Esben and the Witch at The Knitting Factory
Esben and the Witch deserve to hold the world record for Googlability. You don't even have to Google the whole band name, just "Esben" will do. Take that obscure Danish fairy tale and everything else in the world named Esben!
Their music is atmospheric, intense but not necessarily loud. In fact the use of quieter moments in their songs is one of their distinctive features. A couple of songs are almost dirges. They play plenty of rock songs as well, but even in those more energetic songs the lyrics are wistful and pessimistic.
It's all very dark stuff, though I hate to call it gothic given that the band has none of the obvious connections to that subculture like the style of dress or the explicit religious imagery. Goths would certainly enjoy this music, though. Interesting that they have chosen to tour with a hard rock band (namely Heliotropes). Perhaps they are explicitly trying to avoid being stereotyped on their first(?) U.S. tour?
As a side note I do recommend reading the fairy tale "Esben and the Witch" on Wikipedia. If "Engrish" is the word for bad Japanese-to-English translations then what is the word for bad Danish-to-English translation? Danglish? Read this and inspire your creativity.
Posted: 3/24/2013 at 3:58pm Tags: Esben And The Witch The Knitting Factory
Bonaparte at Pianos
Warning, NSFW. There, you have been warned. Not that there is anything really nasty in this set. There is no nudity (close but not quite). Here's the thing... certain of these photos are likely to lead to some, shall we say, uncomforable conversations if your boss catches you looking at them.
Needless to say Bonaparte put on visual spectacle. It was quite impressive for a small venue like Pianos. I can only imagine what the manage to do back home (Germany) where there are better known and play bigger venues.
So what about the music? Well, the first word which comes to mind is "enthusiastic". Many of the songs are on the silly side, but the lead singer (who I believe is also called Bonaparte) sings them "straight", like he has an important message to get across to you, the listener. It might be worth mentioning at this point that there is a sort of insanity theme to their show. Remember the old meme about crazy people believing that they are Napoleon (full name Napoleon Bonaparte)? Yeah, start there and then consider that the band members dress like animals and the "Diva" dancers chew on bloody hearts and are wearing what appears to be garbage half the time (and barely anything the other half).
As "silly" as most of these songs are they are also often quite clever and colorful. Plenty of thought went into expanding the phrase "My Horse Likes You" into a five-minute long weirdly psychosexual ditty. Strange, strange stuff, but also quite catchy. Oh, and all of the lyrics are in English which is convenient for me.
The Babies at The Knitting Factory
Well now, the last time I saw The Babies I was applauding the fact that they were playing a decent venue. By which I meant Union Pool. For those of you who haven't been there the Knitting Factory is a solid step up from that. Nice!
Not only did the band look and sound better than ever but at least one band member (singer/guitarist Kevin Morby) took advantage of that extra space to bounce around a little. Cassie Ramone not so much. I see that she managed to injure her arm in the two weeks since the last time I photographed her performing. Well, there's one band who ain't going to SXSW this year. Get better soon!
Posted: 3/7/2013 at 10:19pm Tags: Jack Daniels L Magazine The Babies The Knitting Factory
Nude Beach at The Knitting Factory
It happened in Brooklyn: a band called Nude Beach played a show with a band called The Babies and the concert wasn't sponsored by Coppertone. What a missed opportunity! Seriously, Jack Daniels and the L Magazine were behind it and somehow some local bike builders and Transportation Alternatives were involved. Also the sort of thing which only happens in Brooklyn. And possibly Portland.
Both bands are good energetic rock bands. Nude Beach are the heavier of the two, vaguely punk but not really all that loud or imposing. They remind me of Elvis Costello and the Attractions more than anything else, a bit more 70s than a standard pop-punk band. I have to say though that their drummer was really pounding away back there. He actually knocked over one of his snares in the middle of the set ("Did you break it?" "Don't worry, it's the house kit.")
Posted: 3/7/2013 at 10:11pm Tags: Jack Daniels L Magazine Nude Beach The Knitting Factory
Raccoon Fighter at Glasslands Gallery
Raccoon Fighter have something of a split personality. Most of the time they have a big, flashy sound with a bit of sheen. Songs like Slave Dancer and No Lover remind me of some of the more punk glam bands, say The Stooges or the New York Dolls. Obviously the band itself is not the least bit glamorous, and they're not really punk either. Their music is too much fun to be punk. It's just sort of a clean and catchy rock-n-roll style.
The thing is, they also have a distinct garage-rock style which emerges on songs like Butcherette and The Upbeat. On these songs they sound heavier, sloppier and a bit more serious. These songs stand out because they sound so different, which I suppose adds a nice bit of contrast to the set.
I wonder how a band can end up with two really distinct styles like that. Could the band have two songwriters? Could they be evolving out of their early garage style into a more confident sound? I don't know but I'm not all that concerned. If you enjoy rock music you'll like both.
Posted: 3/5/2013 at 6:31pm Tags: Glasslands Gallery Raccoon Fighter
