Moon Hooch at Gypsy Sally's May 4, 2014

Moon Hooch at Gypsy Sally's 5-4-14

Moon Hooch at Gypsy Sally's 5-4-14

Saxes are sexy again! I know you have been hearing saxophone in all sorts of indie rock/pop with 80s throw-back sounds (think M83, for example), but there's a new sound out there you should not miss! Moon Hooch are a trio of young men - 2 saxophonists and a drummer - who have created an amazing dance sound they call cave rock. Silly name, amazing music. They use some computer-generated dance sounds mixed in, and some of those sounds seem to be controlled by a very strange looking saxophone. I'm usually all about vocals, and their music has almost none, but I still think it's some of the best I've heard this year. YOU CAN NOT HELP BUT DANCE TO THIS! It's incredible. They don't pause in the music for a second, and they went on and on - a long set.  When do they even have time for a breath? They don't talk to the audience, but still they engage the audience completely. The front-men saxophonists (and occasional electronic musicians) are both very attractive young men with an unstoppable amount of energy. They bounced around stage the entire show. I now totally understand why young people went wild for jazz during its heyday - these guys made sax hot. I'm so impressed by them. Definitely go see them. They are a don't-you-dare-miss-them kind of act. I found out about them from NPR All Songs Considered. They were an it-band from SXSW 2014. Apparently, there's a Moon Hooch Tiny Desk Concert coming soon on NPR.

The opener was an entirely forgettable electo-rock jam band called Sakima from New Jersey.  I read a book through their set.  Boring.

The venue was new to me - Gypsy Sally's. It's under White Hurst Freeway on K Street in Georgetown, at the far dead end of the street.  Wonderful venue! I really loved the set up. There's a raised stage and dance floor with a couple bars on each side, then a large raised area with tables, then another higher tier of tables behind that. Great views of the stage and tons of seating. Pretty good parking availability, at least on a Sunday night. I didn't try the food, but the space was wonderful. Just wish they had more bands I like.

St. Vincent w/ Holly Herndon at 9:30 Club on Saturday, March 1, 2014

Holly Herndon at 9:30 Club 3-1-14

St. Vincent at 9:30 Club 3-1-14

St. Vincent at 9:30 Club 3-1-14

I bought tickets for me and Eric the second this show went on sale, then it sold out before Jill could get hers. Fortunately, though, I found someone in line selling one ticket, so Jill rushed out to join us last minute, arriving just before the world's worst opening act - Holly Herndon. She did sub-woofer heavy, atmospheric, sound-experiment music that made all of us roll our eyes. It was unbearable bad. I think the cheering after was because she was finally leaving the stage. Still, I'm glad we arrived early. We had the most primo view in the club - at the railing, over the sound booth. By the time St. Vincent started, the club was absolutely packed.  I've never seen it so wall-to-wall.

There's a good reason she was such a hot ticket, though. The performance was incredible. More like performance art than a concert, though the musicianship was excellent throughout, and the instruments weren't hidden and there weren't any hired dancers or actors - only the 4 musicians on stage. St. Vincent wore a mini-dress that was designed to make her look like an abstract murder victim. She wore it with her platinum gray Einstein hairdo and 4 inch stiletto-heeled boots. Then she spent well over an hour moving like a robotic modern dancer, including climbing a tall 3-tier platform and writhing/rolling down it to her "death" during a stop-motion strobe effect. She never broke character once. The back up keyboardist/bassist and only other woman on stage also participated extensively in the choreography. It felt like powerful, articulate, impressive women were in charge of the stage and that the two guys on the sides were just the hired help.

Her "banter" moments were strange prose poems about unlikely things she felt in common with the audience, but were actually designed to surprise and delight the listener with the unexpectedness. Eric said her guitar playing looked like it was an extension of her heart, mind, and soul. (By that, he meant she's a virtuoso. The instrument is so completely a part of her that it's another voice for her to use to express herself.) Even the sound mixing was excellent.

My only complaint about the show was the heavy use of strobe lights. I find it very uncomfortable to look at strobe lights, especially when they are pointed at the audience.

