“Don’t worry – we’ll do some weird shit later,” proclaimed Atlas Sound frontman Bradford Cox a few songs into his band’s set at the Great American Music Hall on Tuesday.
Known for the loud, fuzzy, purely pop yet sometimes utterly strange sounds that fill both his solo Atlas Sound records and those of his primary band, indie rock darlings Deerhunter, Cox decided to go "normal" for a night and took the stage with an acoustic guitar, bright white lights shining down onto his crisp, white, buttoned-down shirt, and launched into a stripped down version of "My Halo" from his latest album, Logos.
This set the tone for a show that found Cox and his four-man backing band offering new interpretations of Cox's recorded work. Many songs transformed into soft pop lullabies, yet still allowed room to throw in a bit of the aforementioned "weird shit" and rocking climaxes. “Quarantined” and “Recent Bedroom” were blended into a hushed acoustic-based medley, buffeted by spacey sound effects, of course, while“Walkabout” lost some decibels but retained its chirpy pop melody, with Trish Keenan from co-headliner Broadcast on backing vocals in place of Animal Collective's Noah Lennox, who sings on the album.
At the show Cox proved he's easily one of the most engaging performers in the live spectrum these days. For one, he keeps the surprises coming musically and is malleable to last-minute song requests. And then there's his endearing loquaciousness -- he offered commentary between each song and responded freely to the audience, so it felt more like a friend was up on stage rather than some musician worshipped so devotedly by bloggers worldwide. But what's most refreshing is his sincerity. This is a guy who's driven by his passion for making interesting, and beautiful, music, and isn't trying to bullshit or get one over on anyone.
Playing the encore alone, Cox strapped on his acoustic guitar with harmonica attached for a rendition of "Logos."
Mr. Cool Indie Rock Guy suddenly became Bob Dylan. It was totally unexpected, and totally just right.
November 5, 2009
November 1, 2009
Album review: Volcano Choir - Unmap
The side project of Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon and folks from Collections of Colonies of Bees put together a breezy but stellar debut record, Unmap, that just may conjure an out-of-body experience.
The band immediately contradicts any references its name might suggest of loud explosions on the opener "Husks and Shells," an acoustic track recorded as if not to wake the children. But the choir part’s true, with Vernon’s ethereal howls, and sometimes just animal noises, offering a dreamy overlay to the band’s rhythmic instrumentation.
Less folky and reliant on lyrics than Bon Iver, Volcano Choir incorporates more experimental and worldly sounds into its arsenal, as on the restrained Japanese feel of "And Gather"; "Cool Knowledge," which is full of weird vocal stylings reminiscent of Bjork's Medulla album; and then there's ambient instrumental pieces like "Dote."
Underneath it all there's a spiritual energy at work, particularly on "Youlagy," a soulful version of “Amazing Grace,” and the album's best track, "Seeplymouth," an epic seven minutes of delicate but propulsive percussion and Vernon's angelic falsetto serenade.
It's lovely enough to leave the ground behind.
Check out "Island, IS":
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