June 28, 2010
Portugal. The Man @ Neumos
I finally had the opportunity to see Portugal. The Man last Friday! I’ve sadly had to skip out on them the last few times they’ve come around. I was rather devastated when the free show they played in Seattle a couple months back was 21+, but was relieved to hear they were coming back for an all ages show. So glad I didn’t have to pass this opportunity by again!
This had to be one of the first shows where I was as impressed by the opening bands as by the headliner. Morning Teleportation and The Builders and the Butchers are Portland-based bands supporting Portugal. The Man on a short wave of West Coast dates. The former are a very energetic and very strange psychedelic group. Something you’d imagine being the outcome of Algernon Cadwallader meets of Montreal. Yes, that weird. The latter, wielders of acoustic string instruments, are a surprisingly aggressive folk band. I never knew mandolins and banjos could be strummed so viciously. Their songs are titled as such: “Devil Town”, “Slowed Down Trip to Hell”, and “Raise Up Your Weary Hands”. Both bands were great and made the wait for Portugal. The Man (they played at 10.50, doors opened at 8.00) slightly less agonizing.
I suppose it paid off to arrive even earlier than 8.00, as I got to stand in the front row for one of my favourite bands. The acoustics at Neumos undoubtedly suck, but you can still hear a good amount up front (well, I wasn’t as deafened as when seeing the Antlers). I also snagged a setlist and got a high five from John ;) No American Ghetto material was played, but the show was still phenomenal, particularly the end. “People Say” and “AKA M80 the Wolf” plus “Created” and “1989” for encore. The lights were blindingly beautiful. I do regret not making a move into Portugal’s earlier work sooner as I was unfamiliar with most of the songs in the middle of the set. I bought Waiter: “You Vultures!” at the show though and I’m thoroughly addicted now!
Morning Teleportation
The Builders and the Butchers
Portugal. The Man
Sneaks peaks at the setlist. Hey, optical illusion: Is that a waterbottle or a paper cup?
This is how Portugal makes me feel on the inside.
I loved these lights
Non-shitty photos by Monika Sapek.
[currently listening to: Elephants – Portugal. The Man]
June 25, 2010
How to Destroy Angels
In working on NIN for 20 years Trent Reznor established a particular sound in his music that now never fails to be implanted in anything he touches. It’s this likeness that somehow connected Pretty Hate Machine and The Slip and also managed to set NIN as a whole apart from all other artists. And despite NIN’s apparently indefinite hiatus, this nice little mold hasn’t gone anywhere. It’s sitting right here with the words “How to Destroy Angels” written on it. There’s only one difference: Reznor isn’t singing.
O-kay, o-kay, I know. So first Trent gives us an entirely instrumental album several times longer than the cumulative NIN discography at that time and then releases an EP featuring the vocals of some chick named Mariqueen Maandig (who is his wife I guess)? Is he insecure? Perhaps. But if it makes you feel better, I’m 100% sure Trent is still writing lyrics. (Phew!)
I suppose it’s not really as bad as it sounds. While How to Destroy Angels’ debut EP does draw from NIN’s sound considerably, to the point it’s difficult to call it “influence”, at least that influence works off of Ghosts I-IV more than the The Slip. Despite a severe lack of banjo, it’s essentially five fleshed-out Ghosts tracks overlaid with some boring chic—oh, I mean Maandig’s vocals. I suppose the unforced hint in her voice sort of lends itself to the music, sometimes giving off a sort of mysterious/sexy vibe, but it’s mostly just boring. It’s apparent that her voice lacks substance just from the EP’s dreary opener, “The Space in Between,” which falls into monotony in parts where Maandig’s voice isn’t heavily backed with noisy electronics and screeching guitars.
As the EP is primarily a twist on a familiar theme, few things come unexpectedly here. Most songs can easily compare with NIN’s more recent work. The hi-hat in the danceable “Fur Lined” has led the song to be labeled a combination of “Discipline” and “Only”. “The Believers” could be a mix of “4 Ghosts I,” “26 Ghosts III,” and “37 Ghosts V” with a hint of Year Zero influence in the final breakdown. The melancholy “A Drowning” is a Ghosts re-working of “Lights in the Sky” / “Right Where It Belongs”.
Though somewhat predictable now, the instrumentation in this last song, “A Drowning,” is more developed and mature than that in most Ghosts tracks and definitely The Slip. Well, what did we expect Trent to be doing after NIN? Getting the most pretty and depressing piano melody ready for us, of course! Even Mariqueen’s voice sounds better in this one. You almost think she might allow it to stretch out a little and take a risk during the lines where she sings “I don’t think I can”, but alas, I suppose she really can’t.
Rating: 5.5/10
P.S. I'm seeing Portugal. the Man tonight. So ready to hear some American Ghetto live!
June 07, 2010
Short Hiatus
Pretty Hate Machine is 98% likely to be going on a two week hiatus right now. I've had things entries that I've been planning to write, but with school is ending on a really stressful note, my brother graduating, etc etc etc I really don't see myself finishing them until the very end of school (17th/18th/19th)... and normally I wouldn't put up this sort of notice, but I promised the "Overlooked Albums" like two weeks ago and I'm sorry to say that it's still not going to be up for a while. Doopsies :')
June 02, 2010
Spirit Youth - The Depreciation Guild
The Depreciation Guild’s latest poses a difficult comparison to 2007’s In Her Gentle Jaws, the band’s debut. Gentle Jaws, a swirl of fuzzy guitar laden with 80s-esque electronic sounds, drowned us in loud, dizzying shoegaze. Whatever hint of pop existed in their music then, Spirit Youth then took and expanded on. Now immersed in a dream pop sound, The Depreciation Guild tries their hand out while wandering down this new, cleaner direction— well okay, not always clean… they’ve just switched out some of blaring guitar for some lighter pop sounds.
While Gentle Jaws was a little less “generic”, upping up the band’s unique points, Spirit Youth presents something a little more familiar. That does not at all credit it to being boring or unoriginal though; it’s just layered with easily identifiable influences. The beginning of the album opens up with several Cocteau Twins–like melodies (songs like “Blue Lily”) and of course, a hint of MBV is undeniably evident in a lot of Spirit Youth’s guitar work (this is a shoegaze/dream pop album we’re talking about after all). But oddly enough, I’m most frequently reminded of Mew when listening to this album. Constantly, actually. The Depreciation Guild must have happened to land on the same line of dream pop that Mew often toys with, because “November” and especially “White Moth” could easily be songs from Frengers. Kurt Feldman’s voice also happens to have a strange likeness to Jonas Bjerre’s, so maybe that’s why this resemblance seems to be glaring me in the face so strongly.
Ultimately, it’s a pretty well polished dream pop album, despite not being so OUT THERE 100% original. “My Chariot”, “Crucify You”, and “White Moth” are really key tracks, in my opinion. Dear dream pop album, maybe I’ll reserve a place for you in my best of 2010 list. Possibly maybe.
Rating: 8.2/10
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[currently listening to: Hunter – Björk]