I've actually made it to a few gigs recently so figure I should mention the highlights (well two) of my social calendar for like, forever dude!
First up was the Handsome Family with support by The Moon Whisperers. Yeah about the support, a 'cello and a guitar/vocalist. Sounded a bit like Black tape for a blue girl meets The Wishing Tree. Without the variety you'd hope for. That is, everything kinda dirged along, song after song. Apparently they have a drummer/bassist etc so they might be better with a full band, and I would, probably, see them again. As long as it was cheap.
Handsome Family: ahhh glorious songs of death, decay, murder and sharks. All the good stuff. Like twisted lyrics? like kinda weird arrangements? like great byplay onstage? yeah go see them. Go buy an album. Great stuff and I'm really pleased i went to see them having heard their stuff on and off for a while now.
Joanna Newsom and Smog. Firstly the support by Smog. I like him, I've got his most recent album but theres something about his songs that irritates at the same time. I think its the predictability of the lyrics and music, you know where he's going structure-wise. In some situations thats a sign of good stuff, but in this, not so much. Worth checking out if you like singer-songerwriters, but I'd start with the library first. Joanna Newsom, harpist, weird ass lyricist, quirky and probably best summed up with the word 'startling'. I'd previously heard bits of her new album (Ys), but this was something great. She sounds like a halfway house between Tori Amos and Kate Bush, but with more happiness than either of those two manage. Lyrically we're talking alt-indie-prog which looks as weird as it sounds, but there's elements of country, indie-pop and at times the bad side of overblown 80s prog lyrics. But ina good way. Make sense? nah? oh well. As I said this was something else and I'm really really pleased I went. I liked her enough that I've bought the album.
Coming up this week, possibly my dream gig: Phoenix Foundation and Calexico - yup pants wettingly good lineup that one
Also: Damo Suzuki from CAN is playing on Thurs if anyone feels like a date...
2 comments:
Funny, I only thought of describing her as "country" ;)1 But she seems to inspire disagreement. My ex-flatmate thinks her voice is childlike, whereas to me it sounds gargoyle-like (in a good way)
Phoenix Foundation - oh yeah, that's Luke's band. He's a mate of ours, married to another mate of ours. See, we have connections! Enjoy the gig.
R
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