Boston-based Antje Duvekot recently opened a well-attended show headlined by Lucy Kaplansky at Seattle’s Tractor Tavern, and the two put on a wonderful show. The main complaint, particularly as related to Duvekot’s part of the show, was that Duvekot arrived late, having been on a later-than-expected flight, and was able to play only a few songs.
Few bands in recent memory have caught the ears of this reviewer like Stars of Track and Field. This Portland-based trio has sprung into indie musical consciousness, with but one full-length to their credit, creating a repertoire of gorgeous, riff-laden, perfectly-crafted pop songs.
For the uninitiated, a Cloud Cult show is a thing of beauty: the music takes on a surprisingly aggressive, almost frenetic energy, complemented by both video show and live painters, the entire package an engaging event. Their recent gig at Seattle’s Neumo’s was no different, with the six-piece group providing an appreciative crowd with music from their most recent album, The Meaning of 8, as well as from its predecessor, Advice from the Happy Hippopotamus.
What is it about Oasis? They have a sound both comforting for its familiarity and obnoxious for its grating, Noel-and-Liam-fueled Brit-poppishness. And while they have passed the apex of their fame – arguably, by over a decade – their sound remains somehow comforting.
Seattle band The X-Ray Eyes put on a solid show recently at Chop Suey, adroitly playing songs that were clearly familiar to the audience while still making time for newer material. Their sound grounded solidly in straight-ahead rock with just a tinge of folk, the three-piece act put on a polished show.
Ben Kweller recently opened for British stars Gomez at Seattle’s Showbox club, and the openers put on a show that, while technically skilled (and at times, even, intriguing), unfortunately did little to raise the heartbeat of this reviewer.
Playing against a simple yet intriguingly-utilized backdrop (including five flat-screen televisions showing various different angles on the trio throughout the show), Keane delivered a set with the polish of so many British pop/rock groups. Chaplin’s voice had the crystal clarity of their recordings, rising at times with the grace and power of Freddy Mercury, yet harkening often to the earnest soulfulness of Coldplay’s Chris Martin.
Folk-rockin’ singer-songwriter Matt Costa is one of those musicians who just seem like they should “make it” (and indeed, he already almost has – but in a different role, as a pro skateboarder).
On his fourth solo album, Put Your Ghost to Rest, former Miracle of 86 front man Kevin Devine has done a good job of creating an album that is listenable, somehow familiar, yet creative enough to avoid being boring.
With her latest album, Another Kind of Fire, Edie Carey has created another completely listenable, imminently catchy album. Released in September, this is the perfect album for autumn: reflective, a bit overcast (but not so much as to be depressing), and, like the gorgeous dying leaves, completely enjoyable.
