Pygmy Lush at Golden West Cafe 11/1/11 + MEGAPOST

Most of you are probably very familiar with Pygmy Lush by now. The project has grown to be the most popular of any post Pg. 99 project. In a career that now spans three full length albums and 4 years, as well as tours with groups like Des Ark and Ghastly City Sleep, Pygmy Lush's steady output and presence has made them a mainstay in the DIY scene which most of them have been a part of for over twenty years.

They are infamous for their "loud" and "quiet" sets, with fans often left wondering which band they will see that night - a loud, raucous rock and roll band, or a dynamic folk group. 2007's Bitter River, their debut record showcased both the band's distinctive, and very different, sounds. Lately, the band has embraced mainly their folky side. Their last two LP's contain no "loud" songs, but their excellent offering on their side of 2009's split with Turboslut showcases some of their best material, both loud and soft. Their newest offering, 2011's Old Friends was recorded with Des Ark's Aimee Argote serving as a back up singer/musician on a few of the songs (she is pictured in the photo of the group above), and may be their best recording yet.

Tuesday night's show in Baltimore at the Golden West Cafe on 36th St. came on the heels of an all day recording session with J. Robbins of Jawbox fame. The band was apparently recording a version of "Serve The Servants" for a Nirvana tribute compilation. I missed the first band, Big Mouth, so I can't really say anything about them. Bad Biology played next, a really great kind of grimy, rock and rolly hardcore band featuring members of a couple of other Baltimore bands. It was their first show in about 6 months.

Pygmy Lush headlined, and played mostly material from Old Friends, and opened with the album's excellent first song, "Yellow Hall", a kind of demented sea shanty that translates beautifully to the live stage. They also played "Asphalt", the most instantly recognizable Pygmy Lush song, as well as "Big Black River" from Bitter River upon request from the crowd as an encore.

It was by far the best set I've ever seen the band play, loud or soft. They seemed to be truly enjoying themselves; as they jammed away on the last two songs of their set you could see smiles breaking out on their faces. After the show, Chris Taylor said that they felt liberated by the freedom of playing live after being in the studio all day - they could embrace their mistakes and just have fun. It was certainly visible to everyone in attendance.

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Bitter River (2007)



Mount Hope (2008)



Pygmy Lush/Turboslut Split (2009)



Old Friends (2011)



Cold World/Guilt 7" (2011)

OTHER SHIT

Homegrown (B-sides and demos circa Mount Hope)

In A Hole (Live Set 10/24/09, Richmond, VA)

Original blog post from Robotic Empire containing In A Hole recording

Jake Lazovick/Busman's Holiday/Paul Baribeau @ Frisby House 9/14/10

Paul Baribeau


Busman's Holiday


Jake Lazovick


Last night I got the chance to head out to Baltimore to finally see Paul Baribeau live. He has played Baltimore (and Frisby House) a lot but I had never gotten a chance to see him before. I also don't get the chance to head out to too many shows anymore because of my crazy work schedule, so it was awesome to be able to get too go to as intimate a venue as Frisby House.

Jake Lazovick opened the show. Jake is an awesome kid. He stills goes to high school at Wooton on the outskirts of D.C. and he plays acoustic folk punk. He's been in bands like Braceface Mini Punx, Foozle, and Bookworm. He writes heartwarming, goofy, and good natured songs about things like high fives, the horrors of small talk, and hanging out with your friends. It's always fun to see him play.

Next was Busman's Holiday, who I had never heard before. It was definitely a pleasant surprise. Lewis and Addison Rogers (who are actually brothers, apparently) make up a two piece with guitar, and a quirky drum set featuring a suitcase for a bass drum. They play beautiful, sentimental acoustic pop gems with amazing harmonies. They put on an amazing show and were funny, interesting, and witty too boot. True entertainers.

Paul Baribeau closed the show. He just came out with his new record, Unbearbale, but his set list was a great mix of new songs as well as old staples from his repertoire including "Ten Things," "Christmas Lights," "I Miss That Band," "Strawberry," and even the odd jewel "Table Cloth," which features just voice and percussion provided by Baribeau's knuckle on the body of the guitar. He was everything you expected him to be, between going off on tangents about Bloomington and his life at his parent's house in Michigan, or making the drummer of Busman's Holiday do all his between-song banter for a couple of songs during the beginning of the set after claiming, "I'm not doing banter anymore." He even poked a little lighthearted fun at Andrew Jackson Jihad when there was an announcement about their show at The Bell Foundry on the 23rd.

