Wearing a white full length rain jacket and playing behind a host of electronic equipment on a desk that looks like a hull of a spaceship, it was almost like Jamie Lidell was from the future. On a dreary, rainy Monday night, the English singer brought lights, lasers, funk and dance to a packed Lee's Palace. Lidell was in town to promote his latest self titled album, which was surprisingly heavy on electronic funk dance music. The latest album's dance influences carried strongly over to Jamie's set on Monday and night, and coupled with a dizzying array of [...]
If there was ever any doubt that Phosphorescent (the nam de plum of Matthew Houck) has been playing music since 2002, seeing Houck and company in a live setting should squash any skepticism. But a vast majority of the crowd at Lincoln Hall (Chicago, IL) on April 13 wouldn't have known that, hell, I heard a few members of the audience asking "Who's up next" and "what type of music they play" just before Phosphorescent took the stage. The show was sold out, so I haven't the slightest idea how they got in. The [...]
Progressive rock. Prog rock. The term alone conjures up a lot of dodgy images amongst music fans of a certain ilk – old British dudes wearing capes, rows and rows of synthesizers, extended bass solos, concept albums about post-apocalyptic societies, Phil Collins … I could go on and on. In fact, to illustrate the perceived negative connotations of prog rock, I’ll tell you a story. Late one evening a few years back, I found myself in a club where there was a band playing cover tunes. Instead of a bass player, this band had a dude playing a Chapman [...]
![BELLE MARE AND FRANCES CONE FILLED PIANOS ON FRIDAY NIGHT [PHOTOS]](http://cdn.elbo.ws/posts/4892723_lg.jpg)
Photos by Luis Ruiz This past Friday night, we hosted a night of music at Pianos in Manhattan featuring the seductive Belle Mare and beautiful Frances Cone . Celebrating the release of their debut EP, The Boat Of The Fragile Mind , Belle Mare played for the very first time as a five-piece and absolutely killed it. What's most exciting about this group is just how quickly their live show has evolved and how freaking glorious the new songs are. Catch Belle Mare's next headlining gig at [...]
Frank Yang The weather may have been nigh-on dreadful last Thursday night, but it was going to take more than Winter's last gasp to keep Toronto from venturing out to catch the long-awaited return of some colourfully-named Californians been pioneers at melding punk energy and pop sensibilities since adolescence. No, not Green Day at the Air Canada Centre, silly. I'm talking about Redd Kross at The Horseshoe. Though they returned to active duty in 2006 following a decade's hiatus, the Los Angeles-based band's activity has been somewhat sporadic, though it did include a somewhat [...]
Wavves , FIDLAR , and Cheatahs got together Friday night to play a solid bill at Shea Stadium. All three bands praised the venue as one of the best in the city, and it's hard to argue with them. It's as intimate of a spot as they come, they have cheap beer, and it seems like it's filled out by real music fans. Cheatahs kicked things of with a set filled of heavy guitars soaked in reverb. The London band possess an ample skillset that gives them a kinetic boost while on set. They were [...]
The last time Scottish rockers Garbage tried to perform in Kansas City, they weren't graced with the most cooperative weather. This time, they opted for an indoor performance at Harrah's Voodoo Lounge. Without the threat of weather grumping up their crowd, Garbage was free to really rock out. Singer Shirley Manson seemed extra into this performance and bantered with the audience. At one point she quipped that she got the band back together after hanging out at Coachella and thinking the bands were all horrible. She called Butch Vig and Garbage was back together. Photographer [...]
Houndmouth are a band that have done all the right things to get to where they are. They have taken their time to get there, taking the right steps and making the most of every opportunity, making any of us who lucky enough to watch their rise feel pretty special. The band have improved literally every time that I've seen them, and I'm sure that they won't stop here. Their performance at Rockwood Music Hall on Thursday was my 3rd time catching them in NYC, and it was the fullest and most [...]
The Nankeens Night & Day Manchester 16/03/13 Don’t underestimate the power of social media when it comes to promoting good music I’ve discovered many great new bands purely because they’ve followed me on twitter or through a simple mention from a fellow tweeter. The latter is certainly true of recent discovery The Nankeens who on the recommendation of the elusive Mr. Peeps kindly invited me down to their EP launch at Manchester’s Night & Day Café , one listen to track Reaper and I was in. [...]
The Nankeens Night & Day Manchester 16/03/13 Don’t underestimate the power of social media when it comes to promoting good music I’ve discovered many great new bands purely because they’ve followed me on twitter or through a simple mention from a fellow tweeter. The latter is certainly true of recent discovery The Nankeens who on the recommendation of the elusive Mr. Peeps kindly invited me down to their EP launch at Manchester’s Night & Day Café , one listen to track Reaper and I was in. [...]
