[DID NOT ATTEND: September 29, 2022] Finom / Mmeadows / Grocer
In August 2022 Sima Cunningham and Macie Stewart announced that they had changed their name from OHMME to Finom, for legal reasons (I wonder what those were).
I don’t care for the new name. I didn’t really love the first name either.
But I saw them open for Jeff Tweedy a few years ago and they were incredible. Their new album (as Finom) came out a little while ago and I never really got into it–maybe I didn’t give it a chance. But for whatever reason I wasn;t as interested in this show as I thought I’d be, given how much I loved their set last time.
This is actually the second show that I didn’t go to in which mmeadows was supposed to open. Their music is pretty interesting. Rough Trade publishing describes them this way:
Longtime collaborators Kristin Slipp and Cole Kamen-Green come together for the first time as a duo in mmeadows. The band’s distinct sound is informed by their deep musical backgrounds: Kristin is a current member of indie royalty Dirty Projectors, while Cole has worked directly with Beyoncé on two albums, ‘Beyoncé’ and ‘Four.’ Drawing from their disparate influences, mmeadows sees two people connect in what Paste Magazine calls a sonically “singular” way.
Vocal-focused pop songwriting is the heartbeat of mmeadows, who liberally use found sounds and esoteric vintage instruments in their productions and performances. The band released their first EP, Who Do You Think You Are?, in April 2020.
Perhaps a but too poppy for me, but I’ll bet they’re fun live.
I thought I knew Grocer from a Tiny Desk Concert, but I was wrong. Grocer is a Philly based band that I keep seeing around–so they must be opening for a lot of bands. Their bandcamp says
Grocer is a band from Philadelphia. Lead by three distinct vocalists, they pendulate between moments of brash atonality, saccharine pop sensibility, and rhythmic acrobatics.
Their compositions are both meticulous and volatile, while their live performances are lauded for explosive chemistry with cheeky curiosity. On their most recent full length, Numbers Game, the band rearranged the puzzle pieces of 90s-influenced rock and dissonant pop into something utterly their own.
I love their chaotic sound as it works with their melodies. And this blurb makes me realize I need to see them live
Grocer is a multi-vocal guitar band from South Philly that demands context and attention: listen to just one song or wander away mid-set to smoke a cigarette, and you’ll completely miss what they’re about. Featuring three distinct vocalists/lyricists, Grocer is a band that grooves, but never quite settles; a group that loves a good melody, yet remains moments away from chaos. Recently described as “if The Pixies wrote a musical”, their on-stage chemistry is undeniable whether ripping through an Audiotree session or playing in their home city of Philadelphia.
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