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Palehound (Underground Arts, Philadelphia, PA, November 13, 2024) [RATBOYS]

November 14, 2024 by Paul Debraski

[ATTENDED: November 13, 2024] Palehound

I saw Palehound twice in three months as the band opened first for Weaves and then for Courtney Barnett.

And now it’s been six years and I’ve seen them again.

El Kemper is still the main focus of the band, and the rest of the band was great.

This show was cast under the shadow of the election and everyone was righteously pissed.  The show was accepting donations for Trans Lifeline, National Network of Abortion Funds, and Palestine Children’s Relief Fund.

El was blown away by the amount of people in the room and then said that they were getting gender affirming surgery in six days.  Amazing.  I hope they are doing great.

For this show I felt like Kemper’s guitar prowess was less on display than in the past.  Not that they weren’t great, but there were fewer opportunities for bigger than life solos–until the end.

There’s been two albums since I saw them last and I didn’t know this new one all that well. But I had listened to it a few times and El’s voice–whispery and strained-seeming but somehow still powerful is unmistakable.  I love “Eye on the Bat” and was psyched that they played it (although surprised it was so early in the set).

After a half a dozen songs, El played two solo songs, including the powerful Your Boyfriend’s Gun.  El was very appreciative of the audience’s respect for the song, which they said not every audience gives.  I hoped it might sink in for other shows, but I doubt it.

After the solo songs, the band came back and they played mostly older songs.  A few from 2019’s Black Friday and a few from Dry Food (the one I know best).

So I didn’t know a lot of the songs, but Kemper’s delivery and guitar playing (especially in the later songs like Cinnamon and Molly) were fantastic.

2024 Underground Arts 2018 Union Transfer 2018 Johnny Brenda’s
Good Sex © Molly €
Independence Day © Carnations ⊗
Room ⊗ Turning 21 ⊗
Eye on the Bat © Dry Food €
The Clutch © At Night I’m Alright with You ⊗
Route 22 ©   Backseat ⊗
Dry Food € Feeling Fruit ⊗
Company (solo) ♠ YMCA Pool ¥
Your Boyfriend’s Gun (solo) § Cinnamon €
Killer ♠ Room ⊗
Bullshit ♠ Pet Carrot ∏
Mt Evil © If You Met Her ⊗
Aaron ♠
Cinnamon €
Molly €

§ new (2024)
© Eye on the Bat (2023)
♠ Black Friday (2019)
¥ YMCA Pool single (2018)
⊗ A Place I’ll Always Go (2017)
€ Dry Food (2015)
∏ Bent Nail EP (2013)

Posted in Palehound, Philadelphia, PA, Ratboys, Underground Arts, youbet | Leave a Comment »

Illiterate Light / Palmyra (Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia, PA, November 14, 2024) [DID NOT ATTEND]

November 14, 2024 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: November, 14, 2024] Illiterate Light / Palmyra

My wife and I saw Illiterate Light two times within a few months back in 2019.  Since then they’ve played Philly a lot and I haven’t bothered to see them again.  I’m sure they’re still great–we enjoyed both shows–but they have just fallen off my radar.   Interestingly, they played Johnny BRenda’s back in February as well, so clearly they must be popular in Philly without my help.  So, good for them.

Palmyra is a trio from the Shenandoah Valley.  Here’s a fun review from Getalternative.com

Palmyra is a folk trio from the Shenandoah Valley. Teddy, Manoa, and Sasha have personalities that spill out all over the stage and feel like friendly strangers you strike up a conversation with outside a gas station, waiting for the car to fill. Their lyrics ponder an intimate, contemplative side of things. Sasha sings lead vocals and their voice drips with a beautiful desperation, every single word holding an earnestness you don’t find just anywhere anymore. Teddy and Manoa’s harmonies are screw-tight and the collective sound compliments the guitar, mandolin, and upright bass like whipped cream compliments peach cobbler.

I’ve listened to a couple of songs and they vary from rocking to super-folkie.  They’re probably fun live.

