Track-Fu
Opopo - O D O K T R O
The DGB - Perfect Crime
Barn Owl - Concerning the Jane Finch
Slingshot Dakota - Ohio!
Cloudland Canyon - Krautwerk
The Ruby Suns - Oh, Mojave
Back from a CMW-administered break. I hope you all got out to check out some great bands; check the rest of the site for several reviews from each night. I also hope you all got out this weekend, with such lovely weather.
1. Catl - Me and My Chauffeur
I was supposed to listen to a different track by Catl, called "A Pickup Killed my Ford", but the website wouldn't load it. Catl hasn't really embraced MySpace, I think. Listening to the music, I can see why -- it's a very bluesy country, all guitar and percussion and weathered vocals. It has an appealing crunch to it, actually.
Catl @ The Tranzac w/ THE SPEAKING TONGUES, Wed Mar 19, No cover
2. Opopo - O D O K T R O
Opopo have an adorable name. They also have a fun song here, all electro and youthful and fun for dancing. I think this band could find themselves being all cool all of a sudden, pretty quickly.
Opopo @ POP WITH BRAINS #14 w/ Foxfire, Eden Ants, Sean Ward & the Realness, the Idlers @ The Rivoli, Fri Mar 21, $5 in support of C.A.M.H.
3. The DGB - Perfect Crime
The DBG bill themselves as "No Stylists, No Gimmicks". They are very straight-ahead rock -- three members, no wussy keyboards. Think early Nirvana, big grunge influence. So I guess they are billing themselves accurately.
THE DGB w/ Two Scoops, Jay Spectre, Left Of Zero @ Rancho Relaxo, Sat Mar 22, $5
4. Barn Owl - Concerning the Jane Finch
I like owls. They are the nerdiest of the birds, and I can identify with that. Barn Owl have strings, so maybe they have a bit of nerd in them too. This song left me a bit cold at first, but started winning me over as it played through. By the end, I was in.
Barn Owl @ PITTER PATTER NIGHTS @ The Boat, $5
5. The Ben Gunn Society - Sunshine
The Ben Gunn Society dress a lot like pirates, in a kind of literal way (I think), and that's a bit strange. I don't really get the pirate thing. I was thinking the music would also be kind of sea-faring, but it's actually pretty straightforward, which is nice. The lyrics are a bit repetitive and the riffs are a little Guitar Hero, but it's a pleasant enough song on the whole.
6. Slingshot Dakota - Ohio!
Slingshot Dakota sound kind of early-aughts indie, like they've been hanging out in the basement with a Macbook and a Casio. The song has a nice melody, particularly in the chorus, but the music itself is kind of amateurish. I get that it's low-fi and all, but the charm starts to wear off about three minutes in.
7. Cloudland Canyon - Krautwerk
Cloudland Canyon really like prog rock, I suspect. This song is long. Looong. And it's all noodley guitar and chugging bass and feeback still at the three-minute mark and I really can't deal with that. Glyn explains the idea of musicians being too impressed with the sounds they can make better in his most recent review, so I'll just leave it to him, because I don't have anything else to say.
8. The Ruby Suns - Oh, Mojave
The Ruby Suns sound lovely after that last song. But it doesn't last because the song gets pretty repetitive, and it sounds like there are air raid sirens. I don't get why it had to go from South-of-the-border ditty to an explosion, but I apparently don't get much today.
Winner
Opopo! Catchy! Keyboards! Dancing! Hey!
Loser
Cloudlanzzzzzz...