Sound Bites

Siren Fest 2009: Built to Spill + Thee Oh Sees + Japandroids + Raveonettes + Grand Duchy + more

Built to Spill

Grand Duchy/Frank Black

Thee Oh Sees

Without a doubt, this was the most pleasant weather the Siren Festival has ever seen. Maybe a weird thing to say up front, but here's a festival that has a reputation for being held on the most miserably hot, humid day of the year, where you wish someone would squeegee you every half hour. So with temperatures in the mid-80s and low humidity, I'd almost say it was pleasant. For Sire it was close to perfect.

And so was the lineup, even if it was almost entirely white dudes with guitars. At least they were good ones. I got there just in time to see Micachu & the Shapes who were good but maybe not ready for such a big stage just yet. (Her tiny guitar looked even more minuscule here.) They were much better when I saw them at Death by Audio in March. Their album, produced by cut-and-paste master Matthew Herbert is kind of hard to replicate live, but they do a pretty good job of it thanks to an array of kitchen-sink percussion.

Canadian duo Japandroids also had never played anywhere this big and guitarist Brian King was freaking out, just a bit. To the drummer, "Dave did you see the size of the crowd?! If you took every crowd we've ever played to in the history of our band, it would not be anywhere near this many people." King was swigging from a bottle of Jagermeister, which seemed like a bad idea to me, but he was clearly burning off any alcohol in his system within seconds, as he was a whirlwind of energy, seriously rocking out. And their songs give The Cribs a run for the money in the "whoa-oh" department. There was maybe a little too much rocking out and not enough choruses but the energy carried them through just fine.

Thee Oh Sees got an early start on the Stillwell stage -- maybe ten minutes before the posted set time -- and put on my favorite set of the day. (This should be no surprise to readers of this site, I'm a big fan.) They're of the "put the gear on the stage, turn it on and we'll be fine" mentality, and would rather just get on with it than wait around, because clearly singer John Dwyer is a bundle of nervous energy that comes flying apart the second he plugs in. The man rarely stays still, is prone to abusing his instruments (and yet that green-and-black 12-string stays in tune), spitting, and eating the microphone. I pity the person that might ever have to use it after him. And there have been many guitarists -- from Hendrix to Prince -- who've played guitar with their teeth, but Dwyer actually holds his instrument in his mouth, leaving his hands free for shaker bells and fiddling with his amp. And the songs are great too. My only complaint was the set was too short. Thee Oh Sees will be back in October with the Fresh & Onlys, so be sure to make it to one of those shows.

I only caught a couple songs from Frightened Rabbit, whose anthemic brand of Scottish Rock puts them in Twilight Sad (or even Snow Patrol, lets admit it) territory. It's not my thing, but the crowd liked them. I stuck around the main stage for Grand Duchy which is occasional Pixie Frank Black and wife Violet Clark's new band. There's a new wave influence with GD, which separates them from what Black normally does but you can still trace the line between projects. Black has gotten bigger but he still exudes rockstar cool, he's the real deal, though the Lou Reed style headless basses that Clark and the bands other keyboardist wielded get them negative points in style. Seriously, nobody should play those things ever.

I tried to go see Monotonix but their mayhem took place in the middle of the crowd. I took the opportunity to get some food and made it back to see the Raveonettes who only have two songs (fast and slow) but they are good ones. They sound great, and look great... a quality that can never be underestimated.

Indie rock guitar gods Built to Spill know how to play a festival -- bring the hits, and as little wank as is possible for a band with three guitarists. The band are kind of rocking a late-'70s Beach Boys look now, which suits them pretty well. A new record is due out this fall, but mainly we get the classics: "Wrong," "Temporarily Blind," "Distopian Dream Girl," "Sidewalk" and the one-two punch of encore "Big Dipper" and "Carry the Zero" was all it took to remind me how much I love BTS. And Coney Island, which has too much grit and seediness to ever be erased by developers, even though the new amusements section is a pale shell of Astroland. I hope there are still Sirens to come.

Yes there were more bands, but I didn't see them. More photos after the jump.

