Music Snitch

The Whigs are certainly not new to the music scene, but I was recently introduced to the Athens grown trio a few months ago. While it was the promotional tracks from their forthcoming album, ‘In The Dark’, that spawned my interest, it was really the peer pressure from a couple Whig advocates that drove me to this show. No matter the motivation, I am extremely happy that I ended up at The Variety Playhouse last night.

I came across The Features a couple years back and felt pretty ambivalent about their sound, so I wasn’t in any real rush to get to the venue for their stage time. They were about midway through their set and in full stride as I scurried down to the crowded floor. I immediately kicked myself for missing even one of their songs because they sounded outstanding. The Features are hands down a live band, just like their touring partners The Whigs.  Matt Pelham’s voice emitted a southern sincerity that mixed seamlessly with the pulsating drums and raw believability.

I was so excited about The Features after the show that I downloaded some of their latest tunes, and while their recorded sound is by no means bad, it’s just not as good as the real thing.

I don’t want to pretend I know much about The Whigs, so I am not going to. To be honest I only recognized a few songs throughout the evening, “In The Dark”, “Hundred/Million”, “Right Hand On My Heart”, and one of my favorites from the night, “Ok, Alright”…as it had Parker Gispert hopping about.  The Whigs started their set confessing to the frat guy filled crowd that this was the largest Atlanta venue they have played as a headliner, so they were a tad bit nervous.   So were my friends right, are The Whigs really all that and a bag of chips…I would have to say, yes, yes they are. Typically it’s difficult for me to fully enjoy a show when I’m unfamiliar with the band, however this was not the case last night. The Whigs’ music is extremely inviting and almost taunts your body to move with the sound; as proven when I turned and saw the audience bouncing in unison. Each member of the trio dominated their role, but the drummer, Julian Dorio, he’s a special one.

Some of the songs appearing on the The Whigs’ set list were: “Technology”, “Written Invitation”, “Half the World Away”, “Like a Vibration”, “Production City”, and the show’s concluding track, “Need You Need You”.

Overall, it was memorable southern rock show and I definitely plan on catching The Features and The Whigs next time they pass through my neck of the woods.

It’s not often one gets to see four exceedingly talented and versatile musicians play together on one stage, which is why I tried to absorb as many details from the night as possible. With so much backlogged material between the lot of them, I should have figured the setlist would be on steroids, but I certainly wasn’t expecting three hours of non-stop music. Conor Oberst, Jim James, M. Ward, and Mike Mogis not only played Monsters of Folk tunes, but they also shared aspects of their solo efforts.

The evening started off with an energetic version of “Say Please” then got instantly mellow with the following tunes, “The Right Place”, “Soul Singer In A Session Band” (Bright Eyes cover) and “Slow Down Jo”. The pace picked back up a bit up with the string plucking song, “Man Named Truth”, which was followed by the introduction of Will Johnson, the bands’ drummer, to the microphone for a couple songs with Yimmy Yames. I really enjoyed Johnson’s voice; it was soothing in a raspy sorta way (think Ray Lamontagne).

As far as My Morning Jacket songs went for the evening, Jim James’ solo, acoustic version of “Look At You” was one of the most memorable songs of the night. The slow jam pretty much silenced the audience…at least until he started using his guitar as a drum machine ( I was diggin the hollow knocks). The song, “At Dawn”, which came later in the evening, sounded pretty vibrant with all the Monsters joining in with Jim, as did “Golden”.

Even though it seemed like M.Ward was filling more of a supporting role, his rendition of “Vincent O’Brien” was a standout moment for me because his honest voice made the not so chipper lyrics like, “He only sings when he’s sad/ But he’s sad all the time, so he sings the whole night through/Yeah, he sings in the day-time, too”, seem rather charming. Also, things got a bit playful on stage during the song, “To Save Me”, when Conor planted a kiss on Jim’s cheek while they hovered over the same mic.

