i got it, you got it, she's got it.

I haven't been to a show in a while, partially due to laziness and apathy to the current popular music. My friend and I had planned on attending Hopscotch festival, but that plan got sidelined as well. When I found out that festival headliner The Jesus and Mary Chain would be playing at the 9:30 Club I jumped at the opportunity to see one of my favorite bands who of course broke up in 1998/99 and have been playing sporadically since then.

The audience of the sold out show was more diverse in age than you would see at most 9:30 events. It was nice to see everything from original fans to younger people who discovered them after they disbanded. Reunions are tricky, as is the controversy of fifty year old musicians taking the stage. Watching recordings of The Jesus and Mary Chain at Coachella in 2007 I wasn't pleased with the sound and so it's a bit nerve wracking to think that it might not be up to all the hype. Well, they surpassed my expectations.

With these types of shows the vibe can be more important than the song choice. For a band notorious for acrimony, they seemed appreciative towards the crowd and put on a great performance. I would have loved to hear more from Darklands (1987), but as the band explained they wanted to put together a setlist full of crowd-pleasing hits for this tour. It was an enjoyable show and I hope they put out their new music soon so I can see what direction they are moving into.

setlist

it's calling to me.

I recently came upon the track "Half-Truth" by New York group Dead Leaf Echo. They have announced the 7" single as their first vinyl. It will be released in Custom Made Music, which also houses great bands Ringo Deathstarr and Screen Vinyl Image.

Pulsing guitars and dreamlike vocals in the classic style of shoegaze sucked me in. I'm excited to hear more from them.

let's go somewhere sunny, let's go and waste some money.

It is hard for me to know where to start when I know that a night has been one of the most fun I've had in a while. Ringo Deathstarr are one of my favorite bands, and whenever they come to town it makes for a great show and a wild party. I knew to expect this when I headed to Black Cat on Monday night. The bill was stacked and I was in it for the long haul.

I was excited to see State Department open up for their first performance. I've been following Patrick Kigongo's groups since the formation of Ra Ra Rasputin and was curious to see how the new group would sound live. They pulled in a good crowd and got into their set as people danced. It was a little straight rock for my tastes, but I really enjoyed "The Way to a Man's Heart is Through His Chest" and "Columbia Road", which was dedicated to Exactly's Jesse Bishop. Those songs edged a bit more to the loud, post-punk end of the spectrum. State Department are off to a promising start, but I was left wanting a bit more. As much as I like simplicity in musical composition, I would like to hear more feedback or dimension with these songs. I look forward to seeing how they progress as a group.

Last Tide were next, and they are quickly rising to the top of my list of talented DC bands. The addition of Kigongo as a second guitarist adds a lot to the already polished repertoire. This show was their EP release, so they were giving away discs and buttons to the lucky audience. They went through the EP as well as some unreleased tracks. It was an intense and ethereal set that didn't fail to highlight each members mastery of their chosen instrument. Watching them almost makes me feel like I'm in the late 80's seeing the indie scene shaping itself. The Broken Places is definitely one to add to your music collection.

And then finally came time for Ringo Deathstarr. Because the band operates out of Austin, I don't get to see them as much as I'd like. This was the first time I got to hear many of the newer tracks live, and I was impressed. I love hearing the noise and waves of feedback reverberate at the Backstage. These guys have the shoegaze experience in full effect. I admire the ease at which they place a melody over carefully measured discord to create a masterpiece. "Starrsha" will probably always be my favorite, but "So High" really got everyone into it. In the end, Kigongo was involved in all three sets as Alex Gehring handed off her bass during the last song. Happy chaos ensued with bodies and equipment hitting the stage with full force. It was the perfect ending to probably the best show I've seen all year.

The night did not end there, but what happens in Bloomingdale stays in Bloomingdale...for the most part.

Previous Ringo Post
Previous Last Tide Post

but for you it's just what you were told.

Bands like Last Tide revive my faith in the DC music scene. It was packed at DC9 for a Monday night, and the bill was quirky with an indie band opening for an afro-beat outfit (NOMO).

photo credit: Patrick Kigongo

As Last Tide took the stage, I first noticed guitarist/vocalist Nate Frey's pink sparkly Di Pinto and keyboardist/vocalist Libby Dorot's flashy outfit. However, once the music started all attention to visuals faded and I was in auditory heaven. Dark, noisy, synth-y, minor, with some upbeat moments, the music is right there with what I enjoy. It has a unique shoegaze influence and showcases the ability to be both simple and detailed. The guitars and effects are well-played and well-placed along with good solid vocals on both ends and attention to the use of reverb. All parts work as a whole with harmonies, integral basslines by Rob Miller, and steady percussion by Misha Alexander.

Other highlights include a spot-on cover of "Memories Can't Wait" by the Talking Heads and, my favorite of their original songs,"A Traitor in My Mind." The lyrics call to mind melancholic relationships ie "this time I didn't bother begging/ cuz I knew you'd never stay." A close second, they closed their set with "Shadows in the Rain," which built until denouement and slowly tapered off. It was a perfect way to end things on a high note.

I wanted to have these songs on my iPod right away, and thankfully the recording process is occurring now. The main thing that I took away from this show is that I like music that makes the listener think about a deeper meaning.