William Tyler is one of those guys who plays guitar more than he doesn't. His right hand's fingernails have thickened and grown for the sole purpose of flicking strings with precision and authority. He commands his instrument. When he took the small stage at Cafe Ghion, a little Ethiopian restaurant right near D.C.'s famed 9:30 club, which, before Friday night, I had never heard of hosting a concert, he could have been anywhere in the world. (His music transports us somewhere else, anyhow.) Wherever he goes in his own head, he can't wait to get there, as without hesitation, he [...]
"Play something we know!" shouted some drunk flanneled dude from the back of Chicago's Lincoln Hall. The Men either didn't hear him or didn't care, as they unveiled six–you heard me, six –brand new cuts during last night's 13-song set. And I mean new as in written, like, yesterday. The audience heard more tracks from the Brooklyn quintet's yet to be released, yet to be titled fifth album than 20102s Immaculada (0), 20112s Leave Home (1),20122s Open Your Heart (2), and this year's stellar, CoS Top Star-rated [...]
After listening to Brightest Darkest Day , the debut album released this week by gritty electro-poppers PYYRAMIDS , watching a set at Mercury Lounge Wednesday night was an intriguing idea—mainly to see if their studio sound translated to a live setting well. Having to muck through a rainstorm during the tail end of rush hour in Manhattan was irksome, to say the least, so I was prepared to judge harshly. But I’m happy to report that the members of PYYRAMIDS—OK Go guitarist Tim Nordwind and He Say/She Say vocalist Drea Smith—have the chops and [...]
![LUCIUS PLAYED THE KNITTING FACTORY [PHOTOS]](http://cdn.elbo.ws/posts/4887234_lg.jpg)
Photos by Ashley Maas Lucius hit the stage at Knitting Factory last Friday night for what had to be one of the best shows we've covered this year. Though I've seen the band countless times, they never cease to amaze with perfect harmonies, cheerful banter, and top notch musicianship. While each song was a highlight, their final encore was what really sticks in my memory - the band stepped out into the crowd and played a full-acoustic number from the middle of the sold out venue. [...]
When DIIV took the stage at Pomona's Fox Theater on Wednesday night, they had little space to play thanks to a privacy curtain that obscured the mysterious live setup of the night's main attraction, as if opening for the debut performance of a Trent Reznor project weren't enough of a challenge. DIIV relished the challenge of performing in a space that offered four feet of depth, though, and over the course of 30 minutes established themselves as the rare support act that can outshine most headliners. DIIV is physically based in Brooklyn, but the band's heart [...]
Caveman's largest hometown show in New York City came tonight at Webster Hall, and it was a good one. I've seen the band at nearly everyone of their NYC shows since their 2011 CMJ set at Glasslands that made me a fan. They have not let me down yet, and they seemingly just find ways to just get stronger and stronger. They're amazing. They did a good job combining the textures and context of both their excellent debut album CoCo Beware and their newly released self-titled album, which this show [...]
![HOT CHIP SOLD OUT ROSELAND BALLROOM [PHOTOS]](http://cdn.elbo.ws/posts/4884396_lg.jpg)
Last night, Roseland Ballroom in Manhattan played host to British electronic-indie powerhouse Hot Chip who blew the roof off the massive venue. Their set was filled with a great mix of old and new (including an Egyptian-influenced track I can't wait to find on their next record) which left each and every person in the audience, including the girl below, dancing their buns off until midnight. Check out the photos I took below. Hot Chip
Iceage + Zeitgeist + Gotobeds + Nic Lawless 6119 Penn / 04.12.2013 / Doors 9:00 / $8 Words by Brendan At the ripe old age of ... ahem, 20 ... Iceage are already making some seriously choppy waves in the indie rock world. Four young punks from Copenhagen, Denmark they are, and their latest LP, You're Nothing , came out on Matador Records in February. They're making their second stop in Pittsburgh (having played The [...]
Hot Chip seem to have grown as a band exponentially every time that I see them. Not even in terms of their band member count - which has definitely grown - but in scope. The crowds and venues just keep getting bigger and bigger. This makes sense, Hot Chip have a sound that attracts all kinds of music fans. They can just as easily bring down the house with huge dance vibes as they can rock out. They even have an emotional core that can devastate you just as equally. There's not much that Hot Chip can't do. [...]
Now I can always tell my kids that I once saw Fleetwood Mac at the Garden, and that it was great. To no surprise, I was easily one of the youngest fans in attendance. You had a crowd full of truly appreciate fans who truly loved Fleetwood Mac spanning more years of concert experience than I can even imagine. The show started at 8:20 and went well on until about 10:30, no openers, no bullshit. Just two solid hours of Fleetwood Mac. This lineup of Fleetwood Mac featured Lindsey Buckingham, Stevie Nicks, John McVie, and Mick [...]
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A Music Blog, Yea?
Consequence Of Sound
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[stream] Smith Westerns // 3AM Spiritual
The Dodos – “Confidence”