Conor and fellow Bright Eyes’ member Mogis began their audience intimacy time with the semi-depressing, mandolin infused song, “We Are Nowhere, and Its Now”. The duo proceeded along with, “A Song To Pass The Time”, after which, Oberst called for “Jim, Mother Fuckin James” to join him on stage for a lovely, bare-bones adaptation of, “Lime Tree”.

Then there is Mike Mogis, the vocally silent backbone of the band. While watching him switch instruments multiple times (lap steel, mandolin, guitar), I concluded that he deserved a gold star for MVP of the evening.

After about 27 or so songs, and before the encore, Monsters of Folk got somewhat animated with their last (wink) song of the night, “Losin Yo Head”. (I think it was Oberst who flung a beer into the crowd, but don’t quote me cause I ain’t said shit). After some cheering and floor stomping from the audience, the suit-wearing fellows returned for three more songs. During, “Travelin’ Song”, Oberst was perched on the drum set kicking the cymbals right before he tumbled to the floor (from where I was standing it looked like he fell off stage, but apparently he didn’t). The show concluded with one of my personal favorites, “His Master’s Voice”, and a proper bow from Monsters of Folk.

While some of the individual performances were definitely outstanding, the most entertaining moments arose when the four gents (five with the drummer) were playing together as the Monsters of Folk.

After an elongated spell of waiting between bands, 45 minutes actually, The Mary Onettes finally took the stage at The Studio at Webster Hall. After the bands’ opening song, “Puzzles”, concluded,  lead singer Philip Ekstrom pleaded to the crowd, “hope it sounded ok anyway,” as he was apparently experiencing some technical difficulties. A few songs into the set list, which was comprised of both newer and older material (Void, God Knows I Had a Plan), and The Mary Onettes started having a little fun, however, they might have been the only ones. There were a few hollow claps and whistles through out the show but other than that, zero enthusiasm, no requests, no real attentiveness for a band who came a long way. Even in between songs, bassist Henrik Ekstrom tried to get some kind of response from the crowd with a, “so how about them jankees,” but nothing, just crickets.

The atmosphere was so perplexing that I could barely pay attention to the music. It’s as if this group of people were handed free pity tickets while walking home from work and decided to pop in to the venue and stand motionless in front of a Swedish band playing buoyant new wave tunes. Apparently their Brooklyn show at Union Hall a couple days prior was a bit shaky and plagued with glitches, so perhaps people bailed on this show.

Their concluding number, “Under the Guillotine”, sounded pretty crisp and intense…even with the club music from the other room rattling the walls and providing additional, impromptu bass kicks.

Take A Listen: Dare from The Mary Onettes

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Download: Dare (Right click on link and select “Save Target As” in IE or “Save Link As” in Firefox)

Who knew that Grizzly Bear was so popular with the youngsters? The only time I ever saw anything about Grizzly Bear in mainstream media clippings was when Jay-Z and Beyonce showed up at their concert. You crazy for this one Rick!

First to grace The Variety stage was the three-piece band Beach House, although they typically record as a duo. Right when the music started I noticed the lighting and how it was glowing off the triangle-shaped screen that was behind them…I dug it. Beach House plays lackadaisical tunes that are haunted by organ sounding keys, so the dark setting was very complimentary. Victoria Legrand’s voice is wonderfully ambient in a live setting, and in fact, I think she mesmerized the guy in front of me to such an extent, that he literally fell asleep. I really enjoyed their set until about four songs in, then I started getting somewhat antsy. The band was pretty much stationary the entire time, and the songs started blending together. Obviously going into the show I wasn’t expecting cirque du soleil craziness on stage, but the slightest bit of flare can go a long way, some added benefit of seeing a band live rather than hearing a recorded version of them…even if it’s “shoegaze”. And for some odd reason, their sound kept on reminding me of Napoleon Dynamite.  Don’t get me wrong, Beach House is still an ideal choice after a stressful day.