The songs seem that make up Unbearable are a bit more mellow than those on Grand Ledge, which was mellow compared to the upbeat, raucous songs on his debut self titled. But Baribeau offering a less in-your-face approach doesn't mean he's lost any of his initial vest and vitality that drew you to him as a songwriter in the first place. In fact, it works to his advantage, especially in the live setting. His songs still barely surpass the two minute mark, but songs like "If I Knew" and "Blue Cool" work perfectly to showcase Baribeau continuing to grow as a lyricist of brilliant pop-folk songs while retaining his signature snappy, palm-mute laden guitar with new flourishes thrown in that do not disappoint at all.

"Black Strat" might be the best song on the album. Baribeau introduced the song live as "maybe being about Pink Floyd," before giggling and going off on a tangent about listening to Pink Floyd when he was 10 years old. Whatever it's about, it's mesmerizing, with a brilliant chorus:

It was holy
It felt so holy
I said holy shit

Anybody else uttering the same line might come off as contrite or vulgar, but Baribeau's endearing, unmistakable voice make it sound like a revelation. Which is part of what makes Paul Baribeau continue to be such a beloved and relevant songwriter. He sounds like he could be anyone in the room; he just happens to be the one holding a guitar.


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Jake Lazovick - Us and Only Us Split



Busman's Holiday - Old Friends (2010)



Paul Baribeau - Unbearable (2010)

Loma Prieta Discography 05-09/Punch LP

Loma Prieta


Punch



Well, seeing as these two bands share a member I figured I would post these two albums together.

You probably already know who both these bands are, if you haven't been living under a rock for the past few years.

Loma Prieta plays intense, riffy screamo that heralds back to the glory days, incorporating elements of bands like Honeywell, Ampere, and You and I, into a modern-day, refined package.

Punch is a vegan straightedge thrash/fastcore band from the Bay Area featuring a female vocalist. Between their Eyeless EP, released last year (which you can download here), and this year's self titled LP, these guys (and gal) are putting out some of the most refreshing, in your face hardcore of the decade.

I recently got a chance to catch Punch when they came through Baltimore on their summer tour. Charm City Art Space, a fairly small venue, as anyone who has been to a show there can tell you, was packed pretty full. The entire basement was crammed with kids, who for the most part, seemed to have showed up to see Punch play. They played first, which confused me just a bit, seeing as they were the touring band and Death Rats and Pulling Teeth are both from the immediate D.C./Baltimore metro area, but whatever. They opened the set with the first song from their new LP, "Don't Start". The energy in the room immediately changed, and everyone was either nodding their heads to the point of whiplash or dancing. The set was short, fast, and feedback-laden, and after about 15 minutes of sonic assault, front woman Meghan announced they were done. She had hardly reached the drum set by the time the crowd start asking for one more, and she made her way back to the mic, protesting only mildly by saying, "But it's so hot..." It was. They launched into "Convenience Store," a comment on the vegan lifestyle and one of the highlights of the Eyeless EP.

The Loma Prieta Discography is a Japanese import that was released for The Punch/Loma Prieta Japanese Tour earlier this year. It features the two tracks from the upcoming split with L'antietam (discussed briefly here, where you can glimpse the artwork for that release), their Last City LP, Matrimony 7" (featuring an unreleased track), Our LP is Your EP 12" (featuring an unreleased cover song), and their 2005 Demo CD-R. So, in short, everything but 2009's Dark Mountain LP.

Download Loma Prieta's back catalog here.

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Loma Prieta Discography '05-'09 (2009)



Punch LP (2009)

Magnolia Electric Co. @ The Black Cat 7/20/09

At the Black Cat in Washington D.C. on Monday night, a packed, hot room noisily awaited Jason Molina and his band, the Magnolia Electric Co., to take the stage. The bar was crowded, and before the show Molina himself was posted up next to the door into the concert room, beer in hand, slightly rocking back on his heels and chatting to a band mate seated at a bar stool, who still might have had a good few inches over Molina as he stood next to him.

