Field Music Great Scott March 27th

Saw these guys last night. Nice music - but is that an insult.
the Phoenix reviewed it here http://www.thephoenix.com/article_ektid36435.aspx
To quote Christopher Gray (want this removed let me know)
Those of us too poor to make it down to Austin for last week’s SxSW festival were treated to a mini-showcase of some of indie rock’s strongest up-and-coming bands at Great Scott last night. Openers Land of Talk, a solid post-rock trio from Montreal, played through most of their breakthrough EP, Applause Cheer Boo Hiss, and upped the energy and charisma with every song. Singer/guitarist Elizabeth Powell sounds like the jilted-lover twin sister of that girl from Sixpence None the Richer. Outside of a few lapses into easy, populist dance-punk drum breaks, the group carved its niche with gusto.

England’s Field Music, looking pissed-off and sullen for the first few tracks, perked up after they got their sound mix figured out. The band cruised in sequence through the first half of their excellent new album, Tones of Town. Lead singers and brothers Peter and David Brewis gamely swapped drummer/guitarist positions every few songs, both completely adept at managing the band’s start-stop rhythms and often-nonexistent time signatures. Smart and gracious, they behaved like The History Boys’s forgotten indie-pop band: angsty but well-schooled show-offs.

Menomena’s set change was exhausting, but the Portland, OR trio began around midnight amid a floor cramped with pedals, two saxophones and at least three guitars. The great kick of seeing this band live is discovering how they’ll recreate their dense songs, which are patched together on a self-designed, loop-recording computer program called Deeler.

The answer? Feats of absurd dexterity. There’s Brent Knopf, playing the xylophone and keyboard at the same time with a guitar on his back . . . Oh wait! He’s using it now! There’s Justin Harris, switching guitar pedals by the beat before he bounds over to the saxophone suspended to a mic stand for easier access. There’s Danny Seim, taking frontman duties on a few songs while still pounding through mad-genius complicated, syncopated beats.

Outside of a strangely empty take on fan-favorite “Muscle ’n Flo,” the band filled the massive shoes of its triumphant new album, Friend and Foe, without a hitch. Crowd and band sweat buckets and loved every minute of it, and the boys even broke their no-encore policy, or tried to before Danny bolted across the street to McDonalds the second the set ended. We all waited ten or fifteen minutes for him to get back. And it was worth it.

End quote

We arrived as Land of Talk were playing their last two songs, Peter hated her voice I kind of like the sound.
We moved in to get a better view of Field Music, three pleasant guys from Sunderland. For non-brits that's the same place as Futureheads and may as well be Newcastle, home of Maximo Park. I love this new trend where the accents actually show in the music these days. Fair renditions from Tones of Town, many transpositions of positions on drumsets. Yes it was enjoyable- did it knock my socks off, did it drive my body wild until I couldn't stand still - No. Would I see them again, probably not, did I regret going - Not for a second.
We stayed until Memomena started, lasted two songs before confirming that good though Memomena are they are just not our sort of band.
As we walked out Field Music were hanging around the back. I talked to one of them (oh the shame totally unsure the name of the guy I talked to). At SXSW Tom from ESP was venting about the fact Field Music played a very short set were unrepentant and saying they were not going to be anymore. So with those words I was curious. So I just straight up asked them. They are taking a break, recharging the batteries less time on the road less time being 'forced' into publicity and all that kind of things.
They were amused about tom venting during the ESP set, and regarding their set admitted they took too long to set up so only did a 20 minute set- short even by SXSW standards. When I admitted we went to see My Latest Novel instead he asked where it had been and how it had been.
Nice conversation, he seemed nice, bit like their music I suppose, I do hope they keep producing music when the pressure is off.

The Young Knives March 21st Harper's Ferry

When The Young Knives originally planned to come to Boston they sheduled to play Great Scott, which I think my blogs have made clear I love as a venue. Small, intimate, cozy and decent sound and I love rubbing shoulders with the band at the bar. Instead we got them at Harper's Ferry which quite frankly sucks as a venue - cavernous, cold and the sound was appalling.
The Young Knives wer eof course screwed by the visa situation, as were many bands, but still persevered and got here - Damn you George Bush. How can anyone think that these guys have any issues?
We talked to both Henry and Houseof Lords (Tom) at the NME BBQ at SXSW and they seemed genuinely friendly talking about visas, Boston amongst other things. We bumped into them a couple of times around SXSW although we didnt see them play again (they put on a nice show at the BBQ).
Grabbing a bite to eat and a drink before the show we bumped into them again and they initiated conversations - these are down to earth guys who work their butts off to get their music out there.

We got there in time to see Blanks and some othe band get off stage and waited for Protokoll. We have seen Protokoll many times but this was by far their worst performance, not sure if this was by design (please no!) or just bad mixing. It was Ben's last show and the frustration and anger on stage was palpable but not productive. The sounds were muddy and little of Jose's distinctive vocal could be heard. Nasty, muddled and harsh - if this were the first time I were seeing Protokoll I would not go see them again. Hey guys pull it together and make the decent music you can when things are good.
The Young Knives played for an hour and the sound was better (though not perfect the sound guy sucked).
Setlist
Enjoyed their tracks, loved hearing the new song, the banter and generally seeing thwm do a decent length set.
People do yourself a favor and buy this CD.

