Tag: Reviews

So a week ago today was Night 4 of SHiNDiG. Tonight will be Night 5. If you haven’t come down to the Railway club to check it out, you should. Or don’t, but then me and all the other cool kids will snub you. And you don’t want to be snubbed, do you?

Night 4 was, I felt, somewhat weak. Opening was Mark of the Beats a one-man smorgasbord (sp?) of sound. I’m amazed that one person can produce such an inconsistent array of genres in such a short time, running from punk, to rap, to techno, etc. I’d like to say that I liked it, or that it was successful, but I’d be lying. The ideas are good, and might one day coalesce into something enjoyable, but it’s not there yet.

Philharmonic took up the middle set, and while, a week removed, I can’t remember why, I do remember really liking them. They seemed a collection of virtuoso musicians – the bassist in particular. I had a mental image, during their set, of the bassist as a Keith Richards, 15 years down the line – totally strung out, wasted, but still showing those occasional flashes of absolute brilliance that lead to albums like Exile on Main Street. Not that this band is the next Stones, but more that this one guy in particular is really, really good.

The Sore Throats closed the night, and well, is it better to say nothing than to be mean? Let’s try and couch this as constructive criticism: 1) Pop-punk is over. It was something of a travesty to begin with, and there’s no reason to keep it kicking. 2)Insulting your bandmates at all times, for everything, just makes you look like a jackass. 3)Loud is not the same as good. On the plus side, they all looked pretty good up there…

It being another Tuesday yesterday, it was time, once again, for SHiNDiG. Last night’s line-up included the likes of The Little Death, Salmon Arm and Mandown. More info on all these bands is likely to be found at the SHiNDiG site.

The Little Death opened, and sadly, weren’t cheeky post-new-wave intellectuals. Instead, they were more a…I’m not sure – indie prog-rock act, perhaps? With hints of Pavement, Rush and even a little Yes, they were hard to pin down. But give the boys credit for reaching for that rainbow. Only, in my mind, they’re still mired in the mud. It is true, they have potential, but they need to do some serious practising to get to where (it appears) they want to be, where muscianship can outshine the song.

Salmon Arm was really much more like I expected TLD to be like. Gorgeous instrumentals crossed with the occasional rocker, but all very atmospheric. The best thing I can probably say about them is that they both hinted at, and made me want to list to, ‘Houses of the Holy’. Featuring a cello (it’s amazing what a rich sound that instrument can produce), guitar, bass & drums, they kept things in a lower key that begged for a smoke-filled room. Vocals, when there were any, were throw-away, but I didn’t think the band the any weaker for it.

After an interminable & wretched jokes for beer, Mandown came on, sporting a drumkit with a skull-painted on, a classic hair-metal guitar (you know – the angular ‘star-shaped’ kind) and a look that would make Blink-182 look hardcore, I was really worried that we’d get some pop-punk pap from the trio. They were, instead. really quite respectable. Way too loud for me, and certainly not my style of music, but decent. Sadly, completely forgettable too.

I left before Mandown had left the stage, as I was getting a headache. Given my opinions, and having chatted some with the other judges during the course of the show, I was quite surprised to hear that The Little Death had won the night. A pity, in my opinion, but that’s the glory of SHiNDiG. And now, I’ll get to give them a second chance (which I’ll admit, they’re worthy of) in the next round.

Last night was the inaugural show for SHiNDiG 2004, UBC’s annual battle of the bands, running 13 consecutive Tuesdays every fall. Ben, as for the last few years, is the host.

It must be said that all 3 bands were decent last night, although all were a little rough in patches. Speaking of Devils opened the night with a pseudo-folk set. A trio, whose main selling point were the lyrics and phrasings, they suffered from muddied sound. The band was clearly the lead singer’s in every respect, with little to no input coming from his backing musicians. Indeed, when the guitarist goofed up, the singer shot him a mighty angry look. Were I the manager of this band, I’d get rid of the electric guitarist. The keyboards were good for atmosphere & sound-richness, but the surfy electric just seemed to take away from the sound. A simple, soft drum-kit might make a better addition to the band, to fill in the gaps, as it were. A radical suggestion might even be for the singer to take it solo for a while.

Stuck in the middle was Automatic Fancy, and all-girl rock act. In this band, the backing musicians were the highlight – stellar playing, very tight and a clean sound. The singer, who, it must be said, brought terrific energy to her act, was probably the weekest member, shouting the lyrics to a point that they were no longer comprehensible. She did, on the other hand, have a nice touch on the keyboards, which were used sparingly but to great effect.

Rounding out the night was the evening’s winner, Dandi Wind, an east-side/German Industrial/Performance Art act. Think Rammstein meets River Dance, only in a good way. This is an act that will sink or swim entirely on the presence of the singer/dancer, who, I’ll admit, was scary intense during the set, thrashing and dancing (small quibble: ‘the robot’ popped out too often), shouting and singing over a tight, harsh techno beat hammered out nicely by her backing keyboardist (who also provided some surprisingly delicate backing vocals, a nice counter-point).

