The Vandelles at The Knitting Factory

Funny, the last time I shot The Vandelles it was at the same venue. Same venue, same band name, different band (sorta). Two old members left, one new one joined, and as a result their sound changed. With only one guitarist the songs are a bit simpler and there is more emphasis on the vocals. They still play the hell out of those instruments though the sound is not quite as overwhelmingly intense as before. So yeah, they sound different now, but just a little bit different.

The biggest change is that while they still do some of the classics (notably "Swell To Heaven" on this occasion) they mostly play material from their latest album ("Strange Girls Don't Cry"). The new songs would not have been out of place on their previous albums but the emphasis seems to have shifted towards their pop (or perhaps girl group?) influences. The music is more melodic and there is less psychedelia (e.g. fuzzy guitar solos). Which is to say that now they sound more like their more recent Summer Fling EP than their older Del Black Aloha album. But not every song is like that. Songs such as All Aloha or their cover of You Turn Me On sound more like their earliest work. So I guess The Vandelles have made a subtle change, a tonal shift, but not a complete break from the past. Interesting. I guess we shall see how that works out for them.

Oh, and they have a new lightshow too. It's very, very bright. Love the colors, but I do wish that there was a light or two in front of the band.

Posted: 3/28/2013 at 10:33pm     Tags: The Knitting Factory  The Vandelles 

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 

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 

The Hollows at The Knitting Factory

Somewhere in NYC there is a band playing every variant of country, indie folk-rock, kinda-sorta-americana, neu folk, folk classic, etc. The Hollows are certainly members of that manifold musical family. They are distinctly rooted in folk and americana, have banjo and mandolin players in the band, and sing about drinking whiskey and wine. On the other hand they have a rock-n-roll side, use an electronic keyboard, and apparently drink PBR. That last one may have been the venue's fault.

They're also hard to pin down because their songs are so varied. At least four of The Hollows sang lead at some point and they sound quite different from one another. The band switched instruments a few times as well. Yes, that is their keyboardist playing guitar towards the end. He's also one of their three harmonica players. Supposedly everyone in the band is a songwriter too.

Some of those songs got the audience dancing, but mostly the women in the audience. Not sure why it happened that way and I'm not complaining. It was just a little weird that during their more energetic songs I had to dodge and weave among two dozen dancers who were spinning and swinging and having a blast, and they just happened to be almost all women. No doubt the six fellows in The Hollows are terribly concerned by how popular they are with the ladies and will work to rectify the situation posthaste!

Posted: 3/2/2013 at 1:50pm     Tags: The Hollows  The Knitting Factory 

Tim Fite at The Knitting Factory

It is just me or does Tim Fite kind of look like Rodney Dangerfield in that first shot? Seems fitting. Quite a few of Tim Fite's songs are hilarious or just completely ridiculous. He breaks up his set with video interludes which are also pretty funny. Oh, and he looks a bit like Curly in that first shot too.

As funny as he is at times, calling Tim Fite a musical comedian doesn't really cut it. When he puts on an acoustic guitar he does a decent impersonation of a country singer (visually and musically). Then there are his serious songs about poverty and capitalism. Some of them (notably "For-Closure") are pretty powerful. This guy isn't limited to singing either. I assume he plays the instruments on most of his songs (even if they are pre-recorded) because he shows videos during those songs of himself playing those instruments. Sometimes several copies of himself play along on different instruments. On top of that he does the (simple) animation for those video interludes, and he can waltz too. This guy can do everything!

Believe it or not Tim Fite actually had some success as a rapper back around 2001. Clearly he is not one of those people who is trapped by their early work or by thinking that he has one particular style which his work must conform to. He's definitely not trying to replicate his previous successes by creating something similar either. Instead he seems to be one of those rare artists who has interesting ideas first, then picks the right style and medium in which to express them. Catch him live if you want to see something different and new (and entertaining too!)

Posted: 2/22/2013 at 7:09pm     Tags: The Knitting Factory  Tim Fite 

Peelander-Z at The Knitting Factory

Amazing. Baffling. Baffling and amazing.

I may write something more intelligent later but I'm not sure that there is any need. Sometimes the pictures tell the whole story. I think this may be one those times.

Well okay, I guess there is one more thing which should be said. Apparently this was the last show for original member "Peelander Red". Peelander-Z has been together for fourteen years and has already lost one original member so I guess these things happen. As a tribute the whole band wore red instead of their usual assortment of colors.

Having never seen the band before this evening I cannot really say that I'm sad to see him leave. It is hard to miss someone you don't know or feel the absence of someone you never knew was present. Still, I am glad that I caught the band at least once before he left and of course that I got some photos. They put on quite a show and it just seems right to document that show with original member Peelander Red. Granted, several dozen other photographers also shot this show. Hundreds more probably shot all of the other shows they've done anytime recently. But I'm still glad that I did it, that I played some small part in recording what this thing was. It was good enough that it deserved all the attention it received.

Posted: 11/24/2012 at 3:01am     Tags: calamari bowling  Peelander-Z  The Knitting Factory