Twin Shadow and Diamond Rings: big sounds, small stage

The music venue at Maxwell’s in Hoboken (for those not familiar) is housed in the rear of what strongly resembles an Applebee’s restaurant. Past the swinging doors is a small, cave-like lair with exposed brick and stone juxtaposed against harsh red lighting. Hugging the rear and stage-right walls are limited vinyl bleacher-like (though only a single row) seating, complete with a no-frills bar to the adjacent side which should have made for an intimate setting for a highly publicized act such as Twin Shadow. However, at the same time one could not help but feel a slight disconnect from the NYC scene. The streets of Hoboken are eerily quiet, the crowd subdued, and the bar underutilized… compared to the socially acceptable alcoholism of Brooklyn. This slight lack of scene “authenticity” could be felt in the room throughout the night, but didn’t fully distract from solid performances by both Diamond Rings and Twin Shadow.

One-man glam band Diamond Rings took to the stage first. Clad in red leather, a white tee and sporting a Vanilla Ice quiff the stringy blonde joked he was “doing his best Bruce Springsteen impression.” His haunting baritone voice filled the room the way The Boss might, though he had only the support of a synthesizer and drum machine rather than the celebrity laden E Street Band. A lesser artist might have difficulty carrying a performance with vocals that at times seemed to drown out the electronic instrumentation, let alone man the stage solo for an audience that didn’t appear overly familiar with his work. Admirably, Diamond Rings conquered both of these tasks as he dazzled with strong performances of “Play By Heart” and “Something Else” all while charming the crowd. He received a particularly strong response when he strapped on a guitar and rocked out to a very uptempo “Wait & See.”

Fresh off tour and recently the subject of adoration from both GQ and Spin, all eyes were on front man George Lewis as Twin Shadow opened with a stirring rendition of “Shooting Holes”. It could instantly be noted that the house sound better suited the full instrumentation of the band than it did Diamond Rings. The crowd came to life for the catchy synth-driven “When We’re Dancing” and “Castles in the Snow,” though it was a tempered excitement. This presents what seems to be an issue in seeing a band like Twin Shadow live. Described by their publicist as “hazily new-wave tinged pop” it often gets a little too hazy and sucks excitement from the air. Regardless, the band showcased a very tight sound and the left the crowd wanting more as they closed with “Tether Beat” before a encore (sans backstage) performance of “Forget.”

The small size of the venue allowed for unique opportunities as both Twin Shadow and Diamond Rings could be seen mingling in the audience before and after their performances. I caught up with Diamond Rings who admitted to feeling “somewhat limited” by the stage space. Fans can expect him to continue to push the envelope as he excitedly noted his “rapping skills” which will be further displayed on his second album, due out Summer 2012. The yet-to-be-titled LP, halfway completed to date, will attempt to “add fullness to the sound while not abandoning the bare-bones, almost folk-esque style of composition.” While that seems difficult at best to accomplish the pending attempt is admirable and interesting.

No Girls, Just Musicians… Beast Make Bomb lay stereotypes to rest

Beast Make Bomb was introduced to me earlier in the summer, but in order to see them I had to take my middle aged ass (Brooklyn standards) out into the real Bushwick. Not the gentrified East Williamsburg coffee shop mecca, I had to go to a sweat shop of a room beneath the elevated train, between the liquor and .99 cent stores. Upon arrival no one knew the set times, which was probably a result of being over an hour behind schedule and half the bands still yet to load-in. Typically, I would have huffed and left, but instead I gave them the benefit of the doubt and once they took the stage it instantly became obvious it was worth the wait.

Beast Make Bomb has the typical aesthetic of a mixed-sex Brooklyn post-punk melodic-pop band. However, unlike their counterparts BMB stay far away from the token girl on bass or synth. It’s the guitar responsibilities that have been handed to / taken over by the ladies (Ceci Gomez and Glenn VanDyke). While Glenn takes the helm with the more complex lead roles, Ceci shows her chops often and skillfully. There’s also a sultry and confident vibe to Ceci’s stage presence that is so captivating, that I dare to say reminds me of Patti Smith. BMB recently released a video for their current single “Party Monster” which is just the tip of their potential iceberg.

While Beast Make Bomb’s current recordings reflect a more simplistic party style that is yet to push any musical boundaries, recently at Cameo Gallery they did debut a yet to be named/recorded track that I hope represents their sound moving forward. It’s a more sinister and complex soundscape, with off-tempo percussion and far more intricate guitar parts that allows their talent to truly shine. Beast Make Bomb are without-a-doubt on to something big… which is needed as they single-handedly lay to rest the stereotype that girls are limited to keys, bass or power chords.

You can see Beast Make Bomb on Thursday October 20th at Bowery Electric when they play our CMJ showcase.

Bushwick Walkabout Festival

Thanks to our friends at Kissing Booth we have a great wrap up video from the Bushwick Walkabout Festival. We can’t thank all the bands who participated enough and another huge thanks is in order to all the positive press we received. We look forward to more bands, more booze and even lower ticket prices next year!

Check out what some people had to say:

QRO Magazine Says: “A strong and diverse line-up of bands you don’t know but you should is hard to pull off, but Bushwick Walkabout did it.”

CMJ says: “When it comes down to it, the point of a music event, no matter how big or small, is for the people in attendance to enjoy what’s going on at the front.”

The L Magazine Says: “The idea being that maybe, one or two years from now, these will be the bands everyone will declare are “killing it”

Scout Mob Says: “We dig you, Bushwick Walkabout, for reminding us how simple and spirited an indie music fest should be.”

