Posts Tagged ‘An Horse’

An Horse + Wintersleep @ Hotel Utah

Thursday, April 16th, 2009

http://www.hippiesaredead.com

Whew. Long overdue but worth talking about. This show was on the 25th of March over at the Hotel Utah, a venue I wasn’t too familiar with since I moved out here in San Francisco this past summer. The place is tiny…like really tiny. In fact it feels more like a dilapidated jazz bar than a rock venue. It has its charm, but I had to squeeze in and find a seat to get somewhat comfortable.
Once I did, I started talking with a few people who were unfamiliar with the awesomeness that is Wintersleep. I have seen them live once before on their debut US tour a few years back in Portland, Maine. This was around the release of their 2nd record, Untitled. Wintersleep has a very powerful presence when performing live. They seem to almost grow in size and consume the audience with their brand of progressive indie rock. I hadn’t heard any of the new songs live before this show, so I was quite excited to see how they translated on stage. They couldn’t have sounded better. Songs like Weighty Ghost and Archaeologists were performed flawlessly with little jam sessions peppered in here and there. It was also nice to see them play a few off their self titled debut, which was a treat for me and those wanting to get the full Wintersleep experience.

As for An Horse, I like what I have heard on record, but I didn’t know much about their live shows. The band itself sounds like a stripped down version of Pretty Girls Make Graves or a slightly polished Sleater-Kinney. Fans of Tegan and Sara are understandably flocking to this band due to it’s endorsement from T&S and that similar raw emotion sound. However you take it, it’s nothing new or groundbreaking. But that doesn’t mean it’s not good. An Horse exudes brutal honesty and can still rock pretty hard when it comes to performing live. In fact it’s pretty impressive considering they are a fairly young band. When speaking on stage their interaction is adorable, but when they play, it’s a whole ‘nother monster. Lead vocalist Kate Cooper does not hold anything back and reminds me of old Thom Yorke circa The Bends live videos. It’s this combo of sweet vulnerability and anger that makes An Horse special, particularly with songs like Little Lungs and Camp Out.

You can still catch An Horse opening for the always fantastic Appleseed Cast here. And for you overseas folks, catch Wintersleep on tour in May here.

Click here for a review of An Horse’s debut record, Rearrange Beds.

Wintersleep – Weighty Ghost (Live @ SXSW)

An Horse – Postcards

Tags: An Horse, Rearrange Beds, wintersleep
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Rearrange Horses

Monday, March 16th, 2009

Man, if I had a dollar for every band named after a sweater, I’d have, ooh, at least a dollar by now. Which is to say that I would have earned the grand total of one dollar from An Horse if we lived in a world wonderful enough that you could make money simply by bands naming themselves after sweaters. You could then use that dollar to purchase An Horse’s new album, Rearrange Beds, which comes out tomorrow.

Rearrange Beds is the duo’s debut album, and there are more than a few good reasons for the buzz you are already hearing about them. A live show embodying the honesty and intensity at the heart of post-punk rock and a sound defying any limiting definitions you may have for modern indie rock are just a few of those reasons. Active for only a year, they have already garnered an impressive following. Singer Kate Cooper’s vocals and lyrics will soon have you filing her right next to Exene Cervenka and Penelope Houston as powerful and vital singers. Musically, the band explores territories similar to Fugazi, Pavement, and Sleater-Kinney. It’s a little too pretty to be punk, a little too raw to be pop, and a little too elegantly constructed to be rock & roll. And that makes it just about perfect.

Check out the band on tour with Wintersleep and later on tour with Appleseed Cast as well as this year’s SXSW. For dates click here.

You can purchase the album on iTunes here and buy the physical version tomorrow wherever records are sold.

An Horse – Postcards

Tags: An Horse, Rearrange Beds, SXSW
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Kata’s “I’m Not Going, But I’d Like To” SXSW Special

Wednesday, March 11th, 2009

It would be impossible for me to describe the plethra of bands attending this year’s SXSW. I’ll leave that for someone who has more time on their hands than me. I will however tell you about a handful of shows that I believe you should check out (if you’re going) or just check out the band’s music if you’re not going (like me).

Fans of sweet folk and people who became a slave to anything Bon Iver puts out should check out The Low Anthem. The Providence, RI trio released the critically acclaimed Oh My God, Charlie Darwin just last September and has been riding the wave of it’s success since. They’ll be all over the place at SXSW, so there’s no excuse to miss them…

Wed March 18th:
3PM – Mad Dragon Party @ The Thirsty Nickel
Thu March 19th:
12:30 – Music By The Slice @ Homeslice Pizza
3:00PM – End of the Road Party at Lambert’s
1AM – Bella Union Showcase at The Ranch
Fri March 20th:
10PM – Central Presbyterian Church
Sat March 21st:
4PM – PureVolume House @ 2nd and Trinity

The Low Anthem – Charlie Darwin

You seriously can’t go wrong with this line-up. If you haven’t heard of at least Bart Davenport, you’re betraying yourself in ways you could never imagine. From the sonic melodies of The Botticellis to the danceworthy electro-beats of Sugar & Gold, missing this show is not an option.

Saturday, March 21

1am – Pterodactyl (Uncle Booking)
12am -Gravy Train!!!! (Uncle Booking)
11pm – Sugar & Gold (Antenna Farm)
10pm – Bart Davenport (Antenna Farm/Uncle Booking)
9pm – The Botticellis (Antenna Farm)
8pm – The Dry Spells (Antenna Farm)

@ The Radio Room, 506 E. 6th, Austin, TX.

Bart Davenport – A Young One

The Botticellis – Up Against the Glass

Sugar & Gold – Neighborhood

Those looking for just plain fun early-Beatles idealism won’t need to look any further than The Morning Benders. While you’re at it, go ahead and check out their brand new EP titled Grain of Salt on +1 Records.

Wed March 18th:
9:00pm || Stimulus Package hosted by HearYa.com @ Paradise Cafe
Thu March 19th:
3:30pm || The Bay Area Takeover @ The Beauty Bar
Fri March 20th:
12 – 6pm || The +1 House Party @ The Legendary Hank Sinatra’s
Sat March 21st:
1:00am || Wave Rooftop: Official SXSW Showcase

The Morning Benders – i was wrong

The Morning Benders – Doctor Doctor (Daytrotter Session)

Besides being lucky enough to tour with a few of my favorite bands (Wintersleep, Appleseed Cast), An Horse will be spreading their balls-out rock all over Austin this weekend. I like what I’m hearing and will most likely head out to purchase their upcoming debut release, Rearrange Beds, as should you.