Posted in Illiterate Light, Johnny Brenda's, Palmyra, Philadelphia, PA | Leave a Comment »

youbet (Underground Arts, Philadelphia, PA, November 13, 2024) [RATBOYS]

November 13, 2024 by Paul Debraski

[ATTENDED: November 13, 2024] youbet

I hadn’t heard of the band youbet who was opening the show.  I listened to a couple of songs before the show, but it turns out that much of the set was from an upcoming album.

Singer/guitarist Nick Llobet has a high and distinctive voice.   Some of their songs (I’m guessing the already released ones) have a kind of low fi vibe, but their newer ones rock harder.

Nirvana is a lazy comparison most of the time, but one of the earlier songs (I think it was quest on the setlist) had a real Nirvana vibe bith in vocal delivery and pounding drums (Jojo Quinn).

I was more or less in front of bassist Micah Prussack and I loved how low and punch their bass sound was (again, if I am getting the songs correct, the bass on mimic is a great, noisy addition).

But a song like (jaw of cain) was this woozy psychedelic verse (with practically spoken lyrics) that turned into a chaotic bridge with a fantastic loud bass line throughout.

I was listening to some of these songs that  recorded during the set, and I think I’m off on which songs are which.  maybe I’ll correct this one the album comes out.  But the final song I recorded (which I assume is boris) has another cool bass line (up and then down the neck, all while gloriously fuzzed).

I’m really looking forward to the album when it comes out.

2024 Underground Arts
Carsick ⇔
quest
mimic
undefined
jaw cain
Nurture ⇔
Peel ⇔
palomita
boris

⇔ Way to Be

Posted in Palehound, Philadelphia, PA, Ratboys, Underground Arts, youbet | Leave a Comment »

Finom / Meg Elsier (Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia PA, November 13, 2024) [DID NOT ATTEND]

November 13, 2024 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: November 13, 2024] Finom / Meg Elsier

I saw OHMME open for Jeff Tweedy a few years ago.  Then in August 2022 Sima Cunningham and Macie Stewart announced that they had changed their name from OHMME to Finom, for legal reasons.

I really enjoyed them (a lot) when I saw them live, but for one reason or another I haven’t been that interested in seeing them again.  I haven’t really listened to their new music, so it’s not really fair that I haven’t been interested in them, but that’s what happens sometimes.  Although ultimately, the reason I didn’t go is because I had tickets to see Ratboys and Palehound for the same night.

I understand that each of their records is quite different.  The few songs from the album remind me a bit Lucius, but with noise sprinkled into the mix.

Meg Elsier is from Nashville via Boston and plays an indie rock with synthy pop flourishes and noises and other eccentric moments.  The little I heard from her was quite good. She seems like a real character and I’ll bet she’s fun live.

I’ll definitely look for both of them next year.

Posted in Finom, Johnny Brenda's, Meg Elsier, Philadelphia, PA | Leave a Comment »

Slow Pulp / Free Range (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, November 13, 2024) [DID NOT ATTEND]

November 13, 2024 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: November 13, 2024] Slow Pulp / Free Range

In 2022 Slow Pulp opened for Alvvays and I wrote

Slow Pulp is a funny name.  Especially if (like to me) it sounds like your band is just a slower version of the band Pulp, which they are not.  Rather, they are kind of a slow version of Alvvays.  They are slow and introspective.  Seems like a good (if maybe dull?) fit.

I still don’t like the name (for the same reason), but I’ve become somewhat more interested in them.

Last year, they were playing The Foundry on Halloween on the same night that we were seeing Japanese Breakfast.  I listened to them a bit since them and while I still think they are too slow for me (the name is apt), I liked some of their stuff more than I thought I would.

I was intrigued to see them live, but this show was the same night as Palehound and Ratboys, so, I wasn’t going to miss that one.

I have actually seen Free Range live twice.  Technically I only heard them on one occasion–they were playing when we arrived at All Things Go and we could hear  them through the speakers.  But I also saw them open for, of all bands, Ratboys (so the band they opened for last time prevented me from seeing them this time).

