Niki and the Dove are back in New York. Instead of playing support, Niki and the Dove headlined a sold out Bowery Ballroom. The duo hailing from Stockholm, Sweden did not disappoint nor were there any jitters from such a big show.
There is something instantly engaging with Niki and the Dove. Be it the easy smiles from Malin Dahlström or the club-worthy beats laid out by Gustaf Karlöf, Niki and the Dove build a strong foundation right away and it doesn’t hurt to have a handful of pop gems to work with.
Aesthetics are everything for a band. If you don’t have an identity it is easy for a band to lose their place in a crowded field. Vacationer do not have that problem and it’s easy to see why they had more than a few fans at Bowery Ballroom on January 12.
Vacationer are just that, a trip away from the mundane and the daily grind. Step back, step out and set your blanket down. Vactioner may be too on the nose with their set up, a lit up globe, videos of scenic destinations, but the vibe and the atmosphere that they created resonated with the crowd. With songs like “Gone,” “Trip” or “No Rules,” Vacationer are a band that feels remarkably poised and established and that credit goes to the established identity of the group and its music as well as to their frontman, Kenny Vasoli.
Divine Fits at Webster Hall featured all the great aspects of their debut album, A Thing Called the Divine Fits, and more. As a band, Divine Fits have incredible chemistry and each song has a sense of vitality, direction and purpose that make for a great night at a show.
It’s not surprising that the Divine Fits are a great live band but it’s always nice for a band to exceed already high expectations. Fans of Dan Boeckner’s work in Wolf Parade or Handsome Furs and Britt Daniel’s work in Spoon will find plenty to love in the music of the Divine Fits. Sam Brown, from New Bomb Turks, adds in some dynamic drumming to round out the band.
The Presets headlined Terminal 5 as part of the CMJ Music Marathon 2012. It’s been awhile since The Presets played New York and fans were eager to hear some older hits as well as songs off their latest album, Pacifica.
Playing in a large venue suits The Presets who bring a plenty of lights and are entertaining despite being stuck behind a keyboard and a drum set. Most importantly, The Presets pay attention to the live feel of a show, offering extended cuts and try to revamp their songs to sound bigger and better.
The Disco Biscuits and friends invaded The Mann Music Center in Philadelphia last weekend and for a two-day festival called City Bisco.
Let’s start with the good. The venue is a great spot to have a concert, plenty of seating, grass seats, and a balcony, so there are so many great spots to see the show, and when the Biscuits play you know they’re going to bring great lights. The weather held up, too. Each day was beautiful and didn’t get too chilly at night. And the sound at the venue is pretty incredible.
As far as music The Disco Biscuits weren’t bad the first night, but then really shined the second. The guys really seemed to enjoy themselves and were happy to be back in Philly. Barber looked like he was having more fun at a smaller show than he has in years. And the guys seemed to take it all in stride when a crazy fan seemed to slip past security and run on stage to try to get a hug. Some of the highlights include a really fun cover of “The Safety Dance” an inverted version of “Humu” into “Helicopters” when they faked out the whole crowd for “King of the World” and ending the night and festival with a quick jam of “I-Man”.
Brownie told the crowd that he and Barber used to chill at the Mann years ago and once Barber lost his wallet there. But luckily later on they were hanging out at some guy’s house and the guy said “Hey man, you look familiar.” Turns out he found Barber’s wallet. Pretty cool story!
A-Trak was great as always. Though I must say a lot of the straight Biscuits fans were not really into his groovy electronic sound. I personally loved it and really enjoyed his mashup/mix of two of his most popular tracks, “Barbara Streisand” into his “Heads will Roll” remix. Sure, two overplayed tracks, but he added some special touches that night. And as always he seamlessly mixed hip-hop into electro.
I caught the end of Paper Diamond’s set and he did a great job, though once again the crowd wasn’t fully into it. He dropped some heavy bass tracks as well as some of his popular tracks including one of my favorites “Can I go Up”.
Now, on to the bad. The scene: It is a little ridiculous that you can’t go a foot in the parking lot without being offered nitrous balloons and the amount of people with access to tanks and selling them is unheard of. (Read up on the “Nitrious Mafia” here.) One of them people I was with accurately called the lot “Crime Alley,” a Batman reference. It had a dark and depressing feel, with kids getting their fix or passed out on the ground. The police and security do nothing. It just left a really dark and negative feel in my mind and really gives the scene a bad name. continue reading "City Bisco 2012 Review, Photos"
