Live review: Follakzoid played Rough Trade

Originally posted on Free Williamsburg HERE.

Chilean psych heavyweights Föllakzoid played my favourite show of the year at Rough Trade on Saturday night, and I will be amazed if anyone beats it. There is no better scene than Santiago right now, and the band pulled off a masterclass of cosmic proportions.

Support act SQÜRL feature director Jim Jarmusch on guitar and vocals, which has definitely brought a few extra faces through the door. I thought they were great, the songs have a slowcore influence to them, along the lines of Codeine and Low. The sound fills the room and they are definitely a good fit for tonight's bill.

https://soundcloud.com/squrlworld/the-boat-of-love

I had a chance to speak to Föllakzoid bass player Juan Pablo Rodrigues before the show and ask if he has anything from Blow Your Mind Records on him. I feel a bit like an addict in search of the next fix when he says he has to check his case and will be back in a few minutes, I leave more than happy with the latest albums from Vuelveteloca, The Ganjas and the reissued Tsunamis self-titled record.

The band leap into Electric, the opening track from new album, III, which is out now in the US on Sacred Bones, and straight away they settle into a groove that doesn't let up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coBQQMxJlSo

When Follakzoid and their fellow Chilean/BYM friends The Holydrug Couple played in New York in 2013, it was my favourite show of the year (out of 150+), and if anything the band have gone up a gear. The new material on III is completely and utterly mesmerising in the strictest sense of the word, even moreso live as you can see the songs shift and build. The band are puppet-masters, controlling the audience with their sound, you can't help but get pulled around and swept away in the trance.

When the band want or need to, the guitars and drums can really crash through your senses, there is much more power to the live sound than on record. This is best shown when they play 99, from the band's second album, II. Guitarist Domingo Garcia-Huidobro gets pretty animated while the rest of the band mould the rhythm, speaking of Garcia-Huidobro, as I mentioned last week, you can see his film, Patir to Live, at Nitehawk cinema tonight with a live score from the man himself.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIxX6vFNioc

Watching Föllakzoid play is the best high, a true transformative experience, while I was watching them all life's anxieties went away, and everything felt good. Some bands reach for the stars, but Föllakzoid bring them to you.

Live review: Kaki King played Rough Trade

Originally posted on Free Williamsburg HERE.

Kaki King performed The Neck is a Bridge to the Body at Rough Trade last Thursday; it is a show where the guitar is the main focus in more ways than one. Aside from Kaki's always captivating style, the guitar itself acts as a screen and forms the narrative of the show.

Support act Glockabelle was a breath of fresh air, her casiotone keyboard and frantic yet expert playing gives her music an intense video-game quality. Drummer Ruben Sindo Acosta also has a bit of a cartoonish vibe to him in a leopard onesie and steampunk goggles. They really are a potent duo. We're also treated to some glockenspiel played with thimbles just to make things extra niche.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyqcJWKNN9w

Kaki enters the stage and meticulously sets herself at the guitar, which is suspended from two stands so the projection is precise. Someone from the crowd takes a picture of Kaki on their smartphone which lights up the room, provoking a "wtf?!" reaction from her, it comes across as humorous and fortunately didn't derail anything. The visuals are a big deal with this piece, but special mention also has to go to Kaki's playing, who displays all her customary picking, scratching, tapping and percussive skills over the course of the night. I don't think I've seen anyone who seems part of the guitar as much as her.

About halfway through the set, Glockabelle makes a cameo to add some more thimble-played glockenspiel.

Some of the visuals have changed since I saw the piece last year, and if I were being harsh I'd probably say the visual side of things was more stimulating the last time. But it also shows that this is a performance piece by both Kaki and the visual artist and there is space for change. Sometimes Kaki is driving the visuals and sometimes the visuals are dictating the music. There is an interlude of sorts with a humorous film about the life of the guitar growing up, which gives a lighthearted break from what is a show you really have to dedicate yourself to get the most from (you can watch it here, but I didn't want to embed it directly as I think it works best as part of the show rather than independently).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziPD16xCBBg

The Neck is a Bridge to the Body is a unique show, and it's heartening to see this kind of creative process get its due in terms of attendances and given a platform, ventures such as this need to be supported and I think Kaki has created something breathtaking.

For the encore, we get a piece inspired by the Philae Lander, which is just one of the most staggering achievements science has made: a 4 billion (yes, billion) mile, 10-year journey, to land on a comet. Speaking of breathtaking, she ends the show with Playing with Pink Noise

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shYdqbJgQdc

Live review: Courtney Barnett played Bowery Ballroom

Originally posted on Free Williamsburg HERE.

