Best Coast / Wavves @ Granada Theater

What hasn't already been said about this show? See Pitchfork and the Fader.  I knew coming into to the show, it was going to be an  absolutely fun-filled affair with the SoCal duo of Best Coast and Wavves.   I have been a fan of Wavves for quite some time and had been biting my time to catch them live; yes, I missed them in New York too.  And with Best Coast really making a name for themselves with their debut album, Crazy For You, it was obvious this show was going to be great.

After watching No Joy perform, who had a great set, Wavves jumped onstage and literally blew the roof off.  Performing old and newer songs alike, I don't think there was a single dull moment in their set.  Their sound was mind-numbing but their music was so electric that you couldn't help but dance around.  The capacity crowd went from head-bobbing to full out Peanuts dancing in a matter of minutes.  It was great.  It became somewhat apparent that co-headlining tour was almost not fair, as Wavves' sound and stage presence were hard to beat.  I would definitely catch them on this tour or any tour in which they are a part of.

After a short break, Best Coast took the stage and hurled the crowd into a haze of lo-fi pop goodness. Their sound was fairly reminiscent of their studio tracks, which is to say that they were pretty straightforward in their delivery.  Not to say that's a bad thing but it was a definite change from watching Wavves onstage.  Best Coast delivered most or all of Crazy For You with a few extras sprinkled in, including the much talked about cover of Loretta Lynn's "Fist City" (below); I myself was amazed at the amount of attention the video of the cover got.  Overall their set was pretty solid and I can see why they were chosen to split headlining duties with Wavves but when I look back, I think most would have agreed that on this particular night, Wavves ruled supreme.

Pictures and videos of the show are below:

Wavves

Best Coast

enjoy.

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No Age @ Sons of Hermann Hall

The last time I almost caught No Age was on the Williamsburg Waterfront, where they were to perform alongside Dan Deacon and Deerhunter; fittingly No Deachunter.   I actually skipped the last day of the All Points West Festival (Liberty Park, NJ) and headliners Coldplay to see the No Deachunter show.  But, alas, their show was rained out and they proceeded to perform multiple shows at Brooklyn Bowl but I chose not to go due to the exhausting day at All Points the day before.  So when I saw that the promoters of Parade of Flesh were bringing the L.A. duo to Sons of Hermann Hall, I swiftly reserved my spot and waited in anticipation to finally see them perform.

Sons of Hermann, once again, provided a great backdrop for a great night of music, which filled up more than when Titus Andronicus came to town.  No Age performed with a touring third member, William Kai Strangeland-Menchaca, who provided samples and background noise for the duo.  For anyone who knows about great live bands, No Age has been near the top of that list and their reputation was upheld at Sons last Monday.  With Spunt's thunderous drumming and Randall's fierce strumming and riffs, the night was indeed electric and was by no means a let down.  From the opening notes of "Life Prowler" to the ending notes of "Everybody's Down", their set was full of uptempo noise pop/punk with interludes of calming soundscapes provided by Strangeland-Menchaca.  And wow, was it loud.  It was a good thing I brought my earlove to this show because it was definitely needed; it also made it hard to get any good audio from the show.  Their set seemed to fly by but they performed 17 songs, including their encore performance of "Everybody's Down".  I would highly recommend catching these guys whenever possible; you will not be disappointed.  The set list was as such:

Life Prowler

Teen Creeps

You're a Target

Every Artist Needs a Tragedy

Fever Dreaming

Depletion

Common Heat

Losing Feeling

Cappo

Glitter

Valley Hump Crash

Eraser

Chem Trails

Sleeper Hold

Shed and Transcend

Miner

Encore

Everybody's Down

Pictures and video of the show are below:

enjoy.

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Video: Nosaj Thing @ Le Poisson Rouge

Jason Chung, aka Nosaj Thing, delivered two masterful performances within a month's span at New York's Le Poisson Rouge last year and I was lucky enough to catch both.  The first of which he opened for Daedalus where he definitely made a name for himself with his hauntingly good live set.  A month later, he opened up for Flying Lotus and took the venue by storm.  His beats were spot on and there wasn't a single person not moving to his infectious sound.  Don't get me wrong, Flying Lotus held his own, but Nosaj Thing's set was hands down the best of the night.  I really wish he would make an appearance at one of the upcoming festivals, i.e. 35 Conferette or Norman Music Festival, or schedule a stop on his next round of tour dates.  Though neither of these shows weren't listed on my top ten from last year, he alone was one of my favorite live artists from that same time period.  The video below is from the Flying Lotus show where Jason mixes Portishead's "Wandering Star" and his own "Coat of Arms".

enjoy.