About them I wrote

Sofia Jensen’s voice sounded familiar–maybe a kind of Phoebe Bridgers vibe–a kind of strong whispery style, and her songs had a strong Pinegrove feel to me (turns out that Nick Levin from Pinegrove plays pedal steel on on two of the tracks).  I guess the songs are indie rock with a whiff of country about them.  Although, interestingly, the chill vibe was often smashed by the loud jamming sections of some of the songs, especially the final one “Want to Know” which rocked out more than the others.

I would have enjoyed this show if I was in a mellow mood.

Posted in Free Range, Philadelphia, PA, Slow Pulp, Union Transfer | Leave a Comment »

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists / Oceanator (White Eagle Hall, Jersey City, NJ, November 13, 2024) [DID NOT ATTEND]

November 13, 2024 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTENDED: November 13, 2024] Ted Leo and the Pharmacists / Oceanator

I saw Ted Leo back in June.  But I missed about half of the set because I was at another show that night.  When he announced that the tour was continuing and he was going to play White Eagle Hall (where I had first seen him five years ago), it seemed like a nice moment of serendipity.  But the show was the same night as Ratboys and Palehound and I knew I was going to go to that show.

So I’m going to have to wait until he comes back around (and for December 6 when I see him play with Aimee Mann).

Oceanator opened for AJJ back in 2023 and I didn’t go to that show either.  But here’s what I said about them then

Oceanator is Elise Okusami a Brooklyn-based guitarist.  I hadn’t heard of her and when I listened to some songs, I loved them. The songs are catchy and fun and sound great.  This would have been a really fun show.

I even hear a little bit of Aimee Mann in her voice.

Posted in Aimee Mann, Jersey City, NJ, Oceanator, Ted Leo, Ted Leo + Pharmacists, White Eagle Hall | Leave a Comment »

Pond (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, November 11, 2024)

November 12, 2024 by Paul Debraski

[ATTENDED: November 11, 2024] Pond 

I saw Pond here six years ago and it remains a memorable show for me, primarily because I got a great close up of lead singer Nick Allbrook as he was about to lean into the crowd.

I’m not sure why I didn’t go to see  them in 2019 or 2022, when they played Underground Arts–I assume Allbrook was just wandering around the crowd at that show given how interactive he was with us at Union Transfer.

When they announced this tour, I was interested but also a little unsure (again, I’m not sure why, had I forgotten how much I enjoyed their last show?)

So, when they came on stage, I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect.  Allbrook didn’t have make up on like last time, but he was immediately and amazing frontman–dancing, getting close to the edge of the stage, and engaging fully with the audience.

When I saw them last time, all I really knew about them was that they were connected to Tame Impala and the few songs I listened to were really good.  [Allbrook was a touring member with Tam Impala until 2013, but Pond is far beyond any mention of Tame Impala].

They opened with a slow number called Daisy from their 2019 album Tasmania (which I don’t know at all).  The song picks up into a bouncier, synthy number and it was a good opportunity to check out what the band was doing.  Continue Reading »

Posted in Fazerdaze, Philadelphia, PA, Pond, Union Transfer | Leave a Comment »

Panchiko / Trauma Ray (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, November 12, 2024) [DID NOT ATTEND]

November 12, 2024 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: November 12, 2024] Panchiko / Trauma Ray

I really only know about Panchiko because of their fascinating story.

The band first received public attention in 2016 when their 2000 demo EP D>E>A>T>H>M>E>T>A>L was discovered by a 4chan user in a charity shop in Sherwood, Nottingham and shared online. The EP’s status as lost media led to a dedicated cult following and a community devoted to tracking down its band members. This was unbeknownst to the band until 2020, when Davies was found and contacted by a fan through Facebook. In November 2021, they amassed over 10 million streams on Spotify.

I genuinely don’t know if I’d go to see them, but I feel like I might give them a chance.

Opening for them was Trauma Ray, who, I didn’t know.

Their blurb sounds pretty awesome:

Among the current wave of shoegaze revivalists, Fort Worth’s trauma ray rank as high as any at capturing its complexity, intensity, and expressive devastation.   One of trauma ray’s greatest gifts is their ability to make doomy, sledgehammer heaviness sound like an ear-worm, without production tricks or gimmicks: “Riff, verse, chorus, three guitar parts – that’s all you need.”

