SARGENT HOUSE

Things to do before you die part 1, catch Dublin’s No Spill Blood playing live. Part 2 would be make sure you hear their debut e.p Street Meat. They made their Belfast debut last year and I didn’t make it then, managing to avoid the grim reaper I ventured out to see them in Bar Sub at Queen’s Union supporting fellow Sargent House rockers Fang Island. Street Meat has been on repeat play since I first heard it and to watch the band recreate every nuance of its incredible forceful and brutal sound was a joyous experience. Not every day you see brutal and joyous in the same sentence, that’s what No Spill Blood make you do, they’re utterly unique.

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This place was indeed, sold out. It seemed like a good percentage of the city was there that night standing shoulder to shoulder. You could already smell that hot fleshy odor of lots of people crammed into one room. Big as the Fillmore may be, it was still crowded.There were a melange of different people there to enjoy the show. Punk rockers. Metal heads. Stoners. Prog nerds. College kids. “Pretty” girls and not so pretty boys. Drunks and degenerates of all types. Eclectic shows are always among some of the most fun to write.The house lights descended until there was nothing.
The blackness had swallowed every inch of that room.

An ominous hum began and the crowd erupted in applause. This, however was just a tease. I knew there would be no veiling, not right away. There was still too much anticipation. The hum continued. It grew weird and loud very slowly. The more it grew the more you could feel the electricity between the people.

In this blackness, there was a little light. This little bit of light was just right to cast silhouettes against the tall black backdrops when Russian Circles came on. They looked taller than any man should. They almost looked like gods.

And they played like gods. Right along side that hum, noise and feedback began to take life. A steady rolling of the drums gave this thing a heartbeat. A fuzzy bass joined in and the alacrity had reached its peak. The crowd was ready. This climactic build up was about to reach a precipitous drop. All that noise, brothers and sisters, all that noise. It began to take shape and, like jazz, it was the notes between the notes that held the potency. As of yet, there has been no way that man has been teleported, at least not physically. Books do it and maybe, if I’m lucky, these words will do it. But, when Russian Circles played you were taken away.

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Noise Pop 2013 has come and gone, and it ended on an epically high note. Post-rock mainstays Caspian were towering and majestic, a thing of primal beauty, on Sunday night at Bottom of the Hill, but that being said, supporting act Native was the real story of the night for me, if only because I knew nothing about them going in, and they officially earned my “best new discovery” award for the whole festival.

Native hails from Indiana, plays music that is equally influenced by hardcore and post-metal, to my ears. It’s a pretty original formula, and a pretty damn thrilling one, too. It helps that the band has the chops to pull off some wicked rhythmic interplay between the bass and drums, and to lay intricately arranged guitars on top with some extremely tight starts and stops. That’s where the hardcore comes in—abrupt changes not being a common feature of the post-metal genre, which typically moves at a more glacial pace—in addition to the vocals, which were exclusively shouted in a hardcore punk snarl. Apparently Native were playing mostly new material from an album they plan to release in July, and the band told me it’s all darker than their old stuff. It’s a pretty safe bet I’ll be writing about this band again come the summer.” - see the full show review & photos here

SEE ALL NATIVE TOUR DATES HERE

Last Friday we found our way (eventually…no thanks to Atlanta mass transit) to the Bosnian Rainbows show at Terminal West (which has been drawing quite a number of solid bookings as of late, might I say).  I was pretty hyped going in, albeit because I partly didn’t know what to expect. Omar Rodriguez-Lopez has really on released two singles with his new band thus far, and Friday night was the first show on their US tour, so I especially intrigued for this show, and I’m glad that both my new German acquaintances (whom I met somewhere similarly lost in West Atlanta) made it just in time to see Marriages come onto the stage.

I had seen Marriages open up for Chelsea Wolfe and Russian Circles, and enjoyed them, but their set definitely grabbed my attention.  Their sound is far more booming in person than on their recorded material; the sound of a live venue accentuates their driving bass and elaborate use of echoes.  Incorporating a sludgy low end with glimmering picking patterns, now the main project of Red Sparowes’ Greg Burns and Emma Ruth Rundle (which also featured a heavy hitting as of yet unnamed drummer) has a weight that is hard for bands twice their size to match.  At times Emma seemed to be channeling Tori Amos, and other times she and the band would sit back and let the music drive the audience where they wanted them.  Their set had to be almost 50 minutes, and it was clear to see that it was an actually built set list, not just a bunch of songs picked at random.  They were good the last time I saw them, they were great on Friday (and they stopped mid-set to help break a fight up, so bonus points for quelling douche-baggery).

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Chelsea Wolfe performing at Great American Music Hall on  January 11, 2013

Better than: Hearing a Kate Bush song in the local florist.