Independents' Day: Woodsist / Captured Tracks Festival | 7.04.2009

Dum Dum Girls

The Fresh & Onlys

Ganglians

Woods

Some people spent their Fourth of July watching fireworks. Others barbequed with friends. One guy spent his eating 68 hot dogs in ten minutes. Me? I hang out in an empty lot underneath the JMZ line in Bushwick Brooklyn watching a whole bunch of awesome bands on the Captured Tracks and Woodsist labels. I skipped out on the first night of the Fest after, due to threat of rain, it got moved from the empty lot to adjacent Market Hotel which by all accounts was like being in a bbq smoker. (I ended up at the Seaport instead watching Here We Go Magic and Bachelorette.) Saturday, however, couldn't be more idyllic -- upper '70s, mostly sunny and no humidity. Despite some technical and sound issues throughout the day, the vibes stay positive throughout.

I go with my friends Don and Kelly and their 5-year-old daughter Diaz, who wears pink sound-blocking earmuffs the whole day and thinks there aren't enough girls in the bands. I also try to get her to be an on-camera reporter, reviewing the show via fed lines like "I'd rather have German Measles than watch German Measles again." But she's not having it. German Measles aren't actually that bad, I just thought it would be a funny line. But they're also not very good. And that kind of seems to be the point. Shambolic is an understatement, like "why rehearse when we can just play shows?" They played a couple night before, opening for Thee Oh Sees at Glasslands and Don asked me if the songs were all improvised on the spot. No, they've got some songs and if you see them more than once you might remember some of them, like "Patty Girl" which they almost play with something approaching competence. Or maybe they're just totally wasted. The singer sure was, having finished a bottle of red wine while his bandmates set up and moving on to Budweiser by the time they first note is played. 

Real Estate probably sound the best of any of the bands that day, their dreamy Greatful Dead meets New Zealand good vibe noodling that is not all that far from the Meat Puppets at times too. They play through PA problems like it's doesn't matter, and you know... it doesn't. They're good. When they stick to the a-sides, it is sunny day perfection. When they start jamming, they lose me. It's festival, you've got 25 minutes, please stick to the hits.

The Beets have bass amp problems so the other two dick around with Beatles covers till equipment is switched out. "Thankyouverymuch" mumbles guitarist Juan Wauters which is the only banter you ever get from The Beets, before he kicks his amp again to unleash a squal of reverb. The Beets don't sound that loud on their records, but they can be deafening live, with the kind of feedback not heard since the early days of the Jesus and Mary Chain. Thier songs don't so much end as stop, but they've got some really good tunes, rooted in '60s party rock, making them perfect for an outdoor show like this. Do they still make Sun Country wine coolers?

I get burgers and check out the merch table while The Great Excape play. It is some kind of reunion but I don't remember them so I didn't pay much attention. Ganglians are up next, one of many California bands in town for the fest. They've got two good new records out: An mini-LP which rocks, and an LP of lovely Brian Wilson-influenced acoustic psychedelia. We get strictly the former today, which is too bad as "Lost Words" or "Candy Girl" would sound great here, though I guess when the M train rattles by every ten minutes (with confused conductors craning their necks to see what the hell is going on down below) you gotta battle that with full-electric mayhem. Their guitarist, who kind of looks like he's 14, does some amazing things on his instrument and is like, totally into it, man. He's a lot of fun to watch. But I prefer the poppy stuff over more drony material like "Never Mine" which there is video of below. I imagine seeing them indoors is a different experience.

As all-girl, C-'86-influenced trios go, San Francisco's Brilliant Colors might just be the best of the bunch, writing songs that rival Vivian Girls' catchiest, and keeping it tight like Sweden's Liechtenstein and more attitude than either. (Check out "I'm Sixteen" for serious snarl.) They might lack a little in stage presence but playing in the heat of the sun can drain even the most charming performers.  But these ladies are quality, one of the day's best. Am really hoping another NYC show will materialize before they go back.

Budweiser is delicious when drunk fast and often. Even when it is lukewarm, like it is today. Just putting things in perspective.

