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Live Show Reviews

Small Black live @ The Echo, Los Angeles CA. 11/5/2010

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Brooklyn chillwave collective Small Black paid a visit to Club Underground at The Echo in Los Angeles last Friday. The band delivered their blend of organized chaos to a packed house of Friday-night musical thrill seekers, rightfully amped after solid sets from unsung heroes of the eve Young Prisms and Class Actress.

Small Black are a thought provoking band. To me they seemed the type of band who’s live show could make or break the way you perceive their vision. After several listens through their New Chain LP, their live experience only seemed to become more relevant to me. I had already fallen in love with the endless overtones which ring throughout “Weird Machines” with its clever melody complementing a simple syncopated rhythm. There was a vision here and I needed to experience it live.

These New Yorkers had a full sound, both bold and ambitious. There was plenty energy, but this was, after all, chillwave… and leave it to any LA crowd to acknowledge that. While listening I’d noticed that like many acts who use an album’s recording to paint a picture, the live experience felt different. This is what I was looking for. Stripped down and raw… what’s the statement? On tape, a layered sound of airy synths echoing to all-hell, melodic vocal buried in, became two live synths, bass and a full drum kit. As were my impressions of the album, moments lacked genuineness; But also like the album, certain musical ideas were translated into significant statements. Next enter the irony of their ‘chillwave’ label, these dudes were a rock band playing on different equipment.

There was among the gathered masses a genuine sense of excitement to see Small Black. Their timely LP and enthusiastic performance says a lot for other bands on the scene. “Camouflage” felt even more reminiscent of an abstract take on The Cure’s “Pictures of You”, and it became clear “Search Party” ordered for dancing. “Weird Machines” remains a standout even with it’s stripped down sound live. It’s a song of true writing substance. Set closer “Photojournalist” was no doubt a pleaser and half the audience had dispersed by the time the band came out for an encore.

Small black had left me with a new perspective on their vision. Which is what I wanted. I’d recalled one of their banterings about between songs. “LA is the most realist shit on the west coast.” Right. Now, where’s that New Chain LP?

Small Black – Camouflage

Small Black info / buy Small Black music

Class Actress info
Young Prisms info

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reviewed by
11-13-10

Florence + the Machine, Live @ House of Blues, Boston 10/31/10

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The place was electric. It was Halloween. “This is the start of our American tour and I can’t think of a better way to start than in Boston.”, said Ms. Welch at the close of the opening set’s penultimate song. HOB roared. Florence was so over.

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Florence + the Machine are massive. If for only the sold out House of Blues crowd; but every face knew every word to everyone of those songs. It was an hour long reverie. For the set and encore’s approximate 60 minutes duration, Florence stood before the faithful, her gathered masses. She had the attention of the congregation.

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And from the vestments (The band wore skeleton suits. Florence, the dress of a flame-haired corpse girl.) of the assembled Machine, to the performance of Florence Welch (arms waved, arms reaching out, hands held high) to the set’s subject matter (as remarked by Florence herself) “hell. coffins. blindness. werewolves.” It felt almost religious, something between ritual and ceremony. And it was Halloween.

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“Dog Days Are Over” sounded enormous, “Cosmic Love” towered and soared, and “Kiss with a Fist” straight knocked us out.

Florence is a star. The UK knows. The US soon will. This larger venue North American tour (NY’s Terminal 5, LA’s Wiltern) should help.

Florence + the Machine – You’ve Got the Love (HaHaHa Remix)

Florence + the Machine – Dog Days Are Over (Killabit DnB Remix)

Florence + the Machine – My Boy Builds Coffins (Demo)

reviewed by
11-02-10

Chapel Club live @ Spaceland, Los Angeles DEBUT October 25, 2010

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So rarely do live bands meet the lofty expectations of listeners in this digital-age of short attention spans, and even more rarely do artists exceed such expectations. Anybody who’s been reading b3science on the norm knows that Chapel Club has been a steady mainstay on our radar since we first heard “Surfacing” last year. On Monday October 25, 2010 Chapel Club made their Los Angeles debut opening the Monday night residency at Spaceland, and those privy to witnessing this unpromoted show of their brief NY and LA live stint were in for a pleasant surprise.

