Been a little while since my last batch of ragging blog posts so here's some pics and comments on 2010 shows I've seen in you guessed it 2010. from Top to bottom.
-OUTER SPACE 1.15.10 rotunda. John Elliot from EMERALDS terrible boring and predictable name for this duo analog synth project. I'm pretty partial to liking this type of stuff and i did enjoy their set, sort of brief but was cool enough. They played to visuals to the movie Ghost which i found kind of funny.. check out this excerpt from the email that came out for the gig
.......will be joined on analog synthesizer for this performance by Jeff Hatfield, best known as half of Fragments, who manage a singular fusion of rust belt basement electronics and Schnitzler-esque cantankerous opacity. This is the incarnation of Outer Space represented on the recent "Stereo Constellations" cdr and the forthcoming "Lightyear Demonstrations" double cassette. At a cultural moment in which many emerging artists are rightly charged with reliance upon facile nostalgia-qua-nostalgia, Outer Space represents a studied and gracefully substantive engagement.
Jesus what a shit load of verbal wankery. Exhibit A in things i hate about music reviews, press releases, and one sheets.
-TELECULT POWERS 1.15.10 Rotunda http://www.templeofpei.com/telecultpowers.html Never heard of this group before, but another duo from Brooklyn. They took a long ass time to setup, which included the lame presence of lots of candles on stage. Visually they used two film projectors pointed at these round curved mirror things that bounced onto the backdrop. The source materials were spacey film strips the kind of shit you'd see in science class in elementary school in the 70's.. ( I should know what that's like i was there the first time around) I think they ran the audio sources through a bunch of hand built oscillators, effects, and electronics and the effect was pretty excellent. Best set of the night i think by far. One complaint was the dude on my side of the stage with ass crack hanging out the whole time. Photographically I've decided to share this with all you.. note pic above.
-DAN MELCHOIR 1.15.10 Marvelous Records http://www.myspace.com/dasmenace same night as the electronic gang bang which was literally right next door to the Rotunda. By the way right dead in the middle of both of these shows geographically was some Philly style stickup shooting that brought like 10 million cops and police helicopters all over the area. Pretty intense shit http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local-beat/Movie-Theater-Shooter-Still-at-Large-82215812.html anyway didn't know what to expect from this thing, Jason Kourkounis (Bardo Pond+ lots of others) hooked up with guitar guy and bass chick without ever actually playing together before. Pretty great all in all excellent guitar chops on this old UK punk dude.
DANIEL HIGGS 1.29.10 Brickbat books a hugely crowded show at my personal fav place to see shows. Daniel was pretty awesome and if you told me that he was one of those guys in west Virginia that danced around in religious trance with rattle snakes i think I'd believe you. http://www.sullivan-county.com/nf0/ep/snake_bite.htm Recording sounds pretty awesome although I'm not 100% sure how much i like the dab of reverb that was on his voice. I think i may prefer him just totally dry with no PA or vocal mic, he projects so intensely on his own. But anyway if the label wasn't so much in the shit can financially I'd be all over him to do a release. on the same bill was ZOMES http://www.holymountain.com/artists/zomes/who played a bunch of short droney tunes (the Romones of drone??) on analog synth overtop of pre-recorded tapes of simply drum beats. This was pretty fantastic, some of the tunes totally reminded me of EARTH extracapsular extraction minus guitars. I'll post side my side mp3's later. Stellar Om also played and that sucked but made a good break for beer drinking and bullshitting with all the usual Philly characters. Although i have to say i very much missed Mr Rose who would have no doubt had been there.
-TOTAL FUCKING DESTRUCTION 1/??/10 kungfu necktie Rich Hoak's grind core band with two new dudes.. haven't seen them in some time but still got to hear great jams like "box cutter" and the "necro anarchist" on the same bill was a band i hadn't heard before MAMMOTH GRINDER kick ass trio of young kids from Texas who i though smoked through a 15min set of a feedback induced metal. On relapse as it turns out (sorry) http://www.myspace.com/mammothgrinder renewed hope that not all new metal music from younger kids isn't Pelican or Isis driven copy drivel.
-JUICFER 1/??/10 kungfun necktie Have'nt seen them in a few years and they have'nt learned any new tricks.. fairly OK. Some Melvins style bullhead Leach mixed with some fast sections. A bit awkward in execution in my eyes but OK all in all. Lots and lots of gear on stage but ironically not nearly as loud as you would think (the meters never lie) I think i heard Greg Anderson refer to their setup one time as "looking like a garage sale on stage" pretty funny line actually.