Next up, the band I am most excited to see today: The Fresh & Onlys. They wowed me at the Woodsist/Todd P party during SXSW and have since becoming a superfan. Singer Tim Cohen broke his wrist a couple weeks ago punching bassist Shayde Sartin in a particularly drunken and violent bit of horseplay, so here he's playing keyboards instead of guitar. Not tied to his instrument, he now makes a lot of operatic gestures with his arms, leaving the guitar heroics to slickly-dressed Wymond Miles who pulls out all the rock moves. I am biased, but they sound pretty amazing, rivaling Real Estate for best sonics of the night. I think they won for stage presence too (the only band of the day to attempt audience participation), though if I'd stayed for Thee Oh Sees I might be saying second-best. (Oh Sees were phenomenal at Glasslands two nights previous.) F&Os have three records out now, and like seven more things coming out this year on nearly as many labels. To date it's all been home recordings which gives things a vintage feel, but live they sound more in the now and less like a group in love with 1966. "Invisible Forces," which is on their upcoming Woodsist LP Grey Eyed Girls, is a minor chord stunner. 

Following  their performance I finally meet Shayde face-to-face -- he participated in an email-interview for this blog you may remember. "You're Bill Pearis? I pictured you as a fat, bearded 50-year-old dude." Um, thanks. I buy cassette-only release of theirs, Bomb Wombs, and then remember I don't own a cassette player anymore. I'll figure something out.

I spy Crocodiles' singer Brandon Welchez with his guitar at the grocery store around the cornerand think maybe they're going to play in the "???" slot on the schedule scrawled on a piece of cardboard that's tied to the stage. But then I remember that he's got ties to Dum Dum Girls' Dee Dee (tied the knot in fact, it turn out) so it's no real surprise to see him playing guitar in DDGs' first ever show. The band also included Captured Tracks head honcho Mike Sniper on bass and Frankie Rose of Crystal Stilts on drums. Dee Dee, is decked out in a a black dress with fringe, and black tights, which would've probably looked more appropriate in a dark club with smoke machines and strobes. Here, it seemed a bit silly but damn if the four of them don't look like a real band, not some pick-up match. Black and denim, the shades, they are classic cool. And they sound like a band too, and a good one too. Dum Dum Girls got it together. Shirley from NY Noise uses the term "twee goth" and that's pretty much right on the money. Or maybe a little like Siouxsie fronting Tones on Tails, whose hit "Go!" comes to mind during DDGs' final number. It seems a shame this may be the only show these four play together.

Woods suffer the same problem that Real Estate do: they are quick to delve into the extended jam, though their version is a little more Crazy Horse and less blissed-out stoner noodles. But like Real Estate, when Woods stick to the songs, like the great "To Clean," it's absolutely lovely. (Their album Songs of Shame comes highly recommended by me.) As singer Jeremy Earl runs Woodsist, he can do whatever he wants. It's his festival. (Well, half his.) But that doesn't mean I gotta pay close attention.

I have seen Woods now upwards of seven times and I still can't figure out what the one guy in the band does. He's always off to the side, fiddling with some piece of homemade equipment involving cassette tapes, and sings through an old pair of headphones that are put on sideways. Using phones as a mike I guess gives a tinny, "old timey" sound to the vocals but it also kind of looks like he's wearing a ball gag that is tethered to the floor. Every time I see them I think of the gimp in Pulp Fiction. Maybe this is the look they're going for but I doubt it. Still, some lovely songs.

The sun is now setting and I am losing steam. (So is my camera battery and the flash card is full.) As Kurt Vile takes the stage, I take my leave, also missing Vivian Girls and Thee Oh Sees (who I already saw this week). I'm gonna need a nap if I'm gonna make it to the afterparty.

Also there: Stereogum, PopJew, StarkOnline, The Pop Filter , The Village Voice and, of course,  John Norris.

My Canon Powershot has turned out to be a much better video camera than a regular one. I shot every band of I saw, but ended up deleting German Measels for space reasons only. Video and a couple more pictures after the ol' jump.

Sound Bites Best of 2008: Gigs

Show of the Year: Jarvis Cocker | Music Hall of Williamsburg | 7.21.2008

"Seeing Jarvis Cocker makes you realize that almost all other bands are chumps. This is how it's done. This is a show. This is charisma. This is It. You can't take your eyes off him. My #1 show of 2007 was his show at Webster Hall (and I hate Webster Hall) and this one was better."

