We got onto the floor about five minutes before Kevin Devine went on stage. Once again, he was supported by his temporary band, and once again, he was in fine, energetic form. The theatre was yet to really fill, but there was a good sized audience covering about half the floor, and Kevin was well-received enough. He played the same set list as Sydney though this time Jesse Lacey came on stage to growl through a verse in the Nirvana cover. Jesse sounded hoarse and rough, but it suited the song so I thought nothing of it at the time.
Brother's Blood
Cotton Crush Carnival Time to Burn (Another Bag of Bones) You're Trailing Yourself School (Nirvana cover; with Jesse Lacey) I Could Be With Anyone Buried by the Buzz Just Stay Brother's Blood
By the time Brand New were due on stage, the theatre was packed tight. Al and I were lucky to grab a spot on the steps at the back of the floor, which gave me the best view I’ve ever had of the band. Unfortunately, Jesse had lost his voice between Sydney and Melbourne. He didn’t let up though, tearing through the first four songs of the set, the same Daisy screamfest as they did in Sydney. It was painful to listen to at times, but I appreciated that they didn’t cut the night short to save his voice, but rather did the best they could as a band. They made some great setlist changes too, again mixing old with new, adding Mix Tape (the first time I’ve heard it live!) and swapping Shower Scene for The No Seatbelt Song , Limousine for Bought a Bride.
Mix Tape
At the end of the night, Jesse closed with Play Crack the Sky solo, as he did in Sydney. Halfway through, a second figure came onto the dim stage with a guitar, then proceeded to trip over some cords, stopping Jesse in his tracks. Kevin Devine (for it was he) and Jesse then had a very cute exchange, bantering about Kevin ruining the whole performance ("you just ruined like two hours of music!"), before they tried to resume from the second verse - which Kevin missed. Lololol. Jesse’s voice was still cracking and off-key, but it was lovely to see them perform together, and they obviously enjoyed each other's presence.
Play Crack the Sky
Sound-wise, this night was a bit of a bust, but it didn't matter. I got this feeling, from both nights, that these might be the last times I see Brand New perform for a long long time, if not forever – it felt like a farewell tour, from the fantastic career-spanning setlists to the way the band connected with the audience and played to fans in a way they hadn’t always before. I think the Sydney show was slightly better - Jesse still had his voice, hometown bias, plus better overall atmosphere - but I wouldn't have missed the Melbourne show for anything, just to see them live again. I'm grateful that I got to see them supported by Kevin Devine, an artist I never would've heard of and loved had it not been for Brand New and their incestuous music making circle; and I'm glad to have had the chance to see them play such different sets each time they toured. But there was a sadness this time round too, the feeling that it was the end of an era, whether for them, or for me, or both.
Sink Vices Gasoline In a Jar Sowing Season (Yeah) The Archers Bows Have Broken Okay I Believe You But My Tommy Gun Don't Sic Transit Gloria...Glory Fades Mix Tape The Shower Scene Jude Law and a Semester Abroad Seventy Times 7 Jesus You Won't Know Degausser You Stole At the Bottom Limousine Play Crack the Sky (with Kevin Devine)
I have no objectivity left regarding these two artists/bands. Let's just say that last night was AMAZING and I am so glad that I will get to see them at least once again in the next week. They met my stratospheric expectations and went beyond. I'll try to write a proper review of the run of shows when I get back from Melbourne...
OK, so it's two months later, and I still have hearteyes when I think about this night.
I'd seen Kevin Devine once before, on a sidestage at Lollapalooza with his Goddamn Band, and it was one of my highlights of the festival. I didn't hold much hope for seeing him again, not in Australia at least, for he had practically no profile here; so you can guess how ecstatic I was when I discovered not only were one of my favourite bands, Brand New, returning to Australia, they were bringing Kevin Devine, a friend of theirs, as the support.
