Noise Pop 2005

There were so many bands playing in the Bay Area for a week that I missed many. Below were some I saw in or around Noise Pop.

Polysics @ Hotel Utah: Japanese elector/pop/punk. Wearing red jump suits, breast patches, and black visors they hoped around and did erratic Devo-esque dances to electronic computer pops and whiny guitars. Think New Invisibles only more aggressive. And the lead singer yelling very slowly “We are...Poly-sics. From JAP-pannnnn. Koninchiwa" in between songs.

Kings of Convenience @ the great American Music Hall: If Belle and Sebastian are too loud for you this is the way to go. Tender virgin-boy pop from a duo of Swedes. The best crowd I have seen in awhile. During the closing number, when the fuzzy haired, lad with the coke-bottle lenses starting taping around the stage singing, “I would rather dance, I’d rather dance, than talk with you” they erupted in applause and began dancing themselves.

Portastatic @ Bottom of the Hill: Jim Wilbur was substituting for the bassist. Therefore it was half of Superchunk and Mac’s fatter brother. In true chunk fashion all of the song were belted in double time. Most of the crowd were attending for the opener ‘Heavenly States,’ and talked through the set. This one fat guy and myself were jumping monkey-like near the front in time with the performers. I thought it was superb.

Modest Mouse @ The Berkley High Theatre: After they played ‘Float on’ mid way through the set the teenagers behind me started to discuss what shirt color would match their wardrobe better.
Jeremiah has returned and the band kept the drummer they took up in his absence, making for a riotous percussion section and boosting their noise level tremendously. Still, Modest Mouse is not arena rock. It felt awkward. I learned this though: the new songs are better live. The old songs crush the news ones.

Slint @ Great American Music Hall. A superb set from some late 80’s indy rock pioneers. Too metal for my current tastes, but the guitarists was able to weave some incredible screeches and squarks from his ‘ax.’

Since last session:

• Drinks: 7
• Read: The Vampire Lestat, Rice: hh
  • The vampire chronicles are super hero stories. Instead of spider sense, they can read minds. Instead of spandex they wear cloaks. They fly, they punch through walls, they have a healing factor. All the books follow vampires who only feed on “the blood of the evil doer.” So there that is.
  •I only read Interview last month, I figured it was about time. Everyone said that this second novel (Lestat)was superior to the first. The opening half was, but the second portion became bogged down dull backstory. All of which (I am assuming) is a set up for book three. Which I suppose I will read, than to hell with all of these vampires.
  
• Watched: The Englishmen who went up a hill but came down a mountain: hh
  Bah. Bor-ring and predictable, even with all the cute welsh accents.
• Listened to: Muse, Absolution. hhh
  Some good bits. Unless you’re a completist, burn yor buddies. Very Ok Computer.
• Cockney Slang of the day: Orange and Pear = Swear.