And also these...

Red Mass | M for Montreal Festival | 11.22.2008

"Featuring members of infamous garage rock collective CPC Gangbangs, this was Red Mass' first-ever live show and clearly they wanted to make a statement. As their name would suggest, Red Mass were about 10 strong and all-clad in red... apart from the one dude who wore only a Speedo and gold paint."

The Muslims | Union Pool | 10.26.2008

"The Muslims played an astounding 10 shows during CMJ, and this was the last... despite being obviously tired and guitarist Matty McLoughlin having his fingers wrapped in black electrical tape because he'd busted them open repeatedly over the week, with blood spattered all over his guitar, they played like it was their first show of the week."

Casiokids | Cake Shop | 10.25.2008

"...It was at this point that Ketil squeezed through their wall of keyboards, past the monitors and got face-to-face with the crowd, basically standing directly in front of me the whole time. My friend Erin said it looked like I was being serenaded."

Late of the Pier | Music Hall of Williamsburg | 10.22.2008

"These are youngsters but they rock like pros, pulling off the guitar heroics, the funky parts, everything. And we danced to it. Even more than the Klaxons, Late of the Pier seem to truly come from outer space. But they make it seem like the most natural thing on earth."

Women | Cake Shop | 10.21.2008

"Women are so much better live than on record. The album, while good, is a little too drenched in Animal Collective-style reverb, while onstage (or in Cake Shop's case, the floor) they hit pretty hard."

Kirsten Ketsjer | Lit Lounge | 10.16.2008

"This is the definition of power trio (not to compare them to Cream or anything, there's no bass), three as one -- you know, very New Testament but in a rock sort of way... If you like Velvet Underground, Television, Bettie Serveert, the Greatful Dead, Marnie Stern, metal, indie rock, Denmark, spoken word, noodling, no-bass bands, twin-leads, or Nordic good looks... this might be the band for you."

Echo & the Bunnymen | Radio City Music Hall | 10.01.2008

This was a swoon-worthy night. The Bunnymen are 30 this year, hence this celebration of what they consider their crowning achievement with three shows: London, New York, and their hometown of Liverpool."The Killing Moon" is what a lot of people were there to hear, and many unbelievably left after that, but for me it was the album's more obscure gems that made my knees a bit weak. 

Sic Alps + Thee Oh Sees + Ty Segall | Death by Audio | 9.28.2008

"Main Oh See John Dwyer is one of those mike eaters, it spending more time in his mouth than not, all the better to get that overdriven, distorted vocal sound. But I wouldn't want to be the band that used it after them. He's also a Give 100% performer, who slams his guitars around and whose eyes bug out a little when he sings. The rest of the band are no slouches either (they've got a whalloper of a drummer) and there was a nice interplay between Dwyer and Thee Oh Sees' other singer, Brigid Dawson. They played their hearts out."

BOAT | Cake Shop | 8.17.2008

"If BOAT lived here instead of Seattle I have a feeling they'd be my favorite local band.  All their songs are catchy, and funny without being jokes. The band also has good stage banter and a penchant for props -- big signs, confetti and shakers made out of Solo cups."

Witch Hats | Santos Party House | 8.11.2008

"Witch Hats really benefit from clear sound; the sludge turns into organized noise, even if it's just as loud. (Super loud!) It still takes a minute or two for hooks to break through the chaos, but they are there. Witch Hats are wild but with purpose, a bit gothy without looking the part, and possess a wise-ass sense of humor."

Metronomy | Union Hall | 8.01.2008

"Metronomy are better live than you think they're going to be. It probably has something to do with the stick-it-and-clickit lights they had affixed to their chests. Aware that they are three dudes playing keyboards and guitars and bass (and occasionally saxaphone and melodica) with no drummer and a fair amount of pre-programmed music, they know you have to give the audience something more if you want them to actually pay attention to you."