SXSW Saturday 17th

1:15 holloways emos
2:10 shitdisco Beauty Bar
3:00 Blanche
3:50 Foals Bootleg BBQ mean eyed cat
4:50 Bat for Lashes
5:30 The wombats Latitude 30 The liverpool Party
8:00 My latest Novel buffalo billiards
8:50 The Watson Twins Cedar St courtyard
9:30 The electric soft Parade
10:30 Tilly and The Wall Beauty Bar Ptio
11:20 The Pipettes
12:00 Stoney the Tap room
12:45 Mumm-ra Red 7 Patio

I need to give details but I am currently exhausted and need to get to the softball BBQ

SXSW Friday 16th

Why isnt the world here? such an amazing time!
12:30 The hot Puppies Welsh Party Latitude 30
1:00 Winterkids at the SESAC stage
2:00 The Hedrons Scottish Party Lava Lounge
2:30 Jo Mango
3:00 Emma Pollock
4:00 Delorentos Irish Party BD Rileys
4:30 Air Traffic
5:15 Scissors For Lefty San Fran Party Spiros
7:00 The Cinematics Industry of Music Party O'Fados Pub
7:30 Thomas Dolby Industry of Music Tent 4th St
8:45 Hot Club De Paris The Blind Pig (Camel Party)
9:15 The Eames Era BD Rileys
10:00 The Victorian English Gentlemens Club
12:00 The Pigeon Detectives Club DeVille
1:00 The Blood Arm

SXSW Thursday 16th

Oh boy, this was a busy one!
1:30 The Pipettes at Fader
2:05 Jeremy Warmsley at Transgressive
3:00 Foals at transgressive
3:50 Pete and the Prates at Fader
5:00 The Wombats The Planetary group Party
Break for BBQ-Thanks New Zealand!
all the following at the Karma Lounge
8:00 Plan B
8:40 errors
9:05 The Rumble Strips
10:00 Jack Penate
11:00 Fujiya & Miyagi
12:00 Sunshine underground
1:00 The Holloways.

Lets see what today brings!

SXSW 2007

So its here, without
forward, russia, Battle, houdouken!, the KBC, enter shikari, Little man tate, Yes boss and the view amongst others.

Wednesday
Little radio show red eyed fly
Bloodcut love 1pm- (we were getting a beer they were ok)
NME BBQ stubbs
3:45 The young Knives
4:30 Mumm-Ra Both stunning
Little radio show
5:15 Peter bjorn and John
Fader 400 4th st
6:20 Hot Club De Paris
Evening
NME show stubbs
8:00 The sunshine underground good
9:00 The automatic amusing
10:00 Jamie T
The Mohawk Patio
10:45 The twilight sad wonderful music strange stage presence
creekside hilton
12:00 Secretary bird (filler for J.Wo)
1:00 am J wo. Wonderfully intimate- you gotta love it!
1:00 am

must catch up

I should write for hours on the concerts I have been to but life is too nuts.
Synopsis
Paolo Nutini,
saw him do Conan O'Brien, one song at Paul Weller and the Paradise.
Stand up straight boy and look folks in the eye. He came over as a demented sub-normal creep until the paradise show. Not sure what the problem is but when he gets going there is a pretty face under there and a decent performer. The voice and songs, well what can you say, Paolo your voice is like an angel and limited though your songs are. I do love them. But I think he is destined for hype and huge venues- alas poor Paolo once I knew of you.
Lily Allen. (Sunday 18th Feb 2007 Axis)
Lily is what she is, or is she Lily plus, oh how the rumors wirl about her putative pregnancy. There is nothing original here. BUT she does have a great voice, is a bitch and a half (thats a plus in my book) and the songs are catchy even if they rip off other tunes right left and centre. And I just Love 'Nan, your a window shopper' - do you think anyone in her family talks to her?
Razorlight (Sunday 25h Feb 2007 Middle East Downstairs)
Got there early and managed to be at the front. Absolutely nothing offensive about Mohair but then nothing to make me go out of my way to go to their next gig.
So Razorlight. Always a band i have been ambivalent about, a little guilty about taking a front row place but what the heck. If nothing else in sub-zero temps it gives you a place to put your coat.
So Johnny comes out wearing poured on white jeans, yes we know which side you dress on Johnny and then some. The vneck shirt looks thin enough to be transparent and the low vneck is not flattering. A bad case of channelling Freddie Mercury. Within two songs off came the t-shirt. I know Johnny bats for the other team but this was a semi-porn experience.... The jeans only started after the pubic arrow of har had started and after the curve of muscle that curves down to the groin. This was a fully fledged mating display- totally distracting and if anyone wants photos I took closeups!
But to the music, the stage show was entertaining and the music well played, I find some razorlight songs slightly the same but I enjoyed the night and as long as they play venues this size would find myself buying tickets again.

MC Lars (Tuesday 27th Feb 2007 Middle East Upstairs)
Lars was doing a support slot upstairs at the Middle East. We got ther about ten minutes before he came on then left about five mnutes after he came off. He did the show to a slide show projector from his MAC and was the normal consumate performer. I have a real soft spot for LARS and would love to have the chance to see him do a show twice as long. Under his comedy his songs have some real biting points to make and i love that too.
Songs played that I remember, Signing Emo, Hot Topic, Krunk Rock, Hot Topic is not punk Rock, 21 concepts,I Generation, The Raven. This is about the only rap I stand. Love you Lars!
Bright Eyes and M.Ward
(Wednesday 28th Feb 2007 Somerville Theatre)
As an opener M. Ward was bearable and while not my style i opened my mind and tried to see what he was about, when he played with Bright Eyes I could have strangled him - cheerfully.
Bright Eyes- he was Bright Eyes, voice that entrances me, songs that I feel I should like more than I do, oddity to the max. Worth it but not quite sure what I saw.