It's probably fair to say that Courtney Barnett was the hottest ticket in town this week, and she duly delivered when I saw her at the Bowery on Tuesday.

Opener Darren Hanlon performed a sometimes humorous and often sweet folk set, his bio says he lived in Oxford for a year in 2005 and I have a nagging feeling I've seen him play before. Songs like I Wish That I Was Beautiful For You snuggled alongside tunes about public transport woes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=15&v=jhygmCs967g

Seattle's Chastity Belt followed shortly after and played a fairly relaxed set that got everyone swaying. It came across a little more politely than what I was expecting, which I think was mostly down to drummer Gretchen Grimm's delicate style, that ended up as a plus point as the band warmed up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EB2oPAZzAsI

These shows had been sold out for some time and there seemed to be excitement and curiosity building in equal amounts among the crowd. I've been enjoying her record, Sometimes I Sit And Think, Sometimes I Just Sit, but the songs come into their own when performed live. While the band may have somewhat of a slacker demeanor to them, the trio are a tight unit and play with more power than their recorded counterparts. Drummer Dave Mudie and bassist Bones Sloane offer backing vocals and are an integral part of the show, though most eyes in the house are on Barnett, this is a power trio in action.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-nr1nNC3ds

The audience are more than appreciative but perhaps a little quiet, which seems to take the band by surprise at times, but mention it's better than hearing people talking in the audience (I concur!). Whether performing rockers like Elevator Operator or the singer/songwriter Depreston,  there's a certain magnetism in the air.

Courtney plays the first song of the encore solo, performing a cover of one of my favourite Lemonheads songs, Being Around. In fact Courtney's music is probably fairly described as somewhere between that song and the other cover of the night, The Breeders' Cannonball. 

If anyone was there simply to see what the fuss was about, they surely left converted. After 3 sold out nights at the Bowery, Courtney is making the step up (in terms of capacity anyway) to Terminal 5 with a show in July, which also features Speedy Ortiz and Torres. Tickets are on sale now.

Live review: Mac McCaughan played Baby's All Right

Originally posted on Free Williamsburg HERE.

While Mac McCaughan's debut album is called, Non-Believers, he made the stage at Baby's All Right his pulpit and very much preached to the converted on Saturday night. Mixing new tunes with discography classics and a few covers thrown in for good measure, the crowd lapped up every note.

I was won over by And the Kids pretty quickly. The Massachusets trio is fronted by guitarist/vocalist Hannah Mohan, whose voice belts out across the venue, it's an impressive performance, and even more so as it comes across as if maybe she doesn't realise just how good her voice is. The songs are catchy and there is some extra endearing quality to the band that is hard to put into words.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXryr5Kh1jM

Flesh Wounds played a 70s-influenced British Punk set that at times almost felt like a tribute act, as if the band could rip into a Chelsea tune at any moment. Their set gave little room to pause, when singer Montgomery Morris wasn't hunched over the mic he was bouncing around the stage.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcx8SNHCjPA

We'd see Flesh Wounds again pretty swiftly as they are Mac's backing band on this tour, and that tightness helps with what must be pretty fresh material for everyone involved.

With two guitars, bass and drums, some songs need substantial reworking for the live band. Only Do  is filled with synths on the record, to pick one example. While some of the nuance is lost, it's nice to hear the band getting creative with the melodies. With its Yoda-like chorus of there is no try, there is only do, it's one of the many catchy hooks peppered across the album.

Mac gave his band a rest and played about 1/3 of the set on his own, there's an art to playing solo-electric and not everyone can do it well but he really pulls it off with aplomb. Superchunk favourites such as Driveway to Driveway get the crowd whopping and hollering with glee. Superchunk fans are nothing if not enthusiastic, and there's definitely a lot of adulation in the room.

The rest of the band come back on stage to finish up the show, including the single from the record, Box Batteries.

https://soundcloud.com/mergerecords/mac-mccaughan-box-batteries-single-version

Earlier in the set someone from the crowd called out for Noisy Night, and the Portastatic "cover" (it's hard to call it a cover, given that it's Mac's other solo project!) duly ended the set.

An encore of covers including The Undertones' Teenage Kicks ticks over nicely, but it's their choice of closer that really goes down a treat, with Toy Love's Pull Down the Shades getting Mac amped up enough to go into the crowd and bop around. It shouldn't be surprising to hear him cover this tune, given that Merge Records release a bunch of those classic New Zealand artists.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24mURY8v4uU

There's a bit of a chaotic scrum for the merch table afterwards but I eventually leave clutching a copy of Non-Believers, and you know what, all the best music is actually made by heathens. 

