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For a long while, Les Savy Fav have been my favorite live act. Every time they play they pull out all the stops, charm you with their wit, and connect with the crowd in a way no other band really can. Yes, in a sweaty, physical way that crosses most people’s boundaries. And I’ve seen them far more times than any other band (it’s in the double digits), because each time the show is a unique & fun experience. With that said, the shock and excitement of seeing them may have passed.
Maybe my dissapointment over friday night’s Dirty On Purpose show had something to do with my anticipation for seeing (alright I’ll just come out and say it) my favorite new band, Wilderness . They played their second of a two night stint at the Cake Shop. Having seen them for the fourth time now, one would think the novelty would be wearing thin, but for me its bordering on a life changing experience. First of all, these guys are serious. This is not a fun show, where everyone is dancing and laughing. The music, and more specifically James Johnson’s lyrics and demeanor carry both an immediacy and urgency that few bands even try to carry off. The feel is something like Joy Division, but not in the Paul Banks sings kinda like Ian Curtis kind of way, but in a’ this is some important music that grabs you and is about right now’ way. The result is a performance which audience members are channeling the music, not just spectators.
Although I shouldn’t, I always have some reservations over free shows. It’s not a question of quality, but more of, “do I really get this for free?” Well, unless you go sober, no, you don’t. Nevertheless, getting to check out Fresno’s Rademacher without a cover was something I couldn’t pass up on a Sunday, even to fold up two loads of laundry.
I kind of bashed these guys after seeing them open for Wolf Parade back in October. They had lost Erica, the band’s eye candy, but more importantly, its voice. I decided to give the band another chance. Dirty on Purpose are a really good band. They write some really nice indie pop songs, that occasionally crank it up a notch and start to rock. I think musically the band sounded tighter than a few months ago, but i’m sorry to report that the vocals are still a problem.
The Wedding Present were one of those bands that I had always heard of but never listened to. This is partially because media attention towards them peaked just before I really started listening to music. And for some reason, I had always placed them as being a 90s emo-act. In reality they are much more in the realm of a brit-rock/C-86, with some pop-punk undertones. The play between guitar and bass along with a David Gedge’s strong vocals bring to mind The Smiths for me. But as I’m going backwards here, it’s probably easier to note who they’ve influenced rather than who they were influenced by. Stellastarr* has done a pretty good job appropriating Gedge’s voice, and I’m also guessing that late-90’s pop-punksters, Discount were fans.