Which brings me to the last point of this review: Is it time to identify a “Lower East-side/Drive” sound? Or not so much a sound, so much as a school of music? I’ve seen now at least a score of acts over the past 3 years that all claimed to live/work/exist in either the LES or the Drive, and they all have striking similarities. Not so much in the sound (although they do all tend to the hardcore/industrial/techno side), but rather in politics and presentation. Universally, they rail against shitty jobs, shitty politics, fight for gender rights, worker rights, etc. But what ties all of these acts together is the the meeting of the musician and the artist. All of these acts don’t just play for you, they perform. They get into character, they dress up, they have props, they make you believe in something more than just the music. Perhaps it’s time for someone to group some of these acts together, promote them together, get them the wider recognition they deserve, but importantly, identify whatever it is that seems to be happening here in Vancouver.

Last night was an eclectic a mixas I’ve ever heard at a _SHiNDiG, and I’ve been to a fair number at this point. Opening the night was the metal act Martial Law, from Abbotsford, or somewhere like that (the singer, clearly proud of this, shouted where they were from on several occasions, but I never once could understand where it was he was shouting they were from). They were tight, had high energy and a driving drummer, propelling them through their set. The singer, likewise, has excellent crowd-working skills, getting everyone up and excited for the night, despite their early 9:30 start. The only noticeable problem with these guys was the hatless guitarist (as they switched off roles) occasionally simply seemed to lose time to the others. The other helpful note I have is that wife-beaters may work out wherever your from, but they’re just not cool in the city, I don’t care who you are (wow — isn’t that petty of me?).

The second act of the night was The Front, ostensibly a hip-hop act, but that’s doing them some disservice. They were simply phenomenal. An interesting, original funky sound, subtle, elegent & complex basslines (from an actual bassist) and upbeat, intelligent lyrics, these guys were heads & shoulders above both the other bands. I’ve never seen a SHiNDiG crows so enamoured with an act, as they got lots of people right up front dancing for them (even if most of these people were their own friends — it’s an unusual occurance). Oddly, what ensured they would carry the night was what happened when they experienced some technical difficulties with their bassist’s amp. Rather than just standing around trying to fix it, the MCs freestyled around the topic of the bassist breaking his amp, with the keyboardist & drummer providing the beat for them. One of them even switched fluidly into another language (spanish?) mid-rap, keeping the rhyme, and then switched back. So he was what you might say decent.

Last act of the night was Gangbang, a lo-fi/DIY/po-mo ironic/detached punk act, somewhat like very early Blondie. They were fine and fun, and had interesting lyrics (when was the last time you heard pemmikin (sp?) or coureur de bois in a song?), but did suffer from perhaps being too into their own act, and failing as they’d fall into giggles at their own joke.

As expected, The Front carried the night. Actually, I now expect them to win the whole thing, although the finals should stack up to be good, with who I’m guessing will win each of the semi-final rounds. Needless to say, if you see these guys advertised around town, go check them out. You won’t be disapointed.

Featuring the Metal-grrl power of Splatter, the endearingly bleak Rain and The Sidewalk and the full on rawk of Elizabeth, week 2 shaped up to be significantly more enjoyable than last.

Splatter started off the night with a vociferous snarl of peppy, angry rock. A 4-piece, each member an unusual instrument, they used their extra strings & drums to good effect. The singer, a woman who had one of the deepest, growliest singing voiced I’ve ever heard lead them well, snarling into the mic, prancing around on stage to the music and keeping up a lively banter with the audience. As metal goes, it was fine enough. It might say something that beyond their surprisingly pleasant demeanor (particularly given the usual angry rock groups that populate SHiNDiG) the best part of the show was the unbelievable hair-windmill the bassist managed to get going during a few of the tracks. There was nothing particularly wrong with the group. They were really quite good, and possibly quite deserving of winning the night, were it any other week.

The Rain and the Sidewalk was the next act to arrive on stage, emerging as another one-man-band. There was something Joy Division-esque about him from the start — hopelessly bleak lyrics of a sad, lonely, smart introvert, bracing, simple guitar and and some ‘fuzz’ to complete the electronic sound. Unfortunately for us, there were 2 large problems with this act. First, and foremost, the guy simply could not sing. His voice was truly, truly atrocious. Second, he was visibly nervous, and was hesitant and stumbling out of the gate. This latter improved dramatically as the set wore on, but there was little improvement on the former. His songs were really quite good, and the lyrics were intelligent and darkly humorous. I hope that he may find a skilled singer, at the least, to work with in the future. Given the slowly cresting wave of 80’s and New Wave nostalgia, he may be well poised to take advantage of that with some work.

