Fog, Torche & Jesu @ Blender Theater, Saturday, Oct. 20

Openers Fog fit into the soft vs. loud aesthetic dominated by bands like Isis, Explosions in the Sky and headliners Jesu – however, Fog was less interesting and interspersed with weird keyboard interludes that would have made Genesis proud. Even weirder were their lyrics, which contained proclamations like “who tells you to work? the devil. who gives you the day off? the devil. who gives you your pay? the devil. and who takes it away? the devil.” In a word: head-scratching. Torche were a force to be reckoned with – despite lackluster sound at the venue that made it hard to hear any vocals, they dominated from the moment they started playing. Of the bands playing fast and furious, new and original rock today, Torche is the only one you need know. Those who saw the band live first before they turned to the recordings are sure to be disappointed, for though the recordings are stellar – the band shines in performance. They might as well light the stage on fire and burn it up when they’re done, for rare is the hard rock band that can follow and top them. Find the albums, find a show, enjoy. Jesu (officially pronounced “yay-sue”) grew better and more interesting as they progressed, starting out with a restraint and softness levels below that shown on record. It took nearly 2-3 songs for them to reach the kind of heaviosity they are capable of. Perhaps this was why Jesu sounds deceptively similar to Explosions in the Sky in a live setting, despite the two bands’ nearly polar opposite timbres.

Torche: “Charge of the Brown Recluse” (download)

Also there:
Stereogum

Fog on MySpace
Torche on MySpace
Jesu on MySpace

Image courtesy Flickr user klaus_kinski

Morrissey @ Hammerstein Ballroom, Monday, Oct. 22

I know many a Morrissey fanatic, I’ve see the live DVDs – I knew I was in for a spectacle, and the Moz delivered beyond my wildest expectations. Though there were no fan takeovers of the stage, there were three outfit changes (not including shirtless performance), Smiths greats and solo greats, and elbow-rubbing with Chloe Sevigny (literally). From the back-drop and the film clips to the fan-glad-handing and rose accepting, it all said one thing: Morrissey is a performer – and he’s still got it. One minute his voice displayed infamous dexterity, and the next he accepted cough-drops from a fan (he canceled shows in NYC earlier this year due to sickness). It’s easy to see why this man is so beloved. Viva Morrissey!

Morrissey: “First of the Gang (live at Earl’s Court)” (download)

Also there:
Ear Farm

Image courtesy Flickr user corrissey

Damien Dempsey & Sinéad O’Connor @ Beacon Theater, Tuesday, Oct. 23

Any number of mediocre, earnest singer-songwriters can be tolerated in the very least, but Damien Dempsey made it difficult to do even that, with his promotion of any and all Irish stereotypes (“Guinness! Guinness! Guinness!”) and his painful conventionalism. Much of it was trite and little of it was compelling on a positive level. His rhyme-dictionary flexing lyrics bended ears for all the wrong reasons when he wined, “the ghosts of overdoses have replaced the ghosts of tuberculosis,” and a song titled “I’m Never Going to Let Your Negative Vibes and Comments Get Through to my Psyche” bended time when he tried to shove it into the chorus. For his sake one should hope that title rings true in case he ever reads his reviews. Unfortunately, Sinéad O’Connor was only somewhat worth enduring Dempsey, as she was audibly restrained in regards to her vocal capacity. It’s quite possible this is due to a shoddy sound set up at the Beacon that evening – half of the monitors went out mid-way through, though they did get them back on eventually – but it’s hard to say. She seemed a bit lost, but managed to charm her way through a long set and encore for an incredibly appreciative audience, rife with standing ovations, thunderous applause and declarations of love, including a woman who shouted, “I apologize for the world being cruel to you.” She closed with a new song, penned for the soundtrack of “The Water Horse,” out in December of this year.

Sinéad O’Connor: “Nothing Compares 2 U” (download)

Also there:
NYT

Image (of the Toronto concert) courtesy Flickr user World_Freak

Junius & Circle Takes the Square @ Don Pedro’s, Oct. 30

While Junius played, all I could think was “remember when Alternative Rock was good?” There was a time not too long ago when a lot of popular rock music was so damn good, and Junius embodies much of that without re-hashing it. At their most melodic moments they recall Long Island greats On the Might of Princes, with greater control but no less intensity during the hardest. Managing to be incredibly accessible without sacrificing interest and talent, Junius is a name to remember. Their self-titled, debut full length dropped in early October – if you miss rock music from the late ’80s and early ’90s, you’re sure to appreciate it. Circle Takes the Square defies conventional descriptions, requiring most to balk to the umbrella term “experimental,” which they most certainly are in an all-out, “I defy you to turn away from the wreckage of a head-on collision” kind of way. What kind of hardcore and punk bands use chanting and spoken word? What kind of hardcore and punk bands have interludes that border on pop in the middle of songs? Dueling female and male screaming vocals screech over technically impressive drum, bass and double guitar work, pausing for moments of “what is this and where did it come from?” that somehow manage to fit in the mêlée. Everyone in the crowd went nuts, everyone in the crowd knew the words to every song. They haven’t released anything since 2004, but they’re working on something, hopefully for next year – be ready.

Junius: “Hiding Knives” (download)
Circle Takes the Square: “In the Nervous Light of Sunday” (download)

Junius on MySpace
Circle Takes the Square on MySpace

Image (of the Savannah concert) courtesy Flickr user zachariahpiccolo

The songs.