Becoming known for their unique blending of dissonant guitar layers, pop melodies, and less than traditional song arrangements, Chapel Club are a Rock band, and of the few bands I’ve witnessed that make their statement (which is already profound on tape) even more strongly in a live setting. Which is quite incredible given that these guys have only been together almost 2 years now. With their debut Paul Epworth produced LP expected to drop January 31, 2011, Chapel Club have only trickled out a select handful of new releases to the public, and have managed to gain support from the blogoshphere as well as major british press including the BBC and NME. Each track of theirs, one after another, explores different structures and themes, while maintaining an unquestionable sonic identity. This is a collective of artists, who’s music translates on their terms and at their pace. A dying art in pop music no doubt, and should Chapel Club continue down their path of artistic integrity they just may be able to craft one of those timeless albums, worthy of decades of influence.

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Watching frontman Lewis Bowman on stage, his shy star quality shines through, and when the band isn’t orchestrating Sonic Youth inspired dynamics between chilled-out riffs worthy of classic Smiths and My Bloody Valentine nods, his baritone voice takes charge of a captive audience with authority and nonchalant charm, filling the room with an endless sense of anticipation. Anticipation is actually a quite good word to describe the Chapel Club experience. Standout songs of the evening which included “Surfacing”, “O Maybe I”, “Five Trees”, and closer “All The Eastern Girls”, all traveled a road of intricate, detail oriented song-writing with poetic lyrics, coupled with a sensibly-dark pop music appreciation.

Needless to say, this was a show I was simply happy to be at. With all the music we absorb here at blahblahblahscience, it was one of those rare moments where I could place myself out of the music industry arena, and simply be a fan. I bought my 12-inch The Shore – EP and made small talk with the band, learning that they plan to return stateside around March for some dates. I’m assuming it all has something to do with SXSW, but either way I’ll be sure to be there. Chapel Club are the sort of band that you can’t wait to see where they are at in 3 or so years… and so with that, we’ll keep you posted.

info
purchase

chapel club-five trees by 69police

reviewed by
10-31-10

Caribou live @ Henry Fonda Music Box, Los Angeles October 8, 2010

Dan Snaith aka Caribou and his band played Friday night, October 8th, 2010, at the Henry Fonda Music Box in Los Angeles, located at the Southwest corner of Hollywood and Gower, which is also the Southeast corner of the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The theater originally opened in 1926 as the Carter DeHaven Music Box Theater. It was called the Fox, followed by the Pix, between the Forties and Seventies, where films had their premieres, and in fact Jaws first showed at the Pix in 1975. The building has been restored over the past several years to its original façade, which could be called Streamline Moderne, (loosely defined as Art Deco, but stripped of its more decorative elements.) However, many Hollywoodites lament the loss of the neon sign which adorned the building three decades ago.

Inside the theater, above the stage and along the walls, are details from the right panel of The Garden of Earthly Delights, by the 16th century Flemish painter Hieronymus Bosch.

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This ancillary information is said to highlight the fact that the Music Box is a great place to see someone like Caribou play, because, like The Music Box, Caribou amalgamates different influences and styles, some of it “cutting edge” or “avant-garde” to the ears of some, and still retains a level of classicism, “rock classicism” in this case, by which I mean mid to late 60’s sounds and song structures. As an electronic newbie back in 2003/2004, this “classicism” helped me bridge the gap and appreciate Snaith’s music from the first.