DON'T miss this show when she comes back to town. It's incredible.

Guest Review: Phosphorescent and Caveman, 9:30 Club, Jan 22, 2014 and Jason Isbell, Jan 28

I  want to pass on a mini-review of the Phosphorescent show I saw with my husband, sister and brother-in-law at the 9:30 Club a couple weeks ago. by guest blogger Jill Werwinski

Phosphorescent, 9:30 Club, 1-22-14

A few of us had seen his show at the beginning of his tour back in October and were disappointed in the performance. The vibe for this show was totallly different. Matthew Houck came out all glammed out in a skin-tight white suit and bedazzled boots with a shimmery curtain as backdrop. He was much more relaxed and engaging this time. Actually it was clear he was feeling no pain if you know what I mean and there were a few moments when he was dancing around the stage with his back to the audience where I feared he might inadvertently end up crowd-surfing. So though performance-wise the show was an improvement I was turned off by how many times he referred to that lackluster October show ("So nice of so many of you to show up to this show." "Wow, who would've thought DC would come through for me tonight.") seeming to blame that disaster on the audience's poor reception. (When actually I went back and read some reviews of that show that complained mightily of the Rock 'n Roll Hotel's poor sound mixing) I kind of felt like yelling something to the effect of how he should be lucky any of us actually bothered to pay money to see him in concert again after that disaster.

The opener was Caveman who were excellent and will undoubtedly be headlining in the near future. Reminded me of Local Natives but less lush.

Phosphorescent also suffered in comparison to Jason Isbell who I saw the week after also at the 9:30 Club. The tickets were my Christmas present to my husband but I was totally won over. Isbell (formerly of Drive-By Truckers, recently sober) was such a talent, great stage presence, charming personality, appeared sincerely grateful for the audience reception. A bonus to the stage show is that his wife sings back-up and plays violin. Their chemistry, particularly on some of the quieter, emotional songs, really added something to the show. Several of the band members are life-long friends of Isbell too so it was a cozy family affair (compare/contrast to Phosphorescent's hired hands). Honestly I'll be first in line to buy tickets anytime he comes back to town.

Jeremy Messersmith with opener Tristen at Jammin' Java on Feb 7, 2014

I love Jeremy Messersmith. He's a singer-songwriter with a wry sense of humor in his lyrics. Eric, Genevieve and I all went to his house concert the last time he came through town and it was magical - my best show of the year. This show was also very good. I bought tickets right when they went on sale and was able to snag actual table-side seats, which was great, except that the tall people standing on the floor in front of us weren't quite low enough to see over easily, so I ended up  tilting and turning my head a lot for a better view. We ended up seated with 3 people who ALSO went to the house concert and they were fun to talk to.

Tristen, Jammin' Java, 2-7-14

Tristen, the opener, has a very good voice, but I found her songs uninspired, and her banter HORRIBLE.  She heckled the crowd about not spending enough on merch before her set was even finished. Anyone who was considering buying her merchandise was completely turned off by her bitchiness.

Jeremy Messersmith, Jammin' Java, 2-7-14

Jeremy Messersmith brought a 3-piece backup band on tour with him this time. Some of his songs were enhanced by the band, others sounded better in the original solo-guitar. He did a lot of his hits, and plenty from the new love songs album, out this month.  I LOVED several of the new songs.  It's Only Dancing and I Wanna Be Your One Night Stand were very memorable. He did a segment in the middle that was solo with his guitar (so they don't kick him out of the singer-songwriter union, he said). His banter was engaging. It was a great show.  I highly recommend him.