King Dude, the incongruously named vessel for gloomy Seattle troubadour T.J. Cowgill, and Los Angeles-based gothic chanteuse Chelsea Wolfe began their acoustic tour of the United States Friday night with an understated but extremely emotive performance at Great American Music Hall. For the draw of these artists, there isn’t a better-suited venue in San Francisco. The GAMH’s ornate columns and balconies seemed like an extension of the stage design as soft light in several shades of blue and red slowly swept the room throughout the night…

…Chelsea Wolfe appeared particularly ghostly. Her pale face was framed by straight, raven-black hair gently swaying above a faded red dress. She was flanked on either side by a violinist and keyboardist, and all the mic stands onstage were entwined with white roses. The contrast between Wolfe’s red dress, her band’s black garments, and the white roses created an especially noteworthy aesthetic pleasure. While other stage set-ups fail to impart any emotion with heavy-handed and garish props, Wolfe’s few colors and subtle decorations matched her performance wonderfully.

Not surprisingly, Wolfe’s set drew heavily from her recent acoustic album Unknown Rooms. Without the experimentation of some other records, this material showcases Wolfe’s tender and dejected ballads. Her somber vocals landed high up in the house mix, confirming the staggering presence of her voice. With remarkable similarity to even the slightest subtleties of her recording, Wolfe demonstrated impressive vocal abilities. For certain songs, Wolfe harmonized impressively with her violinist.

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The collaborative efforts of Pink Mist and Zine & Not Heard, however, put me firmly in my place on the 9th December 2012 – the date of Native‘s first ever London show to be exact, four or so years in the making. An overriding sense of gratification filled the Old Blue Last on the brisk winter’s night; each band grateful to us, the audience, for taking the time to appreciate what it is they do, whilst we thanked them with our clapping hands and wolf whistles for creating such glorious music. All three acts were so expertly selected and placed that although varied, they collectively projected a similar theme – the complexities of Suffer Like G Did paired with the relentlessness of TROPICS fusing to create a well-crafted bridge that seamlessly lead to Native…

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San Francisco Bathhouse, Wellington, NZ on November 27, 2012

Through his work with The Mars Volta and before that as a member of At The Drive-In, two cult acts, innovative guitarist Omar Rodriguez Lopez has built a legion of fans thirsty to hear the sounds that dribble and dart from his instrument.

He has also released close to two dozen solo albums: soundtracks, collaborations and interesting sonic clippings from a restless musical soul.

His always-changing Omar Rodriguez Lopez Band currently features Mars Volta drummer/keyboardist Deantoni Parks and for this show he revealed a new group, Bosnian Rainbows.

Lopez and Parks were joined by keyboardist Nicci Kasper and vocalist Teri Gender Bender (Teresa Suarez) from the Mexican garage-punk band Le Butcherettes that Lopez had produced.

From an art-metal Dead Can Dance vibe through to 1980s synth-pop and mild goth flirtations, the music of Bosnian Rainbows was constantly thrilling, largely due to the hypnotic performance from the lead singer.

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Since the departure of the previous members in 2011, the remaining members of This Town Needs Guns have had a fresh album on the horizon, ’13.0.0.0.0’, which is due out next year, and tonight will be a good insight as to what to expect from it.

Once the custom made speakers have been set up, This Town Need Guns decide to open with ‘Chinchilla’, where it’s clear that Pennines singer and guitarist Henry Tremain has taken the reigns well as new vocalist. After, he moves the band on quickly to introduce newer songs, ‘Cat Fantastic’, and later ‘I’ll Take The Minute Snake’, both of which show they’re taking a newly adapted approach to songwriting with the altered instrumentation in mind. Lead guitarist Tim Collis’ slippy and slidy guitar lines are all still present and correct, played with the accuracy and dexterity they are known for, whilst drummer Chris Collis is on powerful form behind them.

As their set comes to a close, they end with the classically TTNG twiddly ‘Baboon’ which, despite going down more than well, is followed up with jovial calls of six, seven or eight more songs. More realistically, the band take the novelty of heading to the back of the room before setting up in front of the merch table, book-ending their set with an acoustic version of fan-favourite ’26 Is Dancier Than 4’ whilst the audience sit around them quietly like children at a campfire.

This Town Needs Guns have persevered as a three piece for about a year. However, this is by no means a band bringing in other musicians to hold the cracks together, resting on their laurels by only playing their material of yesteryear without moving forward to something new. Nope. The fact the band can still manage to wow an audience like they have tonight is a testament to how, a year on, they’re still going solid and strong.  by - JAMES FOX

”..Starting her set with the ghostly “Movie Screen”, Chelsea Wolfe’s sound quickly had the room encompassed in gentle but uneasy layers of sonics. Her band, consisting of two guitars, drums and keys, continue and build upon this sound and energy over the next few tracks; as they progress, one is continually struck by the range of Wolfe’s voice, as she seamlessly weaves octave upon octave of harmonies through her songs.