He'd played a solo acoustic gig at the Annadale the night before (which I kinda regret missing now) but in his support slot, Kevin Devine was amped and backed by a temporary band that included Brand New's Vinnie Acardi on guitar. They played a great set, mostly of his punchier songs, which suited the excited crowd and atmosphere. I was blown away, once again, by the power and emotion in his music; Brother's Blood is electrifyingly intense live, with its slow burning passion, building up to the dizzying climax of his throaty screams of 'my sorry heart' and the guitar wailing its solo after to lead to its weary, quiet end.
Cotton Crush Carnival Time to Burn (Another Bag of Bones) You're Trailing Yourself School (Nirvana cover)I Could Be With Anyone Buried by the Buzz Just Stay Brother's Blood
Even though not all fans have embraced last year's album, Daisy, as they have the two before it, there was a buzzing crowd waiting in the Enmore for Brand New. They started with a scream-tastic block of songs from Daisy, loud and raucous and bold, but it wasn't until the fifth song - Sowing Season from previous album The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me - that the crowd really went nuts. Al noted that the set was a travel back in time, going from Daisy to TDAGARIM then back to Deja Entendu and then even further back to poppier favourites from first album Your Favourite Weapon.
This unexpected but welcomed dip into the past was part of what made this concert feel like one for the fans. While I love them to bits, the previous times I've seen Brand New there's always been a level of disconnect between band and audience, as if they, in keeping with the inward looking music, were often playing for themselves and no one else. This time, the music was still in turn angry and restless with energy, but the atmosphere overall was somewhat lighter and less introspective; the band seemed to have gotten the hang on enjoying themselves, losing themselves in the music, while bringing the audience along with them.
It wasn't all sweetness and light though; the second half of the set was dominated by moodier songs, a reminder of how hauntingly good Brand New are with the painful, the emotional. No encore, but the set was so satisfying - in length, in song choice, in performance - that I didn't mind. And I left with my fannish fervour renewed, and with even greater anticipation for the Melbourne shows.
Sink Vices Gasoline In a Jar Sowing Season (Yeah) The Archers Bows Have Broken Okay I Believe You But My Tommy Gun Don't Sic Transit Gloria...Glory Fades The No Seatbelt Song Jude Law and a Semester Abroad Seventy Times 7 Jesus You Won't Know Degausser You Stole Bought A Bride At the Bottom Play Crack the Sky
Argh! Running out of time to get this up before the end of the year... (okay, I didn't really make it. Happy 2010!)
Below are my favourite albums of the year. Most of these I knew I loved upon first listen, and only grew to love even more as I listened and relistened and played each to death over the year, in the car, on my ipod, while studying, doing my chores.
More upbeat and yet at the same time angrier and harder than before, Straylight recovered from the disappointment of being dropped from their major label with a great four song EP. I look forward to seeing what they come up with next.
Following on sonically from their underappreciated third album Fast Times in Barrington High, this is a great five track EP, all jangly guitars and a driving rhythm section overlaid with great melodies after a pop sensibility.
A compliation two disc album where the proceeds went towards HIV/AIDS work. The contributors read like a who's who of indie music, an amazing list of artists and songs and collaborations. I highly recommend getting a copy for yourself, it's worth checking out for Sufjan Stevens' reworking of 'You Are the Blood' or for Cat Powers' lovely version of 'Amazing Grace' or for Gillian Welch and Conor Oberst together on 'Lua'.
A return to form for veteran band BtS. The album has that fuzzy guitar sound, Doug Martsch's yelp-like voice, and some almost-alt-country melodies as the lyrics contemplate the fears and worries of the everyday and this world.
listen: 'Things Fall Apart', a standout track; slow, and slow-building, almost-dreamlike.
It's a patchy album, but when TBS are good they're really good. Bookended with the best songs: the 1-2 punch of the album opener 'New Again' and lead single 'Sink Into Me'; and the revengeful, regretful closers 'Capital M-E', 'Carpathia' and 'Everything Must Go'. The latter is particularly bitterly heartbreaking as everything - the lyrics about the end of a dream and Adam Lazzara's angrysadbrokendown voice and all the rage and regret - comes together in one fantastic song.
Her voice is so beautiful, and it rings through the alt-country tinged songs of this album, soaking it in an atmosphere of smoke and tenderness and longing.