All of Snaith’s records before Swim had been recorded on an archaic version of Sony ACID, a relatively basic music production software. In fact, Snaith has voiced his disdain in interviews for more in-depth software such as Protools, noting the importance of software whose facility, “allows the thoughts to move as fast as the music.” This also disproves the false notion that Snaith is a virtuoso who records all the instrumentation at once, and he describes his drumming abilities as “very basic.” While he does play the drums live (along with guitar, keys, analog, and recorder), the main drummer plays all of the most difficult parts, the frenetic cacophony of cymbals Caribou/Manitoba is best known for. (sourced interview via One Thirty BPM)

Caribou took the stage at approx. 11:20. They played for about 80 minutes, including the five minute break between the main set and encore. The crowd was very familiar with the recent album Swim, and surprisingly unfamiliar with the earlier material. The audience reception to “Melody Day,” opening track to 2007’s Polaris Prize-winning Andorra, was subdued, and you could almost hear the hipsters whispering, “What song is this?” when they played “Hendrix with KO,” off the 2003 Manitoba album Up In Flames. These songs were highlights of the show for me, prime examples of Snaith’s grounding in Psychadelic Pop. And of course they played all of Swim, playing “Kalli”, “Bowls”, and “Leave House” early in the set, finishing the main set off with “Odessa”, and encore-ing with “Sun”.

I saw Caribou at Cleveland’s Grog Shop back in June, and was surprised that Snaith’s gang trumped themselves with their Music Box show. Even despite the steep disparity in ticket prices ($12 vs. $23) and beer prices ($4 for a PBR tallboy vs. $7 for Heineken in a Dixie Cup). I suppose that’s the price we pay for a more cosmopolitan experience. The venues are more historical, the girls are more beautiful, and the bands play longer and more varied sets. Who says there’s a lower quality of life in the big city? I would gladly trade a covered parking spot or a $450 studio in Cleveland for the opportunity to see shows like Caribou’s at the Music Box in LA on October 8th.

Contributed by: Christopher Gedos

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reviewed by
10-23-10

Mayer Hawthorne / The Heavy / DJ Jazzy Jeff Live @ Paradise, Boston 10/19/10

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This will be a show, not a concert

And it was, and it was phenomenal.

We can’t front. We are serious fans of Mayer Hawthorne. And we’re also pretty into The Heavy. And DJ Jazzy Jeff is a legend. So you can imagine the pitch of our anticipation for this show. We. were. psyched.

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The Heavy mean business. That much was clear throughout the band’s 45 minute or so set. Galvanized by a 3-piece horn section, The Dirty Three (and, man, did they sound it) and buoyed by frontman Kelvin Swaby’s crazy good vocals and stage presence/persona the band growled, rumbled, shaked, thumped and roared through a sweaty selection of tunes from their first two (highly recommended) LPs. “Owwwwwwwwwwwooooooohhhhh”, Swaby, in one of many cool exchanges with the crowd, called out for all the wolves in the audience. “We play music by the devil.”, alluding to the band’s unhallowed co-contributor. “You guys are live, more live than New York last night.” “Fuck New York.”, called back an adjacent show-goer. Swaby was over. He had the crowd. The Heavy were killing it. Sixteen pounded, How You Like Me Now boomed, What You Want Me to Do thundered. The Heavy were HEAVY, the best mix of loud guitar, soulful rhythm, and raw brass. Music by the devil.

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Mayer Hawthorne is a terrific performer. Mayer and his four-piece band The County sounded great. Mayer sporting a fly three piece suit with red tie, The County fitted in matching red cardigans opened the set with A Strange Arrangement standout Your Easy Lovin’ Ain’t Pleasin’ Nothin’ and it was on. Hawthorne and co. smoothed out to a set of approximately 12 songs, a survey of urban music influence spanning the last 50 years, The Temptations-y (and according to Mayer, first song he ever wrote) Just Ain’t Gonna Work Out, The Stylistics-esque I Wish It Would Rain, the 80’s r&b-influenced No Strings, and two Snoop jams The Neptunes classic Beautiful and Hawthorne’s own G-Mix re-touch of Gangsta Luv. Mayer was effortless in his engagement with the crowd, his on stage interactions with his band, and his overall ability to command the show‘s dynamic. “If you ain’t dancin tonight, best file on to the back, and let someone up front that will dance.” The kids were into it, the older dudes were into it, the girls got down. People had fun at this show. It felt great.