Myspace

walking back to you is the hardest thing that i can do.

After hearing snippets of The Jesus and Mary Chain for years, but not knowing who was behind the music, they came to my attention when I bought a Filter Mag in the summer of 2005. I was drawn to the article by the unique band name and I proceeded to read a fantastic interview with singer and guitarist Jim Reid. Since then, I have only become increasingly enamored with the Scottish shoegaze/post-punk band. From their formation in 1983 until their near-decade long disbandment in 1998, the JMC spanned a wide range of sounds and genres. The often volatile partnership between brothers Jim and William Reid was able to produce musical genius.


The JAMC's first two studio albums are vastly different from one another. Psychocandy (1985) begins on a semi-quiet note with the veiled "Just Like Honey," made especially brilliant by Bobby Gillespie's percussion. But, it is quicky noticeable that this album is all about feedback as it continues to build up. What makes it unique is that melody is never far from the forefront. No matter how much noise they made, the reverberating vocals and underlying gentleness still manage to show through. With Darklands (1987) came a shift to softer guitars and electronic drums. It has a much more mellow sound, but they executed the change with ease, losing nothing musically. In my opinion, it is often times more listenable than Psychocandy, but neither is inherently "better" than the other.

The following album, Automatic (1989), is a sort of mixture of the other two. It includes "Head On," which became a classic cover by The Pixies. Although it has not received as much attention, perhaps for its less abrasive and more synth-heavy approach, I still greatly appreciate the songs and sounds.

Notorious for short gigs and antagonistic shoegaze tactics, like performing with their backs to the audience, a Jesus and Mary Chain show was often enough to incite a riot. They were simply always a band who did what they wanted. That is, up until the drama became too much and William Reid walked off stage in 1998, angry that Jim was in no state to perform. Luckily, the brothers seem to have reconciled and they continue to exude their trademark effortless cool as they currently work on new music.

Links:
Never Understand (1985)
Just Like Honey live (1985)
April Skies live (from Darklands)
Take it (1989)

For extended listening, I highly recommend the compilation The Power of Negative Thinking: B-Sides & Rarities (2008).

she asked me if i would ever fall.

Skywave are an amazing group from the 90's and early 2000's. Hailing from Fredericksburg, VA, they helped the resurrection of shoegaze in the United States. Every time some type of "shoegaze" is mentioned there is talk of derivation from The Jesus & Mary Chain and My Bloody Valentine, but Skywave definitely carve out their own place.

In terms of albums, I am partial to Took the Sun (1998). Each song is mesmerizing with its perfectly placed feedback, dissonance, and accentuating percussion. The guitars are layered with complexities and add so much to each track while the vocals work well to set an emotional tone. Not one song sounds the same as the one before it, but there is an innate cohesiveness to the album. In addition to the below song, I highly recommend "Walking on Stars" and "Sanddune".

"Sixteen" -


The music is still alive, the bassist went on to form A Place To Bury Strangers. They come off as a bit more abrasive to me, but are still very very good. Ceremony, another solid effort, came from two other members. I just can't help but keep a little special place in my heart for Skywave.

please don't throw it all away.

My New Favorite Song:


When I was doing my radio show over the summer I came across a demo. A song called "You're Making This Hard" by Irish indie band Sweet Jane. The song was reminiscent of Darklands (1987) era The Jesus & Mary Chain and featured a duo of male and female vocals, steady bass drum beats, and driving guitars. Unfortunately, they changed it up a lot for the version in their EP, which can be previewed on their myspace.

"Blackboots Blackhearts" is the title track on the EP. It is really the style of stuff I'm into right now. In lieu of something lovey and valentiney, I'll go with something that reminds me of exactly how I feel. Just the right blend of melancholy and feedback.

sweet girl.

My first weekend back in College Park, and hopefully working in the city for good, I knew I had to find something to do to counteract all of my prior downtime at home and the horrific job search. After two mediocre house parties and an advanced screening of Choke, there was the pièce de résistance: The Flying Eyes, Ringo Deathstarr, and 2 1/2 Teeth at WMUC radio station.

Now I have been curious about Ringo Deathstarr for a while and this is another a reason why being affiliated with WMUC really pays off. I got to see this band that intrigues me all for a $3-5 suggested donation. All I really knew about them going in was that I thoroughly enjoy listening to their EP. They had played DC the night before, but I hadn't been able to make it so I was really happy they put on another show. With near perfect timing, we arrived shortly after they took the stage.



In the small studio that is the liveroom, there was little separation between band and audience. The stylishly clad group banged, clanged, and sang away, the room reverberating with feedback, rhythm, and echo. Everyone was sweating, dancing, gazing, and even moshing. I came out with some new battlescars as well. The set was flawless and the band seemed taken with the crowd's involvement. They even hung around afterwards just chilling and speaking with the kids, all without an ounce of arrogance. I was so envious at how effortlessly they seemed to pull it all off.

Finally, what I found is that all of the Jesus & Mary Chain comparisons don't do either of the groups justice. Yes, I would consider Ringo Deathstarr to be shoegaze, but not in a purely traditional sense. They have taken a modern spin on the genre, and have made it their own. While they could sound like a mixture of Psychocandy and Loveless, that's so cliche and Ringo Deathstarr have their own sound and presence.