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Archive for the ‘Union Transfer’ Category

Basic (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, November 6, 2023) [TORTOISE]

Posted in Basic, Chris Forsyth, Mikel Patrick Avery, Nick Millevoi, Philadelphia, PA, Tortoise, Union Transfer on November 8, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: November 6, 2023] Basic

Basic is a trio comprised of Chris Forsyth and Nick Millevoi on guitars and Mikel Patrick Avery on drums.

When I found out that Chris Forsyth would be opening this show for Tortoise, it pushed me into the “I gotta go” category.  I knew that whatever it sounded like, I would enjoy it.

I sat near Millevoi, who I didn’t know–he’s a Philly guitarist in Desertion Trio who has released a bunch of solo stuff as well.  For the first song he was pretty quiet while Chris Forsyth soloed.   But for the second song he played a lot more loudly.  He seemed to be the low end–paying riffs and chords while Forsyth was the high notes.

The only problem for me was that Millevoi’s guitar was pretty loud and we were standing in front of his amp, so it made Forsyth’s solos a little hard to hear.

Avery had a tiny bass drum that he hit with a mallet.  On it was a kind of woodblock, which he hit with a plastic mallet.  That’s all he had.  Millevoi often started a drum machine as he started playing so technically Avery didn’t have a lot to do, but seeing and hearing him add bass drum was a nice touch.  Avery also played with some electronics on a table near him.

They played five songs.  The first three were about ten minutes each.  The fourth one was a little shorter, and when I assumed they’d be finishing up around 8:45, at 8:40 they started a new song which took them to a full fifty minutes of jazzy guitar improv.

It was pretty great.  Catchy and fun and interesting to watch these three dudes jam with each other.

They didn’t introduces songs so I have no idea what they played.  In fact the only words spoken their whole set were at the end when Chris said, “that was Basic.”

Great instrumental fun.

And Markit Aneight recorded the whole set

 

 

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Bahamas / Fortunate Ones (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, October 18, 2023) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Bahamas, Canadian Music, Fortunate Ones, Philadelphia, PA, Union Transfer on October 18, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: October 18, 2023] Bahamas / Fortunate Ones

About five years ago I watched a video of Bahamas at Massey Hall and I liked it.

Bahamas is Afie Jurvanen a Canadian folk act. I haven’t followed them much but considered that I might want to see them. But when I listened to their newer songs, I didn’t like them.

It’s very much soft rock with, and I feel that this works for the name Bahamas, a kind of summery vacationy islandy feel.  It’s the kind of thing that I would enjoy hearing while I was walking around in a vacation chalet, but not someone I’d want to see live.

Fortunate Ones is a Canadian indie folk duo from St. John’s, Newfoundland, consisting of Andrew James O’Brien and Catherine Allan.

It’s nice that Bahamas invited another Canadian band along with him.  But I didn’t like either of their voices (which surprises me).

Needless to say I’m not going to this show.

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Devandra Banhart / Miho Hatori (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, October 12, 2023) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Cibo Matto, Devandra Banhart, Miho Hatori, Philadelphia, PA, Union Transfer on October 12, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: October 12, 2023] Devandra Banhart / Miho Hatori

About ten years ago I was really into Devandra Banhart.  I enjoyed his weirdo folkie vibe and thought that he was a good deal of fun.

And then I seemed to lose track of him altogether.  I haven’t listened to him in ages.  I see that he’s cut his hair but he still looks like a wild, fun hippy.

His new album was produced by Cate Le Bon, whose sensibilities are wonderfully oddball.  The new album is pretty streamlined with lots of synth  I think it’s too mellow for me.

Miho Hatori was in Cibo Matto and worked with Gorillaz.  She has released some solo albums and I really like the bits I’ve heard from her new one.   Dead Grandma Blog says

Miho Hatori herself says that the album is inspired by the two different genres of anime- Isekai (basically meaning ‘other world’) and Slice of Life. The record eases you in relatively painlessly, with the understated, downtempo opener ‘Tokyo Story‘, which while being quite comforting also has a vague creepiness to it… Hatori characteristically plays and experiments with rhythm throughout the rest of the album (without ever losing pop sensibility), and ultimately manages to create a tight 29 minute package that feels meatier than albums twice it’s length.

Interestingly, I suppose, Back in December, Miho’s Cibo Matto partner Yuka Honda (under the name Eucademix) did a solo avant garde show–she uses a laptop to create interesting sounds–some pleasant, some not so much.

I’d really like to see Miho Hatori.

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Slowdive / Drab Majesty (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, September 29, 2023) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Drab Majesty, Philadelphia, PA, Slowdive, Union Transfer on September 29, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: September 29, 2023] Slowdive / Drab Majesty

Slowdive is one of the classic shoegaze bands.  I didn’t really get into them back in the 90s as they were a little too slow for my liking (I mean, it’s in their name after all).  But I have since revisited my opinion.

