Au Revoir Simone

July 8th, The Echoplex, Los Angeles



There's nothing quite like the anticipation of going to another show, especially when it's been more than a couple months since last I went to one. This time it was the charming ladies of Au Revoir Simone. The place: The Echoplex. A literal off the beaten path location that will probably only be found if you're actually looking for it. It has a bigger brother in The Echo, which is above it I believe, but The Echoplex can only be accessed by going down under a tiny bridge. Anyway, the parking for this venue is free so as you can imagine I was thrilled by this revelation. It's a very dark environment with black walls and sparse atmospheric lighting. It's got an interesting shape to it that I was struck by. It stretches all the way back from the stage to the bar. At least 50 feet or so. I definitely like it, especially because of how open spaced it felt.

When Allie and I arrived the opening act, George Sara, was already into their set. They really helped create an interesting mood, at least initially. The music was an interesting mixture of live string instrument performers and George Sara on his electronic setup. Fairly unique but ultimately I was only impressed by a couple songs before it grew tiring and monotonous. After George Sara came Alexa Wilding and her acoustic guitar. Nothing more, nothing less. She played a handful of folk songs that were decent enough though I'm not sure how much I enjoyed it at this particular show. It seemed slightly out of place amongst the electro leanings of Au Revoir Simone and George Sara's performance just before. But it was a nice breather and contrast falling between both of them. So it wasn't all that bad. As I said, either the music wasn't that great or I wasn't really in the mood that night for listening to soft folk songs, as endearing as they might have been. Although it was probably a mixture of both of those feelings. Needless to say, all I could think was, "Bring on Au Revoir Simone!"

Not long after Alexa Wilder ended the three amigas of Au Revoir Simone came on stage and took their positions behind their respective keyboards (one for each of them). I couldn't help but notice they were all dressed classy-like in their dresses and it very much fits their music style and personality. Things started off with "Another Likely Story" followed by "Sad Song", the latter of which was the only song from their debut album. This was fine by me because "Sad Song" is currently the only offering from that release I'm familiar with. The rest of the evening consisted of songs from their 'Still Night, Still Light' album that was released just last year, in fact it felt like they played nearly the entire album's worth of material. They were all lovingly reproduced with the usual slight differences that a live setting will bring. Going into the show I thought perhaps the charm wouldn't be as apparent live but I was proven wrong. There wasn't a lot of movement on stage given their necessary positions behind the keyboards but it wasn't a problem. The lights they used during the performances were also extremely complimentary, especially by the time the "psychedelic portion of the set" came around, as stated by one of the members, including lots of drug-induced color effects on the screen behind them. Overall, there's not much else I might say other than that I received exactly the type of show I hoped to get from Au Revoir Simone, and then some. I highly recommend getting to see them if you're a fan as you will have a fun time as I did. After all, if a fan of black metal (me) can appreciate their talent and charms then I think just about anyone has the potential to be wooed as well.

Official Website: http://aurevoirsimone.com/
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/aurevoirsimone

The Crystal of Hate

The song that single handedly demolishes the 'Black Cascade' album. Listen to how Wolves in the Throne Room should of sounded circa 2009 and hope for a turn around on album number four. They have it in them still, this song proves it.

My Night with Porcupine Tree: Revisited

Yes, this show happened way back in September of last year so this isn't exactly "new" material for me. But I was talking about this briefly with someone last night and I realized I had never posted it to this blog before, only on myspace. So I figured, "Why not?" After all, it didn't turn out to be just a show as you'll find out by reading.



Okay, so some of you know that I went to see the band play at Club Nokia, which is an extremely new and really nice venue that was built next to the Staples Center in LA. It's sort of like a miniature version of Universal City Walk I thought. I got raped for parking though... $20 dollars to park in the parking garage!!! Anywho, I get there and nab a really nice spot dead center in front of the sound board. There's just a little narrow space (about 5 feet wide) between the sound board and some railing, in front of which is the pit area that I wasn't allowed in. For some reason, more and more people thought they could fit in front of me and that railing, when there was little to no room at all. By the time the show started, I could barely move at all, at least not to feel comfortable, but I suppose that's all part of the concert experience.

I had to sit through one opening band, Big Elf, who were alright but not really my thing. Throughout the first band's set I noticed that the air either wasn't on or they'd only turn it on for 2 minutes at a time. Needless to say, it was hot and it got sweaty pretty quickly. Uncomfortable beyond words and already I was feeling very thirsty.

Finally, after getting there around 6:30, Porcupine Tree came on around 8:45 or 9:00. The setup was great and they sounded amazing. The entire first set was the entire first disc from their new album, The Incident. It was my first time hearing it at the time, and it was very good overall. Unfortunately, during this set things started to unravel for me...