Next up to take the stage was Grizzly Bear…and might I add, their stage set-up was awesome. There were a bunch of mason jars dangling on stage with light bulbs inside of them, and the lighting technician did a spectacular job mingling the lights with the music (even though it messed with my photo taking). I, apparently unlike the masses, did not hop on the Grizzly Bear fan-wagon until fairly recently, and by recently, I mean after seeing them live.  Their latest album, ‘Veckatimest’, certainly brought them much deserved attention but with all the hype around them lately, I sort of got turned off. Now, I can honestly say, I get it, Grizzly Bear is a stellar, versatile, and talented band. I had no idea that they switch the vocals off between three members…it was a great way to subtly keep things fresh. They kicked off their set with the track, “Southern Point” and moved into “Cheerleader”, but after about five songs in, Grizzly Bear’s energy started getting noticeably brighter. The lovely Victoria Legrand joined the boys on stage to perform a live rendition of their newest, yet to be released single, “Slow Life”, which will be featured on the upcoming, Twilight: New Moon soundtrack.

While Grizzly Bear isn’t the most animated band to watch, as their music is pretty mellow, they never came off as stagnant, especially the bass player (and flute player, and tinkerer) who was continually changing roles. Plus I liked that they concluded their set with an encore performance of the slow burner, “He Hit Me”; it was a delicate closing to the evening.

There was Scottish invasion of the loveliest kind here in Atlanta a couple of nights ago, with Fat Cat artists, Frightened Rabbit, The Twilight Sad and We Were Promised Jetpacks descending upon the Old Fourth Ward.

First to take the stage was, We Were Promised Jetpacks, the band I was least familiar with going into the show. While I was instantaneously intrigued by the band after hearing their single, “Moving Clocks Run Slow”, the album, ‘These Four Walls’, as a whole didn’t resonate with me. Now, after seeing them live, it is obvious why. We Were Promised Jetpacks is a young, rough around the edges band, and it’s the raw, non-technical details that seem to make their music and character appealing. This band looks good with a bit of dirt on their face.

Even though it was Thompson’s fervor filled vocals that occupied a majority of my attention, the four-piece also shined without words…they let their sound speak for itself. Their set-list included the tracks such as, “It’s Thunder And It’s Lightning”, “Ships With Holes Will Sink”, “Quiet Little Voices” and “This Is My House, This Is My Home”.

Next up to take the stage was The Twilight Sad, whose sophomore album, ‘Forget the Night Ahead’, was released about a week ago. To be honest I was not very into their set, even though all the instrumental constituents sounded on point. I am a fan of their debut album’s cold, remote sound and figured their set would be introverted, but the band seemed totally disconnected with the audience. I am not even sure Graham noticed that there was a crowd by his feet, and I’m pretty sure the three other members standing on the stage didn’t move more than an inch the entire time. Although, I can say that I fully enjoyed listening to their live rendition of, “Reflection Of The Television”.

For the final act of the evening, out walked Frightened Rabbit. For me, it was love at first listen with their album, “Midnight Organ Fight,” so I was certainly curious to hear the lyrics of “Twist” played live and in person. The mostly plaid wearing four-piece was charming on stage, and songs like “Backwards Walk” and “Good Arms vs. Bad Arms”, sounded even more earnest in a live, slightly dingy setting. The Frightened Rabb crew also debuted a new track, “Nothing Like You,” which is from their forthcoming album (2010). For one of the last encore songs of the evening, Scott Hutchinson stepped onto the stage, with an acoustic guitar, and without a mic for his organic version of “Poke” and pretty much lulled the audience.

Last week a friend mentioned that a band from New Orleans was passing through Atlanta, and that I should check them out because they are a must see.  Their name, MyNameIsJohnMichael, sounded a little familiar but when I listened to their album, I didn’t recognize the music. Apparently the band came to fruition based on a dare.  In 2008, John Michael, was bound to create one song per week and post the results on his website…the end result was 52 new tracks in a year and a six-piece band (consisting predominantly of Loyola students).

As far as the concert goes, the band was great and I was rather impressed. On the way to the show, I was listening to their album (which was built on fan choices), and while I could certainly sense their talent, I had a sneaking suspicion that a stage, opposed to a studio is their sweet-spot .  During the first song of the night, in the empty Earl, I decided that MyNameIsJohnMichael can only be fully appreciated in a live setting because recordings don’t due them justice (Like fellow NO natives, MuteMath).  Plus, it’s rather impressive to watch the musically inclined  band members switch off and on with various instruments.