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Video: Mumford and Sons @ House of Blues

Similar to my recent post with Atlas Sound at Le Poisson Rouge, I continue to come across unrendered footage of shows from last year.  Through my search, I found a handful of songs by folk sensations, Mumford and Sons, from their show last June at the House of Blues' Cambridge Room.  My first impressions of Mumford, to which I had little knowledge prior to the show, was that they put on one hell of a show, even if it wasn't necessarily my cup of tea.  Since that performance, they have made a pretty solid name for themselves in the U.S., a feet that is not commonly done these days by British bands.  Nonetheless, here is a performance of their song "Roll Away Your Stone", performed with openers the Middle East; this was also their last show with the Middle East, so the performance was especially electric near the end of the song.

enjoy.

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Best of the Best: Concerts 2010

Here's to another great year of shows.  It definitely started off with a bang, then slightly fizzled towards the end of the year (crummy work schedule).  But nonetheless, it was a very eventful year and the latest chapter in Music Taster's Choice history has been written and an exciting one lay waiting this coming year.  Here is the top ten concerts I attended this year, including shows seen in New York, Texas, and Oklahoma.  There is no set criteria for this list but I will say that there are special points for intimacy, originality, special guests, and overall excitement.  Without futher adeu, here is my favorite shows of 2010:

#1  Muse / Passion Pit @ Ford Center, Oklahoma City, OK

Yes, I have a special spot in my musical heart for Muse.  But until someone can dethrone them as the best live act in the world today, they will continue to be near the top of my list annually.

#2  Beach House / Washed Out w/Small Black @ Webster Hall, New York, NY

It took me a good year before I got to see Beach House, and they did not disappoint.  Performing to a sold-out Webster Hall, the dream pop was in full force and made for a great night.

#3  The National @ Bell House, Brooklyn, NY

It was very hard not to put this show #2 but I think a solid #3 is more than fair.  This show rated the highest for intimacy, especially for a band of this magnitude.  Very excellent.

#4  LCD Soundsystem / Holy Ghost! @ Palladium Ballroom, Dallas, TX

LCD performed in New York just before I moved to Texas but I was unable to attend; quick ticket sales can do that.  This was my definitely my favorite show in Texas, hands down.

#5  Surfer Blood / Turbo Fruits / Beach Fossils / Morning Benders @ Market Hotel, Brooklyn, NY

There was so much anticipation for this show.  Surfer Blood headlined a show packed full of young indie talent, opened by the emerging Morning Benders.  Great crowd at the small DIY venue.

#6  Neon Indian / Miniature Tigers @ Granada Theater, Dallas, TX

Denton's own Neon Indian dazzled a packed house at the Granada Theater while Miniature Tigers were nothing short of spectacular as the show's opening band.  Great show from start to finish.

#7  The Bloody Beetroots - Deathcrew 77 @ House of Blues, Dallas, TX

Here was another band I patiently waited to see and finally got to experience when they visited Dallas.  This show had so much energy, led by Bob Rifo and his Beetroots which included a live drummer.

#8  Atlas Sound / Memory Tapes @ Bell House, Brooklyn, NY

Bradford Cox, aka Atlas Sound, and Dayve Hawk, aka Memory Tapes, mesmerized the Brooklyn crowd with a heap of ambient rock/pop goodness; this was also Memory Tapes' first US show.

#9  of Montreal @ Granada Theater, Dallas, TX

I saw of Montreal twice at Granada Theater this past year but their show in May was leaps and bounds better than their show with Janelle Monae.  The crowd was amazing at this show.

#10.1  Titus Andronicus / The Babies @ Fordham Univeristy, Bronx, NY

See #9.  With family in attendance and a crowd of eager college students, this show was marred by multiple interruptions by Fordham's administration.  Despite the setbacks, their set was electric.

#10.2  Radio Happy Hour w/ David Bazan @ Le Poisson Rouge, New York, NY

David was uncannily funny during the acting portions of this live variety show but was unmistakably brilliant during his three-song set including a beautiful homage to his late friend, Vic Chesnutt.

Here's to 2010.

enjoy.

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