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Snail Mail at Brooklyn Bazaar

I do not recall exactly which 90s slacker movie soundtrack Snail Mail reminds me of. I just think that their parents should probably check their car thoroughly.

Snail Mail's music has that nostalgic for the present because you're conscious enough to know it's going to pass sort of vibe. That in a jangly guitar, not too loud or overbearing sort of way. Although I don't know for a fact that Snail Mail started out as a solo project of singer/guitarist Lindsey Jordan that just seems right, especially since I've seen her play solo. It just feels like singer/songwriter material at its core. The addition of a band adds depth, plus the ability to rock out once in a while, and if your guitar goes out at least things don't stop dead (which actually did happen at one point).

Snail Mail's Website, Music.

Posted: 1/30/2017 at 10:17pm Tags: Brooklyn Bazaar Snail Mail

The Lemon Twigs at DC9

The Lemon Twigs. You might remember them from such shows as Sunflower Bean at the Rock and Roll Hotel recently. They didn't cover "Gasolina" this time.

I don't think I've ever seen a (current) band which quite so throughly embodied the 70s aesthetic. Songs which are melodic but don't stick to simple rhythmic structures. Energy but not insanity in their live performance. And those clothes! I really don't think they're just copying the look either. Their sound and really their whole character predates those simplified musical styles like corporate pop and (as much as I love it) punk rock. Musicianship is the key here. They'll toss in whatever flourishes are needed to give a song the desired impact. And may I add that this is particularly impressive given their relative youth. Notice those Xs on their hands. They may not be punk but for now they are straight edge.

The Lemon Twigs's Website, Music.

Posted: 1/19/2017 at 11:00pm Tags: DC9 The Lemon Twigs

Thick at Knockdown Center

Somehow Thick manage to sound jangly and crusty at the same time. That shouldn't really work and certainly shouldn't work this well. As best I can tell the trick is to keep the tempo up and the guitar solos peppy while singing about being bored, having no money, being kicked out of the house and similarly depressing subject matter.

That and delivering the downers with enough of a smirk that you know it's all fun and games even when they're being painfully honest. Consider the song "Herpes Microphone". As best I can tell it is a song about catching herpes from a dirty microphone. Clearly these three have played some classy venues. Anyway, it's hilarious. In a more serious vein the song "Anymore" is a list of eveything that sucks about becoming an adult but it sure is fun to hear them sing about it. "Wasting My Time" is a mid-tempo song about a relationship which isn't quite going right. It has an explosive ending, perhaps just like the relationship which inspired the song? I do like it when a band manages to be fun while still keepin' it real (except for herpes bit).

This show was part of the Nasty Women Exhibition at the Knockdown Center. No complaints about the choice of bands, that's for sure. The rock-n-roll was in the bar in back rather than one of the stages. No, this was not the same room where Parquet Courts played to a thousand people at Christmas. That would be awkward and we would run out of oxygen. Actually it kind of looked like a house show at grandma's house, all antique chairs and fake plants. In some ways Knockdown is a really weird place.

Thick's Website, Music.

Posted: 1/17/2017 at 9:00pm Tags: Knockdown Center Nasty Women Exhibition Thick

Canker Blossom at DC9

Who doesn't enjoy an old-fashioned snotty Punk band? Yeah okay, probably lots of people but they don't go to shows anywhere smaller than the 9:30 Club. Canker Blossom are a Baltimore punk trio (sometimes duo) whose songs are mosly under two minutes long and have titles like:

Go Fuck Yourself
I Hate Everyone
Not Your Friend
Asshole
Quarantined Puppies (this can't possibly be good)

...though they also do a poppy cover of the Ska classic "A Message to You, Rudy". It clocks in at 1:44.

Although they sound like snot-punk to me Canker Blossom prefer the term "pop-punk", possibly because they actually know how to play their instruments and sound good and so on. Perhaps we can compromise on "snot-pop"? Sounds sick. I hate when I'm that sick.

This is what a real Punk Band is supposed to be. No glamour, just rock and attitude. Also a really cool logo. They even sell their albums DIY style: free but please donate. So fuck yeah, they're awesome, go see them.

Canker Blossom's Website, Music.

Posted: 1/7/2017 at 5:30pm Tags: Canker Blossom DC9