More CMJ coverage can be found in the WSN Arts Blog.
Day three was a light day with only two shows planned, but I looked forward to actually recognizing songs, which is always a plus. Unfortunately, I greatly misjudged the draw at Irving Plaza, and because of complications not really worth dwelling on, I only caught Eisley's final song, the excellent "Invasion." I strongly urge you to check them out. Anyhow, after the effort of getting in, I reasoned that it'd be a waste not to stay for the night's headliner, despite my unfamiliarity with the group.
Mute Math
Mute Math singer Paul Meany is a consummate showman. As the night progressed, his antics became more and more pronounced. At first he struck a pose while standing on top of one of the pianos on stage, later doing handstands and, for his final act, a few somersaults. The capacity crowd devoured his actions eagerly, demonstrating incredible enthusiasm throughout the set. Unfortunately, his vocals were not nearly as interesting, essentially rehashing every other pop-punk heartthrob's delivery. The band was most compelling when they broke away from sing-along singles, shifting towards an experimental instrumentals that allowed the bass and percussion to step forward. Although visually impressive, the band remains lacking when it comes to music.
MySpace: Mute Math
Official Site: Mute Math
Simian Mobile Disco
Simian Mobile Disco played to a saturated crowd at the Music Hall of Williamsburg, although the verb is used loosely. James Shaw and James Ford's electronic tinkering hardly resembled that of a standard band, and they appeared to be absorbed by their equipment, barely looking at the audience. However, their set had a very human element, as a number of the tracks from their album Attack Decay Sustain Release feature singing. The rapped "I Got This Down" was the first instance of sampled vocals, followed by a heavily distorted "It's The Beat," sung by Ninja from the Go! Team. Amidst the singing, the duo cranked up the crowd's energy with blistering beats and bass, which was echoed by an intense light show. "Hustler" lead to another cheer from the crowd, and encore selection "I Believe" provided a soulful moment of tranquility, although this was soon shattered by the final electronic surge. The only glaring omission was the irresistible "We Are Your Friends," but loss will be remedied by Justice on Saturday (and Monday).
MP3: Rick Ross vs. Simian Mobile Disco - Hustlin' Hustler (Cadence Weapon Hi-Speed Edit)
MP3: Ladytron - International Dateline (Simian Mobile Disco Remix)
MySpace: Simian Mobile Disco
Official Site: Simian Mobile Disco
2 comments:
you didnt miss anything when eisley was playing.they are a really bad live band.when i saw them with mutemath the bass player couldnt even find the right notes and his tone was so distorted(but he was playing an 8x10 ampeg with a 5 string musicman)thats hard to get a crappy tone with that setup.every song was the same...the front girls said really immature things like "not many people know this but when i take my guitar off i always hit myself in the nose".and their drummer complained into his microphone about not having a setlist.what i dont understand is how whoever wrote this review said that the singing was lacking but then called their songs with vocals "singalong singles" isnt that what a good vocalist strives for???for an audience to sing along with him???oh yeah he wasnt standing on a piano...its called a fender rhodes..just lettin you know
Have you listened to Mute Math's album? Hard to call that album musically lacking.
Post a Comment