surfer blood [live]

The Parish has done an excellent job recently of really helping me get into an appropriate summer mood (as if the weather wasn't enough). The small upstairs concert hall at the House of Blues has been host to many impressive acts like Tennis, Holiday Shores, and Surfer Blood in the past two weeks alone.

Last Wednesday a surprising crowd came out to see Florida beach indie-rockers Holiday Shores and Surfer Blood do what they do best. As a huge fan of Holiday Shores' debut record, Columbus'd the Whim, it was much to my chagrin to hear only two songs from the 2009 gem. But even in the shadow disappointment, I was thoroughly impressed with the bands overall delivery. Many of the Shores tracks, performed live, are given liberties by the band to develop and evolve, allowing them to become entities of their own and go places that may not be experienced otherwise. Though this tended to account for a playlist composed of many longer pieces, an atmosphere of depth and timelessness, reminiscent of the Doors, was achieved.

The energetic and talented musicians that make up Surfer Blood were nothing short of extraordinary. When a band drenches their music in as much reverb as these guys do, it's always hard to know what you should expect live. But rest assured hipsters, my skepticism has been put to bed and I'm a believer; the delivery of their music live, along with their onstage antics, is impeccable. The setlist, as expected, was made up predominantly of hit tracks from their acclaimed 2010 debut release, Astro Coast. However, the set was also littered with several new tracks that makes giddy as a little girl to get my hands on their forthcoming EP, I'm Not Ready. The future is bright for these young men; put on your sunglasses.

*Disclaimer: I couldn't help but throw in this sweet picture of me getting down onstage with Surfer Blood. Thanks for the photo, Josh.

- Article written and composed by J. Cheney- All photographs by Joshua Brasted

For more pictures from the show,

check out Joshua's Flickr.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/brasted/

Girl Talk NOLA~~

I remember three years ago starting college. Girl Talk came to open for the Disco Biscuits at Tulane. The small auditorium was packed. This week Girl Talk came back to New Orleans to fill the House of Blues for two massive sold out shows in a row. The crowed poured out of the venue sweaty and exhausted. A testament to any fun dance party. Our man on the inside got the evidence.

-Photos by Josh Brasted

For more pictures from the show,

check out Joshua's Flickr.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/brasted/

iron + wine

It’s been a throwback kind of week here in New Orleans: two bands of my lonely indie boyhood dreams playing consecutive days in one weekend! On Saturday night Sam Beam and company played a sold out show at the House of Blues. One can only hope that after building anticipation for over 6 years to see a band, it will actually be enough to justify all the time spent waiting. This was certainly the case, as Iron + Wine did not disappoint.

The evening began with a short sample of Iron + Wine at it’s very core, as the simple solo vehicle for the creative folk genius of Sam Beam. Beam, dressed in a black suit and sporting his usual bushy beard, opened with a predominantly a cappella rendition of The Shepherd’s Dog’s closing track, “Flightless Bird, American Mouth;” his gentle vocals filled the fairly large concert hall as the audience listened in a reverent silence that spoke for the holiness of his music.

After performing “Up Over the Mountain” from his first full length, The Creek Drank the Cradle, Beam invited the supporting members of his band, which was 7 strong at it’s largest, onto stage. As the set progressed, the band did a wonderful job of playing a diverse list of songs from each album and the next high point came with the performance of “Woman King” from the 2005 EP that shares the same title. During this piece, as well as others, Beam’s supporting guitarist implemented the use of an electric banjo that attributed to much of the song’s overall splendor.

In closing, the band performed a shadowy, drawn-out version of Wolves, that built incessantly into a roaring guitar solo before being cut off without notice, to slowly but tenderly dissipate. It wasn’t long however until they were back for an encore to play an obvious crowd favorite, “Boy with a Coin,” from the latest full-length album.

When all is said and done, this was an extremely impressive show. In the anticipation of seeing a folk band like this, that is known at times for it’s manifestation of beauty within simplicity, one never knows exactly what to expect. During this performance however, less was not necessarily more, and it was my sentiment that Beam and his band did a wonderful job of not only playing a diverse set list, but also of adapting his deeply emotional folk songs to an intelligent live performance.

-Article by Justen Cheney -Photos by Josh Brasted

For more pictures from the show,

check out Joshua's Flickr.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/brasted/

Bradford Cox Has a Silly Haircut / Deakin

Last night (11/8) at the House of Blues we got to enjoy two talented artists passing through on their way from Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin, TX



Although he’s been on hiatus from Animal Collective for a while, Deakin hasn’t lost his touch. His solo work is mysterious and dark. In a live setting, he works with a mic, a guitar, a knob-covered table, and another dude banging on an electronic drum pad. The experience is very atmospheric and drone-based, with Deakin’s recognizable voice shining through the noise. You can definitely hear the Animal Collective in there, but it’s overbearing, and Deakin definitely offers a different experience. With former bandmate Panda Bear continuously putting off the release of his next album, and other AnCo cohort Avey Tare having just put out a record, Deakin’s shining moment might be forthcoming. Plus, his noise folk set the scene perfectly for headliners, Deerhunter.

Deerhunter play blissfully fuzzed-out, cathartically unsettling songs that make your head bop. From the get go of opening song “Desire Lines” the concert was a hazy roller coaster ride of beautifully wrought fuzzy pop tunes. The setlist was pretty focused on their acclaimed new album, Halcyon Digest, released in September, but there were also plenty of songs from their equally awesome previous albums, like 2008’s Microcastle. Deerhunter has an interesting stage presence; frontman Bradford Cox is a slightly menacing, but sympathetic character whose gangly outward appearance is humanized through his darkly touching lyrics.  The rest of the band just look like a bunch of ordinary guys up there, pounding out great songs, but there’s also a distinct air of professionalism. Along with that comes Cox’s quirky sense of humor and charming manner. Deerhunter remains at the forefront of guitar-driven indie rock, and continues to pioneer their genre into exciting new places. They have proved their longevity and staying power over the years, and on Monday night, New Orleans was lucky enough to get a taste of it.

--Photos and article by Connor Crawford