Sic Alps | Death by Audio | 7.19.2008

"We are in the midst of a heatwave here in New York with temperatures in the upper '90s during the day and only dropping to around 80 at night. I have spent a lot of it in semi-legal performance spaces with zero air conditioning. There has been a lot of sweating but Sic Alps were the first band I've seen all week that made it feel like the heat was being generated from the stage."

Pants Yell! | Pianos | 6.13.2008
"A tight cohesive trio with a beast of a drummer, Pants Yell! were on fire in the packed room. On their excellent third album from late last year, Alison Statton, they sound polite, but live it's more hyperkinetic. You could even say they rocked."

Swervedriver + Dirty on Purpose | Bowery Ballroom | 6.11.2008

"I texted my friend Don before they started: "There are like 10 girls here. Five are bartenders, the rest are here against their will." I was excited to see Swervedriver's first NYC show in ten years, but all this, um, dudeness was freaking me out. But then Swervedriver came out and just killed it. Like the last ten years never happened. Jaw-droppingly, why-aren't-you-still-a-band-and-making-records good."

Love Is All + Versus + Crystal Stilts | Bowery Ballroom | 6.16.2008

"I know this wasn't the coolest show of the night (Sigur Ros) or the coolest show of Love Is All's visit (Cake Shop or Market Hotel win over this) but what show! And band-for-band one of the best I've seen this year."

Violens + Savoir Adore + Amazing Baby | Union Pool | 5.10.2008
"It pleases me greatly to go into a show mostly blind and come out a fan of every band on the bill. That never happens anymore. Maybe I'm just going to the wrong shows."

Elbow | Webster Hall | 4.26.2008

"This was the first night of their American tour for Elbow's great, just-released fourth album, The Seldom-Seen Kid which is full of the heartfelt mini-epics the band are so good at. Joined on this tour by two violist/backup singers, Elbow were grander than usual, but it was Garvey's charm, humor, and smokey voice that makes people lifetime fans."

The Duke Spirit | Mercury Lounge | 2.13.2008

"Liela Moss is a pistol. As much as you wanted to check out the rest of the band, it was hard to take your eyes off her. She knows what she's got and she knows how to work it. There is no doubt Moss is beautiful, but she's got the pipes to match and, obviously, a stage presence to hold it all together. Moss held the crowd but certainly the rest of the band kept her up. A lot of crushes were made Wednesday night but The Duke Spirit are the total package."

Liars | Warsaw | 2.09.2008

At 6-foot-somethingorother, Liars front man Angus Andrew is a magnetic, kind of menacing presence. Even in a raspberry colored suit. While sitting down. As you may have heard, Andrew threw out his back shortly before Liars were to begin their current tour with No Age so he's being doing the shows from a chair. (The accompanying table is a nice touch.) For some bands this might have been a major setback but it didn't seem to affect Liars' ferocious performance at Warsaw one iota.

The 1900s + Stevie Jackson | Union Hall | 1.10.2008

"Jeepers, how good are The 1900s? It's been almost two years since I saw them open for Midlake at Mercury Lounge and had kind of forgotten how good they are. And they've gotten better since. Watching last night's fantastic show at Union Hall makes me wonder why I left their album Cold & Kind off my Best of 2007 list." 

Sound Bites Best of 2008 | Albums

2008 was a great year for good music and a pretty good year for great music. I kept expanding my list from 20 to 25 to 30, and then back down to 20 (sort of). Deciding what would be my #10 took forever. (The top #9 have been there for a while, with the order shuffling around till seconds from this posting.) And actually my Top 5 were as close as they've been in ages. My rules: whatever year an album is first made available in any legally obtainable format (CD, vinyl, digital, etc), that is the year it's eligible. No compilations of previously-released material. So no MGMT (came out last year), no Bon Iver (wouldn't have made it anyway). Without further ado, my favorite albums of 2008:

1. Metronomy - Nights Out (Because Music) | A couple things take Nights Out to the top slot of '08. They've worked out a distinct sound that is instantly recognizable whether it's their own tracks or the remixes they do for other artists. It's manic, with a water-damaged quality to it that sounds like what it feels to be up for 36 hours straight, buzzing on espressos (or whatever) but dead tired. In a good way, obviously. It sounds like nothing else. Plus, whistling! Above all else, it's my favorite of the year because it's almost all hits. Nights Out contains at least seven single-worthy tracks and absolutely no bad songs. How many albums can you say that about this year? 