Molina's short stature might surprise some who have never had the pleasure of seeing the man in person: few would suspect that the broken wail of the man who recorded some of the most haunting alt-country tracks released in the past two decades came out of such a small package. Since abandoning his Songs: Ohia moniker however, which Molina recorded under from 1996-2003, Molina's naked vibrato of a voice has given way to a lilting croon, a shift which some (read: Pitchfork Media) have lambasted, accusing the artist of dumping his past musical and vocal styles for a lame-duck, classic rock makeover.

What should be remembered here though, is that Molina as an artist has never had any qualms about taking on new artistic direction and following his heart. Like Dylan and Young (who he is often compared to) before him, Molina's every musical move is often scrutinized by a die-hard fan base that for the most part seems to prefer the Songs: Ohia era to the Magnolia Electric Co. era. Rather than having to deal with completely confused, clueless, and naive reporters like Dylan would often run into (such as the reporter Dylan gives a stern talking-to in the iconic 1967 D.A. Pennebaker documentary Don't Look Back), Molina's albums tend to fall into the hands of individuals who know his work well; Oftentimes, pretentious and critical media outlets (read: Pitchfork). Artists inevitably change and take on new directions in their work, a fact that all too many music critics have failed to take into account since the beginning of musical criticism.

Granted, there are artists who's work take bizarre and unsuspecting turns, which do not always work out (like some of Dylan and Young's more questionable work in the 80's, for example), but Molina is hardly proclaiming himself a born-again Christian or writing a a vocoder-laden synth-heavy album (yes, Neil Young released an album like that (1982's Trans)...stick to Harvest, believe me). Molina's stylistic shift since the last (technically) Songs: Ohia album Magnolia Electric Co. is one that should be welcomed, and a move that largely is by his faithful fans, despite all the detractors (read: PITCHFORK). If the man was still releasing albums with just his voice, a guitar, and brushed drumming I have a feeling that Pitchfork would be throwing out some 5.6's for a lack of originality just the same as they did for Molina's newest album, released two days ago, entitled Josephine, for a departure from his older work.

Magnolia Electric Co., the 2003 album which featured the debut of Molina's new, band-driven sound was an absolute bone-crusher. Every single song of the album stood as one of Molina's crowning achievements, even the two songs on which other band members sang (he still penned the lyrics), a move which has also been criticized by some, but I think was Molina's way of stubbornly stating the the Songs: Ohia days were over. Since picking up a full band, Molina has also released two full length LP's under his own name, Let Me Go, Let Me Go, Let Me Go (2006), a dark, quiet acoustic record, and the more dense, weirder Pyramid Electric Co, (2004), which came out shortly after Magnolia Electric Co. a coupling which is briefly and cryptically explained in the liner notes to that album:

...I started to feel like two records were going to come out of what I was seeing and thinking. The two have ended up being one I did alone with a piano and a guitar: The Pyramid Electric Co. and one where I called some friends together: The Magnolia Electric Co. I think they both mean something. I don't know what, but trust me, I am working on it.

Previous to the release of the first Magnolia record, Molina had put out 24 (count 'em, 24!) releases as Songs: Ohia, one collobartive 7" with Scottish artist Alasdair Roberts, and one record with Bonnie 'Prince' Billy and Alasdair Roberts as the Amalgamated Sons of Rest in 2002, not to mention exclusive compilation tracks and other random appearances.

Since then, Molina has been no less prolific, putting out three LP's, two EP's, a live album, two solo LP's and a 7", as well as the massive Sojourner boxset put out in 2007, which featured three full length albums, one four song EP recorded at legendary Sun Studios in Memphis, a documentary DVD, as well as a celestial map and medallion all encased in a wooden box. Granted, Magnolia's 2006 LP Fading Trails was compiled from the recording sessions found on Sojourner, but that hardly takes away from how much studio time was put into the sessions themselves and how massive a collection of music this is, even without counting the tracks that would appear on Fading Trails.

So it can be safe to say that on Monday night Molina and his band, a bassist, drummer, keyboardist, and lead guitarist, had a large canon of material to choose from, even excluding all the Songs: Ohia and solo material, which, keeping in the Molina tradition of playing only newer material, the band does not perform live. The set list spanned the entire Magnolia Electric Co. catalog, and did not disappoint anyone judging from the crowd's reactions. There were a few cuts which I would have liked to hear (such as "Hammer Down", and "The Dark Don't Hide It") but he played a wide array of songs, including a notable and dour version "I've Been Riding With the Ghost", and a rare performance of "Hold On Magnolia" (both from Magnolia Electric Co.), "Hard to Love A Man", "Leave the City" (2005's What Comes After the Blues), and a whole slew of cuts from the Sojourner sessions including "Down the Wrong Road Both Ways", "Talk to Me Devil, Again", and "What Comes After the Blues".