I honestly don’t know enough about MyNameIsJohnMichael to rattle off song specific feedback, but from a newcomer’s prospective, I can say I prefer the percussion heavy, slower side of the band.  I also adore the fact that they incorporate a New Orleans, street feel into their tunes…whether it be a song featuring the sound of a tin garbage-can being hit with a chain or a track featuring the trumpet accompanied by some tambourine and keys.

Oh, and I must mention, Larry.  You know you are in the presence of infectious live music when an older gentleman wielding an umbrella cannot help but wiggle around the dance floor, shoulder shrugging and jazz stepping, without a care in the world!

Take A Listen: The One from MyNameIsJohnMichael

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Download: The One (Right click on link and select “Save Target As” in IE or “Save Link As” in Firefox)

I recommend checking out their live performance of “The One” (not taken at this show).

It has been a long time in the making but it finally happened, I got to see The National live in concert. I was kind of bummed I didn’t grab a photo pass, but, I figured it gave me more time to just sit back, relax and enjoy one of my favorite bands. The show was at the Tabernacle in Atlanta…a historical venue with plenty of charm and character.

(Photo not taken by M.Snitch)

I must admit that I was rather perplexed when I saw that the opener was Colin Stetson (a solo saxophone player) but I walked into the venue with an open mind and some cash for beer. After the first few seconds it was obvious that Stetson is insanely talented and certainly takes a unique approach to sax playing, however, I wouldn’t cry if he cut his songs down to about one minute in length…maybe even 30 seconds. He just seemed like an odd choice to serve as an opening act for The National. Don’t get me wrong it was interesting watching Stetson play his gigantic contrabass saxophone, while attempting to use his mouth clicking as a percussion beat but the contrived noise ended up sounding similar to an elephant mating call (yes that’s an industry term).

The National appeared on the dimly lit stage along with a three-piece horn section (Colin Stetson included) and kicked the show off with a brand new tune, ‘The Runaway.’ The crowd seemed to be listening extra hard, fixated on making out all the beautiful new lyrics, so the venue was relatively hushed until the unfamiliar transitioned into a National staple, ‘Start A War.’ The National has a substantial amount of material, so I was anxious to see how their set-list would pan out. A number of the songs played were from their most recent album ‘Boxer’ but there were a few ‘Alligator’ tracks in the mix along with a couple brand new, unreleased songs. The set-list included, Squalor Victoria, Slow Show, Fake Empire, All The Wine, Apartment Story, Secret Meeting, Mistaken For Strangers…etc.

The band as a whole is so impressive, Berninger’s vocals radiated with honesty, the multiple guitars coincided without intruding on each other, the drums kept the music fluid and the keyboards added a dash of character. Plus any band who can rotate instruments from one member to another without missing a step is pretty stellar in my opinion. After their extended encore Berninger tipped his wine glass and slipped off the stage.

Take A Listen: The Runaway (Live) by The National

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Download:The Runaway (Right click on link and select “Save Target As” in IE or “Save Link As” in Firefox)

I was hooked on Bear Hands after the first listen to their EP, Golden. I was pretty excited to see the Brooklyn band live at the dirty little Drunken Unicorn.  I was not however excited when I caught a glimpse of the opening band, ouch, my poor ears.  It was weird that a heavy metal-ish band was sharing the same stage as Bear Hands but perhaps they were a local band, I don’t know.  The crowd was rather dismal, so Bear Hands’ set didn’t have that vibe I would expect it would have if they played to a sold out crowd at Mercury Lounge in NYC.  Rau’s voice sounded good…I am a fan of the imperfections that come along with an unpolished vocal tone.  The band played well together and I often found myself watching the drummer and the bass player, who also lent a hand on percussions.

Their set-list was rather short on account of them having one album and it was pretty relaxed and casual.  I liked Bear Hands and believe that they will continue to get better as they age like fine wine.

Video: “Sickly Brunette” from Bear Hands