As I mentioned, the temperature was very warm and I was sweating and very thirsty, but I didn't want to leave my excellent crown position. That's when it happened. At first I could feel myself breaking into a cold sweat, my body was starting to grow very tingly. My ears were becoming plugged and my eyes slowly began to grow more blurry by the second. I'm obviously freaking out at this point and I can only guess that this must mean that I'm about to pass out (I've never had it happen, let alone at a concert with people all around me, and being alone). I can only see blurred image in front of me from what is supposed to be the band on stage, and so the only option I can think of is to tap the guy in front of me and tell him that I'm pretty sure I'm about to pass out. Not certain what good it would really do, at least someone would be aware why I suddenly collapsed to the ground. Meanwhile, I was trying to fight it off from happening with every ounce of strength I could muster and thought maybe I can ask the guy behind me working the sound board if I could get some water, but of course he denied that request (jerk) despite me about to pass out on the floor. So I decide "fuck this spot, it's not worth it", and I slowly fight through the crowd to find the opening to the back to the bar so that I can get some water immediately. Somehow my brain managed to tell my body that water would soon be mine and to let me get there without collapsing. I arrive at the bar and get the water and try to find a place to relax and recover from one of the scariest moments that I can remember having. After all, you try being alone at a concert surrounded by strangers and trying to stave off fainting.

About 15 minutes or so after getting the water, the band leaves the stage for a short intermission before they come back on for the second set. I finally see a spot where I can sit down comfortably and I stay there for the remainder of the intermission. I drank all the water that I could and started to regain myself. Bad enough to be missing the concert of a band that I've been wanting to see for years, and even worse to think I might have passed out in the process. But as I said, I began to feel better and was able to watch the rest of the show.

The second set was all "old shit", as Wilson put it. I enjoyed every minute of it and survived a night at Club Nokia. A great show to say the least and one that I won't be forgetting anytime soon.

Auditory Delights

I am continuing to move along at a snail's pace this year in trying to get my ears familiarized with new music, in fact I've only acquired four new albums so far. Fortunately, each of them has proved to be extremely gratifying and certainly worthy of repeated listens. Granted, four albums is a small list for almost being 6 months into the year, but when they're all of this high quality it's hard to complain. Besides, I'm sure I'll pick up the slack soon. Alright, so it's time to reveal my early favorites. They are...


Alcest- Écailles de Lune

The long awaited follow-up is finally here and it's a stunner. The return of black metal elements to the fold makes this a much more dynamic offering than the first album, possibly making it even better.


Les Discrets- Septembre et Ses Dernières Pensées

Wow, this is some of the most gorgeous music I've come across in awhile. This is practically flawless work and it's full of atmosphere that will sweep you away to an unknown time and place. This is easily album of the year material. For fans of Alcest, Katatonia, and Agalloch.


Fear Factory- Mechanize

The 2000s were a messy decade for this band, filled with ups and many downs, but Fear Factory have returned with a revamped lineup, including the return of Dino and addition of the legendary Gene Hoglan, and have delivered their most aggressive offering since Demanufacture. Believe the hype. This album delivers.


The Art Museums- Rough Frame

The debut from this California act, Rough Frames, is full of lo-fi goodness. This is a retro rock album that doesn't sound outdated, just updated. The Art Museums place themselves firmly in the realm of pure fun and catchy songwriting, and I highly suggest that all of you check them out.

Deerhunter: Got Noise? (continued)

Well, it seems "very soon" turned into almost four weeks. I do apologize. It's difficult trying to find free time in between work and school. Also, my desire to want to write has been lacking somewhat lately. Hopefully I'll get back into a more consistent groove but we'll see. Back to the Deerhunter show from last month!

So, I believe I was just beginning to discuss how loud their music got at times. It wasn't fun afterward but the set was so enjoyable that I hardly cared. I was only familiar with the Microcastle/Weird Era Cont. album so I was happy to hear quite a bit of material played from them. The vocals were sadly a little low in the mix of sound at times which was disappointing because Bradford comes up with really good vocal parts. But they seemed to improve as they went on. Some of the songs I remembered that they played were "Little Kids", "Nothing Ever Happened" (a personal favorite of mine), and then when they returned for the obligatory encore they played "Cover Me (Slowly)" and "Agoraphobia", much to this writer's delight. Oh, and I forget which song it was they were playing but the entire band was getting really really into it (might have been the last song of the set now that I think about it), and the drummer ended up hitting the cymbal so hard that it fell off. Awesomeness.