Soon, the keyboard is dropped in favour of bass guitar, and the group pound through the faster and more aggressive tracks from 2011’s Apokalypsis, a few yet-to-be-recorded songs, and some choice numbers from the group’s debut The Grime and The Glow.

These quicker songs are performed with a hefty punch not present on the band’s recordings, and the heightened dynamics both suit the songs and provide a welcome change of pace to the rest of the tunes.

A great strength of Chelsea Wolfe’s set of songs is that whilst each has its own charm and distinguishing features, they all fit within the same aesthetic; the tracks bleed into each other and there is no break in the dark mood cultivated by the group.

Highlights of the set include the gentle, slowly building “Halfsleeper”, “Tracks (Tall Bodies)”, while “Pale On Pale” had the whole audience in a hypnotic, rhythmic sway.

Returning to the stage to perform crowd favourite “Mer” as an encore, it is clear that the group made a serious impression on the Northcote crowd. When so many artists are unable to create the same aura of their recorded material in this era of relentless multi-tracking, Chelsea Wolfe are one band who do nothing but enforce their presence with a faultless live show. ” Reviewed by A.P. Morton

Live Review: Bosnian Rainbows and Crypts @ The New Parish, 10/24

Bosnian Rainbows, billed as Omar Rodriguez-Lopez Group on many fliers and calendar listings this inaugural tour, is the supergroup of Rodriguez-Lopez (guitar, vocals, keys; The Mars Volta, At the Drive-In), Teri Gender Bender (vocals; Le Butcherettes), Deantoni Parks (drums, keys; The Mars Volta, Dark Angels), and Nicci Kasper (keys; Dark Angels). If you haven’t heard of Bosnian Rainbows, nor has… well… Bosnian Rainbows. They formed as an idea back in March and are so new that Rodriguez-Lopez took time out of the set this night to inform the crowd not to hassle the merch guys about vinyl or CDs or any physical music releases because there are none. At least, none yet.

The only other band to play this night is Seattle’s electro-punk pride, Crypts. This would be a quick revisit to the Bay Area, as Crypts supported Chelsea Wolfe on her tour only a couple of months back. Interestingly enough, both venues Crypts played at (The New Parish on this night and Rickshaw Stop in San Francisco two months ago) are extremely similar: smaller venues with an overlooking balcony and a pretty good bar. As a fan getting ready for the completely new sounds of Bosnian Rainbows, Crypts opening was sort of a mystery in terms of what I was trying to prepare myself for. Chelsea Wolfe is a mix of folk and goth with a hint of experimental pop. I couldn’t necessarily see Bosnian Rainbows becoming a doom folk act… but then again, I didn’t really see De Facto as the band they ended up becoming so I truly was trying to keep the most open mind possible.

Crypts did not fail to impress again. Vocalist Steve Snere was just as animated as he was a handful of weeks ago, climbing on stacks of amps and even hinting towards climbing up onto the balcony. The stage itself was crammed with (I believe) seven keyboards, with Crypts situated as close to the front of the stage as possible. The trademark projections of visual art blasting all which ways, including Snere blasting the crowd with projector light during a handful of songs, made it more of a visual-aural experience akin to The Books, except punk and brash. Last time, Snere shoved the microphone down his jeans (which… is definitely a feat to begin with) to which he then sang into again. This time, he was much more making out with the microphone — and at times, trying to devour said microphone. The New Parish set seemed much more lush or loving… like Crypts took us out on a date that night, rather than trying to just take our pants off. My friend Brandon has fallen in love with the Crypts boys now, and may be their biggest fan. And so, congrats on a great show Crypts.

Bosnian Rainbows were more along the lines of a handful of punkers’ take on the current new wave kind of music coming out right now. Rodriguez-Lopez has stated that this is truly a band and not just some thought experiment stemming from him. Rather, it’s four people making music together democratically. The songs obviously erred on the side of electronic, as three of the four members played a synth all at once for most of the songs. Rodriguez-Lopez wasn’t trying to hog the songs either — much of the songs featured everyone very equally. There was rarely solos or extended “me” parts for any of the members. It made it seem definitely straight forward, more so than any music Rodriguez-Lopez has put out… dare I say, pop-influenced? There were parts that obviously echoed very unique styles for each member: Parks’ drumming is second to none, Gender Bender’s vocal creativity puts to shame many vocalists (and her stage presence is off the freaking charts), Rodriguez-Lopez featured reminiscent sing-song-y riffs that you felt like you could singalong to. Kasper was the only member I was not very familiar with, but knowing the styling of the other three, his contributions of dark and ethereal synth overlays were definitely a force.