Then, twenty years after they broke up, they reunited and made some more music.

I missed their show back in 2017 and would have been interested to see them this time (especially since their new album is really good).  But this show sold out before I even knew about it.  I’m not sure how I missed the announcement but there it is.

Alas.

Drab Majesty is opening for them.  I thought they might have been a band from the 90s as well, as their name sounded strangely familiar. But they actually formed in 2011

Drab Majesty is an American musical project founded by Andrew Clinco the drummer for the band Marriages.  Clinco adopted the androgynous character of Deb Demure for the project. Keyboardist and vocalist Mona D (Alex Nicolaou) joined the band in 2016. Drab Majesty combine androgynous aesthetics and commanding vocals with futuristic and occult lyrics, a style Demure refers to as, “tragic wave”. To create his imposing stage presence, Demure employed costumes, makeup and props to accompany his lush, ’80s-influenced soundscapes.

They sound perfectly retro (ala early Depeche Mode or Erasure).  It’s pretty tasty.  This would have been a good show.

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OSEES / Nolan Potter’s Nightmare Band (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, September 25, 2023) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Nolan Potter's Nightmare Band, Osees, Philadelphia, PA, Union Transfer on September 25, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: September 25, 2023] Osees / Nolan Potter’s Nightmare Band

Last year, I did not go to the Osees show.   And I wrote this:

I saw Osees exactly one year ago today.  I summarized by saying

The show was intense, exhausting and a ton of fun. I am so glad I went.

When they announced this year’s show I wasn’t quite in the mood for seeing them again (the exhausting part being the most vivid memory of the show).  But that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t see them again maybe next year.

When Osees announced their new show (exactly one year and a day after last year’s show), I bought a ticket for it in February, figuring what I said last year was true.

September was turning out to be a busy concert month, when I was trying to calm down my concert going.  And I figured there was always a chance I wasn’t going to go to this show.

But since I had blown off the weekend show, I figured I’d go to this one.  Especially since I really like the new Osees album.

But this time the world got to me instead.  I had made an appointment for a COVID booster.  But I accidentally went to two of the wrong locations (first one my fault, second one a misunderstanding).  What should have taken five minutes wound up taken 90, and by the time I actually got the booster, it was later than when I wanted to leave for this show.  And I hadn’t even been home yet.

There’s no way I would have made much if any of Nolan Potter and by then, I was just too worn out from driving around to bother going anywhere (we’ll blame a little vaccine exhaustion too).

But since Osees love to play Philly, I’m promising myself that I’ll see them next year.

I had not heard of Nolan Potter’s Nightmare Band before this show and I imagined them being loud and crazy and abrasive.  But when I listened to their latest album Let It Stream, I was amazed by how much I liked it!  It was like Frank Zappa with jazzy and proggy moments.

Another reviewer says of them

Awesome newish prog-psych band with an awesome vibe and a TON of flute. Lotta King Gizzard vibes from them, and if you’re a fan of Matt Berry too you might really like them.

So, yeah, I might be more bummed that I missed them than the Osees.  Will definitely have to catch them in the future.

But Markit Aneight recorded the show for everyone:

Here’s Nolan Potter

Here’s Osees

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Sleep Token / A.A. Williams (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, September 9, 2023) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in A.A. Williams, Philadelphia, PA, Shevy Marie, Sleep Token, Union Transfer on September 9, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: September 9, 2023] Sleep Token / A.A. Williams

I had never heard of Sleep Token until about a week ago when Shevy Marie, the woman who plays all of the women in Ice Nine Kills’ live performances, announced that she would be touring with Sleep Token.  I have no idea in what capacity.  Ad when I looked up to see where  the tour was taking this band, I found out that they were playing Union Transfer and the show was sold out.  In fact, the whole tour appears to be sold out. Wow.

So, who are they?  Interestingly, no one know.

Sleep Token are a British alternative metal band from London, formed in 2016. The group are an anonymous, masked collective led by a frontman using the moniker Vessel. They have been categorised under many different genres, including alternative metal, post-rock/metal, progressive metal and indie rock/pop.

There’s obviously so much for me to like about this band–masked singers, calling their shows “rituals”, toying with heavy metal, Shevy Marie.  Although when I listened to a few songs I didn;t really like them all that much.

Well, it being sold out saved me the worry.

A.A. Williams is a singer from

The first thing that comes up when searching for her is a cover of Placebo’s “Without You I’m Nothing” which is even more gothy than the original.  It’s good and moody.  Her other stuff is similarly moody and gauzey with a healthy dose of goth.  Or as Kerrang says

a stunning work of minor-chord perfection that announced its author as a genuinely exceptional talent. A perfect expression of beautiful melancholy that touched that same delicate, isolated, rainy-night nerve as Anathema, Nick Cave and Deftones at their most understated,

I’ll bet this show is really good.