Much of the between song banter was rather entertaining too. I unfortunately forgot most of what was said but Vampire Weekend happened to be playing that night (or maybe the night after) and Bradford had a funny joke about owing them money and that they might slash their tires too.

All in all, a really good show. And to put icing on the cake, I was able to snag a poster at the end and my friend Heidi and I got to meet the band outside after the show. They were actually talking for quite awhile too. They're very mellow and genuine people so that's always a joy to discover. Do be sure to listen to this band via their studio albums or live show, though preferably both. I don't think you'll be disappointed. Oh, and as a head's up, I was recently at the Mono show at the El Rey Theater so expect a review of that show in the days to come.

By the way, if you've never heard Deerhunter before then you'd be hard pressed to find a better song to get you introduced to the band:

Deerhunter: Got Noise?

April 14th, The Glass House, Pomona



The Glass House has been one of my favorite venues for awhile now. It's small and intimate design makes it a superior setting for live music. It's also the only place I know of where I can park for free. Plus, it's only about 35 minutes from where I live which beats the heck out of driving to LA. Don't get me wrong, I love driving to LA but it's horrible driving back late at night since I inevitably want to fall asleep during the drive...not so good.

So, this time around we had Deerhunter playing along with the band Bleached, which I've learned is a much more difficult word to pronounce than it may seem at first glance. Bleached didn't play for very long, maybe 25-30 minutes, although it might have been even less time than that. I got a pretty good vibe from their music. Far from being the most interesting band alive, they nonetheless sounded like a fun listen and probably will be worth checking out when I get around to it.

It didn't take long for Deerhunter to come on after Bleached were done but there was a tiny problem. You see the instruments were not yet ready to go and the band had to perform their own sound check (classy, right?). It took around 15 minutes for them to get started after initially arriving on stage. Lead singer/guitarist Bradford Cox apologized a few instances during this time, even going so far as to ensure the audience that this self warm-up was not actually a new song, which strangely my friend and I both thought of before he actually came out and said it. Trippy!

When the band finally got started all was forgiven. Although I was well aware of their shoegaze and noise flirtations from their studio albums, I wasn't prepared for just how loud it would get at times. Big mistake. Ear plugs would have been a worthy investment for the show but alas, I got to take in their high frequency guitar fuzz in all its natural glory several times throughout the show.

...This is only part one of two for this entry on the Deerhunter show. Since I've been working for entirely too long for this concert review already and have been lazy to get it done, I decided to at least post this as two parts so I'd have something for you all to read. Look for more details on part two very soon.

Trancelike Dirges

Artist: Procer Veneficus
Album: Ghostvoices
Year: 2006
Genre: Acoustic/Fog Ambient

I'm very fond of album artwork that encapsulates the music beneath its surface, and in the case of 'Ghostvoices', the solitary boat floating on a sea of fog with a line of trees in the distance does just this. I first came across this project because of the undeniable connection made to Velvet Cacoon, the ambient/black metal/drone band hailing from Portland, Oregon. Not only is there a cover of "P.S. Nautical" featured on the album but also the general mood and atmosphere is very much the same for both artists: floating, ethereal, minimalistic, mystical, and otherworldly. What sets Procer Veneficus apart, at least on 'Ghostvoices', is that the only instrument being played is an acoustic guitar, occasionally accompanied by distant whispered vocals. At times the vocals even take on a very quiet growl, much like you hear in Velvet Cacoon actually but not so overstated. The music itself is very simple when dissected but therein lies its beauty. It doesn't try to express any complicated emotions. It strives to lull the listener into a trance, the song often centering on no more than one or two repeated melodies. The melodies are actually pretty dark. There's nothing cheery and uplifting about them. Nevertheless, it will take you on a journey. Much like the figure on the cover, you might be able to close your eyes and imagine yourself in similar surroundings. Although this may sound like a lonely experience, there's a great sense of comfort as well. Plus, with only 8 songs (all of moderate length), the music never overstays its welcome and lasts long enough to keep your soul from wandering away or losing focus.

This is not the type of music that I find myself coming back to very often. It is the epitome of mood music but when that said mood is called upon you'd be hard pressed to find a similar means of satisfying that craving. I strongly recommend listening to this album with headphones too because speakers will not do justice to the subtle nuances of the vocals/whispers that are littered throughout each song. All in all, this is a satisfying ambient album that relies on the naturalistic tones of the guitar instead of the usual synthesizer and keyboards. Highly recommended to all fans of the aforementioned Velvet Cacoon and those who like ambient, black metal, or even anyone with just a passing interest in subdued and relaxing music.