Setlist

Josephine
Lost Again
Only Do
White Wave
Angels of Sleep
Come Upstairs
Driveway to Driveway
Breaking Down
Jackie
Popular Music
Home at Dawn
Detroit
Naked Pilseners
Drill Me
Box Batteries
Noisy Night
//
Teenage Kicks
San Andreas
Pull Down the Shades

Live review: Mikal Cronin played Bowery Ballroom

Originally posted on Free Williamsburg HERE.

Mikal Cronin celebrated the release of his third solo record with a packed Bowery Ballroom on Tuesday night. The new album (helpfully titled MCIII) has a fuller, more lush sound than its predecessor, with strings and keyboards more prominent, while his ear for a pop hook is still on top form.

Openers EZTV play a laidback, almost horizontal blend of twee indie pop, deliberately never getting out of second gear. It's endearing and the twin guitars work well with each other. The band have recently signed to Captured Tracks and are set to release a debut 7".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGepGoQxpqc

Up next was William Tyler, who is probably best known for his work in Lambchop, but the minute he started playing his acoustic guitar, the noisey chatter that had been present until this point stopped immediately. For the opening two numbers, Tyler mesmerised the audience with his virtuoso guitar playing. It almost seemed a shame when he switched to electric afterwards, crafting soundscapes and loops while reminiscing of how The Eagles' Hotel California produces a Clockwork Orange-like response in him. I know I have to fend off the urge to vomit every time I hear that song, too. If ever there was a beacon of mediocrity, it's Hotel California. Tyler definitely had the crowd's attention and I'm sure made many new fans.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMSykIpLqEM

Mikal Cronin has a different band behind him since I saw him last, but there didn't seem to be any early-tour jitters or looseness about them, fresh from a performance on Conan, the band played a large part of the latest record, with a healthy sprinkling of earlier material.

The latest promotional video for the record, Turn Around, parodies Natalie Imbruglia's Torn, and it has already been met with approval from the Aussie herself, much to the delight of Cronin.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVtAteilk8s&feature=youtu.be

The sound at Bowery is usually pretty reliable, but there's a bit too much boom echoing around the room tonight, belying the record's bright and shiny production. The band give it their all, and Cronin breaks one of his 12-strings during the first song (last time I saw him at Webster Hall he ended the show with only 2 left).

A well deserved encore sees the band race through Change from MCII and it seems like a race to the merch table ensues to pick up his latest effort. With an impressive growing discography and performances like this, you start to wonder just how far he can go, it seems as though the sky is the limit.

Mikal is back in New York for the 4 Knots festival in July (further details here), full tour dates are below. MCIII is out now on Merge Records.

05/28/15 Barcelona Spain Primavera Sound
05/29/15 Nimes France This Is Not A Love Song Festival
05/31/15 Paris France Maroquinerie
06/01/15 London United Kingdom 100 Club
06/02/15 Brussels Belgium Botanique
06/05/15 Ravenna Italy Beaches Brew Festival
06/06/15 Athens Greece Plissken Festival
06/08/15 Berlin Germany Lido
06/09/15 Cologne Germany Gebäude
06/10/15 Amsterdam Netherlands Bitterzoet
06/20/15 Chicago, IL Subterranean
06/21/15 Chicago, IL Wicker Park's Green Music Fest
07/11/15 New York, NY 4 Knots Festival Add to google calendar
07/12/15 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Bowl w/ Death Cab For Cutie, Tune Yards Add
08/22/15 Los Angeles, CA FYF Fest
09/05/15 Seattle, WA Bumbershoot Sep 5-7
09/16/15 Montreal, QC Pop Montreal

Live Review: The Mountain Goats played Webster Hall

Originally on FreeWilliamsburg HERE.

The Mountain Goats had to scale heady heights to battle the noise coming from another show downstairs at Webster Hall on Thursday night, but the sold out crowd would not be deterred either. The band were celebrating the release of their 15th studio album, Beat the Champ, which came out on Merge Records on the 7th of April.

Holy Sons opened the show, replacing Ides of Gemini at short notice due to an injury to drummer Kelly Johnston. I enjoyed the band's Crazy Horse-esque set, guitarist Emil Amos plays with a great tone and has a good voice to match.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9X5I4thDth4

The Mountain Goats started things off with Southwestern Territory, the opening track from Beat the Champ. It made for a bit of a low-key start, but the segue from Slow West Vultures (from 2004's We Shall All Be Healed) into The Legend of Chavo Guerrero seemed like an inspired combo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lqy7KBuO7Y

Whatever show was going on downstairs was threatening to ruin the more intimate moments, particularly when John Darnielle played solo; lyrics like "I think I'll stay here, til I feel whole again, I don't know when..." don't have the same effect when the floor is rumbling and  the sound is bleeding through.

