The Knife - Mezzanine - 11/3/06

The Knife is really hyped right now. Elbo.ws shows this duo as one of their hottest artists. And the combination of blog buzz and the fact that they had played a dozen shows ever (and only 1 in America) when they rolled into San Francisco made a ticket to the show more valuable to a hipster than a prenup to Britney.

When I got into the venue, the stage was already set with their various contraptions, and the floor was full of the hippest of hipsters (one guy was dressed like the dude from Thunderdome... I don't remember if he was Master or Blaster). The show itself was the "band" behind a semi-transparent screen wearing Planet of the Apes masks (I think they were actually just ski masks with extra holes) smeared with black-light paint. Various geometric shapes and cartoons were projected onto the screen and also on the wall behind them. As for their playing, I don't know if they actually did any of that. The guy, Olof, had some hot orange drum sticks that he would bang on things occasionally. This might have affected some of the drum beats, but I doubt it. The girl, Karin, moved her mouth with the words. Some times it looked like she was singing, and others it looked like lip-synching.

The think you should know about The Knife is that you can't see anything. The stage is incredibly dark and there's that stupid screen in front of them. And the band (other than a few times when Olof went to town with the fake drumming) just stood there. For all the hype about how amazing the live show is, I don't get it. There were certainly points when the music was really good and the crowd was really into it and there was dancing and I'm sure someone felt it was magical/spiritual/life-changing. Of the people I saw the show with (Jason, Jon, Ian, Aida, Danielle, Amy), some liked the show a lot more than I did. Ultimately, I just felt like it was a DJ set where everyone was looking in the same direction.

The Knife said that they originally didn't tour because they had a hard time making a live version of their music compelling. Well, I think they still need to work on that a bit. But listen to the track below. These guys certainly got something.

The Knife - We Share Our Mother's Health

Cold War Kids - Mezzanine - 10/7/06

Originally uploaded by ryanfoley.

The Cold War Kids are a unique band. Their sound is hard to explain. I feel like they're a jam band without jamming. They're a blues/soul band from LA. Really the best thing to say is that the music is strong and pierces through you, like if Bruce Springsteen wrote gospel music.

The kids are true performers too. I think there are some people who understand that being in a band is a job and you have to work when you're on stage. It doesn't mean you have to be mechanical, but you need to put effort into it. CWK understands this. Between the emotional singing, slightly odd setup (piano facing the wall, loose cymbal on a wooden box), and requisite dancing, there was always something that caught your eye and kept you involved.

I went with Amy, Vania, Brittany, Melissa, and Melissa's brother (and his friends). Melissa apparently grew up with the band members and went to church with them. Hopefully that means that no matter how big they get, I'll always have a ticket.

Cold War Kids - Hospital Beds

Cold War Kids - Tell Me In The Morning

Cold War Kids - The Soloist In The Living Room

Cold War Kids - Heavy Boots

Resurrection

Originally uploaded by ryanfoley.

I'm really slipping with the posting. But I'm going to try to get up-to-date today (and then immediately fall behind again).

Anyway, a couple of weeks ago, Michelle and I saw Birdmonster at Mezzanine for their record release party. In case you haven't heard the buzz, this SF band is getting a lot of attention from their new album. I've been listening to it about once every other day, and so far it still keeps my attention.

But where these guys really do their best in live. They have a lot of fun on stage and are energetic. A hometown crowd and a new record will probably add a little extra energy too.

In the spirit of catching up, I'm just going to say that they're one of the better live acts out there right now, and if you get a chance, go see them. And here is a song off their EP that rocks pretty hard. The anticipation for the vocals is really the best part of it.

Birdmonster - Resurrection Song

More Harmonica!

Originally uploaded by ryanfoley.

I hope this isn't a sign of things to come. But I've been to a few shows in the last few weeks and haven't blogged about any of them. Maybe if I knew if anyone was reading this I'd be more dedicated.

Anyway, way back on the 1st of April, Ben, Amy, and I went to Mezzanine to see Band of Horses and labelmates Helio Sequence. Remember a few weeks ago when Band of Horses was being hyped into outer space? I think it was based solely on their song The Funeral. This song is straight-up amazing. It's a very well-crafted song with a lot of interesting guitar work and some pretty haunting vocals.

When you hear a song that good, you think you've stumbled on the next big thing. So getting to see these guys live was supposed to be a treat. Instead, they gave a pretty mediocre performance with technical problems sprinkled in.

Imagine this: a four-piece band (guitar, bass, drums, singer/guitar). The guitar player only looks at his guitar neck, the bass player only looks at the drummer, and the drummer is hidden by his kit. This leaves a lot to be desired in a live show. But, what about the singer/guitarist? Well he's got a baseball cap on that covers most of his face. And when he's not knocking over equipment because he's pissed that the sound system is sucking, he's mumbling.

Disappointing.

Then, take the Helio Sequnce. I've seen these guys before, and when I did, I was amazed that it was only two guys. They make a whole lot of noise for two guys. The drummer is one of the most entertaining drummers out there. From the moment he raises his hand for the first beat of the opening song until the crowd is yelling for an encore, the dude's mouth is wide open.

Originally uploaded by ryanfoley.

The singer/guitarist is also amazingly talented. He's a great guitarist and a pretty decent singer. His lyrics are also good, although I don't know what most of them mean.

Ben hadn't ever heard Helio Sequence before, but was immediately taken in. If you get the chance to see these guys live, do it.

And I'm also going to try something new here. I'm going to link to songs from these guys. They're available on the bands' websites, so hopefully nobody will sue me.

Band of Horses - The Funeral

Helio Sequence - Everyone Knows Everyone