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So we got outstanding sets from The Heavy, Mayer Hawthorne, and lest we mention opener New Wave dude Gordon Voidwell; who played a cool set of Synth bangers to the Paradise filers in, no doubt gaining fans, admirers, and Gordon Voidwell true believers in his effort. Ok, could this get any better? I mean what more? What possibly could top this killer Mazda Car tour. DJ JAZZY JEFF! YES! Jeff is a legend. And the opportunity to see the Jazzy DJ get sick with the turntables in person? Oh yes. And Jeff straight up murdered it, turning in arguably the best set of the night. Dude moved effortlessly about the 1’s and 2’s mixing up classic rock with early 90’s house, and disco jams with Lloyd Banks. She’s just like you and me, but she’s homeless, she’s homeless. Gypsy Woman turned to Seven Nation Army. Seven Nation Army blended into Teach Me How to Dougie. Teach Me How to Dougie to BON JOVI. The actual tunes playing (they were all great) became irrelevant. Jeff was that locked in. We didn’t want it to end.

This was a show. This was not a concert.

reviewed by
10-22-10

Miike Snow Live @ House of Blues, Boston 10/10/10

Wow, yeah! The Miike Snow crew hit Boston on Sunday 10/10/10, an appropriate date seeing as the performance was no doubt a 10 10 10! Where to begin… ENERGY! This show had so much of it, from the band itself to the lights, the fog, the kids. We were literally moving the entire 75-minute or so set. Whew! That’s a hell of a workout!

Miike Snow’s 2009 record Animal is fantastic. One of the best pure songwriting records of last year; just the understanding displayed on that record of the multi-fold relationships between rhythm and melody and how the two pair and work together is off the meter. And really, the ability to write a song like Britney Spears’ Toxic, one of the best pop hooks of all time period, as the Swedish contingent of the band Christian Karlsson and Pontus Winnberg won a Grammy for doing, speaks for itself.

So, yes, the record is killer. But the live show…..FUCKING PHENOMENAL. Miike Snow’s Boston performance was truly that, a performance. The show had an arc, it had waves, it pulsed; the tempos pushed outwards, the arrangements ebbed inwards. The whole experience was just totally completely fantastic. Highlights from the set, for us, included a beefed up rendition of the pop perfect Black and Blue, and encore jam The Remedy. These are songs meant to be shouted, meant to be sung aloud, meant to be echoed back at a live show.

The crowd participation/into it-ness was at a very high level. The music was loud, but the kids were louder. The kids were overpowering. Waves of outstretched arms, bobbing heads, frantic shoulder manaeuvers, moved as shadows against the back-lit sextet of Miike Snow performers. The lights, fogs, lazers, other atmospheric type shit were great.

Near the show’s end, frontman Andrew Wyatt lamented that this would be Miike Snow’s last Boston gig for awhile, “We’re making a new record.” We can’t wait.

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reviewed by
10-14-10

Pavement / Sonic Youth / No Age @ the Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles 09/30/10

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…And the last band left standing shall receive the spoils, but these are metaphysical spoils, which shall not be quantified by ticket sales or legions of fans, but rather by the knowledge that your music inhabits a space within the sinuous web of rock and roll, and that every afternoon new bands are forming everywhere, inspired by a specific set of your songs…

Few bands over the past 25 years exhibit the level of influence wielded by Pavement or Sonic Youth, and we would have to go back a half-decade and across the sea to find bands like Joy Division, Gang of Four, and The Clash, who lay claim to a greater circle of followers.

That being said, the September 30th Pavement / Sonic Youth show at the Hollywood Bowl was a lineup for the ages, at one of the most beautiful venues in the world, a venue almost out of antiquity, so complementary with its natural surroundings that it couldn’t be man-made, or at least originally conceived by the father of the great Frank Lloyd Wright, who was called simply Lloyd Wright.