Los Campesinos! with opener Sun Club at 9:30 Club Jan 23, 2014

Los Campesinos! at 9:30 Club 1/23/14

Sun Club at 9:30 Club 1/23/14

Do you like twee? Do you crave the music of tortured pasty-white intellectuals? Then you'll love this band. Los Campesinos! has been on my concert tracking list for a couple years and I really like a couple songs from their new album, so I grudgingly bought a ticket to this mid-week show in the middle of January. It takes a LOT to get me downtown in the cold, especially on a weeknight. If I hadn't been the hostess for the Meetup at this show, I might not have gone at all after a metro breakdown made me late for the opener. After 30 minutes of waiting in vain for the metro, I gave up and drove to the 9:30 Club, then spent a fair amount of time looking for parking. I saw no more than half of the opening act, a local Baltimore band called Sun Club. Oddly, I had seen them advertised as performing with Heyrocco at Metro Gallery in Baltimore just a couple weeks before. I like Heyrocco, so I was bummed to miss that one, especially at that venue, which I consider a hidden gem. The band also mentioned an upcoming gig at Rock and Roll Hotel next month, so they are definitely making the local rounds. They had a lot of energy, but they all seemed young and immature as musicians and performers.  I could see them eventually growing into something better, but nothing they performed made me want to hear more from the band.

Los Campesinos! sounded wonderful, and the lead singer Gareth did a good job of engaging the audience. He was droll and awkward and used odd, jerky dance moves with no apparent self-consciousness. He talked about how his accent is considered a hick accent in the UK, but that in the US, it impresses everyone. He made a joke about pandering for cheap cheers by mentioning DC.  Only one other band mate talked to the audience to tell a story about a drunken acquaintance sleepwalking and peeing on the bed he was sleeping in. It was funnier than I make it sound. So there was some interaction, but the only one on stage worth watching was the lead singer.  The rest of them didn't move around much. The sound quality was excellent - it was a sing-along kind of show where you could hear all the words.  I had a good time.  My verdict: worth seeing, but perhaps just once.

San Fermin w/Marian McLaughlin at Strathmore Mansion, December 13, 2013

Marian McLaughlin 12-13-13

San Fermin, 12-13-13 at Strathmore

Eric, Dana and I met up at the Strathmore Mansion for San Fermin, which I saw and loved in October at DC9.

The opener was Marian McLaughlin, an experimental musician who plays guitar in a very unusual way (using a technique called "derive"). Dana and I thought some parts of the guitar work were really interesting, and her voice was good. Problem was, the lyrics  are truly abysmal and the songs seem to go on forever. It was painful to listen to, so of course, Eric thought it was amazing. (I think he was mostly into the guitar.) I could see Marian being the inspiration for someone else to use the guitar style in something more approachable. Or maybe she'll get a clue and evolve, or find a partner with a talent for song craft.  Good luck to her - she has raw talent, I just won't ever listen to her again.

San Fermin was nearly as good as last time, but had an issue with the sound mixing.  It was simply too loud. The sound engineer blasted everything, instead of bringing the vocals forward. The Strathmore Mansion is an intimate venue where you should not have to worry about ear damage. They need a better sound guy.  I still recommend their show and music 100%.  I'm hoping they break out big on the festival circuit this year. 


Anita's Favorite Tunes from 2013

My friend Dana challenged me to come up with a best of 2013 list, so I will.  The rules I set for this list are that the song must have been released in 2013 (or re-released) and I still have to like it as of today. Since I'm fickle and don't like to listen to songs for very long, that means some of the first half of the year releases were judged with more scrutiny than the more recent releases. Here's my very unscientifically scored Anita's Favorite Tunes from 2013 in no particular order.

Chvrches - We Sink - I picked this one because I've been hearing it a lot recently, but I could have picked almost anything they put out on their last 2 albums. They are amazing. I predict they will fully cross over to mainstream from indie. Saw this show and loved the singer's elven look.

The Orwells - Who Needs You - Great punkish tune with youthful iconoclastic lyrics. Saw them live and enjoyed the on-stage train wreck presented by the drug-addled singer. I was also surprised by his voice, in a good way.

Typhoon - Young Fathers - I didn't love this band live the only time I saw them, but recorded, the lead singer/songwriter is an emotional powerhouse. Really raw and moving. Lots of people in this band.

San Fermin - Sonsick and Casanova - I couldn't make up my mind, so I picked two songs by this band, one featuring each of the two main vocalists. This was one of my favorite shows of the year, and I can't wait to go see them again in a couple weeks at Strathmore. I'd shelve this with chamber-pop and movie scores.