1. “Horse and I”: Please tell me that’s a Theremin! Good sign. Military drum beat? Another good sign. Layered backing vocals? This just gets better and better.
2. “Trophy”: “Heaven is a feeling I get in your arms” might sound a little trite/contrived on paper, but sung by Ms. Khan with the Nick Cave-esque voice of Josh Pearson as it is here, it’s quite seductive. A track that’s moderately danceable, it begs for a quicker-paced remix.
3. “Tahiti”: This song and her vocals on it remind me of Feist, but more elaborate and full.
4. “What’s A Girl To Do?”: The first song I heard from Bat for Lashes, and a good place to start. Simultaneously catchy and haunting. The booming of the drums coupled with the sighs in the chorus is a delightful contrast.
5. “Sad Eyes”: A piano ballad lovely in its simplicity.
6. “The Wizard”: Parts of this feel kind of trip-hop inspired.
7. “Prescilla”: Stomps and claps provide percussion for this track, definitely one of the more memorable ones.
8. “The Bat’s Mouth”: A very lush, cinematic, majestic ballad – nothing jaw-dropping about it, but like everything else so far, it’s gorgeous.
9. “Seal Jubilee”: Another song featuring Josh Pearson, though it would benefit from more of him. There are lots of different sounds swimming quickly in and out of the background and it makes for a nice effect.
10. “Sarah”: A charming, swinging portrait of a girl. The album could’ve used this pick up a few songs earlier.
11. “I Saw A Light”: Another simple piano ballad, this time bolstered with extra sound here and there. It slowly builds and builds, only to come crashing down a little over halfway through before slipping off into silence.
12. “I’m On Fire”: A U.S. only track, Ms. Kahn takes a big chance with a cover of All-American Music Hero Bruce Springsteen’s eerily seductive ode to a young girl. I admire anyone who’s willing to switch up gender roles a bit, and Kahn does the right thing by adding her love for diverse instrumentation while somehow preserving the song’s simplicity. However, it’s pretty obvious that it’s a tagged on “this will get the Americans!” bonus sitting right here at the end when “I Saw a Light” is the more obvious closer.

The album.

Though the end result and aesthetic is different, it’s hard not to compare Bat For Lashes’ Natasha Khan with St. Vincent’s Annie Clark – they have some over-lapping influences and techniques, namely a fondness for bold choices in their instrumentation and arrangements. However, where Marry Me feels complete, Fur & Gold is somewhat lacking. Not in terms of quantity – at 12 songs, the album actually feels a bit long – but in terms of quality. It’s not that there aren’t good songs – there are a lot of good songs. Nine of the 12 (“What’s A Girl To Do?”, “Sarah,” (download) and “Prescilla” (download) in particular) are incredibly provocative and positively beautiful. But there aren’t any great songs. We wait for her to take all of this fantastic material and bring it to its peak, but she just doesn’t quite get there, which is even harder to accept because she’s so clearly capable. However, this is just her debut, so with any luck, the fulfillment of her potential is yet to come.

Bat For Lashes Official Site
Bat For Lashes on MySpace

The songs.

1. “Silver Lining”: Cute, but not particularly fantastic. I’m a sucker for those handclaps, though, and the “ooh”s and “ahh”s behind the chorus.
2. “Close Call”: Okay, but the world only needs one Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
3. “The Moneymaker”: I like this song, but again… Dear Jenny Lewis, you are not Karen O. Please do not try to be. You’re better as Jenny Lewis.
4. “Breakin’ Up”: Fun, electro-dance track. Sounds like the BeeGees.
5. “Under the Blacklight”: Here’s what I expected. Majestic, glossy, shiny, folky, rocky. Reminds me a bit of Jenny Lewis’ solo project, but this song isn’t as good as any of those.
6. “Dreamworld”: Stereogum compared this song to Fleetwood Mac, and I kind of understand the comparison, though it’s definitely the chick-penned Fleetwood Mac sound and not Buckingham’s. Also, not quite as good, which is why making such comparisons is dangerous.
7. “Dejalo”: What the hell is she saying? More electro-dance pop, a la “Breakin’ Up,” and more handclaps (!!!). Pretty catchy. Probably my favorite track.
8. “15″: More glossy, folky, rock. Clear reversion back to Jenny Lewis’ awful lyrics days. “Deep like a graveyard”? “Ripe as a peach”? PUKE. And did the world really need another tribute to the wiles of young girls?
9. “Smoke Detector”: Another song more along the lines of what I would’ve expected. Poppy folk rock, but a little more upbeat. Again, the lyrics… it feels like she’s trying too hard to be sexy and edgy, and she doesn’t need to. That’s not what people are listening to Rilo Kiley for.
10. “The Angels Hung Around”: Aaaand we’re still sticking with the folky rock… what happened to the dance?
11. “Give A Little Love”: Here it is! Switching tracks again, with more electro pop, this time with the endearment of the folkier stuff. This feels like one of those songs they play at the end of a movie when everyone’s learned their lesson and are supposedly going to live happy lives together.

The album.

It seems near impossible to review Under The Blacklight without mentioning “change” – yes, the tides have very obviously changed here, but Rilo Kiley only stuck their toes in. Under the Blacklight feels too uneven to be a complete makeover, with only half of the album transitioned into ’70s and ’80s inspired dance pop, like “Breakin’ Up,” “Dreamworld” and “Dejalo” (download). As much as I hate to quibble with “the Dean,” he’s a bit off when he says, “…almost nowhere much guitar-band alt-rock.” Oh really? Then what’s “Close Call” (download)? What’s “The Angels Hung Around” (download)? Or even “Smoke Detector” and “Moneymaker”? What would be really great for the next Rilo Kiley effort is a concrete decision to go all out with an idea, not just tiptoeing around it.