I listened to a couple of songs and they’re really good.  I guess maybe I should have gone to this one.

Posted in Panchiko, Philadelphia, PA, Trauma Ray, Union Transfer | Leave a Comment »

Fazerdaze (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, November 11, 2024) [POND]

November 11, 2024 by Paul Debraski

[ATTENDED: November 11, 2024] Fazerdaze

When I saw Pond six years ago, I loved their opening act, Fascinator.   I was equally intrigued by their opening act this time, Fazerdaze, although I didn’t really look into them too much.

When they came out on stage, it was just two of them facing each other in the center of the stage.  Fazerdaze is the creation of Amelia Murray. She stood facing our side of the stage with her guitar and electronic gear.  Dave Rowlands stood facing her with his guitar and synth.

And perhaps most interesting is that they’re from New Zealand.

Murray would start the drum loop and then the two of them would play together.  The lights were dim so it wasn’t always clear who was doing what, but it was clear that it was Amelia’s show.

She told us that her new album was officially coming out at midnight and the set had five of the eleven songs in it.

The songs are mostly mellow with gentle psychedelic notions thrown in.  Amelia has a terrific voice and the melodies were quite lovely.  Although overall the vibe was a little too mellow for me.  The set was fairly short, but it still felt a little long to me.

I also thought they were also a bit of an odd choice as an opening act since musically they are quite different.  But I’m happy that they were getting exposure in the States and there were quite a lot of people there to see Fazerdaze.  The woman in front of me sang along to every song and actually left (my area) when they were done.

SETLIST

  1. Break! ⇑
  2. Winter ⇑
  3. Soft Power §
  4. A Thousand Years §
  5. Purple_02 §
  6. Cherry Pie §
  7. Bigger §

⇑ Break!
§ Soft Power (2024)

Posted in Fazerdaze, Philadelphia, PA, Pond, Union Transfer | Leave a Comment »

Makoto Kawabata+ Tim Dahl + Simeon Cain (PhilaMOCA, Philadelphia, PA, November 9, 2024)

November 10, 2024 by Paul Debraski

[ATTENDED: November 9, 2024] Makoto Kawabata+ Tim Dahl + Simeon Cain

I had missed Acid Mothers Temple when they played Philly last month, so I was pretty excited to see that Kawabata Makoto was hanging around the Northeast to do a mini improvised tour with Tim Dahl and a rotating cast of drummers.

This November, a collaborative music tour between guitarist Makoto Kawabata (Acid Mothers Temple) and bassist Tim Dahl (Lydia Lunch, Child Abuse) will hit the American Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, promising rock intensity, avant-garde design, and psychedelic perception. With a combination of predetermined material and improvisation, one can expect a focused yet unpredictable and dynamic sonic experience. This collaboration will take audiences on a journey through chaotic, noise-infused passages that suddenly give way to moments of serene beauty, showcasing variety, creativity, and fearlessness. Each night’s concert will be enriched by the distinctive styles of a notable regional guest drummer, adding fresh, unpredictable elements to the performance. Audiences should expect a whirlwind of sound that pushes the boundaries of conventional music and celebrates the expression of unrestrained artistry.

I had never heard of Tim Dahl and was entirely interested in the show for Kawabata.  But it’s possible that Tim Dahl may have been the real draw?

Tim Dahl is a New York based bassist and vocalist best known for his work with the noise-rock bands Lydia Lunch Retrovirus and Child Abuse.

The name of that last band tells you a lot about Dahl’s sound.  He plays a fascinating bass style–in which it doesn’t seem like he is actually playing notes–just running his hands up and down the fretboard at random.  He also uses a finger slide but in his picking hand, generating all kinds of noise.  Combine this with the fact that his microphone seemed to have a very fast repeating echo on it so whatever he said or sang into the mic was repeated beyond recognition and he really seemed to dominate the room. Continue Reading »

Posted in Acid Mothers Temple, Basic, Makoto Kawabata, Mental Jewelry, Philadelphia, PA, PhilaMOCA, Simeon Cain, Tim Dahl | Leave a Comment »

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