The up-and-coming Los Angeles band No Age opened the show. They are about to embark upon a European tour, which will be followed by an American tour, including a show at Cleveland’s Grog Shop, an old b3sci stomping ground. This is a band to watch. From what I’ve heard, they’re still in the process of amalgamating their influences, but their measures of experimentation show a band without a clearly defined ceiling, for whom the sky’s actually the limit, creators of music which belongs to “no age”.

Sonic Youth played for about fifty minutes, and they absolutely slayed it! Kim Gordon is 57 years old. She’s the hottest rockin’ grandma I’ve ever seen! The tightness of this band is unbelievable, the result of long periods of incessant, generally uninterrupted touring. They’re like Phish, where even if you’re predisposed against the style, witnessing their live performance is enough to baptize the neophytes. They stopped playing at approximately 9:35, waving and leaving without an encore, to the dismay of thousands of old and new converts.

My friend and I walked around the structure during intermission. Except for the steep incline up to the nosebleeds, there isn’t a bad seat in the whole bowl, thanks to the convex arrangement of seats. The consensus is that the new shell, added between the 2003 and 2004 season, has greatly improved the sound quality. Also worth noting, Heineken costs eight dollars at the Hollywood Bowl… we should’ve gone to a liquor store beforehand.

Pavement took the stage a little before ten o’clock. They opened with “Cut Your Hair”, which was the song they played on Leno back in ’94 (watch below). When we see the popular disregard in Malkmus’ falsetto, it’s easy to understand why they weren’t invited back for a second performance. Still, with its hooks and harmonies, “Cut Your Hair” could’ve been a single on the level of Weezer’s “Buddy Holly”, if only it had a Spike Jonze directed memorable music video. Other highlights included “Gold Soundz” (which was voted top song of the 90’s by Pitchfork) , and the transition into Shady Lane. Other set highlights included “Summer Babe” and “Range Life”.

Malkmus had a wry smile as he trotted off the stage, and I figure they’d be back in 90 seconds for an encore, which of course would include “A T & T”, my favorite Pavement song. But the house lights went up immediately, along with some barely audible PA music, a not-so subtle way to tell the masses to exit the premises. Sadly, the band were hoping to play an encore, which would’ve included “A T & T”, but couldn’t due to time constraints.

It was a fantastic show, and I couldn’t have asked for anything more. But Pavement only played 17 songs, totaling an hour, as opposed to their NYC concert, where they played 27. Hopefully I’ll still see them play “A T & T” someday.

Contributed by: Christopher Gedos

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reviewed by
10-06-10

The Temper Trap / Delphic Live @ House of Blues, Boston 09/29/10

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Melbourne, Australia’s wonderboys The Temper Trap continued their worldbeating tour of nonstop jams this past Wednesday at Boston’s House of Blues. The band rolled into the burger and fries venue accompanied by NYC duo The Hundred in the Hands and UK Mancunians Delphic.

We love NME hype bands so much it isn’t even funny. So when we heard NME it girls Delphic were on this bill, we were super super psyched. Their debut LP Acolyte is one of our favs of the year. The band’s brand of synth-driven Manchester-driven rock dance pop came off tremendously well live, suprisingly so. The interplay/coordination between various band personnel was phenomenal, between synthesizers and drum machines, guitars and bass, frontman James Cook’s killer vox and keyboardist Rick Boardman’s equally killer backup vox. The band was really really solid, on top form. Due to their still relative obscurity in the States outside the circles of serious NME hype loving anglophiles like us, Delphic hit the stage to maybe 80% crowd indifference but left it to near total venue admiration.

