10th Nov2011

Plastic Villains @ BAMM.tv 11/10/2011

by nickwan

 

The headliner tonight, and winner of the SFStation.com The Lineup voting contest, is Plastic Villains. Honestly, after seeing these guys live… it makes complete sense why.

Their album is pretty good, but it doesn’t do their live show justice at all. They all have a swagger about them. In fact, if you recall my other review on Outlaws & Preachers you’ see me talking about their bassist… HE’S IN THIS BAND. And he isn’t the shining star over everyone else, it’s a completely shared collective. Now that I see these guys in a live setting, I can definitely be assured that this isn’t just a collection of good musicians… this is truly a band. The layers, the gestures on stage, how tight every single song is… it’s all there. These guys are about to explode and no one knows it yet.

The live set does a lot of justice to some songs on the album that may have been looked over. The simplistic punk nature that the breathe into some songs doesn’t come across as fiery or lush as it does live. You can tell these guys grew up on the stage. They might not have grown up together, as they only have been playing shows since May, but they all have a presence that isn’t something you are just born with… unless you are. In which case, these guys have something very special about them. All rare performers who could all probably front their own projects. All five contribute extremely well with each other.

These guys are just hunting for a hook. If they find one hooky song in their catalog, they are set. I am completely surprised they aren’t signed to a smaller label yet. To all the label headhunters reading this blog, pay very close attention to this band. Shortlist them. Add their management, Salty Management, to your Rolodexes. Get your interns to add them on Facebook. Honestly, these guys are about to explode.

 

 

Category : Live Reviews
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10th Nov2011

Seatraffic @ BAMM.tv 11/10/2011

by nickwan

Seatraffic, a two-piece slowcore group, is more of my flavor. If you have never listened to Headphones, Dave Bazan‘s project post-Pedro the Lion… this group would be like what Headphones would have been like if Bazan came out with another Headphones LP. Very intense, yet shoegaze-style toe-tapping.

The one thing that sets these guys apart is the vocalist, who throws on this really intense filtering of delay and reverb with some other digital nonsense on top of that. I don’t know if I would have preferred this sans dream-pop vocals. Then again, I could only imagine what sort of acoustic set these guys put on. If they are anywhere near as weird and dreamy as the songs they are laying down tonight, they might be a great opening band for someone like The Radio Dept.

On a side note, I think the other dude who was charging his laptop in the press room took my charger on accident. If not, someone doing some sort of house keeping did. Sad face for me.

 

Category : Live Reviews
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10th Nov2011

Outlaws & Preachers @ BAMM.tv 11/10/2011

by nickwan

Outlaws & Preachers throws down a sort of funk/soul groove meets a rock/jam vibe. Vocally, it’s hip-hop. They might be a more punky The Roots or a more soulful, less aggressive Rage Against the Machine.

The stage show itself isn’t too wild. The frontman is the most mobile, which sort of makes sense as he has no instrument. However, the bassist seems to be the second most emotive, as he tries to sway back and forth. In fact, out of the five of them, the bassist seems to be the most interesting part of the group, as his intricate bass lines seem to fill out the barred chords and tit-for-tat vocal melodies. It seems that he is the most consistent out of the five on each song, with all other instruments focusing more on the genre they may be switching to and from…

Next time I hear these guys, I would really want to hear maybe something more like this last song they are jamming out right now. The first couple were interesting, showing their more intricate and poetic side, but their meat and potatoes are definitely in the harder, upbeat stuff in their catalog.

 

 

 

Category : Live Reviews
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10th Nov2011

BAMM.tv Presents: The Lineup 11/10/2011

by nickwan

Yes, all. Nick Wan here, trying to throw down some live reporting on BAMM.tv‘s The Lineup. The press room is cozy, I’m waiting on my friend right now, and Chris from BAMM is currently jamming out some nifty one-liners for tonight’s introductions. Stay tuned all night for set reviews of Plastic Villains, Outlaws & Preachers, and Seatraffic!

Of course, my Twitter account will also be hot tonight, so give a follow if you want some updates that was too (note: if you follow me any longer than tonight, you might be bombarded with a 50/50 of music related stuff and my personal life. Sorry… or you’re welcome. Either or.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Category : Live Reviews
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