Coming out of the show, I don’t think I’ve been more excited to see a band blossom since Fang Island came on the scene. I thought the entire concept of the sound and the way it was executed was real great. It seemed right — not forced and no one overlooked — which makes me believe this band isn’t just a one-off project out of bordom. Bosnian Rainbows could be very well on to something here.

Words by Nick Wan and Photos by Adam Planas - SEE FULL SLIDE SHOW

…Coming on stage with their own and personally designed PA system and specialized set up, finally the new singer Henry Tremain and the Collis Brothers were ready to show us exactly why we’d paid seven pound to be at the Well. If any of us had any doubts about the new former-Peninnes lead-singer, they were gone within an instant of the first notes of their set. Louder than any of the other band’s sound, This Town Needs Guns went about putting smiles on the faces of the entire audience, loosening the weird atmosphere and reassuring everyone with technical and precise melodic rock. Never flat and with spot on falsetto, Henry’s voice is a sure fit in the new line up as he play’s a baritone guitar that fits in as the band’s low end. Playing through some of their classics ‘Adventure, Stamina, Anger’ and ‘Chinchilla’; keeping astoundingly true to their record sound, the band really showed their strength in live performance, not to mention their strength in polite and apologetic banter.

With an album coming in 2013 their new material was amazing to experience in a live format, really showing their progression and the tight collective nature that the three piece now put forth. The brand new ‘Cat Fantastic’ is a remarkable encapsulation of the band’s new line up, really boasting everything they have worked for, pushing additive and changing time signatures, remarkable fret work, innovative drum lines and all round ground-breaking sound formation. Finishing with an unplugged version of ‘If I Sit Still, Maybe I’ll Get Out Of Here’ the whole night ended on an absolute high that really made braving the cold Leeds Autumn weather worthwhile.

Stay in the loop with the band on their FB, Twitter and Site

Omar Rodriguez-Lopez served as the primary guitarist, producer, and musical navigator for godly prog rock outfit The Mars Volta for the past decade. Before that, he handled guitar duties for post-hardcore/punk luminaries At the Drive-In for the duration of their mid-nineties-early-aughts run. In addition, he’s explored his dub inklings as De Facto’s bassist, and collaborated with seriously cool people like John Frusciante and El-P (+ hella more). His easily found full-length recordings pile up to near fifty. I’m convinced he doesn’t sleep, and grows music on a farm in his pocket! I’m pretty sure I read somewhere that he stopped breathing ambient air a few years ago, and instead just started exhaling tangential chord progressions.

If you skipped to the second paragraph: Omar is an extra cool dude. I went into Friday night’s show having just listened to literally a couple hundred of his songs thinking what in the balls is this guy going to play?!?. Having, let’s be honest, probably read my mind, he decided to throw me a curve ball, and play an entire set of music from a CD that won’t even be out until next year. He is such a bad ass. He had with him a keyboardist named Nicci Kasper, who was hunched like a velociraptor over his instruments; drummer Deantoni Parks, who was working a minimalist three-piece kit with three of his limbs, and a sampler device with his forth; and vocalist Teri Gender Bender, who was dancing feverishly, and indulging in some primal, Tourette’s-like movements all over the stage - a stage that she stretched to include the aisles, lobby, and dinner tabletops of the venue. The newly formed group is called Bosnian Rainbows. If I would have simply picked up a copy of this month’s City Arts, I could have read all about them, but I had wanted to be surprised or shocked - partially because that’s how his music makes me feel - so I had purposely gone into the show knowing next to nothing about what his set up would look like.

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“…Up next which had to be for me one of the best “Where the fuck did that band come from” moments this year as Indian Handcrafts took to the stage. I was with pretty much everyone else when I figured the duo of Brandyn Aikins and Daniel Allen were going to be another ska/reggae/punk band, holy hell were we ever wrong. It took the matter of the opening riff in their first song for people to say holy shit and began to head bang. I can’t remember the last time I ever saw an out of town band take a crowd by storm so quickly before and especially it being a crowd at the Mansion. Their take on Metal was an instant hit for everyone in attendance. Daniel’s guitar playing just plainly killed throughout their set, a few of their songs relied on his finger tapping skills which made for a few killer riffs. Halfway through their short set mostly due to setting up their gear they had the audience in the palm of their hands, More than three quarters of the audience were Head banging to every beat that they were playing at times not even being able to keep up to the speed of Indian Handcrafts. They were playing quite a few songs off their upcoming album, Civil Disobedience For Losers that comes out at the end of the month on Sargent House.