The Temper Trap have crazy fans and their numbers seems to grow exponentially by the day. The band’s potential is unlimited. These guys could totally be a Coldplay-level band in 5-7 years, they’re that kind of band. This was my first time seeing the band, and wow. All I can really say is wow, I was that impressed. The band, itself, sounded massive. Singer Dougy Mandagi is totally a star. The band’s brand of thoughtful, hopeful, artful pop just straight up destroyed I think everybody in attendance. Think about the word choice in that sentence thoughtful, hopeful, artful & destroyed. The Temper Trap are that kind of band. It’s truly remarkable what these guys are doing. Highlights for me from the set were second song Fader with its mega, dare I say Hutchence-esque, hooks and killer rhythmic elements and mid-set jam Love Lost which does sort of sound like what the aforementioned Coldplay might sound like if they were still hungry.

Potential. Potential. Potential. Both The Temper Trap and Delphic have a veritable shitload of it; Delphic, likely, more so in the UK but really with The Temper Trap, its’ worldwide. They’re that kind of band.

The Temper Trap: Info / Purchase
Delphic: Info / Purchase

reviewed by
10-03-10

Mount Kimbie Live @ the Downtown Independent, Los Angeles 9/26/10

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The UK duo, Mount Kimbie, made their Los Angeles debut Sunday night at the Downtown Independent, an indie film theater which doubles quite nicely as a concert venue. After a chill on the venues rooftop patio, began the evening’s run of five plus hours of electro, experimental, urban, dub, and pop inspired acts. Classic mob’esque and big band sample-saavy MC’s, 5 O’Clock Shadowboxers, got things started sporting gun holstered costumes and some notable ‘Dharma Initiative’ references. Other support worth mentioning includes Sahy Uhns, Strangeloop, and Shlohmo; all who gave inspired performances.

Mount Kimbie hit the stage near midnight for their self-proclaimed first ever gig in LA. Experiencing first hand Mount Kimbie’s manipulation of electronic and live-instrumental (guitar, drum/symbol, and vox) sound layers offered an exciting glimpse at this duo’s potential, and that of a growing niche of electronic acts. What sets Kimbie’s compositions apart is the group’s ability to take the sonics apart, stretch them, ply them, break each of the sounds they produce into their simplest nuances. Less visually focused than any of the acts earlier that night, their songs and brilliant transitions lead to an inspiring set from an aspiring young group.

While the duo seemed concerned about some minor monitor issues, the sound was rather good and the crowd was no doubt pleased, and familiar, with the set consisting mostly of material from Mount Kimbie’s Maybes and Sketch on Glass EPs and their most recent LP Crooks & Lovers. The second to last track of the set, and released single, “Field” became the clear standout song of the night. A faint electronic texture looped with crescendo as a simple electric guitar lick sneaked in to build an hypnotic atmosphere.. when suddenly gears shifted, and another world of composition began. A basic progression of loud, driven guitar chords played out until electronics entered to bring the song back to a level reality; showcasing an ideal sound marriage of innovative electronic music and straight forward rock and roll. Other highlights of the set included their performance of the track “Would Know”, some interesting improv on eastern world melodies, as well as a next level-type manipulation of a “don’t go and tell my baby” vocal line.

In conclusion, Mount Kimbie’s first show in LA seemed to be, by their account a gracious one. Fans with open minds found their solace. The night served as yet just another shimmering example of music evolution across the pond. A duo with much more to them than any niche they fall into, Mount Kimbie prove, in their own way, that simple ideas can still lead to musical innovation.

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rating:
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reviewed by
10-01-10

Phantogram Live @ Paradise, Boston 09/22/10

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Holy shit, when I first heard Phantogram’s debut LP “Eyelid Movies”. Holy shit! Holy shit! I was basically inconsolable, “This record is amazing!” “Have you heard this shit?” “Its got so much crazy amazing complementary sounds on it.” That shit went on for at least a couple weeks, as I was so ridiculously into this record. It was like hearing Interpol for the first time when I was 18 or Pink Floyd when I was 12 or the fucking Cleveland Orchestra doing the Missa Solemnis for the first time. I was like, finally, fucking finally, someone’s put together all these diverse, yet complementary sounds together, all these sounds that I fucking love. Suffice to say, when Phantogram landed in Boston for a show at the Paradise, shit. was. on.

