Camera Phone Show Review #5: Deerhoof, Hella, Bus Driver
El Ray
1/24/07
I wasn't really expecting much from this show. I've been a casual fan of Deerhoof for a while, and the other two acts I didn't really know much about. At times during the evening, I was everything from pleasantly surprised to bored out of my mind, and all points in between.
Bus Driver
When Bus Driver took the stage, I knew it was going to be rap music from what a friend had told me. I didn't know whether that meant something like urban hip hop, chilled out R&B, or spastic yelling. What I heard was none of the above. It was just good groovy rap. I've been getting interested in artists such as Ludacris and Jay-Z lately, and have been a long time fan of acts like Beastie Boys and Run DMC, but Bus Driver did not appear to be from the same school as any of those artists. He had an indie rock feel, with a good sense of humor, and an energetic delivery. I could tell he was really giving it his all, and perhaps the audience reaction left a little to be desired. He kept trying to get people pumped up, and when it fell a little flat, he made some subtle jokes about Los Angeles in between verses. I chuckled to myself, as I, too, have been subject to LA's less than enthusiastic crowds.
It also seemed like Bus Driver was a little annoyed with his DJ because he snapped at him a few times (possibly joking) about a beat, saying "You can stop that one now, no one needs to hear that." Near the end of the set, I saw a guy dart out from the side of the stage and whisper something in the DJ's ear. Bus Driver happened to notice out of the corner of his eye, and said something like, "Oh, we're out of time, Ok." He seemed slightly annoyed, and rightly so. They couldn't have been up there for more than 20 minutes. They closed off the set with a very impressive and catchy tune where the vocals were very quick and staccato, somewhat akin to something you might hear from Busta Rhymes. I think if Bus Driver gets a better DJ and puts out more records, we'll be hearing a lot more from him in the future.
Hella
Hella. Where to begin? I won't insult your intelligence by using their name as an adverb to help describe their sound. That would be too easy. If you like Rush, Sunny Day Real Estate, and "Jupiter" era Cave In, you might like this band. I thought it was a horrible waste of my time. Don't get me wrong, they are all very talented musicians, and I'm sure some people's eyes were bleeding in awe with their metal master prowess. However, sometimes the most impressive musicianship is not always the most entertaining. The drummer sounded like 16 different people hitting 16 different drum pieces at random intervals. Neil Pert would be proud. Or would he? At least Rush had catchy choruses. These guys just had a lot of meandering vocals and choppy start-stop riffs. Yawn. Next!
Deerhoof
Deerhoof was so great. Do I sound like one of those twee indie rock kids in the front row that knitted hats with animal ears for the band members to wear? Well, maybe I do, and so what? I have been converted from a casual fan of Deerhoof to an enthusiastic fan of Deerhoof. The drummer was ridiculously good. The guitarist was sick. The singer's voice felt like a lullaby. They rocked. They tore it up. They jammed out and threw down. Everything that annoyed me about Hella was schooled by Deerhoof. They know how to create contrast within their song structure, shaking butts one moment and then pouncing into chaotic math rock the next. They were loud and booming one second, and then delicate and soft the next. Hella, take notes. Last night was Day 1 of Deerhoof's U.S. tour. Go see them. You won't regret it.
1/24/07
I wasn't really expecting much from this show. I've been a casual fan of Deerhoof for a while, and the other two acts I didn't really know much about. At times during the evening, I was everything from pleasantly surprised to bored out of my mind, and all points in between.
Bus Driver
When Bus Driver took the stage, I knew it was going to be rap music from what a friend had told me. I didn't know whether that meant something like urban hip hop, chilled out R&B, or spastic yelling. What I heard was none of the above. It was just good groovy rap. I've been getting interested in artists such as Ludacris and Jay-Z lately, and have been a long time fan of acts like Beastie Boys and Run DMC, but Bus Driver did not appear to be from the same school as any of those artists. He had an indie rock feel, with a good sense of humor, and an energetic delivery. I could tell he was really giving it his all, and perhaps the audience reaction left a little to be desired. He kept trying to get people pumped up, and when it fell a little flat, he made some subtle jokes about Los Angeles in between verses. I chuckled to myself, as I, too, have been subject to LA's less than enthusiastic crowds.
It also seemed like Bus Driver was a little annoyed with his DJ because he snapped at him a few times (possibly joking) about a beat, saying "You can stop that one now, no one needs to hear that." Near the end of the set, I saw a guy dart out from the side of the stage and whisper something in the DJ's ear. Bus Driver happened to notice out of the corner of his eye, and said something like, "Oh, we're out of time, Ok." He seemed slightly annoyed, and rightly so. They couldn't have been up there for more than 20 minutes. They closed off the set with a very impressive and catchy tune where the vocals were very quick and staccato, somewhat akin to something you might hear from Busta Rhymes. I think if Bus Driver gets a better DJ and puts out more records, we'll be hearing a lot more from him in the future.
Hella
Hella. Where to begin? I won't insult your intelligence by using their name as an adverb to help describe their sound. That would be too easy. If you like Rush, Sunny Day Real Estate, and "Jupiter" era Cave In, you might like this band. I thought it was a horrible waste of my time. Don't get me wrong, they are all very talented musicians, and I'm sure some people's eyes were bleeding in awe with their metal master prowess. However, sometimes the most impressive musicianship is not always the most entertaining. The drummer sounded like 16 different people hitting 16 different drum pieces at random intervals. Neil Pert would be proud. Or would he? At least Rush had catchy choruses. These guys just had a lot of meandering vocals and choppy start-stop riffs. Yawn. Next!
Deerhoof
Deerhoof was so great. Do I sound like one of those twee indie rock kids in the front row that knitted hats with animal ears for the band members to wear? Well, maybe I do, and so what? I have been converted from a casual fan of Deerhoof to an enthusiastic fan of Deerhoof. The drummer was ridiculously good. The guitarist was sick. The singer's voice felt like a lullaby. They rocked. They tore it up. They jammed out and threw down. Everything that annoyed me about Hella was schooled by Deerhoof. They know how to create contrast within their song structure, shaking butts one moment and then pouncing into chaotic math rock the next. They were loud and booming one second, and then delicate and soft the next. Hella, take notes. Last night was Day 1 of Deerhoof's U.S. tour. Go see them. You won't regret it.
posted by Dan at 8:54 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home