Index of Shows | Homepage | Upcoming Shows | Write to me
I haven't seen Appomattox in quite a while. Either I was having a bad night then, or they've gotten WAY better, because I remember kind of liking them, but tonight they are awesome. They're an indie rock three-piece with tuneful and impassioned vocals and noisy guitar. At times, initially, I think the rhythm section is screwing something up, but I think that's just a series of great, weird syncopations and rhythmic breaks. And just when I think that gee, the guitar parts could maybe use more single-note stuff instead of strumming, the guitarist and bassist launch into one of the most wonderful lines-twining-around-each-other sections I've ever heard. Great stuff.
Codetta are debuting a new lineup tonight, with a newish drummer and a brand new second guitarist/bassist. They share the tuneful and impassioned vocals, and they're a good fit on a bill with Appomattox. Previously, they were kind of a raucous three-piece; as a quartet, they're taking the band in a very different direction. It's a little slower and more lush and ballad-y. Less Nirvana, maybe more Weezer. Or Velvet Underground, later in the set. All four of them sing at least a little, and they do some call-and-response singing that makes good use of their different voices. There's a section in the middle where the second guitarist switches to bass so that the bassist can play keyboard; I like these songs best, for the rollicking keyboard lines and for the way the guitar leads stand out better.
Dave Cave & The Void are 4/5 of The Lot Six. They seem pretty relaxed and informal in this configuration; also, it's late on a Monday night, so there's a lazy, tired vibe. They play some fairly low-energy originals and a couple of slow, smokey covers. (The Breeders, Gram Parsons) The whole experience is good, kind of mellow and folky, but what really elevates it is the singer's strange and wonderful vocal style. He's got this bizarre, almost yowling voice, but he's so relaxed and sure and IN the music that it totally works. The whole set feels slapdash and casually brilliant. It also goes really well with the other bands that played tonight; a remarkably fine act of booking.