The set was also peppered with songs from the new album Josephine, and were some of the highlights of the set. A slight reworking of "Rock Of Ages", which appeared on the 1000 piece limited "It's Made Me Cry" 7" released for Record Store Day this year was a pleasant surprise; it fits more into the "old" sound of the new record.

Josephine as a whole seems to mix elements of MECO's earlier work with a more mellow, subdued side, featuring delicate backing vocals that would not feel out of place on a record released in the 1950's. The album is far more, for lack of a better word, pretty, then MECO's last LP, Fading Trails. The emphasis is laid much more on the piano in most of these songs (and on the slightly funky "Little Sad Eyes", organ) than the guitar-oriented work on the Sojourner sessions.

Live, the band kept the tracks off the new record mostly true to their album versions, and tended to take more liberty with the older songs. Molina kept asking the time throughout the set, and at 11:59 (since July 21st was the official release date for the album) paused before saying, "Welcome to the stage, Josephine..." as the band kicked into the new album's title track.

Overall, his band was tight, knowing when to step up and solo, and when to
let the lyric take center stage. Molina seemed to be in good humor, at one point told an anecdote about how he accidentally swallowed a bee during his dinner in the club's cafe, and later, as he took a long swig off of one of the Corona's next to his amp remarked, "The bee's getting drunk, though."

The band quickly re-took the stage for an encore, and despite a few isolated calls for "Hammer Down", and one lame yelp for "Captain Badass" (from Songs: Ohia's Axxess & Ace), dove into a raucous version of "John Henry Split This Heart" from the Magnolia Electric Co LP before finally calling it quits...It was definitely a great ending to a great show.

Below you can download every Magnolia Electric Co. release.


I feel like I should apologize for posting just as much alt-country as punk lately, but I at the same time that artists like these embody the DIY punk aesthetic just as much as any other band, and it's good to have a little variety every once in a while, right? Look out for most posts soon, sorry we've been so lazy.


Read the Pitchfork review.





Magnolia Electric Co. (2003)



Trials and Errors (2005)



What Comes After the Blues (2005)



Hard To Love a Man EP (2005)



Fading Trails (2006)

Sojourner Box Set (2007)



Disc 1: Nashville Moon



Disc 2: Black Ram



Disc 3: Sun Session EP



Disc 4: Shohola



It's Made Me Cry 7" (2009)



Josephine (2009)

Bill Callahan at The Black Cat 6/12/09

When I heard Bill Callahan was touring to support his new album, Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle, I got pretty excited.

Callahan, a native of Silver Spring, Maryland before re-locating to Chicago, and currently, Austin, Texas, is one of the more prolific singer-songwriters of his generation; his career spans just over 2 decades and 13 full length records (not to mention numerous EPs), from his first humble lo-fi cassette release to his latest LP.

Under the guise of his Smog moniker, Callahan's music morphed from lo-fi, mostly instrumental experimentation on 4 track records (his early career seems to have been heavily influenced by such artists as atonal pioneer Jandek), into
more country-tinged, lushly recorded outings such as Red Apple Falls and Supper, not to mention his monstrous 1999 outing Knock Knock.

Following the release of 2000's Dongs of Sevotion, Callahan found himself with 7 LP's under his belt, 6 of which were released on the Chicago-based Drag City Records (which he remains signed to today), as well as one LP and several cassettes released by himself as Disaster records. A third major shift in artistic direction would take shape beginning on 2001's Rain on Lens, which would see Callahan stripping down the instrumentation on his records while continuing to write lyrically driven songs.

By 2007, Callahan had dumped the name Smog and released his first record under his own name, Woke on a Whaleheart. In comparison with his previous realease, a melancholy masterpiece that many consider his crowning achievement, A River Ain't Too Much To Love, Whaleheart seemed upbeat and even a bit psychedelic (just check out the album cover).

The brand new Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle is somewhat of a return to Callahan's darker side; tracks like the haunting "Eid Ma Clack Shaw" and the nearly 10 minute long closing track "Faith/Void" are testaments to Callahan's wry sense of humor and lyrical abilities. There are also more upbeat (for Callahan at least) tracks to be found here; "Rococo Zephyr" and "Too Many Birds" are almost whimsical in nature. The heavy use of strings add a lot to album and Callahan's sound, in a way that took me a few listens to fully appreciate.