Typically performing as the duo of vocals/keys/electronics/moves Sarah Barthel and guitars/vocals/electronics/moves Josh Carter, this gig at Paradise was Phantogram’s first performance as a three piece, adding a live drummer to the group. The performance itself was not without complication, there were some technical onstage problems between the band and their new drummer, the band and their equipment, the equipment and their venue, but that aside, Phantogram’s concise approx. 45 minute set was for the most part fucking great.

Phantogram opened with As Far As I Can See, Sarah and Josh moving about the stage to the pulse of strobe lights (think something out of the How Soon Is Now video). The band were fucking loud. It was phenomenal. The sound literally shook up, rattled, took the room clear over. Hearing that song, and others, live for the first time made me feel something similar to when I first started spinning the record, just all these exceptional feelings, all at once. And the live drummer really gave the songs something heavier, something more visceral, something that just pushed at you, at your core, pushed you to feel the songs that much more.

Apologizing for the scores of onstage technical problems, Josh made a parting affirmation to the audience, “Boston, next time, we promise, we will blow your fucking socks off.”
No fucking doubt.

Phantogram’s Eyelid Movies LP is out now on Barsuk.

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The Smiths – How Soon Is Now

reviewed by
09-26-10

Kings of Convenience Live @ Paradise, Boston 06/02/10

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“We’re so glad we were able to see Boston in the summer time”. Kings of Convenience, making good on a rescheduled February date, played to a sold out Paradise Rock Club Wednesday Night. And the heaviness, the warmth of the summer time air suited them, particularly the tunes on the duo’s latest 2009’s “Declaration of Dependence”.

KOC was met with a venue that was equal parts quiet (the bar, at the band’s request had been closed for the performance) and murmurous (the capacity audience hummed with anticipation for the show’s start). With a few thin guitar strums the set set into motion. The motion picture projector-like sound emanating from a rickety cooling fan some place deep in the Paradise’s recesses gave songs such as “Misread” and “Mrs. Cold” an almost cinematic quality. “24-25”, “Boat Behind” floated, drifted, just sort of hung in the sodden, sticky June air.The vocal/guitar melodies/harmonies of Eirik Glambek Bøe/Erlend Øye were fluid, each blending, breathing, with the other.

“We have always had this dream to do a World Tour of Cities that begin with the Letter B” remarked Eirik later into the set. “We’ll begin in our hometown of Bergen, Norway. Then Berlin, Barcelona.” “Buenos Aires”, someone shouted from the crowd, “Brasilia” yelled another, “Brisbane!” The band’s interactions with their public were easy.

Openers Franklin for Short joined the band for the show’s closing three numbers, including an all the way live version of “I’d Rather Dance with You”. Erlend moved, Paradise moved. Erlend clapped, Paradise clapped.

“Boston!”, “Yes, Boston. Of course, Boston.” retorted back Eirik. YES BOSTON! Erlend, Eirik, come back soon!

Kings of Convenience – Renegade

Kings of Convenience – Misread

reviewed by
06-08-10

Jose James – Warrior / Quadron – Day / more / and Live @ Zanzibar TONIGHT!

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we’ve said it once and we’ll say it again… Jose James‘ Blackmagic LP is KILLER! dude blends soul, hip-hop and jazz ALL proper. having worked with Gilles Peterson, Bassment Jaxx, and Flying Lotus to name a few, he’s definitely flying high on the b3sci radar..

if you’re around, Jose performs tonight at Zanzibar in Santa Monica, with bonus dj sets from Quadron (with live vocals), and KCRW’s Anthony Valdez. so to make it official, the b3sci ‘fuck yeah’ meter has reached sensory overload!!

Jose James – Warrior
Jose James – Blackmagic
Jose James – Made for Love (Prod. Flying Lotus)
Quadron – Day

myspace jose james
myspace quadron
anthony valdez
buy music!

reviewed by
04-07-10