show review: Gifts From Enola / Glaciers / Winfred E Eye

Thursday, July 16th, 2009

It was already late at the Bottom of the Hill in San Francisco, so I was really hoping tonight would be a success despite the venue being half full. Two decent bands proceeded instrumental act Gifts From Enola.

First up was Winfred E. Eye with their barn-burning hoedowns and in the Pogues-ian joyous-noise (a stomping “Lil Peck”) and sweetly downered folkadelic intropsection (a Wilco-ian “Two Baby Moths”). It was an interesting set…I might want to see them again.

Next up was the Melvins inspired instrumental act, Glaciers. Glaciers‘ soundscapes were intriguing, alternating between a thunderously apocalyptic atmosphere and almost dream-like drones. Unfortunately, the band sometimes seemed lazy and bored, leaving some people nodding their heads to the mindlessly grinding rock music. It was quite good, but even during their set, it felt like an appetizer for the headlining act.

Rolling out huge equipment and several lights, it was a clear signal that Gifts From Enola were going to be louder than any band you’re likely to see outside of a stadium. Fortunately they were never loud for the sake of being loud. They were not, for instance, as blisteringly face-melting as Isis. But they did play music as sonically rich and heavy. You might call their sound a gloriously abrasive flood of dense guitar atmospheres across the sonic spectrum.

Some might wish they were a metal band, but they were too far outside the box on their song dynamics and their penchant for creating ambient stretches inside their songs. Playing some of their greatest song from both their latest onslaught ‘From Fathoms’ (buy) and their debut ‘Loyal Eyes Betrayed the Mind (buy),’ the band barely paused between songs, making the entire experience feel more like a journey rather than a tiny concert in tiny venue. They clearly cared about mood and how their sounds affected the listener emotionally and not merely if they were rocking harder than anyone had ever seen before.

The drummer, though, made their overall sound a lot more organic since he didn’t just play as fast and as furiously as he could. He went for a more tribal sound that always packs more of a punch rather than some acts that think they need to just assail us with double-kick rolls. That kind of thing doesn’t hit you hard — knowing when to use all your components does, and this band knew how to do it. Sure, they ran into a technical issue with the lights out about halfway through their set but they leapt that chasm and showed us how you can use aggression creatively in music while also stirring the body, heart, and imagination.

Gifts From Enola – Benthos

Gifts From Enola – Screaming At Anything That Moved

Tags: concert review, Gifts From Enola, Glaciers, Winfred E. Eye
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show review: Bat For Lashes at The Great American Music Hall

Saturday, June 20th, 2009

It might have been a bit on the short end, but the saying always puts quality ahead of quantity.

And for British singer Natasha Khan also know as Bat For Lashes, her 85-minute set at a sold-out Great American Music Hall last Saturday evening was a quality-filled spectacle on many levels, all with the intent to take her followers on a mystical medieval journey while playing the role of an electro-tinged minstrel.

First off, the very experimental Hecuba took the stage and played a few off their latest release, Paradise. Dressed in a one piece unitard, lead vocalist Isabelle Albuquerque jumped, danced, and kind of freaked out on stage for a good half-hour while everyone tried to interpret what was going on. Entertaining nonetheless.

From the shimmering glitter streamer backdrop to the numerous branches and dolls around the stage, Bat For Lashes, touring behind this year’s Two Suns album, brought a unique style to San Francisco.

Supported by a tight three-piece band, Bat For Lashes opened with the dreamy and hushed Glass before the acoustic trip-pop hues of Sleep Alone. Both songs got decent responses but Natasha Khan was happy to go straight into the following track.

Probably the first true glimpse of her range came during Siren Song, a rich, airy, orchestral number which had the performer going from Kate Bush range to Dusty Springfield with no problems whatsoever, and garnered a louder ovation.

The performer has a knack for crafting fun, carefree electro-pop nuggets such as the toe-tapping Horse and I from 2007’s Fur and Gold release and especially on Sarah, which got the entire crowd singing along.

Just over an hour in, Bat For Lashes was already closing up shop with the groove-filled Pearl’s Dream. With the floor filling up with people and all on their feet, she took a bow, said thanks and left the stage.

Considering how the main set finished on such a high, the encore’s gentle, melancholic tandem of Prescilla and Moon and Moon might have caught some off guard. Well she brought that high back with her second encore by finally performing Daniel, much to everyone’s delight.

Whether you’re prepared for it or not, Bat For Lashes is going to be pretty huge in coming months. With her vocals always on key and her demanding stage presence, she is one of the better live shows you could end up seeing this year. It was for me.

(if you are a regular reader, you might notice that we have eliminated the “Download” button. This is due to the new Wordpress 2.8 and all it’s glory for messing with my alignment. A small change but a necessary one in my opinion.)

Download: Hecuba – Miles Away from Paradise (2009)

Download: Bat For Lashes – Sarah from Fur & Gold (2007)

Tags: Bat For Lashes, concert review, great american music hall, Hecuba
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