Summer School
School of Seven BellsI'm not quite sure how to categorize Balmorhea. Indie classical? It's a mix of classical and experimental acoustic folk that features guitar, percussion, piano, cello, upright bass and wordless vocals. The result is lush and beautiful. Not unexpected for a band named after a tranquil state park. I guess it could be called moody and luckily it fit my mood perfectly. They were my favorite band of the night.
Next up was School of Seven Bells. I'm not a big fan of guitar-electronica unless it's by Lambda Lambda Lambda but the band is quite appealing (I mean, did you see the ladies in the picture above?!). The band is fronted by the oh-so-easy-on-the-eyes Deheza sisters with Benjamin Curtis, formally of Secret Machines, on guitar. When I first listened to them online many of the songs sounded similar and without distinction. In concert though you notice the differences in each song. Some were fuzzed out with lots of shoegazer guitar, some were trippy and psychedelic, while others were pure dream pop featuring the lovely harmonies of the Deheza sisters. Their overall sound isn't one I usually gravitate to. I prefer old fashioned drums and bass over Casio keyboards, laptops, and drum machines. However, I left respecting the talent of the band and could see why they packed The Mohawk with fans on a Tuesday night. I didn't stick around for much of the Black Moth Super Rainbow show. I need to pace myself this week. They kicked things off with a hysterical video about their fans featuring Brian Posehn (best known for his roles on The Sarah Silverman Show and Just Shoot Me). I searched online for a clip of the video but it's no where to be found. Oh well. You'll just have to trust me when I say it was really funny.
Tomorrow: a review of The Heartless Bastards.
Yahoo