Rockness Recommends
Oxford Collapse, Thunderbirds Are Now! and The Narrator spazz out at Subterranean.
January 24, 2007
Three of our favorite bands are all playing together. We've said it once and we'll say it again, our lazy ass loves it when that happens.
Headlining is NYC's Oxford Collapse. The Sub Pop boys play noisy, spazz rock that puts on emphasis on disjointed, spiky guitars, yelps and howls, tambourines, and bass-induced grooves. Fans of early Dischord stuff will see an obvious (and successful) homage to the stripped-down sound of Nation of Ulysses and Fugazi, yet Oxford Collapse also seamlessly incorporate the dancier aspects of bands like Radio 4 and Q and Not U with the "artiness" of Liars and Oneida. Phew, that's a whole lot of bands. It may take a little effort to keep up with this band, but your sweat will be well spent.
Detroit's Thunderbirds Are Now! are also on this bill. They play catchy keyboard rock with much help from wiry post-punk guitars and killer cowbells and maracas. This is sassy rhythm rock with a sly, rambunctious spirit that will get even the meekest of the meek up to dance. Singer Ryan Allen yelps, wails and struts to the synths, melodic machine-gun beats and "killer" licks. They have been compared to Talking Heads and the Pixies, but since they're on Frenchkiss Records, throw in a Les Savy Fav nod too. They'll be all rowdy and shit.
Opening is those infectious Chicagoans, The Narrator, who play manic, Dischord-inspired post-rock punk that sounds like Trail of Dead meets Unwound meets Detachment Kit. They mix chaotic machine-gun outbursts with introspective arrangements, often abruptly and in mid-song, to create a stop-start whiplash of tracks that could best be described as "tumultuous anthems." The Narrator take the best elements of those old mid-90's Chicago bands (think angular) and inject it with their own brand of attacking fury. And they play loud.
Oxford Collapse, Thunderbirds are Now! and The Narrator play Subterranean, on Wednesday, January 31st.
Headlining is NYC's Oxford Collapse. The Sub Pop boys play noisy, spazz rock that puts on emphasis on disjointed, spiky guitars, yelps and howls, tambourines, and bass-induced grooves. Fans of early Dischord stuff will see an obvious (and successful) homage to the stripped-down sound of Nation of Ulysses and Fugazi, yet Oxford Collapse also seamlessly incorporate the dancier aspects of bands like Radio 4 and Q and Not U with the "artiness" of Liars and Oneida. Phew, that's a whole lot of bands. It may take a little effort to keep up with this band, but your sweat will be well spent.
Detroit's Thunderbirds Are Now! are also on this bill. They play catchy keyboard rock with much help from wiry post-punk guitars and killer cowbells and maracas. This is sassy rhythm rock with a sly, rambunctious spirit that will get even the meekest of the meek up to dance. Singer Ryan Allen yelps, wails and struts to the synths, melodic machine-gun beats and "killer" licks. They have been compared to Talking Heads and the Pixies, but since they're on Frenchkiss Records, throw in a Les Savy Fav nod too. They'll be all rowdy and shit.
Opening is those infectious Chicagoans, The Narrator, who play manic, Dischord-inspired post-rock punk that sounds like Trail of Dead meets Unwound meets Detachment Kit. They mix chaotic machine-gun outbursts with introspective arrangements, often abruptly and in mid-song, to create a stop-start whiplash of tracks that could best be described as "tumultuous anthems." The Narrator take the best elements of those old mid-90's Chicago bands (think angular) and inject it with their own brand of attacking fury. And they play loud.
Oxford Collapse, Thunderbirds are Now! and The Narrator play Subterranean, on Wednesday, January 31st.