After buying my ticket a few days previous to the show and then finding out that all my friends had bailed on attending the concert with me, I set off alone down the beltway and into the city. This was actually the first time I had ever been to a concert alone, and I have to say that it was a pretty enjoyable experience, minus getting slightly lost in the clusterfuck that is our nation's capitol and having only myself to curse.

By the time I finally found parking on 14th St., by some stroke of luck, and getting 4 dollars in change and then walking BACK to the car to feed the meter ($4 got me a measly 1:35), and then BACK to the club, Callahan and Co. were about ready to begin.

I caught only about a song of the opening act Lights; I had never heard of them before. they played psychedelic, jaunty music, and featured a female vocalist/guitarist (donned in heavy eyeshadow and a shimmering gold hooded blouse and white heels) and drummer, as well as a brutish lookin' fella playing the bass. To be honest, I was not that concerned with the opening act.

Callahan took the stage, took a few moments to tune and fetch a glass of wine, and slowly walked up to the mic, and decidely, against the pound of the punk music playing from the PA, said, "We're ready." The music was cut, and his band, featuring a drummer, second guitarist, cellist and violinist kicked into the opening track on Eagle, "Jim Cain".

Callahan is as striking a figure in person as he is in photographs and on album covers. His calm demeanor and quirky yet graceful mannerisms gravitated all eyes on him for the entire set. He played for about an hour and fifteen minutes, with a set list that included "Rococo Zephyr" and "Too Many Birds" from the new album, "Our Anniversary (from 2004's Supper), "Diamond Dancer", and a more downtrodden version of "Sycamore" (from 2007's Whaleheart), as well as a heavily applauded performance of "Bathysphere", from 1995's Wild Love LP. He played a truly riveting version of "Say Valley Maker", complete with a tensely-wound string driven climax, and closed with Rock Bottom Riser (both off 2005's A River...).

After announcing "Rock Bottom Riser" as his last song (to which someone in the crowd responded, "Impossible!" as someone else quipped, "I seriously doubt it Bill!") and leaving the stage, the crowd politely clapped, hooped, and hollered until he re-took the stage, and to my great pleasure kicked into a raucous version of "Let Me See the Colts", one of my very favorite Smog tracks. As the song ended someone yelled, "One more! One more!," and Callahan, putting down his guitar and heading over the keyboard stated simply, "Two more," which was recieved with heavy applause. The band kicked into a stunning version of "Eid Ma Clack Shaw," and finally closed with "Cold Blooded Old Times," from 1999's Knock Knock.

Definitely one of the best shows I have ever seen. Below I have all three of Callahan's releases under his own name...Look out for a Smog post eventually.

Below are two videos: Callahan performing "Sycamore" with current love interest Joanna Newsom and the video for "I Feel Like the Mother of the World".







* * *



Woke on a Whaleheart (2007)



Diamond Dancer (2007)



Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle (2009)

SNOWING DEMO/Ad Lib Cafe/The Stomping Grounds 4/18/09

So for the past few days Lancaster, PA has been hosting the Launch Music Conference, some kind of weird conglomeration of bands playing in clubs across the city over the course of three days.

To be honest, when I jumped in my friend's van to head up to Lancaster yesterday afternoon I had no idea there was a music festival going on. I thought I was going to a punk show. When we showed up at the Ad Lib Cafe in downtown Lancaster, we were all pretty surprised to see a huge crowd of all different kinds of kids milling around Central Market and the Cafe.

At first, I was confused. But when our friend Raphael (bassist of We Were Skeletons) walked out to greet us and lead us in a back door to the upstairs stage area, I was comforted. The show soon started, with We Were Skeletons kicking things off with an absolutely awesome set. These guys have done nothing but grow since releasing their debut "Summers, and their new self-titled album (recorded by none other than Will Killingsworth of Orchid/Ampere at Dead Air Studios) which is slated for release within the next few months following the release of the Ryan Oatman EP, is full of desperate dual vocals, insane drumming and mind-bending guitar riffs. I hadn't seen these guys play since I booked them for a show in my hometown almost a year ago, and couldn't believe the difference. I had been bumping the new material Raf had sent over, and I loved it, but seeing it live gave me an all new appreciation for their growth.

