Ra Ra Riot; The Antlers @ BAM

Ra Ra Riot; The Antlers
@ BAM
Brooklyn, NY - February 5, 2010

Ra Ra Riot should in theory have a new record coming out soon and one or two of the songs during this set at the Sounds Like Brooklyn Festival at the Howard Gillman Opera House should have been from that new record but the band made no mention of it. It didn't matter as what they played was focused and captivating, and all the songs from The Rhumb Line continue to give this Syracuse band a worthy lease on life.

The Antlers are not like any other band that bridges the gap between distortion no wave and pop music. Rather than meld the two together, they force these two styles to smash against each other and then fall back leaving both parts equally concrete as they stood before. This isn't always effective. Additionally, the serious, nervous band's penchant for flourishing, rising build-ups that then just peter out are a few too many. But it does come together. It certainly came together often on the Hospice record. It really comes together on one magical number called "Two" though there were enough deviations from the recorded version to make you wonder where this band was going to go.

The Sonic Parthenon Playlist: Rest of the Year 2009

The Antlers
I liked this band's music every time I heard it and then immediately did nothing about it. That's all changing right now. Let this band be the one to help usher in the new decade.

Cold Cave
The gears have finally turned to me now discounting the buzz on the hipster blogs rather than looking to them for more new sounds. So I snubbed this band. Then I finally gave them a shot just last week. Hey, this is good. And it's not like it's their fault there are too many beards and fake eyeglasses around.

Norah Jones - The Fall
The decade-review will attempt to do her more justice but every snob - Indie hipster or rock blues country folk purist alike - can suck a lemon. Before this slightly sonically different album, Norah put out three nearly-pitch perfect LP's. Her choice of singles have always been solid and "Chasing Pirates" passes the muster with flying colors.

And in the bringing it back department
Pavement - "Cut Your Hair"
It took the entire decade but there turned out to be a single Pavement song in the canon that I like. Just in time for the reunion.

Pretenders - "Mystery Achievement"
In order to impress a girl (or two), I went to Lilith Fair in 1999 which may not be what immediately comes to mind when someone thinks of what my first ever concert could be. Nevertheless it was. I was glad to go for Sarah Mclachlan whose overall body of work remains some of my favorite singer-songwriter material. I was also glad to see Sheryl Crow when she could still rock. And it was also a show for The Pretenders whom I discounted as another classic rock band. Oh no - Ms. Hynde and the boys put on a real humdinger. And all these years later, I discover their best song.