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The Tallest Man on Earth / Andrea von Kampen (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, September 8, 2023) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Andrea van Kampen, Philadelphia, PA, The Tallest Man on Earth, Union Transfer on September 8, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: September 8, 2023] The Tallest Man on Earth/Andrea von Kampen

Last year, after many failed attempts, I finally got to see The Tallest Man on Earth–Kristian Matsson, a Swedish folksinger with a great guitar picking style and a deep powerful gritty voice.

It was a fun show only marred by the very vocal drunks behind me who talked during the show and then sang along really loudly to the words they knew.

I thought it would be fun to see him again–and to hopefully be in a different spot than the drunks this time.  So I grabbed a ticket.  Completely not realizing that I had already purchased tickets to see Beck/Phoenix tonight.

Alas.

Andrea van Kampen is an American folk singer.  She has a gentle fingerpicking style and a nice voice that reaches to a powerful falsetto.

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Altin Gün / Rogê (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, July 29, 2023) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Altin Gün, Philadelphia, PA, Rogê, Union Transfer on July 29, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: July 29, 2023] Altin Gün / Rogê

Altin Gün is a Turkish psychedelic band from The Netherlands.  (Their name means Golden Day).

Their live shows are supposed to be wonderful as well:

Altin Gün’s relentless grooves are truly immersive, anti-elitist, inclusive. It’s truly music for the dancefloor – all dancefloors. Altin Gün are the perfect 21st Century psych band, hinting at a deep record collection while still belonging to a living tradition and having a unique and distinctive voice
[from Forestpunk].

They played Underground Arts last year but I couldn’t go.  I’m impressed that they moved up to Union Transfer this year–good for them.

I bought a ticket this year because I’d been listening to and enjoying their new album.  But it seemed like this show was destined for me not to go. (more…)

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Nanna / Indigo Sparke (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, July 21, 2023) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Indigo Sparke, Nanna, Of Monsters and Men, Philadelphia, PA, Union Transfer on July 21, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: July 21, 2023] Nanna / Indigo Sparke

Nanna is the main singer (and creative force) behind Of Monsters and Men.
I was intrigued by the announcement of her solo tour, but i wasn’t sure if I wanted to see her.

Then Blondshell announced her show the same night as this one and I decided I’d rather see her than Nanna.

Turns out we have another obligation that night anyhow, so the decision was moot.

I know of Indigo Sparke from her Tiny Desk Concert a few years ago.  She is an Australian singer songwriter and I wrote

Sparke sings a little too slowly for my liking–the kind of stretched out vocals that make it hard for me to follow the thread of the song (or maybe that you need a few listens to fully appreciate).

At the tome of that Concert, she was in a relationship with Adrienne Lenker from Big Thief.  Not sure if she still is.

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Wednesday / All Dogs / Tenci (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, June 17, 2023) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Philadelphia, PA, Union Transfer, Wednesday on June 17, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: June 17, 2023] Wednesday / All Dogs / Tenci

Wednesday were supposed to open for Beach Bunny at The Fillmore last year.  They bailed on the show and I was a little bummed because I had heard good things about them.  When they announced this headlining tour (at Union Transfer?  They’re big enough for there already?) I was intrigued.  I’d heard a song or two that I liked, but there was something that held me back.

I really like the fuzzy guitars and largely grunge sound, but there’s a kind of alt-country vibe that underpins their sound that I just can’t get past.  They have a lap steel guitar (which I either love or hate depending on how it’s used) and are often described as merging shoegaze and country.  So I didn’t feel compelled to go to this show after all.  And it was nice to have a Saturday night at home.

All Dogs is kind of a mini supergroup with Maryn Jones, from Saintseneca, drummer Jesse Wither, from the punk band Delay,bassist Amanda Bartley  from Swearin’, and guitarist Nick Harris, from Slaughter Beach, Dog.  That may explain why their first EP had som many reviews.  With details like

“pierced with a strong sense of yearning” [Pitchfork] “containing more perfect anxiousness and earnestness than some bands can get out in a whole album” [Stereogum] and it’s “awfully charming for something that’s eating itself alive from the inside.”[Consequence of Sound].

I listened to a couple of songs and rather liked them.  They had a good indie rock sound with fuzzy guitars and a pop bedrock.  Although they haven’t released any new music since 2015.

Tenci features Jess Shoman on vocals and guitar and are a indie folk band.  They have a bedroom quality and I don’t quite like their sound. They are a little too slow and yodelly for me.

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