Next up was 1994!, another Lancaster based band that have quickly become one of the darlings of the national DIY scene. This was also the second time I had ever seen them, the first time being at Barclay House in October of '08 (check the archives for a review of that show). I would have to say that this time they were far better, but that could be just because the crowd was incredible. The energy for the upstairs show was absolutely incredible. It seemed everyone knew each other and were friends, and everyone was having a great time jamming out the music together, a stark contrast from what I saw when I poked my head in to check out some of the downstairs shows: a few people, standing a few feet back from the stage, as boys in designer clothes tended to merch tables while frantically texting on sidekicks. Anyway, 1994! played a bunch of songs off their debut LP Thank You Arms and Fingers, (again, check the archives) and they sounded great. They also played a cover of Weezer's "My Name Is Jonas", which I had heard they occasionally play, so I was excited to see that. After their set I bought an LP from Mike (drums), and it looks great. You can get your own personal copy from Inkblot Records.

After the 1994! set, Forensics played, but I only caught a fraction of their set. From what I caught, I could describe their sound as loud, sort of metal influenced punk with gruff vocals. I believe that the singer of this band runs Magic Bullet Records. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Following the Ad Lib show, we headed over the The Stomping Grounds, 1994's house for an after show/party. Snowing played first, and once again I was amazed at the energy of the crowd. It was such a great experience to go to two shows in one night with such positive energy.

Snowing features members of Hightide Hotel, Street Smart Cyclist, and Boy Problems, and their sound is very much in the same vein; High-energy 90's-esque emo with noodly guitars reminiscent of Braid, propelled by John Galm's raucous vocals. The set ended with John smashing his bass into the drum set and diving in.

Next up was Boyfriends (formerly known as Barf Academy), featuring both members of 1994! and a dude named Bean playing the drums, and the crowd went absolutely insane, crowd surfing in a basement that had a ceiling that couldn't have been more than seven of eight feet tall. The vocal style in this band is similar to that of 1994!, since Chris (vocals/guitar in 1994!) takes care of vocal duties. I don't really know how to describe these guys except that there was a lot of delay going on and sweet melodic, chilled-out parts. I'd suggest giving their myspace a listen, but if you ever get the chance see them live, because they are awesome.

I missed whatever band played next, because I was seduced by the roof, which Mike had recently decked out with astro turf, railings, and a TV and VCR featuring none other than that epic of our time, Wayne's World. Soon the roof filled up, and everyone was talking and watching the movie. Once again, I was absolutely amazed by how awesome and friendly every single person we met was. Lancaster, you have an awesome, awesome scene!

At around 2:30 in the morning, most of those who had stuck around to drink and dance to the T.I. remixes being played in the living room headed back down the basement to watch one more act, Ring Finger. Ring Finger was one woman, backed by only an iPod. She had set up a quilt she had sewn herself, complete with robots and window detail, as well as an end table, a lamp, and several random items, which she explained was a re-creation of her living room. She explained that she used to be in a hardcore band, and the last time she had been on tour was in 1996, and that this was only her second show. She played a few songs, and I was a bit too drunk to decide whether or not this was good, or just the most bizarre thing I'd ever seen. She played a song that Aaron of Isis (off her iPod, Aaron of Isis was not present) had played guitar on, so I guess she has definitely been around the circuit and made some friends.

After saying some goodbyes, we piled back in the van and our DD Robbie (co-author of this blog) drove us home, where we arrived at 5:30 in the morning. All in all, it was an awesome, awesome time, and I got to meet some awesome new people and hang out with some friends.

Below I've posted the Snowing demo, Fuck Your Emotional Bullshit, which is going to be released on 7" pretty soon, so buy it when it comes out, asshole.




Fuck Your Emotional Bullshit (2009)

Barclay House 3/10/09 & The Model Home 3/11/09

So, as many of you probably already know, Swedish hardcore giants (relatively speaking, as much of a giant as you can be in DIY-world) Suis La Lune are touring the U.S. with Baltimore based emo-violence band Army of Kashyyyk and all-around-the-place based emo band Osceola. When my friends and I found out, we were stoked. So when we found out their first date was at the Barclay House in Baltimore, we headed out.