MP3: Heartbreaker | A Thing for Me

Myspace | Buy it on Amazon

2. Mystery Jets - Twenty One (679 Recordings) | If you'd told me two years ago that Mystery Jets would make one of the best pop albums of 2008, I think I would've scoffed. Here was a band who claimed King Crimson to be a primary influence, and who never met 17 disparate musical ideas that they didn't like and want to put all into the same song. Not that they didn't have some good songs before but The Mystery Jets were just too damn inclusive. But there's no denying the pop smarts and inventive arrangements found all over their new album, Twenty One, a highly enjoyable statement about being young by people who actually are young. And like Metronomy, nearly every song could be a single. It seems unfathomable that this didn't get released in America.

MP3: Young Love | Two Doors Down

Myspace | Buy It 

3. Deerhunter - Microcastle / Wierd Era Continued (Kranky / 4AD) | What a year Bradford Cox has had. Two Deerhunter albums, plus an album and six EPs under the Atlas Sound moniker. All of it good, some of it was amazing. Microcastle was the crowning achievement.  I liked Cryptograms but this is a stellar album, indie rock with a pop sensibility, and showcase for Cox's songwriting abilites and studio ingenuity. And that the suprise bonus album, Wierd Era, was nearly as good is all the more amazing. May 2009 be as fruitful for him.

MP3: Deerhunter - Never Stops 

Myspace | Insound | Emusic


4. Crystal Stilts - Alight of Night (Slumberland) | The band I became more obsessed with in 2008 than any other, probably because they gave me seemingly endless chances to see them live, most of which I took advantage of. (I think I saw them 10 times at least.) Somewhere between Bo Diddly, JAMC, and The Chills lie Crystal Stilts' moody, twangy, echo-drenched sound which is even sweeter on vinyl. So many great songs, and seemingly sprouted fully-formed. According to lore, Alight of Night has been sitting around completed for four years waiting to be released! Seriously guys what were you waiting for? On the plus side: hopefully this will mean a second album will come sooner than later. 

MP3: Crystal Stilts - Departure 

Myspace | Buy it 


5. The Week That Was - S/T (Memphis Industries) | Field Music may have disolved but the Brewis brothers remain some of the most creative  -- and prolific -- artists working today. 2008 provided twice as much music. David Brewis gave us School of Language, which was good but a bit too clinical for my taste. But Peter Brewis' The Week That Was is a brilliant look at our obsession with media and instant information, inspired by Paul Auster and glistening like an '80s Trevor Horn production. If that all sounds overly heady, the album is resplendent with lovely melodies and big rhythms. And with brother David and Andrew Moore in the band too, the big headline is Field Music kinda never really broke up.

MP3: The Week That Was - The Airport Line 

MySpace | Buy It 


6. The Muslims - S/T (1928 Recordings) | They may be now calling themselves The Soft Pack, but whatever the name this is one hot record. Like I've said before, these San Diegans aren't trying to reinvent the wheel. But they write great songs, sound raw and alive  and have mountains of the one thing you can't fake: attitude. The bullet-riddled vinyl EP you see here (which included a CD with three more tracks) has sold out two runs but will be reissued under The Soft Pack name as a 10-song LP in 2009.

MP3:   The Muslims - On My Time 

MySpace | 1928 Recordings


7. Lykke Li - Youth Novels (Atlantic Records) | Of all the Scandinavian pop singers out there (Annie, Robyn, et al), I think Lykke Li has the best chance of sustaining a career. Especially if she continues to work with colaborator/producer Björn Yttling who helped her craft such a distictive organic sound to go along with all those catchy hooks. Li's voice -- fragile, understated -- makes Youth Novels all the more human.

MP3: Lykke Li - Let It Fall 

MySpace | Buy It


8. TV on the Radio - Dear Science (DGC) | Finally, TVotR deliver on the promise they made with that first EP back in 2003. Much like what The Associates, ABC, and Scritti Politti attempted in the mid-'80s, Dear Science is the post-punk asthetic applied to pop ideals. This is the sound of them really going for it -- and succeeding spectacularly.