Phosphorescent - Song for Zula - This song stands out on the 2013 album as a song craft masterpiece. This tour's live show didn't do much for me, but the one before was excellent. I'll keep my ears open for new stuff from him.

RAC, Kele, MNDR - Let Go - I'm not plugged into mainstream music to know if this indie/EDM dance tune has crossed over, but if it hasn't, it should. I predict mainstream appeal.  I can't get the song out of my head, but in a good way.

M.I.A. - Y.A.L.A. - I wish there were a clean version of this song (without the curse word at the very end), because both Natalie and I love it. It's primitive and makes us dance while driving to and from school. We look like fools, but LOVE it. Great beat.

The Mowgli's  - San Francisco - This fun bunch of hippies makes you smile and love your neighbor, even if it's just for the span of a show. Loved seeing them live in an Austin parking lot.

Charlie XCX - You Ha Ha Ha - This wunderkind from the UK was behind Icona Pop's hit single and has some really fun pop songs herself. I think she will get bigger in the US.  Addictive pop.

FIDLAR - No Waves - This smart punk band was entertaining live, and this song gets to me at a gut level.

New Politics - Harlem - This one's plenty mainstream after the multitude of tours Harlem did opening for big mainstream acts. It's still one of my favorite feel-young songs of the year.

Lucius - Turn It Around - Love these beautiful female harmonies and the unexpected "heh"s in the composition. This duo was the original female vocals on the San Fermin debut.

ALARMs - Hold My Head - atmospheric electronic music with haunting, beautiful voice and lyrics begging for forgiveness.

Little Green Cars - The John Wayne or  Angel Owl - This act is amazing live for their incredible, powerful, beautiful vocal harmonies.

Mikal Cronin - Shout It Out - I'm surprised Mikal isn't bigger on the indie scene. He's Ty Sygall's friend and bandmate. This song is raw and emotional. I love the way the chorus swells.

Sir Sly - Gold - Has this one crossed over to mainstream yet?   I'm guessing not based on only 11,000 Facebook likes right now.  If not, I predict it will. Such an earworm.

Daft Punk, Panda Bear - Doin' It Right - Daft Punk owned the summer, and the strange thing was, there was something to appeal to everyone on that album. This one was my favorite.

Said the Whale - I Love You - Loud bounce-up-and-down pop tune with an entertaining message for a love song.

Walker Lukens - Lover - This one's odd, but different than anything else I listen to, so it stands out to me as novel. Natalie hates it and makes me turn it off, but there's something haunting about it.

Son Lux - Easy - This one is such a recent addition to my favorites that it really might not stick, but it too has a haunting, interesting quality that I find refreshing.

Primal Scream - Walking With The Beast - I would have guessed that this is a cover of a quasi-religious song, but a quick internet search says no - it seems to be original. This song is quiet and haunting, very moving.

Wild Child - Crazy Bird - This duo has an old-fashioned, bango-loving vibe, but it's the wonderful vocals that win me over. It's an Austin-based band.

Luke Lalonde - Undone - This one is untypical for me.  Luke sounds like a boy band.  But I love the sweetness of this tune. I especially like the line "You could call me honeybun." The guy is just so lost in his crush. Too cute.

Swim Deep - King City - The lyric that kills me for this one is: " Fuck your romance, I wanna pretend
That Jenny Lee Lindberg is my girlfriend." Jenny is the bassist for the band Warpaint, and she is hot and super talented, so I can see why the singer Chewy Marzolo would want her so much. This is a fun low-key pop tune that makes me smile.

Los Campesinos! - Avocado, Baby - Apparently , I have a soft spot for twee. I certainly love this band, and have for a long time. I love the way their lyrics are so naked - and the arrangement of this song appeals to me.

Sleigh Bells - Bitter Rivals - I have a soft spot for this loud band because they are the reason I started going to more live shows a few years ago. Seeing them from the front row of a tiny sold out show immediately after they got big was a rush. Loved the first album, hated the second. This third album is much more promising.