3]: Pattern is Movement  ”Right Away”
All Together, Hometapes; 2008

Salem: Artists of Darkness

My ears were still ringing from last night’s FRICTION show on the drive back to Philly at 4am during the first winter storm of the year. I grudgingly dragged myself out of bed this morning, showered (I think), bundled up, walked the dog (who made it quick b/c she very much dislikes any sort of precipitation), and made my way into work. It feels like I’ve been in a daze of sorts for most of the day – call it a lack of sleep if you must. A few hours ago, while pumping myself with caffiene (in the form of coffee) I found myself gazing off at the grey overcast skies and snow covered rooftops of Philadelphia from the office windows. Pretty view – dark, grey skies, a foggy mist, but at the same time bright from all of the snow on the ground and roofs.

I’ve had some mp3′s from this sorta “mystery” duo, Salem, saved on my computer for a little while now and revisited them today, drawn back to them by the darkness. I’ve had one particular track of the group’s on repeat for a large part of the day. Initially, I was drawn to the song because of its title “Whenusleep” (I know, a MBV nerd out moment), but after playing it a few times it has completely enveloped me in it’s sonic eerieness. The song is anchored by these dark mellow synths and a slow trance-like beat, which are topped with ethereal vocals that float up to the sky like the morning fog off of a lake or your breath on a chilly morning. I can’t help but compare it to the landscape outside today and the “daze” I’m in. It’s utterly seducing.

[MP3]: Salem  ”Whenusleep”
FuCKT, Nasty; 2008