Elizabeth, from the start, stole the show. There was something jarring to myself, however, as the singer was a dead-ringer aurally for the singer from SHiNDiG alumnus My Project: Blue. Given how different the bands sound, it was amazing. But enough digression. Elizabeth was really tight, and clearly having a ball up on stage. Their brand of straight-up rock was nothing particularly new or innovative, but it was hook-laden and catchy, and I soon found myself enjoying them despite my best intentions to not like them. The lead singer was charismatic, and the earnest, dreamy strumming of the lead guitarist was fairly mesmerizing. Their weakness lay in the other two members: The bass was often simply lost amidst the rest of the sound, and the drumming, while solid, was nothing more than that. In addition, there was a certain sameness to each of their tunes. More than once I found myself thinking ‘Haven’t they already played this song?’ Despite these faults, they were entirely enjoyable, and I’m quite pleased that I’ll be hearing them again in November in the semi-finals.

This week, as seems so often to happen at SHiNDiG, was overall a significantly better week than last, and it’s a shame that six acts were not switched around a little. I’ve no idea how the scheduling is done for this thing, but more than once over the years, I’ve seen a night where 2 or 3 of the acts could quite easily win, only to be followed the next week by a trio where it’s a chore to decide who I could stand to see again. If any of Splatter, The Rain and the Sidewalk (if he finds a vocal coach or partner) or Elizabth are playing around town, I recommend that you go check them out.

So as previously advertised, last night was the first night of SHiNDiG 2003. Which was a good thing, because I like a free night out with friends, and as a judge, it’s a free night out (plus Ben was nice enough to put me on the guest list last night to skip the cover too).

So generally, I’m pretty happy, and predisposed to be forgiving to whomever may be playing that night. Last night, however, I have to say, was disapointing.

The first band, Fiction, was so close to being good. They started off in this fun new-wavey style, with some Joy Division-like sounds in there. The lead singer had this semi-charming awkwardness about him, although I think that may partially have been that he was uncomfortable in his ‘rock-star’ clothes (nothing fancy, they didn’t seem to sit right on him). And the problems just compounded to there. The band, a group of older guys, were individually each very skilled musicians. However, they just didn’t go together at all, making them appear more like a solo-artist and some session musicians than a band. The songs, while quirky, had quite sophmoric lyrics which did nothing to further their cause, but with a bit of work, would probably go over quite well on pop radio play. The final problem was that the lead singer, when playing guiter, looked terribly unsure of himself, and was quite obvious about it when he screwed up — never a good thing. Despite all this, they were the most pleasing to the ear of all the bands that night, and I suspect that were they to revisit their songsmithing, they might return as a pretty decent new-wave act.

The second band, Letters to Grace, should have been right up my alley: I grew up listening to folk-rock. I dug on Buffalo Springfield, CSNY and of course the Grateful Dead. These guys were seriously channelling the late 60’s folk-rock thing, down to the long frizzy hair and bizarre mustache/goatee thing of the time (for the bassist). However, all this did not lead to a great retro-rock act. Somehow, it led to a rather painful mining of the genre – like robots playing the music, but lacking the soul. Maybe they all just needed more confidence (there was a certain unsure mousiness to them all), to really give the soulful calls the genre requires, but I think it may really just be that they are not terribly gifted songwriters. I will admit a personal bias here, in that I was quite concerned for a while that they were a christian rock act, all earnest about Jesus and the like (which turns me off) (oddly I love soul & quite a bit of gospel, which is of course religious too, but chrisitan rock just gives me the howling fantods). They get some bonus points for not being a christian rock act, and specifically for referencing the devil (in one of those ‘temptation’ songs that were really quite popular back then). Fortunately, these guys only got through 3 or 4 songs. Unfortunately, they were all 8 or 9 minutes long. I will say, in their defense, however, that their harmonies were really quite nice.

The last act, after the first two, really only had to be competent to win my vote for the night, and The First Day was definitely that. A true-blue punk-metal act, in the Slayer genre (they in fact covered a Slayer tune near the end of their set), they sounded like any anonymous punk act featured on those ESPN X-Treme sports shows, while showing the skate/snow boarding highlights. They ran through a dozen or so songs, which is easy to do at 1 to 2 minutes apiece. Most songs sounded the same, although there were a couple of standouts, wherein the sound was distinctive. They won the night in my books mostly because they had a song whoe lyrics included a chorus of ‘Kill! Kill! Kill!’ and ‘The Church must die!’ (or something along those lines — it’s hard to tell what they’re saying in that gruff-shouting style of metal), which I just found funny.

The Jokes for Beer section, was as usual, fairly painful, but I did like Davie’s (a regular attendee and heckler of Ben’s) joke about SHiNDiG:

I don’t actually know who won the night in the end as I left right after handing in my judging sheet (the night was running late and I was really tired), but my suspicion is that Fiction will have carried the night. I’ll update once I know the final answer to that one.

UPDATE: actually, my own instincts were right and First Day won the night. huzzah.