Violens | Seaport Music Festival | 8.22.2008

 
A picture-perfect evening made for what was probably the most enjoyable Friday at the Seaport of the Season for me, with Violens turning in the best performance.* Or maybe the most surprisingly great, as they've only got four songs released and my previous experience seeing them live was a good but... with a surprisingly great sound mix, the lovely weather, the band's excellent songs, tight playing and  a set of influences that so closely mirrors my own... Violens shot up my list of favorite new bands over the course of their 40-minute set.

As you may know, frontman Jorge Elbrecht is also part of the art collective Lansing-Dreiden (very post-punk in concept no doubt), who released two albums in the early Aughts. While L-D focus more on the art side of things, Elbrecht has Violens as a musical outlet. Less than a year old, Violens are made up of members of the L-D Section touring band (which Elbrecht wasn't part of [I don't think], despite singing lead on the records...again, very post punk) and they've become a tight little unit, capable of light, jangly pop ("Already Over" and  a Smiths-y set closer) and serious shredding. "Trance-Like Turn," which is a New Order-y techno-rocker on the Green Owl compilation where it's found, takes on more ethereal, dreamy feel... until Elbrecht rips it up. He's said in interviews of his love for The Monochrome Set and Mr. Bungle and it's clear here he's serious. I was seriously impressed.

Here's a couple songs I shot:

Trance-Like Turn:

And this rocker is called "Grey Reigning":

I'm anxious to see them somewhere like Mercury Lounge where we get a more intimate setting but good sound. And I know it's somewhat rediculous to expect a band this new to have an album out this quickly, but I am ready for another EP already.



MP3: Violens - Violent Sensation Descends (via RCDLBL; buy the Violens EP from Insound)

They've got a new EP coming out, actually, but you gotta go to Fashion Week to get it. Violens are scoring designer's Patrik Ervell's unveiling of his Spring '09 collection, reworking their songs as marches. And they'll be giving out copies of those reworkings at the event.

Also: Violens play Philly club Johnny Brendays this Saturday (8/30) and then head off to the UK to play a bunch of shows with MGMT and Amazing Baby in November:

Nov 3 Ambassador Dublin
Nov 5 Academy Leeds
Nov 6 Rock City Nottingham
Nov 7 Academy Bristol
Nov 9 Barrowlands Glasgow
Nov 10 Academy Birmingham
Nov 11 Academy Manchester

* Best Seaport Music Festival Show that I saw... missed Dirty Projectors last week.