Booooooooo Typepad. Sons of bitches lost all my work last night.
So Tapes n' Tapes performance last night at Maxwell's, their NJ debut I believe, restored my faith in the potential of this band. I was skeptical if they would bring the goodness after being out-performed last month at Bowery by Cold War Kids. That gig left me a bit angry and had me thinking that Tapes are a bit over-hyped.
Well, they have redeemed themselves. They slayed -- a super high energy show from beginning to end. The boys from Minneapolis showed that they are worthy headliners and are ready for the national spotlight when they appear on Late Show with David Letterman next week.
- Just Drums
- Beach Girls
- The Iliad
- Manitoba
- In Houston
- Omaha
- Icedberg
- Ten Gallon Ascots
- Insistor
- Cowbell
- Frankfurt
- Jakov's Suite
I'm reading my old review from the Bowery show and they corrected everything I though was wrong. They played loose and with a cohesiveness. The big problem last month was that didn't look like they were having fun. Last night, Josh Grier smiled between songs, chattered up with the band and the crowd and even did a little Hendrix antics as he dropped to the floor for "Frankfurt." He acted like he was in a rock band. YES! I asked him after-wards what the difference was and he said, "It's Maxwell's, man!" There you have it. The fact that the crowd is on top of you makes you play with a bit more energy. Check out the video below and you'll see what I mean.
Congratulations to Matt Kratzmann on his new keyboard. With their new record deal with XL, they were able to buy some new equipment. They use to own a Yamaha keyboard that had 99 preloaded sounds -- the kind you can buy at Wal-Mart for a 10-year old. But, they still don't own a keyboard stand. Matt had to use 2 bar stools. Sometimes, the rock 'n' roll lifestyle isn't so glamorous. Matt was also having a good time s as well, banging the tambourine against the drum set with gusto.
With the brilliant, but not practical band name of Someome Still Loves You, Boris Yeltzin, you would think they would be a bunch of hooligans. When I first heard of them a few months ago, I was truly impressed with their handle of melody. They sound like Pavement when they did whimsical pop songs like "Cut Your Hair" and "Range Life." The band from Springfield, MO are not slackers or hooligans at all, they are skilled indie pop musicians.
The four-piece, who all look like they all dropped out of college, have the goods to make a name for themselves. If you never heard of the music and you just saw them live, you would see how easy it is to like them -- simple hooks and melodies indicative of the mid-west region. I looked around during their set and I saw many heads bopping around.
Their album, Broom, will be released on Polyvinyl on October 22, but you can pick up on their website or at their shows. Check out some full tunes on myspace. "I Am Warm and Powerful" is a good start.
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