Action Painters; The Brunettes @ Mercury Lounge

Action Painters; Sean Bones; The Brunettes
@ Mercury Lounge
New York, NY - May 28, 2009

Action Painters and the Brunettes came to the rescue after original headliners, those Scottish lads the 1990s, had to cancel. Action Painters showed off some of their New Wave chops with covers of Television's "See No Evil" and The Brains' "Money Changes Everything" (the latter of which can be found on the band's new digital EP). The rest of the set featured the exact kind of rock n' roll and power pop this band has been perfecting for a few years now. When I first got into them, "Absolutely Clear" and "Sooner or Later" were the two towering achievements but slowly but surely, "456" has become this heavy hitter, an immensely strong number. Though they remain a relative secret on the cusp of makin' it, these WOXY stars already display the fine mix of raw rock n' roll grit and professional panache that the greats need to possess. Also, any band that does this is alright by me.

Sean Bones is a tribute to vintage ska and reggae. Straight up. There's a lot of rock n roll oomph in his work but a lot of that oomph stems from when ska and reggae are done right live. A very fun set from beginning to end, and the kid seems to already have a solid fan base.

The Brunettes moved to Brownsville and now use backing tracks. At least that's the story as it seemed to be as the band played for the first time in a year, and were a little tense and nervous. Correspondingly, the music was a little darker and more timid than it had been when they opened for Sons & Daughters last year at MHOW. They acknowledged missing their horns, which provide a lot of the sprightliness this band excels at. Nevertheless, the new material is able enough and the kids have still got it.