The Apples in Stereo
The Apples in Stereo couldn’t possibly have recreated the energy of their triumphant Yep Roc show at South by Southwest last month, when an exuberant vibe penetrated every corner of the venue. But the band certainly gave it their all Sunday night at the Bluebird.
Lead singer Robert Schneider and mates, including guitarist John Hill (Dressy Bessy) and keyboardist Bill Doss (Olivia Trevor Control), tore through effervescent songs from their disc “New Magnetic Wonder” with maniacal glee. Unfortunately, a muddy, nearly vocal-less mix brought the energy down considerably.
Denver indie kids still proudly claim the Apples in Stereo as theirs, no matter how many miles and years separate the seminal Elephant 6 pop-rock group from its origins. If we want them to play here regularly we should provide an appropriate venue. Sunday night at the Bluebird was not it.|John Wenzel
Let’s Go Sailing
It’s a gift to attentive fans, the sly references a band drops to their records while performing live.
And when this quiet, Los Angeles twee band opened for Elvis Perkins on Tuesday at the Soiled Dove, it closed with a subtle nod to its excellent debut, “The Chaos in Order.” Singer-songwriter-pianist Shana Levy nodded to her bandmates on bass, guitar, drums and violin and set into the album’s centerpiece, “Sideways,” and continued to close with the meditative “All I Want From You Is Love.”
It was a beautiful closing combination, especially heard over the Dove’s pristine sound system. But more important, it was a nod to the record in that the songs are the first and second tracks on “The Chaos in Order.” It wasn’t a big deal, but it felt like a fittingly quiet thank you to the fans who had already become accustomed to hearing those songs in that order.
Ricardo Baca
Headlights
Headlights describes itself on MySpace as “indie pop with a shoegazey aftertaste,” which probably makes little sense for those not tuned in to college radio. Still, it’s a fairly accurate description. It would also be accurate to say Headlights sounds a lot like its Arts & Crafts labelmates Stars, though for I’d rather watch Headlights any day.
At the Champaign, Ill., group’s excellent March 30 Hi-Dive set, the songs sounded even tighter and more propulsive than on record. Singer/keyboardist Erin Fein’s magnetic stage presence blended well with her use of noisy, keyboard-triggered samples and pleasant melodies, inexorably winning over even the stolid audience members by set’s end. It may not have been very edgy, but great indie pop rarely is.|John Wenzel
The Hard Lessons
When the Hard Lessons took on “See or Be Seen” late in their set Sunday night at Bender’s, the Detroit band showed its true colors.
As much as they claim the Motor City’s garage heritage as their own, the Hard Lessons are a power pop band with garage tendencies.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
The energetic band with the killer live show makes for a terrific power pop band, mainly because of the crafty dynamic between guitarist Augie and organist Ko Ko Louise. The two share lead vocals, but as in “See or Be Seen,” they’re best when they’re singing together, hitting those power harmonies that make their pop all the more potent and brassy.
The new unreleased single, recently posted at myspace.com/thehardlessons, shows the new direction this band is taking – and it’s sure to be more lucrative than playing the underground garage circuit for the rest of their existence.
Ricardo Baca