Bushwick Daily Says: “Bushwick Walkabout Festival this Friday and Saturday was simply awesome.”

The War on Drugs and Caveman at Cameo Gallery

The War on Drugs are the Philadelphia based band remembered most as where Kurt Vile got his start (probably the reason they have recently garnered so much attention). Since the departure of Vile the band seems to have expanded further upon the ambient sounds that weren’t necessarily so dominate on any of the tracks from their debut EP “Barrel of Batteries.” However, you can hear the transition taking shape on the track “Taking the Farm” from their first sans Vile LP “Wagonwheel Blues.” According to the band their newest release “Slave Ambient” (Secretly Canadian) is “a timeless record – as familiar as it is wholly new, as vintage as it is modern.”

Well, if confusing any potential listeners is their goal… mission accomplished. The live show was a confusing mixture of mellow instrumentation, vocals and a soundscape that blends into a pseduo-abyss. There is no arguing that The War on Drugs are exceptionally talented and have an admirable and enthusiastic fanbase, but the lackadaisical song structure leaves more to be desired. I doubt you will be hearing them on the radio or garnering national notoriety anytime soon, but the live show is impressive enough to carry them further. The War on Drugs have found their niche and have enough support to hunker down in their ambient cave for as many records as Secretly Canadian is willing to put out.

Caveman is another band very similar in sound and background. Forming from the remains of The Subjects, Caveman has experienced seemingly overnight success. For Caveman’s set it seemed as if all of New York’s 20-something music professionals were there to see what the fuss was all about, but struggling to hear a single vocal.

Unlike their tourmates, Caveman’s songs have much more clarity and structure. There are honestly a few tracks that stand out as potentially ready for the masses most notably “Decide” and “Old Friends.” When their album comes out at the end of the year we will offer further analysis/critique, but refrain from obvious comparisons to The Shins until the recordings are out. Nevertheless, if they are going to include so many vocal harmonies on the recordings they either need better vocal mics or stronger projection for the live performance to reciprocate.

Courtesy Tier… refusing to believe the hype

Last night I had the privilege to see Courtesy Tier at Cameo Gallery with Hollis Brown and Governor. I have actually spent extended periods of time on the road with all three of these bands and while I consider them all “friends” I consider myself a fan with random bits of nonsensical self-indulgent critique like a confusing authority figure with the offensive kind of tourette’s. I guess you can think of a Middle School janitor, you don’t necessarily HAVE to listen to him, but you can’t tell him to fuck off without some sort of repercussion either.

Hollis Brown just finished recording their new album that beams with brilliance and honesty that could find itself in the homes/cars/radios of everyone with a soft spot for the lost art of southern blues… or be another gem lost in the oversaturated Brooklyn music monopoly dominated by electro-pop and trust funds. Nevertheless, someone somewhere WILL care and that’s why they will forever trudge along with shit eating grins as if they know the joke is inevitably on YOU. Once ALBERT sends me some initial mixes I will have MUCH more to say…

Governor would be Cameo’s very own “house band” if they were to still exist from the Bowery era fallout. A throw-back or quantum leap to legitimate guitar dominated rock AND roll, they will forever be swimming against the current, current. A shirtless frontman whose only instrument is the microphone, one guitar and rock star swagger sans cheesy hair and makeup (I HATE those bands) they smartly refrain from power chord addiction and over indulgent solos. Governor have suddenly found a confidence, possibly via their new beast of a drummer, but most likely through a finalized lineup, growing fan base and residency supported by some of the most talented bands in recent years. I seriously look forward to seeing them develop further.

Nevertheless the apple of mines eye is Courtesy Tier. A small in stature duo that create a sound so massive and intense its hard to imagine their isn’t a bassist AND guitarist hiding somewhere in the venue. I have often described Omer’s ability to play the guitar like a madman foaming at the mouth: “You gotta see this guy! It’s like the nerves in his hand are separated right down the middle and information is feeding to them from two different parts of his brain!” Whether or not that’s true, I do watch him play and think of a freak show Lobster Boy or the Penguin. He plays the guitar as if it were a grand piano… a choppy lead fingered progression on the high and a rhythmic bass strum on the low, simultaneous yet individual.

It was mind blowing the first time I saw them at Spike Hill, by chance and through actual tragedy, they had replaced a very ill fated and talented band on a lineup a band I represent was also on. And like any tall tale it all begins with speculation and a feeling that the universe works in its own cynical deviant way. I immediately booked them for one of my shows and without really knowing each other we decided to team up on a tour down to Austin for SXSW. Quickly, the awkwardness of professionalism was replaced by the bro-code of the road and their enthusiasm for all aspects of being an independent musician shined.

For those not in the know, Courtesy Tier have received some of the grandest accolades Brooklyn bands so desperately strive for, that they hire every recent Wesleyan graduate with a “business” to obtain. Yet, Courtesy Tier are navigating the unforgiving music industry like Lewis and Clarke… no manager, publicist or handlers of any kind, just the occasional guide that most likely leads them down the wrong path in the end. They have been pursued by numerous “industry experts” but see past the bullshit of the talking heads and connivers. Rather, they trek endlessly but not aimlessly, just with a subtle wisdom and confidence that success takes time if it ever comes to fruition. Their is no hesitation to play the same songs night after night for two years, because they KNOW that it is the fan and not their own egos that dictate the set list.

I have learned quite a bit from Layton and Omer over the past year. They have set the standard for any band I will ever work with and have recently advised me “not to believe the hype.” Sound advise from a band who just so happens to live every moment according to just that.