When we got there, we hung out down in the basement for a while, and when Suis La Lune came (which was totally obvious, it was kind of hard to miss four super European looking dudes, three of which were blonde) we headed over to their merch table to make small talk (and also buy everything they had for sale of course). This was their first time touring the U.S., and I think only Carl (guitarist) has ever been in the country before. They told us they were excited to be in the country and were looking forward to playing all the shows, and seemed a bit confused that we were so excited to see them, a fact which I think they quickly got used to after their first few shows. These dudes are extremely nice, and they are touring from Sweden! If you go see them, go up and introduce yourself! They are not going to belittle you or act elitist at all.

Two other bands played the show, but they seemed a rather odd match for Suis La Lune. Come to think of it, I can't really remember their names at the moment. It was more run of the mill punk type stuff that I couldn't really get behind. While the show ran through, we saw some friends we knew and made small talk and caught up. We spotted Kate from Frisby House (they throw awesome shows, check it out sometime!), who asked if we wouldn't mind letting her tag along to Philadelphia when she found out we were traveling up for the Model Home show the following night. We had already made plans to crash at our friend Eric's house, but agreed to meet her the next morning for breakfast and then hit the road.

When Suis La Lune went on, the basement began to get really packed. People seemed to crawl out of the woodwork, and by the time the set started almost the entire basement was completely full. I had been expecting a sort of quiet start to the U.S. tour considering the bill that night, but I had underestimated Suis La Lune's pull.

The set opened with "With Wings of Feather and Glue" and everyone instantly started smiling and bobbing their heads. Cameras flashed, and when the lights went off a night vision light from a video camera flicked on (check out the videos below). The energy was great, there was a really positive vibe and everyone was just enjoying the music. The set list included "Utter Silence Is Fragile", "This Heart Easily Tears", "Eris Flies Tonight", and I think the entire Heir 10", as well as two brand new songs. When they announced they were done playing (which happened about three times), the crowd began chanting "ONE MORE!". They ended up playing "Let the Bastards Come", from their 7".

That night we all headed to our friend Eric's house and crashed out. We got the next morning and headed over for some delicious vegan pancakes and breakfast potatoes ala Kate. The drive to Philly was pretty uneventful, and when we got into the city we went record shopping. For a loooooong time. The first few shops were pretty dissapointing, but we each found a few small records. We caught lunch at a veg-friendly pizza shop (started with a G...I can't remember...anyone?) where the pop-punk band Fireworks who had just played Charm City Art Space the night before just so happened to pop in for lunch. Kind of a funny coincidence. After lunch we went to the best record shop of the trip, Beautiful World Syndicate. We check out both locations. If you're ever in Philly, I advise checking out these shops, their used bins are awesome, and super cheap.

By this time it was almost 7:30 or so, so we headed to The Model Home. Surrounded mostly by abandoned shells of buildings, this second floor apartment is in a pretty awesome location for shows. About the only people there were our friends from Baltimore Age Sixteen, Straight, No Chaser, Matt from Storm the Bastille, who was sort of watching the apartment until the residents got home/running the show, and our awesome bud Raphael from We Were Skeletons, (who are releasing a new album soon check it the fuck out).

The line-up for the night was as follows:

Age Sixteen
Straight, No Chaser
Osceola
Suis La Lune
Storm The Bastille

Age Sixteen opened up with their usual zeal, absolutely destroying. In fact, they rocked too hard and Kris took John's amp straight to the head during a collision. They played a slew of songs off their new album Open Up Finders, Please which you can read a review of here and should BUY!!! (the link to their myspace is above). These guys always play a fucking awesome show and I encourage you to check out their demo by looking for Age Sixteen in the tags.

Straight, No Chaser played next. They play straight-up thrash really, really fucking fast and it is impressive. I had seen them play once before at Barclay, but to way less people. They put on a great show. Osceola played next and played a really solid set. They opened with "Smile", which is my favorite song of theirs, but the structure of the songs had changed a bunch since they lost a guitarist and I missed the final breakdown at the end. Awesome band either way.

Suis La Lune came on next, and they played a similar set list from the night before. I'm not complaining though, it was fucking awesome. During their set the cops came and tried to find out what exactly was going on (rather rudely, but what do you expect), but they were assured the window would be closed and we'd all clear out soon.

Storm the Bastille played last (with the window closed) and churned out the heavy jams. I had seen them at Barclay with Straight, No Chaser as well but I think this time topped that show. I picked up one of the two copies of Dismantled on 10" they had, and it sounds great.