I love the sound of this album, all lo-fi and folky, matched perfectly with the lazy huskiness of his voice. There's something for everybody, from the upbeat collaborations with Zooey Deschanel like 'Never Had Nobody Like You' to slow, grand songs like the sombre, beautiful title track.
Dappled have gone with a more electronic, darker sound on this third album, but they haven't lost their touch at building great songs: there's the same great grasp of melodies, blending shimmering synths and layers of guitars and dreamy vocal calls over evershifting drumlines.
Late to the party, but oh, I'm so glad Al pushed them time after time at me. A little folk, a little Americana, a little alt-country, but most of all, plenty awesome. From beautifully sweet songs like 'I and Love and You' to the fun, witty 'Kick Drum Heart', the songs are perfect in their simplicity.
Kevin Devine is a singer-songwriter who says his influences are "comic books, 90's guitar rock over and underground, good folk and country music, punk rock, social justice, books in general, books and books and books", which comes across most strongly in his way with words. He writes great songs about things going wrong (with the world, with relationships, himself) with an angry, weary passion and I love the way this album makes me feel; that yeah, even when sometimes we're bruised and hurt we press on the bruises, we go back for more.
I really really recommend the two tracks below; they are fantastic, complex songs, lyrically and musically.
Not content with having one concept album under their belt (previous album The Crane Wife, based on a Japanese fable), the Decemberists returned with a full rock-opera, originally planned as a musical. Having seen them perform this in its entirety, I can say unequivocally that it is meant to be enjoyed in this form. And the more I listen to it, the more I am amazed that a band has the guts to make such wonderful anachronistic music and be celebrated for it.
When it came down to these two albums, I couldn't justifiably rank one above the other. So I cheated; I have two absolute favourite albums of the year.
Still moody, but maybe even more angry and frustrated and resigned this time around. I was surprised by the relative simplicity of Daisy compared to the more accessible but complex previous album The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me, but I love it all the same for the directness of emotion that comes across in the harsh, restless music. It's the sound of a breakdown in process, an unravelling; it's raw and painful and mesmerising. I will always remember the first time the hymn slid without warning into the screams on 'Vices', surprising and shocking me into the mood of the album.
Watch: a stripped back version of 'At the Botton' in the studio
I was sucked into this from the moment Andy Hull sings the first line: "I am the only one who thinks I'm going crazy". The first half of the album is packed with layered, intense rock songs, howling and powerful and almost overwhelming, save that it's balanced by a sense of insecurity and worries in the lyrics. The latter half of the album, however, is more contemplative; softer and more vulnerable and emotionally painful. Andy Hull's voice is amazing; it roars over the pounding guitars and drums, and cracks in the softer moments, tender and broken. I listen to this album when I'm feeling down, bruised, and scared; not because it tells me that everything will be okay, but because it gets how I feel.
It wasn’t until mid-afternoon that we heard that the previously unannounced support act was heavily rumoured to be Jesse Lacey (lead singer of Brand New) himself, doing an acoustic set. So just before 8 we went in and waited impatiently on an already quite packed floor. 8 came and went, then 8:15, and there was a twinge of doubt settling in; but finally, just before 8:30, Lacey walked out onto the dim, green-blue backlit stage to great cheers, and proceeded to play a short but beautiful acoustic set.
untitled 1 Play Crack the Sky Oh Comely (Neutral Milk Hotel cover) (video) Soco Amaretto Lime Coca Cola
Lacey's voice, accompanied only by the guitar, is simply gorgeous – big, emotional and affecting. It was brilliant to hear Play Crack in its stripped back glory, as it is on second album Deja Entendu. Also, we saw Jesse crack a smile, and it was amusing as the Brand New set following was, admittedly, pretty damn emo considering the low lighting, the songs, and the anguished performance.
There was only a brief break before Brand New took to the stage. The band, plus another three touring members (including a second drummer), came on and just hurled themselves into a blistering instrumental; it felt amazing from the start, absorbing this wall of sound and fury, the bass reverberating through my chest. From there they launched into two faster paced songs off their last album, The Devil and God…, which were well received. But it wasn’t until Okay I Believe You… that the mosh really went nuts, which was fun to watch from our position on the outer rim of the seething mass. There was a good atmosphere during the whole gig, such an improvement on last time where the timid audience dampened the mood.
