Interlude: School Spirit

It seems as if I make as many concert posts as normal posts these days. Of course, you can't really beat NYC as far as show saturation goes, but this one was particularly special, as it took place in our very own Kimmel Center. NYU has had a fair amount of shows over this year, including a free one back in the fall, which paired the unlikely combo of Ghostface Killah and Animal Collective. This lineup was a far more logical, featuring three somewhat whimsical female singers, all of whom combined an electronic flirtation with acoustic leanings to varying degrees. All in all a very fun experience, and many thanks to the student group(s) that put this concert together.

Liz Isenberg

Liz was more or less what I expected as far as opener goes. My suspicions were more or less confirmed when she set up on acoustic guitar, and proceeded to deliver pretty, if somewhat indistinguishable lo-fi pop. That is, anyways, until she proceeded to confuse (and delight) me with a number of loops, slowly building a song into a complex, multi-harmony composition. I've realized that I'm a sucker for multi-tracking - even if that isn't the correct terminology - but multiple voices are definitely more interesting than one. Many kudos for fulfilling that quota.

Buy: Here
MySpace: Here
Official Site: Here

The Blow

Khaela Maricich is a consummate entertainer. She is, both in voice and spirit, the real essence of the Blow - not to discredit the importance of Jonah Bechtolt, aka YACHT, and his excellent production. But as was the case back in November, Khaela played, or more accurately, sang and danced her way through an immensely entertaining solo set. Although she adhered to essentially the same dialogue as before, the vibe was definitely less awkward and more exuberant; this was definitely a crowd more familiar with her work.


Which this brings us to this somewhat mysterious set, recorded at KSDT. I assume it's from a few years ago, as none of the songs match any recent material, which prevented me from tagging most of it, sorry. While the acoustic nature of this recording is a far cry from the Blow's groovy electronics on Paper Television, I do think Khaela's personality comes through. If anyone has any info on the date or tracklist, please share.

1. The Touch Me
2. Track 2
3. Track 3
4. Track 4
5. Track 5
6. Track 6
7. Track 7
8. Track 8
9. Track 9
10. Track 10

Buy: Here
MySpace: Here
Official Site: Here

Mirah

Mirah has been on the periphery of my musical environment for a year or so, but her spot as headliner prompted me to start a (limited) exploration of her work. Coming into the set, I knew I liked "Jerusalem," and the live rendition didn't disappoint. But without a real sense of the rest of her material, a couple things stood out. She really did a lot with acoustic guitar, and drummer Bryce Panic (whom I didn't really get a good shot of, apologies) also did a nice job. What really blew me over was the interpretation of a remix off of Joyride, in which Bryce laid a virtuosic beat box under Mirah's vocals. Respect!

Here's Mirah's set at KSDT (she's definitely been a longtime partner with labelmates the Blow). Again, if anyone has more info on the date and whatnot, please do tell.

1. Location Temporary / La Familia
2. We're Both So Sorry
3. Don't Go
4. Special Death
5. Mt. St. Helens
6. The Struggle
7. The Sun
8. Monument
9. Apples In The Trees

Buy: Here
MySpace: Here
Official Site: Here