skip to main |
skip to sidebar
November. Oft looked upon as a cheerless, depressing, overwhelmingly blah kinda month, I'd say the poor thirty not-October, not-December days get a bad rap. As far as I'm concerned, there's been a whole lot of awesome happening in November thus far, and it's only gonna get better. One of these moments of superfabulousness happened when yours truly aided and abetted one rather fantastic little rock and roll show over at the Velvet Lounge. There was rock. There was twang. There was folking it up. I'd like to think all and sundry had as daggum a good time as I did, because I was quite pleased with the night. Look for us to get up to more gig mischief in the future. But for now, here's how things went down.
MINI RECAP: Sister Ex = Rocked It! Boy Without God = Smoked It! SEAS = Killed It! The Loom = Burned It! Overall Score: A
Sadly, I didn't get to see much of the Sister Ex set. But the little I did see was rather promising. Taking cues from all things loud and snarling, the band ripped through their songs, anchored by the slightly metallic sneer of vocalist Claudia Neuman. If your ears are a fan of serious rock, well, you might be interested in this here band.
Things started to get seriously wicked awesome next, as Bostonians Boy Without God did their thing. A very, very interesting mix of placid noise, raw nerve lyrics, and the occasional ambling and way expansive instrumental, BWG most certainly showed the crowd a darned good time. I found myself very intrigued indeed by their jangly mess of sound, and heartily recommend them.
Third on the bill were locals (and LET pet) SEAS. Yeah, today I'm using all caps. Every time I see Ben Green and his co-conspirators live, I love them just a teensy bit more. The strummery of SEAS, along with hints of twang and whiffs of somewhere desolate and beautiful, cannot be matched. The best way to test whether I'm right is to get out there and get you some SEAS. Trust.
The nightcap was provided courtesy another pet band, this time hailing from the land of the Brooklyners, The Loom. Their Appalachia-by-way-of-Metropolis sound gets me every time. The band makes a noise that is intimate and comfortable, despite being intricate, much the way a fireside gathering in the dead of a Northeastern winter can be. The first time I saw them was no fluke. This band is the real deal, y'all.
I had an absolute blast working on this show, and just want to quickly thank the bands and everyone who came out to spend their Friday night with us. We'll all have to do this again sometime. And in the meantime, give these bands some love, y'all.
mp3: Valley Of The Fevers (Alternate) (SEAS from Now My Home Is a Beech Tree)
mp3: Song For The Winter Sun (The Loom from the forthcoming Teeth)
Not that y'all would have forgotten, but just to tickle your little gray cells, here comes a friendly reminder from us to you. Tomorrow night is when some serious awesome is gonna go down over at the Velvet Lounge, and we sure do hope you're gonna be there with us to enjoy it. To reiterate, here is what you need to know. See you tomorrow night.
We're pleased as punch to be sponsoring one heck of a doozy of a show, if I do say so myself. I guarandamntee the Velvet Lounge is the place to be on Friday, November 5th. If you've got plans, break 'em. A date? Bring 'em along! Bring your mama, your best friend, and your side piece for what will without a doubt be one heck of a show. For starters, Baltimore's (and DC's) Sister Ex will bring some rock to the table. Then, Boston's own Boy Without God will bring a little beauty to your life. To cap it off, we've finagled not one but two of our pet bands into playing for the enjoyment of each and every one of you: Seas (DC) and The Loom (NYC). See how much we love y'all? There is so much goodness to be had I just don't know what to do with myself. And all for the bargain bonanza price of $8. Seriously. SERIOUSLY.
mp3: Narrows (Seas from Now My Home Is A Beech Tree)
That's right, little darlings! Your favorite sassypants music scribes are helping to bring together some seriously spectacular bands for a night of live music fantabulousness! Those of you with the keen eye have probably already spotted this little event on our calendar over yonder, but to announce it all official-like, here goes. We're tingly all over just thinking about it, let me tell you.
We're pleased as punch to be sponsoring one heck of a doozy of a show, if I do say so myself. I guarandamntee the Velvet Lounge is the place to be on Friday, November 5th. If you've got plans, break 'em. A date? Bring 'em along! Bring your mama, your best friend, and your side piece for what will without a doubt be one heck of a show. For starters, Baltimore's (and DC's) Sister Ex will bring some rock to the table. Then, Boston's own Boy Without God will bring a little beauty to your life. To cap it off, we've finagled not one but two of our pet bands into playing for the enjoyment of each and every one of you: Seas (DC) and The Loom (NYC). See how much we love y'all? There is so much goodness to be had I just don't know what to do with myself. And all for the bargain bonanza price of $8. Seriously.
We hope to see all of your beautiful, shining faces on November 5th. We're looking forward to it immensely, and hope you will to, as you ink it down on your calendars/enter it into whatever iPhone app you've got for such occasions.
mp3: Narrows (Seas from Now My Home Is A Beech Tree)
Seas, or SEAS depending on your affinity for caps, is the embodiment of a gorgeous sonic wonderland put forth into the realms of reality by Ben Green. Green, a resident of the greater DC megalopolis, has made a record that sounds absolutely nothing like the hustle and bustle of the powerful environs in which he lives. Instead, Now My Home Is A Beech Tree, the debut Seas record, sounds more like a stunning collection of escapist treasures, songs full of mountain mists and shimmering sunsets and perennial falls and springs. It’s not all about the power of escaping reality, however, as Seas finds loveliness in the sentiments of everyday mortals.
The first time I heard the record all the way through, I loved it. The second time through, well, as you might have guessed, I loved it even more. It begins with the transcendent “Narrows”, swirling around as it does, placid and tranquil and effortlessly beautiful. The haunting creep of “The Integral Accident” is terribly appealing, with more of Green’s gentle strumming and calm, steady vocals. “I know/you know/our fate is sealed,” Green sings, wondering, “What will happen when we’re gone” as a wash of melancholia grows behind him.
It’s impossible for me to pick a favorite song from Now My Home Is A Beech Tree, though with some pressurizing I’ll admit that I’m somewhat partial to the breathless, heady sound of “Cusseta”. Something about that slow-motion, dream-sequence intro makes me think of Doves, which is always a grand thing. The beat of the drum is hypnotic, and Green’s voice lulls one into all sorts of fantastical imaginings. But then again, there’s all sorts of allure all over “The Buried Ranges”, Seas taking a more uptempo route while bemoaning being a “victim of history”.
It’s a cold, black heart indeed that doesn’t warm to Now My Home Is A Beech Tree, ladies and gentlemen. What Green has created let no killjoy or crankypants tear asunder. In other words, might I suggest you get your paws on a copy of this here record, pronto-like? And there’s never been a better time, as Decoration Day is having a sale. And you can't beat that with a stick.
mp3: Valley Of The Fevers (Alternate) (Seas from Now My Home Is A Beech Tree)
