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.

Sons and Daughters @ Music Hall of Williamsburg

Sons and Daughters; Bodies of Water; The Brunettes
@ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Brooklyn, NY - March 21, 2008

Glasgow's Sons and Daughters are hard to peg down. They seem to dance around a few genres but never fully take a step into each pool. There is an undercurrent of hard country to all of it (and it certainly bubbles over during a summoning of Johnny Cash) but combined with a wisp of 80's rock and a little disco at some songs, the overall package sounds something like a definitive, solid, incarnation of what modern rock is supposed to sound like (are you listening, Foo Fighters?). Lead singer Adele Bethel's voice shimmer and shines in a live setting, hitting every note and taking some notes to new places in the spirit of gutsy rock n' roll.
Bodies of Water may be from California but they sound like they're from Texas. They may be be four people but they sound like the Magnificent Seven if the Magnificent Seven were a rock band instead of a posse. Seriously - every song sounds like a gang riding into town to save the day. The entire band sings together on every song adding even more of an urgency to the western march rhythms that penetrate every song. And it works. By the end of the set, it was addictive.
The ultra charming Brunettes, from New Zealand, know that there is a fine line between acceptable cute and unacceptable twee. They safely, and securely, stay in the cute end of the pool (second swimming pool analogy this review!). Consisting of six, sometimes seven, members, and playing just about every instrument under the sun (lead charmer Heather plays just about every single little tiny instrument ever made, it seems). Yes they can be symphonic and lush, which is par for the course with cute-pop, but they also mix things up. No two songs sounded remotely alike. The opening song even began with a sort of swampy, eerie, sludge. This is a band that seems on the verge of being utterly predictable but they manage to surprise you at almost every turn.
Brunettes Insta-Clip
Photos