After the show we hung out and smoked in the kitchen with Suis La Lune. By this time I was super drunk and I think I probably embarassed myself talking to Henning (guitar/vocals) but I was so happy to be hanging out with those guys I really didn't care. We headed back to Baltimore and crashed at Kate's house. All in all, it was an awesome time.

Be on the lookout for a Storm The Bastille post in the next few days.

Three videos of Suis La Lune playing at Barclay House can be viewed here, at Stoking the Roots, a blog you should check out.

Check out the rest of Suis La Lune's U.S. dates with Osceola and Army of Kashyyyk.

See a whole set of photos from The Model Home of all the bands here.

Outclassed Pt. 2/Barclay House 10/26/08

Last Saturday a bunch of friends and I packed into two cars and headed over to the Barclay house in Baltimore to see Outclassed, Army of Kashyyyk, and 1994. I was definitely stoked as fuck on the lineup because I love all those bands and hadn't gotten the chance to catch 1994 live yet.

I missed the first band but caught the second band and was really pleasantly surprised. Jonesin' plays really hooky pop/punk type stuff that fans of bands like Hot Water Music and Jawbreaker would really enjoy. They were on their way to The Fest in Gainesville. (I wish I was going! Check out the fucking lineup!) I picked up a 7" of theirs, featuring two songs you can hear by checking out their myspace. Outclassed played next, and really put on a great show. It seems like this time when I saw them everyone in the audience was a little more subdued and less drunk, but the singalong at the end of "Missing Teeth" was still epic nonetheless. 1994 was great as well. The drummer puked halfway through the set right next to his drum kit, but the guitarist assured us that "he always does that". Unfortunately I didn't have enough money to pick up their new album that just came out on Inkblot but I'm sure I will see them again so keep an eye out for it on the blog. Army of Kashyyyk played last as usual and destroyed. I just love their sound and the screamer has a great voice.

But enough babbling, let's get to the music. I got Outclassed's old CD which I missed out on last time I saw them due to a lack of funds. I have uploaded that along with their split with A Voice Like Rhetoric. The split features a slightly more refined version of "Do You Always Talk Like You Have Caviar In Your Mouth?" and is definitely worth the two seconds it takes to download. They also had copies of their 2008 EP which the Asian bassist told me were remastered and he threw it in for free. I thought it sounded pretty great the first time they released it, and when I stuck this in the CD player I seriously couldn't note any real difference between the first and second versions of the album, but I uploaded it anyway just in case anyone was interested or missed out on my first Outclassed post.

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My Friend, My Brother, We Were So Strong Together

A Voice Like Rhetoric Split

2008 EP (Remastered)

Capsule

Over this past summer my drummer took me to a show at the Dudebrohaus (the one in D.C.) to see a band called Capsule play. I had only heard a few of their songs, albeit while fairly stoned, so I didn't really know what to expect. We got there pretty late. As we entered the basement Furnace had literally just struck the last chord and were starting to tear down. I was a little dissapointed I didn't get to see them play, but there will be other tours for that. We didn't really know anybody so we hung around in the basement waiting for Capsule to set up.

As soon as Capsule started playing I was blown away. Between the machine gun drums, the frantic attack of the guitar, and the guttural spasms of the bass, my stoned brain began to swim, and before I noticed I was swaying back and forth. What really blew my mind most was the drummer. He hit the drums with such a ferocity I was convinced he was going to shatter the wood and snap the drumhead clean off. He was built like a goddamn rhino and would actually stand up and start beating the fuck out of his drums as hard as he could. It was the most interesting and intense drumming I've ever seen! After the set I picked up a copy of the LP/CD edition of "Blue", the 7", and a t-shirt.

Capsule's sound is spastic, featuring heavy drumming and fast paced guitar riffs. The vocals are kind of down in the mix, and feature a sort of shouted quality. I would recommend the first three tracks off of "Plus" as a starting point. These tracks were actually added to the "Plus" release, I believe as a re-issue (hence the superior quality of the first three tracks to the rest of the album). "Josephine's" off of "Plus" is also a highlight, and the whole "Blue" album just fucking rules.

You can buy Capsule merch(!!) at the Robotic Empire webstore.

Or check them out on Myspace

This is a video from the show I attended (At the end I'm the one in the hat and glasses and my drummer is in the red hoodie):


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Blue
Plus

Couldn't find a decent picture of "Plus". Help me out in a comment if you can.