MP3: TV on the Radio - Crying 

MySpace | Buy It


9. Late of the Pier - Fantasy Black Channel (Parlophone) | The craziest record of the year that still manages to hold it together somewhat within pop boundaries. Within its grooves, Fantasy Black Channel offers up post punk guitars, synth pop, g-funk, glam hystrionics, prog... often wthin the same song. Take "Bathroom Gurgle" which melds Gary Numan and Queen like it was the most natural thing in the world. Just maybe not Earth.

Fantasy Black Channel gets a U.S. release through Astralwerks on January 13, 2009.

MP3: Late of the Pier - Heartbeat 

MySpace | Insound


10. The High Dials - Moon Country (self-released) | A late entry in the 2008 race, Montreal's High Dials exell at country-tinged psych-shoegaze (a sound that is timeless for me) and even though they no longer have a full-time sitar player, the songwriting remains top notch. This double-CD is only six minutes longer than thier 2005 album War of the Waking Phantoms but splitting it onto two discs makes it easier to take it all in. Plus, a sound this big kinda needs two discs. What it really needs is vinyl, but it's CDs and digital for now.

MP3: My Heart is Pinned to Your Sleeve | Invisible Choirs 

MySpace | Buy It

11 - 20, and more after the jump....

Sic Alps + Thee Oh Sees + Ty Segall | Death by Audio | 9.28.2008

A sweaty, awesome night of three Bay Area garage rock bands playing variations on a theme. And I do mean sweaty. I thought the last time I saw Sic Alps at Death by Audio would've been the hottest show of the year, but actually Sunday night rivaled it, mainly due to 100% humidity thanks to Day Three of a Noreaster that had settled over the Tri-State area.

You'd think that storm might keep the crowds away, but it was a packed house -- mainly there to see Thee Oh Sees. It was my first time seeing the quartet who played on the floor instead of the stage. Main Oh See John Dwyer is one of those mike eaters, it spending more time in his mouth than not, all the better to get that overdriven, distorted vocal sound. But I wouldn't want to be the band that used it after them. He's also a Give 100% performer, who slammed his guitars around (including a very cool 12-string that never seemed to go out of tune, which is amazing) and whose eyes bugged out a little when he sings. The rest of the band are no slouches either (they've got a whalloper of a drummer) and there was a nice interplay between Dwyer and Thee Oh Sees' other singer, Brigid Dawson. They played their hearts out.

MP3: Thee Oh Sees - Vsit Colonel (buy it)

Sic Alps, who headlined the night, lost a lot of the crowd and momentum from the Oh Sees set due to taking forever to set up and not going on till after midnight on a Sunday. Not sure what the problem was, it's just two guys, but it was worth the wait. It's a thick, dirty sound that mirrored the humidity of the evening. Guitarist and main singer Mike Donovan, who plays barefoot (don't think I'd do that on the DBA stage) and eyes-closed, keeps the intensity levels high, while drummer (and Henry's Dress alum) Matt Hartman seems a little more loose, singing through a pencil-thin mike that seemed hand-picked for its ability to make his voice sound as tinny as possible. Between them was a towering, teetering rack of vintage reverb boxes and amps that looked more like a lifesize Jenga game than a soundsystem. But it obviously did something... they were loud as shit. The stage was bouncing, I'm shocked the monolith didn't fall over.

MP3: Sic Alps - Message From the Law (buy it)

Joining Sic Alps for a few unrehearsed songs was the night's opener, Ty Segall, who fronts Epsilons but here was playing an impressive solo set. Like Sic Alps condensed to one person, Segall played guitar and drums and sang all at the same time. Yes it's a bit of a gimmick but he made it work thanks to some very good songs. Definitely check him out if he swings through your town.

MP3:  Ty Segall - The Drag

Ty's solo album is out on John Dwyer's Castle Face records and I'd put in a buy-it link but darn if I can find one.

A few more pictures on my Flickr. Tour dates for Sic Alps and Thee Oh Sees after the jump...