Downstairs became less of an issue during the second half of the show, which was mostly upbeat rockers. We were also treated to some additional brass musicians, which John said would just be for tonight. They certainly helped round out the sound on Foreign Object.

Mountain Goats fans are certainly enthusiastic, and every song turns into a singalong. even the obscure unreleased songs. Over the course of the night, seven of the thirteen tracks from Beat the Champ get an airing. While lyrically the album centres around professional wrestling, some of the lyrics and themes come across as universal.

There's something perfect about ending a set with 1000 people screaming I am gonna make it through this year, if it kills me, as the band end with This Year from 2005's The Sunset Tree. One of the more passionate calls for an encore I've heard in New York causes not one, but two encores.

Twenty-two songs, two encores, blood, sweat and tears, and all done by 10:30pm. But for the unwanted emo remix from the other room, the show was fantastic. With the strength of the band's discography there will always be songs you'd like to hear that don't get played, but their aren't many acts that can trot out unreleased obscurities and still have the whole room singing.

Mountain Goats are on tour through June (current dates).

Setlist

Southwestern Territory
Slow West Vultures
The Legend of Chavo Guerrero
Game Shows Touch Our Lives
The Young Thousands
Get Lonely
Stabbed to Death Outside San Juan
Poltergeist
From TG&Y
Until I Am Whole
Luna
Love Love Love
Never Quite Free
Werewolf Gimmick
Up the Wolves
Foreign Object
This Year
Encore:
Amy AKA Spent Gladiator 1
The Ballad of Bull Ramos
Cry for Judas
Second Encore:
The Best Ever Death Metal Band in Denton
Blood Capsules

Live review: Deerhoof played Webster Hall Marlin Room

Originally on FreeWilliamsburg HERE.

Deerhoof brought their current tour to a close with a career-spanning party at the Marlin room on Saturday night.

I prefer the Marlin Room to the Studio downstairs (and the ballroom, naturally), it's a nice sized space with a low ceiling and good sight lines, there is some sound bleed from the other rooms, but aside from that the sound was fine. Although it does suffer from extortionate liquor prices!

I enjoyed openers, Zula , their dance-fused tunes are much more rock-oriented than their recorded output. For a time I wondered if I was just thinking of a completely different band than I was expecting. They featured an additional percussionist which rounded out the sound further.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GhHB2BDmLc

Perfect Pussy were up next and I was surprised to find out I hadn't seen the band since they burst onto the scene two-and-a-half years ago. I'm not entirely sure how that happened given how frequently they play. They've lost a little bit of intensity since that show at The Flat, but that might have been more down to the size of the stage (I still picture them on that 10'x10' space). The crowd seemed a little lukewarm but the band really ploughed through their 20-minute set like it was the last thing they were ever going to do.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyVrZfyfeZw

Tonight was all about Deerhoof, though, the band are still riding high on the back of last year's La Isla Bonita, with 6 of the 10 tracks featured tonight. The rest of the set featured tracks from a range of releases, covering as much of their discography as seems humanly possible in a setlist.

There's not a great deal of interaction between songs, but their doesn't need to be. They have songs to play! The interplay between John Dieterich, Ed Rodriguez and Greg Saunier is captivating, and they need to be, otherwise you'd never stop watching Satomi Matsuzaki as she pulls off a myriad of dance moves and pogoes all over the stage. This marriage of technical brilliance and punk energy is at its best with the set closer, Exit Only.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRGEHF_vLHw

Drummer Greg Saunier assumed the role of frontman on Oh Bummer for the encore, with Satomi on drums. Although given how impressive a drummer he is, as well as being stationed at the front of the stage, he is more of a frontman than your average dummer as it is.

The band rattled through Come See the Duck with appropriate guster, ending another chapter in the band's career. Although given the band's work ethic* it's unlikely we'll have to wait long at all before seeing them again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFb2LeFMkVg

SetlistI Did Crimes For You
Buck and Judy
Dummy Discards A Heart
Paradise Girls
Doom
Last Fad
Fresh Born
We Do Parties
Mirror Monster
Twin Killers
The Perfect Me
There's That Grin
The Tears and Music of Love
Bad Kids to the Front
Exit Only
Encore:
Oh Bummer
Come See the Duck

*I did enjoy reading this article by guitarist Ed Rodriguez.