There was a slower section, building the tension towards an absolutely amazing string of songs, starting with Millstone, which really could’ve been a second single considering how the crowd reacted, followed by glee from the audience as Jesse introduced Gloria with an offhand comment, “This one’s about sex.” Tatou served as a brief lull before an entirely unexpected and oddly sweet cover of Jesus Loves Me sung by Jesse, which served as an intro for the song Jesus.
I loved hearing Degausser live again; it’s one of my favourites from the album, and it’s always seemed to me a song of quiet desperation, but last night they played it as this tortured monster of a song, a perfect performance of a breakdown in process, which carried brilliantly into You Won’t Know, which closes the show with Jesse’s anguished repeating of the refrain over and over. It still gives me chills, feeling the haunting unravelling quality of Jesse’s voice over the dark of the theatre.
The encore was mildly disappointing; after a prolonged delay filled with cheers and calls for the band, they came back on slowly, starting with Vince on his own playing a riff which Jesse then took over, and continued into an extended instrumental jam. It was mesmerising, but when the concert ended abruptly after that, it left me wanting more – more songs, more time with them - because their music is so powerful and intensely affecting.
Welcome to Bangkok Not the Sun The Archers Bows Have Broken Okay I Believe You But My Tommy Gun Don’t Jaws Theme Swimming The No Seatbelt Song Luca Millstone Sic Transit Gloria…Glory Fades Tatou Sowing Season (Jesus Loves Me) Jesus Degausser You Won’t Know
Some time at the end of last year, I heard two tracks from Brand New's latest album The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me and fell in love with the brooding music and the really interesting, intensely emotional lyrics. I could not wait to see them live. Since we weren't interested in the support, and the weather was terrible, so we rocked up about 10 minutes before they were due on. Despite muddy sound the concert was good. There were times it was clearly evident that Jesse Lacey's voice was really strong and capable, so I think that was more a problem with the acoustics of the room than the band, or someone at the sound desk needed to pick up their game.
The band were able to create this massive wall of sound that I could feel all around me. They played around with the songs, with interesting arrangements and variations from the album sound (eg. slowed down first verse of 'Jude Law...'), which worked mostly, though sometimes it threw the crowds' attempts to sing along. There were lots of Jesse Lacey acoustic guitar moments; 'Play Crack the Sky' being played as sparsely as it is on the album at the start, great calm-before-the-storm moments before the song goes crazy and beautiful and LOUD. Jesse Lacey's voice was...I don't know how to describe it, apart from feeling like he was breaking down in front of us and everything he felt was carried in the burden of his voice and words. It wasn't perfect, but it cracked with emotion and it made me believe that he was really passionate about what he was singing, and that was awesome.
They started with songs from the previous two albums, which was great, but a bit confusing – I kept waiting for them to throw the new stuff in, but it didn’t come for the first hour! They went offstage for a brief period after 'Play Crack the Sky', and when they came back on they played almost all of the The Devil and God... which is so so awesome. The Green Day cover was unexpected – Jesse was just strumming as they were prone to do during the numbers, and then it suddenly became recognisable and a part of the crowd started singing along happily. He only played a bit, then he stopped just as the drummer started to pick it up, and laughed and said, “Oh, Brian really wants to do this”, teasing us, before he said, “But no, no happy songs, we’re here to play sad bastard music".
Jaws Theme Swimming Sic Transit Gloria...Glory Fades Me vs. Maradona vs. Elvis The Shower Scene The No Seatbelt Song The Boy Who Blocked His Own Shot Okay I Believe You But My Tommy Gun Don't Jude Law and a Semester Abroad Seventy Times 7 Play Crack the Sky
Welcome to Bangkok Sowing Season (Yeah) Millstone The Archers Bows Have Broken Luca (short cover of Basket Case) Limousine (MS Rebridge) Handcuffs Jesus Degausser You Won’t Know
